In November, Burlock Coast Seafare & Spirits made its highly- nticipated debut in the heart of Fort Lauderdale. Located just steps from the beach, Burlock Coast features an indoor/outdoor bar, sophisticated design, private dining spaces, and a thoughtfully curated marketplace where guests will discover an abundant array of grab-and-go items, packed goods and house-made specialties. The menu, executed by chef de Cuisine Gavin Pera, draws heavily from local resources, tapping into the region’s bounty, from fruits and vegetables to fresh fish and farm-raised meats. “Local to us doesn’t mean just our backyard,” says Pera, who embarked on an extensive farm tour as he crafted Burlock Coast’s menus. “Whether it’s an ingredient in a dish or a product we plan to sell in our marketplace, local craftsman and artisans are key to the concept and the fundamental backbone of what Burlock Coast is about.”
The restaurant sports views of the Atlantic from both the bar and the open, airy dining room, a craft cocktail program, delicious cuisine and a lively atmosphere perfect for dinner and late night carousing.
The marketplace, open daily at 6 a.m., starts with breakfast items and continues to offer made-to-order or grab n’ go items on a rotating basis throughout the day until 6 p.m. Many marketplace selections are sourced straight from local purveyors including Panther Coffee, fresh baked breads from Zak the Baker, and charcuterie from Miami Smokers. In addition to the marketplace, the juice bar is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Guests can pick up a bite before heading out for a meeting or a day lounging on Fort Lauderdale’s beach, which is across the street from the restaurant.
In the main dining space breakfast is served seven days a week. Diners can get their day started with items such as the Rum Runner Stack with caramelized banana and chocolate pancakes with maple rum butter; Lake Meadow Eggs with pepper maple bacon or Miami Smokers sausages; the McCoy Breakfast Sandwich with Miami Smokers sausage, pepper maple bacon, sunny side egg, cheddar on brioche as well as breads, pastries, bowl of berries or Zak’s Granola with dried fruit, berries and Greek yogurt.
Lunch, served daily, offers an array of raw bar items as well as delicious salads, sandwiches and main plates. Standouts include The Galley Sink with iceberg lettuce, porchetta, Florida Tomme, heirloom tomatoes, egg, radish, cucumber, corn, and almonds; tempura grouper on raisin brioche with creamy lime slaw and Blis Blast hot sauce and what Chef Pera promises to be one of the best fish and chips baskets in town.
Starters can be found in three categories: Snacks, Raw Bar, and Charcuterie. Must-tries include spicy avocado and tomatillo dip with root vegetable chips; cobia crudo; Cedar Key clams with Meyer lemon and an eye-popping seafood tower.
Sea and Land Fare run the gamut. Selections include: shrimp fry with pickled peppers and lime; seared tuna with frisée, dragon beans, quail eggs, and confit potato; lobster pasta with pappardelle, tomato, spinach, asparagus, and bisque; pork belly with black truffle grits and Malbec, and crispy chicken with parsnips, haricot vert and bacon.
Pastrychef Ryan Cross crafted the dessert menu. The Avalanche Sundae comes in an antique stemmed bowl, brimming with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream, salted caramel, chocolate sauce, house-made “Kit Kat” brownie pieces, pineapple chutney and toasted marshmallow; BC Donuts come in a small burlap bag, dusted with cinnamon sugar and served with white chocolate banana rum sauce, and praline spread. Additional selections include, rum cake, of course, with vanilla Chantilly, and an oversized Key lime pie for many, graham cracker crust, fresh whipped cream, toasted meringue crunch and candy lime peel.
Open daily from 11 to 1 a.m., the bar is enhanced by its beverage program. Sourced from 13 South Florida craft and nano breweries, from the Islamorada Beer Company to Funky Buddha Brewery, Burlock Coast will offer nine local bottles and cans, as well as nine local beers on tap including the Beach Blonde Ale; the Sandbar Sunday, an American wheat ale; the Florida Hefeweizen; theWatermelon Saison, a Farmhouse ale; Kombucha, a probiotic curated tea and the BC Bootlager, a German pilsner lager, which is exclusively brewed for Burlock Coast at Twisted Trunk Brewing Co. in Tequesta, Florida.
The cocktail program includes an extensive rum list heavy with French, Caribbean, and Spanish selections. Specialty rum cocktails feature the Monocot Yacht with Brugal extra dry rum, Averna Amaro, lemon juice, miso roasted yam honey, an egg white and bitters; Donna the Privateer with Captain Morgan 100, Flor De Cana 4 Year, Don’s mix, and Angostura and grapefruit bitters; and the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club with Cockspur Barbados rum, fresh lime juice, Triple Sec and Velvet Falernum. There is also an array of wines available and specialty cocktails, ranging from the 3 Mile Patrol with Gin, Triple Sec, fresh lime juice, cucumber simple syrup, and grapefruit juice; and the Sea Captain’s Special with Old Overhault Rye Whiskey, Cava Brut Champagne, club soda and bitters to the Smoke Show with Blanco Tequila, grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, and agave nectar.
