I returned to Mint Bistro, but I brought a friend with me this time. We arrived here around 6:30 PM on a warm and sunny Tuesday evening. The place was pretty busy since there was a Fleetwood Mac concert at the Verizon and a weeklong AASHTO Conference (federal and state transportation officials from all around the country) at the Radisson going on as well.
We were seated immediately and water glasses were filled. There was no music playing in the background, instead there was plenty of crowd noise around the dining room. There was a small group of engineers from the AASHTO Conference at the next table enjoying dinner. My friend ordered a Martini, very dry, with green olives on the side, a very good maritini.
For starters, we shared a Bistro Greens Salad ($7) which was very fresh with field greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions, croutons, and sherry vinaigrette dressing. We were also given bread with 3 dips: sweet tomato salsa, hummus, black olive tapanade.
For dinner, I had the Bistro Chicken ($18) which was a roasted juicy bone-in chicken breast with skin served with mashed potatoes, and aspagus and pan au jus, great with the mashed potatoes. I really enjoyed this dish. My friend went with the Elm St Filet Mignon ($28) served with mashed potatoes and asparaus and requested the filet as rare as they could serve it. The cut of filet was excellent and of sushi quality and served very rare and very tender. My friend gave complements to the chef who nailed it to a T and the filet at Mint Bistro rivals the filet served at the Chophouse.
The manager came over to our table to check up on us and he did read my previous review and apologized to me about the Paella which was missing calamari and fish. He spoke with the chef and apparantly they did not get a delivery that day for the missing ingredients.
For dessert, we shared a Red Plum Fancier ($8), red plum compote, toasted almond ice cream, almond Florentine cookie with orange reduction, which was a nice ending with a cup of cappuccino.
Overall, the food we had was very good and the service was pretty good on a busy night. Our water glasses were always full. The dinner bill for 2 came out to around $100 with tax and tip.
I went here by myself on a rainy and cold Tuesday night. The Mint Bistro was formerly Ciao Baby and Baldwin's On Elm before that. The atmosphere inside is pretty nice and intimate, a long room with linen covered tables, C-shaped booths, a bar with HDTV and a small back dining area. The kitchen is open, so I could see some of the action going on. Light upbeat background music pumps through the speakers. The staff dons white shirt and tie and the owner is in a nice suit.
I was greeted by the hostess who said I could sit anywhere I wanted, so I picked a table with a decent view of the Red Sox/Yankees game on the HDTV. The waiter arrived momentarily and poured some cold house water into the glass. I was given a wine list, but I decided to skip the alcohol and the mojitos for tonight. I looked over the food menu which offers starters, salads, and a variety of appetizing entrees such as the Elm Street Filet Mignon, Herb Encrusted Rack of Lamb, Coriander Duck Breast, and more, entrees priced $18-$32.
I was brought out some complementary bread with three dips: hummus, olive puree, & sweet tomato salsa, which were very good. For dinner, the Paella ($25) was served in a bowl and had a pan seared scallop, 3 mussels, 2 shrimp, over a firm risotto with peas chicken and chorizo, where's the calamari & fish? This dish was okay and I've had better paella.
After dinner, I was given a Dessert Menu, all desserts were $8. For dessert, I went for the Mint Creme Brulee, which was very good and creamy and topped with a very crumbly chocolate mint cookie and a sugary mint leaf.
The service throughout my meal was good and my water glass was always topped off. Overall, the meal was good tasting, but very pricey, Boston prices in Manchvega$. I spent over $40 with tax and tip for an entree and dessert and no alcohol.
Categories:
American (New),
Desserts,
American (Traditional)
"Eating my way around the area. 3 to 5 stars=I'd go back."
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Review votes:
7963 Useful, 1831 Funny, and 5140 Cool
Pelham, NH
Yelping SinceFebruary 2007
Things I LoveRoad Trips, long drives, Coffee Bean iced coffee, Pinkberry, fish tacos, dim sum, Ted Drewes Frozen Custard STL, pop music, old school hip hop, Disneyland, Top Chef, pasta, pizza, casino buffets, diners, blue nuggets
Find Me InSouthern NH, Eastern MA, Southern ME, Upstate NY, Southern CA, & Canada too, eh.
My HometownThe Five-Eighteen
My Blog Or WebsiteYelp
When I'm Not Yelping...On the road for work all around NH and for non-work purposes
Why You Should Read My ReviewsMy reviews are personal and full of details
My Second Favorite Websitehttp://www.facebook.com & http://www.myspace.com...
The Last Great Book I ReadSeveral Images of America books
My First ConcertDef Leppard at SPAC
My Favorite MovieBack To The Future (1-3)
My Last Meal On EarthCarnival World Buffet at Rio in Las Vegas
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I listen to lots of pop music and old school hiphop covertly at work
Most Recent DiscoveryNew backroads around the USA & Canada
Current CrushSeveral pop singers
They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner offering plenty of breakfast dishes, sandwiches, burgers, salads, comfort dishes, and desserts (ice cream treats, pie, cheesecake), plus a kids menu too. The prices here are pretty reasonable and daily specials and breakfast specials are offered here. They also offer wi-fi too!
I stop at this Norm's location for a good hearty breakfast before heading into Disneyland for a long day of fun, meeting characters, and standing in long lines for those popular rides. I usually get a bottomless cup of coffee and the Sunrise Serenade which includes 2 bacon, 2 sausages, hash browns, 2 eggs, & 2 hot cakes.
On my last visit for breakfast, I ordered the Bigger Better Breakfast for $5.99 plus tax (weekdays 6AM-2PM) which included 2 bacon, 2 sausages, ham steak, hash browns, 2 eggs, & 2 hot cakes. This was definitely a pretty good deal and the food was very filling. Since I had a good breakfast at Norm's, I was able to minimize eating breaks at the Disneyland food stands, which can get very pricey.
With refills on the coffee, I was "golden" for the day!