Magnolia Restaurant Reviewed May / June 2008
Magnolia Restaurant & Wine Bar sits high overlooking Turtle Cove
Each evening the shores of Grace Bay Beach draw throngs of eager spectators, a congregation of cameras at the ready in anticipation of Mother Nature’s spectacular nightly show. While there is no doubt a Grace Bay sunset is absolutely awe-inspiring; it’s certainly not the only show in town. Some of the best view seats ‘in the house’ are found above and beyond Grace Bay Beach at Magnolia Restaurant & Wine Bar at the Miramar Resort. Guaranteed to whet your appetite, the panoramic hilltop views are simply stunning and breathtaking – and after the sun seemingly plummets into the depths of the hills, the lights of Provo ignite, illuminating and embracing not only the infamous crescent of Grace Bay, but also Turtle Cove Marina, her admirable yachts and far-reaching sailboat masts, and the lovely, curvaceous stretch of the Blue Hills coastline.
Sesame Tempura Shrimp Appetiser
The rustic and nostalgic bygone days of Provo endure in the appealing hand cut native stonewalls that Magnolia has called home since 2002. Manifesting age and beauty with a distinctively stylish edge, it is a historic privilege afforded to only a few island-dining establishments. This is indeed the essence of al fresco dining; foxtail palms encircled in sparkling lights and lush tropical foliage, all oscillated by the luscious tropical breezes. Intimate and mellow, delight in a cocktail on the bar deck followed by dining on an expansive two-tiered deck allowing a virtually unobstructed sweeping view, with cosmopolitan touches like floor to ceiling drapes in flaming crimson and gold brushed plate chargers. Beautifully bound menus proffer an elegant selection of international cuisine with a compelling splash of Caribbean influences complemented by evening specials, all with an emphasis on ‘uncomplicated cuisine’ using fresh, local products.
The wine list could better be described as an anthology, a comprehensive and impressive collection, indulging the wine connoisseur, and equally befitting those with a more cavalier approach. Each wine features its label, a brief description and even the Wine Spectator score. Wine suggestions are also made with many menu items for your consideration.
Magnolia’s Signature Dish, Cracked Pepper & Sesame Crusted Seared Tuna is revered island wide
While musing over the menu offerings, a basket of crusty bread was served with cruets of balsamic vinegar and olive oil to decant on your plate — saturating the crusty bread in the intense combination of flavours was a perfect beginning to awaken our palates. Several evening appetizer specials caught our eye together with their regular menu items. If you simply can’t decide, I highly recommend the Magnolia Sample Platter for Two, featuring four of their celebrated appetizers. My husband ravished the evening special of Mulligatawny Soup, an Indian-style curried chicken and rice soup with generous chunks of chicken and a subtle and subdued curry flavour, which was “gone... with pleasure!” My dining companion opted for the Samosa special; three very ample sized vegetable filled puff pastry ‘envelopes’ served with a Greek yoghurt dip that she claimed was “fabulous”. The Sesame Tempura Shrimp was a trio of pleasingly plump and succulent shrimp, “no wimpy shrimp here” in a light and flaky tempura batter served on a giant crispy pappadum with a sweet and sour drizzle. Slow roasting tomatoes, or just about anything else for that matter produces a depth and intensity of flavour that is simply incredible. Magnolia’s Roasted Tomato, Red Onion and Mozzarella stack was exactly that – incredible! A beautiful ‘stacked’ presentation on a bed of mixed greens, it was served with the perfect accompaniment, a balsamic reduction. Forceful and vivid flavours of the slow roasted tomatoes and onions were an ambrosial match with the smooth, creamy and delicate flavour of mozzarella, a fantastic fusion of flavours and the perfect prelude to my Beef Tenderloin entrée, likewise rich in profound flavours.
Frozen Amaretto and Chocolate Moussecake
While digesting and discussing the many attributes of our appetizers, along with all the recognizable and sophisticated new touches at Magnolia, our palates lingered over the last drops of an absolutely memorable 2004 La Crema Pinot Noir, a marvellous complement to our first course selections, rich and velvety with a long finish.
Feeling completely relaxed and at ease, we were enamoured with our evening view complete with the added bonus of a new moon, which in our collective opinion can be comparably just as stunning as a full moon. Perfectly timed, our entrees arrived... remember those profound flavours I just talked about? A large portion of Beef Tenderloin, perfectly grilled medium-rare, was accompanied by a voluptuous red wine jus and simply melted in my mouth. Just as roasting produces those deep and intense flavours, a red wine jus is made by reducing, creating those same dynamic flavours. A to-die-for Blue Cheese Risotto was the piece de resistance to this meal, with that unmistakable nutty risotto taste packed with the superb pungency of blue cheese. The Proscuitto Wrapped Chicken Breast with Jasmine rice was a winner – a very large ‘augmented’ chicken breast imparted delicate smoky flavours compliments of the prosciutto with a Marinara sauce that made this dish exceptionally well balanced. Magnolia’s signature dish, Cracked Pepper & Sesame Crusted Seared Tuna is revered island wide, and is a perennial favourite of my dinner companion who goes so far as to claim that Magnolia undeniably has “the corner on tuna”. Once it passes your lips it simply mollifies on your tongue, together with the perfect marriage of the soy ginger sauce. The final entrée was an evening special, Lobster & Fresh Herb Tossed Linguini with roasted red onions and roasted garlic and olive oil. Confounded yet again by that inimitable and what has now become an almost predictable silence... followed by an ingenuous and unfeigned “wow”, I have decided that my dining companion leaves her synopsis to as few words as possible so as not to distract her from her task at hand. I did finally manage to pry out of her that, “whatever is infused in this lobster is sensational!” A 2005 Roux Pere & Fils Pommard enhanced all of our cuisine, robust and meaty – an excellent accomplice for our powerful entrée flavours.
Vanilla Roasted Strawberries with Sweet Red Wine Reduction on Vanilla Ice Cream
Impassioned and energetic flavours go on to encompass the final course, dessert. I was enticed by the evening special of Tequila and Lime Baked Pineapple Wedge with homemade papaya sorbet – a merger made in heaven, the marked flavours of the pineapple, tequila and lime were perfectly tamed with the sweet and refreshing sorbet. My companion’s trio of sorbets mango, papaya and blackberry were in a word, “delightful”, and the Frozen Amaretto and Chocolate Moussecake was divinity on a dish. We topped it off with cappuccino – Magnolia insists on serving the best when it comes to java, Lavazza coffee. Luxuriate in specialty coffees like ‘Magnolia’ with Bailey’s and Kahlua, or a selection of ports, dessert wines, cognacs, after-dinner drinks and liqueurs – garnished with a selection of fine cigars.
Our compliments to the chef and to our hosts, owners and long-time restaurateurs Tracey & Gianni Caporuscio, for a truly memorable dining experience and a visually enchanting evening. While our appetites for cuisine were now quite satiated, it was unanimously agreed that we could gaze out endlessly at Magnolia’s exclusive and ineffable views, and never be full!
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