Bistro West is located in Carlsbad, California and features an extensive menu of chef-driven Contemporary Comfort Food. Below is a brief summary of our experience eating at Bistro West.
Tovah’s Take:
Being that I don’t go out to fancy schmancy restaurants all that often because I am a Mama of two toddlers I was SO thrilled when we got a chance to actually sit down (for 3 hours!) and enjoy a lovely meal for our Mom’s night out! We did go a little loco. Because all of us are health conscious AND I am vegan we pretty much ordered anything we could make vegan & decided to divvy up & share it all!
I ordered the Miso soup. Wow! What a different take on Miso! It was more like a vegetable soup than the simplistic asian fare I am used to. It was chock full of veggies, shiitake mushrooms, green onions, tofu and even a shrimp wonton (which I wasn’t expecting at all & quickly shared with my non-vegan friend) for $10.95 it was full of surprises & well worth the luxurious take! It did feel like it was a little much for a Miso although it was tasty. Miso in my opinion should be simple, a traditional japanese staple I kind of felt like the essence was adulterated however it’s always good to experience new things.
Next, Amber & I shared the Garden Veggie Pizza, sans mozzarella. With Amber slowly delving into the vegan world I laughed at her blank stare when I suggested a pizza without cheese, ha. But she decided to give it a chance and no doubt she was pleasantly surprised. Between the super soft thin crust, sweetly flavorful sauce and the array of veggies it was a pizza even cheese lovers would enjoy. I’ve even heard that Amber has since ordered a pizza sans cheese at another restaurant. I’m glad I could pass on another healthy tip to my newbie vegan friend.
My entree was the only “vegan” item labeled on the menu (which go Bistro West for having that!). It was the Bistro “Vegan” Fettucini, whole wheat pasta, fresh veggies from the Bistro garden, sun dried tomatoes (which totally made the dish), fresh tomatoes & basil sauce. Because they didn’t go too crazy with the ingredients this dish actually gets 4 stars of approval in my book. It was simple, and the aroma of the veggies and the freshness of the basil sauce all came out to play. It was delish! And I can’t believe I ate the whole thing, ha! It’s not every night that I go all out, appetizer, entree (and we all doubled up because we shared tapas style) AND dessert. But it was a night worth celebrating for sure.
Marjeri’s Take:
We definitely take advantage of not having kids by going to new restaurants and taking our time to enjoy our meal. Tovah was not exaggerating when she mentioned being there for 3 hours. When you’re in good company, you don’t even notice the time.
All the moms really enjoyed the friendly atmosphere at Bistro West. Their decor was a nice blend of traditional and modern styles. There’s a water wall that changes colors throughout the night which draws in a lot of attention. The light fixtures were modern without being too trendy. Although the topic of conversation had to be Bistro West’s two story wine vault that has a functional library style ladder. It was entertaining to watch the servers pick out the bottles from this impressive display of wine.
Bistro West has a great selection of Entrees, including Seafood, Meat Classics, Pasta, Pizza, and Sandwiches. I ordered the Fresh Vegetable Burger which to be honest with you I was slightly nervous to do. Ordering veggie burgers can be a huge risk at restaurants because you never know what you’re going to get. Lets just say I’ve been more disappointed than not. So to my surprise, this Fresh Vegetable Burger got 2 HUGE thumbs up from me and all the girls who tried it. This burger had an amazing mix of flavors, which for a part-time vegetarian, is a huge accomplishment. Their patty is made in-house with carrots, onion, mushroom, celery, red bell pepper, zucchini, kidney beans, and oregano. They top it with a slice of cheddar cheese which you can easily omit if you are vegan. I got mine with a side of sweet potato fries which were delicious also. At $13.95, which isn’t too bad for such a nice restaurant, I was extremely happy with my menu selection and would highly recommend it to others!
Although I was completely full from eating my burger and a healthy portion of everyone else’s meal, my sweet tooth was still calling. I caved in and ordered a dessert that I rarely get…Tiramisu. My mouth is literally watering as I re-live eating this extraordinary dessert. Bistro West offers a huge portion of tiramisu (lady fingers dipped in espresso & amaretto, layered with mascarpone cheese & topped with cocoa powder and chocolate shavings) with a chocolate covered strawberry & whip cream. I shared this with a girlfriend and we could barely finish it. This dessert was $8.95 and worth every penny!
Overall, this was a great place to host our Mommy’s Night Out. Nice atmosphere, moderately priced meals, and great service.
Mommy's Night Out at Bistro West
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I’m still learning from you, while I’m trying to achieve my goals. I certainly love reading everything that is posted on your website.Keep the tips coming. I enjoyed it!
Thanks Carole! We appreciate the comment! Let us know what topics you’d like covered & we’ll do our best to include them! Have a great day!