Fish Out of Water
The South Walton County town of Santa Rosa Beach is well-known for its seafood, as is the whole Florida Gulf Coast. My friends and I recently stayed at the next town over, Seaside, (Vera Bradley’s Inn By The Sea) and bicycled next door to the WaterColor Resort’s famous restaurant Fish Out of Water, one of the top 200 restaurants in Florida. With a name like that it is definitely the place to order seafood.
We were set up to dine in the wine cellar, a misnomer in that it was on the second floor with a wall of glass doors opening onto a porch overlooking the pool and beach below. The other three walls were covered with wine bottles, creating the perfect environment for our dinner.
The restaurant’s policy is to pair ingredients in season, serving the ripest foods available. They’ll serve a whole fish, or any part, raw, sautéed, deep fried, or wood grilled. Our server suggested we start our dinner with a selection of seafood appetizers he called tapas. In no particular order he delivered:
During the incredibly fresh and delicious seafood appetizers our server explained that the restaurant is committed to serving locally sourced farm fresh and ocean fresh food. They even sponsor Farmer’s Dinners with the growers and fishermen who supplied the ingredients sitting at the table talking about Restaurant and Consumer Supported Agriculture (RSA & CSA) with you while you eat.
Of all the salads offered: heirloom tomatoes and watermelon, a spicy radish, parsley and citrus wedge medley, and a Caesar, ($9) I had to have the Caesar. When it is done right, and this was--with raw egg, anchovies and loads of Parmesan--it is my favorite salad.
We drank two wines, beginning with a 2005 California Sauvignon Blanc, Star Lane, with its silky bright natural acidity--a star wine definitely! Next a 2007 California Chardonnay, Macon-Villages, smooth--not over-oaked--with hints of citrus and minerals lingering on the palate. Both were perfect with the seafood and salads, but I preferred the Star Lane.
The menu features a Cucina Povera ($30) which is a three course prix fixe dinner including antipasti, entree and dessert for about the price of an entree. It was a great deal, but it wasn’t fish the day I was there. There was a selection of fresh fish on the menu: triggerfish, shrimp, red snapper and pompano along with the usual pork, lamb, beef, pasta and chicken. ($27-$36). What they were doing on the menu of a restaurant named "Fish out of Water" baffles me! They all sounded great, but for my entree I chose the Panhandle soft shell blue crab, with a shredded fennel and herb salad and lemon puree. I hadn’t had soft-shell crabs all season. Where else but on the coast could I break that fast? The crab was tenderly deep-fried to such sweet and juicy crunchiness that I broke it apart and ate it with my fingers. Delicious!
A medley of desserts: a flan, a chocolate soufflé, baked pear and a selection of Sweet Grass Dairy cheeses completed the meal. What a fabulous and beautifully prepared dinner to share - it was great!
Chef de Cuisine Philip R Krajeck
Fish Out Of Water
WaterColor Resort
Fish Out of Water - Water Front Dining in Santa Rosa
A Seafood Restaurant & Lounge Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico
