Sea Worthy Fish + Bar Continues to Shine with Pristine Seafood and Chef Jason Ruhe’s Passion for the Catch

Some cooks fabricate their menus round what distributors private on hand. Chef Jason Ruhe builds his round what comes off the boats.

That philosophy has been on the heart of Sea Worthy Fish + Bar since Jason and his wife, Hope 1st viscount montgomery of alamein, opened the Tierra Verde restaurant after the success of Brick & Mortar in downtown St. Petersburg. More now not too long in the past, they expanded again with Pulpo Kitchen + Lounge in the Huge Central District, however Sea Worthy remains the restaurant that nearly all effective showcases Jason’s passion for impeccably recent seafood.

Utilize about a minutes talking with Jason and as well you swiftly realize that this isn’t marketing reproduction – it’s merely how he lives. He does moderately heaps of fishing himself, works closely with local fishermen and trusted fishmongers, and begins with entire fish that are broken down in-home each day. Almost every fish served at Sea Worthy changed into swimming earlier that identical day. That’s a level of freshness that’s complex to verify, and it gives Jason the flexibleness to characteristic species that every now and then ever assemble it onto restaurant menus.

One such fish changed into a cozy Rainbow Runner that Jason proudly confirmed us earlier than it changed into transformed into one in every of the night time’s standout dishes. It’s now not a fish you’re doubtless to encounter at other restaurants across the Tampa Bay home, and that’s exactly the roughly surprise that makes eating at Sea Worthy so worthy fun.

We started with cocktails, alongside side a Jalapeño Watermelon Margarita that wasn’t even on the menu. We requested if the bar could maybe assemble one anyway, and the rely on changed into met with a cheerful “fully.” It changed into refreshing with barely enough jalapeño to present a delicate warmth with out overpowering the watermelon. We additionally enjoyed the Golden Hour, a incandescent aggregate of Recent Amsterdam Gin, Aperol, pineapple juice, recent lime juice, Angostura bitters, and egg white that changed into balanced, silky, and splendid for a warmth Florida night time. The If It Ain’t Broke Margarita reminded us why classics never exit of model. Made with Corazon Silver Tequila, recent lime juice, and agave, it changed into neat, crisp, and expertly performed.

The Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad changed into both shiny and nice. There’s nothing cherish the earthiness of recent beets. They paired beautifully with creamy goat cheese, while grapefruit added incandescent citrus notes that saved all the pieces lively. Candied pecans contributed a welcome crunch, and the honey beet dressing tied the substances on the side of out overwhelming the freshness of the seasonal greens. A drizzle of basil oil added but every other layer of taste and visual attraction. Salads in most cases lunge misplaced sight of. Don’t assemble that mistake right here.

The Seasonal Burrata with Compressed Watermelon changed into but every other gorgeous starter. Creamy burrata is repeatedly a fave, however the compressed watermelon elevated the dish with its concentrated sweetness and no more assailable texture. Pickled fennel and asparagus added acidity and crunch, while the balsamic reduction and basil oil introduced all the pieces into balance. Recent mint performed a dish that tasted every bit as shiny because it looked.

The Tenderloin Tostadas proved that Sea Worthy is more than correct a seafood vacation space. Crispy corn tortillas supported silent marinated pork, roasted tomatillo salsa, avocado, chipotle aioli, and pickled pink onion. Every chunk delivered contrasting textures alongside with smoky, creamy, tangy, and luscious flavors.

The Seared Octopus changed into beautifully prepared, achieving that elusive texture that’s silent with out the slightest tag of rubberiness. It rested atop a hearty cassoulet of white beans, chorizo, and braised kale that contributed smoky richness while allowing the octopus to remain the megastar of the plate.

Then came the dish that completely captures what Sea Worthy is all about.

The Rainbow Runner Crudo showcased fish so recent that nearly all effective about a restaurants could maybe hope to copy the skills. The gentle fish changed into dressed with coconut and lime, accompanied by a inexperienced pepper and tomatillo purée, avocado, toasted pistachios, saffron oil, basil oil, and salsa matcha. The changed into incandescent, refreshing, layered, and with out break full of life, with every aspect contributing something diversified with out overlaying the neat taste of the fish. It’s the roughly dish you undergo in thoughts long after dinner is over.

For entrées, the Steamed Maine Lobster Tail & Condo Made Pasta featured huge ribbons of recent pappardelle tossed in a turmeric cream sauce with shallots, white wine, recent herbs, and chorizo. The lobster changed into completely cooked, while the chorizo contributed refined spice that averted the rich cream sauce from becoming too heavy. Toasted baguette made determined now not one in every of the sauce went to raze.

The Seared Chili Lime Pork Cut but every other time demonstrated that Jason’s skills lengthen well past seafood. The generously sized bone-in gash changed into served with smashed fingerling potatoes, braised chard, and an ancho chili demi-glace that added depth with out overwhelming the pork.

The Dim Grouper changed into but every other standout. Blackened to manufacture a cozy smoky crust while last moist and flaky interior, it changed into accompanied by smashed fingerlings, crispy fried kale, and a shiny pink pepper chimichurri that complemented in situation of competed with the fish. Right here’s but every other one that changed into correct swimming in the waters merely outside the restaurant.

Dessert equipped a fitting conclusion to the meal. The Bread Pudding changed into all the pieces you hope for—comfy, rich, soaked with taste, and delightfully chewy for your entire merely areas. The Key Lime Pie equipped the incandescent citrus produce that every Florida meal deserves.

Sea Worthy has matured into exactly the roughly neighborhood restaurant every waterfront crew hopes for. It’s informal enough for a spontaneous dinner after a day on the water, but the extent of cooking repeatedly exceeds expectations. Jason Ruhe’s commitment to sourcing great seafood, breaking down entire fish in-home, and allowing the day’s fetch to form the menu finally ends up in a eating skills that’s complex to copy.

Have to you’ve most full of life visited Brick & Mortar or Pulpo Kitchen + Lounge, Sea Worthy deserves a situation for your checklist. And if it’s been a while since your last lunge to, it’s value returning. With seafood this recent and a menu that evolves with the fetch, no two visits are ever moderately the identical.

Sea Worthy Fish + Bar in Tierra Verde showcases Chef Jason Ruhe’s passion for impeccably recent seafood, that contains entire fish broken down in-home day to day and an ever-changing menu pushed by the day’s fetch. Along with standout seafood, inventive cocktails, and thoughtfully prepared meat dishes, Sea Worthy delivers a relaxed waterfront eating skills that keeps us coming assist.

Written by Kevin Godbee