MALABAR — Any time we are driving back from Orlando late in the day, we are sorely tempted to pause for dinner at the Yellow Dog Café on US 1 in Malabar a half a dozen miles south of Melbourne.
The Yellow Dog is one of those rare restaurants that combines excellent food with a drop-dead gorgeous view of the Indian River Lagoon.
Totally redone following the 2004 hurricanes, the restaurant consists of three charming dining areas: a cozy room overlooking the lagoon and an open kitchen; a more traditional room filled with antiques; and a large downstairs that opens onto an outdoor seating area leading to a dock (yes, you can come by boat).
On our most recent visit last week, we once again were shown to a very nice table overlooking the water.
I opted to start with the chef’s soup of the day ($4), a flavorful Asian chicken and vegetable soup with chunks of chicken, and my husband decided to forego the excellent appetizers and ordered the Caesar salad, a nice version tossed with a classic Caesar dressing and served with anchovies.
For entrées, I chose the potato crusted salmon ($30) and my husband ordered one of the evening’s specials, the pork osso buco ($38).
The perfectly cooked Scottish salmon had a very delicate crust of thin scalloped potatoes and was served with a sundried tomato risotto cake and asparagus. The dish was finished with a saffron infused lobster cream sauce.
The gorgeous pork shank, which required no knife, was finished with a tasty red wine demi-glace, and it was accompanied by broccoli and mashed potatoes.
On previous visits, other entrées we have enjoyed include the herb rubbed half-rack of lamb ($30 for the half, $44 for a full rack), and a variety of seafood dishes. Meat entrees which we have sampled and can highly recommend include the mixed grill – a dish that varies from night to night – as well as the filet mignon ($44).
Desserts here, prepared on premises, are wonderful. Our favorite has long been a sinfully rich layered chocolate cake, but you also may want to try the bread pudding.
We accompanied our dinners on this most recent visit with selections from the Yellow Dog’s quite decent list of wines by the glass.
Dinner for two is not cheap, and is likely to run about $150 before tip, but the quality of the food and service has been consistently excellent over the years.
We would also note that the Yellow Dog Café is open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch – giving beachside residents who do not fancy a lengthy drive home after dark (it’s about a 30-mile trip each way) another option for sampling this fine restaurant.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at [email protected].
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
