Those of us in West Seattle who lamented the passing of Les Tamales watched with interest when the empty restaurant's paint scheme began to change. Not long after, the black awning was sporting a new name "Ovio Bistro." hmmmm. The hub and I tried to visit spontaneously one evening, thinking that a place that new wouldn't have a waiting list. Wrong. 45 minutes to an hour. Already? Friday night I found out why. Ovio Bistro is one of the most enjoyable new restaurant experiences I've had in a while. Chef Eddie Montoya gets two thumbs up from me. My girlfriend and I called ahead, sure enough, there was already a line, so we put our name on the list (which thankfully they allow even for parties of two) and stayed home until the time was near. We began with a martini (likely due to the subtle marketing influences of their logo, which if you look closely, is their name). I was surprised they did not have my fave Chopin vodka, but had a perfectly acceptable martini made with Grey Goose instead. My friend and I split a bibb lettuce and pear salad, complete with candied spiced walnuts and a bleu cheese vinaigrette. The dressing was quite peppery, but still good. The table next to us had braised beef short ribs as a starter (quite a generous plate with a wonderfully tempting aroma). We then split a bowl of the day's soup -- a fire-roasted golden tomato base laced with coconut milk, lemon grass, and swirled with a touch of hot oil. Very yummy. Dinner for my girlfriend was seared Ahi tuna, quite possibly the largest, thickest piece of ahi she or I had ever seen, stacked even higher with oriental greens, steamed bok choy, a cake of sweet sticky rice, and two fascinating sauces (one tomato/rice vinegar based, the other a soy mustard base). I had the sweet pea ravioli, served with slices of shiitake mushrooms, some (very stringy, oops) pea shoots, and an incredible sauce they called "carrot nage" that was lightly complex and ohhhh so tasty. Other entrees include a house smoked Flat Iron steak, salt and peppered scallops and prawns, pan seared lamb chops, crispy fried chicken, pork porterhouse, and proscuitto wrapped halibut cheeks. I could wax poetic and give you the menu descriptions of each of these, but this e-mail is already getting long. Prices ranged from $5.95 to $10.50 for appetizers, $4.95 - $6.00 for soup/salads, $13.95 - $18.95 for entrees. My apologies… the only dessert I paid any attention to was a chocolate souffle "cake" that had a soft caramel center and a semi-sweet chocolate sauce (I had them hold the raspberry sauce… just a personal thing). Although not a quiet atmosphere for dining, the food was memorable, and I'll certainly be back. The hub has been whining that I went without him. :-) Relaena
Seattle, WA