Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Office Bistro and Lounge

Feeling immediately comfortable in a new establishment is highly unusual, but that's what happened at the Office Bistro on Akron's North Hill. This is a hidden gem and I fell in love with it almost instantly.  It starts with the free and friendly valet parking. Upon entering the cozy interior, the bartender yelled out hello! despite never having seen us before in his life. Our attentive waiter recommended a bottle of Oxford Landing shiraz after finding out what we liked in wine. Score!  A grouper-pasta-sun-dried tomato dish (the daily special) melted in my mouth, and the house salad dressing, a white French, was perfect.  Again, score!  Apple pie - I don't think I've ever eaten a pie that had a crust this spectacular; it was better than the apples, though they were good. Score to the third power!  Very well lit, so that you can actually see around you; dim places or venues with greenish lighting are a turnoff.  A big screen projected a faux roaring fireplace, haha, which almost made us feel warmer.  Art on the walls was obviously carefully selected; not sure if it was local, but will find out next time. The bar looked like a nice place to sit as well, but we were in the dining room. The place was packed and everyone seemed to be having a most excellent time.  Delightful, and not 10 minutes from my house.

More Restaurants to come Soon!!!



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