Sugar Reef, a beachfront rarity, is serving many of the same island-tinged dishes with a French accent that it introduced four years ago. The dining room still feels like a hidden haven, a colorful, funky island paradise waiting to be discovered.
Sometimes romance needs a little help, maybe even a lot of help. But a moonlit sky, a soft ocean breeze and a wonderful meal can do wonders to turn an average evening into a memorable one. And isn't that what we really want for Valentine's Day?
Sugar Reef on Hollywood Beach has all the ingredients for that kind of night. It has a kick-off-your-shoes casual atmosphere, and the view is fantastic. The place is colorful and charming and its island-influenced cuisine inspired.
Open nearly 10 years and owned by husband-and-wife Patrick Farnault and Robin Seger, Sugar Reef sits on the Broadwalk with its doors open to the beach and a starry sky; on a pleasant night you'll even feel that salty sea breeze. Sensual music in the Buddha Bar and Hotel Costes mold -- CDs Farnault picks up in his native Paris -- adds to the intimate tone. This is not to say that everyone here is drooling over each other. Some people have kids in tow and there's plenty of laughter and chatter.
But it's very easy to ignore such distractions, especially once you order a selection from the good, varied wine list and bite into delicious dishes like jerk shrimp ($11.50) or tropical fish stew ($19).
The setting is enhanced by such intriguing dishes created by Farnault, former owner of Fort Lauderdale's Victoria Park and a former restaurant manager in St. Martin. His colorful, vibrant dishes impart flavors from the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Indonesia with a French twist.
Even simple dishes are something special at Sugar Reef. One of our favorites is a grilled endive salad ($7.50). The endive, smoky from the grill, is topped with a layer of blue cheese and baked briefly. It's then served on crisp, chilled field greens with tomato wedges and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.
If you dine from 5-6:30 p.m., dinner includes a small salad or cup of soup and a dessert (not all desserts are complimentary). We sat down precisely at 6:30 p.m., but we were still eligible for the extra dishes. Service used to be island-slow at Sugar Reef, but no more. Our waiter was excellent, the meal well-paced. Dirty dishes were removed in a flash, glasses replenished.
The soup du jour (normally $4) was good old Manhattan clam chowder, but a delicate version. It starts with a roux-base, with plenty of chopped potatoes and clams cooked in the fish stock. The chowder is light and creamy, not the thick concoction of seafood houses. Delicious.
Several appetizers look tempting, including potato pancake with smoked salmon ($8.50), smoked eggplant crostini ($6) and steamed mussels with white wine or green curry and coconut milk ($9.50). Our waiter suggested the jerk shrimp ($11.50) and it was very good. Three grilled jumbo shrimp are marinated in jerk spices, flavored with sweet chili sauce, but we especially liked the perky black bean salsa, spiked with cilantro, lime juice and garlic, with chopped red onions and carrots, served on field greens with chopped tomatoes.
Sugar Reef offers nightly blackboard specials, primarily fresh fish, along with its menu of fresh pasta and entrees.
We ordered the tuna blackened ($21) and it was cooked perfectly, seared quickly, raw inside -- teamed with two tropical salsas, mango and Creole. The fruit salsa is a refreshing mix of chopped fresh mangoes and apples, a sweet chili sauce, lime, cilantro and ginger. The Creole salsa is a slightly spicy combination combining chopped tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, scallions and hot peppers. Like most entrees, it comes with creamy smashed potatoes and veggies -- thin slices of zucchini, carrots, onions and spinach -- stir-fried fast in a hot pan with oil and soy sauce.
Another winner is the pork tenderloin chop Trinidad-style ($17), a huge hunk of melt-in-your-mouth tenderloin slightly pink on the inside, topped with the mango salsa. The pork is marinated in lime and orange juice with onions, garlic and a drop of honey.
Creme brulee was included in the early bird choices and it was a sweet, satisfying rendition. But we nearly did drool over the flourless espresso chocolate cake ($6.50), a heavenly concoction paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream swizzled with raspberry sauce.
And for a romantic ending, remember the beach is just a stroll away.
