Description: Truth be told, we chose to eat in this restaurant because we were eavesdropping on people in the elevator in our hotel raving about their meal. They said their food was reasonable and good.
Sold!!! We decided to try the place out for lunch.
Where is the Bistro 1896 located?Look for the monolith statue erected to a former North Carolina governor named VANCE in the center of a square. You'll find the cafe right there, across the street, smack dab in the middle of the action. Find the street musician on the corner. He/she is most likely in front of the Bistro. This seemed to be a very popular piece of concrete for entertainers to sing as we rarely passed here without seeing someone acting like this curb was their stage. If you like live music, enjoy it by eating outside underneath the awning. We liked listening to a bluesy singer with a harmonica for most of our meal. If you'd rather a bit more quiet, go inside to a table in one of the brightly painted dining areas. One of these rooms has chubby cherubs flying across the ceiling.
What was the food like?We were all struck by the size of the menu. There were a lot a choices for a small cafe, and they all looked great. I had a parmesan encrusted trout served atop cheese grits whereas my husband went for grouper quesadillas. If fish isn't your speed, no worries. You could have everything from a smoked chicken salad to pasta. Our meals were gorgeously presented and delicious. We topped our lunch off with an amazing Creme Brulee served with fresh strawberries.
How was the service? Our waitress was a doll. She was quick and efficient, and I loved how she pronounced quesadilla with an "l" sound when confirming my husband's order. She made good suggestions and kept our water glasses filled on a warm day without being intrusive.
Bottom line?Well, the moral to this story is it's good to listen to strangers on elevators. With most lunch entrees hovering around $8, lunch was quite reasonable at an excellent quality. I really enjoyed eating here.
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