Photo of the new grouper dish, courtesy of Viento

For those who want a respite from the daily grind, dinner at Longboat Key’s Zota Beach Resort offers up all the needed deliciousness for a perfect night out. Executive Chef Jeremy White and his team at Viento Kitchen + Bar dish out hit after hit at the modern American restaurant by the sea. With influence from the Carribean and even the Midwest, there’s something for everyone on Viento’s new vibrant menu, refreshed for season and dedicated to the utmost attention to detail and inventive ingredients. 

Sparing no step in the effort to maximize flavor and put their fresh ingredients on display, the housemade pasta adds an extra layer to the mushroom ravioli dish, served in a smoked pork-parmesan broth and finished luxuriously with fresh seasonal truffle. Meanwhile, the grouper entree proves a surprising and delightful addition to an otherwise common Florida menu mainstay. The perfectly cooked fish comes served over a rainbow assortment of sauteed vegetable noodles and “tomato water,” a clean, slightly sweet tomato broth to be spooned from the bottom of the bowl. As one guest summarized the eclectic menu, “Come for the grouper; stay for the tomato water.”

It’s these inspiring new twists that keep hotel guests and locals alike coming back for more. And in the spirit of the uber-popular poke bowl, Chef White created an appetizer dish with cubed, compressed watermelon that mimics the appearance and consistency of the raw tuna used in its Hawaiian inspiration. With harissa marinated on a bed of wakame seaweed salad and finished with jalapeño and feta, the plate showcases the international cast of characters White pulls from to put together a new dish. 

“We are so pleased with the reaction to our menu changes and really feel the combination of flavors and mix of offerings gives Viento guests a special meal,” says Chef White. 

Photo of the new grouper dish, courtesy of Viento

Viento Kitchen + Bar at Zota Beach Resort, 4711 Gulf of Mexico Dr., Longboat Key, 855-335-1102.