In a blue 1920s cottage on historic Bridge Street is one of Bradenton Beach’s most locally-focused, sustainable eateries: Blue Marlin.
Restaurateurs Adam and Marianne Ellis keep the menu filled with catches from Cortez and the surrounding communities, and the locale’s nautical décor is reminiscent of coastal New England. Everything from Tampa littleneck clams and Cortez shrimp to area grouper, hogfish, cobia and snapper appear in chowders, entrées and spreads.
“We buy our fish every day in Cortez so that we can provide the freshest fish and offer daily specials,” says Adam Ellis, who has worked in the restaurant industry for two decades and also has commercial fishing experience
He has been deeply invested in the Bradenton Beach/Anna Maria culinary scene for years, having previously worked at Sign of the Mermaid and the Beach Bistro.
Adam Ellis opened Blue Marlin in 2011 to “recreate a Sunday dock party after fishing,” he says, and to be able to cook and clean the fresh-off-the-boat catches du jour. He cherry picks his seafood directly from AP Bell Fish & Co.
Some of his signature dishes include the Grouper Fulford (with lemon butter and garlic Parmesan breadcrumbs) and the Cortez Boil (a low-country boil with Tampa Bay clams and Gulf shrimp, poached in seafood broth with sweet corn, chorizo and red potatoes).
For Adam Ellis, being an “Original” is all about supporting and serving local products.
“We stand out because of the freshness of the seafood,” he says, “and our commitment to the fishing community.”
Blue Marlin | 121 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach | 941-896-9737
Author: Abby Weingarten
