The Reef and I have gone back and forth a few times, usually I love their champagne brunch but then end up disappointed when I go for a weeknight dinner. Thankfully, last night, that was not the case.
My friends Teresa, Rachel & I decided to have a drink and a nice meal on the patio at The Reef to discuss an event we will be having there next year. For a Wednesday night the restaurant seemed to be pretty busy, but we were seated right away and had a beautiful view. While we looked over the specialty drink menu we were surprised at all the options they had; I have only had wine and champagne here and was pretty excited about the different martinis they had to offer.
The three of us sampled four different drinks and they were all fantastic. The Wild Berry Mojito is made with organic agave nectar and seasonal fruit; the mint wasn’t overpowering, which is why I don’t usually enjoy mojitos but it did pair really well with all of the fresh fruit, and there was a lot of of fruit. It was delicious. We also tried the Sangria Blanco, which had a nice brandy kick. In both, the amount of fruit was nice because it also served as a dessert after we were done with our meal. I would definitely recommend the sangria.
The Hibiscus Martini was something I had never tried before; made with vodka, hibiscus syrup, fresh lime and lemon, I was already sold. But then they muddle in ginger and cucumber and I couldn’t say no. These flavors all went so well together and the ginger gave it a little spice that was very tasty. Finally, my favorite drink of the night was the Burning Mandarin Martini. The description said “sweet & spicy” – that was on point. The drink was made with mandarin vodka, fresh lemon, orange and cranberry juices served with a touch of Serrano chili. The only thing that could have made this cocktail any better would have been a bit more spice, but other than that it was perfection. The sugar rim really made it fun to drink and with the chilis floating in the drink you knew what to expect. I would order that drink over and over again.
We started our meal with a Tropical Seafood Cocktail, which was served in a martini glass filled with king crab, shrimp, scallops, calamari and mango salsa. It was really fresh and very flavorful. It was great to share but I would order a side of chips with it next time.
Rachel decided to have the crab-stuffed mushrooms and Local Arcadian Harvest mixed greens salad. The mushrooms arrived and they looked delicious; they were topped off with a delicious hollandaise sauce. When it comes to stuffed mushrooms I usually know what to expect but the crab did make them more exciting. Rachel seemed to really enjoy her salad, the candied walnuts did look very appealing and the raspberry vinaigrette smelled amazing.
Teresa and I ended up actually ordering the same meal. We both had the filet mignon, served with crispy onion straws on top, mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies. Neither of us really wanted mashed potatoes and they happily replaced them with a baked potato. My steak was cooked perfectly, a beautiful medium rare – closer to rare, just how I had asked – and Teresa was also very happy with her medium steak. They were grilled perfectly and the seasoning didn’t take anything away from the steak; I’m always sad when my steak is coated in seasoning when all I really wanted was to taste the juicy meat.
The entire time we were there our server Bonnie was great, our waters never went low and the bread basket was always refilled. Here is a tip that the girls loved: put the pesto they give you on the raisin bread. Totally tasty and very different. I’m looking forward to going back; the patio had the best view and I’m sure the food will be just as yummy.
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