Youngstown Eats: West End Bistro

Saturday, October 22, 2011

West End Bistro - Chagrin Falls

Today was a beautiful fall day, and my wife and I celebrated the season by spending the day in Chagrin Falls, God's gift to Northeast Ohio. If you haven't been there, go. And if you have the chance, take a ride up Chagrin River Road past the polo grounds all the way to the Hunt Club. Hard to believe you are in Ohio...and hard to believe the money that these folks have. Quick! Call Barack Obama and the Occupy Wall Street folks. Fight the good fight!

But if you need a break from class warfare, how about stopping into the West End Bistro right next door to the Inn at Chagrin Falls. To be honest, it wasn't my intent to go there today. But nature called, and the clerk at the dress shop my wife was shopping in said it was a good place for a light dinner and some wine. Looked like an unbeatable combination to me!!!

West End Bistro is part of the Gamekeeper's Tavern group. It used to have five or six restaurants, but apparently the partners broke up and they divvied up the properties. This guy got the Inn, the Gamekeeper's Taverne, West End Bistro, and 87 West (a lounge with a large patio in back of the Inn).

The centerpiece is Gamekeeper's Taverne. It is heavy duty rustic with interesting entrees, many of which are centered around wild game. It is a tad pricey, and I have had both good and bad experiences there. But in the winter, the place is hard to beat.

So let's talk about the Bistro. Okay...this is a trendy place that features imaginative drink concoctions, wine, and foodie type offerings offered in appetizer portions....better known as "small plates." It is exactly the kind of place I normally eschew. But as I said, it was 4:00 in the afternoon, and the Gamekeeper's didn't open until 5:00 and nature was calling. Any port in a storm!

And what a port it was. It is located in a restored century home next to the Inn. There is a patio out front, and folks were sitting there notwithstanding the cool weather. Go inside there is a bar to the right with a few high top tables done in an eclectic mix of modern and period design. The main dining area is up a flight of stairs. We took a peak and it is as trendy as one would expect. It can sit 40 in a pinch. They had not opened up the floor yet for the evening, so we sat in the bar. The server was congenial almost to a fault. He was deservedly proud of his employer.

I have a theory about "small plates." To me, it seems like a gimmick so they can charge more for smaller portions. If you don't watch yourself, you can spend more money at these kinds of places than going to where they offer normal dinners. That is the case here. It is not cheap. If money is a concern, the lunch menu is a much better deal than the dinner menu.

But it shouldn't be a concern here. Notwithstanding all my trepidations and predispositions to these tapas type eateries, the food here was so damn good you can bet your britches I will be getting my uncool self back there real soon. You can peruse the menus on the web site to get a feel for the kind of things they offer.

We started out with a cup of peppery butternut squash soup served with a dollop of whipping cream. OMG. Wow. We added some more pepper just because. I thought the whipped cream garnish was stupid when I first saw it...but it actually was part of the soup and added an additional creamy texture as well a touch of sweetness. Outstanding.

Next, we ordered a serving of their signature appetizer Hanky Pankys. It is described on the menu as follows: "chevre, herbed cheese & chorizo blend baked on sliced baguette with a fig preserve drizzle." Oh Mama!!! This is the single best appetizer I have ever had in my life. Not much too look at on the plate, but don't be surprised if you want to order another small plate of this stuff. We finished by splitting a house pizza, which consisted of "prosciutto, herbed cream cheese, mozzarella, caramelized onions, fig preserves, greens, shaved cheese blend, toasted pumpkin seeds." Once again, outstanding.

The bill came to about $44.00, including tip, for the two of us....and worth every penny. On the other hand, we kept the bill down by not ordering any wine or cocktails, which would have put the bill into the $60.00 plus range which would be a bit much for "small plates."

That being said, if you are in a foodie mood, and looking to experience exquisite food as opposed to chowing down (or my usual choice...meat and potatoes), you won't get any better than this. And you know what? Not being stuffed to the gills is not a bad thing. If you want volume, try the Golden Corral.

They take reservations. Parking can be difficult during parts of the day, but there is a valet at the bottom of the street for three bucks. Otherwise look for street parking and walk through this picture perfect town.

Four meatballs ++