The Waterfront Queso Fundido and Cocktails
Anna Maria Island, Florida USA
Cuisine Style: Global Seafood, New American
Average Price: $$
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined in: December 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:
Restaurant Name Zomato rating:
Waterfront Restaurant Executive Chef:
Jason Hibberts
The Waterfront Restaurant is located on the northern end of Anna Maria Island near the City Pier with views in the distance of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and St Petersburg. It has been rated by many magazines, food critics, and social media critics as one of the three best seafood restaurants on Anna Maria. This was our forth visit The Waterfront, and this time we had along with some friends visiting from California.
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| Waterfront Restaurant AMI / GT Cocktail |
Waterfront Menu:
- Appetizers / Small Plates
- Salads
- Main Courses
- Desserts
We began with some local beers and a few cocktails such as the classic mojito, and the Waterfront orange GT cocktail. For wine lovers, they have an impressive 100 bottle list of old and new world selections, plus a bar that produces some very unique crafted cocktails, local beers, and your big name brand ones as well. On previous visits we had the truffled gouda mac and cheese two times, the baked brie with orange blossom honey which was outstanding, the harvest beet salad also on point, the ahi tuna sashimi on 2 visits, and finally the Bimini Bay lobster bisque, which my wife says is one of the best she has had, with perfect texture, flavor, and presentation. It is in her top three.
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| Waterfront Restaurant AMI / Guoda Mac and Cheese |
On this visit like in previous stops to the island, we were hopping from place to place, so we had some nibbles at each restaurant. We recommended to our friends the decadent truffle Holland gouda mac and cheese along with the lobster bisque, both of which were as good as the previous visits, showing that the recipes are consistent from one visit to the next. We also tried the soup of the day, and new appetizer selection called the queso fundido topped with roasted pumpkin seeds and served with house-made fried corn tortilla chips.
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| Waterfront Restaurant AMI / Queso Fundido |
The dish was cooked down with Chihuahua cheese roasted in a cast-iron skillet, and organic blue agave. Chihuahua is commonly recognized as a soft white cheese from pasteurized or raw cow’s milk available in braids, balls or rounds and originates in the Mexican State of Chihuahua. It is perfect for baked dishes, fondues, pizza, lasagna or casserole dishes. The golden brown hue of color locked in the flavors similar to that of mild, white cheddar or Monterey Jack. The presentation was simple, served in the same cast-iron skillet they use to cook it in, lightly spiced with a hint of cayenne, that melted in my mouth, and brought all flavors together in perfect harmony.
Dessert:
We did not have dessert on either of our visits but saw a few items of interest that include key lime pie with a toasted coconut graham cracker crust, a Ghirardelli triple chocolate fudge brownie with black raspberry ice cream, caramel apple cheesecake with a candied apple cream custard and an affogato liqueur dessert beverage to finish.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other noteworthy New American articles and restaurants similar to Waterfront Restaurant:
Also known as Modern American cuisine, or Contemporary American cuisine, the term refers to the wave of modernized cooking predominantly served at upscale fine dining restaurants that began in the 1980s. It is generally a type of fusion cuisine which assimilates flavors from the melting pot of traditional American cooking techniques and mixes it with foreign and sometimes molecular gastronomy components. There is an innovative use of seasoning and sauces, originally based on French, and Nouvelle cuisine, and it has progressed to include elements of Asian, Latin American, Mediterranean, and other cuisines.
Alinea Highly creative New American molecular gastronomy tasting menus in Chicago, Illinois
Harvest Moon Café Farm-to-Fork daily changing new American fare menu in Sonoma, California
Lobby at Twelve Boutique hotel bistro, new American, and Southern favorites at Atlantic Station, Atlanta
Moshulu New American dining on a restored ship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Samantha’s Restaurant Mellow new American dishes in North Canton, Ohio
Zinc Bistro and Bar Southwestern-inspired new American fare in San Antonio, Texas
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Anna Maria / Bradenton & Homes Beach restaurants + articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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A family-owned sushi house
City of Anna Maria, Florida, USA
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Florida style waterfront dining with Gulf-to-Table concepts
Bradenton Beach, Florida, USA
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A casual BBQ joint
Bradenton Beach, Florida, USA
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A Few Florida Favorites:
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Steaks cooked on a sizzling 755°f lava rock
Brandon, Florida USA
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Vibrant spot for classic Spanish dishes & tapas
Carrollwood, Florida USA
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Italian-inspired seafood at the Opal Sands Resort
Clearwater 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 Waterfront Restaurant a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants. The first two review scores were also 3 of 5 stars, so they have maintained the same great standards as my previous visits.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Waterfront Restaurant
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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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10
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9
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1
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Food quality
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10
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6
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4
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Plate presentation
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8.5
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6.5
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1
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Customer service
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9.5
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7
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2.5
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Alcohol and other beverages
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9
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8
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1
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Total regular points awarded
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47
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36.5
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9.5
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Total percentage Before Bonus
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0.776595744680851
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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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0.0425531914893617
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Total percentage with a bonus for the final star rating
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0.819148936170213
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
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3
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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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3 of 5 Stars:
82% Rating with a 2 point “wow” bonus
Exceeded My Expectations in a Dining Experience
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Wine List:
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Waterfront Restaurant Wine rating:
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6 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Germany, Italy, Spain
New World selections:
Argentina, Australia, California, New Zealand, Oregon, Washington State
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Corkage fees:
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Waterfront Restaurant 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 Waterfront Restaurant:
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American, Seafood
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-Free, Local, Low Carb, Pescatarian, Sustainable, Vegetarian and Vegan 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 wears 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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Waterfront Restaurant Experiences:
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Place for foodies, Contemporary, Lounge, Business parties, Romantic, Hot spot, Great bar, Great outdoor dining, Scenic views, Tourist grabber, 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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Waterfront Restaurant has a public 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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Waterfront Restaurant is a non-smoking restaurant, with a non-smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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Yes
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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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Waterfront Restaurant:
111 Bay Blvd North
Anna Maria, Florida
34216
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 941-778-1515
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Online reservations
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Email Contact:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Lunch: Mon-Sun
11:30 am - 4:00 pm
Dinner: Mon-Sun
4:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Fri-Sat
4:30 pm - 10:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Waterfront Restaurant:
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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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An innovative and eclectic tasting menu
Ripponlea, Australia
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Innovative East Meets West Menu
Cape Town, South Africa
|
Haute French Restaurant
Paris, France
(Now L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon)
|
Other Waterfront Restaurant Pictures:
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
