Date Night at Light Bistro

What is the perfect date? Is it a long walk on a sandy beach, sipping champagne in front of a warm fire, or wrapped in bacon and stuffed with almonds and valdeon cheese? I had no fire and went without sand in my shoes yet last Friday I had the perfect date, sweet decadent and left me wanting more, I also sampled the bacon wrapped dates at Light Bistro. A perfect balance of savory bacon sweet date and creamy cheese was only the beginning of my introduction to Light Bistro, one of the incredible restaurants on Cleveland’s west side, and one I am ashamed to say I had not visited earlier.

It was one of those days when everything went right. Not only was it Friday, payday, but I also got off work early and was in the mood for a night out. Light Bistro was the perfect escape, quiet and private with good service and even better food. The dates were followed by the Braised Pork Belly, it was tender and the watermelon it was served with helped to bring out the sweetness of the meat, I was amused at first my the combination and almost asked for more after tasting it.

The tapas raised the bar for what was to follow, and after the first bite of the grilled ostrich I had to put my fork down and give it a second look. I was confused. Ostrich is a bird, it was not supposed to have that much flavor or be that tender, and how did the raisins and pine nuts perfectly compliment the subtle gamey flavor, I don’t usually like pine nuts or raisins what about the flavors was drawing me in I did not know. All I could do was heave a sigh of contentment and settle in for what I know was going to be a treat.

Krista ordered the Caramelized Scallops. They were plump and juicy the tarragon sauce was fantastic, for one brief moment I thought for once she had chosen the better dish. While mulling it over I popped a raisin into my mouth, followed by another bite of ostrich, and could not stop the smile it brought to my face, it is nice to know I can make a better decision than my wife, it does not happen often.

I differed to her when it came to dessert. Coffee and Donuts. Even I could not have chosen a better way to end a spectacular night out. Warm donuts tossed with sugar table side served with a warm chocolate ganache and espresso ice cream. So again what is a perfect date? If you are lucky enough to have someone you love and a passion for good food the perfect date can be found at the Light Bistro.

Cheers,

Steve