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| - Girls' Dinner Club visited for Restaurant Week. This review is strictly based on the $30 restaurant week menu/$15 wine pairing. My opinion on Restaurant Week is that the menus should highlight the skill and direction of the restaurant, which unfortunately I do not think Bistro 19 was effective in doing. Regular menu prices are $19-30 for entrees, $8-15 wines by the glass. They also regularly do special dinners, one of which coming up is a local corn dinner (all dishes made with corn!).
Service was great - timely, and unobtrusive. Appetizers were the highlight of the meal. I had a watermelon crab gazpacho, that started a little sweet, and finished with a hint of spice. Fresh lump crab and a beautiful deep red color. This is one I will try to reproduce. Entrees were a little blase. Options were a Parm/Panko crusted chicken with whipped potatoes and zucchini salad; or salmon with a lime-caramel glaze, green beans, and a chilled asian noodle salad. The chicken dish was all one color, which to me was generally unappealing - but the crowd seemed to approve. Salmon was dry (although I will admit, I am a salmon elitist and since having it sous vide, salmon will never be the same) and the glaze was non-apparent. The green beans were the best part of the plate. There was a third dish offered; a pasta with alfredo, which no one ordered so I can't comment, but pasta with alfredo is a little 1998.
At the end of the day, the food was just nothing special. It has good intention, but execution missed the mark.
My inner environmentalist also has a big concern with the sustainability factor here. Bay of Fundy salmon was a highlight on the restaurant week menu. The chef's 'signature' dish is Chilean Sea Bass. Unless the restaurant could ensure they were purchasing MSC-certified fish, I would hesitate to order any seafood here because I do not agree with the philosophy of serving endangered fishes.
I like the ambiance; its a cool interior with a nice little bar area - modern, but warm at the same time. Sounds like I need to head back and try this Asian Pear Martini that everyone raves about!
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