Citrus Grillhouse: Did I mention the truffled French fries?
Seven months after it opened, the Citrus Grillhouse is hitting its stride just in time for the coming season – and a quieter stride it is, too.
When we recently visited the Grillhouse, perched atop the dune where Crusty’s once stood in the new Ocean Park complex, we found a new menu, a new quieter dining room thanks to new sound baffles, and the hottest, most addictive new side dish of 2010: French fries prepared with truffle butter.
Truffled French fries have been around for a couple of years, found mostly in trendy restaurants in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. But now, you can get a spectacular version of them right here in Vero.
Of course, fantastic truffled French fries are not enough of a reason to visit a restaurant (oh, alright, they are)! But in the case of the Citrus Grillhouse, Executive Chef Scott Varricchio has some other big winners on his fall and winter menu as well.
On our most recent visit, I started with the crab salad ($12), my husband ordered the fire-roasted baby squid ($8), one of our companions ordered the tomato and mozzarella salad ($10), and the other ordered the aged goat cheese raviolo.
The best of these four, in my opinion, is a toss-up between the squid, flash seared with garlic, lemon zest, chilis and dressed with extra virgin olive oil (my husband’s favorite), and the raviolo, filled with an aged French goat cheese cut with a fresh American goat cheese, imported parmesan, cream cheese, fresh thyme, garlic & extra virgin olive oil.
The raviolo comes to the table in a broth consisting of slow roasted roma tomatoes, garlic, thyme, bacon, chicken stock, shallots and white wine and tomato water. This dish is to die for.
I would be remiss in failing to note that the crab salad is also an excellent light appetizer – lump crab meat, hand mashed avocado, topped with fresh red grapefruit, and served with a lemon-thyme vinaigrette. Very tasty, for those looking for something less spicy than the squid or less rich than the raviolo.
For entrees, I ordered the pan roasted salmon ($23), my husband had the 8 oz. Waygu filet mignon ($44) with the truffle fries ($4), one of our companions had the veal flank steak ($19), and the other had the skirt steak with risotto ($19).
The salmon was a nice piece of fish (though regrettably, not the wild salmon I prefer), spiced with flavors of the Mediterranean and served with a warm red lentil salad. A fine dish, but on this evening, I fear my companions had the better of the choices.
The best of these was my husband’s classic bistro “steak frites,” an eight-ounce Waygu (Australian Kobe beef) filet mignon, grilled medium rare, and topped with a compound butter that included rosemary and roasted garlic. Accompanied by the pommes frites, those truffled French fries, my husband unhesitatingly declared this the best steak dish currently to be had in Vero.
One of our companions enjoyed the skirt steak, which sat atop a bed of parmesan risotto which also had been blessed with truffle butter (is there anything truffle butter does not make better)? Yum. Our other companion had one of that night’s specials, the grilled veal flank steak, seasoned with only salt and pepper and served with a warmed ragu of white beans and baby tomato. Very nice.
Among the desserts, our two consensus favorites on this occasion were the key lime pie and the macadamia nut crusted chocolate ganache cake. The key lime pie was a very good rendition of this Florida classic topped with a creme fraiche lime cream.
The chocolate ganache was topped with warm caramel, Feuilletine, sea salt and (drum roll please) bacon! While bacon on chocolate may sound a bit odd at first, I’m betting you are going to love it.
While our bill for four came to about $240 before taxes and tip, it should be noted that we had two bottles of wine – a Chardonnay and a pinot noir – as well as the filet, which is by far the most expensive item on the menu. A party of two can dine well at the Citrus Grillhouse for well under $100. Service, as it has been from the beginning, was excellent.
Given my First Bites review last spring, when I noted that the noise level made table conversation a challenge, I want to reiterate that things are now considerably better on that score. The elegant, minimalist feel of the pale blue dining room, with its handsome wood plank floor, has been preserved -- still no carpeting or curtains -- but the sound level has been brought down a fair bit with ceiling baffles and some strategically located plants.
In fact, it may be quieter now inside than outdoors, where a covered patio with tables overlooking the Atlantic Ocean is a spectacular option for warm-evening dining.
But if you haven’t been back recently – or if you never got to the Citrus Grillhouse last spring at all – you will want to make an early visit. Did I mention the pommes frites with truffle butter!
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
Daily from 5 pm
Lunch, weekdays from 11:30 am
Bar
Full Bar
Address (MAP)
1050 Easter Lily Lane, Vero Beach, FL, Phone: (772) 234-4114
