Like the tide washing up deep-sea treasures onto the shore, Beach House Waterfront Restaurant is ushering in a new wave of dishes that highlight the powerful flavors of both land and sea. For executive chef Thomas Villetto, owner Ed Chiles and general manager Dave Gallagher, the menu change offers the opportunity to showcase how sustainable farming and fishing practices not only benefit the planet but also pack a greater gastronomic punch. The Beach House property, purchased by Chiles in 1993 when it was the Harbor House, sits on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico. While the stunning beach view stood the test of time, the restaurant underwent renovations completed in 2017, giving it a modern, open design. “It feels like a cruise ship,” says Gallagher, “especially with the expansive shaded deck overlooking the beach.” As mesmerizing as the view is, one glimpse of a dish headed to a nearby table reminds guests that they are there to eat and experience the food crafted by Villetto and his team.


Villetto joined Beach House this past December and launched the restaurant’s new menu in January. As a native of Massachusetts, he grew up in an Italian family that prioritized food and eating. “I didn’t go to culinary school, but I started as a dishwasher when I was a kid and worked my way up from there,” says Villetto, now 28, who has worked for both Michelin-starred and James Beard award-winning chefs. 

Photography by Wyatt Kostygan

“Beach House has a different vibe now,” adds Gallagher, “and since chef Thomas came in, our food has become more upscale.” After working at Café L’Europe on St. Armands Circle and Clásico Italian Chophouse in downtown Sarasota, Villetto joined the Chiles Hospitality group as the executive chef at Beach House. “I’ve shied away from larger, corporate restaurants because I have a passion for ingredients and don’t love mass production,” Villetto says, “but Beach House has all these amazing initiatives that you don’t see in large restaurants.” 


Chiles spearheaded participation in many of the programs lauded by Villetto. Gamble Creek Farms in Parrish supplies Beach House, along with Sandbar and Mar Vista, all part of the Chiles Hospitality group, with fresh produce. The food waste from each restaurant is then recycled into compost back at Gamble Creek to grow more crops for the restaurants. “The beet and goat cheese salad is a great representation of what simple vegetables can do,” adds Villetto, and “with our composting efforts, every time we get the beets it feels like they’re sweeter than the last time.”  

Photography by Wyatt Kostygan

Villetto’s dedication to celebrating fresh ingredients shines through the salad. Creamy goat cheese sourced from Vermont contrasts against the peppery arugula and is a backdrop for the beets, the dish’s star ingredient. Villeto uses baked red and golden beets which are chopped into cubes, then creates both red and golden beet purées from the leftovers, adding earthiness to the salad. For an extra pop of color and crunch, he tops it with sliced candy-striped beets. Balsamic peaches and a vinaigrette dress the dish, but Villetto takes care not to overseason. “It’s easier to cook with great ingredients because you don’t have to do a lot,” he adds, “so they speak for themselves.” 


Such ingredients have a profound message to share with guests, according to Gallagher. “Ed is so passionate about doing the right thing. He wants to change the world and make it better for our kids and grandkids,” he adds. Chiles not only prioritizes using local ingredients but also ensures that all of the straws, to-go boxes and to-go utensils at Beach House are biodegradable. “We used to have different to-go boxes, and it probably costs a lot more to use the right product for the environment, so when I talk about Ed caring and doing what’s right, that’s what I mean,” says Gallagher. 

Photography by Wyatt Kostygan

From protecting estuaries as part of the “All Clams on Deck” program to alternating between line-caught and farm-raised fish to conserve ocean populations, the restaurant exemplifies the relationship between taste and sustainability. The cobia, featured in the fish tacos, is raised in open ocean farms that provide the fish with fresh, flowing water, ensuring that they aren’t stuck swimming through a pen of waste and leftover food, enhancing their flavor. “If something is being overfished,” adds Gallagher, “then Ed doesn’t want it on the menu. When it’s mullet season, he wants to run mullet because so many people aren’t eating it, but it’s great if done the right way.” 


Aside from crowd favorites like the traditional Key lime pie or scallops with parsnip purée, confit radicchio and tarragon crème fraiche, guests can enjoy bread from the Anna Maria Bake House, another branch of Chiles Hospitality, as well as cocktails and mocktails with fresh fruit, like organic blueberries. The menu will change depending on what’s in season, keeping the staff on their toes. “Bringing in new ingredients stimulates the flow of creativity,” says Villetto, who encourages his team to experiment with new recipes, many of which are on the menu alongside his own. 

Photography by Wyatt Kostygan

For Villetto, the new menu at the 520-seat beachside restaurant offers the flexibility to cook according to his values. “It’s quite the daunting challenge to change a menu that’s been successful for so long, but I’m proud of the food that I put out, and my vision is in line with Ed’s vision to use sustainable seafood and the freshest ingredients,” he says, adding that “less is more, so we want to focus on what Mother Nature gives us.”