Salt Rock Grill, Indian Shores, Florida

Now for some Pretty Darn Fine Dining and one particular dish that just bowled me over. But first things first.

Salt Rock Grill is a hugely popular restaurant, a sprawling place with a remarkable supply system. They have a fleet of dayboats that provide local fish every morning, and the menu identifies which boat brought in which fish. You can send a thank you note to the captain, and would if you’d paid attention to your mother…

The building is raised, and you walk up stairs or use a ramp or elevator (I imagine) to get inside. There, the seating is tiered on four levels. The stadium-ish seating means that virtually every table has a water view.

The interior is studded with sculptures and paintings so that there’s something to see wherever you look.

Indeed, if you look down as you walk in you can see an impressive wine cellar through a plexiglass floor section.

We were seated on the top tier — a little closer to the bar than ideal in terms of noise, but okay. We were able to converse without trouble, and presently our friendly server, Sampson, appeared with menus and, in due course, drinks and the bread service. The bread was alluring enough that I started in on it rather than take photos. The bread service includes some showmanship, as Sampson produced a small dish of dried herbs and poured olive oil over the herbs there at the table. Looking at another table, I noted that if you order a baked potato, they bring it to the table, cut it open with two knives, and then press each side with the knife flats to fluff it up before adding as much butter and sour cream as your heart desires. Probably more than your actual heart desires, but as much as your tummy seeks. The herb mix, by the way, was delicious. It included the usual suspects as well as marjoram, chervil, and basil, and a welcome touch of garlic. They also added a touch of both black and red pepper that kicked things up another notch. The bread was very good by itself, but with the most interesting oiled herb dip I can recall, it was a home run.

Nancy started with the jumbo coconut shrimp ($13). I think a shrimp or two escaped before I took the photo.

Nancy liked them. It’s odd for Nancy to order any fried food, but she persists in expecting that coconut shrimp will arrive sautéed or baked or broiled unless the menu description specifically says “fried.” I’m the same way about many foods, say hushpuppies, that I will happily order and eat unless the menu specifically says “poison.” I started with the house-smoked tuna spread ($7).  There was not a lot of smoke flavors but the abundance of capers mixed in made it a winner. Hemingway mentions, by the way, a lunch of tuna, capers, and onions in The Sun Also Rises that I used to make years ago. I need to try that again. 

Next came the salad course, for Nancy a house salad with a pesto dressing.

The salad was fresh and crisp, with a variety of elements. The pesto dressing really ties it together with a great layer of flavor, and Nancy enjoyed it. Meanwhile, I chose a Caesar salad and asked that it come with anchovies.

The salad cost only $4, which may sound incredible to you, as it was to me. I’ve seen side salads for a $4 upcharge, but never with six white anchovies. I actually haven’t seen six white anchovies on any salad. The anchovies were tart, the romaine was fresh and crisp, and the shaved parmesan and croutons were flavorful and abundant. This was a fine salad, if slightly overdressed.

For her main, Nancy chose the planked salmon.

Salmon is the only fish at Salt Rock that was not caught locally. It had been flown in. Nancy liked it a lot and also praised the garlic mashed potatoes and the dill sauce that came on the side.

Now get ready for the star of the show. I ordered the blackened redfish.

I looks different, doesn’t it? This fish was not simply dusted with spices, but actually blackened in an ultra-hot pan according to the original Paul Prudhomme recipe. I had pan-blackened fish at Prudhomme’s restaurant in New Orleans, one of the few open when I went there shortly after Katrina. I’ve ordered blackened fish reflexively since then, and Salt Rock is the only “real” version I’ve found.

The fish arrived piping hot, and the difference in flavor and texture from standard blackened fish was stunning. It had a beautiful crust and a smoky, spicy flavor that kept revealing new depths, new strata of flavor as I ate it. The fish was flanked by a cooling avocado mixture and those soothing mashed potatoes graced with nutty cooked garlic. This dish had everything, including a quality piece of redfish. You don’t often see redfish away from the Gulf, and when I see it offered I usually order it. A crawfish-crusted redfish at the Redfish Grill in New Orleans continues to percolate up from my memory. This dish was right up there.

The bill arrived with an 18 percent tip added automatically, which is common enough. I was surprised, though, that there was no line to add more, a supplemental tip. You can, however, add a little cash to round it up.

I was very impressed by Salt Rock. It’s well thought out and well provided with quality food. Any kitchen that can actually blacken fish has great skill (and a great exhaust system). Indeed, I was impressed by the Tampa Bay area and by the low-rise tranquility of the Indian Shores area. As soon as we got there we started talking about returning. You can bet that when we do, we’ll take another trip back to Salt Rock for another memorable dinner. Make sure you don’t miss a wonderful dinner there.

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