Wine Dine and Play: Salty Rim Grill

Beach Favorites from Cancun to Key West

St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA

Dined in July 2016

By Sean Overpeck (CFE)

On the Border between the towns of St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island next to the Blind Pass and Devils Elbow Inlets from the Gulf Of Mexico (also known as barrier islands) lies the Salty Rim Grill. When driving on Blind Pass Road (HWY 699) just before you reach the bridge crossing over the inlets is Ron McKenney Park and a small strip mall of shops and restaurants where Salty Rim Grill is located. There are three other restaurants, and a few bars in the same shopping center, with ample parking. If you miss the turn, your on the bridge and heading into the city of Treasure Island, but don’t worry, it is an easy u-turn.

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From the Salty Rim Grill home page:

For everyone who loves the redemptive powers of the sea and the sensual tastes of the very freshest foods and great drinks, the cure is indeed here: St. Pete Beach’s most festive dining experience, the SALTY RIM GRILL.

The Salty Rim is something from the imagination of an old Florida dreamer or Buffet song. The fresh food is influenced by the great tastes of the Caribbean, Florida Keys and places that rim the Gulf of Mexico.

But it’s even more than that, The Salty Rim is a state of mind; the nearest faraway place that the fun loving people of Tampa Bay can escape to… and please when you enter, be sure to check your worries at the door.

Main review:

My wife and I had a Groupon for Salty Rim, and came in for a later lunch, missing the rush of the crowd so that we could relax and enjoy a meal. The dining room was a typical beach style restaurant set-up, with dark wood tables and chairs, a long tiki style bar, with a thatched ceiling. Also near the bar there were green and white disco style globes, that hung from an upside down canoe attached to the main ceiling. Something you don’t see everyday.

Our server was actually a cook and it was his first day on the job as a server. He was a little nervous, but Bret did a great job. Their menu was filled with American style favorites that had a Caribbean twist. The breakdown was as follows:

Appetizers
Salads
Soups
Between The Buns
Off The Beaten Bath (Entrees)
Beach Favorites
Raw Bar
Sides
Desserts

My wife and I started with the avocado almond frita ($7) appetizer which was an avocado, wedge cut, dusted with crushed almond, deep fried and served with a scotch bonnet jam and a chipotle lime aioli. The plate came with four wedged pieces over a dry slaw. The dish was good, but did lack some flavor. Avocado is a great superfood if you don’t fry it, but wether you're eating it plane or pureed you need seasoning, and this dish did lack that. Other appetizers available on there menu included a rib quesadilla ($9) piña colada shrimp ($13), and grouper bites dusted in cumin ($12) to name a few.

For an entree my wife had another appetizer, the island tuna poke, with a wasabi blended guacamole and black sesame ginger mango salsa. The dip was served with assorted colored corn chips. The flavor was okay, and the avocado in the sauce did have flavor unlike the first starter dish we had.

My entree was from the between the buns portion of the menu with their black and blue burger ($10) cooked perfectly, and after just returning from four months in Iraq, it was a great tasting burger. From this portion of the menu you could also order a grouper sandwich ($15), Santa Fe chicken ($9), or a Po Boy @ the pass ($13) with your choice of either shrimp, oyster, or fish to name a few items.

Fromt he main entree sections of the menu called “off the beaten path” and “beach favorites,” you could order items such as a cajun chicken pasta ($14), shrimp and grits ($17), though I don’t know if their grits are instant or stone ground, or you could order favorites like jerk rubbed ribs ($22), and tequila lime tacos ($13) with your selection of meat.

Dessert:

We were both completely fool and could not get dessert. Unfortunately on their webpage there is no dessert menu, so I can’t share with you what they have that my be yummy.

A brief look at the wine list:

The Salty Rim - like most of the restaurants in central Florida want to cater to their clientele when it comes to wine, and most of those clients unfortunately have an uneducated basic table wine style palette. I was there as well, but my wife is helping me to expand mine. It is hard for us to find places that offer boutique wines, which are sometimes cheaper then the mainstream, and have a better taste and quality. This area is held captive by large corporate alcohol vendors like Empire and Southern Wine & Spirits. So you are always going to see your typical basics like Yellowtail, Robert Mondavi, and Beringer. My wife and I ordered beers and tequila to go without meal, and the full wine list is not available on the webpage or take home menu’s, but from what I recall, there were no special wines on their list, just table mainstreams like the ones mentioned above.

So, with the meal and interview complete, and our culinary appetites fulfilled, lets see how the Salty Rim Grill rates overall shall we. Here is how my rating system works….

5 stars	is Extraordinary
4 Stars	is Outstanding
3 Stars	Exceeded Expectations
2 Stars	is Above the Average
1 Star	is an Average Dining Experience
No Star Rating	The Restaurant is Basic, Poor, or Appalling

Rating Breakdown And Analysis:

Professional Restaurant reviewers like the New York Times, or the San Francisco based Chowhound, and the sophisticated travelers sight Gayot base their reviews on single or multiple experiences, giving their opinion + a specific rating to that restaurant. These reviews and accolades tell the whole story and inform the diner of what to expect. Now social media from places like Facebook, the review and events page Yelp, the International Restaurant focused site called Zomato, and Trip Advisor have started to replace the traditional media readership. A large majority now look at these social ratings and write-ups judging the restaurant on them versus the use of review sites like this mine or the professional ones mentioned above. Social media is now the new make or brake to a Restaurant. Most times instead of being skeptical to a social review, people will see low ratings, and they will likely bypass and go elsewhere. Whether it is here on Wine, Dine, and Play, or the Elite Traveler’s Guide, the one thing I do is give an unbiased opinion, giving you the most information I can. The ratings given here are based on the overall experience, so use this review as another source of information to help make your decision.

From the tasting of the Chef’s specials to the lists of wines, prices, customer service, property, setup, flow, and cleanliness; these are just a few of the items I look at when giving a rating for a review. Sometimes I visit a place once-or many times-and I base it on the facts, versus a user on social media who writes a bad review because he had a bad day, or has a personnel dislike to an employee. I am one of many thousands of reviewers on this Earth, and my main job is to inform. I do this for fun as it is something I truly enjoy. I don’t not get paid or represent a special interest group. You may end up having a completely opposite experience then the ones I write about, but in the end it is all in the eye of the beholder. I’m just giving you more information then what you see or here on social media.

On Wine, Dine, and Play, I have an overall star rating scale of six levels with the lowest being a poor or appalling experience (zero stars), up to an extraordinary experience (five stars). This rating scale is formulated by braking down individual experiences such as (1) wine selection, (2) plate presentation, (3) ambiance, (4) “wow” factor, (5) customer service, plus (6) food quality and combines them on a separate scale of zero to ten, with ten being the best. In the next paragraph, I brake down how and why I come to the conclusion of the rating numbers listed in the overall review chart below.

The overall star rating from Wine, Dine, and Play that I give to the Salty Rim Grill is a one, meaning that they do stand above the average chain dining experience of big named places like TGIF, but overall, met my expectations. I also believe that with the 20+ years of dining across the world, I set my expectations to a higher standard compared to some other reviewers out there. I came to this conclusion based on all the other factors listed above and how they rated. I came to this conclusion based on all the other factors listed above and how they rated.

Overall Star rating by Wine, Dine, & Play:	1 of 5 Average
Ambiance:	5 of 10
Quality of the Food:	5 of 10
Plate Presentation:	4 of 10
Customer Service:	6 of 10
Wow Factor:	2 of 10
Wine Selection: *(See the full list below)*	? of 10

INDIVIDUAL QUALITY RATINGS:

I rate ambiance on several factors from the most important being cleanliness of the dining room and restrooms, to organization and flow. I look at the atmosphere, character, the tones, artwork, and the design styles to see if they match the themes of the food. During the daylight hours natural lighting versus electric is also a strong enhancer of enjoying a meal, and of course the styles of furniture, or if it is inviting and comfortable.

This was a very typical beach style grill and restaurant, thus catered to that atmosphere. There was nothing about the place that would make it a must see on an ambiance list, however it was quite and pleasing. The canoe was cool though. For its target audience, it was right on point. For that, they get 5 out of 10 points

The quality rating bases the essential or distinctive characteristics that the food offers, or if I see that it is of a higher grade, superiority, or excellence. Also important is the taste. Did the chef pair or match distinctive ingredients together, and did he send my palette on an adventure?

The quality for me was mainstream, nothing really exciting on the menu that popped out as being different then any other beach style grill, and some items I was expecting more then just the plain flavors associated with the item, so I give them a score of 5 out of 10 points.

The plate presentation is based on the art of how the food is put together and displayed as it is brought out. Does it look unique, molecular, or have interesting garnishments, or built action style at the table? Does it make you look twice and go “wow”? All of these attributes help add to this rating.

Plate presentation just wan’t there. For the avocado frita to be served over a few speckled pieces of dried slaw cabbage, and sauces in plastic ramekins, did not impress me. This reflection is not about taste or quality, just presentation, and I have to give a low rating of 4 out of 10 points on this.

Customer service can make or break a restaurant. You can have the best quality of foods, and plate presentations that put Escoffier to shame, or the most beautiful ambiance, and fantastic wine or bar list. However if you have a service staff that is not attentive to the needs of the guest, or has an unclean uniform, smells like a cigarette after returning from a break, does not act professionally, or lacks knowledge on the menu, food, and restaurant, then you have a major problem. On the other hand a great server can bring a customer back over and over again even if the food is mediocre. People go to restaurants for the show. They think they are experts because they watched a reality tv show on the Food Network, but what needs to be understood is that as amazing as a kitchen staff and Chef’s may be, the front of house is just as great.

It was Bret’s first time on the floor. He was friendly, fun to talk to, and if he didn’t know the answer to a question he was not afraid to say he didn’t know, and go an ask someone. So bravo, and 6 points out of 10 in customer service.

The “wow” factor as I like to call it is a quality or feature that is extremely impressive. It can be something that is seen or done that is funky, surprising, or pleasing. It is something that just makes me go “wow”. This rating is also the hardest to get high marks for. The wow factor is a combination of ambiance, quality, plate presentation, customer service, and wine or mixology that goes above and beyond what you would expect from a restaurant.

Normally I rate the “wow” factor at most of the restaurants I’ve reviewed at a 2 or 3 point range with a few exceptions to that rule. Several central Florida restaurants that we have dined at have varied on the point scale from 2-4 points. This is not a bad thing and a lower score does not decrease the overall restaurant score, but a higher wow factor will help to raise it at the same time. I rate the Salty Rim Grill at a “wow” factor of 3 points out of a possible 10.

The wine selection can vary from place to place, and I base the ratings not just on the quality of the wines offered but also the selections. Wine is grown everywhere around the world these days and the demand for it has increased ten fold. Distributors in every major city whether they work for a large named company like Empire or a small boutique company can provide any restaurant any wine if they want it. Some restaurants will choose to have brand name wines only and that to me will lower a rating faster than a plane nose diving. If they make an effort to have even a small selection with variety such as a wines from Napa California, Willamette Oregon, Bordeaux France, Stellenbosch South Africa, the Yarra Valley near Melbourne Australia, or the Piemonte in Italy, to name a few, then that rating will shoot up higher on my review list.

I cannot rate the wine list, as we did not drink any wine at this meal, and I did not see their list.

This rounds up the review and rating for the Salty Rim Grill, and from this experience, I would compare our experiences here this evening to a few other places either I or my wife and I have been to in the past such as Wipe Out Bar and Grill in San Francisco where the hype was more than the bite, or the Dunes Restaurant just outside of Cape Town, South Africa, where the meal and service were okay, but not all cracked up to be.

Other St. Pete Beach and Treasure Island restaurant reviews on Wine, Dine, and Play:

Spinners Rooftop Bistro, in St. Pete Beach, Florida

South Beach Bar and Grill,

Rowe Bar, at the Don CeSar, in St. Pete Beach

Feola’s, in Treasure Island

Beachcomber Bar & Grill at the Don CeSar

Food Prices

(excluding, alcohol, taxes & gratuity)

$£€¥ - Under 50.00

$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00

$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00

$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00

$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00

**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s**

My food bill:	Currency:	Price chart:
$32.00	United States Dollar (USD)	$$
$42.00	Australian Dollar (AUS)	$$$
£26.00	Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)	£££££
43.00	Canadian Dollar (CAN)	$$$
¥214.00	Chinese Yuan (CNY)	¥¥¥¥¥
€29.00	European Union (EUR)	€€€€€

Alcohol Prices:

$37.00

***

Customary starting gratuity for restaurants in the United States begins at 15%

Of your total food bill and increases or decreases based on the level of service you received.

In most parts of Europe, Australia, Africa, and some Asian countries it is not

common to leave any gratuity as it is already included into

the check, but you may feel free to leave extra anyway. Alcohol gratuity

is calculated by a separate 10% or higher gratuity if you wish.

***

Review basics:

Wine selections by region:	? of 10
Corkage fee’s:	The Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
Restaurant style:	Casual
Reservations:	Not Required Walk-Ins: Accepted
Child policy:	The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette. Hire a Babysitter!
Dress code:	Casual
Cuisine style:	Lounge, Seafood, American, Southern, & Vegetarian
Experiences:	Great bar, Rustic, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood gem.
Payments:	Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
Parking:	Public lot
Wifi	The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
Noise level:	Low
Smoking:	Nonsmoking restaurant, and nonsmoking patio
Patio:	Yes

RESTAURANT NAME:

9524 Blind Pass Rd.

St. Pete Beach,

Florida 33706

GPS Coordinates:

27.755987 Latitude

-82.759415 Longitude

Contact Information:

Maître d or host:	+1(727) 851-9955
Restaurant website:	The Salty Rim
Serving hours: Eastern Standard Time (GMT - 5:00)	Sun-Thur 11:00 am - 10:00 pm Fri-Sat 5:00 pm - 11:00 pm Happy Hour: Mon-Fri 4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Email or webpage contact:	Contact The Salty Rim
Social Media & Accolades:	Facebook link
Social Media & Accolades:	Instagram

****

The worlds best restaurants, based on the

Wine, Dine, and Play’s Favorites

That have been visited and reviewed on this site…

Alinea Chicago, Illinois, USA	Tetsuya’s Sydney, Australia
The Test Kitchen Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa	Qui Restaurant Austin, Texas, USA
Vue de Monde Melbourne, Australia	Grill 225 Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Leopard Hills Lodge Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa	La TABLE de Joël Robuchon Paris, France
Quay Sydney, Australia	Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud Dublin, Ireland
At.mosphere Dubai, UAE	The Tasting room at Le Quartier Français Franschhoek, South Africa
Attica Ripponlea, Melbourne, Australia	5A5 Steak Lounge San Francisco, California, USA
Mr. Todiwala’s Kitchen London, United Kingdom	Zuma Dubai, UAE
McCrady’s Charleston, South Carolina, USA	Cook'n' With Gas Bistro Christchurch, New Zealand
Aubergine Cape Town, South Africa	Reflets par Pierre Gagnaire Festival City, Dubai, UAE
Rioja Denver, Colorado, USA	Commanders Palace New Orlean’s, Louisiana, USA
Brick and Mortar Saint Petersburg, Florida USA	The French Laundry Yountville, Napa, California, USA
Constantia Uitsig La Colombe Constantia, Cape Town, South Africa	Restaurant Le Gabriel Bordeaux, France

You can also use these sites for reference on the top restaurant categories:

All of these guides are helpful to find what you're looking for, starting with The Best Restaurants Near Me by the Trip Advisor Restaurant Finder, followed by my favorite list, the top 100 in the world by the Elite Traveler’s Magazine, also its competitor and more recognized San Pellegrino Top 50+. For the individual continents, start your adventures in North America with our neighbor to the North with the Best of Canada, then for the United States with the100 Best in New York try Timeout.com. Hop over to the West Coast for the top 101 list from the Los Angeles Times, and then enjoy some meat and potatoes with the Top 100 Steakhouses in America.

For social media the lists you can view include the Yelp Top 100, the OAD Guide, the OpenTable Top 100 and The EATER 38 Top Places to Eat.

For Central to South America you have the Latin America top 50. Across the pond you can focus on the 50 Best in Europe, then east with the Russia. Move south to the wilds of Africa from Cape Town to Cairo’s Top Restaurants. Then enjoy the desserts of the desert 10 best Middle East guide, with an even greater focus on the 7 Best in Dubai. Next, travel to the far east which includes India and the islands 101 Best in Asia. Lastly, the trip around the world is nearly at an end with the final continent’s best Down Under list of the top 100 in Australia, and its island neighbor with the New Zealand’s Best 15 Restaurants. There are many more guides out their, but these are a good start.

So many great wines in this world, here are a few of my favorite tastings:

Meerlust Wine Estate Rubicon Stellenbosch, South Africa	Hoopes Vineyard Napa, California, USA
Jonata Winery Santa Barbara, California, USA	Yarra Yering Yarra Valley, Australia
Penner Ash Wine Cellars Willamette, Oregon	La Motte Franschhoek, South Africa
Biltmore Estate Winery Asheville, North Carolina, USA	Bergström Wines Willamette, Oregon
Silver Oak Alexander Valley, California, USA	Eagles Nest Winery Constantia, South Africa
Ghost Block Vineyards Yountville, California	Pahlmeyer “Jayson Wines” Napa, California, USA

Reviewed by:

Sean Overpeck (CFE)

Picture below was taken in Saint-Émillion

during a wine tour in October 2010

About Sean:

I am based out of St. Petersburg, Florida working in the food service industry for the past twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef in Basra, Iraq. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta, Georgia prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army Food Service Program. The idea for Wine, Dine, and Play started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by friends to write down the experiences from a few Jordanian restaurants, wine from the region that I tasted, and locations of interest such as Petra. Since that time, over 250 articles have been written on restaurants, including fifteen from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide. There are articles on exotic world locations such as Victoria Falls, and South African Safari’s; food recipes & Grand Food Dictionaries; ethnic country cuisines such as Afghan, and Peruvian; tasting tours of world cities like Charleston, Cape Town, and Dubai; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, with much more to see and write about.

Who is John Galt?

“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,

But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”

-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)