Why: The owners of La Bottega Cafe have expanded a few blocks south and opened up another restaurant called Charlies Bistro in downtown Vancouver. Owner and Chef Peter Dougherty has introduced a menu at Charlies that puts forward some established, made-from-scratch favorites with a twist. Potlatch Steelhead is served with a wild rice-corn cake and ratatouille and the signature burger is made with white cheddar, roasted onions, poblano peppers, bacon and mayonnaise on a rosemary bun. The vibe is classy, comfortable and somewhat retro.
Atmosphere: The well-stocked bar is the focal point of the restaurant. A fireplace cozies up the lounge area. Other tables run the length of the restaurant with an aisle down the center. A mix of old-world and modern-style lighting warms up a dark color palette. The restaurant’s location in the corner ground-level of an office building creates a sense of nostalgia.
What I tried: I decided on the Potlatch Steelhead and my dining companion chose the Chicken & Slickers, which is a chicken stew that incorporates homemade noodles. We also sampled the soup of the day, which was Cuban Black Bean. For dessert we tried the strawberry sorbet and Chocolate Bread Pudding.
The salmon is fire-roasted with minimal seasonings and served atop ratatouille. It was fresh-tasting and most of it flaked nicely. A very small section towards the middle of the steak could have used a bit more time over the heat.
The ratatouille is somewhat tart and firm made from a combination of tomato, zucchini, chayote squash, onion, pepper and eggplant. It was a nice departure from the usual rich starch or fresh vegetable accompaniment so often paired with salmon.
The wild rice-corn cake blended nutty, corn and sweet flavors. The texture was pleasantly dense with a browned crust.
The chicken stew reminded me of chicken and dumplings. It had large pieces of chicken, fava beans, diced carrots and large pieces of homemade noodles. With the thick, soft noodles, this dish embodies comfort food at its most comforting.
Though a cup of soup is $4 for just 6 ounces, it had small tender cubes of pork, kidney beans, tomato, corn, black beans and celery with a light southwest flavor.
Of the two desserts, I preferred the Chocolate Bread Pudding, a dark chocolate brown with a small amount of ganache at the center and homemade hazelnut ice cream on top.
The strawberry sorbet was very sweet and a bit less icy than many sorbets.
Menu highlights: Braised Oxtail comes with cabernet mushroom jus, mashed potatoes, coleslaw and fry bread, which is a deep-fried flat dough. Lunch offerings include a Turkey Meatloaf, as well as Agave Salad with olives, croutons, feta, mushrooms, sundried tomato and tarragon dressing. Charlies has oysters in the shell and the classic Oysters Rockefeller, as well.
Cost: Dinner entrees range between $11 and $28.
Other observations: Our waiter was friendly but not thoroughly attentive, though he did compensate for it by making real lemonade when he discovered that he was mistaken about the restaurant stocking real lemonade. He also was quick to replace my tea, which he mistakenly took before I was finished with it. And he accommodated special requests, such as honey, with a smile. Charlies has a nice atmosphere for a mature date night out.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. 3 to 10 p.m. on Saturday. 3 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
Phone: 360-693-9998.
Where: 1220 Main St., Vancouver.
Health score: Charlies Bistro has received a pre-opening inspection and is scheduled for a routine inspection sometime in the near future. For information, call 360-397-8428.
