TASTE OF THE TREASURE COAST
88
poached carrots and asparagus.
Both of the seafood dishes were hands-down the best preparation
of the two fish I have ever had. Although there were
embellishments on the plate, they all seemed appropriate,
and the fish took center stage, delicate and perfectly cooked.
We noticed that everyone, and I mean everyone, around
us was eating dessert. All the desserts are made in-house
and include a crème brulee, a key lime tart and a sticky
toffee pudding. We enjoyed the dessert special of the night, a
confection of coconut cream, banana slices and chocolate in a
graham cracker crust ($8).
With our meal, we drank a Pouilly Fume ($38) from the
reasonably priced wine list. The restaurant is a six-time
winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and
although it hasn’t won lately, the wine list is thoughtful
and offers a wide selection.
Like the tide, we’ll continue to return to The Tides. My only
question is, will I ever order anything other than the potatocrusted
grouper?
The Oysters 222
appetizer is served
with oysters prepared
three ways.
THE TIDES RESTAURANT
3103 Cardinal Drive, Vero Beach
772.234.3966
Open 7 days, 5:30 p.m. to closing, in season.
During the summer, The Tides offers an early dining
(4:30-5:30) option of two courses for $15, along with
wine specials. On the other end of the spectrum, diners
can enjoy a seven-course meal, paired with wines,
of unique preparations by Chef Leanne at the
Chef’s Table for $175 per person.
CHEF LIVES DREAM OF OWNING RESTAURANT
Born in Ridgefield County,
Conn., Chef Leanne
Kelleher was interested in
cooking from a young age.
“I always had a tendency
toward it,” she says.
“Growing up in Connecticut,
I had an uncle who
owned a restaurant, and
we always cooked as a
family. It was always something
I liked to do.”
After her family moved
to Vero Beach in 1982, Leanne
attended St. Edward’s
A graduate of the Culinary Institute
of America and the Hotel and
Restaurant Management at Florida
International University in Miami,
Chef Leanne Kelleher worked at a
number of Vero restaurants before
opening her own in 2000.
School, where she spent
her senior year. Culinary
school called her soon
after that and she went to
the Culinary Institute of
America in Hyde Park, N.Y. At the time — 1991 — she
was one of four women in her class of 28.
Working in male-dominated kitchens hasn’t bothered
her, however. “I come from a line of strong women,” she
says. “My mother and my sisters are all very accomplished.
It’s my DNA.”
Since the CIA program at that time was only two years,
Leanne entered the Hotel and Restaurant Management
program at Florida International University in Miami.
While she went to school, she got a job at the acclaimed
Coral Gables restaurant, Caffé Baci, where she learned the
cuisine of northern Italy under Chef Nino Pernetti.
After graduation, she returned to Vero. “I have always
loved Vero and my family was here,” she says.
She knew there were few fine dining options in Vero, but felt
she wasn’t ready to open her own, so she worked for a number
of local restaurants, including the Black Pearl and Café du Soir,
gathering both culinary and business experience.
In early 2000, with money she had borrowed, she
opened The Tides and immediately created a loyal following.
“I think it is our consistency,” she says. “Much of
my staff has been with me since we opened. That is our
hallmark — consistency, quality and value.”
Fresh fish comes to her door daily and she makes an effort
to keep the quality high. “We specialize in fish, so we
try our best to make it right every time. I have a very skilled
and talented staff, all trained, in the back of the house, so
when we put things out, it has to be right.”
She also has that same philosophy for everything that
comes out of the kitchen. “All our sauces, soups and
starches are made daily,” she says. “We don’t use anything
frozen. And when you order a steak medium, that is what
it is going to be. We very rarely get anything sent back.”
With The Tides open seven days a week during the season,
and six in the off-season, Leanne usually doesn’t get much
of a break. “I read a lot, and try to get outside,” she has
says of her leisure time. She has traveled to Europe, Ireland
and Italy as well as Napa, Calif., Boston and Philadelphia,
but she admits, “I eat and sleep the restaurant business.”