4.5 stars.
I was looking for a place where I could enjoy a good meal in a relatively quiet, adult-friendly environment, and this bistro looked like it fit the bill. I passed it on the way to my hotel and immediately decided it was a place I wanted to check out.
I'll admit I was a little alarmed when I walked in and realized it was giving neighborhood bar energy instead of the chic bistro vibes is expecting. I happened to arrive during trivia night, and most of the patrons seemed really into it so it was much louder and rowdier than I anticipated.
So much for a quiet dinner.
I asked the hostess if I could be seated in a booth away from the activity, but even in a less crowded section, the atmosphere remained pretty overstimulating. In addition to the enthusiastic trivia-playing patrons, there were loud, animated conversations among various staff members, music playing from staff member's phone while music was already playing throughout the restaurant, and just a lot of competing noise.
After a three-hour drive, I was really hoping for a glass of wine, a nice meal, and a more relaxed environment.
That said, the staff were all incredibly friendly and pleasant. You could tell that they genuinely enjoy working there and enjoy each other's company, which made it difficult to be too annoyed. Eventually, I popped in my AirPods and dissociated so that I could focus on enjoying my meal.
For dinner, the Chicken Francaise with a glass of the Italian Pinot Grigio (The name escapes me at the moment). The wine paired beautifully with the meal. The chicken itself was a fairly thick cut and cooked perfectly, but it could have used a bit more seasoning. I also would have loved to see some of the risotto sauce drizzled over the chicken because, while the texture was spot on, the flavor was a little underwhelming on its own.
The green beans were excellent. Perfectly cooked with just the right amount of crunch and lightly seasoned.
But the real star of the show was the Parmesan lemon risotto. That risotto is easily among the top three best risottos I've ever had. The brightness of the lemon combined with the creamy parmesan made for an absolutely unforgettable dish. I was genuinely disappointed that I couldn't finish it because every bite was fantastic. Honestly, I could have ordered a plate of that risotto by itself and left completely satisfied.
While the atmosphere wasn't quite what I was looking for, the friendly service and that unforgettable delectable risotto made the visit worthwhile. read more