Cuckoo for coconuts

St-Denis' Coconut Grill would have done Gilligan proud

by SPANKY HOROWITZ

This dull, grey weather has me dreaming of better climates, where I can sit on the beach with a Mai-tai in my hand, listening to the waves lapping up on the shore. Since I'm not a travel writer, I can't fly to Mexico or the Bahamas, so I'll have to settle for a restaurant that somewhat resembles a place warmer than this. The Coconut Grill fits the bill.

Tucked away on St-Denis at the corner of Roy, underneath a used music shop, the Coconut Grill is like a cross between a desert island hut and a neo-industrial art gallery. The pillars and tables are constructed from well-varnished bleached plywood, nailed together to form simple, utilitarian tables that would fit right in on Gilligan's Island--if the professor knew how to make varnish. The ceiling, which I had expected to be covered in fake palm trees and coconuts, is lined with sheets of bronzed metal, which gives the place a modern touch.

We immediately noticed and gave our thumbs-up to the tunes, which started with a mid-paced Latin vibe but quickly gave way to some slow 'n' heavy reggae grooves that made us want to hang out there all day. All I needed was a tropical drink, and wouldn't ya know it, this place specializes in exotic cocktails! I ordered a Mai-tai ($5), my dreadlocked amigo ordered some turquoise concoction and my bald-headed friend requested a local beer.

The menu is split into four sections: salads, fresh fish, meats and brochettes. All the main dishes come with delicious chutney, grilled veggies, potatoes and your choice of sauce: coconut, lemongrass, green pepper, mustard, ti-malice, kalico and mango. Unfortunately, there isn't much for the vegetarian, but I'd bet my booties that the extremely courteous cook could probably fix up something masterfully meatless and hopefully put it on the menu (hint, hint). I'm not sure if you're supposed to order 'em, but our cute waitress brought us baskets of "accras" to snack on while we enjoyed our drinks. I've had these deep-fried fish fritters before at some Caribbean joints and they were just as tasty here, but a couple of bowls of those special sauces would have brightened my un-sunshiny day.

I'm noticing and appreciating that more and more restos are picking up the nutritional slack by including salads in their meal prices, a good thing since most of us do not include enough roughage in our daily diets. The Coconut Grill salad is fresh but needs a little work. I dug the romaine, but the warm-yet-not-roasted peppers didn't jive well with the carved cuke covered in paprika. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed it just the same.

The salmon steak ($9--wow!) was well-cooked and blended perfectly with the sweet homemade chutney. The Brochette Coconut ($13) is for the undecided carnivore--chicken, pork, beef and a merguez sausage all skewered up and grilled to perfection. My one reservation was that the meats were on one skewer, mingling the flavours a little too much; it might be smarter to segregate the different coloured meats until they hit the plate.

I also sampled the Chicken Boucanier from the table d'hote (which changes daily). My chicken arrived slightly undercooked but was immediately whisked away and another piece, well-cooked, was placed in front of me to enjoy. I was graciously not charged for this error by the cook, who seemed rather surprised and shamed, a sign that he usually does not let this sort of thing happen in his kitchen.

We dug the tunes, we dug the cocktails, we dug the food, but we didn't get a chance to dig the desserts. I wish we had, because I love bananas flambées. :

Coconut Grill

Address: 3807 St-Denis

Phone: 288-0063

Hours: 11am-11pm, closed on Mondays

Best features: groovy music, exotic cocktails, good grills and unique side-dishes

Alcohol: yes

Vegetarian friendly: no

Credit cards: yes

Wheelchair access: yes

price: $6-25 per person before drinks, tax and tip

Rating: HHH out of HHHH