I am an unabashed fan of Crazy Burger. Even before Guy Fieri put it on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives I was a regular visitor to the restaurant. My grandmother is the one who first brought me there in the mid 1990s. She had read about it in the paper and couldn’t wait to go. As I’ve worked my way through their list of creative burgers, I’ve never had a bad meal. Seeing the 30- to 45-minute wait at Crazy Burger on a Saturday night or a Sunday morning, I can tell there are a lot of people out there who agree with me. Crazy Burger did the most logical thing and opened a new restaurant close to their original location called The Bistro. The Bistro gave the Crazy Burger crew “a chance to expand on ideas [they] haven’t perfected.” Think reservations, locally sourced ingredients and higher end offerings.
The Bistro opened in mid-October on Narragansett Avenue, approximately .7 miles from Crazy Burger. The restaurant is attached to a small inn called The Bed, also run by the Crazy Burger folks. The inn has six rooms and often runs specials in conjunction with the restaurant for combination overnight stays including dinner. A stay at the Inn also includes a coupon for breakfast at Crazy Burger.
The Bistro has an eclectic, throwback vibe. There are strings of globe-style light bulbs throughout the restaurant, which give it a warm glow. On the winter night I was there, we were glad to be out of the cold but could imagine a lovely summer night on the front porch enjoying the salt air. There is a small bar area, but as of this writing, the restaurant has yet to obtain a liquor license. For now, the restaurant is BYOB, so be sure to stock up before dinner. Pier Liquors in the Pier Market Place is close by if you forget to bring something from home. The menu at the Bistro is on the smaller side, but that didn’t make my dining choices any easier. I had two friends along for the meal, so we were able to try a lot of food. We started with three appetizers: Oysters Rockafella ($12.95), Baked Herbed Goat Cheese ($10.95) and Butternut Pistachio Bisque ($6.95). We were excited to see the Oysters Rockafella was made with Matunuck oysters, and it came five to an order. They were tasty and had a twist of cilantro butter. The goat cheese was served piping hot and topped with a thyme-heavy herbed crust. I loved how the grilled dipping bread sat in a puddle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Our only wish was for more bread to dip. One of my friends enjoyed the Butternut Bisque so much she didn’t want to share. The one bite I took was creamy, heavily spiced and quite good.
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