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THE SUN
BUSINESS
FEBRUARY 1, 2017
Island Gourmet: Good food, good value BY LOUISE BOLGER
ISLAND GOURMET GRILL
SUN STAFF WRITER
If you’re born and raised in New Orleans and you grew up with Ruth Fertal’s children of Ruth’s Chris Steak House fame, working in the restaurant business seems an obvious choice. Well, it must also have been obvious to Ruth because Scott St. Blanc ended up working for her for 23 years, at one point overseeing nine of Ruth’s Chris Steak House restaurants in Florida. Like many restaurant owners, Scott St. Blanc started out washing dishes and moving up the restaurant ladder from waiter to assistant manager, manager and regional director for Ruth’s Chris. When he decided it was time for him to open his own restaurant, he looked close to home in Holmes Beach, opening Island Gourmet Grill in August 2012. St. Blanc’s philosophy is “You want to make people feel good about opening their wallets.” He wants to provide food and service that will not only encourage his patrons to come back again and again but also make them feel they are receiving good value for their money. To do this, he and his long-time chef Donny Wolfe start with the best ingredients and convert them into a variety of gourmet and casual food that will appeal to most people. In addition to specials every day and oysters year-round, Island Gourmet’s dinner menu includes entrees like snapper, lemon seafood pasta and veal piccata. Start with soup and salad or appetizers
5910 Marina Drive Holmes Beach 941-778-0333 www.IslandGourmetGrill.com Monday – Friday: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (in season) Saturday: 5 to 10 p.m. Happy Hour: Monday – Friday 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. All major credit cards accepted LOUISE BOLGER | SUN
Owner Scott St. Blanc offers gourmet and casual food at Island Gourmet. like shrimp ceviche or pot stickers. And if you’re in the mood for a pizza, Island Gourmet’s are truly gourmet with thin crust and great specialty choices like duck and goat cheese or Hawaiian, or you can build your own with an assortment of toppings. The lunch menu includes flatbreads, tacos, sliders, sandwiches, burgers and, of course, small personal pizzas, in addition to starters and salads.
Lunch and dinner are great, but happy hour is definitely the best. With Island Gourmet’s full bar and extensive wine list, the happy hour features $5 wine and drinks with premium liquors, $5 house sangrias and $5 house martinis, in addition to $2 domestic beer and $3 imported beer. And you might just run into some of the regular crowd or a Ladies Night Out gathering lined up along the main bar or the community bar. The restaurant also has a large see island gourmet, page 15
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