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Amelia's American Bistro - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
2 Wilcox StSimsbury, CT 06070
(860) 408-1234
8 reviews for Amelia's American Bistro
8 reviews in English
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Review from Paul S.
2/10/2008
A very nice dinner and a pleasant surprise. Went on Sunday night at about 8:00 p.m. and found the pleasant room mostly empty. I think the cold and wind and the over-hyped snow squalls may have kept people home. But we who ventured out enjoyed delicious food for a winter night. We started with tuna tartare and a spinach and frisee salad. The tuna was of excellent quality, but it lacked a certain punch that I can't really put my finger on. A splash of lemon? Maybe some sesame seeds or black pepper? It needed one little contrast to the velvety tuna texture. The salad was delicious: very nice greens, wonderful bacon lardons, and some crispy fried shallots on top. My dining companion felt the dressing was heavy and I agreed. It was delicious, but they could have used less.
Entrees were very nice. We had a lamb shank and a monkfish served "schnitzel" style, which is breaded.
The shank was fork-tender and served atop a very meat-rich gravy that featured wonderfully creamy white beans like a cassoulet. There were absolutely beautiful and delicious haricots verts, carrots and asparagus in the casserole style dish as well.
The monkfish was atop very nice cooked spinach and accompanied by the same carrots, haricots, asparagus. The fish was breaded in a very crisp panko crust and was itself a moist and tender piece of delicious fish. It was topped with a delicious portion of tender, sweet and brightly flavored lobster. If I were more sharp, I'd know what lent that brightness to the lobster, but I can't recall the description and my palate just ain't that refined folks!
It was a slow night, so factor that in, but our service was attentive and friendly. The waiter might have actually been a bit too chatty for me, but he meant well. He made several trips by as we looked over the very tempting menu to see if he could answer questions, but I didn't feel rushed at all. He was free with recommendations, and sounded as though he had tried much of the food, rather than simply "pushing" it. I always hate when someone recommends something because it's popular that night.
We were quite satisfied to take home leftovers and weren't planning to order dessert, but as we got ready to go, the waiter came by to ask if we'd wait a minute for the chef to pack us some to-go treats: truffles and house-made jellies. The waiter thanked us for braving the weather and checking out the restaurant. It was a very nice, unexpected gesture and a cap to a very pleasant dinner.
The dining room was quite welcoming, finished in warm whites and deep red. Candles provide a nice glow from tabletops and wall sconces. There's a small bar with a nice view of the open kitchen - kind of a preview of coming attractions. Oh, and one last nice touch. We were the last patrons in the restaurant, and while the wait staff extinguished some of the wall sconces and table candles in other areas around the room, they left them burning on the tables around us, keeping the mood intact and allowing me to feel completely comfortable being the last table in the place. Very nice. -
Review from Matthew S.
Hartford County, CT
6/25/2009
I gotta go with the nay sayers on this one. Not too impressive. A shot at upscale casual dining that lands short of its target.
I flew into Bradley from SD, and having missed my b-day dinner with the folks, we decided to give Amelia's a shot. I had strongly considered heading to Coventry for Bidwell's Tavern (see review) but it was a drive and I had been in the friendly skies all day. Amelia's looked nice enough, but the food told a different story.
We started off with the "diver scallops". Usually divers are known for their size. Amelia's diver scallops I can safely say will not be know for their size(small guys). They should be more known for the price. $14 for three bacon covered scallops. Seemed a bit much for the size of these scallops.
We shared another appetizer but I can't remember what it was. That is not a good thing.
For the entree I went with the filet of beef. Meh. The cut was pretty thin. The weight of the meat certainly should not have yielded the price charged. It was served with some kind of sweet potato mash that they must have added brown sugar or apple sauce to. It was pretty bad. Entirely too sweet especially to accomany a filet. The brocolini that accompanied the dish was well, well undercooked.
One of these days a long thriving restaurant will make it's home at 2 Wilcox Street for good. I'm not too sure that Amelia's is that restaurant. -
Review from D H.
Hartford, CT
5/29/2008
Amelia's seems to be another example of the "emperor's new clothes." The food is apparently inconsistent to the point of "ick" but no one wants to tell them.
Dinner when they first opened left my self and dinner companion determined never to step foot in the place again. Bolognese sauce was more like dog food than anything Italian.
At a recent lunch (business and I did not get to pick the restaurant) an order of TARRAGON Chicken wraps was dismal. Three Boston lettuce leaves filled with dried out chicken that looked like it had been left out for days. The accompanying fruit was right out of the grocery store produce department's pre-cut fruit salad - cantaloupe, honeydew and a grape or two. Spent the lunch pushing it around the plate and trying to make it look like I was eating it. Could not even count on the iced tea which looked like sludge and tasted like mold.
If this restaurant reflects Simsbury's gastronomic palate then this should change the the town's nickname from "SIMSBORING" to "SIMSBAD."
Maybe this restaurant needs a spot on Gordon Ramsay's "Kitchen Nightmares".
For the money run do not walk to Metro Bis. -
Review from Jim N.
Simsbury, CT
1/11/2012
Alas it is closed. I had some really good meals and some odd misses
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Review from John F.
Portsmouth, RI
12/31/2007
I have had lunch here a number of times and it has always been 5 star service and food quality. They have a nice wine selection too.
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Review from Amanda S.
11/26/2007
I've been here twice now- both times for brunch. After my first visit, I would have rated it 4 or 5 stars. On my first visit I had a great bloody mary & a sweet potato waffle with carmalized apples. Everyone enjoyed the food, service, atmosphere, etc. On my second visit things went a little differently. The service was slow, the bacon was really fatty, and my french toast was terribly dry and both tasted & smelled like mold. Prices range from about $8-$12 for breakfast. I'd think twice about going back again.
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Review from Dan A.
Bloomfield, CT
10/14/2009
Great dining experience for our party of five. Monkfish was excellent. Pasta dishes, clam chowder, and salads were all good. Appetizer of cheese plate was tasty. Home made double chocolate ice cream superb! Excellent service. Wine selection very nice. We chose the Malbec. We'll be back!
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Review from Russ J.
Farmington, CT
1/27/2008
Had brunch this morning and I couldn't disagree more with the other reviews. The brunch is all you can eat, and every single item was great. The items you have to order (omelettes and eggs benedict with salmon, homemade pastrami, or ham - all included in the price) were the big hits in my group. The french toast was very good, and the REAL maple syrup put it over the top. Great fresh fruit salad, hash browns, and homemade maple sausage. The lunch items were still above par, but after eating every breakfast item they didn't seem as appealing, except for the scallops wrapped in bacon, which were delicious. I ate every item in the buffet and the only disappointment was the salad dressing, because it was a tad bland.
Service was superb and friendly, and brought our french-pressed coffee and complimentary mimosas right away when we sat down. We stayed for over two hours, and never felt rushed.
I would go back again tomorrow, if I weren't so full...
