Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Tano Bistro and Catering: A Good Reason to visit Loveland

The Main Dining Room
      We were looking for a place to meet my cousin George and some friends that would be close to I-275 at a peculiar time (2:30 p.m. for lunch) and it couldn’t be too far from Montgomery.  Neil checked out Urbanspoon to see what was ranked there and he found Tano, which he remembered Carole and Tom really liked.  We couldn’t make a reservation because we weren’t certain the number that would be eating
and we knew we’d be arriving at a strange time, i.e. an empty restaurant that we expected to be followed by slow service and an apathetic kitchen.  Fortunately, we were proved completely wrong by Tano’s staff.

Bar Area
      There were six of us and we were the only diners at that time, though there were some patrons in the bar area.  The décor was almost classic American bistro with sand colored walls, original brightly colored paintings, and sophisticated lighting fixtures.  The rest rooms, which are right across from the kitchen, were spotless, though the interiors are a little dated because of the faux finishes.  Our server was swift, professional, and precise in the reasons for her recommendations.  She was also friendly, but that was not her primary goal for success, and I respected her for that.  

Fish Tacos with Tomato Basil Soup
      Three of us had the Fish Tacos; they featured four types of sautéed fish (salmon, walleye, golden tile, and striped bass), resulting in a different taste in each bite.  Mexican slaw, pico de gallo, feta cheese, and guacamole accompanied the dish.  

Carolina Crab Cakes







George had the Crab Cake appetizer, which was actually three light – almost soufflé-like – cakes served on a layer of buffalo slaw and cornmeal fried green tomato slices with remoulade sauce.  The cake was delicately seasoned and had a unique texture.  

BBQ Pork
The BBQ Pork sandwich was piled high – I was warned – and the blackberry sauce was vinegary, fruity, and a little smoky.  Again, the dish was something that’s on other menus, but the flavors and preparations are Tano Bistro’s own.  

Chocolate Crème Brulée
        We followed our server’s recommendations for dessert.  All are made in-house as are the ice creams and gelatos.  There were two crème brulées and Kathy and Bill chose the chocolate, which they said was excellent.

Apple Tartan
I believed them because they consumed it quickly as did we with the Apple Tartan, which was made with turnover pastry, caramelized apples, and maple cinnamon ice cream.  It was pretty great.  The coffee was really good and Kathy complimented the decaf as well.










What's so weird about lunch at 2:30?  I'm usually eating then. 

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