|
 Intro
With
a charming outdoor patio as well as two stories
of small dining rooms, Ciopppino's has a prime
location on picturesque Broad Street, a most convenient
location for most tourists, and an easy walk from
most bed and breakfast town inns. The owners also
have a winter restaurant in Florida. The food
offers the general assortment of beef, fish, chicken
and pasta found in most restaurants, with the
price a little less than some of its competitors.
Ambiance  |
Outside
dining, as mentioned before, is limited on the island
and Ciopppino's patio is indeed a special asset.
The twinkle of soft white lights leading into the
garden- like patio offer an inviting setting for
dining outside on warm summer evenings. Inside the
white clapboard town house are a number of small
intimate dining rooms on several floors with murals
and pictures on the walls. Attactive table cloths
and some window tables make a comfortable choice
for cool or inclimate weather.
Food |
Our
experience this year was the same as on previous
visits. The food is good standard fare found in
most restaurants with prices which appear
to be a little less than most downtown choices.
We started with a Tuscan Mozzarella salad with roasted
peppers, prosciutto and tomatoes which was excellent.
The pan seared crabcakes with creole honey mustard
and plantain chips were heavy, not quite up to our
expectation. Two choices of fish followed. One a
thick moist piece of halibut, delicately seasoned,
which was excellent. The other, filet of sole with
crab stuffing was an unfortunate choice, so heavily
salted its flavor was spoiled. A comment was made
to the waiter who did offer to call the manager,
however, The Grey Lady, wishing to remain incognito,
declined the offering. To end the meal key lime
pie, a Florida favorite, was a good choice but nothing
out of the ordinary.
Other Observations:
We have
visited Cioppino's at least once a year and love
the outdoor setting. It was one of our favorite
choices for a midday meal but lunch is no longer
served. We had an interesting experience with
a youthful, enthusaistic waiter who astonished
us by stacking our dinner plates, one upon the
other, right on the table, adding all the other
plates and silverware, which slipped and slid
about. A moment later he returned apologizing
for not offering to wrap up unfinished portions
for "take home." Since our visit was
near the end of the season, we thought perhaps
he was a "replacement hire" and still
learning the ropes.
|
