New restaurant: The Fort Social casual dining opens in downtown Fort Pierce this week

Laurie K. Blandford, Treasure Coast Newspapers
·2 min read

The Fort Social, formerly Rooster in the Garden Ristorante, finally opens this week.

The reimagined restaurant, an extension of The Fort Steakhouse in downtown Fort Pierce, opens Wednesday for dinner and drinks during the week and brunch on the weekends.

It’s described on its website as “an up-tempo hub for those in-the-know” where “casual meets sophisticated.” It has fine wines, hand-crafted cocktails and small plates a la carte with full table service.

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The Fort Social, formerly Rooster in the Garden Ristorante, under transformation on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, on Second Street in Fort Pierce. It has fine wines, hand-crafted cocktails and small plates a la carte with full table service. The Fort Social is connected to the Fort Steakhouse which opened in December.
The Fort Social, formerly Rooster in the Garden Ristorante, under transformation on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, on Second Street in Fort Pierce. It has fine wines, hand-crafted cocktails and small plates a la carte with full table service. The Fort Social is connected to the Fort Steakhouse which opened in December.

Angela Acosta, the new executive chef of both restaurants, described the difference in December for a previous TCPalm article.

“If (customers) want to order from The Fort Steakhouse menu, but they don’t want to be all dressed up for fine dining and just want to be more casual,” Acosta said, “they have that option.”

The Fort Steakhouse, which originally opened as The Braford steakhouse in March 2018, reopened Dec. 9 in The Galleria of Pierce Harbor building. Both restaurants had closed in April because of a staff shortage and were scheduled to reopen last fall.

That’s when Acosta made her move, reaching out to the building owner because she wanted to work at the steakhouse based on her experience in fine dining.

The Fort Steakhouse Executive Chef Angela Acosta cooks some of the menu items for the reimagined restaurant on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, on Second Street in Fort Pierce.
The Fort Steakhouse Executive Chef Angela Acosta cooks some of the menu items for the reimagined restaurant on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, on Second Street in Fort Pierce.

Here’s a sample of The Fort Social’s menu:

  • Smoked Norwegian salmon bruschetta with cream cheese, red onions, capers and dill over oven-roasted baguette

  • Spicy tuna tartare tacos served in a crispy wonton taco with avocado, cilantro, sesame seeds, scallions and cucumbers

  • Brussels sprout and kale dip with cottage cheese, Gruyère and Parmigiano Reggiano, served with chips

  • Lamb lollipops served on a light tzatziki spread

  • Grilled pork belly lettuce wraps with pickled carrots, English cucumbers, cilantro and fish sauce

  • Truffled sachetti with cheese-filled pasta, truffle cream butter sauce and parsley

  • The Social Burger with flame-grilled Wagyu beef, lettuce, tomato and mustard aioli, served with crispy fries.

The Fort Social

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter and columnist dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Follow her on Twitter @TCPalmLaurie and Facebook @TCPalmLaurie. Email her at laurie.blandford@tcpalm.com. Sign up for her What To Do in 772 weekly newsletter at profile.tcpalm.com/newsletters/manage.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: The Fort Social casual restaurant opening in downtown Fort Pierce