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Bistro V 2295 Gravenstein Hwy. S. Sebastopol 707-823-1262 www.bistro-v.com Mother Nature’s Cuisine |
“Mother Nature’s cuisine” is what chef/owner Rick Vargas answered when I asked him to describe the food at Bistro V. And with the amount of effort he puts into using fresh, local, organic ingredients (I’m talking cheese, produce, meat, everything), it makes perfect sense. Many of his dishes are created with a basis in traditional French-style cooking, but Vargas has his own sense of style that makes everything he creates a unique and wonderful treat. He also makes all of the pastas, breads and pastries, and several menu items can be prepared vegan.
The restaurant is located in what was formerly Chez Peyo, and Vargas still offers that restaurant’s traditional French onion soup. But that’s about as far as the similarities go. The Vargases (Rick and wife Meekk) have redesigned both the décor and the menu. The earth-toned dining room has an open and refined feeling. It’s set off from the wine and beer bar (at the entrance) by frosted glass panels. There are picture windows along the entire west wall, looking out onto the patio.
Our meal began with the crisp pear and Pt. Reyes bleu tartelettes. These savory, light creations are made with both raw and baked pears that are sautéed in a honey and Chardonnay gastrique until caramelized—absolutely delicious.
Next was a chanterelle mushroom tortellini that completely blew us away. First of all, my friend Stacy, with whom I was dining, has been known to say she doesn’t like mushrooms. Well, I guess that’s true unless she’s eating the ones Vargas cooks. (She loved them—and so did I.) This tortellini had so many layers of flavor—sage, burnt butter and roasted hazelnuts (which lent a sweet, crunchy complement to the rich chanterelles) were the most prominent.
After that we had dayboat sea scallops served with housemade gnocchi and more chanterelle mushrooms. They came with what Vargas called a “cross-species” sauce, made from meat stock, shellfish stock, red wine, steamed herbs and red wine vinegar. Reduced to a demi glaze, only a small amount was needed for this rich, earthy and original dish.
A roasted mixed beets salad was served with red peppers, onions, herbed sour cream and a Borscht vinaigrette. The cream sauce and vinaigrette added a savory edge to the sweet beets, which were served cold and fresh.
The first entrée was pork tenderloin medallions with caramelized apples, roasted potatoes, butter-steamed cabbage, orange-glazed carrots and a mustard seed Ace cider sauce. The remarkably tender pork had a smoky flavor and the mustard sauce added a nice bite. The apple brought out the pork’s natural sweetness. This was another of our favorite dishes. It also went well with the Atascadero Creek Pinot Noir we were enjoying.
The second entrée was a Liberty Farms duck breast served with a potato leek gratin and braising greens. Its sauce was light but packed with flavor. It was made of a duck stock, Zinfandel, mild guajillo chili pan juice and a bit of orange zest (which really came through in the finished dish).
For dessert, we sampled warm, homemade cookies; a caramel-nut torte with ganache; and an apple strudel with golden raisins, cinnamon and vanilla ice cream. Last (my favorite) was the flan. Vargas uses his Peruvian family’s recipe to create this light, beautiful, perfectly simple custard dish. Paired with a Taylor Fladgate Tawny port, it was the ideal end to an outstanding meal.
