Reviews | Page 6 | Vero Beach Foodie

The Patio Seafood Tavern – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

Opening in 1935, the historic Patio restaurant has been a landmark of downtown Vero Beach for a long time. The restaurant’s latest proprietor, Bill Brown, brings a wealth of restaurant management experience with him from the Orlando area. The menu has been updated offering classic dishes with a new twist, and some of the old favorites from the past. Let’s dive right in.

A friend and I arrived for dinner around 7:00pm on a Thursday night. The parking lot was a little more than half full. There was no line at the hostess stand, and we were promptly seated. As I looked around, there were a few others dining close by, but not as many as I thought from the amount of cars that were outside in the parking lot. Being a 250 seat restaurant, they were probably spread out throughout the restaurant, which was nice, it kind of felt like we had the place to ourselves. The dining room was dimly lit, and the walls were a dark stained wood. Colored accent lighting was spread throughout and a small lamp/candle adorned each table. As we browsed through the menu our waiter came and took our drink orders. We decided to try two different appetizers and we each ordered an entree. Let’s take a closer look at what we both had to eat since I’m all about the food!

Crispy Buffalo Tenders – ($9.50) – The chicken tenders were coated with a tempura like batter, lightly coated with buffalo sauce and Maytag blue cheese crumbles sprinkled over the top of them. Ranch sauce was served on the side. They were outstanding! The batter was light, yet had a richness to it. The buffalo sauce was perfect, more flavor than heat, and the blue cheese crumbles added a nice tangy finish to them. The chicken inside was moist and very tender. I did drizzle each tender with the ranch dressing, and it was the perfect complement to them. I would definitely order these again!

Flash Fried Calamari – ($9.50) – These were made with a julienne cut calamari steak, tempura batter coated, and tossed with citrus beurre blanc, sriracha, capers & tomato sauce. Most people associate calamari with the fried chewy rings you get at most places, but not here. This is where Bill added his special touch of using strips instead of rings. When the dish arrived to the table they almost looked like shrimp, from the size and shape of them. These strips were cut from a calamari steak and were very tender! The sauce had a nice brightness to it from the citrus and the sriracha, but was not too bold or spicy. A side salad and lemon wedges were served alongside as the garnish. The only thing I would change is to have the sauce served on the side. I would have preferred to have more of a crunch to the coating, and been able to dip them or choose how much sauce I used with them.

RIb Eye Steak – ($31.00) – The steak came served over mashed potatoes, with broccolini on top, then finished off with onion straws. My dinner companion ordered the steak medium rare and it came out perfectly cooked. They grill the steaks over an oak fire and you could definitely taste the smoky oak flavor on the steak which was wonderful! The broccolini was cooked perfectly and had a strong, yet not overpowering garlic flavor to it. The onion straws are more for decoration than anything, but I did taste them and they were quite good. The balsamic reduction on the plate was sweet and tangy! I only wish there was more of it!

Sea Scallops – ($27.00) – Scallops are one of my favorite seafood dishes and I was not disappointed. They were seared and butter basted, then served with a yellow pepper coulis sauce on top. They were perched on top of wasabi maple syrup sweet potato mash. The vegetable of the day was green beans. The scallops were large, delicate and had a very smooth texture. Some of the best I have ever had! If they are not cleaned properly, you can get some grit from the sand in them, and there was none of that here. I’m tossed on the sweet potato mash because I am not a fan of wasabi. It was very subtle and no heat from it, just not sure it paired that well with the maple sweetened sweet potato mash.

In Conclusion:

As a fairly new resident to Vero, I did not have the opportunity to try the Patio restaurant previously, so I don’t have any experience to compare this one to. After reading some not so positive reviews and speaking to a few other people about the restaurant’s past issues, I understood their concerns. The building is older, looks a little bit run down on the outside, and some have said it did not feel very clean. I did not get that feeling at all while dining there. If you have not tried The Patio in a while, I suggest you give them another try. See for yourself the changes that The Patio has made to improve your dining experience.

Ratings:

Atmosphere – 4 Forks

Service – 5 Forks

Food – 4 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

The Patio Seafood Tavern

1103 21st St, Vero Beach, FL 32960

(772) 774-8232

Chive – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

I remember my first dining experience at Chive being a little bit overwhelming due to all of the choices they had to offer, but that is not necessarily a bad thing! The owners, Lou Kolbauer and Travis Beckett both have diverse backgrounds in food and cooking from other restaurants they worked for and from where they lived previously. They soon got bored with cooking the same old same old for someone else, so they joined forces and Chive was born! This is one review I was really looking forward to!

My wife and I arrived for a late dinner around 7:00pm on a beautiful Tuesday evening and the line was out the door! The line moved pretty fast considering and we got up to the counter to place our order in less than 15 minutes. We decided to try two different dishes off the menu and share them. We ordered The Mexican Wedge Salad and The Ninja. We then took a seat in the dining room at a high top table and wait for our orders to be made. The dining room is quite large with lots of seating options. The walls are a pale greenish/blue color with very colorful paintings on the walls to add some color to the room. The room was at about 50% capacity and was not to noisy, considering it was kids night.

Our food has just arrived, so let’s dive right in and take a closer look!

The Mexican Wedge Salad – ($12.99) – This is not your typical wedge salad you would get at a steakhouse. First off, it’s not actually made with a lettuce wedge, which is great, because they are difficult to eat anyway. The diversity of ingredients in this salad is staggering! It’s made with Butter Lettuce, Marinated steak, Craisins, Almonds, Bacon, Avocado, Red Onion, Cilantro, Blue Cheese Crumbles, Chimichurri and Peri Peri Hot Sauce! First bite was an explosion of flavor from all of those ingredients! It was tangy from the chimichurri, slightly smoky from the bacon, the red onion added a nice crunch, and the steak was very tender! The only thing I my wife and I did not care for was the saltiness of the olives in it. They were not listed on the ingredient list, so it must have been a somewhat recent addition to the dish. We found them to be a little too salty for our tastes. Overall this is a very well executed salad!

The Ninja – ($12.25) – First impression was that this was a visually stunning dish! All of the colors from the different ingredients, plus the two different aioli’s crisscrossing over the top, very nicely done! It contained Rice topped off with Caramelized Onions, Stir Fry Vegetables, Sautéed Shrimp, Scallion, Judo Chop Sauce, Sriracha & Wasabi Aioli and scrambled eggs. First bite impression had me thinking it tasted similar to a fried rice, but way more complex with everything that was going on in this dish. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, the vegetables were cooked and seasoned to perfection. I was worried about the two aioli’s being too spicy, since my wife does not like anything hot. To my surprise, there was no heat at all from them, only some added flavor. The only thing that I did not like about this dish was the broccoli, but that is just my personal preference. I did try it, and it was not too bad when combined with everything else in this dish. This was our favorite of the night!

In Conclusion:

How does one classify a restaurant like Chive anyway? With all of the diversity and different dishes, it seems to defy classification to just one dining category. From New American cuisine, Traditional, Asian Fusion, to Soul Food, you get to decide what your experience will be by the ingredients you choose. No matter what you are in the mood for, Chive has got you covered!

Ratings:

Atmosphere – 5 Forks

Service – 5 Forks

Food – 5 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

Little Chive

1785 Old Dixie Hwy, Vero Beach, FL 32960

(772) 492-9166

Big Chive

8 Royal Palm Pointe, Vero Beach, FL 32960

(772) 999-5452

Who took the Vero Beach Top Chef Title for 2016?

Vero’s 8th Annual Top Chef Finale Event Review
by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

The Vero Beach Top Chef Event for 2016 is now in the books! Who took the Top Chef title? You will have to wait until the end of the article to find out, but first I invite you to experience the event through my eyes and taste buds. The food was outstanding! Some really creative thinking on the chef’s part.

Some items I have seen before, and some were new and completely different from what I have experienced before. Below I will take you through the evening and each of the four courses and dessert, so you can experience what I and the other diners did that night.

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The event was held at The Club at Pointe West and was the perfect location for such an event. The reception hall was elegant and beautifully decorated. The room was dimly lit and accented with some green lighting around the room. Upon entry I checked into the registration table and walked down the hallway to the dining room. The first thing that caught my eye was the dining tables. The chairs were covered with white linen, and a black table cloth covering the tables. The napkins were white and were draped over the edge of the table at each seat location. Each diner was then presented with 4 forks on the left, and 4 knives on the right with the evening program in between. At the top of the program was your dessert fork and spoon. Each diner had a water glass, 4 wine glasses, and one dessert wine glass.

The decoration in the middle of the table was subtle, but very nicely done with a mason jar stuffed with cooking utensils and a yellow flower for a splash of color. Simply beautiful!

The evening started off at 6:00pm with mingling and drinks from the bar, and a silent auction to help raise additional funds for the Hope for Families Center. The welcome and other introductions started at 7:00pm, and dinner service started shortly after that. I was seated at table 3 and had a great time getting to know the other guests at the table. Three of them in particular I talked with a lot over dinner about their likes, dislikes and overall opinion about the dishes as they were served. A special thank you to Shelby, Justin, and Brittney for your thoughts and comments throughout the evening. Each dish was served anonymously so we could not pick a favorite if we knew who prepared what.

Now let’s dive right in with the first course of the evening!

1st Course: Stack of Maine Lobster & Three Cheese Eggplant Parmesan served with a Pink Cream & Mango Slaw.

Wine Pairing: Skyfall Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley

Dish Comments: I tried the Lobster stack first, which kind of looked like a small crab cake. It had a light crunch on the outside, but was soft and tender inside. It was seasoned nicely and had a fair amount of lobster inside.

I’m not a huge fan of eggplant, but the eggplant parmesan was spectacular! I wish it had a slightly crispier coating to add another element of texture to it. The slaw was a table favorite, lots of positive comments about it. It was creamy and slightly sweet from the mango. The seaweed salad had a slight Asian flavor to it, and was not a table favorite.

2nd Course: Crispy Pancetta Seared Kurobuta Pork & Tangerine Shrimp – Barrel Cut Berkshire Pork Loin, Glazed Jumbo White Ecuadorian Shrimp, Creamed Corn, Spicy Heirloom Tomato Relish, Oven Roasted Brussels Sprout, Sweet Baby Corn

Wine Pairing: Beringer Founders Estate Chardonnay, California

Dish Comments: I tried the carrots first and they were sweet, smoky, were slightly spicy and had a crunch to them. They were very good! Next I tried the shrimp and thought it was a little over cooked, as did the rest of the diners at our table, but everyone did like the spicy heirloom tomato relish on top of the shrimp. The piece of pork I had was cooked to medium, but that was not the case for everyone. The diner to my right said hers was undercooked for her taste. The pork had a smoky flavor from the pancetta, but was not as tender as I had hoped. The table consensus was that the chef should have used pork tenderloin, and not just loin for this dish.

3rd Course: Duet of Pan Seared Beef Tenderloin & Seafood Strudel of Lobster, Shrimp, & Scallop – Shallot Prepared Demi, Saffron Hollandaise, Shiitake Mushroom Risotto, Seasonal Roasted Root Vegetables, Chive Oil

Wine Pairing: Skyfall Merlot, Columbia Valley

Dish Comments: I went for the vegetables first, and the asparagus was some of the best I have ever had. It was cooked perfectly, tender and seasoned nicely. The carrots had a slight crunch to them, and they were good. I went for the beef tenderloin next and it was absolutely fabulous! Cooked to a perfect medium rare, and seasoned to perfection. You could taste the wine in the demi, and it was delicious! Everyone at the table commented how perfectly their tenderloin was cooked and how impressed they were with this dish! I left the seafood strudel for last since this was something I have never tried before, and I was very impressed with it. The strudel was flaky, the seafood was cooked and seasoned to perfection! I think this was my favorite part of this dish!

Before the next course was served, I was curious to see how all of these dishes were put together and expedited out of the kitchen so quickly. I decided to pay a quick visit to the kitchen between these courses to get a sneak peek at how they pulled this off. Below are some images from the kitchen and my comments about them below the pictures.

A quick meeting with the kitchen staff as they prepare to serve the 4th course

The Peasants Purses keeping warm until ready to be served

Plating the 4th course

Completed plates ready to be served

4th Course: Peasants Purse – Phyllo Dough Stuffed with Braised Oxtail, Micro Root Vegetables, Oxen Demi

Wine Pairing: Campo Viejo Garnacha, Rioja, Spain

Dish Comments: The presentation looks like a present, and indeed it was! The phyllo dough was crispy on the outside, yet somewhat doughy in flavor inside the package. This added an element of richness to this dish, which was my favorite of the evening! The demi was bold and full of flavor, and the oxtail was perfectly cooked and very tender. The table consensus was that this dish was too rich for some, but others loved it and thought it was the clear winner of the evening. My only complaint about it was that I did get a small round bone in the package mixed in with the meat.

The last course of the evening was dessert, but this was not being voted on since the competition for it was done at the preliminary round. Chef Lisa Damiano was the winner and below is what she prepared for us this evening.

Dessert Course: A Study of Seasons – Pear & Goat Cheese Fritter, Sticky Toffee Date & Chocolate Pudding atop a date barrel, Key Lime Raspberry mousse Tart, and finally a Chocolate Malt Ice Cream Bar. Items are in order from left to right on the picture below.

Wine Pairing: Segura Viudas Brut Reserva, Spain

Dish Comments: The first one on the left was light and crunchy, you could taste the cheese, but was not as tangy as I expected the goat cheese to be, but still it was very good! The second from the left is what Chef Lisa made for the preliminary round and won her place here tonight. I think tonight’s version was even better than it was in the preliminary round! Very moist, super chocolaty, it was fantastic! Third from the left on the spoon was the Key Lime Raspberry Mousse Tart. You could definitely taste the key lime in the mousse, but not much of the raspberry. Texture was smooth and creamy! And last but not least, was my favorite on the entire plate! The Chocolate Malt Ice Cream Bar, which after tasting I did not get that at all. It had a crunch to it and had a strong peanut butter flavor to it which was great, but not what I was expecting. While the name did not fit the dessert for me, it was my favorite of the four on the plate.

At this point in the evening, they were ready to announce the winner(s), but first they told us which chef/restaurant made what course for us this evening.

1st Course – Joey’s Seafood Shack: Chef Joey Fenyak and Chef Kim Coveny

2nd Course – Bent Pine Golf Club: Chef Tyler Colby

3rd Course – Indian River State College: Chef David Schneider

4th Course – Riverside Cafe: Chef Patrick Hughes

The winner(s) were determined in two ways. There was a panel of 3 professional chefs that tasted and critiqued each dish and settled on a winner, and the People’s Choice Award. The 3 guest chef judges were Chef Dean Evans from Oak Harbor Club, who happens to be a two time winner of the Top Chef competition, Chef Adam Walker from the Center of Plate Specialist, Gordon Food Service, and Dr Harold Cordner, Former President of the Space Coast La Chaine. For the People’s Choice Award, each diner had a vote to say which dish was their favorite. All votes were collected and the winner determined.

And now the results! Winner of the Judges Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award was Chef David Schneider from the Indian River State College!!! Congratulations to you on winning both of these prestigious awards!

In Conclusion: The Hope for Families Center does some fantastic work in the community! Judging by the turnout at this and the preliminary event, the community really seems to care about what they do by coming out and supporting such a great cause. It was a true honor and a privilege to be able to attend this event. If you were not there, then you missed the PREMIER dinner party in Vero Beach of the YEAR!

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Who’s Gonna be the Next Top Chef? Vero’s Top Chef Event 2016

by Thomas Miller – Food Blogger for Vero Vine

I had the extreme honor of attending this year’s 8th Annual Top Chef Event, hosted by the Hope for Families Center. 16 local chefs were in attendance, and they each made a dish to sample, and the guests attending the event had the opportunity taste them and vote for their favorite dishes. There were 4 dessert offerings, and 12 savory dishes presented. As a certified foodie, this is my Super Bowl! Expert chefs cooking their absolute best dishes for us to sample and critique, hoping to score with their best dishes. From what I sampled tonight, there were definitely more than a few touchdowns! Below are the chefs in this year’s competition, what restaurant they work for, and the dish they prepared for the event.

Now on to the FOOD!

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Booth #1 – The Wave Kitchen & Bar

Dish Presented: Rum Chata Flan with Cinnamon Weep Cream & Almond Candy

by Chef Omar Oscasio

Dish Comments: The flan had a cake like texture, and was very moist. The cream was actually in a small glass vial that was stuck into the side of the cake. Upon serving, the chef removed the vial and poured the cream over the top of the dish for presentation. The flan was topped with a caramel candy disk and candied almonds. Overall the dish had great flavor and was nicely presented.

Booth #2 – Counter Culture

Dish Presented: Medjool Date & Chocolate Sticky Toffee Pudding Cake

by Chef Lisa Damiano

Dish Comments: I did not notice until I was reviewing the pictures, but it looks as if the serving dish is made out of a corn husk? Interesting to say the least! The cake was extremely moist with chunks of chocolate in it. The date flavor was very subtle but noticeable, and the glass sugar decoration on top did have a slight toffee flavor. Overall this was a fantastic dessert!

Booth #3 – Sweet Creations

Dish Presented: Awesome Sauce Cheesecake

by Chef Lori Young

Dish Comments: Cheesecake is one of my absolute favorite desserts, so I was really looking forward to trying this one. This piece that I sampled seemed to be moist, but lacked a true cheesecake flavor. Not sure if it was not enough sugar or vanilla. You had the option of having either a raspberry or chocolate sauce added on top of the cheesecake. I chose the raspberry and it was very thick and had only a slight sweetness, and was quite tart. Unfortunately this dessert fell short of my expectations.

Booth #4 – Indian River State College

Dish Presented: Chocolate Carmel Cupcake/Chocolate Truffle/Vanilla Bean Ice Cream w/ caramel sauce

by Katherine Grech

Dish Comments: A very nicely presented dish and quite tasty too! The cupcake was very moist, and was topped with a chocolate candy shell, and a half a piece of caramel sitting on top. The chocolate truffle was coated with nuts and was the most decadent part of the dish! It was smooth, with a light crunch from the nuts, with this explosive chocolate flavor! I wish I would have had time to go back and get another one, it was that good! The vanilla ice cream was also very good, but definitely not the star of this dish. Overall it was an excellent showing for the IRSC Team!

Booth #5 – Joey’s Seafood Shack

Dish Presented: Lobster Stuffed Jumbo Prawn with Pineapple Seaweed Salad

by Chef Kim Coveny and Chef Joey Fenyak

Dish Comments: The prawn was cooked perfectly, seasoned to perfection, and the lobster filling was delicate and flavorful. The seaweed salad was crunchy, sweet, and had a little tang to it. Seaweed is not something I would normally eat, but I really enjoyed it. A very nice dish!

Booth #6 – Osceola Bistro

Dish Presented: Classic Roasted Chicken Breast, Mashed Potatoes, Sautéed Green Beans

by Chef Christopher Bireley

Dish Comments: I was a little surprised to see such a simple dish prepared for a Top Chef competition, but was pleasantly surprised when I tasted it. The chicken was cooked and seasoned to perfection. It was juicy and very tender! The mashed potatoes were good, but did not stand out, and the green beans added a splash of color to this classic dish. A very good dish, but not the show stopper you need for this level of competition.

Booth #7 – Bent Pine Golf Club

Dish Presented: Quail Three Ways

by Chef Tyler Colby

Dish Comments: Bent Pine went all out on this dish and their booth decoration. The booth was beautifully decorated with elegantly carved melons, wheat grass, and multiple levels to present their fabulous offering. It is a deviled quails egg, with Confit of Quail on top of the egg, with quail skin cooked like bacon and sprinkled over the top! It was absolutely delicious! A very well constructed booth and a dish to match! Very nicely done!

Booth #8 – A Fraiche Note Catering

Dish Presented: Gazpacho da Capo

by Chef Cassandra Lynne

Dish Comments: It’s a Span-Asian inspired zesty gazpacho in a cucumber bowl with a lemon shrimp topped with an avocado mousse. I was impressed with the presentation of this dish. The first thing you eat is the shrimp off the skewer which was cooked perfectly, then gently pick up the cucumber bowl which presented its own challenges since it was soft due to the gazpacho inside, drink the sweet & spicy ginger-lime, sriracha broth from the bottom of the cup. The gazpacho had great tomato based flavor with just a slight kick at the end.

Booth #9 – Quail Valley River Club

Dish Presented: Bacon Wrapped Shrimp with Blue Cheese Flan and Buffalo Sauce

by Chef Brian Jones

Dish Comments: The bacon wrapped shrimp was a little hard to eat off the skewer, since it was wrapped so tightly, but the flavors paired well together. The blue cheese flan had a nice texture and a slight blue cheese flavor, not overbearing at all. The buffalo sauce was fantastic, but I was a little confused by its existence with this dish, and what I was supposed to eat it with? Was it for dipping the bacon wrapped shrimp, or to eat with the flan? I’m not sure, but it definitely went fine with the flan!

Booth #10 – The Legacy

Dish Presented: Chicken and Waffles

by Chef Rodney Smith

Dish Comments: This was an interesting idea, really thinking outside the box. Take a classic dish, and change it up a bit. The waffle was made with cornmeal and buttermilk, and the filling was a chicken liver mousse. It was topped with pickled apples and maple glazed bacon. The mouse was piped into each of the three holes on the top of the waffle, a pickled apple on top, and the maple bacon sprinkled over the top. The chicken liver mousse was smooth and had a nice flavor, not overpowering, The pickled apples did not have a strong vinegar flavor from the pickling, and I don’t think my sample had any maple glazed bacon on top, because I could not taste it, or it was just too subtle. Very clever idea!

Booth #11 – Cuisine Machine

Dish Presented: Scallop Crudo with Scotch Bonnet Pepper infused Orange Lime Juice, Water Chestnuts, Micro Arugula, Salmon Caviar & Smoked Sea Salt Foam

by Chef Tyler Ketcham and Chef Eddie Hunter

Dish Comments: The presentation was stunning, a very well thought out dish. Being an Italian inspired dish, the chef, whether or not this was intentional, made use of the three colors from the Italian flag. The green from the micro arugula, the white from the foam and the scallop, and the red from the salmon caviar. I expected the sauce to have a little more heat to it, considering it was infused with scotch bonnet peppers, but it was delicious none the less. It was mixed with the water chestnuts and I think was one of my favorite parts of this dish. The scallop was wonderful as well. This was my first time trying any type of flavored foam, and it was hard to discern the smoked flavor and the sea salt. Perhaps I just did not have enough of it to taste? This was an impressive dish!

Booth #12 – Vero’s Caribbean Kitchen

Dish Presented: Caribbean Pork with Yellow Rice and Shrimp in Citrus Butter Sauce with White Rice

by Chef Charles Cervone

Dish Comments: I’ve passed by this place several times in my travels, but have not had a chance to stop in yet. That will change now after sampling their pork dish! The pork was very tender and was served with what looks like a spicy pineapple chutney over yellow rice. The sauce was amazing and had just the right amount of kick to it! It was the perfect Caribbean style dish to represent this restaurant! The shrimp in citrus butter sauce was good, but not the show stopper needed for this level of competition. The pork dish, while still a fairly simple dish, was the better of the two presented.

Booth #13 – Riverside Cafe

Dish Presented: Thai Ahi Tuna Salad with Crispy Vegetable Slaw and Crunchy Wonton

by Chef Patrick Hughes

Dish Comments: This dish was stunning to look at! It had lots of colors going on, different textures and flavors too. The fried wonton was crispy as expected, and the crispy vegetable slaw was nicely dressed with a slightly sweet and tangy dressing. The Thai Ahi Tuna salad was hard to distinguish any particular flavor and had absolutely no heat to it, which I was expecting a little of since it’s a Thai inspired dish. Regardless of any heat in the tuna salad, it was a fantastic dish!

Booth #14 – The Tides

Dish Presented: Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Rosemary Cheddar Biscuits & Country Gravy

by Chef Scott Garrett

Dish Comments: Every element of this dish are things that I like, so I was really looking forward to trying this one. With The Tides being the #1 restaurant in Vero Beach on Trip Advisor, this is the one that I was looking forward to trying the most. Taking a bite and tasting all elements of this dish, it was hard to discern all of the different flavors separately, but together it was this wonderful amalgamation of the down home favorite chicken fried chicken. The biscuit was tender, but held together well. The chicken was fried until golden and slightly crunchy, and the gravy over the top was smooth and creamy! They topped it off with a mustard seed caviar and what appeared to be chopped scallions to complete this dish! This was definitely a hit amongst the guests that evening!

Booth #15 – Cobalt

Dish Presented: Shrimp & Grits with Candied Collard Greens and Red Eye Gravy

by Chef James Forest

Dish Comments: It was getting late in the evening, and we only had 2 hours to make it around to all of the booths, so I got to this one too late, as they had run out of the grits that went with the shrimp, so I was unable to fully experience the dish the chef had created. What I did get to try was the grilled shrimp and the candied collard greens. The shrimp were tasty, but I was really missing the smoked grits to go along with them. The collards were sweet and tender, and I don’t think there was any red eye gravy presented since the grits were not served.

Booth #16 – Indian River State College

Dish Presented: Braised Short Rib of Beef, Cheddar Polenta, horseradish Foam, and Natural Pan Sauce

by Chef David Schneider

Dish Comments: The short ribs looked fantastic. They had a natural pan sauce that coated the top of the short rib that was quite tasty! It was paired with a cheddar polenta which went well with the short rib. I tasted the horseradish foam, but I’m not a fan of horseradish in general so I did not care for it. Crispy fried onions completed the dish and were fried and seasoned nicely.

The one dessert chef and 4 savory chef winners were announced at the end of the night. The 4 savory chefs move on to compete at the finale to be Vero Beach’s Top Chef for 2016. The dessert chef that won will be making the dessert for the guests at the final competition. The finale will be on Monday, Feb 22nd at The Club of Pointe West at 6pm.

Savory Chefs moving on to the finale:

Chef Kim Coveny and Chef Joey Fenyak– Joey’s Seafood Shack

Chef Patrick Hughes – Riverside Cafe

Chef Tyler Colby – Bent Pine Golf Club

Chef David Schneider – Indian River State College

Dessert Chef moving on to the finale:

Chef Lisa Damiano – Counter Culture

In Conclusion:

This was my very first time attending this event, and I’m really impressed with the level of talent located here in Vero Beach. The event was very well attended, and the hall where it was held was almost too small for the amount of people that came. It was quite warm in the hall and somewhat difficult to make your way from table to table to meet the chefs and sample their creations. If the event keeps growing as it has for the past 8 years, they will definitely need a larger venue to accommodate this event. I for one, am already looking forward to attending the finale to see what dishes and desserts the winners come up with, and to see who comes out as Vero Beach’s Top Chef for 2016!

Mo Bay Grill – Restaurant Review

by Thomas Miller Vero Vine Food Blogger

Be sure to check out all of our plates at the Vero Beach Food Blog.

I’ve been wanting to try the Mo-Bay grill for some time now. I’ve read the stories about it, and some of the great reviews too. I’ve not had the opportunity to travel to Jamaica yet, so I was anxious to try some of the great island flavors! Chef Wesley Campbell is the owner of this establishment and has quite the cooking history, so the food has to be great, right?

See Mo Bay Grill Details

We arrived for an early dinner on a cool and rainy Saturday afternoon around 4:00pm. There were only a few other diners in the restaurant when we arrived. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere, cozy, yet did not feel cramped. Southwestern colors adorn the walls along with murals of life in Jamaica. Lighting was soft, but not so much as you could not read the menu. We were seated in the dining room in a booth by the front windows. It was roomy and fairly comfortable and as a bonus, we had a water view!

We were presented with menu’s and the waitress took our drink order. They have a special tropical fruit tea house blend that both my wife and I ordered ($2.59). You can get it sweet or unsweetened. We had them do half and half, since we did not want it to be too sweet. It had the perfect blend of tea with just a hint of tropical fruit flavor. It was good without being overly fruity. We started to browse the menu and it had quite the variety of different foods, not just Jamaican dishes. If you are the more adventurous eater, but those that dine with you are not, there is still a decent selection for them as well. From a cheeseburger, chicken tenders, wings, ribs and seafood, there is something for everyone on the menu. I wanted to try a dish with island flavors so I chose the Curry Chicken. My wife chose the Philly Cheese steak sandwich. Pictures and individual dish comments are below:

Curry Chicken ($12.99) – The dish was colorful and well presented. Generous portion of chicken, red beans and rice, a vegetable slaw, and a fried plantain completed the dish. I like spicy dishes and the waitress said they could make it as spicy as I liked. I asked them to add medium heat to the dish, and it was on the milder side for my tastes. They have an in house hot sauce that I had on the side to add some additional heat. The chicken was still on the bone, and very tender, but was not that easy to pick out the bones. It would have been better without the bones, but that is where some of the additional flavor comes from, so I understand why the chef left them in. I don’t eat much curry, so I don’t have much to compare it to, but it was tasty, without being overwhelming. The red beans and rice was good, but nothing special. The vegetable side dish was presented like a slaw and tasted better than it looked. Overall I was satisfied with the dish.

Philly Cheesesteak ($10.99) – My wife ordered the cheesesteak without peppers. It came with fries and she chose fruit as her other side dish. She offered me a bit of the filling to taste and it was very good! The meat was very tender, the onions were nicely caramelized, and the cheese flavor was great! The only negative was that the bun was a little overly toasted and almost black on the inside edges, yet it did not have a burnt taste at all. It was a very good choice!

Toasted Coconut Rice Pudding ($6.00) – I chose to order dessert and the rice pudding sounded good. I was not disappointed, it was just slightly sweetened, and it was very creamy! The toasted coconut on top was a nice decoration and it did add a nice subtle flavor to the pudding. The plate was decorated with cinnamon and powdered sugar. It was a nice way to round out a great meal!

In Conclusion:

My expectation of this place were set fairly high after reading other diners reviews and I was not disappointed. The restaurant has a great location, atmosphere, and of course the food is outstanding! I will definitely be returning in the near future for another great meal at Mo-Bay Grill and I suggest you give them a try too!

Ratings:

Atmosphere – 5 Forks
Service – 5 Forks
Food – 5 Forks

Ratings Scale Legend:

1 to 5 Forks – 1 Bad to 5 Excellent

Mo-Bay Grill

1401 Indian River Dr, Sebastian, FL 32958

(772) 589-4223

How to make the PERFECT Holiday Turkey!

Pecan Smoked Turkey!!!

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 3 – 4 Hours | Servings: 16 – 18

Special Equipment Used:

Instant Read Thermometer
Electric Smoker
Foil Drip Pan

Ingredients:

1 – Turkey – 16 to 18 lbs
2 – cups of wood chips of your choice
4 – 8 tbs of Organic Olive Oil
4 – 8 cups of water
Smoked Salt and Pepper to taste

Pre-heat the smoker to 275 degrees and add the first cup of wood chips before putting the turkey in.

Preparation:

Step 1 – Remove turkey from the packaging and be sure to remove anything from the internal cavity. Pat dry with paper towels and place on a large cutting board or platter.

Step 2 – Coat the turkey with olive oil and season with smoked salt and pepper to taste.

Step 3 – Place turkey into smoker with a foil drip pan underneath and add 4 cups of water to the pan.

Step 4 – Check on the turkey after 2 hours, add the second cup of wood chips and water to the drip pan as needed. Cook for an additional 1 – 2 hours, using an internal read thermometer to check for doneness.

The turkey is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, so be sure to pull it out of the smoker when an internal temperature of 155 is reached. Allow to rest for 15 minutes on a platter or cutting board, and lightly tent with foil to hold in the heat. It will gradually continue cooking and come up the temperature during that time. Slice, serve and enjoy!

If you don’t have a smoker, you can pick them up pretty cheaply these days. I used an electric smoker and it really takes all of the work out of watching the temperatures, it really is kind of set it and forget it!

Complete Holiday Meal consists of the Pecan Smoked Turkey, Smashed Sweet Potatoes, Southern Style Green Beans, homemade cranberry sauce, and a Warrior Buckeye Cream Pie!!! Stay tuned for the recipes and videos of the sides in upcoming blog posts! Hope you enjoyed this month’s guest blog post! Stay tuned for next month’s post for more great recipe tips and tricks!

Photos, recipe and video by Seven Sons and Thomas Miller.

Kids Eat Free

A
Applebees – Kids eat for free on Monday/Tuesday Nights at select restaurants. 1 free kids meal per adult entree purchase but additional kids are only $1.00. Participation may vary so definitely call ahead on this one. In my local hometown we just get $0.99 kids meals on Tuesdays.

B
Beef ‘O’ Brady’s – Kids 10 and under eat free from 4-8pm on Tuesdays with adult entree purchase.
Bob Evans Restaurants – Free Kid’s Meal with every Adult meal purchased after 4pm on Tuesdays!
Bruster’s Real Ice Cream – Kids who are under 40 inches tall receive a free baby cone.

C
Chive – Royal Palm Pointe, Tuesdays 1 free per adult entree.
Chilis – Mon-Wed kids eat free – 2 kids per adult entree.
Chik-fil-A – On Tuesdays when you purchase a combo meal you get a free child’s meal (some areas it is $0.99, not free and some areas it’s on a different day, call to check before you go).

D
Denny’s – Kids eat free on Tuesdays and (some locations) Saturdays. From 4-10 PM.

F
Firehouse Subs – Kids 12 and under eat free from 4-9pm on Wednesdays and Sundays. One per each adult purchase.

G
Godfather’s Pizza – Kids 10 and under get a free buffet from 11am – 2pm and 5-8pm on Tuesdays.
Golden Corral – Kids eat free on Tuesday Nights.

H
Holiday Inn – Adults always have to pay, but they do have kids eat free restaurants. Call your local Holiday Inn for details.
Hooters – Kids eat free on Sundays, Melbourne.

I
IHOP – Kids eat free everyday from 4-10pm. Not valid at all locations.
Ikea – Kids eat free every Tuesday and during special promotions throughout the year (which they post on their website).

L
Lonestar Steakhouse – Kids 12 and under eat free on Tuesdays – all day. 2 children per adult entree.
The Loop – Kids eat free on Sundays

O
On the Border Mexican Grill – Free sundae with kid’s meal purchase. West Palm Beach.

P
Pizza Hut – Kids eat free on Tuesday Evenings – may vary per location.

Q
Qdoba Mexican Grill – Kids eat free at Wednesdays (some locations) and Sundays (some locations) .
Quiznos – All day, every day receive one FREE kidz meal with the purchase of an entree (sub, toasty torpedo, regular chopped salad). Participating locations only.

R
Red Robin – Kids 10 and under can eat for free on Monday and Tuesday from 5-9pm

S
Shoney’s – Kids 4 or younger eat free everyday with an adult entree purchase.
Steak n’ Shake – Kids can eat free (12 & under) with a purchase of an adult entree valued at $8 or more only on the weekends.

T
TGI Friday’s – Kids 3 and under eat for free on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Tropical Smoothie Cafe – Kids eat free on Sundays (participating locations).
Tony Roma’s – All of Tony Roma’s Kids Eat Free Restaurants offer the deal for 12 and under on Tuesdays.

The 2015 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival

20th Anniversary of the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival from a Food Bloggers Perspective

It’s been a few years since I have attended the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival so I was anxious to get back there and try all of the different foods from around the world again. I heard through the grapevine that EPCOT has a new head chef and he made some changes to the menu this year. Before we attended the event, we went on-line and reviewed all of the countries and what our must try’s would be, and looked at all of the pictures of the items offered. There were a few surprise items that I think the chef had a hand in bringing to the festival that would not have been offered in years past. Disney has to cater to the majority, and most people are not that “food adventurous” as I am. While I did not get a chance to try a few of the new adventurous items, it was nice to at least see them take a chance on a few different dishes. Below are the countries and food items we did get to try at this year’s event:

Dominican Republic

First up we have Roasted Pork with Mangu (mashed plantains), pickled red onion and avocado, second is a yucca soufflé topped with griddled cheese! Both were very good, the pork was moist and tender, the mangu was kind of like refried beans texture, not sweet at all, which is not what I expected from the plantains. The soufflé had a familiar flavor that I could not place and the griddled cheese was milky tasting and slightly salty. Both were quite good!

Hawaii

Next up for our snacking pleasure is a Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Dole Pineapple Chutney! The bun was firm but tasty. The pork was tender and had good flavor. The chutney was slightly sweet but had quite the zing to it. It was quite delicious!

Farm Fresh Booth

This next one was controversial to me. It came from the farm fresh booth and was a Bacon Mac and Cheese. What exactly is farm fresh about this? Besides the bacon, it was something in my opinion that does not represent a “farm fresh” dish. It was not very creamy, but did have an intense smoky flavor. The peppers were subtle but good, and I could have done without the spring onions on top. Definitely not a favorite thus far.

South Korea

Making the rounds at World Showcase we next stopped at the South Korea booth for their Bulgogi BBQ Short Ribs with Steamed Rice and Cucumber Kimchi. The short ribs had good flavor but we’re very tough. The steamed rice picked up the flavor of the sauce and the cucumber kimchi was really good!

Hops and Barley American Adventure Booth

Next on our list was a Florida grass-fed beef slider with a pimento cheese sauce on top from the Hops & Barley American Adventure booth. The patty was quite large and had great flavor. The bun was soft and tasty, kind of like a dinner roll. The pimento cheese had a slight pimento flavor with a hint of spice to it. It was very good!

Belgium

Making the rounds we ended up at the Belgium booth for their Potato and Leek waffle with beer braised beef and smoked gouda cream! My wife had the Waffle with the berry compote and whipped cream. The Potato and Leek Waffle was an exceptional dish. The beef was tender and flavorful, and the waffle added an interesting texture to the dish. I only tried a taste of the compote and it was good, not overly sweet which was nice.

Brazil

Brazil was next and the one I was looking forward to the most since they were serving Crispy Pork Belly with black beans and tomatoes! It was exceptional! It had that deep rich pork flavor, it was fatty without being greasy, and it had just the right amount of saltiness to it. One of my favorite dishes of the day!

France

We have visited this booth at previous Food and Wine festivals and they had one of the best dishes I’ve ever had at the festival. It was Escargot in brioche with garlic butter. It was buttery, garlicky and had a fabulous bread flavor that was unbelievable! This year they changed it up a bit and the bread is a croissant stuffed with the Escargot, garlic and parsley puree. While it was good, it did not have that richness that I remembered from the previous dish. Although it was a little disappointing, it still rated highly out of all the dishes I tried today.

Canada

Last but not least was the Canada booth. My wife wanted to stop here for the Wild Mushroom Beef Filet with truffle butter sauce. I only had a few bites since filet is not one of my favorite cuts of beef, but it was an excellent dish! The beef filet was cooked a perfect medium and had a slight salty flavor and was a little heavier on the pepper which gave it a little bite to it. The mushrooms were perfectly cooked and had great flavor from the truffle butter. Definitely would get this one again!

We tried a total of 10 different booths and a total of 12 dishes. Below is my list of the Top ATE Dishes that were my favorite from this years festival!

Roasted Pork and Mangu with Pickled Red Onion and Avocado
Yucca Soufflé with Griddled Cheese
Potato and Leek Waffle with Beer Braised Beef and Smoked Gouda Cream
Pork Slider with Dole Pineapple Chutney
Grass-Fed Beef Slider with Pimento Cheese
Escargot in a Croissant with Parsley and Garlic
Beef Filet with Mushrooms in a Truffle Butter Sauce

And the #1 dish is . . .

Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans and Tomatoes!!!

In Conclusion

How much did all of this fun cost us you ask? We were really surprised when we got home and totaled up all of our receipts. For everything that you saw in this post, with two people sharing each dish, our total was only $64.25! Not too bad for all that we had. Our total for the day, with a tank of gas and parking at EPCOT was just a little over $100! All in all, we had an excellent day making our way around the world at EPCOT’s world showcase for the Food and Wine festival this year! We plan to head back later this year to see the Osborne Lights as this is the last year for it. We will stop over at the Food and Wine Festival to give a few of our favorite dishes a try again, and a few that we missed at well.

Vegan Restaurants in Vero Beach

Planet Yum

Vegetarian Restaurant

2121 14th Ave Rear, Vero Beach, Florida 32960

772-766-2306

Mon-Thu 11:00am-9:00pm, Fri-Sat 11:00am-10:00pm

Cuisine: Vegan-friendly, American, Take-out

Dessert shop opened here Apr 2015 specializing in Planet Yum pops which are already sold in area stores. Also offers coffee, smoothies, vegan soft serve, cupcakes, and sandwiches. No peanuts or dairy. The only non-vegan item used is honey. Accepts credit cards. Inexpensive.

Counter Cultures

Vegetarian-Friendly

1901 14th Ave (at 19th St), Vero Beach, Florida 32960

772-999-2150

Cuisine: Lacto, Ovo, Organic, Non-veg
Serves meat, veg options available. Menu items are marked GF, Organic, and VEG (some contain cheese), but no label for vegan, so vegans please inquire. Offers green, veggie and fruit shakes, sides, Order at the counter and pay, then find your table. Very popular lunch spot. Has outdoor seating. Accepts credit cards. Inexpensive.

La Tabla

Vegetarian-Friendly

29 Royal Palm Pointe Ste 1, Vero Beach, Florida 32963

772-205-2772

Mon-Fri 9:00am-4:00pm, Sat 9:00am-3:00pm

Cuisine: Lacto, Ovo, American, Juice bar, Take-out, Non-veg
Serves meat, veg options available. Cafe offering simple breakfast and lunch food, protein smoothies, made-to-order juices. Sources from local farms as possible. Moderate.

Taj Mahal – Bombay Masala

Vegetarian-Friendly

2050 11th Ave, Vero Beach, Florida 32960

772-770-1120

Mon-Sun 5:00pm-9:00pm, Mon-Sat 11:00am-2:00pm

Cuisine: Lacto, Ovo, Indian, Take-out, Greek, Non-veg
Serves meat, veg options available. Formerly Bombay Masala. Indian and Greek food. One of few places in Vero Beach with vegetarian dishes on menu. Ask about dairy use. Moderate.

The Patisserie

Vegetarian-Friendly

1910 Old Dixie Highway, Vero Beach, Florida USA

772-770-4122

Mon-Fri 7:00am-5:00pm, Sat 7:00am-2:00pm

Cuisine: Lacto, Ovo, Organic, Bakery, French, Non-veg
Serves meat, veg options available. French-inspired artisan bakery that offers at least one daily vegetarian lunch choice. Moderate.

Toojay’s

Vegetarian-Friendly

555 21st St, Vero Beach, Florida 32960

772-569-6070

Cuisine: Lacto, Ovo, American, Fast food, Take-out, Non-veg
Serves meat, veg options available. Florida chain deli restaurant. Its large menu is heavy on meat, but there is a “lighter and vegetarian” menu with several vegetarian choices. Wheelchair accessible. Accepts credit cards. Moderate.

Healthway

Health Food Store

1537 US Highway 1, Vero Beach, Florida 32960

772-569-5663

New location since 2009. Vitamins and supplements, vegan cheese, smoothies, juices, organic coffee, and frozen foods. No fresh produce.

Mary’s Health Hut

Health Food Store

951 Old Dixie Hwy Ste A-3, Vero Beach, Florida 32960

772-770-2101

Now Open: Mon-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat 9:00am-4:00pm

Health food shop stocking a variety of products. Has frozen foods, nutritional supplements, herbs, books, organic and non-organic wines, and more.

Publix

Health Food Store

415 21st St (at Indian River Blvd ), Vero Beach, Florida 32960

772-562-0391

Vegan/vegetarian-friendly grocery store. Carries Tofurky, Gardein, Boca and other vegan brands at this location, as well as some natural and organic products.

Dog Friendly Restaurants in Vero Beach

Edie Bear Turns 4 at Osceola Bistro. Submitted
by Liam O’Brien in The 2015 Best Dog Photo Contest

The Patio Seafood Tavern

Chive

Osceola Bistro

Casey’s Place

Kilted Mermaid

The Barefoot Cafe

Mulligans Beach House

Citrus Grill

Mrs. Mac Fillin’ Station

Red Onion

Fish Shack

Cravings

Waldos

CJ Cannons

Patisserie

Rio Coco Cafe

Cobalt

Grind + Grape

Bungalow Bar

Panera’s

Blue Star

Riverside Cafe

Nino’s Pizza (Beachside)

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