Villas by the Sea. Jekyll Island.
Chef Conner Rankin is no stranger to the culinary scene. After learning his craft at the excellent Johnson & Wales, and getting his real world experience in New Orleans and at the prestigious Matthew’s Restaurant in Jacksonville, Chef Conner made The Golden Isles his home and never looked back. And we are all glad he did. The menu he has put together for Coastal Cucina (yes, cucina: Italian for kitchen makes the English translation Coastal Kitchen. It’s their sister restaurant!) is nothing short of remarkable.
The restaurant is in the space formerly occupied by Driftwood Bistro until retirement called Dan Dickerson and he closed shop after 15 years. There was a brief stint by the departed Schroeder family, and now, the group who brings you Wolf Island Oyster Company, Bubba Garcia’s, Gnat’s Landing and, of course, Coastal Kitchen has come to stay. The interior is beautiful, with the same basic layout (two dining areas, a bar and a patio). The decor is clean and modern with earthy sage green walls and plenty of seating. The day we filmed, there was a group of retirees holding a birthday party there. What an excellent space for that!
A centerpiece in the upper dining room is the gorgeous brick pizza oven. And this is where so much magic happens. We were given the royal treatment that day and our adventure started with a couple of pizzas. THE classics. Chef Conner’s take on the classic Margherita includes red sauce, plum tomato, mozzarella, fresh basil, Balsamic reduction, and an artfully applied pesto. We watched him make it, and it’s all like magic the way it comes together. Everything is so fresh and distributed in just the right way to make the flavors sing in harmony. It’s a real work of art.
The Brooklyn style crust is pillowy soft and has so much character and flavor from days of rest and fermentation. Coastal Cucina takes the classic pepperoni pizza to the next level. The Diavola is double pepperoni, a healthy helping of mozz and drizzled with a delicious Calabrian chili oil which was graciously left behind by the Schroeders. The oil is not too spicy and the combination is just perfect.
You could come here just for starters and cocktails and leave a very happy camper. The eggplant fries are probably my new favorite way to eat eggplant. I could have them everyday. The Fritto Misto is a real stand out as well. It’s not just fried calamari strips, but adding lemon, cherry peppers, and parsley is a real game changer. Chef recommends having a strip and lemon in the same bite and dipping it in the amazing caper mayo. So delicious. The garlic knots and focaccia are again that pillowy goodness and a real crowd pleaser. Oh! I forgot to mention that breading on the fritto misto? Crumbified focaccia. It has no egg wash which keeps the texture light. Good move, and yes, I made up the word crumbified.
The real stand out in the starters is the beef carpaccio. This alone may be worth the trip: Sliced Texas Wagyu beef, fried capers, arugula, roasted garlic mayo (YUM), Parmesan and focaccia. You’re going to want this every time you come here.
The Mains
If you’re a regular reader at Brunswick Eats, you know how we feel about Wild Georgia Shrimp, and Chef Conner did not hold back. The menu is peppered with it in just about every course as it should be. The Impanato di Mare is a very fine example. Crusted in those amazing focaccia crumbs and cooked to absolute perfection, the dish includes healthy portions of shrimp and scallops served over a delicate and tasty capellini with spinach, tomato, garlic, shallot, parmesan, and lemon butter. It’s the kind of dish you kind of want featured on a postcard so you can make your out of town friends jealous. Really delicious. Pair this with their classic Caesar salad, and it’ll be a meal to remember.
Maybe you’re a poultry lover. I would definitely recommend the Joyce Farms chicken breast. The airline cut (boneless chicken breast with the drumette attached) is bursting with flavor in that amazing Joyce Farms way: no antibiotics, no growth stimulants, and nothing artificial. In a brilliant move, Chef Conner brines the breast in pepperoncini before pan roasting it and serving it over a creamy goat cheese polenta with to-die-for escarole and topped with a classic sugo. Words can’t properly describe this dish. It is a must.
For a truly unforgettable meal, I recommend the Marsala with veal. It melts in your mouth and brings so much happiness. You’ll thank me later. The dish is a healthy portion of veal (or chicken) served over that wonderful capellini and topped with Chef’s special blend of mushrooms, roasted fennel, roasted whole cloves of garlic, shallot, Marsala, butter, and parmesan. The mushroom blend really makes this dish a home run by any standards. You’ll be wearing a smile the entire time you eat this.
For lunch I highly recommend The Bear. This is a Hot Italian with Angus eye of round that exudes a beefy taste that’s beefier than beef. The tasty house made giardiniera really takes this sandwich to the next level. Served on a soft hoagie with melted Provolone this really is a Bear of a sandwich. Served with parmesan fries it’s the perfect mid day meal (or dinner).
So What Now?
Well, of course, DESSERT! Go Italian with classic Tiramisu, or keep it in Georgia y’all with… wait for it… Peach Bread Pudding! It’s a brioche bread pudding topped with whipped cream and a very memorable bourbon peach puree. Peach season is almost upon us and this is calling my name.
If you’ve had the butter cake at The Half Shell on St. Simons, you’re a little familiar with Chef Conner’s craft. He had a hand in developing what is one of our favorite desserts in the Golden Isles. Of course, he brought that with him to Coastal Cucina, but kicked it up a notch. In the spirit of that wildly popular Dubai chocolate craze, Chef Conner the already amazing butter cake with pistachio whipped mascarpone, Vanilla Gelato, chopped pistachio and strawberry. He makes it Italian with the addition of marscapone inside. It is the perfect end to a perfect meal. We suggest requesting a corner piece. The crusty edges are where it’s at.
If you’ve read this far, surely you must be getting hungry. Now watch our 13-minute video below. Go to Coastal Cucina tonight and tell ’em Brunswick Eats sent ya.
COASTAL CUCINA
1175 Beachview Dr N, Jekyll Island, GA 31527
Located in Villas By The Sea Resort
Daily 11AM-9PM