VERO BEACH — With Vero’s version of Indian summer occasionally yielding to what feels like an autumn evening, the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa has resumed lighting its fire pits on the outdoor patio by the sea, and inside Cobalt, executive chef Michael VanBuskirk has rolled out a new fall menu featuring fresh seasonal flavors.
On a recent weeknight, we paid a visit to this fashionable dark-paneled grill – with a 15-foot-high glass wall that looks out on the fire pits and the ocean.
We arrived at about 7 on what was a quiet evening, and the very pleasant hostess showed our party of three to a table offering a prime view of the October Hunter’s Moon rising on the horizon.
After ordering a modestly priced bottle of Chardonnay, our waiter brought us a basket of warm bread and shared with us his views on the menu.
For appetizers, I decided to start with the fall harvest soup ($9), our companion went for the house Osceola farm greens ($8), and my husband opted for a half dozen Pacific oysters on the half shell ($15).
The harvest soup – a silky smooth blend of squash, sweet potato, and local carrot, garnished with smoked almonds and duck confit – was served in a distinctive soup bowl with a slanted rim, high on one side and low on the other. An intriguing soup and an interesting presentation.
The Osceola greens were fresh and tasty, with shaved radishes and candied garlic dressing, though a bit shy on the smoked blue cheese.
The oysters on this evening were Reach Island oysters from the Southern Puget Sound of Washington State.
While these oysters are commonly plump with a high brininess and sweet taste, on this evening the only descriptive word that comes to mind is miniscule.
These were without question the smallest oysters I have ever seen brought to the table in a restaurant.
Too bad because Chef Michael has come up with a great alternative to the customary horseradish, serving them with pickled beets and a peppadew sorbet.
Peppadew, a sweet picuante pepper from South Africa, has a mild kick, and while the sorbet totally overwhelmed these teensy oysters, my guess is he has created a great accompaniment for a medium-sized bivalve.
For entrées, at our waiter’s suggestion our companion ordered the local red snapper ($29), my husband decided to go with the grilled Florida swordfish ($27), and I opted for the sous vide chicken breast.
The red snapper could not have been fresher, and was served with creamy grits, charred brussel sprouts, bacon and sherry butter. A delicious dish.
The swordfish was a gorgeous piece of fish, perfectly cooked, surrounded by oyster mushrooms, sprout leaves, black-eyed peas and a bacon broth.
You couldn’t ask for a better swordfish dinner.
I found the chicken breast tender and moist, but a bit bland.
In this preparation, the chicken is vacuum sealed in a plastic bag, which enables the meat to retain the maximum amount of its juices when it is cooked in water.
A bit more seasoning prior to cooking probably would have imparted more flavor to both the chicken and chicken jus.
This dish was served with a nice medley of celery root puree, glazed turnip, and a spaghetti squash.
To conclude the meal, how could we resist trying the intriguing “breakfast chocolate trio” ($8) – a dark chocolate ganache mini-muffin, a chocolate waffle and chocolate granola.
Of the three, I liked the waffle the best.
Dinner for two with wine, before tax and tip, runs around $150.
I should note that the ambiance of Cobalt is quite different on weekends, when the dining area tends to be much fuller and the adjacent bar area is packed for the island’s best happy hour.
But whether it’s a quiet week night or a busy weekend, we’re quite impressed by Chef Michael’s new menu and his kitchen’s performance, and think Cobalt is finally hitting a consistent stride as one of the island’s better restaurants.
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.
