DINING OUT
Tropical Dining at Ian’s is
a culinary trip to
the tropics
BY CAMILLE S. YATES
PHOTOS BY PORFIRIO SOLORZANO
The slogan at Ian’s Tropical Grill is “fish with
60
an attitude.” For the last eight years, Ian’s
has been cranking out signature fish dishes
as well as steaks and fowl that are unique in taste
and presentation. Chef Eric Grutka, 36, and his
wife, Paula, 33, took the plunge into owning their
own business in their 20s.
As a self-taught chef and golf professional, Eric
had been exposed to high-end cooking and clientele,
having been a chef at 11 Maple Street in
Jensen Beach, Pearl’s Bistro and the Pomadoro
Grill, both in Vero Beach. He and his wife met at
Pearl’s and left Vero Beach for the summer season
to work in the restaurant business in Maine. It
was during this time that they set their sights on
buying Ian’s Tropical Grill. They were successful
in their quest and took over the Fort Pierce restaurant
in January 2001.
“Our focus is on fish and it is what we do well,
although I do cook a variety of other unique dishes,”
Eric says. “My favorite entrée is the duck and
then I like the grilled tuna.” Last March, Eric won
the Trubune’s Iron Man Cooking Competition.
“Eric’s talent for cuisine comes naturally to him,”
says Paula.
The unique preparation of and the varieties of
fish offered, such as wahoo, swordfish, pompano,
grouper, snapper, snook, and flounder, are what
set Ian’s apart from other restaurants. The
kitchens have five different ways they will prepare
your choice of fish and six different sauces, such
as a fresh dill sauce, spicy beurre blanc, mango
salsa, pineapple salsa, pineapple-mango salsa, and
New Orleans pecan butter.
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