In need of a mini-vacation? Escape to Calypso Grille for a few hours and enjoy authentic Caribbean food, island music and gracious hospitality. Nick and Kellie Dietel have opened a family-friendly restaurant that is just delightful.

Mark Sutherland Designs of Winter Park, in collaboration with Nick, Kellie and Nick’s parents Glenn and Susie, have created a very comfortable dining room with a pleasing color palette, wrought-iron accents, and original paintings on the wall. The overall look is attractive, casual and inviting. Inside seats 63 people, and the outdoor patio seats 50.

Friday and Saturday nights are hopping with a steel drum band performing live on the patio stage. Dozens of people come to enjoy the music and ever-changing enhanced menu featuring authentic Caribbean specials such as shrimp or chicken curry with roti, tuna ceviche, and Coquilles St. Jacque. Calypso Grille has a large following of Caribbean customers who appreciate the authenticity of the food.

Calypso Grill offers a selection of beer from the Caribbean such as Red Stripe from Jamaica, Kalik from the Bahamas and Caribe from Trinidad, as well as Dos Equis, Heineken and American domestics. A modestly priced wine list with selections from California, South Africa, Italy and Spain complements the tropical flavors.

Nick, who hails from Vista Bella, Trinidad, comes from a long line of chefs and caterers. He has been cooking professionally for the last 12 years, and credits his mother Susie for much of the Caribbean influence in his food. Nick creates every item in the restaurant. The delicious West Indian chutney with kuchela, salsas, Scotch Bonnet (pepper-based) spices, vinaigrettes and all of the desserts are made on the premises from scratch. Because of the many requests, all of the sauces are now available for purchase in convenient jars for take-home. All of the cakes and pies on the dessert menu are also available whole for purchase.

Catering is second nature for Dietel. Whether it’s for a corporate function, graduation party or family gathering, Calypso Grille is ready to go on-site, with or without a personal chef, to ensure that the event is a success.

Lunch here is fast-casual—ordering at the counter eases time constraints. Calypso’s signature salad, the grilled grouper sandwich with Key lime mayo or a pressed Cuban sandwich are just a few of the popular lunch selections.

Dinner is full-service, and served by a competent, cheerful wait-staff. For appetizers, the Jamaican patties (meat or vegetarian) served with a West Indian chutney sauce are scrumptious, as are the plantains with salsa. Two soups are offered daily. Curry chicken with coconut cream, tomato basil, three-bean, jerk chicken, and white bean chili are a few examples of these tasty comfort-food offerings. There are seven salad selections, which include a delicious homemade dressing. All of the salads are available as a large entrée-sized portion or a smaller appetizer portion.

As for the main event, the stand-out entrées for me were the tournedoes of beef Margarette, two three-ounce filets topped with a wild mushroom demiglaze and melted brie; and the grouper St. Lucia, a grilled fresh grouper with crab ragout wrapped in puff pastry, finished with a chardonnay cream sauce. The coconut shrimp and the Trinidad fricassee stew were also terrific. All came with side dishes such as a chiffonade of matchstick vegetables, gorgonzola potatoes, and black beans and rice. Plates are beautifully presented with colorful, edible flowers.

Make sure to treat yourself to a dessert here. They’re all superb, but my personal favorite is the Key lime cheesecake. Indulge—after all, you’re on vacation.   S

©2005 Seminole magazine