Another 6-8 weeks has come and gone. Ever since the hurricane destroyed The Beachhead (again) we have been going to new restaurants. This time we went to a restaurant we had heard good things about. I was co-pilot to Baylis on this occasion. It was fairly easy to get to. It's on Main Street, though it doesn't look like it belongs right where it is. The Bistro is a beautiful building but the neighboring buildings are not so hot. We went in, had a little confusion with the reservations, but were seated in the back room at a large table. Even though the though the Bistro is "Mediterranean", it's primarily Spanish, according to the waiter when asked for Italian dressing. The waitstaff were friendly. There was one wild busboy who should be a hibatchi cook that you may want to look out for.
As soon as everyone arrived, we ordered. While we waited, the waiter came around with a basket of freshly baked bread. It was fabulous bread. It was flaky, soft, and warm. I would have preferred if the bread was left on the table, but it was good in a way. It helped control me. I couldn't continue to dig into the basket for more hunks of bread. Oil was on the table- no butter. A plus! Some of my co-diners ordered tapas. I tried an arugula salad with gorgonzola cheese and pears. It was good. I had never had arugula before. It was a bit peppery tasting. It reminded me of a radish. The sweetness of the pear balanced the peppery flavor of the arugula. Deb let me taste her fried mootz balls. They did not taste like mozzarella, but they were delish. A few other people ordered salads as well. There were many repeats around the table tonight in main dish choice. I don't know if I saw everyone's plate but I'll share what I saw. Many people ordered the lobster ravioli which was served with a alla vodka sauce, there was a penne dish with chicken alla vodka, surf and turf (NY strip and shrimp), pappardelle with shrimp, scallops, and lobster, paella, rigatoni with sausage, mushroom ravioli with alla vodka (*upon request), and I ordered the lamb chops. Everyone was highly satisfied with their meal. My lamb was so tender and delicious. I have to stop ordering lamb out at a restaurant. I feel like I have to put up such a struggle to cut my meat off the bone. I just want to hold the chop in my hand and go to town. It was served with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. The potatoes looked like they were piped onto the plate with a pastry bag. The spinach tasted just like my mom's- sauteed in EVOO with garlic, s, and p. I was very happy with my main dish. I would actually like to try to head back there soon to try their scallops and risotto. I almost ordered it because it's so "Hell's Kitchen" but then I backed out and ordered the lamb. Maybe I should've ordered the skirt steak. I don't know... it was very hard to make a decision.
After the meals were cleared away, we ordered dessert. I tried this crepe with fresh fruit and vanilla ice cream. Big mistake. Bad note to end on. I don't know what type of fruit was in the crepe. It tasted and looked like nothing I could recognize. I ended up eating the ice cream and the few pieces of fruit on the side that served as a garnish. I felt like Tom Hanks in "You've Got Mail." I ate Amy's garnish as well. A few ordered the molten chocolate lava cake, a few ordered the banana- was it caramelized or fried? Either way, a banana dessert. Everyone seemed to enjoy their dessert except for me. It took a while for the bill to arrive but while we were waiting, the waiter came over with a complimentary glass of champagne for all of us! That sealed the deal for me. It was such a nice little surprise to get at the end of dinner.
Overall, Bistro Mediterranean is a keeper. Good food and even better prices. I was amazed at how cheap everything was. The menu online does not include prices, so I assumed that it would be a fortune but I was pleasantly surprised. My lamb was $21 and the skirt steak was only $16. The restaurant was clean, everything seemed new, the waitstaff was friendly, the bathroom need a little attention, and it was a lengthy meal, but as I said, a keeper. If you like Mediterranean cuisine, although I really wouldn't call it Mediterranean because the only clear Spanish dish was paella, I recommend it! I know that pasta and Italian dishes are Mediterranean, but a remark the waiter made to Nicole irked me a bit. She asked for Italian dressing and he said, "This is Spanish. We have balsamic." You can serve ravioli, pappardelle, and penne but then make a comment when someone asks if you have Italian dressing. Come on here people. All in all, it was a good dinner. Until my next bite..
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