Chelsea’s on Cardinal: A nifty pre-theater choice
If you are looking for a beachside spot for a light dinner before an evening at Riverside Theatre, a cozy cafe in a corner of Chelsea’s gourmet shop on Cardinal might make an excellent choice.
Now in its first season of serving lite bites and small plates in the late afternoon/early evening, Chelsea’s After Hours quickly has developed an enthusiastic following among islanders looking to dine early and light.
We say might make a good pre-theater choice only because on any given evening, Chef Patrick Festa’s “creations of the moment,” coupled with a flight or two of interesting wines, could induce you to tarry perilously close to the opening curtain.
On a recent Wednesday evening (dinner is served only Wednesday through Saturday), we started with that night’s wine flight – an offering of three whites or three reds (which change regularly) for $14.
We enjoyed the white selections, which were Due Uve, an Italian blend of pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc; Shoo Fly, an Australian blend of Riesling, viogner, verdelho, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc; and Serenity, a California blend of pinot grigio, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, semillion, and gewürztraminer.
The red offerings, which we did not try, were syrahs and shirazs – Aranco from Sicily, Bell syrah from California, and Shoofly shiraz from Australia.
For starters on this visit, I had the “salad of the moment” – a seafood salad with scallops, shrimp, mussels, oysters and clams on a bed of greens; my husband had the Caesar salad; and our companion started with the “crostini of the moment,” which on this evening was eggplant parmesan.
While the Caesar with croutons and shaved parmesan was fine but nothing out of the ordinary, the seafood salad was a nice light creation, and the eggplant parmesan crostinis were yummy.
Then for entrees, we tried three of the small plates: I had the half-rack of Patrick’s baby back ribs, my husband had Scanlan’s Maryland crab cake, and our companion had the “chicken of the moment,” which on this evening was a stuffed chicken breast.
For anyone who remembers Chef Patrick from his days at the old South Beach Grill, I can report that his baby back ribs are as delicious as ever. The chicken breast stuffed with a mushroom risotto also was a winner. As for the crab cake, it is easy to understand why owner Scanlan Buckley puts her name on this dish. The very lightly breaded crab cake is that good!
For dessert, we shared a very nice little Key Lime tart. The one disappointment of the evening was the lack of espresso (to give you that jolt you need before heading to a darkened theatre).
Instead, while our companion enjoyed what she said was one of the better cups of decaf she has had recently, my husband and I relaxed with a glass of a nice Malbec (and had we been going to the show, we would indeed have missed the curtain).
Dinner for two with a couple of flights of wine, before tax and tip, runs $60 to $70.
Because Chelsea’s cafe seating area, set amid shelves stocked with wine and gourmet items, is not overly large, and the dining hours are relatively short (5 pm to 8 pm), you would be well advised to make a reservation.
But in the absence of a central beach tapas bar, Chelsea’s After Hours – with its wine flights, lite bites and small plates -- is a nifty addition to the island dining scene.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.
The reviewer dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
Hours
Dinner Wednesday-Saturday,
5 pm to 8 pm.
Bar
Wine and beer
Address (MAP)
3201 Cardinal Drive, Vero Beach, FL, Phone: (772) 234-8300
