Coconuts ably fulfills potential of waterfront location

One of the queries I get frequently is for a waterfront restaurant with good food. Although they aren't impossible to find, establishments that offer both a water view and palatable food are exceedingly rare in these parts. Add in affordable and you're more likely to happen on a Florida panther.

However, one such restaurant has recently opened in North Fort Myers in the Marinatown complex on Hancock Bridge Parkway just west of U.S. 41. Coconuts Waterfront Bar & Grill occupies what used to be Hurricane Harry's and was part of Mariners Inn before that. The current management has a firm grasp on what the hospitality business is all about and delivers on its motto - "Tropical Flavor, Caribbean Soul."

What was once a room cram-packed with nautical kitsch and TVs tuned to sporting events has been classed up. There are only a few television screens now anda goodly portion of the paraphernalia has been stripped from the walls, which are now painted cheery hues of mustard and peach. Several tables have been removed, leaving ample space for live music. Comfortably upholstered chairs have replaced the old plastic ones in the dining room and on the patio beneath the thatched roof.

The new restaurant's sense of fun is evident even out front where a marker parodies the one in Key West denoting the southernmost point. This one marks the "funnestmost" point. You don't see much of the water from inside, but the screened patio sits smack up alongside the Marinatown marina and the canal that leads out to the Caloosahatchee.

I've dined at Coconuts for both lunch and dinner and found the food and service consistently good.

During a recent Sunday lunch, my companion and I enjoyed the music of a reggae duo. The music, played at a volume that didn't deafen nearby diners or preclude conversation, was upbeat and fun. There's live Dixie jazz on Wednesday nights (along with half-price bottles of wine), a Latin guitarist on Thursdays and Fridays and acoustic rock on Saturdays.

A recent Tuesday night dinner was devoid of live entertainment but enjoy-able nonetheless. We began with tropical cocktails - a frozen rum runner (Cruzan light and dark rums, blackberry brandy, banana liqueur, orange juice, grenadine, pineapple and a touch of Bacardi 151) and Harry's hurricane (Cruzan dark and light rums, fresh orange juice, pineapple and grenadine) - both of which were delicious. A third member of our party first ordered a Margarita but didn't like the taste of the mix used in it. The server readily took the drink away and off the bill, replacing it with another well-made hurricane.

FLORIDA WEEKLY PHOTOS KAREN FELDMAN Kettle cooked mahi features grilled fish and jumbo shrimp in a creamy sauce over rice that's baked in a traditional pot, a method widely used around the Caribbean. We shared an ample appetizer sampler called the Coconuts' Taster. Served in a three-tiered tray, it contained coconut shrimp, Key West conch fritters, chicken skewers, mini crab cakes, grilled shrimp skewers and Duval Street mariquitas (long fried banana chips). The platter came with four sauces: mango-guava barbecue sauce, pina colada sauce, Creole sauce and a garlicky oil. All of the items were tasty - the coconut shrimp just mildly sweet and properly fried, the conch fritters moist and well seasoned, the grilled shrimp and chicken tender with a deft application of spices, and bite-sized crab cakes possessing more crab than filler. Each was good on its own but the sauces added a touch of sweetness or spice that complemented them well.

Our entrees were even better.

I rarely eat skirt steak because of its tendency to be chewy, but the churrasco steak made from this cut was tender and juicy, with an excellent grilled flavor made all the better by a light top-ping of zesty chimichurri. A mound of buttery, tender garlic mashed potatoes accompanied the steak, serving as a mellow counterpoint to the meat.

One companion chose the kettle-cooked mahi, a traditional Caribbean-style dish. Not only was the fish baked in the kettle, it was served in it, too. A good-sized piece of fish along with jumbo shrimp sat atop white rice all dressed with a mild seafood sauce.

The best dish was called el balsero, consisting of a sweet plantain with black bean salsa, sautéed shrimp and a cognac and brown sugar reduction over rice. The sweetness of the plantain and the sauce balanced nicely with the tangy black beans and mild shrimp. The mix of textures and flavors was excellent.

We could manage but one dessert among the three of us. It was called a raspberry lemon drop and was good, if not quite up to the standard of the rest of the meal. It was a round pastry with a raspberry mousse base, layers of lemon filling and light yellow cake finished off with a whipped topping and a fresh strawberry. It was a lovely presentation and served to cleanse our palates of the various spices and copious amounts of garlic we'd just consumed.

As I mentioned previously, service was quite good throughout the meal. From the friendly greeting by the hostess to our attentive server who made sure we were satisfied with each course to the ever-vigilant server attendants who whisked away dishes as we finished them, everyone was on their toes.

I predict that Coconuts will soon have more than its share of clientele seeking the service, setting and sustenance this newcomer does a fine job of supplying.