|
October 7, 2000 RIVERTOWN BISTRO
Food ***1/2 Pricing: Moderate to expensive Atmosphere In the fashion of a true European bistro, the Rivertown Bistro is bright and cheerful, with tasteful decorative elements and no common theme. There are several posters for les beaujolais nouveaux and a few others for gallery exhibits; a huge mural of belles and gentlemen sipping juleps on a verandah; a window painted with the Bistro's logo and another in stained glass. The single open room is cozy but not uncomfortably so, with a raised dining area and several intimate booths. The small but well-stocked bar and nearby tables can seat a dozen. There's a room for private dining on the second floor. The smaller tables are set prettily with glass over white linen, black and white china, candles, and carafes of honey-colored olive oil. Food The oil isn't just for show. Shortly after we ordered appetizers, our waitress arrived with a few shallow saucers, a peppermill, and a grater. With little moans of pleasure, we feasted on chunks torn from a half baguette and dipped into the fruity oil, adorned with freshly ground pepper and ripe hard cheese. We already knew that the Bistro's lunch hors d'oeuvre were outstanding. Their evening appetizer menu contains some similarly extraordinary dishes, all generously portioned. The soup, which changes daily, is often a blissful nectar made with the freshest seafood. That evening's herb crab bisque ($3.95), with lovely blue crab, cream, and light seasonings, was pure Low Country goodness. The baked feta ($5.95) arrived in a shallow ramekin, with three big slabs of grilled bread. This was a rare Mediterranean treat: the molten cheese with its salty tang, adorned with calamata olives, roasted red peppers and garlic, and fine olive oil. One member of our party, convinced that eggplant is a perfect food, swooned when she saw that the menu contained a fried eggplant and vegetable appetizer ($6.25). Was it perhaps a bit pricey? With the first scrumptious mouthful, she understood. Three discs of crisp eggplant, lightly breaded and fried, layered with perfect pesto, rich feta, ripe tomato, with a generous sprinkling of fresh parmesan on top, made for an elegant juxtaposition of texture and flavor. Other appetizer dishes include an intriguing range of quail, scallops, shrimp, and crawfish. Try the Low Country spring rolls with chicken, spicy ham, spinach and honey Dijon sauce - at $4.00, the least expensive dish, and just wonderful. The evening's appetizer specials included Cajun fried calamari with a crawfish rouille ($6.95) and our choice, the escargot bruschetta ($6.95). A half-dozen plump little snails were nestled against a tower of crusty bread, fried lightly in olive oil and garlic and draped generously with sautéed spinach. Salads include teriyaki and hoisin glazed salmon over mixed greens, vegetables and baby corn with soy vinaigrette ($12.95), a grilled Portobello mushroom with buffalo mozzarella, Roma tomato, and roasted garlic vinaigrette ($7.50), and raspberry salad with mixed greens, fresh vegetables, roasted pecans, feta and raspberry vinaigrette ($3.50). All are assembled brilliantly, with the freshest ingredients. The measure of a crab cake is the proportion of crabmeat to binder. As far as we could tell, the jumbo lump crab cakes ($17.95) were held together by nothing more - or less - than love. One perfect cake was served atop a pillow of wild rice pilaf, the other on a generous portion of delectable salsa made with roast corn, Roma tomato and sour cream. Char-grilled pork tenderloin ($15.50) with black pepper bacon gravy and apple-raisin chutney is an excellent entrée. The paucity of pork was our only complaint: there simply wasn't enough of a good thing! We were diverted by that superb chutney over mashed potatoes, and a seasonal vegetable medley with broccoli, cauliflower, onions and red peppers. We were somewhat disappointed by the char-grilled ribeye ($14.25). The blue cheese scallion butter was almost imperceptible, and the steak, though flavorful and large, was not as tender or well-trimmed as we would have hoped. The platter included thinly sliced fried onion rings for garnish, a good vegetable medley with broccoli, squash, carrots, and water chestnuts, and two little new potatoes with sour cream and chives. The Bistro's menu includes nine more supper entrees, for a total of 13; additionally, two specials are offered each evening. On the night of our visit, we listened with watering mouths as our server told us about the char-grilled pork medallions with grilled shrimp, caramelized onion and Madeira jus, served with vegetables and a three-cheese bacon potato cake ($18.95). Tempting, but we ordered the second special, a fresh flounder Cormillé ($19.95). At the bottom of this little pile of heaven was a bed of excellent mashed potatoes. A disc of blackened green tomato came next, topped with lump crabmeat. Fresh local flounder filet, dusted and fried lightly to a perfect golden brown, comprised the next layer. Then came more layers of tomato, crab, and flounder - all topped with an incredible shellfish cream. Desserts Groaning under the weight of our magnificent feast, we almost passed on dessert. But then we came to our senses, remembering lunchtime desserts with pleasure. These include the two-chocolate whiskey pie ($3.95), a sinful delight with a crust of crushed pecans, and the warm bread pudding ($3.95) with pecans, Godiva liqueur, crème Anglaise, and chocolate sauce. Their cheesecake selection ($3.50/slice) changes daily. This evening, we tried a slice of Key lime pie ($3.25) with crème Anglaise, an intense and well-balanced blend of tartsweet happiness. We were unimpressed with the banana caramel pie ($3.50). Though described in the menu as "chocked full of Bananas and chunks of Butterfinger", it was sort of mushy, and could have used a bit of crunch. A few banana slices would have been lovely with the fresh mint garnish. We are worshipful coffee drinkers, but we passed on the Bistro's espresso. From our past lunchtime experiences, we feel that this is one of the few areas needing attention at this remarkable restaurant. Spirits The Rivertown Bistro's wine list contains a selection of over five dozen bottles; roughly a fifth of these are offered by the glass. The list is grouped according to varietal, with an eclectic little group of reds from California, France, and Australia. The Blackstone merlot ($6.00/glass) was well-balanced with a light oak finish, and nice tones of dark berry and plum. A glass of Clos Du Bois cabernet ($7.00) was full-bodied and crisp, aggressively tannic but velvet-textured and earthy. The sweet tooth in our party knew he wouldn't be able to consider dessert after finishing his meal, so he enjoyed a soft, delicately citrusy glass of a true late harvest Johannisberg Riesling ($4.25/glass) from Washington's Hogue Cellars (mistakenly listed as a California vineyard on the menu). A good selection of cordials is offered, at $4.75 each. The Bistro also offers two dessert wines (Quady Electra Orange Muscat for $4.00, and Bonny Doon Framboise for $5.75). There's a short list of good scotches ($5.25 - $8.25), and port by the glass ($4.25 – $6.00) Service The Bistro's unobtrusive serving staff is simply clad in white oxfords and black skirts or trousers. A full platoon of waiters would be crowded and incongruous in the intimate, casual dining room. On the night we visited, there were only a few waitresses and one genial and attentive hostess, and they got very busy as the dining room filled up. But their visits to our table were well-timed and appropriate, and they were never too busy to answer questions. Summary Each dish that leaves the Rivertown Bistro's kitchen is a well-conceived harmony of flavors and textures. Unique and carefully planned sides accompany each meat and fish offering. The result is a consistently brilliant meal. With one or two exceptions, the quality of every dish served at the Bistro exceeded our expectations. That slightly less than perfect ribeye, and that odd slice of banana caramel pie, are the only disappointments we encountered. And the staff may already have mastered that formidable espresso machine. Otherwise, there is simply not a great deal of room for improvement. From its humblest dish to its most elaborate appetizer, from its most modest salad to its most expensive entrée, the Rivertown Bistro is an unpretentious source of world-class cuisine in the heart of a small Southern town. |
