cookies and code

I’m happy to report that Brevard county finally has a gastropub that is worth patronizing. Vintage 56 is the most tasteful and affordable dining experience that my wife and I have had in the last year. Let’s do the walk-through.

When you come upon Vintage 56′s location, you may find yourself taken back a bit. The restaurant is tucked away in a shopping plaza which looks like it hasn’t seen much traffic in the last few years. In fact, if you’re a little faint of heart, you may turn back wondering how what you’ve heard is such a great place found it’s way there. Please trust me when I say, forge ahead, you don’t have to go into the clothing outlet and wig store; you’re just there for the restaurant. Once you make your way in, you’ll soon forget about the outside and appreciate the open floor plan and simple decor. The restaurant contains tables and half-booths (?) and open seating for its guests. We went on a Monday night and there were only a few couples dining which contributed to a nice and quiet ambiance.

I was excited to see that Vintage 56 stays fairly true to the gastropub style with its simple, seasonal menu and beer selection. I was even more ecstatic to see one of my favorite beers, Dogfish Head Pumpkin Ale ($5), on draft; they also had 2 for 1 martinis all evening, each ranging from $8 – $10 a piece. We each started with a cup of soup. I ordered a cup of the Portuguese Sausage and Kale ($3) and my wife ordered a cup of the Lobster Bisque ($4). The Portuguese Sausage soup was the perfect magnitude of spicy, made with chicken broth, kale, and diced carrot, celery, potato, and Andouille sausage; it reminded of the portions of a Zuppa Toscana that I enjoy with even more flavor. The Lobster Bisque has some small chunks of lobster in the broth and is served with a side of sherry crème fraîche which is must add to achieve the full flavor of the soup.

For our meals we went the sandwich route ordering the BLT ($8) and the Vintage Chicken Sandwich ($9). Part of what makes Vintage 56 so great is the way they can take menu items, like these simple sandwiches, and not break from your expectations, but still pleasantly surprise your palate. Both sandwiches are served on fresh baked Ciabatta bread with your choice of homemade sea-salt and cracked pepper potato chips or sweet potato fries (both of which taste great). The BLT is served with a light slathering of mayonnaise, melted whole-milk mozzarella, baby greens, yellow tomatoes, and an ample amount of crispy bacon. The Vintage Chicken Sandwich is made up of a reasonably portioned, grilled chicken breast, baby greens, brie cheese, and a pear and sun-dried cherry chutney. Although we didn’t try them, the menu also offers a selection of flat bread pizzas, burgers, tapas (cold and hot), and entrees. This evening there was also a paella for two on special, but I’m unsure of the price.

By the end of the meal, we were both stuffed, but when I heard a slice of homemade pumpkin pie ($6) was on the menu, I didn’t hesitate to order it. The texture of the pie wasn’t as smooth as I had hoped, but the flavor was amazing and definitely tasted as if the pumpkin was blended fresh. I also ordered a coffee ($2) which had a pretty typical flavor but was a nice complement to the pie.

On top of the great food, the table service was friendly and timely. We were able to sit and talk with the waiter and bartender who were very friendly and attentive. According to our waiter, by the second time he’d eaten at the restaurant he knew he wanted to work there. Being open for ~3 months thus far, it looks like he’s gotten in on the ground floor of what promises to be a great establishment. Also serving lunch, there are plenty of opportunities to stop in and see what I’m raving about. I can’t wait to see what the menu will hold as time goes on.

Vintage 56 is going into our permanent “dinner out” rotation and I’m already eager to visit again. I will go even as far as to say that Vintage 56 is the best restaurant in Rockledge at which I’ve eaten for all of my time in Brevard. Due yourself a favor and make time to stop in for a great meal and a great gastropub experience.

Vintage 56 is located at 200 Barton Boulevard, Rockledge, FL 32955.

Well I gave my hastely assembled and zero practiced version of a FlexUnit4 and mock-as3 presentation last night at the Adogo and I only caught a few people snoozing, so that is a +1 in my book. Unit testing can be extremely dry for most people, but building tools to make me more productive always holds my interest so that’s how I’ll explain my enthusiasm. Thanks to Drew Bourne and Michael Labriola for the help with the presentation. I blubbered through most of the points on their APIs and definitely mispoke on a few instances, but as long as the recording doesn’t get too much traffic we should be fine. Thanks as well to Russ, Vincent, Brian, and Greg for keeping me company after the meeting over a few beers while I waited for my wife’s flight to get in.

I’ve published the source and recording for anyone who is interested.

There are very few places in the Brevard area I really enjoy sitting down for a beer at. Charlie and Jake’s is a great spot for some home brews, but you can only drink the same 6 beers so many times. When I really want my beer fix, there is only one place that comes to mind, Coasters Pub. Now Coasters isn’t a microbrewery, so maybe the comparison isn’t fair, but they do have a crap load (100+) of awesome beers available, most of which are available on tap.

My father-in-law and I have been patronizing Coasters for the last two years, but it never occurred to me to make mention on the blog of them; that may be because of the great beer selection, however. Coasters not only carries some of the most popular brands on draft, but they also keep a seasonal rotation of beers going year round. Check out the winter selection they’ve made available this time around. Now it’s important to note, that I am by no means a beer expert, but I’m having fun learning about it all each time I go into Coasters. Lately, I’m really digging on Michigan with the Bell’s Two Hearted and Oberon Ales. I was bummed this past Friday that Delerium Tremens was no longer available on draft, but I switched over to the darker Arrogant Bastard Ale and it was well worth it. They always keep St Bernardus Tripel on tap as well as PBR (see the board), so you really have the full spectrum available to you at the pub. I really like the Fall and Winter beer selections, so this is a great time to visit, IMO. Pints can range anywhere from ~$2 for the PBR to ~$20 for their most expensive bottle from what I’ve seen. I usually try to go during happy hour, which will get you about $1 off your pint’s price of anywhere from ~$6 to $10. When I’m in a good mood, I’ll take 2 St. Bernardus and I’m out.

Coasters not only has the best beer selection in Brevard county, but they have great food as well. When we go, we typically get 20 wings (~$14), the fish and chips (~$9), and the french dip (~$9). Although there are some typical bar food menu choices (e.g. – chips and salsa and queso, mozzarella sticks, etc), their menu is diverse enough such that if you don’t feel like the fried experience, you can probably find a salad or sandwich to your liking. I personally really enjoy the wings, they always know how to fry them just right, although they will bake them as well. The fish and chips is made with haddock and just freagin’ rocks; it’s beer battered and comes with beer battered fries. The french dip is a great as well with your choice of onions, peppers, and mushrooms along with mozzarella cheese on a hoagie roll. Nothing is better than those beer battered fries though after a couple beers.

On top of the tasty food, Coasters wait and bartending staff is always spot on. Our waitresses always are great about bringing us samples of the new beers on tap. From our experience, they have a great demeanor and our food is always brought out hot. It’s gotta be tough dealing with a huge bunch of beer drinkers day in and out, but they do a great job. Between the beer, the service, and the food, it’s really hard to go wrong with Coasters Pub. Any place that keeps a longer list of beers than wine is tops in my book. If you like good, quality beer and need a great pub to replace your boring watering hole, Coasters Pub is the place for you. Hell, they even use their website to get information out to the community, how can you go wrong?

Coasters Pub is located in the Walmart plaza at 971A E Eau Gallie Blvd, Melbourne, FL.