Lunch Review: Noho Bistro

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The NoHo Bistro offers a quaint, homey little hideaway for people who simply love great food. The chefs at the diminutive Euro-style bistro don’t take shortcuts. Vegetables are fresh, sauces are homemade, meat is tender, and flavors are as imaginative as they are refined. Cutting edge, yes; trendy, no. NoHo is no crazy runaway train of flashy fusion and vacuous servers. It actually might very well be Tampa’s closest thing to a French or Italian restaurant in terms of its meticulous and professional management. Located in Old West Tampa, near Interstate 275 off the Armenia/Howard exit, NoHo is not just set apart geographically; it’s an entire world away.

Chic comfort: Ingenious twists on traditional comfort foods. A cottage pie of the day offers the hearty comfort of Shepherd’s pie without the grease or blandness. Silky creamy mashed potatoes with spinach and savory chunks of veal, pork and mushrooms make for a filling, inexpensive treat. Other specials include the butternut squash ravioli, which is equally delicious, especially during the holiday season.

Affordable affluence: If you feel a little guilty eating out during cash-strapped times, NoHo is a justifiable splurge. It’s actually more affordable than many of its culinary peers – and even some chain restaurants. The most expensive item on a recent dinner menu had Bison skirt steak with baked blue cheese-stuffed mushrooms as its priciest entrée for $22. For the lunch menu, the priciest item is again Bison, but this time in the form of a burger. The NoHo Bistro Bison Burger is $10 and served with a potato roll and daily toppings.

Less overhead? One reason NoHo might be more affordable than places like, say, SideBern’s, Roy’s or Mise En Place, is that it spends less on swanky digs, such as exotic fish aquariums amd bonsai gardens, and more on the food. NoHo has a Parisian feel, like a little haunt in the Left Bank. It does a lot with very little, achieving sophistication without excess.

Simple elegance: Tiny vases of fresh flowers offer delicate beauty.

A signature salad that doesn’t need a notary: The NoHo Bistro Signature Salad is unlike anything you’ll ever eat a Sweet Tomatoes. Mixed salad greens with seasonal fruit (ours came with fresh, not canned, cantaloupe and pineapple) plus toasted walnuts get a graceful crown of luscious gorgonzola crumbles. For only $2, you can request shavings of high quality prosciutto.

Fall in love with this soup: Moans could be heard and toes were curled upon tasting the sweet potato-apple soup. Soup of the day? Try soup of the year. The delightful bisque, prepared with crème fraiche, incited passionate overtures. A friend said she loved it so much she wanted to marry it.

Drink and be merry: NoHo’s espresso is heavenly and full-bodied. It doesn’t have that burnt taste. You know how restaurants give you a lemon rind to mask the bitterness of the espresso they serve? NoHo doesn’t and doesn’t need to. Beer/ale tastings offer a glimpse of the restaurant’s intriguing selection of brews, such as Flying Dog Old Scratch Amber and Left Hand Milk Stout. The restaurant also has a respectable wine list, and servers suggest food pairings—even on your lunch break! Information on beer and wine tastings is available at thenohobistro.com.

Lots for tots: Kids cooking classes and children’s menus, too.

****

1714 N Armenia Ave.

Tampa  813.514.0691

www.thenohobistro.com

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