For years, people have described the décor of the Quilted Giraffe – one of Vero’s longest-running restaurants – as eclectic. Or quirky. Certainly unique.
But on our most recent visit, the descriptive word that came to mind was “tired.” And that’s too bad, because the food and service at this restaurant – which has been around since the 1990s, half of that time at this south U.S. 1 location – is arguably better than ever.
Under proprietor Patrick Tomassi, who breathed new life into the Giraffe when he took over five years ago, the restaurant today offers a mix of great food, great music, great fun and, if you bring along a coupon from this paper, great prices!
When we arrived last Thursday for piano bar night, Tomassi quickly ushered us to a table a couple away from pianist Johnny Nick, whose classy arrangements for the next two hours provided the perfect accompaniment for dining.
After we got settled and our server took our wine order, we decided to take Tomassi up on his suggestion that we let him select the appetizers. The two brought out for us to share were the eggplant rollatini ($10) and the grilled brie ($13).
The melted petite brie, served warm off the grill, was adorned with marinated tomatoes, rosemary spiked Melba sauce and French crostini. A good comfort dish.
But the eggplant rollatini was the big winner. The eggplant was sliced extremely thin, wrapped around chevre cheese, and served in a sundried tomato and pan tomato sauce. If you have ever thought you were not a fan of eggplant, this melts-in-your-mouth appetizer will quickly change your mind.
Following the starters, three of us had house salads (included with dinner), while one of our companions enjoyed a light, creamy seafood chowder.
For entrées, I ordered the evening’s seafood special, sautéed wild shrimp ($32). My husband chose the filet mignon ($38). One of our companions opted for the day boat scallops ($32), and the other went for the braised short rib Bolognaise over pappardelle pasta ($28).
My very fresh Gulf of Mexico shrimp were served over rice pilaf, surrounded by arugula, a sun-dried tomato sauce, and topped with gorgonzola. My husband’s filet was grilled just right, and served with a flavorful green peppercorn sauce. The steak was accompanied by chef’s potatoes and onions.
Both of our companions gave high marks to their entrées as well. The pappardelle with big chunks of braised short rib was “delicious,” and the day boat scallops – five succulent beauties, broiled in chardonnay and drawn garlic butter and served in a chafing dish – were “absolute perfection.”
For dessert, we shared a plate of a very light tiramisu ($8).
A party of two can have a full meal with wine for about $90, before tip. The Quilted Giraffe currently also offers buy-one-get-one-free deals on entrées which can reduce the price further, making dining here great value for money. For our party of four, the BOGO discount saved us $60!
The Quilted Giraffe also has implemented a variety of approaches aimed at bringing in more customers.
On Wednesday nights, there is Doo Wop music (think the early Motown sounds of the Inkspots and the Temptations). There also is live music for dancing Friday and Saturday evenings.
And on Sundays, there is both an increasingly popular brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on some Sunday evenings, performances by Theatre-Go-Round, a dinner theater group that three winters ago began using the Giraffe as its home base.
(Check for shows and dates at http://theatregorounddinnertheatre.com/2017Shows.html.)
Tomassi is very much a hands-on proprietor, hovering attentively from table to table. Since he took over the Quilted Giraffe, he has re-energized it and brought it back to the top tier of places to dine on the Vero mainland.
The next challenge for Tomassi is updating the Quilted Giraffe so the décor matches his excellent food and attentive service.
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.
