EAST WEST BISTRO

By Katie McWane
East West Bistro
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On Saturday, Dawg fans had the annual experience of cheering for both offense and defense as their beloved and highly ranked team fought for glory among themselves. G-Day in Athens always brings out those hardcore fans to flood the streets of downtown. As a result, most restaurants had a two-hour plus waiting list.

Not East West Bistro. My dining pal and I turned down the 20-minute wait in the large dining area for immediate seating at a quiet, corner table for two in the bar. We even had a view of the G-day madness and misty rain from our small window perch, and our meal turned out to be quieter and more private than eating in the more open dining room.

Awkward and quiet, our water introduced himself, failing to present us with the evening specials between awkward twitches. We decided to order entrees at the same time as appetizers to avoid having to wait in mouth-watering anticipation for any longer than necessary. At this creepy-crawly pace we probably would have passed out from hunger if we hadn’t ordered all at once.

The appetizers, chosen from an endless list of “tapas,” consisted of black bean cakes ($6) and crab cakes ($10). Three refills of Diet Coke later, they finally arrived.

The grilled black bean and wild rice cakes were topped with salsa and sour cream. Essentially burrito innards, they were displayed in a more beautiful form on a bed of lush green lettuce. The juxtaposition of ricey paste with whole, pebble-like black beans was perfection. The chunky salsa contained freckles of cilantro and black pepper, creating a pop of flavor. Devoured in four swift bites, these cakes had a short life span at the hands of ravenous diners.

A light rendition of the normally heavy crab cake was perfect pre-meal. Full of flavor, the cake arrived stuffed with a concoction of grilled crab back fin and claw meat mixed with buffalo mozzarella and aioli and topped with a beautifully sweet Asian pear/hazelnut relish. The relish provided the perfect compliment to the savory cake.

The only unfortunate encounter of the appetizer experience was when the entrees showed up before we had finished. Our server removed the black bean cake dish, but with a quick hand slap, I insisted on keeping my beloved crab cakes to savor until the end.

As a result, our paper-covered table was over-crowded once the artichoke and sun-dried tomato pizza ($10) and red tortellini ($13) arrived.

The first few bites of the pizza, made on onion flat bread and topped with feta and Monterey jack cheese, were packed with flavor. However, the over-zealous amounts of feta quickly made each bite too bitter to bear. The cheese was overwhelming and its greasy nature didn’t help. The strong flavors of the two cheeses overpowered any taste of tomato that may have been hiding within. After a piece and a half of the four-piece plate, I moved on to my friend’s meal of red tortellini.

Chef Boyardee came to mind as I popped the first compact bite into my mouth. Stuffed with blended cheeses, the noodle itself was bland but comforting after the explosion of bitterness that was the pizza. However, when smothered in the tomato-basil cream sauce the flavor was simply too reminiscent of that childhood snack. Accompanied by zucchini, squash and spinach, the entrée had hardly any trace of flavor as a whole — unfortunate and misleading for something so vibrant with color.

To end our meal, we waited a good 20 minutes for Godiva martinis. Made with Stoli vodka, Godiva chocolate liqueur, and vanilla ice cream, these martinis alone will bring me back to East West. Perfectly creamy, this beverage/dessert goes down smooth with only the slightest twang of vodka. And the hardened chocolate swirls are another treat altogether.

Despite the pitfalls in service and the less-than-tasty entrees, this classic sundae with a grownup twist put all qualms to rest. All was right in the world as we left the haven of our corner bar table and re-entered the chaos that is Athens nightlife on Georgia game day.