Cafe Owners Know How to Put on the Dog By Maria Sonnenberg - Florida Today March 2004

For a man who doesn't own a dog, Stuart Borton has a sizable stack of pooch photos displayed in his restaurant.  But then, his restaurant is the Yellow Dog Cafe, his wife Nancy loves dogs, and customers keep bringing pictures of their favorite canines for the Borton's to display.      Stuart is allergic to dogs, so he can't own one.  However, he did the next best thing and sponsored a K-9 dog for the Brevard County Sheriff's Office as Nancy's birthday present a couple of years ago.  Nancy is extremely proud of Deputy Tinio, her birthday pup.  Tinio became a bona fide hero after sniffing out two bombs while on duty.      We caught up with the Bortons at their pretty restaurant at 905 U.S. 1 in Malabar.  The gregarious couple shared their views on many subjects, including restaurants, food and Deputy Tinio.   Why did you get into the culinary business? Stuart:  I opened my first restaurant back in the '80s, when I was living in Australia.  It was always a dream.  I watched my mother cook for years. Nancy:  My parents and grandparents were all in the restaurant business. It's in the blood.   What advice would you give to others who are thinking about opening a restaurant? Stuart:  Work in one first. Nancy:  Work the one you own.  People think a restaurant is a social club.  It sure isn't.   What's the worst part of your job? Both:  Weight!  We eat too much!   What do you enjoy most about your job? Both:  The interaction with people and seeing them happy.

What's your favorite food? Stuart:  Onion-crusted chicken.   What's something people don't know about you? Nancy:  Stuart gives away the farm.  He funds so many charities.   Family? Nancy:  Our two cats, Aussie and Winston, our "25 children" on staff and, of course, Deputy Tinio.   What do you consider the best food you serve? Stuart:  Our onion-crusted chicken.  I also think we have the best filet in town.   Have you had a patron from hell? Stuart:  Nancy is our biggest critic.   What's your favorite saying? Stuart:  Comfort food with flair.   Do you like eating out? Both:  Yes, we eat out all the time.   Do you enjoy cooking at home? Nancy:  We have a great gourmet kitchen, but we use the microwave all the time.  And the Yellow Dog Cafe delivers.   How do you come up with menus? Stuart:  We base it on input from the staff.  We then help the chefs decide.   Do you ever "retire" entrees? Stuart:  Very rarely.   Contact Sonnenberg at maria@sonnenbergstudios.com

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Yellow Dog One of Brevard's Finest Dining Out by Shawna S. Kelsch - Florida Today February 2004  In the way of an epic romance story -- say "Gone With the Wind" or "Romeo and Juliet" -- the Yellow Dog Café in Malabar will both satisfy you and leave you hungry for more. What's going on here is nothing short of a love affair between the chef and his craft. Lucky for us, because we get to sample the by-product of this great relationship: some of Brevard's finest food. Yellow Dog Cafe Rating: Where: 905 U.S. 1, Malabar. Information: 956-3334; www.yellowdogcafe.net Hours: 5-9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Mondays. Prices: Appetizers: $3 for a cup or $6 for a bowl of soup, $11 all others. Salads: $10. Entrees: $16 to $29 (standard menu), up to $32 for chef's specials. Beverages: Full bar, with specialty martinis. Wine priced from $22 per bottle. Also: Lunch is served from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Lunch prices range from $8.95 to $13.95. Dress code: Business casual. Friendly tip: Yellow Dog is family-friendly for lunch and is OK for children on special occasions, but the food is pretty complex for tiny tastebuds, and the ambiance is more suited for quiet, adults-only evenings. Parking is limited in front of the restaurant, but right down the road, on the west side of the highway is a large open parking lot, lit by a Yellow Dog sign. From there, it's about a two- to three-minute walk across U.S. 1 to the restaurant. The menu is among the best I've seen, with vegan options (Grilled Portobello Mushroom, $18) to full on meat-crazy (Mixed Grill, market price). The wine list is equally varied, with many excellent choices less than $30 per bottle. The rambling wood house sits riverside off US1, with sweeping views. Inside, it is cozy, with amber drop lights and slowly turning fans. Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra are here, belting tunes through creaks in wood rafters. Service is friendly and attentive, though never put on. A list of specials was clearly outlined by our server, and questions were answered without hesitation. Dining options were discussed, and the advice was expert. After deciding on meal options, we chose a hearty red Zinfandel ($26) and nibbled on some softer-than-Wonder bread that appeared tableside with water glasses that we didn't have to ask for. From start to end, each dish seemed to outdo the one before it. A cup of creamy Crab Bisque ($3) was comforting and delicious, with lumps of meat floating in the tangerine liquid. Better, though, was the Cajun Shrimp and Grits ($11): Plump, grilled shrimp sat perched atop a mound of grits spiked with spicy andouille sausage, the contrasts of flavor and texture a carnival in your mouth. Salads -- which accompanied the daily specials -- followed. The Old Blue Spinach Salad was good, but a bit disappointing. The mix of blueberries, blue cheese and toasted pecans should have popped a bit more, but seemed lifeless in the blueberry vinaigrette. The Mesclun Mix was tasty, with red beans, toasted pumpkin seeds and feta cheese in a citrusy balsamic dressing. Our entrees were artistically presented with subtle fanfare. Veal Medallions in Charone Sauce ($32) brought a perplexing thought to mind -- how could anything taste this good? Bread and herb-crusted tenderloins were pan-fried golden and stacked against buttery whipped potatoes iglooing a ladle-full of tiny green beans and asparagus. The charone -- a tomato-based hollandaise sauce -- swam around the plate, waiting for a dip of the meat or a swipe of the bread. The Mixed Grill of the day ($32) was another excellent choice that included duck, chicken, andouille and lamb chops. Cooked to the chef's liking, each morsel delivered full flavor without the overbearing char-taste that sometimes accompanies grilled meats. The same veggies accompanied this plate, sprinkled with a confetti of spices as beautiful to look at as to sample. Menu recommendations that we will try on our next visit include Onion Crusted Chicken with Caramel Citrus Glaze ($18) and Salmon en Pomme Croute (potato crust) $23. We finished with a cup of smooth coffee and a slice of Italian Rum Cake ($7). A sweet end to a perfect meal, the double layer cake is full of nuts and topped with a sugary frosting, signature Yellow Dog butter cookie looking on from a heap of whipped cream. Like with any great love, stealing time for more is the best part. The same is true here: one meal will have you pining for more. True, it's not an everyday dining place, but then, this is no everyday romance. It's special and wonderful and meant to be savored. Do so, soon. About our reviews Restaurants are rated on a five-palm system by FLORIDA TODAY's reviewers. The reviews are solely the opinion of the reviewer and take into account the quality of the restaurant's food, ambiance and service. The rating reflects the quality of what a diner can reasonably expect to find. In order to receive a rating of less than three palms, a restaurant must be tried twice and prove unimpressive on each visit.   Not recommended. Don't bother. To receive this rating, a restaurant must be tried twice and be unimpressive on each visit. Fair. While there's nothing special about this establishment, it will do in a pinch. Good. A reasonably good place with food and service that satisfy. Very good. Worth going out of your way for. Food, atmosphere and service are routinely top notch. Excellent. A rare establishment to which you'd be proud to take the most discerning diner. Expect your meal, service and the atmosphere to stand out and leave you hankering to return. Each reviewer's visit is unannounced and paid for by FLORIDA TODAY. There is no connection between the reviewers and our advertising department.

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Yellow Dog Offers Yummy Treats for Humans at Beachside Restaurant Review by Shelia O'Meara - The Press Journal January 2004 When someone says to you "Let's do lunch," say, "Right, How about the Yellow Dog?" This is the place for lunch, to see and be seen, to relax and look at the Indian River Lagoon and to eat something other than the average sandwich or burger.  You can get a sandwich and or a burger, but they just will be far above average. Yellow Dog Cafe 905 U.S. 1 Malabar (321) 956-3334 FOOD: SERVICE: ATMOSPHERE: Hours: Lunch, Tuesday through Sunday 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner, Sunday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Mondays.  Price: Lunch from $6.95 to $14.95; Dinner from $16 to $32. Dress: Business casual. Note: Reservations, major credit cards accepted.  Wine and beer.  Handicapped accessible on the main level, staircase to lower level.   Ratings:   Excellent:    Very good:   Good:          Fair:            Poor:         I have long held that restaurants with a view serve terrible food.  This is not an opinion lightly reached.  Years of attempting to have a nice lunch with a glimpse of some natural beautiful location like the ocean, the lagoon and even the Grand Canyon have convinced me that view and good food must be mutually exclusive.  Not any more. We always have enjoyed the Yellow Dog for dinner and at lunch.  The food is just as good, albeit simpler and quickly served, and the view is awesome.  A wide stretch of the Indian River, with islands and the far shore silhouetted against an azure sky, is the perfect venue for a multitude of vessels, whether propelled by sail, motor or paddles.  (Future plans at the Yellow Dog include a dock so that vessels can tie up and the crew can dine within.) The porch is the place to be.  All around the room are pictures of pets - yellow dogs by the dozens, every breed, often more than one, bearing every expression from happy to hound-like.  Meanwhile, luncheon is served.  Our companion had the chicken Marsala - a sautéed chicken breast with a creamy Marsala sauce with portobello mushrooms served over linguini.  The sauce was delectable and creamy.  An interesting aside: Portobellos appear in sic different dishes out of 16.  We also had the fried oysters.  These were plump yet crisp, with a delicate yet flavorful sauce. They were accompanied by what we thought were the best french fried potatoes we ever ate.  We made a point of visiting with the chef after lunch to find out why they are so good.  It turns out they're not even potatoes.  They're yucca fries and they are twice-cooked to become soft inside and crisp outside.  Yummy yucca. Another menu note:  There are four different "dog" dishes and not one of them is a hot dog.  Hmmm. Speaking of "Dog" dishes, the whimsical Yellow Dog logo appears in the cookies and in various garnishes and, of course, the bone-shaped brownie is delicious, too.  Makes you want to sit up and beg. Sheila O'Meara is an independent, free-lance restaurant reviewer who dines at the expense of the Press Journal.  She dines anonymously in order to receive the same treatment any diner would encounter.  The review is based on one visit.  She is the former managing editor of the Cook's Magazine, Good Food and European Travel & Life magazines.

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Adrift in Flavors Along River's Edge Restaurant Review by Scott Joseph - Orlando Sentinel June 2002 Scott's Recommendation:  Try it for a Sunday afternoon meal after a leisurely drive from Orlando to the shore of the Indian River.  Start with the potato pancakes and move on to the tilapia and crab cake tower.  The bananas Foster pie will have you smiling all the way home.    Driving along U.S. Highway 1 south of Melbourne you'd hardly guess that the little shack with the tin roof and the gravel parking lot was a fine restaurant.    The name doesn't give much of a clue either.  Yellow Dog Cafe just doesn't whisper fine dining in your ear.    But fine dining it is, at least in terms of the quality of the good.  And its setting, perched over the Indian River, offers a terrific view to go with the good dishes.    My guest and I drove over to Malabar (about an hour and 15 minutes from downtown Orlando) on a Sunday afternoon when the dinner menu is available all day.  The restaurant is on two levels and guests enter "upstairs."  There are three dining areas: the main room with its vaulted tongue-in-groove wood ceilings; the enclosed deck room next to the open kitchen; and, downstairs, the library room, so called for its bookshelves and wingback chairs.  Tables are covered with white cloths and sport simple oil lamps, but the same rustic appearance of the outside is apparent inside as well.  Still, all dining areas afford good views of the river.   My companion and I were shown to a table in the library, but we requested and were granted the right to sit upstairs where there seemed to be more activity.    I started with an appetizer of potato pancakes ($10), two large cakes fashioned out of mashed potatoes, fried to achieve a crispy crust, and topped with a bit of sour cream, smoked salmon and a daub of caviar. They were accompanied by a pile of chopped red onions and large caper berries, plus a savory cookie in the shape of a yellow dog. The cakes were well seasoned, and the salmon elevated the dish so that it came closer to being worth the sticker price.    My friend's conch fritters were a little more difficult to justify the $10 charge.   They were certainly good, with little bits of pepper to give them some spicy heat, but hardly worth a sawbuck.    Most entrees come with a house or Caesar salad, but for  $3 more you can upgrade to the Old Blue salad, which features green spinach topped with blue cheese, blueberries, a blueberry vinaigrette and toasted pecans.  It was a worthwhile upgrade.    For my entree, I selected the crab cake and tilapia tower ($24), a tender firm fillet stacked with a sizable crab cake. The constructed components were doused with a sauce made from roasted red peppers that complemented the sweet fish quite nicely.  A medley of vegetables accompanied the dish.    My guest selected the mixed grill ($30), which was offered as a special of the day.  It featured a hunk of grilled sausage, lamb chops dusted with herbs, and roasted duckling with a delightful cherry and raspberry sauce.  The meats were stylishly stacked over a mound of potatoes and served with broccoli.    Dessert brought a wonderful concoction that was well described as a sort of bananas Foster pie ($6).  It had familiar rummy brown sugar notes of the classic, but it added a smooth texture of banana cream pie.  It was wonderful.  My guest had a brownie ($6) in the shape of a chocolate doggie bone that was more appealing for its whimsical appearance than for its taste.    By the way, Yellow Dog Cafe has no connection with the Yellow Dog Eats in Gotha, except both seem to have a knack for presenting good food.  The owners of Yellow Dog Cafe just happen to love animals, and they named their restaurant for a friend's favored pet.    Service was a bit of a disappointment.  Our server had a lackadaisical attitude, and we found ourselves waiting long periods between courses.    But with the beautiful scenery to look at, the waits were a bit more endurable.  I can't say what the place would be like at night with a limited view, but the food is good enough to stand on its own - the view is just gravy.

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ZAGAT Survey 2002 Orlando/Central Florida Restaurants FOOD: 25 DECOR:  23 SERVICE: 23 COST: $34   Both "offbeat" and off-the-beaten-path, this "fabulous" Malabar New American is a "classy" destination for "elegant dining", offering "well-prepared, well-presented" dishes accompanied by "good wines" from its extensive cellar; P.S. "eat on the deck" overlooking the Indian River.

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Yellow Dog, Intelligent Choice for Fine Dining Restaurant Review by Sheila O'Meara - Vero Beach Press Journal February 2000 FOOD: SERVICE: ATMOSPHERE:    At the Yellow Dog Cafe, some people wear shorts, some wear suits, some come early to catch the view, some come late for a leisurely evening in "the library."    There really is a library here.  Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves over- look cozy, upholstered love seats and wing-back chairs are pulled up to intimate tables for two or four.  Larger groups can sit just far enough away at comfortable tables for six or even eight.  And that's just down stairs.    Upstairs you'll find more tables with a view including one in a romantic niche all its own.  And then there's outside--an enormous closed-in porch with comfortable chairs and well-spaced tables.  Another sitting area offers upholstered rockers and occasional tables.    Everywhere you'll spy artwork and chotchkas from every era.  And, of course,  yellow dogs--a life-size golden retriever waits patiently at the top of the stairs and the logo drawings enliven everything from the tiles on the floors to the T-shirts for sale and customers are constantly adding photos of their own yellow dogs, framed or not, pedigreed or not, to the collection.    Owners Nancy and Stuart Borton know what it takes to run a good restaurant.  They're almost constantly on the premises--Stuart in the kitchen, Nancy out front.    They both know that a warm welcome is an important part of the picture.  They also know that comfort and coziness count.  So does the quality of the wait staff.  They are all prompt and courteous, yet friendly.    They know the food and serve it well.  Unfortunately, the night we dined here recently was the first night for a new menu and they were out of a couple of items we ordered.    What we did have was excellent.  The appetizer special for the evening was an imaginative Oriental combination--Nori rolls with Vietnamese duck spring rolls.  Don't expect the crisp, deep-fried Chinese spring rolls; the Vietnamese version is more like a soft, rolled tortilla or an uncooked wonton skin.    It was wrapped gently around tender shredded duck.  The flavors were an intricate combination of sweet and slightly spicy.  The seaweed-wrapped tuna was delicious and fresh, fresh, fresh.  (Watch out for the wasabi--it'll blow your ears off.)    The baked brie was nicely topped with a cherry-cranberry mix, but to our tastes might have been baked a little longer to soften and mellow the cheese.    Salads here are more than a throwaway time-filler.  The Mesclun mix boasts feta cheese, red beans and pumpkin seeds.  Its balsamic vinaigrette is tangy and fresh.  The Caesar salad is tossed with outstanding croutons and is garlicky and crunchy.    Our entrees were promptly served and nicely presented.  The plates are pretty without looking as if they've been primped.  The Sesame Crusted Tuna was cooked just as ordered--we have to admit we like our fish cooked longer than most chefs like to cook it.  The crisp noodles added even more crunch.    The Rack of Lamb was arranged on a mound of smooth mashed potatoes.  The Veal Chop, a special of the evening, was a trifle too fatty but topped with a lovely red wind glaze.    The only surprise was the price of this special; $29 seemed rather high since most entrees were under $20 and the price was not mentioned when the specials were itemized at the table.  So, be sure to ask if they don't tell you.    Another special, Mahi Mahi, was very fresh and topped with an exotic Moroccan sauce.    There is a lengthy and varied wine list with selections from many countries and a wide range of prices.    Tragically (well, that's overly dramatic), they were out of Tiramisu.  But as it turned out that was no great loss, since the Cream Brulee I had as a substitute was among the best I've eaten--crunchy and dark on top, smooth as silk below.    The Pina Colada Cake combined the sweetness of coconut and pineapple in a fluffy tower.  The Flourless Chocolate Cake was dense and rich.  But the Yellow Dog's main bone of confection is a soft, rich brownie shaped like a dog biscuit and topped with fudge sauce and vanilla ice cream.  It's enough to make you beg.

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Yellow Dog Cafe Offers Location, Presentation Bon Appétit by Sheila O'Meara - Vero Beach Press Journal November 1998 FOOD: SERVICE: ATMOSPHERE:    To expand on that old real estate slogan, "location, location, location," we might say Stuart's Yellow Dog Cafe' has "location imagination and presentation."    Its right on a broad, shimmering expanse of the Indian River just south of Palm Bay Swooping pelicans, patient herons, stately sailboats and other pleasure craft add interest to the vista.    But his isn't just a joint with a view where all you can get are rubbery fried clam strips and watery cole slaw.  This place is for dining with a capital D.    There's an enormous screened (smart) deck and two charming dining rooms. A visible kitchen/grill lets you know that the food is custom-prepared.    The host and hostess, Stuart and Nancy Borton, let you know the customer is always right.  So does the experienced friendly staff.  Ask for half portion of an entree as hors d oeuvre. The answer is, "of course."    You can wear shorts or jeans or you might want to dress up since the surroundings are so pretty.  All levels of elegance are comfortable here.    The wine list is varied and fairly priced, American, European, and Australian selections start at less than $20.00 a bottle.  Stuart lived in Australia for a number of years.  So he knows his Aussie vintners and chooses for both taste and value.     Nancy triples as hostess, co-manager and decorator for the Yellow Dog.  The downstairs room has a library corner with extensive bookshelves and upholstered loveseats and wingback chairs for a touch of luxury while you dine.    Large windows overlook the river and it s many boats and birds.  Look around and you'll spy an assortment of yellow dogs in photograph, painting and sculpture form.  There also are a harlequin marionette in a glass case, faux copper ceilings and walls in the restrooms, and myriad touches of modern-day whimsy and Victorian romance.    Let's get down to the really important part -- the food.  To me, one of life's great mysteries is why so many restaurants with a great view have such lousy food.  Stuart's Yellow Dog is the extraordinary exception to that rule thanks in part to Executive Chef Steve Hahn and Pastry Chef Pam Harvy.    The lunch menu ranges from grilled duck breast salad to six special sandwich setups served on tasty foccacia, which you can fill with your choice of grilled chicken, catch of the day or fresh ground beef.    The food is imaginative, sensationally presented and still not weird or intimidating.  The night we dined there, the evening's specials included a veal chop, lamb loin, several fresh fish dishes in addition to the regular menu of bouillabaisse, pasta, steaks, duck and chicken. Everything is recognizable and just gussied up enough to be special indeed.    We started with an exotic egg roll served diagonally sliced over a slightly spicy black bean salsa.  It combined spicy and sweet, cool and hot, crunchy and soft, all at once and it was nothing short of amazing.     A pasta special with shrimp and a light, fresh, tomato sauce was cheerfully served as an appetizer. The crisp salads dressings were wonderfully fresh-tasting: whole anchovies add their ineffable flavor to the Caesar if you choose.    The bouillabaisse melded saffron and fennel and garlic in a light broth just perfect for sopping up with crusty bread.  Plenty of shrimp, scallops, fresh fish and clams made it a hearty meal.    The meats we sampled -- the veal, lamb and a filet mignon -- were all cooked exactly as requested.  The filet's red wine sauce was dark and rich:  the veal was extravagantly mushroomed.  The lamb tender and flavorful.    There are plenty of luscious looking desserts but we could only find space to taste the warm Milk-Bone-shaped brownie with a softened ice cream:  a most elegant cake with a sense of humor.  The was accompanied by real cappuccino or expresso, of course. This is after all Dining.  Believe it or not, there's also a view.

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READER STUFFS SELF IN SEARCH OF TURKEY Dining Out,  Florida Today    Readers write us:     Helene de Groodt of Palm Bay raves about the new Yellow Dog Cafe on the river, where the Indian River Grille used to be.  We wold you about them in a recent column.    DeGroodt particularly liked the ostrich steaks..."properly cooked, they really do taste like good beef, red meat with little or no chol- esterol.  Another treasure on the dessert tray is the baklava."    An Indialantic reader, whose name was obliterated by the fax  machine ID,  praises Stuart's Yellow Dog Cafe. "Beautiful decor and unique menu," she writes.  "A delight from beginning to end, so much so, we went back the next evening for dinner and took friends.  Again, what a treat. Dessert is a must."     We, too, enjoyed the antique filled atmosphere, the river view, and definitely, the food when our Pen Women group lunched there a few months back.  Almost everything is unique and well-prepared.  Return to Review Index