Three years ago, we were quite enthused about Michael’s Table – a fine-dining restaurant opened on Ocean Drive by Michael Lander, former executive chef at The Moorings Club, that in just two seasons earned a spot on the “must visit” list for beachside diners.
Then suddenly, it was gone. The space was too small to be financially viable, Lander said; Michael’s Table would soon reopen in a new, larger “secret” location on the island. Stay tuned.
So we waited. Months went by. A year passed, then two. No new Michael’s Table. We had pretty much forgotten about it when we heard in March that a version of Michael’s Table had opened as part of the Orchid Island Brewery in Portales de Vero.
The idea, we were told, was to offer up-market bar food – featuring some of the small plates the old Michael’s Table had been known for – paired with the brewery’s artisanal IPAs. Since I am more of a wine-with-dinner than a beer enthusiast, we did not rush right down.
But last Thursday night, our party of three stopped in to see what was going on and sample a few dishes.
After taking our drink order (two glasses of a very nice Chardonnay, and one of an excellent mango cider), our server brought the menus and told us about the evening’s specials.
For a starter, we decided to try one of the evening’s appetizer specials, ratatouille ($8). Made entirely from local ingredients – fresh zucchini, peppers and onions – the ratatouille was served in a casserole dish. Absolutely delicious.
Next, we tried the marinated heirloom tomato and burrata salad ($12). Lander has long been a leader in Vero’s farm-to-table movement in Vero, and beautiful slices of tomato were served with the freshest Birdie Hogan Farms arugula and creamy mozzarella. Very tasty.
We also sampled another appetizer, Lander’s lobster martini ($20), a mainstay on the menu of the old Michael’s Table – butter poached lobster in a beurre blanc sauce. Melted in your mouth.
On this evening, Lander was offering only one entrée – pan-seared wahoo ($25). My husband quickly volunteered for that, so I chose the Prince Edward Island mussels ($15) and our companion opted for the jumbo lump crabcake ($20), both off the appetizer menu.
The PEI mussels, which couldn’t have been nicer, were steamed with smoked bacon and garlic in Nuth’n Fancy Brown ale. I would have voted for wine over that particular ale for cooking the mussels, but it was a nice dish. And the lump crab cake, served with a Creole mustard sauce, was excellent.
But the pan seared wahoo –served atop a sautee of fresh vegetables and finished with a white wine and cream sauce – was wonderful. At the old Michael’s Table, there was always a fish of the day, and you could be confident it was going to be an excellent piece of fish.
For dessert on this evening, we finished with a fabulous slice of carrot cake ($8).
So what is going on here? Well first, let there be no doubters that Michael still is a top chef. And the dishes he is serving certainly rekindle memories of meals – always created from the freshest local ingredients – that we enjoyed at the old Michael’s Table.
But on some weeknights, there are no entrées – just a selection of dishes that are more gastropub than fine dining (i.e., BLTs, rare roast beef sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, deviled eggs, and a pig board of hand crafted salumi with whole grain mustard).
If you are into craft beer, this incarnation of Michael’s Table certainly will enable you to nosh well while you drink.
But for those who enjoy fine dining, this mini-Michael’s Table is simply a teaser. If you are hoping to see the full talents of Lander on display as they were in the original, we are left to hope he will find more space on the island one of these days for a full-sized restaurant.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at [email protected].
The reviewer is a beachside resident who dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of this newspaper.
