Update: A pleasant surprise at the Greenhouse Café
As a rule, we review restaurants approximately once a year. But when we hear that our review of a Vero restaurant is out of date – that a new chef is presiding over the kitchen, or a new menu approach has been introduced, or service has gotten a lot better – we try to squeeze in an update so readers are not making plans based on out-of-date information.
So it is that we returned on a Friday evening to the Greenhouse Café, a casual American bistro across from the Post Office in Vero’s old downtown, after we heard that all three factors described above had occurred since our last visit in February.
Sure enough, new executive chef Ricky Cruz, a recent arrival from Club Med Sandpiper (previously with the MT Chophouse), has indeed introduced a number of new dinner items which based on this one visit, we would say has turned the Greenhouse Café into a pleasant summer surprise.
Upon arrival, the five of us were seated at a round table in the corner of the elegant, colonial-style dining room (most of the diners on this evening had opted for the courtyard), and a waiter quickly took our drink order.
For appetizers, one member of our party started with the house salad, one with a Caesar salad, two with wedge salads, and I ordered the heirloom tomato and watermelon salad (all salads $7).
The house salad was a nice mix of baby greens, cucumber, grape tomato, enoki mushrooms and citrus vinaigrette; the Caesar salad was crisp romaine, and the server brought a large additional portion of anchovies on request; the wedge salads of baby iceberg lettuce had a tasty applewood smoked bacon and Roquefort cheese dressing.
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But the tomato and watermelon salad is the perfect summer salad, light and refreshing, with garden basil Boursin cheese, and dressed with aged balsamic and lemon press olive oil.
For entrees, I ordered the sea scallops ($28), my husband opted for the liver & onions ($15), one of our companions chose the pork tenderloin ($15), one the free range organic chicken breast ($15), and one the lime soy glace seared salmon ($21).
The Alaskan salmon was cooked perfectly, a nice firm fillet that flaked nicely with a fork. The fish arrived on a bed of shredded summer vegetables that included carrots and summer squash.
While the liver & onions, served with mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach, was okay, it was the least inspiring of the dishes. But the pork tenderloin, which came with a cauliflower puree, bacon and candy carrots, had a nice smoky taste. It was served.in bite sized pieces with nicely crisped edges that added flavor. The chicken breast, accompanied by mashed potatoes, asparagus, wild exotic mushrooms and a brandy sauce, also got high marks.
The perfectly seared sea scallops, served atop a very nice lobster and sweet pea risotto with a citrus beurre blanc, were sweet and juicy – an excellent dish.
For desserts, we tried the crème brule ($6), the flourless chocolate cake ($7), and the blueberry bread pudding, all made on the premises. The chocolate cake was a tad dry, but the bread pudding and crème brule were very tasty.
Dinner for five, accompanied by a couple of bottles of a modest sauvignon blanc and finished with espressos all around, came to about $250 before tax and tip.
On this visit, the service was not only attentive but extremely helpful. All-in-all, a very pleasant dining experience.
On an evening when there is a nice breeze, the outdoor courtyard – with its fountain and flowers – provides the most enchanting garden dining on either side of the Indian River Lagoon.
Bottom line, the Greenhouse – long a very pleasant place to sit outside and enjoy lunch on a nice day – seems to have gotten its act together, and is definitely worth a visit at dinnertime as well.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.
The reviewer is a beachside resident who dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
Hours
Monday to Saturday, 11:30 am to 9 pm,
Sunday Brunch 9 am to 2 pm
Bar
Full Bar
Address (MAP)
2045 13th Avenue, Vero Beach, FL, Telephone: (772) 569-1299
