It’s been several years since our last visit, so when we got a coupon for a free entrée, we jumped at the chance!
Located in the bustling Five points area inside the I-440 beltline of Raleigh, Bloomsbury Bistro is a small, intimate dining room and bar, with linen tablecloths and experienced waiters. The chef “stretches the boundaries of traditional French” cooking by infusing his dishes with ethnic influences from around the world.
To start, I had a grilled tomato gazpacho with jumbo lump blue crab, a scoop of cucumber sorbet and a drizzle of olive oil. Very refreshing.
Also, a lobster ravioli “Thai style” over stir fried Napa cabbage and enoki mushrooms with basil and Florida oranges in spicy red curry-coconut milk broth. Excellent.
#1 had a salad of mixed field greens and garden herbs tossed in blackberry vinaigrette with grape tomato and shaved Pecorino cheese. Light on the dressing and she said it was good.
For her main dish: sautéed NC cobia over a bowl of white corn and shrimp chowder, with apple wood bacon, haricot verts and sour cream mashed red potatoes. The cobia was served crisp on the outside, moist inside, and the chowder was corn-sweet and a great combo.
#2 pigged-out on the warm, whole wheat bread and herbed butter until his entrée arrived: New York strip steak Argentine style with Chimichurri sauce. The chef was gracious enough to allow a substitution for the grilled vegetables and roasted garlic mashed cauliflower, and #2 chose the accompaniment for the cobia (which, I thought, was an even better pairing for his steak): the bacon, haricot verts and mashed potatoes.
The lamb shank had my name written all over it: North Indian style lamb hind shank over toasted almond basmati rice and mashed chickpeas with mint chutney, cucumber sauce and aromatic tomato. I devoured it.
No dessert, two glasses of wine. Total was about $130 for three (before coupon and including tip), which I thought a tad high, all things considered. Better deal: ask for the Tasting Menu. You get two appetizers, two entrees and a dessert sampler of four treats to end the meal. $50 for two. Can’t beat it!
Why don’t waiters write down orders?! Ours had to come back and verify mine.
Other than that, the meal was flawless. Still cranking out great food since 1995.
This place is run by the same successful duo who own Mura in North Hills. Very nice interior with stylish bar in front, booths, tables and sushi bar in back.
Got off to a rocky start when I ordered my usual Gibson and the waiter returned from the bar saying they had no cocktail onions. Choose a bottle of sake instead.
The menu presents some items I doubt are on most Japanese menus you’ve seen before: sautéed foie gras with sweet ginger glaze and butter poached lobster tail with saffron tofu cream sauce—-to name just two.
Seaweed salad with frisée, cucumber and mustard vinaigrette is large and very satisfying.
I had one of the sushi bar’s special maki (roll), Tuna Ecstasy: crab salad and tempura shrimp topped with a salad of spicy tuna and cherry tomatoes. Very good.
Pan seared sea bass with truffle soy reduction was cooked perfectly with a wonderful buttery crunch on one side. But, the overall dish was way too sweet and a turn-off for me. Served with a very good risotto (and plenty of it!) plus some asparagus.
Although dinner was okay, I really think I want to return to Sono for lunch. The sandwich menu looks great: kobe beef burgers, pork tenderloin burgers, Korean bulgogi Philly cheese steak, panko white fish filet with wasabi tartar sauce—- all served with sweet potato french fries.
Total bill: $100 for two, before tip, booze included, no dessert.
Next time I’m in the neighborhood for dinner, I’ll go to Fins instead!
Beautiful interior: rosewood furnishings with sleek design.
The menu has dishes reminiscent of stops in France, Italy, North Africa, Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia and Viet Nam—- among others. I ended up not having an entrée and ordering just appetizers.
I started with the Farmer’s Market Gazpacho (from Raleigh, I presume): very refreshing with just the right spicy finish.
Cheese plate was fantastic: three selections (one Spanish, one Italian and one domestic). Alongside there were a variety of olives and a scoop of what tasted to me like a compote of raisins and ginger. Our waiter thought it was a mixture of more olives, but corrected himself after checking with the kitchen: it was, in fact, raisins. Also on the plate: two different house-made salami’s—- excellent! All this served with toasted pieces of what tasted like sourdough.
I also had the Thai Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps. These were served with romaine instead of iceberg lettuce, and #1 was amused as I struggled to wrap the chicken salad with other ingredients.
A better choice, in my mind, was the Tacos Locos: pulled pork with pico de gallo and sour cream. (A small spoon would have been handy when tackling this dish).
#1 did order an entrée: fish with ratatouille, spinach, orange oregano jam and parmesan in a tomato broth. Must have been good: she ate the whole thing!
Although we enjoyed our visit to Globe, I doubt we will return. There are just too many better choices: Enoteca Vin, to name one, just around the corner.
Total bill: $80 for two, before tip, booze included, no dessert.
We have always liked this place, but our last visit was disappointing.
The wait staff is fast—- our dishes were out of the kitchen in the blink of an eye. Which made my son wonder aloud if they had been pre-prepared.
Although we all ordered different entrees, all three looked identical. All were covered in a dark brown, syrupy, sweet sauce.
My wife is convinced they have a new chef.
We will give them another chance as our previous visits were outstanding, but the homogeneous nature of these recent servings is worrisome.
$70 for three, no alcohol, tip included.
This is a review of the North Raleigh location, but they also have three others.
Beautiful, new facility with an adjoining market. Nice outdoor seating available.
Our table in the bar/cantina area could have used a little more light as the menu (with some tiny print) was difficult to read.
Our waiter was a bit nervous, but he managed.
We were there to take advantage of a coupon we received for a $39.99 dinner: two salads, two entrées and a bottle of wine.
This is a great choice if you’re hankering for things middle eastern: hummus, taboulleh, falafel, baba ghanough, lamb, gyros, etc., but there are plenty of other non-eastern standards to satisfy more western tastes. The portions here are quite generous and none of us could clean our plates.
I had the lamb sirloin, but there was something odd about this cut of meat: I think it was actually a leg which had been boned. This was not a steak. It was several small pieces of meat held together by fat and sinew, and it took some work to cut around it all. I’ve had a boned leg before and I’d bet $20 that this was not a sirloin cut.
Still, it was tasty and the side of fresh veggies was amazing. We counted nine different vegetables in the accompanying medley. Nine! Very colorful.
#1 had a swordfish special with an excellent mango salsa.
#2 had cheese steak wrap which had him rolling his eyes with pleasure.
Total bill was under $60 for all three (one non-drinker, tip and coupon included, no dessert).
Can’t beat the price. A very good value.