The Bistro on Main -- Kent, OH

The Bistro on Main is one of our favorite dinner spots and we've never been disappointed in our dining experience. Their menu does change, so make sure to check out their website to get the most current information.

The Bistro offers three options for seating -- the lounge, dining room and patio. We opted to sit on the patio yesterday, even though it was in the high 80's. I really enjoy the ambiance on the patio at the Bistro and the outdoor lighting is better for photos.

I made reservations through their website, but we could have done without them on a Wednesday night. However, any time I have been to the Bistro on a Friday or Saturday, it has been packed, so if you plan to have dinner on a weekend or around the holidays, you should make a reservation.

Their Wednesday night special is the "Original Cheap Date Night" which includes a bottle of wine or pitcher of beer, a soup or salad starter for each person, and a pizza or entree which is shared. The menu items you can choose from are also listed on their website.

We did not order off of the date night menu, I ordered the white sangria as my cocktail. I thought it was a nice refreshing cocktail. Like their regular menu, the cocktail menu also changes frequently, it's always fun to see what they've come up with. 

Dave ordered a beer, his usual choice. 

As an appetizer we split the Crispy Brussels Sprouts served with green onions, candied walnuts, clover honey, red wine vinegar, aged Parmesan. I know brussels sprouts aren't everyone's favorite food, but these are divine. The caramelization on the brussels makes them almost melt in your mouth and the acidity from the red wine vinegar adds a really nice finishing touch. 

For dinner I ordered the Baby Blue salad which has mixed greens, balsamic vinaigrette, candied walnuts, fresh berries, and blue cheese crumbles. The salad was lightly dressed, which I prefer, I hate when a salad is drowning in dressing and you can't taste any of the ingredients. The sweetness of the blueberries and candied walnuts paired nicely with the sharp blue cheese.

For dinner Dave ordered the Sweet Potato-Portobello Gnocchi with goat cheese, caramelized onion, baby spinach, extra virgin olive oil, sage and maple Sriracha BBQ drizzle. This is a meal we will both continue to dream about, the gnocchi were fantastic and the maple Sriracha BBQ drizzle added a nice sweet-heat finish to the dish. All of the ingredients paired well together and there were enough salty, sweet, savory and spicy elements to keep it interesting. We will be ordering this dish again. 

The service we received was excellent, our server was in training, but did a wonderful job taking care of us. She was knowledgeable about the menu and promptly took our drink and food orders. The person who brought our appetizer and meals to the table was attentive to our needs as well.

There is music playing on the patio, loud enough for you to hear it, but quiet enough for you to carry on a conversation at a normal volume. It's also worth mentioning that salad and pasta orders are served with a basket of focaccia bread with herb olive oil for dipping. Dave and I both like the focaccia bread quite a bit. My only regret was that I talked Dave out of the date night menu, because we spent more than $35. 

My review of The Bistro on Main: