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| - When you write a review, the first thing you wanna do is be a jerk to establish your credentials. So here! Have two things absolutely WRONG about Tartine Bistro!
1) The purple potatoes were slightly overdone.
2) The medjool dates were actually more of a dessert than an appetizer.
There. Have I established myself as A Man Who Knows Fine Cuisine for you? Will you believe me now when I tell you my tale of good food?
Call me Ishmael.
Seriously, though, for a little wine bar/restaurant, the place has excellent food, great service, and an okay atmosphere. I started with the medjool dates, which were stuffed with goat cheese and topped with bacon in a very light port wine sauce, and they were superb - sweet, just a little flake of crunchy, and finely textured so that you could taste the layers of food within them.
Then I had a wild mushroom and truffle flatbread pizza. The crust was a tad too crisp, but fortunately the freshness of the cheese and the tastiness of the wild mushrooms (done just right) and the shallots and the cheese made up for it. I ate the whole thing and then regretted it, for my tummy was full.
I am not a wine person. I drink beer. Good beer. This means I suffer in Cleveland. But my friends seemed to like the wine, and made yummy noises, even as they thought it was a bit tarter than advertised. THERE! ANOTHER THING WRONG WITH TARTINE BISTRO! +1 TO MY CREDIBILITY SCORE!
In the end, we got the check, and for about $25 per person we'd had a fine meal with appetizer and wine. That's pretty decent, honestly. The only serious ding I'd give it is that it was crowded on a Wednesday, which made it a little harder to talk because there were so many people. Still, considering how many restaurants go out of business, I can't find it in my heart to scorn them for, you know, "having clientele."
Recommended. Go forth and medjool date.
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