Review from "The Ann Arbor News Entertainment Weekly Spotlight" for Thursday, Sept 22 - Sunday, Oct. 2, 2005

New Orleans-themed restaurant a winner from start to finish.

 By Julie Halpert

 The Quarter Bistro & Tavern, which inherited the former Rio Bravo spot in the Westgate Shopping Center, opened in late August. And it’s clear that the owners – the brothers Jim, Theo and George Michos and chef Ernest Prokos – have a sure success on their hands.

The Michos brothers also own the Cottage In franchise. But once you enter The Quarter Bistro, you realize this is several cuts above the usual pizza place.

It starts with the funky, wrought-iron door handles that resemble winding tree vines. The restaurant is welcoming, resembling an upscale metropolitan bistro. Colors of melon and raspberry throughout give it a warm feel.

There’s a New Orleans theme to this restaurant, in the jazz posters that hang on the wall and in the food itself. It’s an unfortunate, and unanticipated, reminder of a region that’s been recently devastated by Hurricane Katrina. This isn’t lost on owner Jim Michos, who is planning an Oct. 1^st fund-raiser at the restaurant; proceeds will benefit Katrina’s victims.

Quarter Bistro’s interior space is enormous, which is good, because when the buzz about this place gets around, it’s going to be crowded.

Our server during our initial visit was first rate. He spent much time conversing with us about his favorite dishes and was skilled in pointing one member of my dining party, a vegetarian, to the best meatless entrees.

There’s a great variety of dishes here – everything from an oyster bar and exotic appetizers like fried alligator, to pastas, fish, chicken and meat. I was especially impressed by the six choices in purely vegetarian options.  The chef does everything with great flair, elegantly presented on sparkling white china.

The place is kid-friendly, too, with Magna Doodles at the entrance, a kids’ menu that features seven dishes, and kiddie cocktails intended to make children “feel like little adults,” said Jim Michos, the father of a 2- and a 4-year-old.

Based on our two visits, everything we ordered – and I mean everything – was of the finest quality.

As for appetizers, my favorite was crabmeat cheesecake with salmon carpaccio, a rich, pie-shaped seafood concoction made even better by the cilantro-flavored black bean dipping sauce. One of our dining partners, an oyster aficionado, gave the thumbs up to the oysters Rockefeller. The fried zucchini here was a healthier option than I’m used to, just lightly coated instead of deep fried, so the vegetable, not the crust, is the feature.

What I most like about this restaurant are the innovative combinations of ingredients, like a vegetarian soup special made with squash and wild rice. The taste was dense and flavorful, and the squash worked well with the rice.

Even the bistro salad was a cut above anything I’ve had lately. Big pieces of chilled purple and green grapes added a refreshing twist that was finished off nicely with a champagne vinaigrette dressing.

All of the fish we ordered during our visits was equally superb. Salmon, tilapia and walleye were prepared with spices that gave them a full-bodied taste. The seared walleye was the best, drenched in sun dried tomatoes. At $11.95, it was also a true bargain. A pricier option, at $$29.95, the rack of lamb was so tender, it easily peeled away from the bone, melting in your mouth.

As for pastas, I would happily make the shrimp and scallops portofino a regular part of my menu. The seafood was served over angel-hair pasta in a light cream sauce that perfectly wove together all the ingredients. Usually when the seafood is an accompaniment and not the main event, I find myself picking through the pasta, hoping to find more. Not so with this dish. There were ample amounts of jumbo scallops and shrimp.

Even a basic sandwich, the traditional New Orleans chicken po-boy, was enticing, the crispy chicken nicely seasoned with a delicious remoulade sauce and accompanied by addicting Cajun fries.  The treats continued with dessert. I enjoyed the seven-layer cake, a chocoholic’s dream: rich, creamy chocolate frosting, coated with mini chocolate chips surrounding moist chocolate cake and white and chocolate mousse. It was absolutely delicious, as was the turtle cheesecake.

The only drawback to Quarter Bistro is, ironically, linked to its early success.  The restaurant was already doing a brisk business, and it seemed short-staffed. During our visits the service was quite slow, beyond what I allow for comfortable leisurely dining. On a Sunday night, we were there for three hours, due mainly to slow service at every turn.

I certainly hope this issue will be resolved, since there’s just so much to recommend this restaurant.  Even with the long wait for food, I’m delighted that there’s a fabulous new eating destination in town.