chief people officer Donna DeChant, is bringing us all together to try a hidden gem that serves
up Caribbean dishes with a modern twist.
She says it's the perfect spot for a date night, and she knows she can always count
on having a fun time.
It's in Coconut Creek and it's called Swirl Wine Bistro.
Hi, my name is Mike Abel, and I'm the owner of Swirl Wine Bistro.
And my wife also is executive chef, Judith Abel.
Swirl Wine Bistro was a concept that my wife and I thought up because we wanted something
like this.
We're from New York and there's a lot of environments that are small, quaint restaurants and little
wine bars like this in New York.
And we were down here and didn't find many.
So we said, well, you know what?
We like wine, we really do love food.
So, we said, okay, this is something we can do.
The food is very, it's what's we call global eclectic cuisine.
So it ranges the gambit of things that we have always appreciated and liked.
So there is a bit of a Caribbean twist on a few of, many of the dishes, just because
my wife is Jamaican and I am a Jamaican and descent.
So there's a lot of seasoning profiles in there that help enhance the dish that much
more and make it different from pretty much anybody else's.
Our atmosphere is very cozy, chic, and chill.
We don't really like to rush people out.
We have couches here, nice lighting, we always have artwork on the wall.
We showcase a lot of local artists, every 120 days.
We transitioned the artwork out and give somebody something else to look at, in addition to
helping artists who don't have access to either promoters or managers to try and sell a work
and keep themselves going forward.
Swirl Wine Bistro is all about impeccable food, wonderful wine, and a very comfortable,
relaxed atmosphere.
You come in, you enjoy it.
You come back again and enjoy it again.
So Donna, tell me about it.
It's, it's a mom and pop, right?
It's a tiny little spot, Michelle.
It's a great date night.
The food is fantastic.
We have a husband in the front of the house, and the wife in the kitchen, chef Judith,
and they just work miracles with their wine list and their food.
Everything from start to finish is delicious.
It's interesting because I find the food to be extremely European in style, yet it has
so many Caribbean touches.
I would love to talk a little bit about a couple of the dishes and get into them somewhat.
Tell me about the mushroom tart.
So the mushroom tart is worth fighting over.
We try to draw a straight line so we can split it but usually somebody is trying to get a
little more.
It's a flaky pastry crust with goat cheese and a variety of different mushrooms, garlic,
really well seasoned.
It's a great pairing with the pinot noir that Michael usually pours us.
It's delicious.
And speaking of pinot noir, they have a really great wine bar, right?
They do, and Michael understands the flavor profile that his wife is putting out of the
kitchen, and he works really hard to curate a wine list that is very closely paired to
the food.
Oh, lovely, lovely.
All right, so let's move to Marianne.
Marianne, what did you have that evening?
That evening, we started with the fresh bruschetta which came a little different.
It had a grill marks on it, on the beautiful Italian bread, and then had fresh cherry tomatoes,
basil, and fresh mozzarella.
It was fabulous.
I would love to hear a little bit about the snapper.
I think it's, it was escabeche.
Yes, it would have been a great shareable plate, but it was the way that Judith plated
it, it's got these cassava patties and then the seared snapper over that, and then there
was like pickled vegetables with like a mango drizzle.
I mean, the taste, explosion in your mouth.
It was fabulous.
And I, I think that your husband and Mikkel both had the oxtail ravioli.
Mikkel, do you want to talk about the oxtail ravioli a little bit?
Yeah, the oxtail ravioli was fantastic.
I've never had oxtail ravioli.
I've had oxtail before, not necessarily a huge fan of oxtail, but this oxtail ravioli
was to die for.
It was amazing.
It wasn't too salty.
It was perfectly put together.
Very, very delicious meal.
Yeah, and you also had a couple of interesting dishes.
They went from a snapper fish tacos, right, to lamb chili.
You want to talk a little bit about the lamb chili?
Yeah, the lamb chili.
I haven't had a lamb chili before and this one was really, really good.
It was very rich with flavors, lots of lamb in there, obviously.
And then they gave you a really nice piece of bread to dip in there.
Very delicious.
The fish taco, the snapper tacos, by the way, melted in your mouth.
It was slightly crispy and very soft on the inside.
It was excellent, well put together, I loved it.
All right, I would love to hear a little bit about dessert.
I've heard about their bread pudding.
Does anybody want to jump in?
I know Mikkel, I think you had the bread pudding that evening, correct?
Yeah, so I'm a big fan of bread pudding, period, right.
So I've tried bread pudding in a lot of places.
This by far was the best bread pudding I've ever had.
It was absolutely delicious.
I loved every bite of it.
So does anybody want to talk prices, Marianne, let's hear from you.
What did you think about the pricing on the menu and for the wines as well?
I thought it was a very fair pricing.
I mean, it's not inexpensive, but for what you get, you're talking exceptional, unique
dishes that you wouldn't find, I've never seen anywhere else.
Well done.
As Swirl Wine Bistro was your pick, sum it up for us.
It's really a great date night, a great place to take your friends.
And it's a way to support local mom and pop business.
Mikkel, can you give us a quick summary?
Yeah, unique, delicious, creative, exquisite, Caribbean food.
Lovely, Marianne?
Yes, exceptional Mediterranean Caribbean flared recipes that I've never seen or heard of before,
prepared by a husband and wife team.
You really do feel like you've just had dinner in someone's home and that they've taken such
care of you.
Can't wait to go back.
For unique dishes and an exceptional wine list, visit Swirl Wine Bistro, located at
1435 Lyons Road in Coconut Creek.
Open for lunch Tuesday through Friday, and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
Reservations are accepted.
The average price for dinner without drinks is about $40.