Elegant yet comfortable is how I would describe one of the area’s finest restaurants, the Ocean Club at Horizons in the Clarion Resort Fontainebleu Hotel at 101st St. and Coastal Highway. Everyone knows the old Ocean Club at 49th St. is no more; but perhaps you didn’t know that much of the staff, including Chef Dino Jones, has joined forces with Horizons’ competent staff to offer you the very best in hospitality service and cuisine.
Already one of our favorite places to dine out, Ron and I decided to visit again to see what changes have been made since the melding of these two great restaurants. As always we were pleasantly greeted by manager Richard Heubeck as we enjoyed the view and a very lovely glass of Syrah Rock Rabbit wine. In case you’ve never visited here, I must tell you that the restaurant is located on the second floor or terrace level of the building overlooking the ocean. Particularly on a moonlit night, there’s no more beautiful spot in the world I’d rather be; the palms swaying in the breeze and moonbeams dancing off the water - sublime.
What could be better? Add a delicious dinner, of course. Where else can you enjoy a Mediterranean Hearts of Palm salad? Tender Hearts of Palm served on a bed of Romaine lettuce are tangy with a citrus vinaigrette, smoothed by slices of creamy mozarella cheese. Ron shared his Clams Casino cooked to perfection, plump and juicy. But that’s not all our chefs had in mind for us. Yes, I said chefs because Chef Jeff Faille and Chef Dino Jones joined forces in offering us something special. From Jeff we were treated to beautiful seared Ahi Tuna with a rich Teriyaki sauce and a sweet pineapple raft (created by cris-crossing strips of pineapple). Dino presented a crepe filled with sausage and tiny bits of carrots and baby asparagus with sweet ricotta scoops and cinnamon sticks to adorn. They really outdid themselves - it was sensational!
Regular diners of the Ocean Club will be happy to know that several of our favorite dishes have been added to the menu at the new location. In the Hot Appetizers section, in addition to the wonderful Stuffed Mushrooms that Ron usually orders, you’ll now also find Oysters Annapolis (my favorite, they’re topped with crab imperial and Annapolis sauce); Club’s Casino and Shrimp and Bacon Worcestershire (jumbo shrimp wrapped in bacon).
The Ocean Club house salad has been added as well; you know, that huge fresh salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, onions, almonds, mandarin oranges and croutons. I used to have that at least once a week; now I can still get it in the new Ocean Club at Horizons. This classic salad joins the classic Caesar Salad, the Hearts of Palm I already told you about and the delicious Seafood Salad that is a combination of shrimp, fresh backfin jumbo lump crabmeat, Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onions and your choice of dressing.
Don’t forget to ask about the fabulous Raw Bar, too, of Steamed Shrimp, Oysters, Alaskan Crab Legs and weekend specials. A popular Ocean Club item, the Shark Bites has now been added to the bar menu from which you may order ‘til 10 p.m.
We were so happy to see that the Veal Jameson is again available as well. This, in my assessment, was the premier entrée of the Ocean Club and our very favorite. Tender medallions of veal are sautéed and topped with jumbo gulf shrimp that have been flambéed with Irish whiskey, all finshed with an incredible mustard dill Beurre Blanc. As good as this is, I decided to go with a house exclusive, Veal Oscar, another favorite land and sea combo. The tender escallops of veal were lightly sautéed, then topped with crabmeat, spears of tender white asparagus, and finished with a delectable sauce Béarnaise. This was so good I ate every last delicious morsel on my plate - superb!