Tommy Knows No Man’s an Island

Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Cafe has a breezy, Disney/tropical island ambience. Its motto is “Relax--life is one long weekend.” Joined at the hip to a clothing store of the same name, it’s in Corona del Mar Plaza, which is home to a Bristol Farms supermarket and Three Dog Bakery, an actual bakery for dogs.

The clothing store section is stocked with Polynesian-themed silk shirts, golf wear and spiffy gift items. The cafe side is furnished with potted palms, elegant hanging lights, dark wooden tables and hard benches--softened somewhat by colorful throw cushions.

But I prefer the patio. There you sit on well-padded green wicker chairs under a canvas umbrella (and a heat lamp, on chilly, un-islandlike evenings). And your conversation isn’t eclipsed by the Caribbean-style steel band that plays every night, but merely accompanied by the murmur of a fountain. There’s also less conversational buzz out on the patio.

Tommy Bahamas has a lively bar, and the dining room is crowded and noisy even when the band isn’t performing.

Many customers unwind with a tropical cocktail. I enjoyed my Volcano, an appealingly slushy pina colada with a red streak of strawberry puree running through it. Another good one is the Bahama Blast, basically a Planter’s Punch made with various rums, liqueurs and fruit juices. You could also get a glass of Bungalow Blonde (a lager brewed specially for the restaurant) or a premium martini--the drink menu has a whole page of martinis.

When you look ready to order, one of the friendly, tropical-shirted waiters will come by to chat. (Service is quite chatty, both in the store and the restaurant.) The first thing you’ll get is warm, nicely chewy rolls served from a giant cane basket, along with little crocks of a cloying honey-nutmeg-cinnamon butter.

All my waiters pushed an appetizer called Tommy’s coconut shrimp, so that might seem like a natural starting point. And they aren’t bad at all. They’re giant fried prawns in a heavy, golden brown crust that is almost pure coconut, served with a little dish of piquant mango chutney for dipping.

But I prefer some of the other appetizers. One is the Bahamian conch fritters: spicy, crunchy little orbs laced with chewy bits of the prized Caribbean shellfish. Another is the mango shrimp salad, a delicious mix of baby shrimp, fresh mangoes, Bermuda onions, toasted pecans and green onions, all tossed in a light, creamy dressing redolent of molasses. It’s the one dish here that really did make me feel as if I had landed in the Caribbean.

Captiva conch chowder, however, is dull and one-dimensional. It’s an over-spiced tomato soup that could use more conch and less tomato. And the Cooper Island crab and onion bisque, topped with tasty chile crostini, is on the floury side, although it does contain a generous amount of lump crab meat and cream.

The kitchen performs its salad duties well. The South Seas spinach salad has a nice, warm, roasted shallot balsamic vinegar dressing dosed with smoky bacon and a winning garnish of fried onions and crumbled Gorgonzola. I have no problem with Tommy’s classic Caesar, romaine tossed with chile croutons, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and a thick, creamy Caesar dressing. There is even a fine fruit salad of mangoes, berries, kiwi and assorted seasonal fruit, sprinkled with coconut, pecans and a light citrus vinaigrette.

Unfortunately, things slow down when main courses arrive. Boca Chica chicken, a seared chicken breast finished in a sweet passion fruit sauce, needs more spice and excitement. The Virgin Island vegetable plate is a platter of overcooked grilled eggplant, Bermuda onion, green and red bell peppers and roasted garlic mashed potatoes; it could use more seasoning too, and its balsamic vinaigrette is strongly astringent.

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Some dishes are over-seasoned. Wha’Ja Jamaican pork is two sliced medallions of (not especially tender) roast pork quite overwhelmed with ground ginger. The meat comes with a sweet potato souffle, sugary red cabbage slaw--and a fresh black bean salsa that nearly saves the day.

Island Cowboy is a reasonably tender charcoal-grilled filet mignon in a sticky rosemary-portabello mushroom demi-glace sauce. The best entree on this menu is probably Montego Bay ceviche. What you get here is an enormous tomato-flavored tortilla shaped like a cornucopia and overflowing with scallops, calamari, mussels and crawfish marinated in lemon juice, Key lime juice, olive oil, basil and cilantro.

The best-conceived section of the menu, I think, is dessert. Tommy’s original bread pudding is delicious. It’s a rich, buttery, chocolate banana bread pudding, drizzled with an excellent caramel sauce and topped with just enough whipped cream.

Yes, there is a proper Key lime pie, a lime-flavored custard in a thick graham crust. There is also pina colada cake, a moist, rich yellow layer cake studded with pineapple chunks and topped with grated coconut and a creamy Meyers Dark Rum frosting. Better put off that trip to the clothing store side if you decide to eat an entire piece.

Tommy Bahamas Tropical Cafe is expensive. Appetizers are $5.95 to $10.95. Soups and salads are $3.25 to $9.95. Entrees are $13.95 to $23.95. Desserts are $3.50 to $4.95.

BE THERE

Tommy Bahamas Tropical Cafe, 854 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. (949) 760- 8686. Open 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday. All major cards.