Fish Monger reopens under new business owners
A long-standing restaurant on San Carlos Island has re-opened with a fresh new look and expanded operational hours under new business owners.
The Fish Monger Restaurant held its grand opening last Thursday under the business ownership team of Shelly Morgan, Thom Marks and Chris Cauley. A soft opening was two days earlier after 51 days of refurbishing, including a redone kitchen, new wood floors, new carpet, freshened up exterior and new expanded bar.
The average regular customer will notice “a new atmosphere, same friendly staff and same great, fresh seafood,” says Marks. First-time customers will be amazed and think the place is new.
The Fish Monger Restaurant at 19030 San Carlos Blvd. was established in 1989 by Nick and Mary Ruland. The Ruhlands are still the property owners, but decided to get out of the business end after 25 years. Morgan has been close friends with the Ruhlands for 30 years. In fact, Mary was a bridesmaid in Shelly’s wedding party.
“They wanted to pass the torch off to somebody that would retain the integrity that they set up. They wanted to slow down a little bit and raise their grand-babies. Twenty five years in the restaurant business is a lot of time,” said Morgan, the restaurant manager. “The way that Mary puts it to us is we add a ‘new breath of fresh air into The Fish Monger’.”
The Ruhlands are still involved to a degree. Contracts are still held with Nick through Matanzas Pass Seafood or what is known as the “Fish Camp” (boats are docked just 100 yards north of the establishment below Hurricane Pass Bridge) for fresh fish. Mary and daughter Madison still work there as well.
“Obviously, the fresh seafood is still the focal point of the restaurant and maintaining that relationship with Fish Camp is omni-important,” said Marks, the executive chef and general manager.
Hours of operation are now Tuesday through Saturday from 2 to 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. (closed Monday). Happy hour ($1.50 draft beer; $2 house wine and well drinks) is 2 to 6 Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 6 Sunday. A twilight menu runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and costs $15 for a selected eight-item menu, a draft beer, house wine or beverage. Yes, the Monger features six draft beer selections now!
A brand new bar menu is available at the bar during full restaurant hours. The lighter fare items is what The Fish Monger serves in the dining room from 2 to 4 p.m. each day or 12 to 4 on Sunday.
The establishment still sports three separate dining rooms. Compass Rose is the name of the main dining area, which has been called preferred seating due to its comfy 900 gallons of fish tanks, six feet deep.
The Captain’s Room is the room closest to the lounge, and The Fish Camp Room is in the back area and available for large parties, special events and semi-private dining.
The revamped menu still features the traditional, hot-selling favorites, like Three Nut Grouper, Classic Snapper, but has more of a selection for non-seafood eaters with steaks and prime rib during the weekends. Specials featuring grouper, snapper, tilefish, mahi, wahoo, rosefish and many other species may be rotated on a daily basis if they are the “catch of the day.”
“I’ve added Norwegian Salmon, Bluefin Tuna, more steaks, Maine lobster tails, and we do prime rib on Friday and Saturday nights,” said Marks. “I am not going to tell you we are not a seafood house, but I will tell you that I’ll put up my steaks up against anybody in this town. We have more of a variety in the seafood area and more selection in the non-seafood items.”
The Fish Monger continues to have fresh stone crabs during its season as well. From now until mid-May, the Fish Camp will be bringing in the freshest – a Monger tradition. After all, the restaurant motto is “Fresh From Our Docks To Your Dinner.”
The new business owners promise to open on holidays.
“We are going to run a Christmas Day buffet and have a New Year’s Eve party,” said Marks.
The newly designed bar area is called Hurricane Hole Tavern and features hurricane memorabilia, three 42-inch screen televisions and the NFL ticket. A full liquor selection is still available and house wine is served from real oak barrels.
There are plans to expand the already increased capacity bar even further in year two.
Mary Ruhland will still tend the bar on Wednesday nights and offer free dessert du jour to customers that dine at the bar that evening. She is still baking items for The Fish Monger as well.
All of the booths used to be situated in one room. Now, the booths have been dispersed to mostly the Compass Rose room and one has been split and added to the lounge.
“I would call it a rearrangement of the floor plan that is a little more cozy,” said Morgan.
Both Morgan and Marks are originally from Michigan, but have resided in Southwest Florida since the early 1980s. Morgan has been a life-long restaurant worker, moving up the ranks from dishwasher busser, hostess, server to manufacturer’s rep and direct sales person. Marks has been in the business for 20-plus years.
The Fish Monger Restaurant’s phone number is 765-5544 and email is info@fishmongerfl.com to find out more or to make reservations.
“If your haven’t been here for a while, come check us out,” said Morgan.