"Neighbor's Italian Bistro" in Mankato, Minnesota Offers Fine Food

My husband and I first visited Neighbor's Italian Bistro, located at 1812 South Riverfront Drive in Mankato, Minn., in early 2006. Despite it being crowded and having been seated in a small table in the corner, the food was wonderful. We decided to revisit the restaurant again this year and were glad we did.

This time we made sure to make reservations since we had a date set for a Saturday evening dinner. We were seated promptly and were given an extensive briefing about the menu, as well as the origins of the ingredients served.

Apparently the menu was recently revamped, and there are many news dishes that were added, including a variety of fresh seafood options.

We began our meal with an appetizer called Imbottito I Funghi, which included four large, stuffed mushroom caps filled with parmesan cheese and Italian sausage covered with a delicious creamy alfredo sauce. The sauce went perfectly with the fresh bread and garlic butter they served.

All entrees come with a choice of a salad. Guests can choose between the house salad that comes with homemade Italian dressing, or they can have a tricolor salad that includes field greens such as radicchio and romaine with a balsamic dressing, or there is the choice of a Caesar salad. We both chose the tricolor salad. While my husband was pleased, I thought the dressing was too bitter for me and I wasn't pleased with the greens, so I exchanged it for the house salad. The house salad was quite large and beautiful in appearance. The greens were pretty iced, but the house Italian dressing was delicious and a much better salad than the tricolor.

Our main dishes included Mussels Arrabiata, which is new on the menu. The dish features mussels from Prince Edward Island. My husband said they were spiced with peppers and had a nice kick to them. The dish included about eight mussels on a bed of fuissili pasta and marinara sauce.

I ordered the Tortellini Gorgonzola, which was creamy and decadent. The dish was decorated with large roasted walnuts and laced with fresh spinach. The creamy parmesan wasn't too heavy. And although the grilled chicken that was included with the pasta was a little overcooked, the meal was delicious.

We ended our meal with a dessert called Semi Freddo. It was basically a creamy chocolate nutello between two chocolate cake like brownies covered with homemade caramel sauce and roasted hazelnuts. They also offer a chocolate molten dessert, an orange sponge cake and a ricotta fig cheesecake, as well as a few other unique sweets. Our server even brought out photos from the kitchen so that we had a better visual when we were trying to decide.

Neighbor's also offers a large wine list and runs happy hour specials on their appetizers throughout the week. While their prices are higher than most in Mankato, Neighbor's offers a menu that is like no other in the area. It's high quality food is fresh and most of it is homemade. Their staff is well-knowledgeable about the menu and the dishes they serve.

If you join their e-club on their Web site, www.neighborsitalianbistro.com, they will send you coupons and special offers. The restaurant is a nice place to go on a date for a special event or just for a casual night out. They offer free wine, if you drink, while you wait for a table. Be prepared to spend $70 to $100 for a couple for a full-spread dinner.