Sometimes when I walk in a restaurant I can tell it is going to be a great experience. other times I walk in and my initial impression is less than stellar. this happened recently in the beautiful Caribbean island of Providenciales of the Turks and Caicos. a short walk from our hotel on Grace Bay brought us to a gravel parking lot which was packed with cars. in the Caribbean it seems no time is wasted on details that don't really matter- like the appearance of the parking lot and the greeting area where the kitchen was visible through an opening in the wall, as the food was expedited just 10 feet from the host stand. the servers and everyone else employed here seemed to congregate in this area. walking past this I was not thinking I was going to have such spectacular dinner that I would be longing to return in years to come. but as I walked to the outdoor dining room (amidst a grove of fully mature coconut palms that were lit from beneath with an array of flood and string lights) I immediately began to smile. then name of the place made perfect sense-Coco Bistro.
the size of a table often constitutes the manner of service given, and our very experienced and professional waiter did a fine job with a 13 top. the drinks ranged from a mango bango to a bottle of santa margarita pinot grigio, a bottle of cambria chardonnay, and a green frozen cocktail that looked unique and innovative. sparkling and still bottled water were presented and poured accordingly.
It was a blustery November night in the tropics and I couldn't bring myself to order the lobster bisque or the corn chowder with blackened shrimp. I decided on the caesar salad and was not disappointed. very fresh with large pieces of parmesan cheese, oversized croutons, and a dressing that was hand made with care. luckily the soups which were passed over by me were ordered by others in easy spoon range. and as i tasted the corn chowder i started to think the chef might be star quality, then i tasted the lobster bisque and was pretty sure i was going to need to chat with him. the corn chowder was completely pureed to a perfect consistency that had an even flavor and paired perfectly with the 3 tail-on shrimp in the center of the square bowl. the lobster bisque must have cost the lobster i had seen the day before at 80 feet down his life, because there was enough minced meat in the serving to serve as a meal to most. the overly generous portion paired perfectly with the creamy bisque to make the dish divine.
This was the last night of my four night excursion and I had eaten seafood for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and was in need of some carne. my two choices were a bone-in rib-eye or the emporers cut filet. I decided on the latter because the one our neighboring table ordered looked delicious. when the main courses arrived, I was presented with two plump rectangular pieces of perfect medium rare filet. i was about fourth in line on the placement of plates, and as the scent was wafting into my nasal passages it took some restraint to be polite. after the last diner had been presented their plates, I cut into the beef, sopped up the sauce, and placed the first bite in my mouth. after about three chomps I stopped, looked around at my friends and loved ones, looked up at the palms and the fruit bat flying overhead, thought about the beautiful blue waters all around me, and realized this was one of life's moments that I would not forget. all that from one bite of steak. i've never been one to break down the flavor nuances of a dish, so this is my way of conveying the bold flavor of this dish to you. there were hints of coffee, brown sugar, and perhaps even a citric twist in the sauce and/or rub. the factor that made this filet different was the fatty content. ample fat to add great flavor, but not enough to make it chewy or create a need to trim away unwanted deposits. it immediately reminded me of a dish i had eaten at the french laundry from the snake river farm in Idaho. but this one was better, and accompanied with carrots and cheese. I believe it was a manchengo cheese, and man did they harmonize together. After a long day on the beach I must admit I had two and a half pieces of the bread prior to the appetizer, and as my dinner was being enjoyed I was feeling like I should not finish my meal.. this was near a travesty because that filet just keeps popping up in my head. the other diners had lovely presentation on their plates, but i was unable and unwilling to venture out of my place setting for bites. this was one of the top 3 new dishes I enjoyed in 2009. I sought the chef after I ate all I could and he was a very cordial francophile from Quebec who was difficult to understand. Granted it was a loud kitchen but I really took nothing away from the conversation, neither his name nor the origin of that beef. but that smile told me all I needed to know and the fact that i made it a point to tell him how much i liked his style told him all he needed. i would've spoken french with him, but i don't think he heard me tell him that option either. young fellow he was, 30-35, like me.
Luckily there was a digestive period between dinner and the ordering of the desserts. very luckily. I would say creme brulee is my most ordered dessert. perhaps I felt that I was ordering them because they looked better than everything else on the menu. but I must have only been searching for what was about to occur. and as this creme brulee engaged my taste buds, I came to grips with the fact that the kitchen at Coco Bistro needed to be lauded for their comprehensive skills on turning out such high quality food, or perhaps we should just say art when something as perfect as this is the food.
The only detractor I could mention would be the fact that on a hot night, it is hard to tailor each glass of wine to the drinker, but i hate warm chardonnay, and i like to enjoy and chew my wine slowly, and if engrossed in conversation over the fruit of the coco-de-mer tree it was hard to stop them from "free-pouring". the server did an excellent job and it was good to see the understudies eager to assist in clearing menus, plates, expediting food, and keeping water glasses filled.
overall this is a spot that is worth the price of the plane ticket-**** honorable mentions on the island go to: da conch shack for the cracked lobster, the caicos cafe for the conch fritters and the strawberry and kiwi napoleon that had a blissful cream, and the tuna lollipops from Anacoana. I hated missing Coyaba, but it wasn't in the cards. Coco Bistro will bring me back to this resplendent island.
