6th & 7th New Restaurant of 2017

When my brother Tom was visiting, I forgot to mention that we went out to eat and stopped at a new restaurant. This was the sixth one of the year for me, keeping on my biweekly schedule. Located in Indian Harbour Beach, we went to Brano's Italian Grill. It was St Patrick's Day and we had spent the afternoon at Meg O'Malleys. I had gone home for a nap and realized when I woke that we had not eaten. Not sure where to go, I asked Tom if he liked Italian and he said yes.

It was not too crowded and we decided to sit on the open-air deck. There was a woman playing guitar and many romantic couples. It was okay, I love my brother. Problem was I did not bring my camera or phone so no pictures. We started with the Escargots Appetizer (Antipasti) with the menu explaining nothing:

"Baked snails with garlic, butter, and parmesan."

It did come with little pieces of bread and was very delicious. We ordered our entrees, Tom ordered off the traditional section. His entree was the Sauage and Peppers. Again the menu description was very simple:

"Baked in the oven covered with melted cheese. Served with spaghetti."

I ordered off the seafood section and got the Blackened Tilapia, Shrimp, and Scallops. The menu did not glorify it:

"Tilapia with shrimp and scallops served with mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables."

Other then the menu being understated in food descriptions, there were photos in the menu that gave a better idea of what you were going to get. I am not sure why they had the words. "The burnt toast is toast that is burnt." But I will say, all our food was excellent with large portions. Tom could not finish his.

So I give Brano's Italian Grill a 3.5 (Goot to Excellent). They have some interesting choices on the menu so I know I will be back to try them. Probably wii do lunch if they are open.

The seventh new restaurant of the year was located in Cocoa Beach on A1A. The place was familiar to me since my name is on the wall at the original, it is a second Coasters from the same owners called Coasters Taphouse...

Coasters Taphouse in Cocoa Beach

Walking into the place, it was hard not to make comparisons to the Coasters located in Melbourne between the Walmart and Winn Dixie. It seems a little bigger but the decor seemed unfinished. The walls are covered with things in Melbourne but this place had mostly TVs. A great thing is the bar is very large with lots of bar stools....

Beer Taps at the new Coasters Taphouse

The taps have all the same handle which they can write on. Problem was it was hard to read from my seat so I had to go to the beer menu for selections. I did tell the bartender Chris my choice for a beer type and he made three suggestions and gave me a small sample of each. I really like the sample glasses...

Three sample glasses at Coasters Taphouse

All three selections were good and I choose the Gaelic IPA. Of course, the keg blew as he was pouring my beer. Luckily Chris finished the tap off and was able to give me a full beer. I could not order a second because they were out.

From my bar seat, it looked as if the kitchen is more spacious than the Melbourne bar...

Kitchen as seen from bar in Coasters Taphouse

The place was kind of empty but it was Sunday afternoon and the beaches were packed. Why sit in a bar when the weather is so beautiful? I did catch a shot of the dining area from my bar stool perspective...

Dining Area at the new Coaster Taphouse in Cocoa Beach

I talked to the bartender Chris for a bit. He was a graduate from Full Sail in Orlando and has the same Canon camera as me. I showed him some of my photos and he told me about a project where he was creating a web page and he needed photos. We exchanged emails and phone numbers. Here is a photo of Chris....

Chris the bartender at Coasters Taphouse

After a few beers, I visited the men's room and found how they refill the kegs...

Urinal at Coasters Taphouse

It was opening day in baseball and the Rays were beating the Yankees in Tampa. The game was on the TV behind the bar. As you can see, they have a full liquor license that goes with their beer and wine license.

TV behind bar at Coasters Taphouse

I was hungry and planned to try an appetizer. Just like in Melbourne, they have a specials menu. If you visit either Coasters, I recommend taking a look at the specials before the regular menu to see what items they have. This is not the best photo in the world but it gets the jist of the menu. I did not order the kangaroo burger because the last time I did (last October in Melbourne) it jumped off the bun...Ha ha!

Special Menu at Coasters Taphouse

The bar is covered with coasters just like in Melbourne. I did not asked if there were repeats. There are two at the original bar. I did talk to the manger. her name was Diane and very nice. We talked about the VIP card, which they do not honor in Cocoa Beach. She said the two businesses are separate. She sells certificates but they are only good  at their establishment.

The coasters bar at Coasters Taphouse

I did order some food. I tried the Reggae Shrimp which is wonderful if you like curry. There were 18 shrimp in the serving (appetizer) and it filled me up.  You can order it as a meal with two sides including cheesy grits as a choice I recommend.

Reggae Shrimp at Coasters Taphouse

I was very happy with my experience at the Coasters Taphouse. I give this place a 3.5 also. Good to Excellent. I know I can stop here when I visit the port for launches or photo runs. Too bad my name is not on the wall...Hey, that is what the walls are missing!