Dinner with a sunset

It has been a month since I last posted but I have become involved in a home project that is taking a lot of my time. I plan to start posting about this project, so, for now, I will leave it as a mystery.

My latest new Restaurant was a trip to the Coconut Cove Cafe in Melbourne Beach. I went with my good friend Mac Monroe, who loves German food and had been trying to get me to go here for the last six months. I finally agreed while inebriated on Tuesday (another possible post subject) and we headed out on Thursday. Mac had told me to bring my camera for the sunset but the weather looked cloudy when he picked me up so I left the camera at home. I am still regretting it this morning as I write this. Dumb and Dumber!  I did the best I could with my phone camera, which is not of high quality.  Below is the cafe as seen from the parking lot. Yes, it just looks like some one's big house.

Coconut Cove Cafe in Melbourne Beach, Florida

As I mentioned, I went with Mac Monroe. Normally, Mac would have brought his wife but tonight it was just the two of us. As you can see from this picture at our table, the sunset was going to be nice and all I had was my phone. I apologize now for all future photos being low quality. Dumb, dumb, dumb...

Mac Monroe at Coconut Cove Cafe

Patrons taking sunset photos

Being a German restaurant, Mac ordered a Doppelbock Dunkel and I ordered a large Warsteiner pilsner for our before dinner drinks.

People started to go outside to take pictures so I caught them from my chair. Mac's head on the left and that is not an alien ship in the sky but the reflection of a light in the window. Even with my phone camera, I needed to go outside to catch a photo or two which I have included below.

Sunset at the Coconut Cove Cafe dock (rower on right of dock)

Sunset at the Coconut Cove Cafe dock (rower on left of dock)

As the sun finished setting, our waitress, Christine, brought us our appetizer.  I wanted to try the liver pate and Mac had no problem with that.  A large mound of home made Pate came with two kinds of bread and two kinds of crackers to spread it on.  There was also some mustard, chopped red onions, sweet & sour pickles, sliced cherry tomatoes, sliced pear and a few slices of pepperoncinis.  It was really good and complemented our beers.

Liver Pate Appetizer (half gone because eating makes me forget to take a picture)

We decided we would get a bottle of wine for dinner, and Mac was the perfect person for choosing. They have an extensive wine list which I know little about being that I was raised on Boone's Farm apple.  I do occasionally drink wine but Mac is actually an expert wine and beer taster and judge. So why would I not use his expertise. We ordered our meal and wine from Christine. The first course was a salad.

Votre Sante'

The wine was Pinot Noir from Francis Ford Coppola called Votre Sante'. I think it was 2013. I liked it very much.

The salad was actually a combination of things. There was a simple green salad with house dressing, a pickled beet (reminded me of the Dog Team; another future post), a coleslaw and a vinegar cucumber salad. It was very refreshing and it went well with the hot rolls and herbed butter that I did not get a picture of.




For the main entree, Mac had ordered a Wiener Schnitzel and I ordered the Rouladen plate.  The menu described it as:

• "Rouladen (Sliced Beef, Rolled and stuffed with seasoned meat and onion, brown gravy), Bratwurst, Red Cabbage, Potato Puff."

Rouladen on the left, Bratwurst on the right, red cabbage (which was sweet) at the top and the Potato Puff in the middle. A vegetable was brought in a separate bowl but this was a treat so I tried not to remember what it was. Hey, I had a salad!

Rouladen plate at Coconut Cove Cafe (with a piece of Mac's Schnitzel)

Of course, the meal was excellent, and I was full, but, there is always room for dessert at a fancier restaurant. So Mac ordered a double espresso for the drive home and then we each ordered our own dessert.

Desserts at Coconut Cove Cafe

I ordered the Apple Strudel ala mode (it is a German restaurant) and Mac ordered the Black Forest Cake which had whole cherries in it.  The strudel was hot out of the oven and it was divine.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience, even without my camera. I give the place a 5 (Exceptional), the first I have given. I was going to give it a four but why blame the place for me not bringing the camera. Also, the sunset is what put it at five. If anyone else would like to try some German food with the potential of a beautiful sunset over the Indian River, let me know. Mac and I may let you join us.