Meadville’s “French” Connection
Downtown Mall Bistro
A Restaurant Review
A bistro in Meadville?
Yep.
My taste buds were intrigued, but my mind was puzzled.
What exactly is a “bistro,” it asked?
Too lazy and too pressed for deadline time to find a dictionary, I turned to Google. It describes a bistro as “a small informal restaurant or bar, especially one in France or one in a French style.”
Sounds classy, doesn’t it?
When I’m driving, I often listen to 101.7 WMVL, where it seems they’ve been advertising the Downtown Mall Bistro every other commercial break for years, so I definitely wanted to get this earworm commercial off my bucket list.
And being a GURU newbie, I figured a bistro was as good a place as any to start my freelance restaurant reviewing career.
Not knowing what to expect, upon entering on a cold, wet Thursday morning about 9:30 a.m., I was surprised to see the bistro about half occupied with either workers grabbing a quick bite to eat or seniors dining.
As I waited for a waitress and a menu, I wondered what I should order at this “bistro.” Something different, exotic, definitely. Crepes Suzette, perhaps?
Sorry, no.
The only Gallic “cuisine” here is French toast and French fries.
While I’m sure the word “bistro” in the restaurant’s title isn’t intentionally misleading, it does overstate the offerings served. “Diner” is more appropriate, since its menu offers only mainstream breakfast and lunch items (omelettes, pancakes, BLTs and hoagies, etc.)
In reality, I really didn’t expect any Gallic food (Escargot, anyone?), but I certainly wasn’t disappointed with the fare offered.
I ordered the Western Scrambler (see picture) that consisted of eggs, ham, peppers, onions, potatoes and cheese all together with rye toast on the side. Rather than the usual cheese offerings, I ordered feta; a salty, dried chunky cheese that brought alive each forkful of the meal.
My breakfast buddy went traditional: French toast with ham. Two slices of a thick bread, with the enticing aroma of cinnamon and a slice of grilled ham that looked to be half an inch thick. (Wish I’d brought a tape measure!)
The offerings were so plentiful we both ended up leaving with to go boxes.
Heads up: The Downtown Mall Bistro has funky and early bird hours (Closed Sunday and Monday. Opens early—6:30 a.m., closes early—usually 1:30.), so plan your visit accordingly.
Heads up: “The Sequel.” The bistro is currently for sale. A turn-key business it’s ready for new owners. Interested? Call the phone number below.
The Downtown Mall Bistro is located at 920 Water St., Meadville. For more information call (814) 336-5051 or visit ww.artsmeadville.org
***The Scalloping Gourmet
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