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Windward Restaurant Concepts is sharing a first look at The Blu Fin’s debut menu ahead of its official opening on Tuesday, Oct. 13, the first of three culinary venues debuting in Vero Beach this fall. Previously announced as part of the 27,000 square feet development at 1410 South A1A, The Blu Fin will be followed by Turtle Cove Gourmet Market and The Motley Cow, together offering three distinct experiences from fine dining and celebratory dinners to market stops and afternoon cocktails under the palapa.
The complex is the brainchild of Vero Beach native Anthony DeChellis, owner of Windward Restaurant Concepts. DeChellis tapped Argentine-born Sebastian La Rocca, whose career includes experience in MICHELIN-recognized restaurants in Europe and the Americas, to lead the culinary direction across all three venues.
At the heart of the trio is The Blu Fin, a fine-dining restaurant rooted in Mediterranean cuisine with Latin inspiration. The Blu Fin will offer indoor and outdoor dining across 3,000 square-feet, with 78 seats total, including six at the bar and eight at bar tables. The restaurant is already planning an over-the-top celebration for its first New Year’s Eve, with details to be announced this fall.
La Rocca’s opening menu moves between the Mediterranean and Latin America, with seafood playing a prominent role. Bright, fresh flavors lead the starters, including Cured Red Snapper, which pairs ajo blanco with Granny Smith apple vinaigrette, toasted buckwheat and shaved truffle, and Olive Oil-Poached Lobster with lettuce gazpacho and a charred yellow corn and cucumber salsa. The Blu Fin Tuna Crudo layers Cara Cara orange-vanilla sauce with Corona beans, celery, shallots and Calabrian chile, while Octopus Tonnato offers an unexpected take on the Italian classic with confit tuna sauce, caperberries, pickled shrimp, heart of palm and cured egg yolk. For a richer start, Bourbon Barrel Wood-Smoked Beef Tartare brings together lobster bisque sauce, caviar, Wagyu tallow and quail egg yolk with crisp rye.
Seafood carries through the entrées, from Grouper Roasted on Cedar Wood Plank with Champagne clams, sea asparagus and sunchokes to Grilled Madagascar Tiger Shrimp paired with bok choy and piquillo pepper romesco. A luxurious Capellini combines Santa Barbara sea urchin with saffron cream and caviar, while Roasted Heritage Chicken gets a rich finish from foie gras velouté, Israeli couscous and wild mushrooms. Latin influences come through in El Secreto Iberic Pork, pairing the prized cut with Oaxaca mole, duck fat cipollini onions and a fresh fennel and herb salad.
Two steak dishes are also on offer. Black Angus Ribeye gets layers of acidity and richness from roasted Jimmy Nardello pepper escabeche, confit garlic, chimichurri and Barolo onion jus, while Charley’s Steak, inspired by iconic 1970s Vero Beach favorite Charlie Brown’s, pairs Black Angus New York steak with a giant lump crab “fricassee.” The tableside experience includes the steak arriving beneath a cloche, the fricassee served separately and a presentation box from which guests select their steak knife.
La Rocca plans to work with local fishermen, farmers and other suppliers whenever possible, allowing seasonality and local ingredients to guide the menu. The attention to sourcing and the seasons extends to the sides, where Heirloom Carrots are paired with salsa verde and pangrattato, Sautéed Wild Mushrooms get an unexpected hit of coconut harissa and Grilled Asparagus comes with gribiche sauce. For something more indulgent, Creamy Cheese Potato is finished tableside with shaved truffle. Desserts continue the menu’s sense of discovery, led by The Chocolate Bean, a celebration of chocolate as Central America’s gift to the world and its lasting influence on culinary traditions across the globe. Additional creations include The Lime in the Coconut, Tropicana and The Pink Panther, where vanilla cream cheese mousse meets the floral tartness of hibiscus and ripe red berries.
“We want The Blu Fin to be a restaurant people come back to again and again, whether they’re celebrating something big or out for a relaxing weeknight dinner,” said La Rocca. “Our Mediterranean and Latin flavors reflect my Argentine upbringing, Italian roots in Puglia and nine years living in Costa Rica and traveling throughout Central America. But great food is only one part of great hospitality. The energy in the room, the welcome and the details all matter. We want guests to leave already thinking about when they’re coming back.”
Turtle Cove Gourmet Market and The Motley Cow will open their doors shortly after. The nearly 3,000-square-foot market will offer house-made fresh pastas, seafood, pastries, coffee, prepared meals to enjoy at home and other specialty products, with freshness and seasonality guiding the selection. The market will also include seating for 28 on its terrace.
Rounding out the trio, The Motley Cow will offer an elevated casual dining experience with a focus on seafood from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. A Mibrasa enclosed charcoal oven will play a key role in the kitchen, lending the depth and smoky character of live-fire cooking to many of the restaurant’s dishes. Beneath a giant palapa palm-frond roof, the 1,100-square-foot tiki bar will channel the easygoing spirit of Florida’s coast with creative cocktails, music and an open-air atmosphere made for leisurely afternoons and lively nights with friends. The Motley Cow will seat 54 guests, including 18 at the bar. Additional details will be revealed soon.
Reservations for The Blu Fin’s Tuesday, Oct. 13 opening will be available on OpenTable beginning Monday, Oct. 5 and are required, with walk-ins accommodated when availability permits. The Blu Fin, Turtle Cove Market and The Motley Cow are located at 916 Turtle Cove Lane, Vero Beach, FL 32963. For more details, please visit theblufin.com and follow on Instagram @theblufin, @motleycowvb and @turtlecovemarket.
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Dining and Cooking