Sunday, August 24, 2014

Turks&Caicos Coco Bistro can do it all(8-20-14)

We saved Coco Bistro (www.cocobistro.tc) for our last night as it seemed to get all the raves for the top food and best place to dine from virtually every source.
It was a 5 minute walk from out hotel right inland from Grace Bay, so there are no views, but the place offers a wooden decking with lots of overhanging palms.
We were first seated near the front and ordered our water and wine, a bottle of William Fevre Chablis 2012 from our server Wisner, when the kids at the next table started to whine and have multiple fits. We noticed lots of children here, so asked to be moved to a table away from most of them. The manager, Steven, was oh so gracious and moved us to the extreme rear in a small alcove with only two tables and we felt very romantic, even with Sam there. There was another table just through the palm trees with a huge group of folks from either New York or Jersey and we heard every loud word they said, especially the lady who kept saying, "I TRIED." They left minutes after Steven returned to open the wine, which has been rebranded and now comes in a tacky foil wrapper, but it's still a great Chablis.
We had already gobbled up the pesto rolls (yup, pesto inside the rolls) at the first table, so we proceeded to order from our now new server, Frankie.
Samuel ordered the Caesar Salad with Crisp Bacon, croutons, anchovies (on the side, and they were canned!) & fresh shaved Parmesan in a "Spicy Dressing (no wimps please)" according to the menu. Well, the dressing was by no means spicy, and we all laughed and remarked on this to Steve and Frankie; they said that many people returned the dish, so that was why they had a warning.
Will ordered the Spicy Lobster Soft Tacos with Fresh Guacamole and Sour Cream, Pineapple Tomato Salsa, and again while delish, they were by no means spicy.
My Avocado & Lobster Spring Rolls with Thai Mango Salad & Sweet Dipping Sauce were fantastic and loaded with chunks of sweet lobster to boot, my farewell to this tasty friend we met while here in the Turks & Caicos, which I shall surely miss.
 
In a very poor attempt on food bravery Samuel ordered the Homemade Ravioli of Conch & Flame Grilled Sweet Peppers with Piquant Rose Sauce. When it arrived he looked at the very large ravioli and almost fainted. He took a taste and would venture no more. While he had tried the dish, I was itching to taste it, but we decided against our better judgement and called Frankie over and explained. They said they would gladly replace the dish and shortly his Chicken Breast with Shrimp in Curry Sauce, Rice and a huge crunchy papadam arrived. That was not problem, although he wouldn't try the shrimp.
Will and I had asked for a longer break and ordered a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc 2013 called Graywacke from Marlborough, New Zealand. It was a great wine and while slightly citrusy it was perfect with both our varied main courses which we split. Steven explained it was made by the same guy who used to make wine Cloudy Bay!
Penne Pasta with Caicos Lobster (oh yes, we had to have more one last time), Shrimp, Bay Scallops & Arugula in a very rich White Wine Tomato Cream Sauce laced with Fresh Homegrown Basil and Asiago Cheese Shavings could have served two people. The dish was superb and the fresh basil was indeed superb as an accent as was the cheese. All the seafood was so fresh and tasty to boot. Luckily, we were splitting our entrees and mine was much lighter in size, but very intense in depth. Blackened local Mahi came with a tasty Red Thai Curry Sauce & Jasmine Rice. On the side was a wonderful Mango Chutney and welcome Buttered Broccoli, as veggies are not too common it seems.
I have to also mention that the bathroom has air conditioning, which is not too common! Also, at one point during dinner, there were some rain showers. The staff provided umbrellas, which we saw popping up in other areas around us, but due to the heavy palm tree leave overhangs above us, barely a drop touched us. I just can't imagine what happens at all these outdoor spots when it rains much harder. Right before we came to the islands, Tropical Depression Bertha passed through with two solid days of rain, and now that we have left another depression has hit (well, it is hurricane season) and is threatening three to four days of rain and thunderstorms!
We decided we had to have dessert on our last night and I made the mistake of trying the Fried Banana Fritters, which was a huge portions, really enough for two or three!
The fritters were drizzled with Caramel Sauce and had the most delicious scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream, which was a treat compared to the heaviness of the battered treats. Will chose wisely with Homemade Ice Cream, and it was the best we had all trip. His Vanilla was the same as mine, and the Banoffee Ice Cream was a true creamy treat.