Can an out-of-the way restaurant neither really in Vero and no longer in Sebastian become a success story by luring repeat diners from both?
Open less than a half dozen months, Chill & Grill on US 1 – in the building previously occupied by Pipa Movida, and before that by the Hardwood Grill – seems well on its way to performing what many restaurateurs viewed as mission improbable.
Chef Scott Birch and his wife Csilla appear on the one hand to have succeeded in holding on to the intensely loyal cadre of customers who used to dine with them at the old Riverfront Chill & Grill, located next to Earl’s across from the Indian River lagoon in the heart of Sebastian.
But at the same time, the Birches in their first season attracted a new clientele from the island and mainland Vero, including some enthusiastic residents of Windsor who hadn’t even realized that Scott had for six years been executive chef at their club.
The brightly colored, attractive restaurant does not look very different than it did when it was Pipa Movida. The structure of the restaurant – the open kitchen at the back, the wood oven, the bar along the south side of the dining room – is pretty much unchanged. And like Pipa, Chill & Grill has a casual vibe.
But while Chill & Grill is still ready to serve burgers to those who want burgers, island residents have discovered that many of the dishes are the equal of any being served in Vero’s finest restaurants.
On our most recent visit, we arrived at about 7:30 on a Tuesday and fortunately had no wait for a table in what is a smallish dining room.
For starters, we were intrigued by the calamari fries ($9.50), which we were told would be unlike the far more common fried calamari. Indeed it was. The six fries turned out to be thin slices of big ocean squid, rolled in panko, and flash fried just enough to make them crispy. Served with a chipotle mayo sauce, which imparted a bit of a tang, they were tender and tasty. An excellent start.
We then shared a roasted beet salad ($7.50), which in addition to beets, consisted of baby greens and orange slices in a Champagne vinaigrette. Very nice.
For entrées, I ordered the wood oven roasted chicken ($17.99) with garlic mashed potatoes, green beans and delicious wild mushroom sauce with truffle oil. Comfort food at its best. The chicken was very moist and tasty, with a wonderful flavor – the best roast chicken I have had in a long time.
My husband opted for the grilled lamb chops ($28.99) with asparagus, egg plant, roasted potatoes with a rosemary Dijon demi. The well-seasoned chops were cooked perfectly medium rare.
On previous visits, we have enjoyed the blackened shrimp and grits ($15) — the best rendition of this dish that I have ever had in Vero – and the braised short ribs ($17.50). My husband couldn’t rave enough about the braised short ribs, which fell apart with the touch of a fork.
Under normal circumstances, we would have passed on desserts – but we couldn’t resist the house-made Key Lime pie ($5.25). A great end to a great meal.
Chill & Grill at this point has an adequate selection of wines, and an interesting selection of specialty craft beers on draft.
Dinner for two with a couple of glasses of beer or wine should run in the $$90 area before tax and tip.
For residents of the northern part of our island, Chill & Grill is a relatively easy drive across the Wabasso Causeway and then south on US1 until just beyond the Busy Bee. And even for those a bit farther away, if you haven’t given it a try yet, with less traffic on the roads it is well worth a summer visit.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
