Restaurant Reviews

Bistro 491
Orin and I went out last Saturday night with my AirForce roommate, Mary and her lovely hubby, Mike. They chose the restaurant, Bistro 491 in Surrey Center. None of us had been there before, so it was interesting to go to a new place and try it out together. (Mary and I have known each other since AF basic training, and we always have a great time when we're together, so it really didn't matter where we went!)

A little review of Bistro 491...
- the decor is cute and very much like a small intimate bistro.
- the bar is nice and a bit more posh than we were used to... Mary couldn't get a cider like she wanted and there are no beers on tap.
- our server, Bridgette, was cute, young, perky, and handled our order very well. She was very knowledgable about the menu and made some good recommendations. She checked back with us often, but not too often and didn't "bother" us.
- appetizers and drinks from the bar were great. I stand by my theory that if the appetizers are bad then the rest is bad, too. But I was not disappointed. I had the meat and cheese plate (there was a fancy french name for it that I don't remember). And the Villa Maria Chardonnay was great!
- salads were well plated, looked pleasant, and my Ceasar salad was really very good.
- meat cuts were FABULOUS! I loved my Australian lamb chops and everyone else seemed to enjoy their meals too.
- desserts were good. There was a good variety, though most were European inspired, just like the rest of the menu. The creme brullee was not as good as I've had elsewhere, but good in it's own right. The croissant bread pudding could have used more bread... it was mostly the same custard as my creme brullee. But I've never met a dessert that I did not like, and next time, maybe I'll try the homemade ice creams.

Overall for the Bistro 491? I'd definitely go back, and I'm sure I would enjoy it. It would just have to be when I'm in the mood for European. Dressy casual is recommended and anything less makes you feel out of place. And the timing of the service was great, too... there was just enough time to enjoy each course and not feel rushed. This is a great place to go with friends if you like to chat with them... if there is a lot of dead air in the conversations, Bistro 491 will seem stuffy and pretentious and make the lulls in the conversation feel awkward.

Panera Bread
Finally! There is a new Panera Bread store in the Mullings Crossing Center in Evans. "My" Starbucks is just a few doors down, Target and Kohl's are just across the parking lot, and this center is just minutes away from home, so naturally, I was very excited to see the "Now Open" banner. Perhaps I built up so much emotional excitement that I was bound to be disappointed.

Yesterday, Orin, the boys, and I walked in on the invitation-only "friends and family" day, where everything was "on the house". However, when we arrived, there was no one at the door checking for invitations, no mention that it was invitation-only, the "now open" banner was displayed on the outside front, and we did not realize everything was free until after we placed our order and tried to pay.

Naturally it was crowded, and I do believe the staff was still getting used to running the registers and making the menu items. All that we ordered was wrong, or they had already run out of bread for certain items. What we got was still delicious and fresh, but it wasn't exactly what we ordered. By the time we figured out we weren't really supposed to be there- we overhead one of the store managers turn people away at the door who did not have an invitation- we were already seated and eating. Since we got a free dinner and "crashed" their party, we decided not to complain about our orders.

In all honesty, though, I can say that I was disappointed in Panera that afternoon. The Atlanta Bread company's sandwiches are better. In all fairness, we intend to give Panera another try in a week or so and see if it was just "opening day gitters" that attributed to the disappointment.

This morning, Orin and I had breakfast at Panera. Lattes and Pecan buns (11 Weight Watcher points for the pecan buns!) were very good and the staff was so helpful and attentive. They even dug out the nutrition guide so I could check my Weight Watcher points for the different items before ordering. We even ordered sourdough bread bowls to-go, so we could have chilli in bowls tonight for dinner. Today's positive experience makes me think that I just need to give Panera some time to get up and running at full-steam. Thank goodness, too... I really liked eating at Panera in Maryland and did not want to be totally disappointed.

Why all the fuss for food? Because I have food related memories... honestly! My mother is Italian and my father is Filipino... all of my favorite family gatherings included a TON of food. If there wasn't food included, I probably will not remember it. This probably led to my weight control issues, and I still have to work hard to maintain my weight. Still, I have to eat- there is no way to avoid it. And my theory is that if I'm going to watch what I eat and count up points with Weight Watchers, then I'm going to make sure what I eat is worth the effort!!!

I think I live in the wrong area to watch my weight, though. It seems that the Augusta, Georgia area has many more good restaurants and eateries than most towns. Oh well, at least I'll have lots of good memories! ;)