Ferrell Alvarez to open new Asian-inspired restaurant

If you've eaten his food, you remember his name.

Now chef Ferrell Alvarez — a James Beard Best Chef South semi-finalist whose Rooster & The Till was twice named best restaurant by the Tampa Bay Times — is working up a new concept for Downtown Tampa's Sparkman Wharf this spring.

• Dang Dude, from Alvarez and his Proper House Group partners, will be a fast-casual Asian-inspired restaurant in a shipping container now occupied by 7th & Grove. Opening is planned for early March, Creative Loafing reports.
• The group's other Sparkman Wharf offering, Gallito Taqueria, is a few containers down.

Why it matters: Just three years ago, Sparkman Wharf was an idea to revive the old lackluster Channelside Plaza using shipping containers.

• Alvarez's second restaurant there is a sign the now-vibrant spot has a bright future.

Go deeper: Read what Alvarez would eat for his last meal.