A Restaurant Review: Bistro 101 in Jacksonville, Florida

My girl friends and I decided to try a new restaurant in our area: Bistro 101. Bistro 101 is located in Bartram Walk in the Julington Creek area of Jacksonville, Florida. It is a small, quaint restaurant with a modern, trendy feel and minimalist decor. Everything, including the short menu, is very simple. The food, however is not. We found our meals to be beautifully presented and delicious.

Our server was very helpful in helping us to choose a bottle of wine. She offered us each a taste of two different whites to ensure that we would be happy with our decision. She was also knowledgeable about the menu, prompt, and friendly.

The three of us each ordered an entree, priced at just around $20 each. Salads are a la carte, with the least expensive costing an additional $4, and we decided to pass.

I ordered the pan seared scallops on butternut squash risotto. It comes with an haricots verts and sweet vidalia onion saute and sweet corn butter. The dish was fabulous. Beautifully presented and the perfect combination of flavors. The portion size was nice, enough to satisfy, but not too much.

One of my friends tried the grilled fillet minion with house boursin and lump crab gratin, normally served with asparagus and bernaise. She asked that the asparagus be substituted for the whipped potatoes, which she was assured that they would do. She received it with the asparagus, although she did say that the asparagus was very good. She ordered the steak medium well, but declined to have it butterflied. It was perfectly cooked to her specifications and very tender.

The last order was the herb rubbed pork tenderloin, normally served with candied sweet potatoes, successfully substituted with whipped potatoes, roasted apples and balsamic reduction. This meal was also presented well and very pleasing to the palate.

When we had finished our meals, we decided to take a look at the dessert display case. We were disappointed in the presentation of the display, but decided to try the vanilla bean creme brulee and macerated strawberries. It also, not surprisingly, was delicious.

Our total bill was $108, with $25 of that going to our bottle of wine. While we were very impressed with the quality of the food and felt that the service was good, we found the restaurant to be otherwise plain and somewhat disappointing for dinner, as well as a bit overpriced. For the same money, we could have gone to a more upscale restaurant and had more selection and better atmosphere.