Coco Chocolate Lounge & Bistro

Posted on 15. Jun, 2010 by Johnnie in Celebrations, Child Free, Dessert Shops, Entertainment, Foods, Late Night Dining, Romantic

This is the place to dine if you are a true chocoholic. This was actually my husbands and my second trip to Coco’s Lounge, but our first time for dinner. Our first visit was just for a late night coffee and dessert. I will talk about the dessert later.

We showed up without reservations, which usually isn’t a good idea at Coco’s. However it was still early on this Friday night, 5:30, so they had no problem seating us within a few minutes. I must say we were very impressed by the entire staff. Everyone was very courteous and seemed genuinely concerned that we were happy with everything. Our waiter was friendly, as well as knowledgeable about the menu.

But I want to talk about the food, which is why we were there. My husband started with the signature Coco’s salade au chocolat, a salad of mixed greens, cherries, toasted nuts, blue cheese, with a raspberry vinaigrette and of course, topped off with white chocolate shavings. Very tasty indeed but he really liked the toasted nuts which were more like a nut brittle. And the chocolate shavings complimented the vinaigrette nicely. I decided to start with the warm herbed goat cheese dip with spiced sun dried cranberries. What can I say; I am a sucker for goat cheese. Actually, I love goat in generally having been raised on cabrito in south Texas. This dip was so creamy with just a hint of fresh herbs that it was just right for spreading on the toasted baguettes served with it. And the cranberries added just a touch of sweet and tart, which made the dish delightful.

My husband had the roasted chicken breast stuffed with lavender goat cheese. Even though he isn’t a big goat cheese fan, he liked the taste with the chicken. The accompanying roasted fingerling potatoes and fennel in a lemon thyme jus was excellent and needed to be savored. My husband was truly in heaven.

I opted for the wild salmon as my main course and was equally pleased. The salmon was very fresh and didn’t taste fishy as it sometimes can. It was cooked to perfection with a hint of the grill but not charred or crusty. The fresh grilled vegetables served with the fish were just the right accompaniment.

Even though we were pleasantly full we did decide to split a dessert. Of course we chose the Coco signature cake “The Kiss”. We had already tried The Kiss on our first trip, so we knew this was the dessert we wanted again…and again…and again. Made from Single Origin Ecuador chocolate, The Kiss is a chocolate mousse dome filled with crème brulee in the middle of which is a spiked cherry center. This all sits on a chewy chocolate cake base and is glazed with a ganache of the most exquisite dark chocolate. On the very top sat a wedge of white chocolate covered in red kisses. This cake reminded me of a large chocolate truffle meant to be savored with every forkful. And we did savor all of it… just short of licking the plate. The Kiss and a cup of French pressed coffee is all we needed to finish off a great meal.

So you see why I say Coco’s is a place for the true chocoholic to dine.

Coco Chocolate Lounge & Bistro is a great place to go for a romantic dinner or a late night rondez vous. Try one of their many signature chocolate martinis or some French Champagne while lazing in an overstuffed red velvet chair under a crystal chandelier and you will almost believe you are in France. www.sa-coco.com