Bistro Sofia

European

Finally there’s a true bistro in St. John’s. This affordable, unpretentious spot specializes in braised meats and old-world comfort foods like lamb shanks, pork shoulder and duck confit. Unfortunately, once a coffee shop, always a coffee shop. Having taken over the old Coffee Matters Too location on Water Street, the food far outstrips the decor. That means this makes a perfect casual lunch location, but even a business lunch would be a stretch. The person sitting with their laptop and latte at the couches near the small tables is a little jarring when you’re ordering one of the best versions of osso buco that you’ve ever eaten.

Once you get past the overly casual atmosphere, the fall-off-the-bones tender lamb in red wine and the perfectly seared salmon in blueberry ice wine sauce will change any latte-related assumptions you may have made. This place is certainly not a glorified coffee shop. After having worked at some of the city’s best restaurants, Chef Gregory Bersinksi shines in his own kitchen, serving what he does and likes best. There is no menu (save a meagre, though very affordable wine list – all wines offered by the glass…except the red we wanted…and, oh, also the white we considered), but rest assured that Bersinksi’s offering make for a difficult decision. Even the two soup and salad option (the only appetizers) are fresh and comforting. Our evening’s choices included a crab bisque, a tomato gin soup, an organic greens and a “shopska” salad. It took asking several tries to make sure we got the name right and make sure we’d properly heard, and then we still had no idea what it was. We were apparently out of the loop on the popularity of shopska salads in St. John’s. If only there was a chalkboard to review the menu we wouldn’t have had to repeatedly badger the server with questions of what the mysterious salad could be.

Then there was a very long un-bistro-like wait. If only there had been some bread to nibble on, or some water to sip for the 25 minutes before the unknown salad arrived I would have been more appreciative and less skeptical. Is it rude to go to the counter and ask for water? Sustenance! Give us sustenance! 20 minutes later, wine should not have been the first item to appear on the table.

The shopska was, in fact, very good. Tomatoes, cucumbers, fresh roasted shredded red peppers mixed with a few pieces of green, olives and a house-made balsamic vinaigrette. Tomatoes the likes of which I would have sworn were unavailable in Newfoundland at any time of the year, let alone early Spring, , were the highlight of the Eastern European dish. It’s strange to rave about cucumbers but here I am, raving. The only disappointments were with the dressing. There was no balsamic to be found, and with the olives already in the salad, there wa sno need for all the added salt. The olive oil was stellar, though, and the balsamic wasn’t really missed.

the risotto that accompanied the salmon is one of Bersinski’s signature dishes, and I wish I could make a risotto this well. I was only disappointed to find it a bit too salty. Those with food allergies will be happy to find that the bistro often has vegetarian and vegan options and many of the dishes are dairy-free, like the risotto. The risotto was perfectly al dente, creamy and luscious, all without the seemingly requisite presence of a heap of butter and cheese. Suddenly risotto went from a heavy side dish to a light and flavouful (beautiful green onions) pairing for the sweet blueberry sauce. the salmon itself was incredibly tender, and was covered with just enough blueberry. the ice wine in the simple sauce added mostly sugar, not flavour, so there was no fear of overpowering the delicate and perfectly cooked fish. If only there had been more risotto and vegetables (the vegetables themselves were lovely. Often added to a plate as after-thoughts, these were carefully prepared and amazingly flavourful). It was certainly a meal for a small appetite.
I believe the braised lamb did not fall, but rather jumped from the bone, and the precisely diced vegetables retained their strong flavours through the long, lower heat of their slow cooking. If only it did not leave you wanting a second meal. For lunch, this would be perfect, or perhaps if bread was offered to soak up the rich sauce, an appetite could have been satisfied. Prices here are respectably low, but money is not made by skimping on carrots, even if they are delicious.

With the salmon, a Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc. the only other option by the glass was a pino grigio. The Chardonnay was out of service, leaving nothing on the wine list that stood a chance of complementing the sweet sauce of the fish. A Folonari Ripasso Cabernet Sauvignon for the lamb. I’m baffled as to why the server would insist that we try the more popular merlot with the dish, when it was actually made with the Folonari.

This is certainly a laid-back enough place to just come for dessert, and you should. Layers of mousse, rich chocolate ganache, pastry cream and marzipan (almond paste) form the basis of the decadent individual pastries, tarts, macaroons, and the visually heartbreaking (because you can’t eat them all) whole cakes. Watching a chef take fresh pastry layers from the oven, then pour dense liquid chocolate over the top of a mousse base was just stunning. These concoctions may be special ordered, and if you need dessert-ordering inspiration, a pamphlet of option, as well as a large fridge of half-made layers cakes, are on display.

Bistro Sofia stands by its bistro roots as an appealing option for a comforting, home made meal, but it’s not an intimate, relaxing atmosphere. It’s also, unfortunately, not a great place to take guests. The wait is too long to be a place for a quick bite, and the food is too gourmet and delicious to think of the place as a coffee shop or cafe. It’s certainly not fine dining, though, with the couches, WiFi, and loud pop music (“Drop it like it’s hot”?). I’m afraid they have no yet worked out what kind of clientele they wish to attract. If only the atmosphere and service matched the quality of the food, this would take a run at being one of the best downtown dining spots. It is a new venture, however, and I’ll choose to believe that with such high quality food, this will, in time, become a wonderfully charming bistro.

Expect to Pay: $25-$40 with tax and tip
(709) 738-2060