Ticket Editor: One of best waterfront restaurants in Sarasota, Bradenton now even better

Gaze southward, and you can see the downtown Sarasota skyline in the distance. However, you might as well be a thousand miles away, nestled here in the historic commercial fishing village of Cortez. Surrounded by working docks and pristine mangroves, gray pelicans and blue herons, leaping mullet and frolicking dolphins, the experience is truly transformative.

Indeed, Cortez is an oasis of Old Florida charm boasting some of the best seafood and waterfront restaurants in the state. Among these cherished dining spots, there is one establishment that has emerged as an even more alluring destination in recent months. With the arrival of summer, it is the perfect time to visit Swordfish Grill, which now features a sprawling new tiki bar and covered back patio offering spectacular views of north Sarasota Bay. Moreover, the restaurant serves some of the finest fresh catches in the region, making it an ideal choice for seafood enthusiasts.

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Swordfish Grill in Cortez, near Sarasota and Bradenton, is now even better with covered tiki bar and patio

Owned by Cortezian John Banyas, Swordfish Grill opened in 2011. In recent years, my experiences have been among the best I've had, thanks, I believe, to new management. After an excellent visit during the start of stone crab season in October, I took a break from Swordfish and many other waterfront favorites until the end of tourist season. When I returned to Swordfish earlier this month, I was pleasantly surprised to find a sprawling new roof covering the tiki bar and back patio area, which features live music most evenings, while offering gorgeous views of north Sarasota Bay.

Previously, the tiki bar and patio were only adorned by shade sails, which struggled to provide respite from the intense Florida heat. Today, the roof does an exceptional job of blocking direct sunlight, and thanks to strategically placed support beams, you will find generous sight lines of the live music performers and, in the opposite direction, the bay. Large fans along the wood floor enhance the cool breeze coming off the water, and Swordfish implemented heaters during the winter months. The tiki bar remains the centerpiece of the patio, with dining tables surrounding it. Additionally, there are outdoor, waterfront covered tables on the south side of the building, facing the charming Cortez Kitchen. Swordfish also offers indoor seating adjacent to its cozy, full-liquor Flippin' Mullet Sports Bar.

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Swordfish Grill for fresh grouper, bacon-wrapped scallops, fish spread, oysters, and Key lime pie

I would happily visit Swordfish just to relax at the tiki bar, sipping on adult beverages while enjoying the lively performances of artists like one-man band Ted Stevens and keeping an eye out for dolphins. Fortunately, Swordfish also excels in serving some of the best seafood around. Begin your feast with appetizers such as the house-smoked fish spread ($14) or indulge in the surf-and-turf perfection of their bacon-wrapped scallops ($17). I also enjoy their oysters, especially the ones baked with freshly cut jalapeño and bacon crumbles (six for $16).

Swordfish Grill never seems to have any trouble sourcing fresh grouper, and I highly recommend it as an entree or as an expertly blackened grouper sandwich, which I recently enjoyed for $27. Swordfish's regular menu also boasts tempting dishes like shrimp scampi, shrimp and grits, lobster mac and cheese, and even homemade Key lime pie, which is the ideal way to end any Florida meal ($7 a slice). However, in addition to the fresh grouper, the most exciting options are typically found among the daily specials.

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Swordfish Grill for snapper piccata, Parmesan-crusted pompano, 'Blackjack' snapper sandwich, Thai grouper bites, and fried grouper collars

During our visits to Swordfish this month, for example, the daily specials included two enticing entrees: pompano in a Parmesan crust topped with a sweet lemon butter sauce ($33 with two sides) and a flavorful snapper piccata with savory and citrus notes ($33 with two sides). They also offered a "Blackjack" sandwich featuring lightly blackened snapper topped with pepper jack cheese on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion ($27 with fries and slaw). All three of these dishes showcased fresh fish expertly prepared.

Before those dishes even arrived, we were already impressed by a couple of daily special appetizers. The Thai grouper bites ($26) were visually striking and delectable, featuring fresh fish chunks fried and tossed in a sweet chili sauce. They were garnished with toasted coconut, cilantro, and jalapeno, adding an extra layer of flavor. Swordfish also showcased their culinary creativity with the use of grouper collars, an often neglected part of the fish located behind the head and gills. The fried grouper collars, topped with sweet chili sauce, were a tasty treat priced at $18.

For this longtime Floridian, life simply doesn't get much better than enjoying fresh fish served by a tiki bar on a covered patio, with a picturesque view of pelicans and dolphins in the surrounding water. Swordfish Grill embodies the essence of the good life celebrated in timeless songs by the likes of Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney, as evidenced by the bustling crowd even on a summer weekday at just after 5 p.m. Let's savor this experience before the return of tourists, and mark your calendars for the start of stone crab season on Oct. 15. As I've done in the past, one of my first visits for the delectable crustacean claws will be to Swordfish.

Swordfish Grill is at 4628 119th St. W., Cortez. For more information, call 941-798-2035 or visit swordfishgrillcortez.com. 

Wade Tatangelo is Ticket Editor for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, and Florida Regional Dining and Entertainment Editor for the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He can be reached by email at wade.tatangelo@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism by subscribing.​​​​​​

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Popular waterfront restaurant in Sarasota, Bradenton now even better