At his enterprise, Tides Seafood Market and Provision, chef and co-owner Jon Walker works with native distributors to promote the freshest merchandise doable in Security Harbor, Florida. Behind the stone crab-filled seafood case, he’s turning top-quality seafood, grass-fed beef, and Florida grown greens into “rattling scrumptious” dishes out there’s kitchen.
“Having that market-first mentality implies that we’re all the time going to have one thing actually cool to play with,” Walker explains. Using his background in New Orleans, the place he labored in kitchens for years earlier than attending culinary faculty, he’s frying up freshly shucked Gulf oysters for tangy remoulade sauce-coated oyster po’ boys, making andouille sausage, and grilling blackened grouper or yellowtail snapper dusted with home Creole seasoning. Tides has additionally grow to be well-known within the seafood-rich St. Pete-Clearwater space for its crawfish arancini, with 1000’s being ready for catering occasions every week.
Past understanding methods to make flavorful New Orleans-style dishes, Walker could be very intentional about how he sources every ingredient and product within the retailer. “Florida isn’t essentially seen as a culinary vacation spot, however Florida has loads to supply,” Walker says. “Our philosophy is that we need to use the most effective that we will, domestically first, regionally second, and nationally third.” He carries (and cooks with) these native merchandise at any time when doable however outsources when essential, together with sourcing dry-aged steaks from Chicago and bread from New Orleans-based Leidenheimer Baking Firm for his po’ boys.
General, Walker is happy to be part of the culinary scene of “actually nice cooks” rising in St. Pete and Clearwater. “We’ve been open three years and I’m actually to see what the subsequent three, 4, 5 years convey,” he says. “If that is the development, then I can’t wait.”
Watch the newest episode of Consultants to see Walker breakdown deliveries of contemporary fish and beef as he cooks up the market’s signature dishes.
