Drove 35 minutes from Orient to Cupecoy to meet our Saba friends for diner at Mario's
It was nice to be seated before dark as it does have a lovely ocean view but disappeared quickly as the sun set
Mario greeted us as he was sitting in his usual bar seat awaiting fthe first orders of the evening, pretty sure he wasn't onto his glass of wine yet Most of us in the restaurant industry do enjoy our wine
We have always had very good service in the past and this meal's service was excellent as well while we had a new female server to us we were greeted by our past server who we sometimes see out and about in other restaurants
Mario's runs a bit more costly than other restaurants but his portions are also a bit larger
He does offer some unusual combinations that the norm
My wife selected a seared tuna and wahoo appetizer with the wahoo being the star I reordered the combination of mahi ceviche, shrimp tempura / pineapple cocktail sauce, petite crab cake / mango chutney and duck taco with hoisin sauce Both appetizers were priced at $30.00 maybe a little steep but both were enjoyed
off the menu my wife enjoy the pistachio crusted mahi with a pumpkin risotto croquette I ordered the special of tuna topped with gorgonzola, while the fish was cooked properly the cheese just didn't work for me both entrees in the $40 range
We shared the macaron dessert which featured a large chocolate macaron served on warm chocolate along with two smaller macarons and a scoop of pistachio ice cream we both enjoyed sharing dessert
15% service is included but left both servers a bit for their first drink on vacation which we bill starting at the end of the week
while not an inexpensive night, it was worth the trip and priceless to spend time with our friends
since i was the only one drinking wine and went by the glass if memory recalls me, all wines I enjoyed were French, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir all were good, although the whites like almost every where were chilled just a too much for my liking
you can taste a good wine so much better when at proper temperature It's one thing really shows a restaurant cares about their wine by the glass
Last night at Le Pressoir, the wines were proper temperature
Back at home at my favorite restaurant, my waitress pours my wife white while I am enjoying my first cocktail
Always enjoyed Mario's in the past. I wasn't too thrilled with the current location though so haven't returned since two years ago. Last year our great find was in Sandy Ground but I can't seem to remember the name at the moment. We sat outside at water's edge early enough to catch some sunset and watch Air France take off across the water from where we sat, Food excellent; extensive wine list. I posted last year here. Great souflee too.
Ooh, the mahi & risotto dish sounds divine. Thanks for the pics and report. RonDon - I have always been curious about La Cigale because the photos I've seen of the dining area look lovely.
