Reviewing The Tides each year is always a challenge.
The initial challenge, unless you are better at planning ahead than I am, lies in getting a reservation. This venerable restaurant has become such a favorite of island diners that it is packed even on weeknights.
But the larger challenge for a reviewer is to find new superlatives to describe the dishes of Chef Leanne Kelleher, who just seems to keep kicking it up a notch year after year.
While the printed menu at The Tides doesn’t stray too far from dishes that have become comfort food for Vero’s culinary cognoscenti, Kelleher brings her creativity to bear on each night’s specials
So for the most part, the three of us dining on the patio last week went with the specials temptingly recited by Kenny, one of our long-time favorite servers.
I couldn’t resist trying the beets, berries and burrata salad ($14). At first, it sounded a bit much: A creamy burrata served with beets, tomato, three different kinds of berries, pecan brittle, mixed greens and a raspberry vinaigrette?
“There’s a lot of action going on there,” Kenny observed. But it all magically worked – an excellent coming together of tastes.
Our companion went for the soup of the moment – a lightly curried carrot cucumber soup with noodles, and a little bit of chicken meatball ($8). Delicious.
My husband, however, was the one with the tough choice. Ultimately, he went with Kenny’s recommendation of the salmon tuna tartare ($16) – a melding of two favorites served on a bed of cucumber with a little avocado cream, a little seaweed and flat bread. Sensational.
But midway through our appetizers, über-host Claudia Arens, who directs the front-of-the-house staff, came by the table. “I heard you were thinking about the oyster special,” she said. “We’re bringing you a couple of the oysters to try.”
We’re not talking here about blue points prepared the conventional way – raw with cocktail sauce – though The Tides serves them that way as well. These were Buffalo-style blue points grilled with barbecue sauce, cream cheese, bacon, and chives. Wow! My husband knows what he is ordering on our next visit.
Then for entrées, I chose the pancetta crusted redfish ($38), my husband opted for the pompano special ($38), and our companion returned to the menu for an old favorite, the herb crusted chicken saltimbocca ($28).
You don’t see redfish on menus too often. This was a beautiful piece of redfish, perfectly prepared, and served with a brown butter sauce over risotto cake and Brussel sprout leaves.
Our companion’s herb crusted chicken, stuffed with fresh spinach, prosciutto, and smoked mozzarella, was accompanied by roasted garlic mashed potatoes.
My husband’s pompano – lightly floured, egg washed, and pan sautéed – was served with an extremely tasty Maine lobster beurre blanc sauce and roasted corn relish. He loved the preparation.
We decided to conclude the evening with The Tides’ housemade key lime pie. It was wonderfully tart, the way the key lime pie should be.
Dinner for two with a modest bottle of wine, if you have dessert, will run approximately $150 before tip.
If it sounds like we love The Tides, we are pleased to be in the company of its legion of fans.
While there are new tastes to be had most any evening if you are feeling adventuresome, dining at The Tides is much the same as it has been for 16 years – which is to say, the food and overall experience at this beachside restaurant is very, very good, indeed.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at Tina@VeroBeach32963.com.
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
