Talk about a labor of love and community support.
Slicker’s Eatery, located on Cortez Road in the fishing village of Cortez, opened in 2021 and experienced pandemic-related challenges. Still, it made a name for itself serving a chef-driven menu to regulars who enjoyed trivia and live music.
This past fall, Hurricanes Helene and Milton wiped out everything inside Slicker’s. Helene filled the small restaurant with three feet of water. Next, Milton came along and destroyed its walk-in cooler and other essentials.
Owner Bob Slicker, a long-time presence in the local restaurant scene and an active member of the Anna Maria Island Rotary Club, was interviewed on national TV about his restaurant’s damage. He still tears up thinking about the damage—and also the community support that turned out the very next day post-hurricane to help out.
Slicker has participated in hurricane relief elsewhere, so he had a sense of the next steps to take. He relied on his local network to hold events right outside the restaurant to help feed locals, using items like donated grills. Many Cortez residents are lower income, have commercial fishing in their blood, and had nowhere else to go at the time due to damage to their homes.
“Everybody’s in the same thing, and before you get to the end of it, you’re a whole village cleaning itself up,” says Slicker reflecting on the large number of people pitching in to help both at the restaurant and within the local community. He also networked through the Rotary to obtain community donations. Special events held by the restaurant (outside, as the inside wasn’t ready) also assisted restaurant staff members.
It’s the unity from the hurricane rebuilding that SIicker will always remember.
One customer suggested that the restaurant allow customers to pay to emblazon sayings on the back of barstools. So, you’ll see some stools with sayings like “Now You’re in My Chair.” The chairs were painted by a local artist.
“There were no lines drawn in the sand when it came to helping somebody. Going to hurricane sites and helping people has always been tremendous, but living and seeing it firsthand was extremely heartwarming,” he says.
After much effort, the restaurant finally reopened in February with all-new equipment and a new look.
Reception to the reopened restaurant has been resoundingly positive. Customers are responding to the restaurant’s sports memorabilia (with a focus on the Tampa Bay Lightning) and modern black tables and barstools. The tables were made by Slicker’s staff, with help from DIY videos on YouTube.
One customer suggested that the restaurant allow customers to pay to emblazon sayings on the back of barstools. So, you’ll see some stools with sayings like “Now You’re in My Chair.” The chairs were painted by a local artist.
The menu focuses on artisan cocktails and locally sourced ingredients when possible. It’s hard to peg the menu as any one type of cuisine. Aim for Italian, with dishes like The Pesto Flatbread. Or enjoy seafood, with the Shrimp Ceviche. Or go for a Florida touch with the Cubano sandwich, made with house-roasted mojo pork and sliced ham, served on local Cuban bread.
Although the initial reopening of the restaurant started only with a light menu, Slicker anticipates starting up its brunch selection again soon.
