Bistro Niko

Bistro Niko Restaurant Review:

Evoking the Gaslight Era (1890-1920) with acid-etched globes, warm woods and lots of banquette seating, Bistro Niko personifies romance. Executive chef Gary Donlick takes the menu on a romp through the classics of French bistro fare. The creamy and full flavored vichyssoise, actually an American French standard, is a top-flight starter to consider when it’s offered, but in cold weather the truffle oil-laced white bean soup chases the chill in fine fashion. Crispy confit de canard rests on a bed of frisée garnished with a few cubes of al dente duck fat-fried potato cubes. Fish is well done, and there's plenty of it, from skate wing with brown butter to steelhead trout, salmon and shellfish. Traditional dishes include coq au vin (a generous two-leg serving of chicken) and boeuf bourguignon made with Kobe beef and served over noodles. We also like the black pepper-encrusted beef tenderloin, classic steak au poivre; the twin filets make the dish enough to share. Flourless Valrhona chocolate torte with salted caramel ice cream or a trio of cheeses is a fine finish. French wines dominate the list, of course, and many that are offered by the glass pair well with the food. One tsk tsk, however, is that reds --- even a Beaujolais --- are served too warm. Brunch gets a few French nods with an omelet and a Benedict alongside a croque madame.