One of my favorite things on a free afternoon is to enjoy a leisurely lunch with a friend. After all, friends are important and, well, so is lunch. So when I began hearing about a new restaurant in downtown Painesville and then saw Channel 3’s Del Donahue boast about it one Saturday morning, I was anxious to see what the chatter was about.
Former patrons of the Painesville Perk and Brass Rail will hardly recognize the place since new owner and executive chef Keith Koenig took over last January. He spent several months making major renovations before opening Bistro 70 in May.
The restaurant is located just around the corner from the Lake County Courthouse in the Western Reserve Building at 70 N. St. Clair. It’s an upscale yet casual place where busy workers can stop in for a relaxing lunch. For a more intimate, formal dining experience, white tablecloths add to an elegant ambiance in the upstairs loft.
It’s not a large restaurant, but the high ceilings give it an airy, open feel. The bold wall colors of burnt oranges and Mediterranean blues effectively provide the Tuscan Bistro style intended. There is also a party room toward the back that can accommodate up to 50 people.
Glowing afternoon
On the glorious autumn weekday afternoon we visited, my friend and I purposely arrived after 1 p.m. , always a good idea for a restaurant in the heart of a business district. The personable hostess led us to a window table where the sun shone on us. Although our server, Danielle, offered to pull down the bamboo shade (another nice deco touch), we urged her to keep it up, reveling in one of the last sunny days in October.
For drinks, Danielle handed us a long menu of spiked coffees. The choices here, among others, included concoctions such as the Nutty Irishman (Bailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico Liquor, coffee and whipped cream), Spanish Coffee (Barcardi Rum, Tia Maria Liquor and whipped cream), and Café Gates Coffee (Tia Maria, Grand Marnier, Godiva Dark Chocolate Liquor, coffee and whipped cream), each listed at $6.
While my companion ordered the Café Gates, I decided to forgo the coffee selections. I was tempted to change my mind, however, after tasting hers. The blend was smooth, with a touch of sweetness, and not overly strong, though certainly enough to keep one alert through the mid-day slump.
With the slight chill in the air, my dining partner warmed up with a bowl of tortilla soup ($2.50 cup, $3.50 bowl). She reported it was lightly spicy with a flavorful Mexican flair. I ordered the Tuscan chopped salad entrée ($6.50, $7 dinner) with fresh romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, applewood smoked bacon, ditalini pasta, grape tomatoes, red onion and blue cheese with honey mustard vinaigrette. The interesting combination of meats, pasta, fruits and vegetables complimented each other well.
Other salad offerings include a steak salad ($8) and seared tuna salad ($9). There are more choices at the soup and salad bar ($8.50), which offers two kinds of soup, four salads and several antipasti selections.
Manageable portions
My companion’s penne ala pollo ($9) included strips of marinated chicken breast tossed with fire-charred red peppers, roasted roma tomatoes, basil pasta and asiago cheese. She noted that the pesto flavor was strong but not overpowering, and it came piping hot. Some other entrees include grilled chicken breast ($9) and fettucini rustica ($9). We also appreciated that the portions were just right, allowing us room to happily select from the eight dessert offerings.
Among the more unique dessert items ranging from $5 to $7 were Grand Marnier crème brulee, pineapple upside-down cake with French vanilla ice cream and warm caramel sauce, and Campfire Smores which “feeds two to three.” While it all sounded delicious, I went with a tried-and-true. My Chocolate Dream, a moist, dark chocolate cake with a spread of chocolate fudge between layers, was served on a beautiful plate adorned with roasted raspberry sauce, garnished with fresh mint, and topped with whipped cream.
Standout presentation
They say presentation is everything, and at Bistro 70, each dessert plate proves that point. But the Cookies-N-Cream is a standout. The generous scoops of coconut and pineapple ice cream napoleon is decorated with light, crispy phyllo cookies artistically placed in and around the frozen dessert. Having never had that flavor of ice cream, my friend was amazed at how tasty it was, providing a satisfying conclusion to the meal.
Bistro 70 is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and stays open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. For reservations, call (440) 352-7070.
Deanna Adams is a Mentor freelance writer.
|
|
