Grace’s Cottage Reviewed March / April 2010
Romantic terrace or gazebo seating at Grace’s Cottage
Indulge your senses and go back in time where romance and nostalgia flourish and where elegance is personified at Point Grace Resort. A meandering path through lush and verdant gardens illuminated with Tiki torches winds its way to an irresistible Caribbean ‘cottage’ – Grace’s Cottage, resplendent with charm, complete with gingerbread trim. An impressive and exquisitely carved mahogany bar is the cottage’s focal point that leads to al fresco dining on the whimsical terrace, beneath dreamy gazebos or under nature’s spectacular sky.
Crispy Scallop on Pickled Vegetables with Wasabi Mayonnaise
Grace’s Cottage is one of those absolutely memorable and idyllic dining experiences destined for the special archives of your vacation memories. In fact, while musing over the inimitable atmosphere of sheer romance, one of my dining companions eagerly and passionately admitted, ‘It makes you want to take your wife home!’ This is an evening you want to last forever... unparalleled ambiance, fabulous cuisine and attentive, impeccable service.
Distinguishing himself as an ‘inventive new wave classically trained culinary virtuoso’ Executive Chef Vincent Poitevin showcases a provocative and intriguing menu; a fusion cuisine employing Caribbean cooking styles featuring a combination of fresh local ingredients in perfect harmony with carefully selected imported elements inspired by his worldwide travels as a chef through France, St. Maarten, Spain and Switzerland.
Diver Scallops wrapped in Bacon on Coconut Turnips
To appease your appetite during menu deliberations, the aroma of fresh baked bread arouses your palate with a basket of warm, assorted breads and rolls served with EVOO and balsamic, and a ‘they should bottle and sell that’ flavoured butter spread made with cheese, Italian sausage, peppers, onions, garlic and tomato. This was an incredible condiment as it oozed and melted into the luxuriously crusty rolls. An Amuse Bouche of puff pastry stuffed with a crab meat salad was light, flakey and delightfully tasty.
Tuna and Foie Gras wrap in Nori Tempura with Smoke Pepper Coulis
Besotted with choices, appetiser selections range from Grilled Fois Gras, Seafood Risotto, Thai Shellfish Bisque, Watercress and Potato Velouté and Baby Beet and Goat Cheese Salad – and those are the dishes we have to return for! My dining companion’s Spicy Tuna Martini was proclaimed ‘a fabulous combination’ with chunks of fresh tuna and avocado and a wonderful seaweed salad flaunting just the right amount of heat. Crispy Scallops piqued my palate amidst its accompanying condiments – a wasabi mayonnaise and sweet soy lime sauce. Perfectly crispy outside and tender inside these marvelous mollusks lounged on a bed of tangy pickled vegetables fashioning a most memorable combination of textures and tastes. Across the table the Confit Duck Spring Rolls garnered numerous accolades for the liberal duck filling, its excellent crunch and the orange Szechuan dipping sauce that was extremely complimentary to the duck with just the right intensity. As soon as I discovered the Potato Gnocchi appetiser, I knew my husband need look no further. As soon as I discovered it was served with a Gorgonzola cream sauce I knew he would be in culinary nirvana... topping it with truffle oil... need I say more? I knew I would have to get my fork in fast if there was any chance of procuring a morsel of this ‘amazing’ dish – complex flavours deemed ‘to–die–for’.
The light fruitiness of a 2005 Sancerre Pinot Noir was the perfect partner to our appetiser selections; followed by a more full–bodied Pinot from California to accompany our entrees. A 2007 Belle Glos Meiomi Pinot Noir was a deep, earthy red exuding complexity and intensity; a significant contrast from its French counterpart.
Duxelle Encrusted Rack of Lamb on Wild Mushroom Risotto
Utterly intoxicated with my entrée selection, I was genuinely at a loss for words the moment the Duxelle Encrusted Rack of Lamb grazed my palate. Duxelle is simply a savoury paste created by sautéing minced mushrooms, onions and/or shallots in butter until all the liquid has evaporated. It has an incredibly concentrated and pleasurable earthy taste and when called upon to swathe the tender rack of lamb, I could not stop gushing about it... after its inevitable and complete demise. I called upon the astute talents of Chef Vincent when it came to ‘doneness’ and he certainly nailed the entire dish. The fact that it was served atop a wild mushroom risotto only sent me over the epicurean edge – creamy, rich and nutty – the risotto was the ultimate accomplice. And as I muse over over this unforgettable culinary coup d’ état I can say without a shred of ambiguity that this was indeed the most incredible lamb I have yet to experience. In my faraway state of preoccupation, I almost completely neglected my dining companions as they extolled and praised the virtues of their entrée selections. Notably, my husband’s Pan–Seared Duck Breast – duck is in a class all its own... the consummate and singular textures and flavours of this dish were only further enhanced by a delicious and unexpected aromatic cinnamon demi–glace and a cumin carrot mash. A fresh and lively tropical fruit salsa was a perfect bed–fellow to the Grilled Swordfish Steak coercing this diner to rave of the Chef’s ability to ‘grill to perfection’ and of the accompanying Portobello and parsley mashed potatoes. An enthusiastic and animated thumbs–up went to the Diver Scallops –hand selected and plucked from the ocean floor one–by–one, diver scallops tend to be less gritty, and are of course, more eco–friendly. Plump and succulent these scallops were wrapped in bacon proffering lovely, smoky flavours, set on a bed of coconut turnips and served with a fragrant and delightful tonka apple reduction.
Grilled Swordfish Steak on Portobello and Parsley Mashed Potatoes
To conclude this culinary profusion of edible pleasures, we were together unreservedly tantalised by one other entrée selection which we voted to share, Tuna and Foie Gras Wrap. This was no commonplace run–of–the–mill wrap... this was undeniably a titillation for the tastebuds. Melt in your mouth tender tuna and foie gras – a decadent delicacy wrapped in nori tempura and perched upon a crunchy and refreshing vegetable slaw with a dramatic and unique tasting smoke pepper coulis.
Further deliberations for our future dining experiences include several local seafood selections including island grouper and South Caicos red snapper, pastas, stuffed breast of chicken and beef filet mignon; each featuring its own gorgeous and apropos accoutrements to impress even the most critical of connoisseurs.
Engage in an ambrosial offering of beguiling desserts including a Traditional Chocolate Soufflé, a Seasonal Berry Tartlet or Three Layer Chocolate Mousse with a strawberry flambé... just to name a few.
If you have a love affair with fine cuisine like I do, experience Grace’s Cottage... where romance is indeed in the air, and on the palate; an enchanting and unforgettable evening of dining pleasures.
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