Sustainable seafood restaurant Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen + Bar is now open in Winter Park. Dinner hours start at 5pm Tuesday - Sunday. Brunch debuts Feb. 18-19 and Lunch debuts on March 7.
From the Press Release:
Inspired by classic Florida fish camps, Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen + Bar offers a wide variety of seafood from the Sunshine State’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts in a contemporary family-friendly atmosphere. The menu features a rotating selection of seasonally available fresh fish served in generous portions.
The kitchen at Reel Fish Coastal Kitchen + Bar is led by chefs Michael Zajac and Michael Huffler. Zajac, an alumnus of Houston’s restaurants and former owner of High Cotton in Atlanta, oversees the culinary team. Huffler spearheads the restaurant’s daily blackboard specials, which features a rotating selection of fresh Florida species such as grouper, mahi-mahi, tilefish, triggerfish, sheephead and hogfish. The Reel Fish menu is anchored by fish camp classics like fried seafood platters, Shrimp & Creamy Cheese Grits, Whole Fried Market Fish and Low Country Boils with shrimp, bay scallops and crab legs.
Central to the restaurant is a raw bar serving oysters on the half shell, broiled and steamed, as well as ceviche and peel & eat Florida shrimp. For the meat lover, Reel Fish offers farm-to-table, GMA-free beef and brisket blend burgers from Creekstone Farms, as well as a rotating selection of premium beef cuts. Signature salads include the Shrimp & Avocado Louie and a fresh tuna salad.
The bar at Reel Fish offers “coastal cocktails”, local craft beers and a boutique list of sought-after, reasonably priced wines curated by Alex Plotkin, owner of Chops Restaurant in Philadelphia and former National Director of Wine & Spirits for The Palm.
Overseeing day-to-day operations at the restaurant is Chrissy Benoit, who recently joined Reel Fish as General Manager. Benoit brings extensive hospitality industry experience with her, including more than a decade owning and operating popular South Florida establishments The Little House Restaurant, Adventurous Palate and Havana Hideout. In 2009, Benoit and Havana Hideout were featured on the acclaimed Food Network’s series Diners, Drive-in and Dives. In 2013, The Little House, which Benoit designed, received a prestigious “Outstanding Renovation” Award from the Florida Redevelopment Agency for rescuing a historic cottage in Boynton Beach and giving it new life as a “charming and lively restaurant.”
