Jun
5, 2003 — The
first thing my husband and I saw as we pulled up in front of
downtown Mount Vernon's Sweetwater Bistro was a large dog lying
lazily in the sun, as though he owned the quiet, nearly empty
street.
It was a memorable, off-kilter start to what would prove a
charming dining experience.
Entering under a bright-red awning covered in elegant yellow
script, we were instantly greeted and shown to a linen-covered
table set near a handsome upright piano.
Sweetwater Bistro's dining room and striking bar are lined in
dark wood and finished with impressive architectural details.
Glass dividers between the main room and the bar area are
decorated in frosted designs reminiscent of 1920s-era flappers.
The room exudes class, while remaining comfortable and inviting.
We had spent a long Sunday morning and afternoon doing yard
work and home-improvement projects. By the time we arrived at
Sweetwater Bistro for an early dinner, we were famished.
We ordered two appetizers, since so many of them looked
appealing it was impossible to narrow it down further.
|
Sweetwater Bistro |
|
Location:
416 Myrtle St., Mount Vernon
Phone: (360) 336-8936
Hours:
11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday
11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday
11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sunday
Serving: Pacific Northwest-tinged classics in
a stylish, comfortable setting.
Menu items sampled:
Roasted red pepper and chevre dip $6.95
Caprese $6.95
Grilled chicken breast pasta $12.95
The New York $15.95
Lemon crème brûlée $4.95 |
The flavorful roasted red pepper and chevre dip was served in
a small glass bowl surrounded on a larger plate by a pile of
thin triangles of grilled garlic flatbread. Vegetable crudités
shared the platter, a mix of grape tomatoes, thick rounds of
carrot, and decoratively peeled cucumber slices.
Our second appetizer, Sweetwater Bistro's twist on caprese,
was quite unlike the recipe I normally have in restaurants or
make at home. Its version added thick slabs of grilled eggplant,
which brother another layer of flavor to the fat slices of
mozzarella and roma tomatoes topped with thin strips of fresh
basil. A light sprinkle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil
finished out the plate. My only wish was that there had been a
touch more olive oil and vinegar to add oomph.
A few minutes after our empty appetizer plates were whisked
away, our server returned with a small loaf of warm bread and
our soup and salad.
My husband's starter Caesar salad was a bit on the small
side, but built with crisp romaine lettuce and topped with more
of the flavorful grape tomatoes from our first appetizer,
crunchy croutons and Parmesan shavings.
I normally go with a starter salad when given a choice
between that or soup, but Sweetwater Bistro's creamy potato
cheddar soup sounded too tempting to turn down. A cup of thick,
creamy potato and cheddar puree was topped with green onion
pieces cut on the bias. It was simple but so satisfying.
After bouncing between ordering an entree of lamb shank
vindaloo or the Sweetwater club sandwich, I zigged and settled
on the grilled chicken breast pasta.
Long, flat ribbons of spinach pappardelle pasta were tossed
with a creamy basil pesto sauce. Fat, flavorful artichoke hearts
rimmed the pasta, as well as soft, roasted whole garlic cloves.
An entire chicken breast, complete with grill marks, lay atop
the pasta.
The dish was finished with a generous layer of roasted red
pepper strips and fresh Parmesan.
My husband ordered "The New York," an 8-ounce
pepper-crusted steak. Pan-seared and topped with a dish-defining
flourish of blue cheese, the steak was accompanied by wedges of
herb-roasted potatoes and sauteed local veggies.
When he placed his order, our server explained that the steak
would be prepared medium rare unless he preferred it done
another way. The bite I sampled was tender, moist and full of
flavor. The blue cheese melting over the top of the steak took
the dish to another echelon of enjoyable eating.
The only disappointment of the meal came at dessert. We
should have gone with our intuition and ordered the chocolate
lemon cake, but instead chose to split the lemon crème brûlée.
The first sign that something had gone awry was the lack of
crust. The top wasn't browned and crispy as is usually the case
with this fantastic French finisher.
Yet the top half of the entire dessert was too hot to
comfortably taste without burning your tongue. The bottom of the
custard was closer to cold, as it should be, but the mix of
overly hot and chilled made for an unpleasant middle ground.
I was sorry to end the meal with an unsatisfactory dessert,
but on the gorgeous drive back to Bellingham realized it wasn't
worth tainting the entire Sweetwater Bistro experience.
Everything else was so nice and the outing made for a
wonderful way to wrap up a busy weekend.
