Restaurant Review: Blue Rooster

Photo provided / by Max Kelly Design

The recently opened Blue Rooster owes a lot to Darwin’s on 4th and Station 400, its next-door neighbors. Those spots blazed a trail north of Fruitville, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Sarasota’s core, creating a destination for people seeking good food in interesting surroundings.

Blue Rooster capitalizes on this with an atmosphere that fits easily into the area while still creating a sense of space all its own. The restaurant is tucked into a block of historic old-Sarasota buildings, but the interior is that popular blend of old and new, rustic and industrial. One wall is covered in bricks set at varying depths, with aged wood panels set horizontally up to table height. You’ll find more artfully worn wood throughout the place and the servers wear uniforms reminiscent of 1950s mechanics’ garb.

But on those bricks are Warhol-esque paintings of rock legends, high up on the soaring wall at the same height as the strictly industrial light fixtures. Chain link fencing provides more stark contrast, as does exposed ductwork on the ceiling and a black metal circular staircase leading to a loft.

It’s all artfully done, beautiful and natural in a way that belies the obvious effort that went into the design. The food, however, struggles with the same contrasts evoked in the décor.

Blue Rooster’s menu focuses on Southern and low-country cuisine, the kind of perennially popular comfort food that’s still rare enough in these parts to generate a serious amount of interest. At its simplest, the restaurant serves a fine plate of grub. When the kitchen tries to put its own unique stamp on the food, it can fall short.

Start with the biscuits, because they are just about perfect. Flaky, buttery, salty and almost light as air, the floury discs melt in your mouth with each bite. The fried chicken — one of Blue Rooster’s specialties — is almost as good, the skin lightly breaded and fried until a uniform deep brown. Stick with dark meat and you’ll find the inside moist and well-seasoned; opt for breasts and you’ll likely be chewing your way through some overcooked flesh.

Brunswick stew is seriously hearty fare, loaded with a massive dollop of mashed potatoes, plenty of smoky ham and rich chicken, piles of butter beans and a host of other vegetables. On one occasion, that heartiness didn’t come with a lot of flavor, as if the ingredients hadn’t yet managed to marry. It was better on a second visit, although still not a blockbuster.
Catfish is coated in crisp cornmeal, but the massive filet is seemingly devoid of seasoning. Cooked right, moist, but largely flavorless.

Some of Blue Rooster’s other dishes are more fussy, with creative flourishes that sometimes go awry. Meatloaf couldn’t be simpler, but here it’s overpowered by a surprising amount of sausage — tasty, if you’re looking for sausage instead of meatloaf.

The baked beans have more kielbasa and cane syrup than beans, minted Cajun cole slaw is distractingly spicy and the collards taste like the bottom of a pot.

Most confusing is the shrimp and grits. On one occasion, the shrimp are overcooked and the sauce is a shocking mess of bland broth, sharp vinegar, cloying sweetness and peppery heat, from a profusion of tomato and mango chutney. The next time out, the dish is considerably better, the chutney more reserved, the grits rich with butter and cheese, the shrimp plump and doused in just enough garlicky herbs.

Blue Rooster’s sweet potato pie is a prime example of a dish pushed to the breaking point. At its best, sweet potato pie is rich, sweet and smooth. Here, however, the filling is light, airy and bland, more cream-colored than the usual deep brick-orange, and topped by cream that tastes more like Bourbon than if you ordered a Maker’s Mark neat.

Some of the kitchen’s inconsistency may come from the relative inexperience of owners Devin Rutkowski and Bill Cornelius. Rutkowski is a contractor and designer, while Cornelius owns the buildings that house Blue Rooster, Darwin’s and Station 400. He’s also been a silent partner at Darwin’s for the past year or so, and he’s the one you usually see scanning the dining room and greeting customers at the front door.

Maybe he’s gaining in experience, since the food has improved on each successive visit I’ve made.

But Blue Rooster doesn’t need to live or die by its occasionally inconsistent food. Up front is a small stage where the restaurant features live music throughout the week, including local bands like Lauren Mitchell, Come Back Alice and Al Fuller.

The bar is big enough for a crowd and features a few interesting cocktails that fit the vaguely Southern theme – like the Whiskey Tea Highball, Cajun Lemonade and a mint julep built on Jack Daniel’s – as well as a decent craft beer selection. There’s also sidewalk seating if you want to enjoy the weather, or get away from the music.

With the food hopefully improving over time and the rest of what Blue Rooster has to offer, it makes for an attractive addition to this destination dining
district.