Chef Jacques Carlino is known for the lunch food he serves up at Blue Caviar Le Bistro on Blake Road, but for the past four months he’s been making waves on the dinner scene at his newest restaurant, Blue Caviar Le Restaurant. It’s at Le Restaurant where he’s serving classic French cuisine with the beautiful sauces he loves but which he lightens up in a twist to modernity. While the chef loves lovely sauces, he doesn’t believe in sauces that are too rich or too heavy. He just puts in what is necessary.
“I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel,” said Chef Carlino of the offerings at his newest location just outside the gates of Lyford Cay and Old Fort Bay. “It’s classic cuisine. I believe in food that’s good for the belly.”
Chef Carlino, the son of Italian parents was born and raised in France, and his style of cooking is classic French — simple and refined. His philosophy is that food should taste as good as it looks and satisfy the palette.
The menu he offers at Le Restaurant reflects that philosophy. His starters include a French onion soup with cheese and croutons; tartar of ahi yellow fin tuna with avocado and citrus vinaigrette; handmade wild mushroom and chicken tortellini with truffle foam, escargots bourguignon, cherry tomato, fresh goat cheese, arugula and lemon olive oil, steamed asparagus with prosciutto crudo and poached egg.
His entrée dishes offer something for every taste from a Scottish salmon with asparagus, new potato and hollandaise sauce; filet of cod with cauliflower puree, shitake mushroom and demi-glace; lamb shank with creamed potato and a white wine and tomato sauce; breast of duck with a tarte fine of pears, beetroot puree and Madeira sauce; and chicken cordon bleu served with a pomme pont neuf (Parisian fried potatoes).
From the grill, he offers tenderloin of beef with pomme pont neuf and peppercorn sauce; thick-cut pork chop with creamed potato and mushroom sauce; ribeye steak with chips and Bernaise sauce; and a veal chop with creamed potato and mushroom sauce.
And pasta lovers aren’t left out with a creamed pesto fettucini with chicken breast and Parmesan; and seafood penne pasta with shrimp and bay scallops.
The restaurant’s main dining room seats 40 people with seating for another six available at the bar and a bar lounge that can also seat another six people.
After opening Blue Caviar Le Bistro at Blake Road three years ago, Chef Carlino said he wanted a bigger restaurant where he could carry out dinner service. It took him a while to identify the location that he could visualize doing something special with.
“I didn’t want to just make a restaurant with tables and chairs. I wanted to have a restaurant where people felt special sitting down — and I believe that’s what we’ve achieved,” said Chef Carlino who is in charge of the kitchen. His nephew Nicolas Rossi commands the front of the house.
“I believe that if people want to eat lovely food they will drive for it. And I wanted it to be a destination,” he said of his far west location. “We are a destination restaurant in a lovely location that’s very quiet in the evenings and perfectly safe with security.”
For people wanting to try a little more of Chef Carlino’s food at one meal, he also offers up tasting menus. One can indulge in an eight-course tasting offered at $95 per person which includes an amuse bouche; the tortellini; tartar of ahi yellow fin tuna; cod; beef tenderloin; pre-dessert and a chocolate trio. For those wanting chef recommended wine pairings with their meal the cost is $135 per person. To enjoy the tasting menu everyone at the table has to order tastings.
Chef Carlino also serves a bistro-style lunch at Le Restaurant similar to what is served at his Blake Road location, but dinner is something special. The tables are covered in white linen, the lights are dimmed and candles are lit in the restaurant that has a soaring 27-foot ceiling with woodwork that is all hand carved in a building that was dismantled in Vietnam and brought over to The Bahamas.
“It’s quite impressive to see,” he said of Le Restaurant. “The building is fabulous.”
As he looks to expand Le Restaurant after only four months, Chef Carlino has commenced work on what will be a trendy bar to add to the location.
“I want it to be fun — a trendy bar where people are going to come for drinks … have some tapas at the bar. Not that the inside isn’t fun, but I want to draw two types of clientele — there’s one type of clientele that may come once a month to the restaurant and then at the bar people may come twice a week after work to have a beer and have some prosciutto or a plate of garlic shrimp.”
Chef Carlino is hoping the bar will be completed by the end of January.
Le Restaurant is being offered by a chef that spent 20 years running and partnering in some of London’s top restaurant including two Michelin-starred restaurant The Square in Mayfair and at Michelin starred restaurant The Ledbury in Nottinghill.
Shavaughn Moss
The Nassau Guardian
Lifestyles Editor
Caption: Roast cod with cauliflower puree, shitake mushroom and demi glace. PHOTO: BLUE CAVIAR
