Now Open: Rockfish Land and Seafood in Aurora

Cioppino entree at Rockfish Land and Seafood Credit: Kayla Coleman Photography

After a “soft opening” period with limited days and hours, Rockfish Land and Seafood (271 E. Garfield Rd., 330-562-1803) in Aurora is now open for dinner every evening but Sunday and Monday.

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” says chef and owner Michael Grieve.

In July, Grieve, formerly of Tartine Bistro in Rocky River and The Grocery café and market in Ohio City, took possession of the property long home to James Place. That popular wine bar and bistro closed in June after 16 years.

At Rockfish, the menu draws on Grieve’s previous training at seafood restaurants in California. In the final planning for his new restaurant, the chef says that he decided to add more non-seafood items for guests who might shy away from fish.

“Originally, Rockfish has always been, in my mind, strictly seafood, oyster bar and the occasional steak or chicken special,” he says. “Going into this I changed that to more of a 60-40 split. You can’t make a wrong decision regardless of your dietary restrictions.”

Now, in addition to raw oysters on the half shell, crab cakes and seared scallops served atop sweet corn risotto, the menu offers gruyere-capped French onion soup, beef tartare and pan-seared duck breast with farro. Other options include a roasted beet salad, fried oysters, San Fran-style cioppino, shrimp and grits, grilled ribeye and a burger and fries.

Grieves, who originally was kicking the tires on a Chagrin Falls property, says that fate landed him on the doorstep of the former James Place.

“It’s just perfect,” says Grieve. “As soon as I walked in this place it was exactly what I had envisioned for the last decade of bringing this restaurant to Cleveland. It fits my personality.”