Main Street Bistro & Piano-Bar Cabaret

Part of the fun of dining out is finding those out-of-the-way places with great food made from scratch with fresh ingredients, and that special local charm that keeps patrons coming back again and again. Main Street Bistro & Piano-Bar Cabaret is that kind of place. Located in downtown Guerneville, it’s easy to miss, unless you’re looking for it or just happen to step inside. But once you do, prepare for this bistro’s special brand of magic. “We’re not fancy, but we’re comfortable. I wanted to create the feel of a speakeasy casino,” says longtime proprietor Suzi Feehery, who greets us when we arrive.

Alex and I are in the main dining room, sipping on wine as the musicians warm up for the evening show. Feehery joins us, as they play a few notes before they begin. Wearing a fedora, Mike addresses the guests, “We are the Pat & Mike Show,” he says, then glances Feehery’s way. “We love you Suzi.” And so begins a night at the bistro, a set of classic oldies with a harmonic twang. It’s 7 o’clock and the place is nearly packed on a Monday night.

We ask Feehery about her clientele. It’s a favorite stop for tourists, she says, but the locals keep her business humming. “This is the place to come for something to do,” says Feehery, who’s been in the business for 30-plus years and has an irresistible salt-of-the-earth persona. Originally from Detroit, she followed a band to California in her 20s and eventually found her way to Guerneville, which has become her adopted hometown.

The bistro offers an eclectic experience for guests, and its menu has something for everyone. We begin with a few signature starters. The Brussels sprouts arrive with a nice char. Served with carmelized onions, plumped raisins, garlic, pepper and drizzled with an aged balsamic reduction sauce, it’s a delicious (and healthy!) starter, perfect to share. We also enjoy the curried calamari. Fried in a buttermilk batter with yellow curry spices, it’s crispy perfection and served with a side of cilantro aioli. At Feehery’s suggestion we also sampled the soft garlic bread sticks. I’m not one to gobble down so-so bread and usually pass, but these breadsticks are made fresh daily, airy and melt-in-your-mouth good. Carb nirvana.

Chef Osamu Ishii—known as “Sami”—helms the kitchen. Feehery’s longtime partner, he’s been cooking there for 28 years. Though he was raised with the flavors of Japan, he’s mastered the art of Italian-American food and his menu continues to transform and evolve. Chef Sami has a back-to-basics approach in the kitchen, which revolves around simple preparation and using fresh seasonal ingredients, often sourced directly from the bistro’s organic garden. Sous Chef Carlos Vargas creates the seafood specials, and guests enjoy the catch of the day, sourced directly from the Tides at Bodega Bay.

The bistro is well-known for its pizzas, made to order and hand-tossed, and the thin-crust version is made with apple juice and local craft beer. But we opted for a signature dish and Chef Carlos’ seafood special of the evening—the corvina sea bass. Fresh from the Pacific and served with farrow, arugula, broccoli and cauliflower with a ginger-carrot puree, it was delicious, succulent and like velvet on the tongue. Alex opted for the bistro’s famous pot roast. Beautifully plated and utterly perfect fork-tender beef, this is a dinner for kings (or queens). Served with creamy mash potatoes and a nicely-seasoned gravy, this dish is pure pleasure and an elevated take on tradition.

Dinner at the bistro is nothing you’ll want to rush through, and it’s perfect for dinner out with your love, a group of friends or the family. The children’s menu is thoughtful—spaghetti with a choice or meat or marinara sauce, polenta with honey (yum!) or marinara, and my favorite part—raw veggies with ranch dressing. Something I would’ve greatly appreciated when I was raising two small sons.

For dessert, we shared the butterscotch bread pudding, Feehery’s family recipe. As if butterscotch wasn’t enough, this generous plate of confection, is packed with raisins, the bistro’s homemade bread, butter and cinnamon, served with vanilla custard, whipped cream and drizzled with butterscotch and bourbon. Yep. Bourbon. The sauce? Best. Ever. And no doubt that’s why the recipe has stood the test of time.

Next time you’re venturing out for great food and live entertainment, make a day of it. Take a day trip to Guerneville, an enchanting small town where time seems to stand still. Enjoy the redwoods and the fresh blue air, then head over to the bistro for five-star food and the evening’s entertainment. Be sure to tell Suzi “hello” for me. We’ll be back, wearing our dancing shoes.

 

Main Street Bistro & Piano-Bar Cabaret

16280 Main Street

Guereneville, Calif. 95446

(707) 869-0501

mainststation.com

Wine/Beer/Cocktails

Entrees: $10—$34