Popular Satellite Beach breakfast and lunch spot adds wine dinners to its menu

Lyn Dowling
·4 min read

Emerson Krause is a chef and restaurant owner. Tim Campbell is a wine importer and dealer. They formerly were neighbors in the same strip center off South Patrick Drive in Satellite Beach.

It only seemed natural that the two should combine resources, and so one of the area’s favorite breakfast and lunch restaurants, Banana River Café, will offer wine, dinners and wine dinners.

The first “BRC After Dark,” which featured Italian food, took place last month, with more five-course suppers expected at least monthly, on Friday evenings. They will start in March, probably on each third Wednesday.

Campbell said he became involved in BRC as “just a neighbor helping out,” when he owned Beachside Wines, which also operated in the Lori Laine Shopping Center.

He later sold the business to concentrate on wine-related travel but maintained the friendship with Krause and secured for his restaurant its all-important wine and beer license.

Banana River Cafe chef Emerson Krause created this flourless torte for a recent wine dinner at the Satellite Beach Restaurant.
Banana River Cafe chef Emerson Krause created this flourless torte for a recent wine dinner at the Satellite Beach Restaurant.

“It is a little bit self-serving,” Campbell said with a laugh. “I wanted a clubhouse for my wine dinners.”

The café, which already offers mimosas with breakfast and wine at lunch, also will have a wine club, wherein members opt to receive a number of bottles on a scheduled basis.

Just plain dinners are expected to start softly, soon, with pasta as the featured dish or dishes, all of which will be scratch-made, “everything from our own stock program,” Krause said. “We’ll do our own stocks, soups, sausages and (other items).”

Expect pop-up dinners too, possibly in conjunction with other respected local chefs.

Campbell and Krause do have the bona fides to pull it off.

Emerson Krause trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York before returning to the Space Coast to work with his mother, Barbara Holst, at Banana River Cafe in Satellite Beach.
Emerson Krause trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York before returning to the Space Coast to work with his mother, Barbara Holst, at Banana River Cafe in Satellite Beach.

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Krause, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, applied his talents at the Michelin-starred Gramercy Tavern in New York City while studying. Rather than accept the job he was offered there, he chose to return to Florida and cook at the restaurant, which he has co-owned with his mother, Barbara Holst, for seven years.

He is locally famed for creative entrees such as Berry French Toast with a fig-berry compote and bowls that contain grits with herb-redolent goat cheese, fried eggs and sautéed mushrooms.

Campbell, who retired to do three or four wine tours per year, including to Europe, once lived in Napa Valley and has had a long career in wine imports, brokerage and sales.

He promised that the wines sold at BRC at meals and otherwise will be unavailable elsewhere locally, and his dinner programs will be similar to the ones he offered at the late, much-missed Grey Bellies, which was operated by family members in downtown Melbourne.

Banana River Cafe chef Emerson Krause has teamed with wine importer and dealer Tim Campbell to host regular wine dinners and events at the Satellite Beach Restaurant.
Banana River Cafe chef Emerson Krause has teamed with wine importer and dealer Tim Campbell to host regular wine dinners and events at the Satellite Beach Restaurant.

“All wines, dinners, events and wine club will (offer) wines not presented in Brevard County; many will not have been shown before on the east coast of Florida,” Campbell said.

The ability to serve wines and beers also allows BRC, which has a catering license, to do more private parties and events, both in the restaurant and at private homes and community clubs.

Times and dates of Friday night dinners will be announced on BRC’s Facebook page.

About Banana River Cafe

Banana River Café is located at 1301 S. Patrick Drive, Satellite Beach, and is open 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Call 321-622-4381 or visit facebook.com/BananaRiverCafe or bananarivercafe.com/banana-river-cafe-home.

Did you know?

  • Cafe opened almost 7 years ago, breakfast and lunch only.

  • Chef is Culinary Institute of America-trained

  • Worked at Gramercy Tavern in NYC

  • Cafe recently obtained its beer and wine permit

  • Cafe is licensed to caterer for off-site events

  • Will have monthly (or more) wine pairings, wine dinners and guest winemaker events

  • Friday Night dinner will begin this month; info to be posted on Facebook, Instagram

  • The Cafe is available for private parties both at the Cafe and private homes, community Clubhouses, etc. BRC can provide the menu of food and wine for any theme and budget

Lyn Dowling is a freelance food and lifestyles writer based in Melbourne. Join the conversation at facebook.com/groups/321FlavorWhereBrevardEats.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Banana River Cafe in Satellite Beach plans wine dinners and events