Concepts on Highland
3½ stars
Where: 1437 Highland Ave., Melbourne (downtown Eau Gallie)
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday
Call: 321-610-7987
Other: The old bank building in which the restaurant resides is a beautiful space and offers a unique place for a party to dine — the old vault. The eatery also is open for lunch.
The old bank at the corner of Highland Avenue and Eau Gallie Boulevard in the budding Eau Gallie Arts District has been a tough location for several restaurants. Still, it’s a beautiful space, and I hope the new Concepts on Highland makes a go of it.
The restaurant certainly shows promise, and for the most part, we were happy with our meal. It began with light, crusty, warm bread, and complimentary wine, since the restaurant was on the eve of getting its wine and beer license. It should have it by the time this review appears, according to our server.
The menu is pretty simple, with enough choices, but not too many. It sports fine-dining prices and such dishes as seared sashimi tuna and pan-seared Maryland crabcakes as appetizers, and blackened mahi and seared Atlantic salmon as entrees. However, the name “Concepts” puzzled us, as there wasn’t anything unfamiliar or daring on the list. It’s all pretty traditional, really.
We ordered a couple of the appetizers — spinach and artichoke dip ($6), which was a little too heavy on cream cheese, and Garlic Shrimp Crustinis ($7). The latter were nice, served with pineapple salsa and a drizzle of mojito creme fraiche, but the tails left on the shrimp proved awkward when eating these constructions built on small bread rounds. There are a few salads on the menu; I got the baby spinach salad ($8), which was delicious with its dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, maple vinaigrette and apples, topped by a puck of fried goat cheese.
Then came the entrees. Our friends really enjoyed theirs — one got the herb roasted chicken breast ($16) and declared it “awesome.” I had a taste of the accompanying mashed potatoes, which were happily accented with chopped basil. A drizzle of balsamic reduction set off the flavors well. And her husband was happy with the red snapper special, topped with crabmeat.
My husband, meanwhile, did well with the Sterling Silver Steak Au Poivre ($26). The steak was topped by a brandy-pepper sauce; the peppercorns’ flavor expanded from a touch of cocoa to sharp pepper, complementing the meat well. And I loved those buttery mashed potatoes. My entree, however, was a disappointment. The shrimp in the shrimp scampi ($18) lacked the firm texture and fresh taste I expected. And the dish, punctuated by plump cherry tomatoes, was overwhelmed by lemon, so much so that I couldn’t even taste the garlic. I declined to finish it.
Desserts are in the $5 to $6 range. We finished with the decent “Death” chocolate cake with ganache and whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream with mixed berry sauce. The sauce, made in-house, was lovely, though mixed berry led me to believe I might spot some actual berries.
Concepts on Highland is in a good spot, and it has good potential. With luck, it will grow with the neighborhood.
Contact Kridler at 321-242-3633 or ckridler@floridatoday.com.
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