Bistro 41 hones its cutting edge after a decade in business

Restaurants, like hemlines, seem to rise and fall with the seasons and for similarly unfathomable reasons. A place can be sizzling hot one month and get the collective cold shoulder from customers shortly thereafter.

As a result, many last but a few months or years, trying on concept after concept in an effort to woo fickle diners once more.

One noteworthy exception to this rule is Bistro 41, a chic-casual mainstay at Bell Tower for a decade, which has changed hands at least once but has held true to its successful formula that pairs fresh, creative food with excellent service.

Anyone who has lived in town since the restaurant opened knows that many other restaurants have come and gone in that time. In restaurant years — which are somewhat shorter than dog years — a decade's an eternity.

A recent meal there caused me to recall, and reflect upon, the qualities that have contributed to its success.

Service is a big piece of it. From the hostess who greets newcomers as they enter, to the servers who coddle patrons throughout the meal, to the manager and executive chef who both check in at each table sometime during the meal, customers get the unmistakable message that they are valued. That might seem an obvious mission, but it's one at which many establishments fall short.

(Above) The 41 Flat makes a great group appetizer with a selection of cheeses, crostini and various accompaniments.

I overheard one server telling a nearby party about the diet of the hog snapper, a nightly special, and how that contributes to its flavor. All the servers appeared conversant in wine as well.

The wine list isn't huge but it's well chosen, with good range in price, country of origin and varieties, including 20 by-the-glass offerings. We enjoyed Post House Bluish Black, a South African wine that's a smooth blend of shiraz, pinotage, cabernet sauvignon and merlot. With notes of strawberries, currants, pepper and spice, it was substantial enough to hold its own against the wide-ranging flavors of our appetizers and entrees.

The menu features a mix of comfort food and contemporary fare. There are crab cakes, meatloaf and roasted chicken for traditionalists, and a page full of nightly specials well-suited to more adventurous palates.

Delicate hog snapper gets the royal treatment with tender-crisp snow peas and a sweet chilicilantro cream sauce.

We started off with the 41 Flat, an appetizer made for sharing. It includes olives, roasted red peppers, cippolini onions, Parmesan crostini, pesto, Malbec jelly, balsamic drizzle and your choice of three kinds of artisanal cheese. You can also add smoked salmon or various meats for a few dollars more.

We selected taleggio, a soft Italian cow's milk variety; Maytag blue, a pungent domestic cheese; and St. Andre, a buttery soft French cheese similar to Brie but with a more intense flavor. And we added a rosette of smoked salmon to the mix.

The presentation was lovely and the portions generous. We forced ourselves to stop eating about halfway through and made a note to ourselves that this platter and a salad would make a satisfying and inexpensive dinner at some future time. Our accommodating server boxed the remainder up for us and it made a splendid lunch the following day.

We skipped salads, although I'm a big fan of the Bistro salad, with its blend of greens, walnuts, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, gorgonzola and Portobello mushrooms dressed in a balsamic-pesto vinaigrette.

A six-layer carrot cake with creme Anglaise and raspberry sauce is among the house-made desserts at Bistro 41.

From the nightly specials we were well pleased with the hog snapper and the hanger steak. Both dishes were artfully plated with ingredients that tasted as good as they looked.

The hog snapper — perhaps the best of the many snappers available in these parts — was flaky and sweet, enhanced by a sweet chili cilantro cream sauce and accompanied by coconut jasmine rice and sesame snow peas. The snow peas were perfectly cooked and lightly seasoned so their natural sweetness came through.

The steak was sliced and grilled to a perfect medium blush, served with creamy herbed polenta, sautéed garlic green beans and a bright tomato fresca, a fragrant and colorful counterpoint to the beef. A nest of yellow pea sprouts completed this delicious dish.

We concluded the meal by sharing a six-layer carrot cake with créme Anglaise and raspberry sauce. We'd anticipated taking just a few bites each of the rich, moist wedge of cake, but it proved too good to leave a single bite.

KAREN FELDMAN/FLORIDA WEEKLY General manager Cindie Barker, left, and executive chef Reiner Drygala team up to create a satisfying dining experience at Bistro 41.

It was still light outside when we began our meal, which ended after sunset. The cool confines of the dining room were sufficiently lit to read the menu and see our food, but low enough to give the room's earth tones a pleasant warmth. I liked the cutaway in the wall that allowed us to glimpse the kitchen staff busily but quietly at work.

Executive chef Reiner Drygala has done a fine job of making the menu his own yet remaining true to the spirit of the restaurant's originators, Todd Johnson and crew, who now run Rumrunners and The Joint at Cape Harbour. He will bring out a new fall menu Oct. 1 and is previewing some of the dishes as specials this month. General manager Cindie Barker keeps the front of the house energized and efficient. They make a great team and Bistro 41's customers reap the appetizing rewards.