06/02/07

Not the old Bistro 100!

by moodyfoody

It seems that all of these reviews have been hanging around for a while. Bistro 100 left town almost a year ago and was updated and changed into Taverna 100. This new incarnation is part of the Sonoma restaurant group known for their other ventures, town and Sonoma Modern American. My wife and I are uptown residents and regular customers of Sonoma Modern American & town. We were in the mood for something different and figured that we would give the revamped Bistro 100 a try.

It turns out that Taverna 100 is a Mediterranean grill of moderate price and great location to the Blumenthal Theaters in Founders' Hall.

We really enjoyed the dolmas and fried feta appetizers. They are both fun and delicious with the chef's local produce taking the place of some of the more traditional ingredients. I personally like the local swiss chard adaptation of the dolmas over the traditional grape leaves.

As for the entrees, we shared both the sea bass and the scallops. Both came off of the grill and were delicious. The sea bass was stuffed with herbs, grilled and served with a tomato and olive sauce. The scallops were grilled as well and served with a simple butter sauce and roasted root vegetables. The simple pairing really allowed the huge scallops to shine.

The wine list is easy to navigate and very diverse. Since we both had lighter seafood dishes for entrees, we opted for a bottle of the Hugo Gruner Veltliner. I was happy to see a great food wine like this on the list by the bottle and by the glass.

We had a great view of the city and wonderful service to match. Being foodies, we tend to have a lot of questions. The server was especially helpful and polite. They really made us feel at home.

This is what we have come to expect of any of Pierre Bader's restaurants and Taverna 100 lives up to its pedigree.

• Pros: Great theater location, excellent food and service.
• Cons: Make sure to have a reservation on theater nights!

Uptown restaurant serves Mediterranean and American fare

by Contributor

In Short
Situated across from the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, it's a regular stop for show-goers before they head over to the latest traveling Broadway production. The menu features dishes like seared tuna appetizers, smashed potatoes, rotisserie meats and a range of additional small plates. Private parties can be held out in Founders Hall for groups of up to 500.

• Pros: don't miss the brunch

07/20/06

12 years of satisfaction for us!

by mrspk60

After reading some negative reviews, I was quite surprised. My husband & I have NEVER been disappointed with Bistro 100 of the many times we've been over the past 12 years. We've always experienced wonderful service and excellent meals, appetizers, desserts, ect... I've never been there for lunch, so I can't comment there. But we've only made reservations once or twice, practically always walked right in and seated without wait. We've eaten in the lounge, out on the veranda, in several areas around the dining room, and always had excellent service. However, we've never went there in a hurry to leave, so I can't remember if we felt that we had to wait too long for anything including checks. Perhaps if you are in a rush to eat & run, this may not be the place to try. Otherwise, I would suggest calling them to find out if there is going to be a crowd from the theaters/plays, etc... Maybe we've been lucky, but it never affected our experiences. We would never hesitate to recommend the Bistro to anyone.

• Pros: Comfortable, yet fine dine. Dress up or go casual & ENJOY!
• Cons: Avoid show night crowds from theatre/plays or if you're in a rush, perhaps?

12/11/05

Average place

by fiapman

I was a bit disappointed on the service and quality of food for the prices they have.

The crepe i had for lunch was very long to come out and too dry to start off with, the service at the bar is almost inexistant, we had to wait a good five minutes to get our check and an other five to get it picked up.

Definitely not what a typical french bistro is about.

• Pros: decor, menu variety, parking
• Cons: service, food authenticity, prices

12/15/04

Save your Money

by mlsgem

I was really looking forward to having some food with French flair. I was highly disappointed. Typically French food included rich and tasty sauces. I had the halibut and it was sooo dry. I make it better at home! I could have saved the $23 that paid for it. The desserts were good but you can't survive on dessert alone. I found the service very rushed. The decor was nice with a beautiful mural but it was loud in there. Not recommended for a romantic dinner, and they did not seat us promptly with our reservation.

• Pros: Bananas Flambe, Decor
• Cons: , Rushed service, Prices

10/30/03

Safe bet, but you can do better

by nagamak

Pre-theater crowd and the food reflects that. Quick dishes that are safe, but not exactly wonderful. If you have time to spare, you would do better going to another place for the same amount of money or less.

• Pros: Service, Wine List, Desserts
• Cons: Bland Entrees, Value

02/10/03

Friendly and Classy and Good

by Richard_Roth

......this restraunt manages to serve great food also managing to be both friendly and classy at the same time ...the service could not be better

• Pros: food prep., service, atmosphere
• Cons: not cheap but worth i

12/04/02

Blissful Anniversary

by thisisjoey

The Bistro was suggested by our concierge at the Hilton. We wanted something romantic and unusual but not too unusual. There was not a more perfect restaraunt for our anniversary. We with delicate Lobster/crabcakes and Salad nicoise. I ordered the Steak au Poivre and potato cake ( like a tiny potatoes anna), my spouse ordered Lamb Shank with Vegetables. Both dishes were out of this world, and I honestly don't know which dish I prefered. Our server finished our wonderful experience with a decadent chocolate mouse cake topped with a sparkler to celebrate our anniversary. The service was impeccable, the chef loves his food and the ambience had just the right touch of romance for a special night. We will return every chance we get. One note: despite a sudden rush of people from an evening at the Arts the servers never missed a step. Pretty impressive.