As it nears the end of its first year on US 1 midway between Vero and Sebastian, Chill & Grill has performed what many restaurateurs viewed as mission impossible.
It has turned an out-of-the-way location – previously home to Pipa Movida, and before that to the Hardwood Grill – into this year’s restaurant success story.
The brightly colored, attractive restaurant – with open kitchen at the back, and a bar along the south side of the dining room – does not look very different than it did when it was Pipa Movida.
And like Pipa, Chill & Grill has a casual vibe.
But while Chill & Grill is still ready to serve nachos and burgers to those who want them, diners have discovered that Chef Scott Burch – for six years executive chef at Windsor – is serving dishes that are the equal of any being served in the area’s fine-dining restaurants.
On our most recent visit, we arrived at about 6:15 on a rainy September night, and were ushered by Chef Burch’s wife Csilla to one of the only remaining available tables in what is a smallish dining room.
For starters, I ordered one of the evening’s specials, steamed clams ($13.99), my husband went with the roasted beet salad ($4.50 for half portion), and our companion chose the iceberg wedge (also $4.50 for half portion).
While the salads were very nice, the steamed little necks in a pinot grigio, garlic and clam sauce were heavenly.
The small baguette that accompanied the clams did not even begin to soak up all the delicious sauce. Fortunately, more bread quickly arrived to let me do justice to this dish.
Then for entrées, I chose one of the evening’s specials, the sautéed mahi ($22.99), my husband opted for another special, the seared duck breast ($21.99), and our companion settled on the shrimp and crab cake pasta ($19).
The mahi was sautéed, topped with dashes of pesto, and served over a bed of rice surrounded by a very tasty Mediterranean style sauce (sort of like a tapenade) with capers and white wine.
The crab cake and three plump juicy shrimp were served atop angel hair pasta prepared with a pesto and lobster sauce.
My husband’s entrée consisted of beautiful thin, medium rare slices of duck served on a bed of spinach and topped with a cranberry reduction.
All three dishes were excellent.
On previous visits, we have enjoyed the wood oven roasted chicken with garlic mashed potatoes (the best roast chicken I have had in a long time); the blackened shrimp and grits (best rendition of this dish that I have ever had in Vero); and braised short ribs (they fell apart with the touch of a fork).
On this most recent visit, we passed on desserts – but on other occasions have been unable to resist the house-made Key Lime pie.
Chill & Grill at this point has an adequate selection of wines (we had a very nice pinot noir), 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.
In its new home, Chill & Grill has developed an intensely loyal cadre of customers who come from both Sebastian and Vero to this restaurant that is emerging as the epicenter of great food in this area.
While the location may require a bit of a drive, try Chill & Grill and I think you will agree the 15 or 20 minutes in the car was time well spent.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.
The reviewer is a beachside resident who dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.