I have partaken in a generous share of sushi lunches and dinners.  I've even had it for breakfast- o.k. it was Frushi at Orange in Chicago, but it was delicious. Last Friday night the kiddos and I went for a dinner at the new Japanese restaurant in our neighborhood, The Hibachi House.   They have a vast menu which was difficult to choose from, because I was so hungry but the basically stuck to what they knew.  Isabella ordered her usual tuna sashimi and miso soup.  Logan had California rolls and miso. River went adventurous and ordered the tuna and avocado roll and miso.  seeing a pattern here?  Sure these kids love miso soup and know good miso.  This passed the test as River ordered a second bowl.  They also love the fact that I'll let them get away with slurping their soup as it is traditionally acceptable in Japanese culture as is seen as complimentary to the cook.  The same goes for noodles.  I had a spicy tuna and a corona roll -delish!  Our server, Allen, was nothing less than awesome.  Not to mention he is a friend from our church, but we are never biased when it comes to food and service.  Actually, I may have created a few little food snobs as they expect good service and food.  There have been an unfortunate recipient or two of their polite constructive criticism.  Kids, they say the darndest things. *smiling*  After our meal we left stuffed to the gills and very sated.  Once we arrived home I called my sister, "I have a place for you.  We're going there for your birthday next week!"

Tuesday arrived, one day before her birthday, but what can I say?  She's turning 24 and has much better things to do on her birthday than have dinner with her sister.  I was there once, and not that long ago I might add, so I get her.  We took the approximately 3 minute drive from our house-this really could become a problem, at least for my bank account-and arrived ready to commiserate in The Hibachi House's culinary goodness.  We got the house salad with the ginger, vinaigrette dressing.  They have a more creamy dressing that Savannah, my sister likes, but I prefer the lighter one.  Our server, Allen again, was great as were all of the other servers who work there.  There was always a smile, friendly aknowledgment or helpful suggestion as I eavesdropped on the other tables.  To say we over did it would be an understatement.  We ordered way too much food and received a happy accident of an extra Philly roll. 

Here was our order:  Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Tuna-extra spicy, Thai Chili Roll, Playboy Roll, and Poisiden Roll.  and don't forget the 4 pieces of White Tuna Sashimi.  Needless to say, we couldn't finish it all.  We took 6 slices home to gratefull children and husband. 

Our absolute favorite was the Playboy roll, which comes served to the table in flames.  That's right flames.  The heat seares the rice and makes a crunchy outer crust surrounding the cool asparagus and tuna and shrimp center.  The Thai Chili roll was an interesting use of tilapia with a sweet hot kick.  After this meal we could have rolled ourselves out the door and home.  It was a wonderfully delicious and pleasant experience that we will be revisiting soon.  The Hibachi House is an excellent and welcomed addition to the Zionsville dining scene.  5 out of 5 forks.

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I feel as if I have discovered gold in my backyard.  After reading a few raving reviews for Saffron Cafe, I decided to invite a few friends to a 'gals night out' and see if there was any truth to the accolades.  We made reservations (definitely recommended) for a Friday night and made the short drive into downtown Indianapolis.
 

It's a bright, cheery color.  A juicy, sweet, citrus fruit.  But most importantly last week, it was our choice for breakfast and not the fruit, the restaurant.  While in Chicago over Spring Break we went to Orange on N. Grant in Lincoln Park.  We had a fabulous breakfast.  Their menu offers brunch items which encompasses variou delicious breakfast and lunch items and I can say it took quite some time for me to decide my meal-Everything is too appealing!
 River, Logan and Isabella, my little epicureans are some of my favorite dining companions.  It is really surprising how they all have good palates and a desire to try everything and anything!

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A couple of years ago, when I was pregnant with River, I was obsessed with Thai food.  I learned to make deliciously spicy and creamy curries, tangy, simple soups with complex flavors and the perfect jasmine rice just to start.  Last week this craving crept back up (no, I am not pregnant) and I went on my adventure for the exotic lunch.  On the west side of West Lafayette, just off Sagamore Pkwy in a small stripmall is Thai Essence.  I had eaten here when they first opened, but fater moving out of town had not had the opportunity to return.  It is the sister restaurant to Basil Thai in Chauncy Village on Purdue's campus.  Quite different from it's older sister, Thai Essence is a quiet, serene and minimalist establishment adorned with indigenous artwork and a palet of cream and black.  The service was friendly and courteous.   I love dumplings so my meal began with steamed chicken potstickers.  These are delicious and you can basically find good ones just about anywhere, however I believe that the actual dumpling wrapper may have been homemade.  Always a plus in my book.
Along with my dumplings, I additionally had my favorite and probably the most common of Thai soups, Tom Yung Kung.  It is a warming, sour (from the lemongrass and lime) and brothy soup with chunks of tomato, delicately steamed shrimp, mushrooms and cilantro.  Beware, it is spicy, one of the reasons I love it especially when I have a little cold.
For my entree I ordered Yum Nuer, a chargrilled steak on crisp lettuce with shallots, scallions and cucumber dressed in a chili lime viniagrette.  The warm smoky steak pairs so well with the spicy tart dressing, while the cucumber and lettuce provide a nice crunch that provides just the texture to top off an gorgeous salad. 
There are many more enticing entrees with noodles or rice, dimsum and mouthwatering desserts.  Take time with the menu it contains excellent descriptions of each item.  Whether you like it spicy or not, let you server know and they are more than happy to modify the dish to your specifications.  They are open Mon-Sat lunch: 11am-2:30pm and dinner:  4:30pm-9pm.  They are closed on Sundays, cater special events and accept reservations 756.239.9380.  Thai Essence is a gastronomic homerun.  

 

In high school I had this GREAT algebra/geometry teacher, Mr. Ratliff.  He was that teacher you loved to hate.  He was hard and stern, but he wanted you to learn and really cared.  Actually my mom had him when she was at Salem High School as well and she assured me he was the same then in his youthful years right out of university.  Anyway, he had this saying about things that should just be easy and work out right.  "This should be duck soup!"  Now, for whatever reason, I have incorporated this saying into my repertoire.

Diversity. It is one of the main characteristics of West Lafayette, Indiana that I truly enjoy. It is said that variety is the spice of life. True enough. The assortment of individuals and cultures within this area has been a source of great happiness for me during my five years here. Between West Lafayette and Lafayette there are a multitude of restaurants. Specifically the “Village” area of campus offers the most wide-range of cuisines to choose from. The really great thing about most of the restaurants in and around Chauncey Hill is that they are all reasonably priced for students. This is not to say however that you should waste your money on food simply because it is cheap, it should always taste good as well. So I tried a couple, some for the first time, others I had visited before and here is how they all faired throughout the week.

Parthenon

Monday I went to Parthenon, 135 Chauncey Ave, and had what I would call one of the worst meals I have eaten in quite some time. I ordered the Souvlaki dinner ($11.50), which included soup or salad, and pita bread. Everything here is cafeteria-style; you have a tray and slide it down as you pick from the items you prefer. The Souvlaki, a marinated pork skewer with green peppers and onions was served with overly cooked rice and topped with a sweet tomato sauce and yogurt. The marinated pork lacked flavor and was more than well-done, making it extremely tough. I chose the Lemon egg soup over the salad. It was full of rice which made the lemon-flavored broth smooth and creamy. Parsley and carrot finished off the soups flavor nicely. It was a huge bowl, and it ended up being plenty for my lunch, which was a good thing, as the Souvlaki was terrible. For desert I had Baklava ($2) and it, like my dinner was less than appetizing. It was dense, hard and lacked the flakiness and superior honey flavor that I prefer. On the flip side, the service was friendly and helpful. The restaurant itself is very clean, bright and cheery with lots of natural light from the many windows surrounding the front of the room. I feel that the dishes, even with their large portions are overpriced in comparison to the foods’ quality.

Bombay

Tuesday I went to Bombay at their new location, 111 S. River Rd. in the State Street Towers. It is a roomy place with lots of windows, but without a view except for that of Hwy 231 and the two televisions airing Indian videos which are mildly entertaining and extremely distracting while dining. We got the lunch buffet priced at $7.95. The buffet items vary from day to day and this day many of the items were based on chicken. The dishes presented were delectably redolent with exotic spices. I tried Aloo Dumm, a dish of potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce with a remarkable depth of flavor. I really enjoyed the Chicken Curry. The boneless chicken breast was cut into cubes and smothered in a tomato based traditional Indian curry sauce. I had it with saffron rice and a spicy yogurt sauce. The Chicken Palak lacked the spiciness that I was expecting. I had anticipated it to be similar to Palak Paneer, only with chicken instead of the Paneer (an Indian cheese). Unfortunately it was not. The service was great. My glass of water was continuously being filled and our plates were immediately removed from the table once we were finished with them. I am not a person who eats at buffets often, but I was quite impressed by the variety of items and the high quality flavors, the cleanliness of the buffet itself and the refilling of entrees once they were running low.

Blue Nile

Wednesday I was in the mood for hummos and pita so I went to Blue Nile. They offer Eastern Mediterranean cuisine in a comfy little setting, tucked around the corner from Subway, 117 Northwestern Ave. This place is casual and a little bit loud, but not annoyingly so. I seated myself and was greeted by my server who at the same time brought a cup of water. I’m not generally a picky person when it comes to my drinking vessel, but this was a metal cup and I don’t know what it is, but to drink anything out of a metal cup, other than a mint julip, just doesn’t work for me. Not to mention that the water was tepid. I know this is an extremely American attribute, but it was a HOT day and I wanted ice cold water. After ordering a yogurt salad and the hummos with pita, I asked for new water with ice and different cup (which never came). The salad arrived at the same time as the hummos. It was a very refreshing and large portion. Crisp chunks of cucumber were mixed in a creamy yogurt sauce with chopped mint. I recommend getting the hummos and pita either as a lunch for one or an appetizer to share between a couple of people. It is served with pita on a large plate drizzled with olive oil and lemon and highlighted with whole chickpeas, spices and chilies. It is extremely delicious. Both entrée and lunch prices are extremely reasonable. My lunch added up to $6.50. Entrees range between $6 and $11. Vegetarians have many items in which to choose from. One thing to remember, if you drive parking is extremely limited.

La Fiesta Burrito

The end of the week I was looking for something spicy and the most logical choice in the area was Mexican food. Located at 136 S. River Rd. La Fiesta Burrito is a clean, simple restaurant with friendly, efficient staff and fantastic food. I had 2 Tacos El Pastor, Mexican style (with cilantro and onions) and rice and refried beans. The tacos, spicy and full of well marinated pork, topped with avocado and sprinkled with a little lime juice were exactly like those I have had in Mexico. The rice was traditional Mexican style and the refried beans were rich, creamy and absolutely delicious. This quaint little place is the most authentic Mexican cuisine that I have encountered in Lafayette or West Lafayette. I would be remiss if I did not emphatically emphasize that you try it for lunch or dinner, you will not be disappointed.

These are just brief overviews of the culturally diverse gastronomy available. Take a trip over the river into Lafayette or maybe over to the northwest side of West Lafayette. There is a whole world of tastes just waiting to be encountered. Take advantage.

Prepared Med-Well Done
I have always found that the best steakhouses are studies in simplicity. Think about it, the best steakhouses are the ones that eschew fancy presentations and preparations, and broad, extensive menus. They stay their focus on the meat itself, only serving quality grade meats and grilling them to absolute perfection.

I have heard accolades for McGraw’s for years, yet had never stepped foot in the place. So, my husband and I joined friends, Charles and Paige to take a stab at it. We tried to make reservations to no avail. With all of tables in the dining room reserved, we were instructed to ‘come on in and have a drink at the bar and we would be able to get a table in the bar within 30 minutes’. My advice for would be diners is to place reservations at least one week in advance. Reservations fill up quicker than you can say ‘order up’.

As instructed we arrived early, 6:00 pm and had a drink at the bar while waiting for a table within the bar area to come available. Just like that in roughly 30-40 minutes we were seated in a cozy corner table in the bar. Man, this place gets packed and quickly! Again, I stand to be redundant, but call for reservations way in advance!

One of the appealing aspects of McGraw’s is the location. It is tucked away west of town on a forested plot of land. Located along the river, guests are free to peruse the grounds or sit at an outdoor table, riverside, while their table is prepared. Unfortunately, outdoor dining is not yet available.

After being seated we quickly reviewed our options for entrees and appetizers. There is no room for pretentious food here. In my opinion steakhouses should be the culinary equivalent of a sure bet. What you see is what you get. Appetizers and Entrees included on the McGraw’s menu included just what you would expect. Appetizers included Boneless Chicken Wings, Stuffed Portabella Mushroom, and Cheddar Cheese Garlic Fries. Rib-eye and New York Strip steaks, Porterhouse Pork Chop, Chicken McGraw, Sautéed Walleye, and Fried Catfish were just a few entrees that are offered. All entrées include your choice of soup or salad and one side dish.

When you ask the server for a recommendation, do not do as I did and order something else. In opposition to the server’s suggestion of Fried Shoestring Onions, I ordered the Shrimp martini. Obviously there was a reason for her advice not being the overpriced shrimp cocktail. The shrimp, while rather large in size, were overcooked, tough and flavorless. Our dinner companions ordered the Cured Salmon appetizer. While appealing in presentation, the Smoked Salmon was too thickly sliced and overpowered the small amount of horseradish cream within. Here again, we were at a steakhouse and not a gourmet restaurant. However, at the same time, the kitchen staff at McGraw’s should also not try to stray from what they excel in, unless it is of the same high quality.

Our salads came and were pretty much below average. They included what appeared to be bagged iceberg salad mix with a few mixed greens tossed in. Now, be in mind that this was during the midst of the ‘spinach scare’ so perhaps that could have been part of the problem. Our guests had the blue cheese dressing and exclaimed that it was very good. I had the balsamic vinaigrette which was too sweet and over salted for my palate.

My husband and I both ordered that night’s special, Hickory Smoked Prime Rib, which was perfectly cooked, well smoked, tender and juicy. I haven’t had a good prime rib in many years and this one, while after the shrimp martini was anticipating disappointment, completely exceeded my expectations. My side dish was the hickory smoked corn, which I felt could have been better. After all we are in Indiana and fresh corn in this season isn’t hard to come by. However, it appeared and tasted to be frozen corn that had been smoked a little too long, therefore drying it out.

My friend, Charles had the Rib-eye with black pepper crust and baked potato. The Rib-eye was peppery without being overpowering. It was an excellent cut of meat, and was bursting with flavor and juiciness. The potato was just what it should have been. Honestly, you can’t mess up a baked potato.

Paige, ordered the Shrimp Scampi Alfredo. The fettuccini, flawlessly al dente was coated with a creamy, well balanced garlic white wine sauce. Again, however, the shrimp were overcooked. The dish was good, but it may well have been excellent with succulent, pink shrimp as opposed to their stark white, dry counterparts.

McGraw’s is celebrated for their extensive and impressive wine list. For the past three years (2004, 2005, 2006) they have been presented with the coveted Award of Excellence from Wine Spectators list of restaurants in the United States for their excellent wine selection.-a triumph that no other restaurant in Lafayette has yet to accomplish.

As for service, don’t come here expecting a formal, polished treatment in a serene atmosphere. The restaurant is loud and noisy. This can be accredited to the fact that everyone is enjoying themselves. What you can expect though, is friendly, forthright service. The staff is knowledgeable and accommodating. We didn’t wait long for a table. The food came out quickly and was steaming hot upon arrival at our table.

McGraw’s is the perfect place to bring guests and family for a casual night out. Remember to make reservations in advance, listen to your server-it is what they get paid and tipped for-I knew this and chose to make my own decisions. No matter how knowledgeable you may or may not be concerning gastronomy, there is always someone else who can, and many times will, have beneficial knowledge to enhance your dining experiences.

McGraw’s is located on 2707 South River Rd. in West Lafayette. Would be diners should call 743-3932 for reservations.

Mediterranean cooking has become tremendously popular throughout the United States. However, to pinpoint a distinct country from which it is derived is impossible. More accurately, it is a cuisine that intermingles the cuisines from the different cultures surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Specifically speaking, Eastern Mediterranean cuisine gathers the cooking styles from countries such as Greece, Turkey, Syria, Israel and Lebanon.
Despite the fact that there is a great deal of variety between these cuisines, there is also an abundance of commonality. Ingredients such as chickpeas, couscous, figs and dates, flatbreads, lamb, olives and olive oils, spices, yogurt and lemons are quite conventional throughout the foods in these countries. The cuisine served at Sofra is no exception. Offering authentic Turkish cuisine, Sofra utilizes several of these ingredients throughout many of their entrees.
My dinner companion and I were greeted as we entered the doors with wafts of spices being roasted and succulent meats being grilled. The dining room with its sage green walls covered with earthy colored weavings, copper cooking pots and beautiful hardwood floors immediately presented us with a feeling of warm comfort.
As I was famished upon arriving for dinner, it was difficult to decide upon what to order. You know the feeling, you are so hungry at any point you could suddenly begin gnawing on your own arm. Even so, everything on the menu looks appetizing and you don’t know which one to choose. So I find myself at this point of hunger and am looking through the menu items, (many of which are in Turkish, and some with ingredients were unknown to my friend and myself). “This shouldn’t be a problem; we can just ask our server about these items.” I think to myself. I was wrong. Our server, who in her defense relayed to us that she had only been working there a short while, didn’t know a whole lot about the menu items or what the unknown ingredients were. We quickly learned that the other server didn’t know either. After asking the chef we were informed and ready to place our orders. Finally, we decided upon sharing two appetizers just to start. – Did I mention I was starving?
What seemed like an eternity (in actuality only about 6 minutes) our server brought out the Babaganus ($5.99) and the Kalamar ($6.95). The Babaganus was served with a large bowl of crusty bread for dipping. Never before had I experienced this eggplant and tahini based dip, and it was absolutely delicious. I am generally turned off by eggplant; however I was completely impressed with this appetizer. The eggplant, tomatoes and peppers had been grilled prior to being incorporated into the tahini and garlic. This imbued a delightfully smoky flavor. The whole dip was creamy and complex with flavor. The Kalamar was equally extraordinary. Garlic lovers, this is an appetizer for you. The calamari steak was grilled to perfection, without any of the chewy toughness that is sometimes associated with calamari (simply because it has been overcooked). It was bathed in a roasted garlic and herbed olive oil. The calamari steak was smothered in sliced roasted garlic and flawlessly seasoned. The whole dish was nothing short of perfection. The calamari was tender and the herbed olive oil doubled as a dipping sauce for our remaining bread once we had devoured the Babaganus.
Shortly after our appetizers were finished, we were presented with our dinner entrees. My friend and dinner companion, Andy, had ordered the Fistikli Kebab ($14.95). This is like a long tube of grilled ground lamb and beef, seasoned and mixed with pistachio and red pepper. After the grilling it is wrapped with lavash bread (a thin crispy cracker like bread sprinkled with sesame seeds). He shared a few coveted bites with me and it was utterly delightful. The savory meat was moist and perfectly offset by the sesame seeds and the crispy, crunchy lavash. It was also served with peeled, seasoned potato wedges. Of the potatoes, Andy exclaimed “I don’t know what they did to these, but they are really good!”
My entrée arrived piping hot in a copper tureen. I had ordered the Coban Kavurma ($11.95). Petite tender lamb tips had been marinated and cooked with onions, mushrooms, green peppers, tomatoes and served over and around a ball of rice. The vegetables still had ‘bite’. The lamb that is often served in the states is generally around 6-8 months, whereas in the Mediterranean the preferable age for serving lamb is from 2-4 months (allowing a much more tender and mild flavored meat). The lamb in this entree yielded this younger style of meat and it was delectable. I shared a portion with Andy and asked what he thought. To this he replied, “When it comes to cooking animals, the Mediterranean’s have it down to a science.”
Trying to finish the large portion on my plate, I thought I might have to loosen my belt. “If I eat any more I think I will explode, but it is sooo good I don’t want to stop.” I said. After deciding I could really eat no more, I had the remaining portion boxed up as Andy was receiving his dessert. I had no more room for a dessert of my own, and shared a couple bites of Andy’s Baklava.
On the menu, the description of this particular dessert reads, “Best in Town!” Here’s the problem with making such a statement, if you put that something is the best in town, it darn well better be, because if its not, it might as well be the worst. And this was the case. Our expectations were that the best baklava in town was coming to our table. Even better, we were told it had just been made fresh that morning. Needless to say, it was not. The phylo was thick and dense, as if the layers hadn’t been separated and buttered to ensure its crispness. It was a bit dry and lacking the dripping, honey syrupiness anticipated. The nuts in the layers were ground into an undesirable paste. This was not the best way to end the meal, however did not detract much from our overall dining experience.
There are many diverse items from which to choose at Sofra. There are several items for seafood, meat and veggie lovers alike. Sofra is an excellent place to vie for, for healthy dining. As with much of Mediterranean cuisine, the use of olive oils, fresh vegetables, beans and legumes, and grilling as opposed to sautéing or frying, adds many healthful benefits and choices for dining out.
I and Andy were both equally pleased with our evening at Sofra. I recommend trying the Humus or Yaprak Sarma (stuffed grape leaves) for appetizers. Sofra also has a small, yet great list of beer and wine. The Efes Dark comes highly recommended.

Sofra is located at 213 E. State Street, West Lafayette, IN and is open Monday 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., and Saturdays 12 p.m. – 10 p.m. For take-out please call 765.743.2111 or fax your order to 765.743.2115.

Lunch & Dinner $$

On a scale of 5 forks I give it a 4
Service - Good
Cuisine - Excellent
Atmosphere - Excellent

Before I even begin I know what you are thinking: “Another expensive, hoity-toity restaurant, I cannot afford.” Let me stop you right there. How often do you go to some corporate steak house and end up spending up to $60 or more on two people? And that’s in addition to schlepping through cast-off peanut shells while Honky-Tonk music blares throughout the establishment. In comparison, Bistro 501 is approachable, comfortable, and (based on the salary of two students with three children) affordable.

We started the evening with Pomme Frites. At first I was a little disappointed to learn that they are no longer flash frying them in duck fat, so I feared our appetizer was not going to meet my expectations. I was wrong. They arrived piping hot and crispy with just as much flavor as their predecessors. Now, just because they aren’t fried in the greasy goodness called duck fat, this does not mean that they are any less fattening. While not as heavy as they once were, they are still French fries and they are still served with deliciously heart-clogging garlic aioli. None the less, are absolutely scrumptious.

For my entrée, I chose the Linguine Pescatore, a traditionally Italian dish. However, replacing the usual marinara sauce were fresh diced tomatoes and crisp asparagus surrounded by a decidedly French white wine garlic butter sauce. This dish definitely impressed me. The toothsome linguine wrapped around perfectly sautéed shrimp and mussels and paired beautifully with the married flavors of the sauce and veggies. Normally I would never, and I do mean never, eat mussels in the Midwest. I have been the unfortunate recipient of the little bi-valves that were trucked across the country from their various coastal regions and then at some point delivered to a chef who wasn’t adept enough to know a live mollusk from a dead one, who then plopped them into a further watery grave called the wine sauce in my bowl. Needless to say it wasn’t good, and neither was the way I felt later. However, I digress.

Head Chef Philip ‘Flip’ Osburn and his staff are more than competent. In fact, I have never at any visit received an entrée that was anything less than flawless. I have complete confidence in recommending the Moules Bistro. But be warned: you should come with a hefty appetite. It is a particularly large portion and, when finished with the mussels, you are going to want extra sliced baguette to sop up the flavorful broth.

My on again, off again vegetarian friend had the Wild Mushroom Pasta. She assured me she orders this from any restaurant that offers such a dish, and has therefore become something of a wild mushroom pasta connoisseur. She thought it was delectable. She offered me a bite, and I have to say it was quite delicious. The ridges of the penne pasta held the creamy sauce well and stood up nicely to the prolific amount of various wild mushrooms.

To those unfortunate souls who are vegetarians, I feel for you because the menu here is somewhat diminutive. Conversely, what do you expect from a restaurant whose cuisine is based on a country that creates dishes from fois gras, sweet breads, and any and all parts of various animals? What dishes vegetarians do have to choose from at Bistro are flavorful and complex. None of those boring, bland veggie meals will be found here.

The dessert menu was equally tantalizing. Baked desserts are prepared daily by Helen Meyer or “Granny” as she is affectionately referred to. I definitely recommend pairing one of her mouth-watering cobblers with one of Executive Sous Chef Ryan Mitchel’s homemade ice creams. As we were already filled to the gills, we opted for a lighter dessert. Since my friend is pregnant and is literally buying gallons of ice cream by the week, we of course chose the Blood Orange Ice Cream. It was, how should I say, complexly refreshing. Upon first bite, it seemed to be like a sorbet; the sweet, icy citrus cooling the mouth, and then was followed by a creamy smoothness that lightly coated the palate. If they had sold it by the half-gallon, it would be sitting in her freezer in front of the other six.

Bistro offers Provencal cuisine in a casual yet elegant setting. Upon entrance to the restaurant it is evident that the rooster is an integral theme throughout the décor. The interior is warm and inviting with its azure and goldenrod walls and candlelight flickering from the tables dressed with crisp white table cloths. In addition to the interior, Bistro is one of the few restaurants in the area that can boast an outdoor café-style area. This is a big one in my book; there is nothing better on a summer afternoon or evening than sitting with friends or family, having good meal al fresco.

Throughout the evening we had superb service. Our quick-witted server was knowledgeable and attentive. Despite being busy, everything appeared to run like a well-oiled machine with everyone working together to ensure each customer’s happiness. We only had one minor issue; our server did forget to bring baguettes to the table, but neither of us really cared. We weren’t there for the bread.

I recommend going on Wednesdays, when French wines are half price. Looking for a good cocktail? Try going for drinks on Thursday night when martinis are featured. Mixologist Dan Stouffer, shakes, stirs and pours martinis that rival the best clubs in Chicago. I may be a little green when it comes to wine, but martini’s I KNOW, and Bistro offers the best around, hands down. A word to the wise, Thursday nights can be busy so you might want to order that second drink before the first one is gone so you aren’t left sitting with an empty glass.

Basically stated, Bistro 501 is a place where you can have fantastic food, a little too much wine, and a relaxing evening with friends and family all at a price that honestly will not empty your wallet.

Bistro 501 is located on the corner of Main and Columbia, Lafayette, IN.

Lunch $$ Dinner $$$

On a scale of 5 forks I give it a 5
Service - Excellent
Cuisine - Excellent
Atmosphere - Excellent
www.bistro501.com