Living nostalgia

Living nostalgia thrives atop the Tampa Airport Marriott

As one of Florida’s few revolving restaurants still spinning, CK’s is a beloved piece of American pop culture. Built in 1974, the Tampa dining landmark was part of a long line of revolving restaurants that sprouted across the world after the first one was created atop the Space Needle in 1961.

Tampa, FL – Perched atop the Tampa Airport Marriott – 10 stories high – CK’s Restaurant revolves at an undetectable half-mile an hour to provide guests spectacular vistas of the bay, downtown Tampa, and the departure and landing strips, which are illuminated in blue at night. A beloved Tampa dining destination since it opened in 1974, CK’s is a landmark that represents a part of American pop culture that is becoming a rarity in the 21st century. 

Captivating guests with savory cuisine and breathtaking views from China to the United States, the revolving restaurant is an American idea that conquered the world. What began as an architectural folly for the 1962 World's Fair has spread to almost every corner of the globe, atop broadcast towers like the Space Needle and crowning modern glass-and-steel hotels. These spinning dining rooms became symbols of optimism, progress, and success in post-World War II America.

Yet the number of revolving restaurants continues to dwindle. Some have simply stopped rotating; others have been refurbished into conference centers. The Stratosphere in Las Vegas is one of the few revolving restaurants that have been built in the United States in recent years. In regions such as Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, the revolving restaurant is still considered as a sign of progress - an emblem of prosperity, not kitsch. During the 1990s, a new wave of revolving restaurants sprouted around the world - from Lebanon to Jakarta to Cairo. There is even a revolving restaurant atop the 674-foot Saddam Tower in Baghdad. 

Though revolving restaurants are becoming a relic of the past – much like the malt shop and the corner hardware store - CK’s winning combination of fine food, exceptional and first-class service have made it one of Tampa Bay’s most enduring fine dining institutions – an impressive feat in a city whose restaurant scene changes swiftly. CK’s opened in a decade that marked the pinnacle of revolving restaurants in the United States, yet the idea of dinner accompanied by a high-altitude view dates back at least to the Eiffel Tower, which has featured a restaurant at its second platform since debuting in 1889.

So who is credited with building the first revolving restaurant? It is John Graham, a Seattle architect and early shopping mall pioneer, who created La Ronde atop an office building at the Ala Moana Shopping Center in Honolulu in 1961. A year later, he was commissioned to design the Space Needle for the Seattle World's Fair. Interestingly, the Eye of the Needle usually gets the credit as the world's first revolving restaurant because of the Space Needle’s prominence.

As soon as it was built, the Eye of the Needle starred alongside Elvis in the movie, “It Happened at the World's Fair.” A waitress there told Life that "serving the soup is like catching the brass ring on a merry-go-round.” Color-coded sections helped waitresses find customers. The elevators were so full of visitors during the day that food had to be delivered at night with "precision estimates of the day's needs." A New Yorker cartoon showed two people looking up at the imposing Needle; one deadpanned, "I'm not that hungry."

The Space Needle put the revolving restaurant on the map. Suddenly, every city was clamoring for one. The revolving restaurant became a tourist draw and an economic development engine. They were the riverboat casinos of the 1960s and 1970s.

In the world of revolving restaurants, everything rests on the turntable, of course. More than 75 percent of the world's restaurant turntables are made by Connecticut-based Macton Corporation. Its platforms have speed controls and get twice-yearly inspections. Just as with an audio turntable, fluidity and consistency are prized. Perfectly illustrated by CK’s, which revolved as an undetectable half-mile an hour, engineers agree that diners should not be immediately aware that they are revolving. Guests should savor the cuisine and the vistas, but not get a stomach-tickling sensation.

Many revolving restaurants around the world rely on the view so much they forget about the quality of their food. But CK’s (www.cksrestaurant.com) is turning that idea on its head with a new dinner menu created by Nagel that emphasizes fresh fish and beef and organic chicken, pork and lamb dishes accentuated with herbs, spices and seasonings rather than creamy sauces.

Lobster and Shitake Dumplings, Jumbo Lump Crabcake, Seared Ahi Tuna and Fricassee of Escargot in Phyllo are among the featured appetizers. The meats are highlighted by selections like Organic Pan Roasted Chicken, Organic Virginia Lamb Rack, Chipotle Maple Pork T-Bone, Slow Roasted Prime Rib, and the Naturally Grown Corn Finished Dry Aged Buffalo Ribeye Steak. Traditional favorites such as the Chargrilled Filet Mignon and the Chargrilled New York Strip remain on the menu

Pacific Coast Wild Salmon with Horseradish Crust, Grilled Swordfish with Basil Butter, Cajun Spiced Sea Bass, Macadamia Sesame Mahi Mahi, Spicy Rubbed Jumbo Day Boat Scallops and Sugar Cane Skewered Crispy Grouper are some of the seafood choices. Vegetarians may prefer the Eggplant Pillows and Mixed Greens, and Low Carb Linguini Vegetable Saute.

“This is not a restaurant with a view, it’s a destination,” Nagel explained. “Especially wit h this new menu, CK’s is a place where guests come for exceptional cuisine, a relaxing and romantic ambience and an incredible view. Dinner at CK’s is an experience.”

Guests sip on spirits like orange cosmopolitans and melon martinis and dine on pan roasted range chicken and chipotle maple glazed t-bone pork chops. The background is accentuated by soft jazz performed by local musician Derrick Williams as the sun slowly sets over the Gulf of Mexico, the vista of endless water replaced by the lights of boats in the distance.
 

In a world now dominated by tourist draws like theme parks and cavernous dinner theaters, the face of entertainment has changed. In New York, a tourist may be more likely to buy a t-shirt at the Hard Rock Cafe than eat at the grand Marriott Marquis Times Square.

But revolving restaurants offer something beyond a kitschy appeal and fine dining. They offer the city itself - a subtly drifting panorama viewed from a circular dining car. At CK’s, guests are treated to spectacular sunsets over the Gulf of Mexico and a window over downtown Tampa and the departure and landing strips of Tampa International Airport. While revolving restaurants in other cities have been transformed into conference rooms or no longer spin, CK’s remains a thriving destination for diners who relish exceptional cuisine amid memorable views – and a taste of nostalgia that is still very much alive.

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