Welcome to TBO.com. Skip directly to: our Keyword Search, Section Navigation, Content.

TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Entertainment

TBO > Entertainment

Creativity Simmers Three Meals A Day

By KURT LOFT, The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - Central Avenue is sprouting enough restaurants to feed half the populace, but not all congregate downtown. On the west side, a neighborhood favorite continues to simmer with success, and the locals are happy to keep it all to themselves, thank you very much.

It would be fair to describe O Bistro as an inviting spot to spend an evening, but you can start much earlier. The owners are tenacious and apparently tireless, keeping the kitchen going with breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

We like the restaurant's creative New American-Mediterranean menu, gregarious staff and atmosphere that blends sophistication and subtlety. A wine bar and casual dining out front cater to the solo patron or anyone wanting to sip a Chardonnay after work. Black walls and large prints lend elegance to the main dining room with its spacious booths.

How a single restaurant of this size can keep the gears oiled on such an ambitious menu is an admirable mystery, but we're tempted to come back and dine here for 12 uninterrupted hours. The ambition starts every morning at 8, when the kitchen serves up piping hot Florentine Crepes with a creamy hollandaise, Bananas Foster French Toast and a tangy Reuben Omelette. Fresh grated potato pancakes come with chunky apple sauce; and capers, tomatoes, onion and cream cheese frame the Smoked Salmon Platter.

Then comes lunch, a tempting selection of soups and salads, wraps and paninis, quiche and quesadillas, melts and grilled sandwiches. Eggplant fries are a nice alternative to the traditional spud variety, and anyone addicted to bread might nibble a small loaf of Ciabatta with garlic dripping oil.

Now it's time for dinner. We opened with a delicious Curry Seared Tuna Sashimi, its clean flavors kicked up with coco-citrus teriyaki and pickled cabbage slaw. Caper and garlic crustini enhance the Smoked Salmon-Boursin Napoleon appetizer, and the kitchen touches off its Tomato Basil Bisque with a dollop of Gorgonzola.

We hit the bull's-eye one night with a rich and hearty order of Tuscan Style Pot Roast, the lean brisket of beef braised in Chianti with carrots and roast shallots and served over horseradish mashed potatoes. Another satisfying dinner is the Deep Dish Spinach Pie, fused with feta cheese, garlic and scallions and baked between two layers of phyllo. Pita and hummus accompany a small Greek salad.

A house specialty is the Grilled Double Lolli Pop Pork Chop, a large portion framed by maple caramelized apples, andouille-braised kraut, roasted new potatoes and a rosemary mustard sauce. Smoked bacon adds depth to the Grilled Pacific King Salmon, and cured olives add zest to the Braised Lamb Shanks. The Seafood Crepes may appeal to those with a penchant for heavier sauces, but our sherry mushroom bechamel overpowered the delicate flavors of the scallops, crab and lobster.

The restaurant offers a light menu - with lighter prices - along with its full roster of entrees, and a handful of very good salads. Consider the Thai Beef Noodle or Pecan Crusted Chicken salads.

The wine list includes an impressive array of international vineyards and pours by the glass. We enjoyed a crisp Cakebread Sauvignon Blanc and a Seghesio Zinfandel with lots of forward fruit.

DINING REVIEW

O Bistro

BOTTOM LINE: Creative New American and Mediterranean fare.

WHERE: 6661 Central Ave., St. Petersburg

HOURS: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

CREDIT CARDS: All major

RESERVATIONS: Yes

CHILDREN'S MENU: Yes

ALCOHOL: Full bar and wine list

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

PRICE: Dinner entrees range from $10 to $27

CALL: (727) 381-1212