December 2018 review / September 2018 review
Fresh Gulf Fish, Rum, And Eclectic Variety For A Perfect RumFish
St Pete Beach, Florida
Cuisine Style: Seafood, Gulf-To-Table
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 4/5
Dined in: September 2018
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
RumFish Grill Zomato rating:
RumFish Grill Executive Chef:
Aaron Schweitzer
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You have most likely heard of the term Farm-to-Table, or sometimes known as Farm-to-Fork, but have you ever heard of Gulf-to-Table? The Gulf-to-Table Movement is the concept of catching sustainable fresh wild fish from the Gulf Of Mexico and eating it within the same hour or part of the day it is caught. In the heart of Florida’s Emerald Coast in cities like Destin and Fort Walton Beach is where this new style of cuisine was thought up and put into practice between the cooperation of fisherman and local restaurants. The cities nickname is the “luckiest fishing village in the world.” The term Gulf-to-Table has now slowly begun to spread outside the Florida Panhandle moving further south, to places like RumFish Grill on St. Pete Beach, and it won’t be long before the idea will be picked up in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
“If the fish isn’t Gulf-to-Table fresh, eat cheeseburgers.”
RumFish Grill inside the Tradewinds Island Resort on St. Pete Beach is a very impressive and imaginative concept restaurant that begins with all things a gift shop called the Guy Harvey Outpost selling items from flip-flops to headgear to highly acclaimed marine art, the Guy Harvey’s signature embroiders his iconic T-shirts. Guy Harvey is an artist, scientist, diver, angler, conservationist, and explorer. He is also a fiercely devoted father and lover of the sea. From the outpost, you can turn right to enter the bar and cocktail area or straight into the main dining room with a second bar and a 33,500-gallon aquarium from top to bottom along the back wall, where you can also reserve to swim in the tank.
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| RumFish Grill / Dining Room Aquarium |
Menu:
- Ice Breakers
- Appetizers
- Soups and Salads
- Ocean
- Pasta
- Land
- Add On
- Kids menu
- Desserts
- Liquid Dessert
My wife and I enjoyed the views of the aquarium and made it a point to return for a dinner reservation in this dining room which will be a future review here on Wine Dine And Play, but for now it was happy hour and we sat in the main bar, which has more outside light and a small aquarium near the wall. The bar back has nine plasma televisions in its center all connected together to make one large screen that can show nine different programs or one large program. On both sides are bookshelf ends holding the liqueur. My wife had a rum cocktail special from Naked Turtle White Rum from Norwalk Connecticut, while I had a few local draft beers.
For our happy hour meal, we had four small plate bar appetizers that were half off along with the cocktail specials. Beginning with the blue crab cake, roughly four-ounces sitting on a bed of old bay remoulade, arugula rocket lettuce mixed with shaved fennel, and grape tomatoes. The cake had a well-rounded flavor with a taste of vegetables, light spices, and wonderful shellfish flavor. The coating of bread holds the cake together well, and the remoulade goes nicely. I am a fan of both making and eating crab cakes and this one rates very high on the list of the better ones, but still does not top the number one record holder for the best crab cake at Hank’s Seafood in Charleston, South Carolina.
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| RumFish Grill / Crab Cake |
Next came the tuna poke sitting on a wakame salad bed tossed in a miso dressing garnished with cucumber and fried tortilla chips. The miso dressing tossed into the arugula rocket leaves brought the entire dish to life. Arugula is already a tart green and needs sweet, savory or both to enjoy properly. Miso having the maple sweetness with savory context is spot on for this salad. The tuna was bright red, firm in texture and mild in taste, complementing all the other flavors of the dish. It sent my taste buds on an exciting adventure.
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| RumFish Grill / Tuna Poke |
Peruvian Cuisine the past few years has been in the spotlight thanks to the wonderful creations of Chefs like Gastón Acurio and Virgilio Martínez Véliz. The cuisine is super rich filled with lots of starch and superfoods like quinoa and others. Unique flavors using the varied climates around them from the ocean and low lying areas, the Andes Mountains, and the Amazon it reflects the Inca heritage with the colonial blend, and an Asian flair. One recent stop in Dubai to Coya Restaurant reinforced the already great love for Peruvian that I have experienced in dining and cooking. With all that being said it was great to see an American and seafood restaurant offer a Peruvian ceviche appetizer. It is a simple street food of fish, lemon juice, corn, sweet potatoes, and other nicknacks that dubs the dish as part of Peruvian heritage. As a bonus, this is also a gluten-free dish using the daily fresh market fish with a stepping display starting with the sliced sweet potato, the fish, then the corn, as if you're climbing up to see Machu Picchu. The lemon did not overpower the dish, and the crispy vegetables went perfectly together with the Peruvian spices. I was very impressed.
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| RumFish Grill / Ceviche |
The final happy hour dish we tried was the mixed bruschetta displayed with six toasted pieces of baguette. Three had some crumbled goat cheese, sliced cucumber and minced cantaloupe with a garnish of micro greens. The other three had a warm brie topped with a pepper jelly. The dish had me at brie, my super weakness, and the sweet jelly flavor brought out the nice French cheese even more. The fresh cantaloupe and alkaline from the cucumber blended with the goat cheese to make that a perfect pairing as well.
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| RumFish Grill / Bruschetta Assortment |
Even though this was just a small happy hour visit, it really impressed me, and we will be returning for not only more happy hour favorites to surprise our taste buds but to also enjoy a nice dinner next to that large Aquarium. Bravo to the chef, and to our very professional and friendly bartender and to the Tradewinds Resort as well.
Dessert:
We did not have dessert on this visit, but from the menu, they had a blending of southern favorites like chocolate bread pudding to Florida classics like the key lime pie. The liquid dessert sections looked, even more, appealing with the chocolate cream pie of snickers martinis.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other noteworthy Gulf-To-Table or Seafood articles and restaurants similar to RumFish Grill:
Gulf-to-Table Cuisine:
Started in Florida’s Emerald Coast, in and around Destin. The Gulf-to-Table Movement is the concept of catching sustainable fresh wild fish from the Gulf Of Mexico and eating it within the same hour or part of the day it is caught.
Seafood Cuisine
Alioto’s Restaurant Historic restaurant serving Sicilian-infused seafood in San Francisco, California
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood A Jazzy upscale seafood eatery chain in 9 States, review from Tampa, Florida
Hyman’s Seafood Enduring southern seafood eatery in Charleston, South Carolina
Moshulu New American dining on a restored ship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar Laid-back Cape Cod-style seafood restaurant in Austin, Texas
Red Snapper Kiwi “fush n’ chups” takeaway restaurant in Sumner, New Zealand
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other St Pete Beach restaurants, and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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Med-Latin and tapas café with 360 views
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
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Table-side Hibachi with a sushi bar
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
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Cool cocktails and coastal eats
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
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A few Florida restaurant favorites:
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Fine-dining waterfront spot for grilled fish and steaks
Indian Shores, Florida, USA
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Japanese restaurant and saké bar with sushi
Key West, Florida, USA
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The “Last Local Beach Club”
Panama City Beach, Florida, USA
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give RumFish Grill a 4 out of 5 stars, meaning that they not only exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants, but they were just outstanding.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for RumFish Grill
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Max Points Possible:
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Total Points Awarded:
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Total Points deducted:
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Ambiance
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11
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10
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0
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Food quality
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11
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9
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2
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Plate presentation
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10
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8
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2
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Customer service
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12
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11
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1
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Alcohol and other beverages
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10
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7
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3
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Total regular points awarded
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54
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45
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8
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
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0.833333333333333
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“Wow” factor BONUS
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5
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2
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0
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Total bonus percentage
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0.037037037037037
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
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0.87037037037037
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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4
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**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
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4 of 5 Stars:
87% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
An Outstanding Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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RumFish Grill Wine rating:
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4 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Italy, Spain
New World selections:
Argentina, Australia, California, New Zealand, Oregon, Washington State
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Corkage fees:
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RumFish Grill does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style at RumFish Grill:
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American, Gulf-To-Table, Seafood
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-free choices, Local, Low Carb Choices, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
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Not Required, but Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wear’s flip-flops!
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
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RumFish Grill Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Modern, Trendy, Lounge, Business parties, Romantic, Hotspot, Great bar, Good for special occasions, Intimate, Classy, Upscale, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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RumFish Grill has a private hotel lot
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Wifi
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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.
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Noise level:
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Medium
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Smoking:
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RumFish Grill is a non-smoking restaurant
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
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Price
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$$
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
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€€
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Alcohol prices:
$22.00 USD
RumFish Grill:
6000 Gulf Blvd
St. Pete Beach
Florida 33706
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+ 1 727-329-1428
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Online reservations
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Website Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Sun
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Dinner: Sun - Thur
4:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Fri - Sat
4:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Happy Hour: Mon - Fri
2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for RumFish Grill:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
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Esteemed old-school steakhouse with gospel brunch
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
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Modern British cuisine in Art Deco Space
London, England, UK
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Traditional and classic Italian plates
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
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Other RumFish Grill Pictures:
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| RumFish Grill / Entrance |
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| RumFish Grill / Wine Rack |
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| RumFish Grill / Dining Room |
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| RumFish Grill / Cocktail Lounge |
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| RumFish Grill / Bar |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
