Today DJ and I had a little change in plans, so we just ran around today doing all different things. We had a slow start to the day so we decided to have a late lunch / early dinner. We noticed on Facebook that West End Bistro has extended their hours. They are now open Monday-Thursday 8-6 pm, Friday and Saturday 8-8 pm, and Sunday 7-3 pm. We've been meaning to give it a try but never had been around when they were open before. I am very excited about these hours of operation. Anyway, it was raining like crazy when we pulled in to the parking lot. We waited for the downpour to slow down and then dashed in the restaurant.
The decor is completely different than it used to be. That building has gone through dramatic changes. First Frankie's, then Sandy's, and now the Bistro. It was cute, clean, and cozy. We arrived at the restaurant around 4:00, which is a lull time, so we weren't surprised to see the place empty. The waitress was very friendly and attentive. It was a little awkward because we were the only customers in the restaurant but she wasn't too pushy, yet she was in sight if we needed her. The menu is rather large, which is usually a "no-no" in Gordon's book but if you look at the descriptions, a lot of the meals have similar ingredients. They serve breakfast, lunch, and some dinner dishes.
DJ ordered pretzel bites- little pretzel nuggets with cheese, wrapped in bacon, and served with a homemade coarse mustard. They were very tasty. It's a good snack that makes me feel like I should be watching football while eating them. I knew I would be blogging about this visit so I felt very Master Chef - esque while tasting the food. For our meal choices, DJ ordered "The 'Morte' Bomb" which is shaved steak, caramelized onions, grilled peppers, romaine lettuce, tomato, roasted garlic mayo on a sub roll. ($10) He ordered his sandwich with onion rings which were homemade. It was a huge sub! I couldn't believe how much food was loaded on his plate. DJ was only able to eat half of the sub after eating all those pretzel bites. He said it was very good and brought the other half home. I was going back and forth between two options. I was thinking of ordering the pork chop au'jus that comes with truffle fries and tomatoes but I ended up ordering the pretzel burger. But now that I'm looking at the menu again I wish I ordered the pigs in a blanket. I think I just automatically dismissed that because I thought it was the traditional sausage links wrapped in a pancake but it's actually two bacon wrapped hot dogs, topped with chili, cheese fondue, sauerkraut and mustard! Right up my alley! I am addicted to two things this summer- hot dogs and raw clams. Raw oysters will be my next experiment. It was a good sized burger with smoked gouda, romaine lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, on a pretzel roll with garlic mayo. My burger came with homemade fries that were out of this world! They were simple cut fries but they had what seemed to be some sort of batter. They were very crispy and delicious. They were not ridged, they were plain fries but oh so good. I didn't even add salt to them. The burger was difficult to eat so I had to cut it in half. Overall, I would say the burger was delicious. The only thing that bothered me was the cheese. Gouda is not a cheese that I frequently eat but I thought I would just roll with it. Not the case. The Gouda did not fit well on the burger. On any type of burger you need a good melting cheese. Gouda is not one of those. They put two slices on with that "skin" looking right at you. They didn't get really warm and didn't melt very much. Next time I order this burger, I will request American cheese. When it comes to cheese, I'm very simple. American, mozzarella, cheddar, Muenster, and only provolone and Swiss if they are melted. Any of the other fancy cheeses I'm not really in to. That burger would be absolute perfection if only the cheese were changed. Other than that, I thought the burger was dynamite. It was cooked perfectly. Very tender, very juicy, flavorful. Good. The burgers range from $8-$13.
Both of us were stuffed when we left and still had food on the plate. I always feel bad about that but I can only eat what my stomach can fit. This happens to me a lot. You eat in the morning and then get caught up in the day and you don't get a chance to eat until later on. You're starving just before eating, to the point where you may just faint, but then you begin to eat and stuff your face you're full after three bites. Go figure. They do offer desserts at the Bistro. Today they had a chocolate lemon cheesecake, which sounded delicious. They also sell specialty cupcakes that are in a case near the counter. We didn't order dessert this time out but it is something I hope to do in the future. The waitress gave us take-out menus to bring home and informed us that they are looking into delivery.
I have to say I enjoyed this new restaurant. You can tell that the owners appreciate their customers and want to succeed. The food is very good, the prices are fine. It's not exactly a cheap date but it's also not ridiculously priced like Georgie's. Like their Facebook page to learn about changes in hours, specials, and new menu ideas that the chefs are testing out. If West End Bistro continues to put out what we received today, in terms of service and food, I see this being a West Haven icon. Also based on their responses on their Facebook page, they are very open to suggestions and have listened to the feedback of their customers. I will be back again and I will let you know how my second visit goes. I invite you all to give it a try in the meantime. Until my next bite...
It was also the site of Crown Fried Chicken most recently.
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