I am so excited to be only the 6th person to review Passion8 Bistro!
Do not let the little number of reviews steer you from trying this very unique restaurant. I was taken here for my birthday dinner date but actually had no idea where we were going as it was a surprise. With living in the uptown area, this place was definitely out of the way, but it is completely worth it. It is really only about 20 minutes from uptown but the restaurant is located down a far dirt road so it makes it seem further away than it truly is. The restaurant is a small house with a larger patio built on the back.
We had an early dinner so it was still light outside and much darker inside. The decor inside was extremely interesting with kitchy little knick knacks everywhere and dark red painted walls. The bathroom even reminded me of what my Grandma's bathroom would look like. But it was cozy despite the strange decor and also gave the dining room the flair that so many other eateries lack.
We were the first table to arrive for dinner (around 5:30) and were seated promptly because of our reservation and the menu was explained to us as well as the beer and wine list by our very knowledgeable server. There is no menu online for Passion8 Bistro because it changes so often. I've heard the chef really knows his stuff and the cuisine definitely proved that point. I ordered a salad that was deconstructed with green apples, cubed beets, fresh nuts, goat cheese and mustard vinaigrette. (MY type of salad!!) The appetizer that we ordered started off small so we were worried about the size of the other portions considering all menu items were fairly pricey. Were we wrong.. after finishing an appetizer and salad each, we were presented with the scallops. We each ordered the scallops but I suggested mine with risotto instead of succotash. 4 HUGE fresh scallops were beautifully presented on a place with risotto and deliciously prepared beets. I do not really care for beets but these were awesome! I ate every bite of my dish and even though I was stuffed, I of course saved room for dessert, which was a tiramisu cake with coffee ice cream. Nothing was left behind by us two. After we were finished with our entrees, the chef actually walked by our table and cleared our plates while walking back to the kitchen.. now THAT is personal service! :)
This was such a great birthday dinner and I would DEFINITELY return to Passion8 Bistro again for a special occasion. If you are considering a nice dinner and would like to get out of the same Charlotte areas.. try Fort Mill instead! The ingredients are super fresh, the menu is well-thought out and service was personal and attentive. I personally think the food here is better than most steakhouses and more expensive fine dining places in Charlotte.