“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies to The
Tides.
It’s been open for a couple of years and the menu has
barely changed, which means it’s reliable. Even the prices are reliable,
which means these people are here for the long run, year round.
The cozy space – three small rooms and a narrow terrace
– is welcoming and not fancy or intimidating. The service is excellent –
from the front, where partner Marylisa Alfalla smoothly takes care of
reservations and seats diners according to their preference – to the
bustling busboys who never leave a water glass unfilled. The waiters, both
male and female, know the food and are happy to help.
And the food is very fine indeed, thanks to owner and
chef, Leanne Kelleher. Her inventive dishes have become classics here.
The inside-out saltimbocca or the gorgonzola-ed filet
mignon or the Floribbean Mixed Sea Grill are perfect examples. They’ve been
on the menu since the outset and remain favorites. On the other hand,
Kelleher has the ambition to offer as many as four entree specials a day
with a special soup and dessert to boot.
The night we dined, the special soup was corn chowder
with chorizo sausage. Corn chowder is as irresistible to my husband as
Bolognese sauce, so he had to have it. He didn’t regret it. The soup was
thick and creamy with a smoky sausage aura.
We started with Oysters 222, another all-time
favorite. The 222 means two oysters are lightly fried, two are baked with
crab meat, roasted peppers and lime juice, and two are grilled with mango
barbecue sauce.
And we still can’t decide which ones are our favorites.
Another of our party had the coconut fried shrimp –
slightly spicy and perfectly crisp. The accompanying cole slaw was so good,
our friend saved it on his bread plate when the appetizer plates were
removed.
One of our entrees was made to order for our vegetarian
friend: a mélange of vegetables that included zucchini, eggplant, mushrooms,
and the garlic mashed potatoes that accompany most entrees. It was very
nicely presented.
The filet mignon, a menu regular, remains popular for
good reasons: It’s amazingly tender and flavorful with the addition of
crisp smoked bacon, gorgonzola cheese, and caramelized Vidalia onions.
One of the day’s specials was a large strip steak with
red and yellow roasted peppers – always a favorite of mine. The steak was
naturally less tender than the filet, but even tastier.
We were stuffed, so we shared a dessert. The specialty
of the day was chocolate crème brulée,
crunchy caramelized sugar topped a satiny dark chocolate custard.
Gilded lily? More like making a good thing better.
The Tides is good at that.
Sheila O’Meara is an independent,
free-lance restaurant reviewer who dines at the expense of the Press
Journal. She dines anonymously in order to receive the same treatment any
other diner would encounter. The review is based on one visit. She is the
former managing editor of The Cook’s Magazine, Good Food and European Travel
& Life Magazines.
Taken Directly from The Vero Beach Press Journal,
July 4, 2002
