Is there a more visible sign of the business economy than those ugly “For Lease” signs pasted in the windows of once-favored restaurants? That’s what greeted us recently when we turned into the Fisherman’s Wharf Plaza in Jupiter and saw that Marc’s Chophouse was no longer there.
Fortunately, another first-rate restaurant has moved into the complex.
Occupying the circle-shaped building in the plaza’s middle is Jupiter Island Grill, which should immediately be a destination for anybody seeking both a refined- yet-casual atmosphere and an adventurous chef in the kitchen.
It’s rare that I find a place where I simply can’t decide what I want to sample on the menu because I really want to sample everything on the menu. Luckily, I live nearby because I will be returning often to Jupiter Island Grill.
Principal owner Tim Bach and co-owner Louis Di Martini have taken this home to previous failed eateries and created an elegant, multi-leveled space defined by dark wood and tropical motifs, from the hurricane shutter windows on top of the centerpiece bar to the gentle strains of island and Jimmy Buffett music wafting from the speakers.
The food ranges from moderate to semi-expensive, but it’s worth it.
Chef Michael Joseph Rolchigo has a basic menu of seafood, steaks, chicken and pasta, but the dishes are presented with flair and a creative touch for mingling ingredients. He also presents a nightly list of specials that are as tempting as the main dishes.
On a recent evening, with a fun buzz of conversation bouncing off the walls, we settled in to our first difficult decision: Which of the 11 appetizers to try?
We went for a plate of Baked St. Andre Brie ($12). The brie is flash-fried with panko crumbs as a shell to give it a light but firm consistency, and topped with a stone fruit chutney, served with baguette toast and sliced apples and drizzled with honey. I have never been a fan of brie, but I had never had it like this before. Call me a convert.
Another excellent appetizer was the Maryland Jumbo Crab and Shrimp Martini ($15), a serving of jumbo shrimp and large lumps of crabmeat in a tall cocktail glass, with a lemon herb cocktail sauce. It was cool and flirty, the perfect island setup.
They also offer a soup of the day. On one visit, we had the Italian wedding soup ($5), which was light and flavorful, but sort of ordinary in a place where we quickly expected to be wowed by every dish. It was our only disappointment, and a mild one at that.
The restaurant has a nice wine list. We enjoyed a glass of Pinot Grigio Stellina ($14) and a mojito ($8), which mixed well with complimentary flatbreads served with dips of tomato salsa and mashed white beans.
The entrees follow a pattern: a piece of meat, a type of rice or potatoes and one vegetable, usually asparagus. On two visits, we tried two excellent fish courses, one on the menu and one as a nightly special. The Cajun-grilled mahi-mahi ($19) was cooked perfectly, and enhanced by a flavorful topping of mango pineapple salsa and a side of coconut basmati rice (though the coconut was a bit hard to detect).
The special we tried was even better: The island grouper ($32) was a moist, flavorful chunk of fish, but served with blueberries and a vinaigrette-type sauce on top and a round cake of Israeli couscous, which (our knowledgeable waitress explained) is a bit bigger than the normal couscous. I would have never considered grouper and blueberries, but this is simply heaven on a plate. If you see this on their special board, I highly recommend it.
One of the restaurant’s specialties is pan-roasted diver scallops ($24), the large scallops served with a wild mushroom risotto and black truffle essence. Unfortunately, I am allergic to mushrooms, so I asked whether the Surf and Turf meal that featured a lobster tail could be switched out with their diver scallops sans mushroom and truffles, which I wanted to try.
Here is why I like what they’re doing at Jupiter Island Grill: The waitress said she had to check with the chef first. Not just to swap out a dish, but to make sure that the scallops and steak would complement each other. The right blend of flavors is foremost on the minds of the culinary team here.
Lucky me. The 8-oz. filet mignon was tender, cooked with just the right amount of pink inside. That would be enough. But there were also the three large scallops, with a light, coconut glazing and served with a maple-spiced butternut squash veloute, or as our helpful waitress again explained, a butternut squash soup reconfigured as a sauce. The mingling of the scallop, the coconut and the tasty sauce, well, words don’t do it justice. The Surf and Turf, at $48, is the big-ticket item on the menu. But, again, it’s worth it.
There shouldn’t be room for dessert. But who can deny a crème brûlée tasting, three small dishes of coconut, passion fruit and strawberry rum ($10), to top off an evening? They also have an excellent, but sinfully rich, chocolate lava cake ($9).
Needless to say, we fairly wobbled out of Jupiter Island Grill, sated by the orchestration of culinary delights we experienced. But not so full that we aren’t plotting our next visits.
R E V I E W
Jupiter Island Grill
FOOD: A
SERVICE: A
ADDRESS: 311 E. Indiantown Road, Fisherman’s Wharf Plaza, Jupiter
TELEPHONE: (561) 746-6283
PRICE RANGE: Moderate to semi-expensive
HOURS: Nightly, 4 p.m.-11 p.m.
CREDIT CARDS: MC, V,
AmEx
RESERVATIONS: Accepted
WHEELCHAIR ACCESS:
yes
WHAT THE GRADES
MEAN:
A — Excellent
B — Good
C — Average
D — Poor
F — Don’t bother
Every weekday for a month, someone reading these posts will win a generous bag of groceries. Why not you? 
