Good things come in small packages - yet 'good' hardly seems an appropriate adage when the focus of thought is on Bay Bistro. Oozing with charm and definitively intimate, at Bay Bistro virtually every table is the best table in the house. This gastronomical gem is nestled beachfront, closer to the beach than any other restaurant on Grace Bay Beach on the grounds of the 28-room Sibonne Beach Hotel, also oozing with charm and definitively intimate, a rare and quintessential island getaway.
Now bordered by large scale development, this restaurant and hotel remain one of the last of the true originals -- unpretentious and casual, preserving and nurturing what their loyal following of guests and local residents have consistently come to expect and anticipate . fine island dining with an elegant twist, in a mellow and relaxing atmosphere on one of the top ten beaches in the world where picture-perfect postcard views are on the house for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Warm, tropical breezes effortlessly cool and surround you in the open-air dining room, accompanied by the soothing sounds of the waves lapping the shore just steps away. Palm trees exude a pure and natural feel with lovely illuminated table lanterns, and cozy, rattan furniture that set the perfect mood for a languid, unhurried dining experience.
Head Chef, Craig McNeil has created an exciting and appealing menu, with an accent on international flavours with a Caribbean flair with an emphasis on fresh ingredients featuring Caicos seafood, with a few unexpected and unconventional influences. Jamaican born Junior Brown is a fixture at the bar - Junior's Bar, where he creates many an unusual libation with an unorthodox means of service . it could be said that Junior is famous for 'using his head'!
Following a round of Junior's cocktails, our dining experience began with Jerk Chicken Salad and Tuna Tartare, compliments of the Chef. Served on crispy toasts, the jerk chicken salad packed great tastes and textures with that authentic and genuine jerk flavour. Wonderfully spiced, the delicate tuna tartare sat atop a crisp cucumber slice. A basket of warm, glazed rolls baked on site whetted our appetite while we succumbed to the always daunting and arduous task of having to choose, further burdened by the consideration of the Evening's Specials, under the boundless patience and ever-present smile of our server, Nathalie.
May I begin by saying 'all conch chowders are not created equal'. An abundance of conch chowders grace just about every island menu but each Chef has his or her own adaptation, technique and secret. That said, the Smoked Conch Chowder at Bay Bistro was touted as having a 'Scottish influence'. Say no more, I was definitely intrigued. A steaming 'stick to your ribs' bowl of decadently thick, rich chowder was abundant with big chunks of tender, local conch with leeks, potato and smoked bacon with incredible aromas! Still pondering the Scottish influence (some members of our party were musing that perhaps there was a shot of Scotch in it!) Chef Craig McNeil made an appearance. As soon as he began to speak there was no doubt as to the origins of the 'Scottish influence', furthered by our discovery that his inspiration to create the chowder stems from his roots in Scotland, where Cullen Skink is a soup specialty, named after the wee town of Cullen where traditionally, it is made with smoked haddock. The Princess Conch and Mushroom Crepes with roasted red pepper pesto and cream sauce were simply to die for - delicate, wafer thin crepes stuffed with sweet and succulent conch coupled with the perfect contrast -- earthy and savoury mushrooms won this dish 3rd place at the Conch Festival. The Chili Lobster Salad was an amazing and memorable combination of flavours, textures and temperatures, served on a bed of mixed greens in a pleasantly piquant mustard vinaigrette. The Roasted Vegetable and Goat Cheese Tart is the culmination of an inimitable union of smoky, roasted vegetables and rich and creamy goat cheese served in a light and flaky tart creating intense, bold flavours served atop a bed of mixed greens and oven-dried tomatoes. The Bouillabaisse, a veritable meal in itself was brimming with generous chunks of mussels, shrimp, grouper, snapper and yellow-fin tuna swimming in a deep red saffron and tomato broth with a slab of crunchy garlic bread to soak up every drop. For yet another glorious synthesis of flavours, try the Pear and Blue Cheese Salad - robust and strong-willed blue cheese flavours and cool, crisp pears are a match made in heaven served on mixed greens, topped with crunchy, toasted walnuts and a splash of raspberry vinaigrette.
Our entrées embraced Bay Bistro's focus on fresh seafood - I opted for the Coconut Crusted Conch with a mango chutney and a delightful, lemongrass curry sauce. Coconut and curry create an ambrosial marriage of tastes and coupled with the delicate, light sauce it was the perfect accompaniment to the spicy but palatable heat of the curry, with a cool and refreshing mango chutney. Fillets of Mahi Mahi were grilled to perfection and served with gingered bok choy, crispy noodles and wasabi butter, a daring yet exotic and pungent medley of tastes from the East. A rich and creamy Lemon Buerre Blanc accompanies the Pan Fried Grouper, succulent and moist served on a bed of ricotta gnocchi. And last of the seafood . but certainly not least, the special of the evening, a grilled Swordfish steak that simply melted in your mouth, with a generously pleasing proliferation of capers evident in the lemon caper butter. Pure presentation of brilliant colors stacked in a dramatic 'tower' make up the Vegetable Tart entrée . not to be confused with the appetiser tart, this is main course material. Roasted red peppers, grilled zucchini and aubergine are piled high on a flaky, melt-in-your-mouth puff pastry shell filled with ratatouille and smothered in melted Brie with a tantalizingly ravishing suffusion of fresh pesto and a balsamic vinaigrette. This complex creation could almost convert the most committed of carnivores to vegetarianism!
A Stags Leap 2004 Merlot from the Napa Valley perfectly enhanced all of our fruits de mer and beyond, with intense and earthy flavours, featuring strong berry and chocolate with a long and lovely finish.
And for the finale - desserts you dare not dismiss! Coconut Cheesecake, Crème Brulee, Key-Lime Pie topped with mango coulis, Flourless Chocolate Torte with vanilla ice-cream, a Warm Banana Tart with butterscotch sauce and rum raisin ice-cream . just to name a few, augmented by a lavish selection of after-dinner drinks.
At Bay Bistro, the pleasure doesn't have to end after coffee and dessert . enjoy a front-row, uninterrupted view of one of Provo's infamous and spectacular sunrises over breakfast or their popular weekend brunch . leisurely lunches lounging over the freshest of salads and delish casual fare served with a side of the ineffable panoramic view of Grace Bay Beach in all its afternoon splendour . all in the unforgettably charming and intimate ambience which is the incomparable Bay Bistro.
By Mandy Rostance-Wolf
Reprinted from "Where When How - Turks & Caicos Islands"
November/December 2007
