Table Matters: Redefining the Bistro

The french-to-english section of my desktop “Larousse

dictionaire moderne” defines “bistro” at some length; after identifying it as a

masculine noun, the definition reads, in toto, “Pub (café).” That’s it. No

wasting of words.

The dictionary further defines “le bistro du coin” as “the

local,” which we can assume refers to a hole in the wall where beer is the

beverage of choice and sports on an above-the-bar television set the main

diversion.

Neither definition does justice to South Bay Bistro in The

Promenade at Bonita Bay, Bonita Springs’ upscale shopping and office complex.

Far from being a drab hideaway, this expansive room offers subdued lighting and

tolerable acoustics—no screamers on the piped-in music. The décor is

interesting, if somewhat splashy, even including a large and gorgeous tropical

fish tank inhabited by several keeper-sized specimens. If you wish, you can

dine under an umbrella on the patio. A no-smoking rule applies everywhere but

in the bar and the waiting-to-be-seated area.

On the day my companion and I visited the restaurant, tables

had been pushed together to accommodate three separate groups, one of which was

a birthday luncheon at which “Happy

Birthday” was sung, badly.

The lunch menu features salads and sandwiches, along with

upscale prices. A tuna salad, for example, is $8. A Caesar salad is $6, but

grilled tuna costs an additional $4 and grilled chicken is an extra $6.

Among the short list of entrées are focaccia served with

mozzarella, marinated tomatoes, portobello mushroom and prosciutto; grilled New

York strip steak, and shrimp and scallops over fettuccine, ranging from $10 to

$13.

But sandwiches are the featured attraction, all

extravagantly prepared and artfully presented. The lineup includes an elaborate

Italian sub, a burger with Swiss cheese, grilled chicken on a croissant and two

fish sandwiches—crunchy grouper and a grilled or blackened daily special.

All sandwiches are served with a house slaw (coarsely

chopped red and white cabbage, red onion and red pepper) and a choice of either

steak fries, pasta salad or fresh fruit salad. I ordered the daily special fish

sandwich, and my companion had the fresh grilled tuna salad.

My fish, which I ordered grilled, was mahi-mahi served on an

onion roll. Accompanying it was the house slaw (crunchy and wonderful), a

generous slice of dill pickle and a garnish of romaine lettuce, as well as a

slice of bright-red, ripe tomato. I opted for the fresh fruit salad—cubes of

fresh pineapple, honeydew and cantaloupe topped with a single raspberry. In

all, it was a handsome and reassuring sight that turned out to be more than

satisfying in every respect.

Our obliging waitress warned my companion that the tuna was

served rather rare. The salad featured four quarter-inch-thick slices of

almost-sushi: raw chunk tuna served with rice noodles, orange slices and a

julienne of carrots, cucumbers and red onions mixed with baby greens. The

aromas and piquant flavors of rice wine and tarragon evoked dining in a

Japanese restaurant. I ordered iced tea, but the adventurous can choose from a

collection of flavored iced tea coolers, bottled water or wine by the glass

($6-$9).

Desserts are to die for and, quite possibly, to die from.

Consider the threat to longevity posed by a $12 banana split billed as serving

two but described by our waitress as generous enough to sate a Little League

baseball team. Calories be damned: A Florida fruit crème brûlée was offered at

$8 and a scoop of vanilla ice cream snuggled up to a wedge of custard apple

torte garnished with fresh mint and two raspberries ($7). I went whole-hog for

the apple torte, the memory of which continues to grace my dreams.

Finding South Bay Bistro may prove a bit of a challenge. The

Promenade is on the west side of U.S. 41 about a half-mile north of Bonita

Beach Road. Once you pull into the complex, take your second left and there, to

your left, you’ll find the restaurant.

Doing so is worth your while.

South Bay Bistro

Location: The Promenade at

Bonita Bay

On the lunch menu: Tuna salad, $8; fresh fruit gazpacho, $5;

daily featured fish sandwich, $11.

Phone number: 949-6030

Hours: Lunch from 11:30 a.m.-

3 p.m., reopens at 5:30 p.m. for

dinner.

Web site: www.great-dining.com/ SBB/sbb_home.htm