Vero Beach Restaurants Awards it’s Editor’s Choice and TOP 5 winners for best restaurants in 2008.

We’re often asked to name the best restaurants in Vero Beach. Although this can be very subjective, some restaurants just stand out for consistent quality, solid service, great atmosphere and just seem to have all the right moves. Here are the winners!

VBR Editor’s Choice 2008

1. Maison Martinique

VBR Top 5 Restaurants 2008

1. Maison Martinique   

2. The Tides

3. Carmel’s Restaurant

4. Stella’s Italian Bistro

5. The Ocean Grill

VBR Best New Restaurants 2008

(Not considered in this year vote but watch for them in 08′-09′ )
1. Oriente - at Costa d’Este
2. The Indigo Room

How do we determine the winners?

Using our world renowned culinary benchmarking technology that precisely evaluates the gastronomic synergy between culture and cuisine, we are able to precisely evaluate flavor, methods, techniques and processes that conform to our standards of excellence. When analyzed under real-world conditions we are able to correctly and accurately recognize superior restaurants that succeed on both a sensory and molecular level. So don’t argue with our results!

On a more serious note, Determining the best of the best is not an easy task and there are many points that we feel a restaurant must hit. They include:
 

Cuisine:

Most importantly is quality of cuisine.  A home run in this area makes everything else secondary. It’s not about being seen or having the most expensive china and dinning room. It’s alway about the cuisine first. A dive serving great cuisine carries more weight than a beautiful restaurant with average food.

Service:

A general attentiveness to hospitality from being greeted to acknowledge when you leave is important. Table-side service is of primary importance. Service etiquette and general ability in wine service should be basic knowledge. 

Some bad habits that we see WAY TOO MUCH are:

• Plates should NOT be cleared before everyone at the table has finished unless requested. This goes for every course.
• Plates should be served from the left and removed from the right when possible.
• Drinks are served from the right.
• NEVER, never, never asked a guest to “hold on to silverware” from the plate to use for the next course. A fresh piece should be brought EVERY time. No exceptions.
• Never overfill a wine glass. Two to three fingers should do it.

This is basic etiquette when it comes to service and restaurants should take note. Customers should be treated as a guest, guest should behave as guests and everyone’s happy!

Menu Offerings:

A nice selection of choices is always important. Some places have great entrees but lack a variety of appetizers or only a couple of salads. And don’t forget about dessert! Desert could be the last impression of the cuisine in a restaurant and skills here should not be thought of as secondary. A balance across the menu is good to see.

Wine List:

They don’t call it “Wine and Dine” for nothing! A wine list doesn’t have to be huge but care should be given to address the major regions and varietals. Each category should offer selections that address each price range. You can tell when some thought goes into the selections and that scores big with us. And remember, wine glasses are important! A cheesy wine glass really upsets us here a VBR. They don’t need one for every type of wine but have a glass that is at least decent…please!

Atmosphere:

The general vibe of the restaurant just adds to the appeal and dinning experience. This can be very subjective and really comes down to where you feel the most comfortable. In this case it’s our opinion but we do consider a variety of items that include decor, general cleanliness, table size, table spacing, tableware, seating comfort, lighting and more.

Value:

This is obvious enough or is it? Restaurants typically justify pricing based on a number of factors seen and unseen. Everything a restaurant provides from location, staff, table clothes, tableware, quality ingredients and many more factors all go into justifying the price you pay. It’s not only about what is on your plate compared to the bill. A restaurant that is able to produce fantastic cuisine using quality ingredients in a timely manner with fine tableware, by an experienced staff, pay for the resources to do so before you even see your table. It is the balance that gives you value, perceived or not.

Agree or Disagree

Your favorite will depend on your own taste and experience. A good restaurant is a place where YOU feel comfortable dining. Taste is a personal thing so dine where you like and enjoy what you eat!

P.S. Agree? Disagree? Feel free to comment below with YOUR top five. No blasting our list without giving your top 5.

Cheers!
VBR Maitre’d
Mark Landry

Vero Beach Restaurants put together a great map of the most popular restaurants in Vero Beach. Now you know exactly where to find them. reviews»

Vero Beach Restaurants is rolling out a whole new section to verobeachrestaurants.com - “Are You A Foodie? Trivia!” Now, you can test your culinary knowledge with fun culinary trivia and find out if you have what it takes to call yourself a VeroBeachRestaurants.com Foodie.

This month We added the ALL NEW Champagne Quiz -“Don’t Pop Your Cork.” Take this 10 question challenge and see if you can get a perfect score! Win the highly prized VeroBeachRestaurants.com Champagne Challenge Banner to proudly display in your blog or website. Show it off to your co-workers, friends and family and be the talk of the town, the envy of others and the ultimate verobeachrestaurants.com Foodie of the year. Gain all the prestige and recognition YOU deserve. Men will want to be you and woman will want to be with you and everything will be perfect with your world! Well maybe that’s a stretch, but it should be fun to try to fill the bottle with each correct answer.

Check it out, it’s just a click away!

And be sure to check back for new trivia challenges to come.

Cheers!

VBR Maitre’d

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The Tides Restaurant on Cardinal drive in Vero Beach will be closing for a little more than a month starting July 27th. reviews»

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