The last Bite Club event was held Tuesday, March 2 at North Beach Bistro.
It is truly a hidden gem in the beaches area! It is located in a strip mall, and has a nice, but not grand outside appearance. As you enter the restaurant, there is a beautiful bar area, a large dining room, and an art gallery attached for private parties and events (this is where we had the Bite Club).
The food at NB Bistro is upscale American-Fusion fare, specialiazing in use of fresh ingredients, constrasting flavors and textures, seafood and varying proteins. Brunch is served on Sunday mornings, Lunch on Tuesday-Saturday, and there is a tapas menu.
Chef David Seavey presented a tasting menu that offered three appetizers, a pasta, a salad, three entrees and a dessert. All of the dishes are available at the restaurant, and many Bite Club members were anxious to return for a full sized portion!
The tables were set beautifully in the art gallery portion of the restaurant, and we were at large tables which great for socialiazing and meeting new people. Servers took our drink orders, and then brought out passed hors d'oeuvres.
First was the Vegetarian Spring Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce.
They were fresh fried, very crispy, and the sauce was sweet, but balanced by the soy sauce.
Next up was the Marinated Ahi Tuna on Wonton Chips with Ginger Aoili.
The wonton was very crunchy, and offered a great textue comparison to the soft, rare tuna. The ginger aioli added a nice spice flavor and the soy in the tuna balanced out the creamy sauce. The presentation of this dish was beautiful!
The final passed hors d'oeuvres was Teriyaki Beef Satay with a Creamy Siracha Dipping sauce.
The beef was fresh off the grill with delicious charred flavor, sweet from the teriyaki, and exceptionally tender. The dipping sauce added a nice contrast with the grill flavor, it was spicy and added a great punch of flavor.
Though all of the passed hors d'oeuvres were Asian in flavor, there are many more options of different ethnic flavors on the menu at North Beach Bistro!
The next dish served was a pasta course, Lobster Ravioli with Mushroom Pesto Sauce.
The ravioli was full of lobster meat, and just enough ricotta to keep it together. The sauce was a creamy pesto, which added a nice garlic flavor to balance the sweet lobster meat. The mushrooms added a touch of earthy flavor, they were tender and delicious. This was one of the favorite dishes among Bite Club members.
Next, a basket of fresh bread and Cannelini Bean dip were brought to the table. The spread was served chilled, it was clean in taste, and the cannelini flavor was strong, there was also a bit of spice and heat, which we thought might have come from white pepper.
The salad course was next, Organic Greens with Apples, Spiced Walnuts, Goat Cheese and Cranberry Vinaigrette.
The greens were dressed very lightly, and tasted very fresh. The apple was shaved, which was a nice change from large chunks of apple in salad. It seemed to work it's way into each bite, which I enjoyed. The nuts were delicious, sweet, spicy, and very crunchy. The cranberries were dried, but plumped in the dressing, and balanaced out the creamy goat cheese.
Our next dish was one of the best of the night, and something I would definitely return for - Shrimp with Chorizo, Rosemary, Polenta and Gorgonzola Fondue. The polenta was probably the creamiest, softest polenta I've ever had. The chorizo added some heat and body to the dish, and the gorgonzola was the perfect finish. It took shrimp and grits to an amazing new level.
Another absolutely delicious dish was this Calypso Crusted Mahi Mahi with Mango Salsa and Tamarind Drizzle.
This dish was bursting with flavor! There was a spicy seasoning that crusted the tender mahi mahi and the plantain chip, which was fried crisp on the outside, but soft on the inside. It was pressed into a bed of mashed potatoes, and topped with a fresh mango salsa. Then the dish was finished with a tangy tamarind sauce and a creamy butter sauce. This dish hit every flavor note, and was a big hit!
Our final entree was a Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin with Wilted Spinach and Apricot Bordelaise. The meat was tender, and the bacon added a nice salty flavor. The spinach was fresh and the apricots were plump and sweet in the bordelaise sauce.
Finally, dessert! We were served Tony's Famous Hazelnut Crunch Bar. The bar was served with a fresh whipped cream, vanilla anglaise, and mint. The bar itself was crisp on the bottom, full of a creamy mousse, and topped with cocoa powder. The bar was extremely chocolatey, but not overly sweet. The flavor and crunch from the Hazelnuts added great texture. Many Bite Club members told me they would return just for this bar alone!
On behalf of Folio Weekly and the Bite Club, we can't thank North Beach Bistro enough for an amazing event! From the atmosphere to the food, the company to the conversation, it was all around the perfect night!
I highly recommend checking out this hidden gem of a restaurant, you'll be very pleasantly surprised when you step inside, and you'll plan to return again soon after tasting the amazing food produced by Chef David.
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