VERO BEACH — Ever since Labor Day, The Patio has been packed by locals eager to see if a favorite watering and dining spot that in recent years had fallen on hard times is all the way back.
The many fans of this venerable establishment were so eager to check out The Patio in its new incarnation – so hopeful that owners of The Tides, Leanne Kelleher and Claudia Arens, could restore The Patio to earlier glories – that we decided to not join the nightly scrum at the door in the days after it opened and let things settle.
On a midweek evening, we finally gave it a try. Arriving around 7:30, we found The Tides doing a very nice business, but were quickly seated at an open table in the patio area. Lucky us!
A beautiful night to be preparing to enjoy dinner on the patio at The Patio.
Headline news: The Patio is better than ever. Maybe much better than ever. Actually, we were never huge fans of The Patio in days of yore, though some of the dinner staples like liver and onions were quite good.
But the menu now has been infused with dishes imported directly from The Tides – arguably the best restaurant on the beach – and at The Patio’s prices, meals are an amazing bargain.
Look & Feel: The Patio, like the Ocean Grill, owes its basic character to Waldo Sexton. But there was a big difference between the feel of the Ocean Grill (quaint, a lot of character) and the feel of The Patio circa 2008 (grimy).
With its new ownership, that has changed. The Patio now has more of a squeaky clean Disney feel. Leanne and Claudia have retained the old while making it seem fresh and new.
Food: We started by sharing the chef’s “famous” crab cakes ($9). The two cakes, packed with crab and perfectly prepared, were served with a roasted corn and pickled tomatillo salsa. The crab cakes were followed by better than usual house salads.
For a main course, I had the hog snapper ($21), a substitute that evening for the local pompano listed on the menu. The hog snapper was sautéed and served Florentine style on a bed of spinach and crispy bacon, topped with a mussel pernod veloute. Delicious.
My husband ordered the chef’s special ($18), which on this occasion was a gorgeous piece of tuna served atop wasabi mashed potato and accompanied by tender spears of asparagus.
Drink: The Patio offers a full bar menu, and just this past week, added a late night happy hour to its late afternoon happy hour.
On our visit, we accompanied our dinners with a couple of glasses of perfectly acceptable chardonnay and pinot grigio at $6 a glass. They’re even less during happy hour.
Service: We were greeted when we arrived by a very friendly and accommodating hostess, who showed us to a nice corner table on the patio. Our young server was eager to please, and had a wonderful attitude.
Prices: Prices are extremely attractive, with entrées ranging from $15 for a penne pasta alfredo to a high of $23 for a nine-ounce filet mignon.
Our appetizer, entrées, and two glasses of wine each came to $72 before tax and tip.
You can also get burgers and sandwiches for a quite reasonable $9. Initial impressions: Now in the second month of its new incarnation, The Patio is showing all the signs of being a winner.
With the famed Patio Sunday brunch also expected to return shortly, The Tides clearly has refloated The Patio and gotten it back on course.
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.
