Beauty & the Beast Do Vero and Copper Creek

sleepydog25

Been here awhile
Joined
Aug 27, 2004
First, the title sucks, and for that I'm sorry. However, in my defense we just drove straight through from the World to southwest Virginia (in the process going from sunny and 80 to rainy/foggy and 34), so my brain is fatigued. You'll have to deal with my lack of imagination, I fear. Enough exposition--let's move on. . .

Introductions
LOML (Love of My Life), aka Luv, aka Luvvwl, erstwhile and current Disney expert--this was something like her 40th trip.
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Sleepydog, aka Sleepy, aka Slydog, devoted to LOML above and only on about 20th trip. . .
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(There's a story behind this face. . .)

Backstory
At some point, chances are we'll make the move from the Blue Ridge mountain area to the sunny, warm clime of Florida. Wait, breaking news! Luv has informed me that we WILL make that move. Now, back to the show. . .

As I was saying, if when we move, we want to be a bit more educated about locations. I have family in Indialantic, so are quite familiar with that area. Thus, we wanted to check out VB and points north as potential landing spots. Thus, thus, we wound up making a 3-night reservation at Disney's VB resort, the first time either of us have stayed there. Here are some obligatory pics of the resort and a view from our room.
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The room number 2415 which is the fourth floor in the main building and obviously has a gorgeous view of the beach.

It nearly goes without saying that the room wasn't ready when we arrived around 1 p.m., so we headed into VB proper for lunch where we opted for Cobalt. As you can see in the following shots, this restaurant sits right on the water--it's attached to the Kimpton Vero Beach Hotel and Spa. After having left rainy, cold weather in southwest VA, encountering virtually nothing but rain on the drive down to our overnight stay in Brunswick, GA, and then driving through more rain from Brunswick until we hit Jacksonville, we were ready for some sun. Wish granted.
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Two nice pours of Sauvignon Blanc awaiting our food. . .

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Oysters on the half shell w/horseradish and a lovely mignonette, paired with. . .

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. . .tuna tartare served with pita crisps (they weren't) and crispy lotus root (it was).

The winner--envelope, please--was the wine! Okay, both food items were good with minor complaints. As you can see by the picture of the oysters, by the time they reached our table, the ice had largely melted which interpreted meant they'd been sitting for awhile (more on that in a moment). The tuna was excellent, but those pita crisps were chewy. Ahh, but this was such a lovely and light lunch after so many miles and hours in a vehicle. As you can see in the picture of the wine and the introduction photos, we were seated within a stone's throw of the beach, and it was sunny AND warm! Now, I would recommend Cobalt if for no other reason than the location (and the rather succulent Sauv Blanc); however, our service was subpar. Unfilled waters, lack of lemon after asking for it, no checking to see if we might want more wine (we did), and gaps between seeing our server. Two glasses of wine and two easily prepped items, right? We sat unattended and waiting on food for nearly half an hour. We flagged down a bus person for more water. Still, we were happy to be warm and have to wear sunglasses. Small victories are sometimes the best.

Well, that's enough for now. I'll add more pics and foodie stuff in a bit. Right now, it's time to catch up on work before actual work starts back tomorrow. . .
Slainte!
 

At some point, chances are we'll make the move from the Blue Ridge mountain area to the sunny, warm clime of Florida. Wait, breaking news! Luv has informed me that we WILL make that move. Now, back to the show. . .


One of us is moving bucko, and soon...



The winner--envelope, please--was the wine! Okay, both food items were good with minor complaints. As you can see by the picture of the oysters, by the time they reached our table, the ice had largely melted which interpreted meant they'd been sitting for awhile (more on that in a moment). The tuna was excellent, but those pita crisps were chewy. Ahh, but this was such a lovely and light lunch after so many miles and hours in a vehicle. As you can see in the picture of the wine and the introduction photos, we were seated within a stone's throw of the beach, and it was sunny AND warm! Now, I would recommend Cobalt if for no other reason than the location (and the rather succulent Sauv Blanc); however, our service was subpar. Unfilled waters, lack of lemon after asking for it, no checking to see if we might want more wine (we did), and gaps between seeing our server. Two glasses of wine and two easily prepped items, right? We sat unattended and waiting on food for nearly half an hour. We flagged down a bus person for more water. Still, we were happy to be warm and have to wear sunglasses. Small victories are sometimes the best.

Sadly, I really wanted to enjoy this meal. And I don't think I'm too picky. But after asking for lemon for my water 3 times then still not receiving it, my raw oysters coming on a bed of 2/3 melted ice, not asking if I wanted more wine (which I did), and then having to chase someone down for my check kind of dampened it for me. It came so highly recommended, too. But to be fair, the food was very good. The service; not so much. And service these days seems to be the luck of the draw. DA, DA, DUM!!! (portent of things to come?)
 
Looking forward to your report. We have a trip planned to Vero Beach in May. We were there a few years ago and went to Cobalt for Happy Hour. We really enjoyed the view and planned to go back this trip for happy hour drinks and apps and hopefully better service!
 


After our first few hours running around Vero proper, we went back to the resort and found that our room was ready. *PSA: Do not attempt to understand the numbering of the streets in VB. You will go insane. For the love of Peter, Paul, and Mary, who came up with this system? "949 5th Fourth Ave NW South 19th St." Bizarro World, folks. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.* We have friends who live in VB, and they were at the resort taking pictures and video for the Vero Beach Foodie FB group (check it out when you get a chance, especially if you frequent VB); however, we wanted to get settled before meeting up with them. Below are a few pics our exceptional room (2415).
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As you can see, it was a hu-u-u-ge room! The view was excellent minus the closed balcony, but that was a minor distraction. We freshened up before heading down to meet our friends for an early dinner at the Wind and Waves. In case you were wondering, it was a gorgeous 80 degrees, relatively low humidity, and no rain.
 
Rather than get on the road again for a meal, we opted to stay at the resort and eat at the Wind and Waves. While its reviews are largely average, we thought we would give it a chance since we'd never eaten there.

Luv's grilled tuna salad: good, not great, but the tuna was seared perfectly--needed a bit more punch
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My roasted beet and goat cheese salad--not only was it huge, it was the best thing I ate that night. Huge chunks of roasted beets (the roast makes them a touch sweet) which perfectly complemented the tang of the goat cheese, the zest of the red onion, and the piquancy of the craisins. Delightful!
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Here's a look at the kitchen. . .
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After the refreshing salads, the next few plates didn't quite stack up. My wife's entree was described as a cioppino; however, our server said it was a little hearted than a soup and more like a stew. Luv is a sucker for any sort of seafood soup or stew, and the server assured her there was plenty of broth. Well, as you might can tell in the picture, it was more like a very thick stew, and the bread served with it was so crispy you couldn't sop up any liquid. It was gumbo based, as well, so the spices tended to overpower the actual seafood. In the end, Luv should have listened to her inner cioppino voice and chosen something else. It wasn't a bad dish, just a heavy-handed approach to delicate mussels, shrimp, and calamari.
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I asked for the server's suggestion because I was open to whatever she thought was the best item. She suggested the pumpkin gnocchi. Again, it was just a bit ham-handed. The gnocchi were dense, and the actual gourd flavor of the pumpkin was difficult to find. The cream was mostly absorbed into the gnocchi so nothing to spoon into, though the roasted pumpkin seeds and pancetta helped offset the one-note texture of the pasta. It was also overly greasy; I suspect from butter in the sauce. Again, this wasn't a bad dish, just not a noteworthy one, either.
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Finally, everyone raves about the pineapple upside down bread pudding, including our friends. It was good, to be sure, but not excellent. Bread puddings are something of a holy grail to me, so I'm a bit picky about them. They can't be too dense, nor too light. They need a bit of a crunchy crust to offset the unctuousness of the sodden bread, and there needs to be a light element somewhere on the plate to counterbalance all the fat and intense flavors. This effort mostly succeeded. The pineapple ice cream added some brightness to the dessert, but the actual bread pudding was clunky. As you can see, there were no crunchy bits, just the very dense bread. It was extremely sweet (great bread pudding also needs to go easy on the sugar), so the kicky bourbon sauce was lost in the effort since it, too, was overly sweet. While the addition of the pineapple on top was cute, it was obviously canned and so was also very, very sweet. Some fresh pineapple tumbled on top would have added much needed life to the dish. I didn't dislike this bread pudding, but I didn't finish it, either.
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All things considered, it was a solid meal. I will mention that our service was exemplary--some of the best we had on our entire trip. The food, however, was merely promising.
Service: A
Food: B-
Ambiance: B

Next up: More adventures in Vero Beach

 
I am in for the TR.
We have never been to VB, but have been considering a trip there.
I am very interested in what you have to report.
Your view is wonderful !
Enjoy !
 


I am in for the TR.
We have never been to VB, but have been considering a trip there.
I am very interested in what you have to report.
Your view is wonderful !
Enjoy !
Glad you're aboard! We'd never been to VB, either, so I'm hoping our quick insight might help a few others.
Looking forward to your report. We have a trip planned to Vero Beach in May. We were there a few years ago and went to Cobalt for Happy Hour. We really enjoyed the view and planned to go back this trip for happy hour drinks and apps and hopefully better service!
Thanks for tuning in! I'll have an update on the Cobalt situation coming soon which might alleviate any worries you have. Cheers!

One of us is moving bucko, and soon...




Sadly, I really wanted to enjoy this meal. And I don't think I'm too picky. But after asking for lemon for my water 3 times then still not receiving it, my raw oysters coming on a bed of 2/3 melted ice, not asking if I wanted more wine (which I did), and then having to chase someone down for my check kind of dampened it for me. It came so highly recommended, too. But to be fair, the food was very good. The service; not so much. And service these days seems to be the luck of the draw. DA, DA, DUM!!! (portent of things to come?)
Well, if only one of us is moving soon, buckette, one of had best win the lottery sooner. . .

"Portent of things to come?" To quote Commodore Norrington, "So it would seem." pirate:
 
*PSA: Do not attempt to understand the numbering of the streets in VB. You will go insane. For the love of Peter, Paul, and Mary, who came up with this system? "949 5th Fourth Ave NW South 19th St." Bizarro World, folks. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming.


Ringo perhaps? Paul or John? And, I am quite certain the system works just fine for people who live there. And, it also worked just fine in the GPS. Just sayin'

As you can see, it was a hu-u-u-ge room! The view was excellent minus the closed balcony, but that was a minor distraction.

Minor distraction for TALL people. People who can see over the railing whist sitting down. Which, is not most of the world's population. Again, just sayin'
 
Rather than get on the road again for a meal, we opted to stay at the resort and eat at the Wind and Waves. While its reviews are largely average, we thought we would give it a chance since we'd never eaten there.

Luv's grilled tuna salad: good, not great, but the tuna was seared perfectly--needed a bit more punch
0-11_zps2f5u2wsl.jpeg


My roasted beet and goat cheese salad--not only was it huge, it was the best thing I ate that night. Huge chunks of roasted beets (the roast makes them a touch sweet) which perfectly complemented the tang of the goat cheese, the zest of the red onion, and the piquancy of the craisins. Delightful!
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Both salads were crisp, generously portioned and tasty. The beet salad was the clear winner. My friend had the French Onion soup which, if I remember, was overly salty. So much so that I know she didn't finish it. I honestly can't remember what her husband had as his app, so I guess that may tell you something!
After the refreshing salads, the next few plates didn't quite stack up. My wife's entree was described as a cioppino; however, our server said it was a little hearted than a soup and more like a stew. Luv is a sucker for any sort of seafood soup or stew, and the server assured her there was plenty of broth. Well, as you might can tell in the picture, it was more like a very thick stew, and the bread served with it was so crispy you couldn't sop up any liquid. It was gumbo based, as well, so the spices tended to overpower the actual seafood. In the end, Luv should have listened to her inner cioppino voice and chosen something else. It wasn't a bad dish, just a heavy-handed approach to delicate mussels, shrimp, and calamari.
0-9_zpsqxautfwa.jpeg

0-13_zpsvfmtgtow.jpeg


I asked for the server's suggestion because I was open to whatever she thought was the best item. She suggested the pumpkin gnocchi. Again, it was just a bit ham-handed. The gnocchi were dense, and the actual gourd flavor of the pumpkin was difficult to find. The cream was mostly absorbed into the gnocchi so nothing to spoon into, though the roasted pumpkin seeds and pancetta helped offset the one-note texture of the pasta. It was also overly greasy; I suspect from butter in the sauce. Again, this wasn't a bad dish, just not a noteworthy one, either.
0-12_zpsrgk3sykj.jpeg


Finally, everyone raves about the pineapple upside down bread pudding, including our friends. It was good, to be sure, but not excellent. Bread puddings are something of a holy grail to me, so I'm a bit picky about them. They can't be too dense, nor too light. They need a bit of a crunchy crust to offset the unctuousness of the sodden bread, and there needs to be a light element somewhere on the plate to counterbalance all the fat and intense flavors. This effort mostly succeeded. The pineapple ice cream added some brightness to the dessert, but the actual bread pudding was clunky. As you can see, there were no crunchy bits, just the very dense bread. It was extremely sweet (great bread pudding also needs to go easy on the sugar), so the kicky bourbon sauce was lost in the effort since it, too, was overly sweet. While the addition of the pineapple on top was cute, it was obviously canned and so was also very, very sweet. Some fresh pineapple tumbled on top would have added much needed life to the dish. I didn't dislike this bread pudding, but I didn't finish it, either.
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All things considered, it was a solid meal. I will mention that our service was exemplary--some of the best we had on our entire trip. The food, however, was merely promising.
Service: A
Food: B-
Ambiance: B

Next up: More adventures in Vero Beach

The Cioppino was tasty. Not the best I've ever had - that award goes to the LOML (love of my life) - he makes it at home for me on the occasion we can get some fresh seafood here in what I refer to as the armpit of VA, where we are very temporarily located. It was definitely too thick and as a result, a pretty heavy dish that I couldn't finish. The gnocchi just were not good, At all. To be fair, I am not a pumpkin ANYTHING fan. But, it was also very heavy - not the light pillows of air that a good gnocchi should be. And don't even get me started on the alleged bread pudding.

I will say that, despite the negatives, I would re-visit this place were we to stay there again. It was super convenient, the food was tasty (just not prepared to OUR specific tastes) and the service was fantastic. I will also say, that because we live where we do, fine dining eating is a rarity and a treat. We have become rather skilled at cooking so we can be a bit snobbish when we go out. But. we are also very fair, I think, in our judgements, especially when something is well prepared but just doesn't suit our tastes. Saavy?
 

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