By Dan Mark

Coastal Journal intern 

The Solo Bistro Bistro, in downtown Bath, hosts a number of special dining events annually. Brandon Carter, a writer with the Coastal Journal, typically gets an invitation to attend the Wine Dinner and write a review for the paper. Due to scheduling conflicts, however, he was unable to attend, and instead extended the offer to me and a guest.

Let me just start by saying that I don’t know much about wine. I’m a college student right now; I could tell you how to properly slap a bag of Franzia, and how quickly a jug of Carlo Rossi left open on the table will turn to vinegar, but I doubt I can properly discriminate between wine stored in oak barrels and wine stored in steel ones, and it’s hard for me to imagine you can really taste honeydew essences in wine, as opposed to, say, cantaloupe. Moreover, I was further assigned to vivisect my palate as it worked its way through four courses of fine cuisine. And finally, I was to be the spokesman for the whole affair, to somehow make sense of my extraordinary culinary experience not only for myself but also for the world at large. Oh, and my guest happened to be my girlfriend, a strange creature known to possess a gift of insight that is often both keen and critical. I was striving to impress. The threat of disaster loomed ominously, but the tantalizing possibility of success pushed me recklessly forward. The stakes were high, the winnings were big, and I was ready and anxious.
   

The event essentially consisted of seven of guests downstairs with the full restaurant staff on hand to deliver our courses and make conversation, chef Esau Crosby II in the kitchen, as well as a wine expert, Ned Swain, who was on hand to introduce the wine that would accompany each meal. The atmosphere overall was intimate and friendly, and the hosts were engaging while the wine expert was knowledgeable, original and succinct in his descriptions.
   

The first course was a small Cobb salad, with corn, bacon, bleu cheese, etc. It was a perfect introduction to the meal—small yet satisfying, rich and yet textured with that intangibly light crunch that good salads have. All the wines of the evening hailed from California, and this particular course was paired with a Sauvignon Blanc from just west of Napa by the name of Manifesto (2006). It was light, clean, and fruity, though not too sweet. It went well with the bleu cheese on the salad, and both my guest and I later agreed it was the best wine of the evening. Following the Manifesto was my second favorite wine of the evening, a particularly butterscotchy yet balanced chardonnay (Leal Vineyards Chardonnay, 2005, San Benito). I felt very privileged here—only 1500 cases of the wine were ever made. It was probably my second favorite wine of the evening. The wine accompanied a crispy turkey cutlet. 
   

The next course, a mushroom strudel, was also tastefully prepared. It could easily have been too rich, yet the chef kept it just light and flaky enough for my liking. It wasn’t my favorite dish, but it went down well, especially when matched with a pinot noir by Stephen Ross (2006 Edna Valley & Santa Barbara).
   

Next up were buffalo short ribs (in turn accompanied by pine nuts and white posole) which constituted the main course of the evening. The wine, a cabernet sauvignon (Myuge, 2005, Napa Valley), was again a perfect pairing. It was unexpectedly smooth and clear, the result of several filtrations, and it matched the hearty yet-not-as-heavy-as-steak feel of the ribs. Finally, the evening concluded with a delicious syrah  (Jaffurs Late Harvest, 2005, Santa Barbara) which, bursting with sugar, escorted a soft gingerbread layer cake directly down my esophagus and into my overcrowded stomach.
  

The wine and the food complimented each other perfectly every step of the way, and indeed the successive courses introduced one another with a steadied, rhythmic progression. From the first taste, my thoughts immediately shifted from anticipation to growing appreciation, as the first course became the second, the strudel became ribs, and the next thing I knew I was putting my fork down at the end with a warm, happy stomach and a peaceful disposition. The best part about it was that despite my earlier anxiety, both my lovely guest and I enjoyed a wonderful meal without having to really do anything. Our enjoyment was essentially guaranteed by the staff, and I simply sat down at the beginning and walked away at the end in a very good mood. I’ve decided that I can’t tell you for certain what your experience there will be like, but considering how smoothly the staff work to ensure your satisfaction, it seems the Solo Bistro Bistro is a pretty sure bet.  All in all, the Solo Bistro Bistro is an atmospheric restaurant with great location and superb, original fare.