Bay to Brioche: A Costal 4th of July Table
A menu for summer tides, buttered rolls, and sunset cocktails
There’s something undeniably magical about the Fourth of July by the coast—the smell of salt in the air, the sizzle of something on the grill, the clink of glasses echoing over waves, and a table dressed in sea breeze and sunshine. Whether you're oceanside or simply dreaming of it, this menu was made to bring that feeling home.
Bay to Brioche is a celebration of seafood, citrus, and summertime ease. It’s breezy, a little luxurious, and full of flavor—perfect for a long weekend with friends, a backyard dinner lit by sparklers, or a July table that wants to taste like vacation.
Below, you’ll find the full collection of recipes from the menu: the zesty cocktails, the seared scallops with a blood orange glaze, a dessert that tastes like a summer, and the main event—a classic lobster roll on toasted brioche. I’ve included direct links to the original posts in case you want to read more or save them individually.
However you celebrate this season, I hope this table gives you something to savor.
🦪 The Starter: Seared Scallops with Blood Orange Glaze
🦞 The Main: Lobster Rolls with Toasted Brioche
🍋🟩 The Dessert: Key Lime Pie with Whipped Cream
🍸 The Cocktail: Blood in the Water | The Summer Pour
🦪 The Starter: Seared Scallops with Blood Orange Glaze
Recipe
Serves 2 | as an appetizer
🦪For the Scallops:
8 large sea scallops, side muscle removed
Salt + freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
🍊For the Blood Orange Glaze:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup fresh blood orange juice
1 tbsp dry white wine (or dry vermouth)
1 tsp honey (or maple syrup for a softer sweetness)
Pinch of salt, to taste
🌿 For the Garnish:
Fresh thyme or finely chopped chives
Extra blood orange zest (optional)
METHOD
Sear the scallops
Pat scallops completely dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.Heat olive oil in a stainless steel or cast iron pan over medium-high until shimmering. Add scallops and sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden with a deep crust. Remove and set aside.
Make the glaze
Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and garlic to the same pan. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in blood orange juice, wine, honey, and a pinch of salt. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes, stirring often, until glossy and slightly thickened.Plate and finish
Spoon a base of glaze onto each plate. Nestle scallops on top, then drizzle with more glaze. Garnish with herbs and a light zesting of orange.
🦞 The Main: Lobster Rolls with Toasted Brioche
Recipe
Serves 5 (generously)
🦞 For the Lobster:
1 lb cooked lobster meat (tail + claw), roughly chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tbsp lemon juice (or more to taste)
1 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, finely chopped
Celery Salt + pepper, to taste
1 tsp of Dijon Mustard
3/4 cup of Celery, finely chopped
1 tbsp of Mayo (or more to taste)
Optional: pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
🍞 For the Brioche Rolls:
5 split-top brioche or potato rolls
1 tbsp butter, for toasting
🌿 Optional Additions:
Extra lemon wedges
More herbs for garnish
Kettle chips or old-school potato salad, for serving
METHOD
Gently Mix
In a large bowl add cooked lobster, lemon zest, juice, chives, celery, Dijon mustard, mayo, pepper, and a pinch of celery salt. Mix well.Toast the rolls
Melt butter in a skillet. Toast rolls cut-side down until golden and crisp.Assemble
Fill each roll generously with warm lobster mixture. Spoon a little extra brown butter on top. Garnish with herbs or lemon wedges if you like.
🍋🟩 The Dessert: Key Lime Pie with Whipped Cream
Recipe
Serves 6
For the Crust:
6 oz of graham cracker crumbs (about 10–12 full sheets)
2 tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp sea salt
1 large egg yolk
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
1 tablespoon freshly grated lime zest
5 large eggs yolks
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
Pink of salt
1 tsp of vanilla extract
3/4 cup fresh lime juice, strained. Key Limes preferably
For the Whipped Cream:
2 ounces cream cheese, make sure it room temperature
2 tbsp of powdered sugar
1 cup of heavy cream, chilled
More fresh lime zest for garnish
METHOD
Make the Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Use a rolling pin or a food processor to crush crackers, try to get the crackers as fine and uniform as possible.
Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and salt in a bowl.
Stir in melted butter until fully combined and crumbly like wet sand.
Press into a 9-inch pie dish, going up the sides evenly.
Bake 8–10 minutes until golden. Let cool slightly.Make the Filling:
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F
In a bowl, whisk egg yolks until thick and pale—about 1–2 minutes.
Add sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, and zest. Mix until smooth.
Pour filling into the cooled crust.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until just set (center should slightly jiggle).Cool to room temperature (about one hour), then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Make the Whipped Cream:
In a large bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese with the powdered sugar until completely smooth. Add 2–3 spoonful’s of cold heavy cream and whisk to loosen the mixture—this prevents stubborn lumps. Continue adding cream a splash at a time, whisking after each addition, until the mixture is fluid and no longer has a cream-cheese consistency. Once silky, pour in the remaining heavy cream and whisk (or use a hand mixer) until medium peaks form. Spread or pipe the whipped topping over the chilled pie, then finish with lime zest or thin slices for a bright flourish.
🍸 The Cocktail: Blood in the Water | The Summer Pour
RECIPE
Serves 2 cocktail
For the Cocktail:
1 oz Campari
1 oz blood orange juice (fresh if possible)
1/2 oz lime juice
1/2 oz agave (or to taste)
2 oz sparkling wine or Prosecco (to top)
Ice
Garnish:
Blood orange slices
Rosemary spring
🍸 METHOD
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add Campari, blood orange juice, lime juice, and simple syrup.
Shake until well chilled.
Strain into a coupe or wine glass.
Top with chilled sparkling wine.
Garnish with a thin blood orange slice and a sprig of rosemary, upright like a fin above the surface.
🍽️Looking for more seasonal cooking inspiration?
Explore the Recipe Archive - lemon, orange, pomegranate, cherries, rustic meals and more.
👋 A Note from Lily
Every menu I share starts as a feeling — a season, a story, a mood. This one started with the sea. Thank you for reading, cooking, and imagining along with me. I hope your week was as good as buttered brioche and cold wine on a hot day.
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