CuiZine Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in Satellite Beach

My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary and decided upon a very last minute stay on the beach. We needed a great meal to go with it and decided to give CuiZine a try.

We went in with nearly zero exceptions and came out with a 2+ hour meal of impeccable service, outstanding food, beautiful music and just great vibes all around.

We had a reservation, but showed up a little bit early. It was no issue and they quickly ushered us to a great table that gave us perfect view of the violinist/singer (more on her later)… and on top of that they had done up the table with rose pedals and had champagne glasses ready for us to start the night off with.

Colin took care of us all night and what an absolute treasure he is. His knowledge of the menu was excellent and he helped guide us all night with great knowledge of the flavors and techniques used to create each dish. Let’s not forget the fact that he’s a sommelier and a cocktail guru, what a fun conversation he was throughout the evening (and I came away with some new projects to try at home with mixing flavors and liquor!)

So let’s talk food, because that’s what you’re here for.

We started the night with the Chef’s Special Burrata and French Onion Meatballs. Both were exceptional. The burrata was so flavorful and fresh, it was an excellent start to the meal. The French Onion Meatballs were exactly as you’d hope they would be and exploded with that French Onion flavor.

There is also a bread course. I probably could have skipped the little breadsticks, but the bread itself was baked perfect and incredibly tasty. A little sea salt on the very good butter would have been chefs kiss perfect.

Oh and those French Onion Meatballs I mentioned? They were so good we just HAD to try the French Onion soup that it was based on. The soup did not disappoint, my wife and I split the soup and devoured it quickly. Our two year old would have been in heaven with it.

So while all of that delicious food was going on we were treated to the violin and vocal stylings from Charlotte Goodman (Char Good as we came to learn!). She added the perfect ambiance to the meal and was clearly having fun the entire time. The fact that she would roam the room and play to tables really took the performance to the next level.

She came over and asked if we had a wedding song (we did, I Knew I Loved you by Savage Garden). She didn’t happen to know the song (or the few backups we picked, I swear my wife wanted to challenge her to the max)… but minutes later she started up I Knew I Loved You and nailed it. It was so much fun to watch her try to figure out how she wanted to handle the song and by mid-way through she had figured out her groove and was feeling it. It was so special and fun.

Then the main courses came. I did the chef’s special Osso Buco and it was done up exactly as you would hope. It was so tender and spiced very well. The risotto paired with it was exceptionally flavorful and really made it a complete dish.

My wife did the Parmesan Crusted Veal Chop. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and exploded with flavor. It’s a must have on the menu for sure.

Somehow, after all that we still had room for desserts. We were finishing up past closing time so my heart was broken with the lack of Creme Brulee, but the Flourless Hazelnut Chocolate Cake hit a spot I didn’t know I had. It sealed the meal perfectly while my wife did some ridiculously chocolatey chocolate cake that she loved.

All in all it was an exceptional evening. The owner and chef came by and chatted with us a bit and was very friendly. They let us stay past closing to finish up our meal and we really appreciated that.

You want the tl;dr? Excellent food, great ambiance, wonderful music and Colin is the best.

Oh and the cocktails were on point too!!! Though I kind of want to try some of the magic Colin was talking about making...

CuiZine - Satellite Beach - 5 Stars

Top 5 BEST!!!!! - Number 2

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

When I have a great meal, I begin to ask myself "how hard is this?" I mean really...does it only take a creative mind to create something mind-blowing? Does a person just need dedication and motivation? Can a person be trained to provide great food, or does it have to be something innate to make a meal that is memorable? Who really knows why some cooks can turn out awesome meals with limited ingredients, but others can't cook their way out of the proverbial wet paper bag with the freshest ingredients and the best kitchen set up? I, for one, can't answer that question. What I do know is the chef at CuiZine is a maestro conducting a concerto, with every single item on the menu a cadenza inside that concerto. Because CuiZine is a genius at the execution and presentation of their food, they officially enter the Big Boy Dining Out Top 5 list at number two. It was close, and will be a neck and neck battle for number one over the next year.

The first thing I want to mention about my experience is the server, David. It is so pleasurable to have wait staff who give the appearance that they enjoy their work and bring a positive energy to the service. David was effective and impressive in the depth and breadth of his knowledge of the menu. He should give a master class on the professionalism of restaurant service, he's that good. While awesome service won't make a bad meal great, it will make a splendid meal perfect - and David accomplished that feat singlehandedly.

The meal started with a 12-year aged Macallan neat. If you have ever been curious about scotch, Macallan is the best of the best. Their 25-year vintage sells for over $1,500.00 a bottle, and I can state unequivocally that you can taste the difference between them. For the first course of my meal, I ordered the Hudson Valley Foie Gras, which is always a standard for me if it is offered at a restaurant. I have had the Foie here no less than five times, and I can state that it is the indisputable best in Brevard. My second course was the beef bone marrow. You need to enlarge the photo so you can see how perfectly executed this offering was, as words cannot describe its perfection. The third course was gnocchi with Italian sausage and broccoli rabe, which sat on a bed of creamy garlic sauce. These gnocchi were executed in a masterly fashion, so much so that I could have consumed three bowls' worth. The main course was hogfish in a Guinness and squid ink batter. These were quick fried for a spot-on redoubtable presentation. They were accompanied by sweet potato fries and a tomato salad, both of which were indubitably executed.

CuiZine sits comfortably in the number two spot on the BBDO Best-Of list. Try it yourself - I guarantee you will be...

I had heard of Cuizine for years and I met a friend there for dinner who always has great things to say about this restaurant. The staff and service were very nice. Everyone was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable. The bacon was a nice treat for a starter and they had a very nice wine list.

We opted for cocktails that were well prepared and tasty. The cream of mushroom soup was delicious, however the mushrooms they used to garnish the soup were extremely salty. The soup kept things on the salty side of palatable, but saltiness is usually a sign of not tasting the food or letting the food/liquid render down too far. The wedge salad was a generous serving and typical steakhouse style.

We shared a 16 oz ribeye, medium rare, and ordered a side of mushrooms. The mushrooms this time were delicious and a very generous portion. The rib eye, while cooked to perfection, was actually dry?! I'm still perplexed on how this could be the case, but it was. The roasted garlic, mashed potatoes, and carrots were a nice accompaniment and well prepared and tasty.

We finished with espressos, which I usually don't order since most restaurants really drop the ball in this area, but my friend was insistent and I'm a coffee addict, so we ordered them. I could tell by how quickly they arrived and by the volume and look (no crema) that this was going to be a disappointing finish- and it was undrinkable. The server was polite and offered to make another one, but I instead offered to train the staff if the owner would be interested. For reference, I used to own an award-winning espresso bar and I participate in events where I give away espressos that are better than what was served to me.

In summary, the service and atmosphere were nice, but the dry steak, salty mushrooms, and undrinkable espressos need some attention. I could see that they are known for their steaks so my expectations were high with the ribeye and I was let down by it being so dry. There is also no reason that food should be served too salty since it's an easy adjustment that can be made tableside by the diner.

I would consider coming back since it is a nice restaurant, but I will adjust my expectations accordingly. I hope that they address their espresso preparation, taste the food more often, and I don't know what to say about the steaks. I may just order a burger instead as it does come with fries a float. The bacon was a nice touch too.

I rated five stars for service and atmosphere, and took 1 star away for the salty mushrooms, dry steak, and undrinkable espresso. I hope this review is helpful to the patrons and the restaurant and I'll follow up on this review if/when I come back.

Thanks...