Restaurant Road Trip: Bistro 7 Fit for Foodies

By Liz Young

Bistro 7 is a small, easily missed restaurant located along Route 7 that houses some of the best food I've had in this area.

Full disclosure, my mom and I went on a Wednesday evening after being invited by the owner, Breno Donatti, to come in for a full meal on the house.

Having never been to the farm-to-fork restaurant before, I was pleasantly surprised upon entering to find a calm atmosphere and brick and wood walls – it's very open with lots of windows, but it's dimly lit besides the natural light to make the space feel intimate.

The bar was relatively full as people sipped on drinks and watched TV, but the rest of the restaurant was mostly unoccupied, though more groups came in to eat shortly before we left at about 8 p.m. There was a screen projecting old movies at the back of the space, which Donatti said he keeps playing at all times.

For the first course of our five-course meal, we were served a tomato soup with grilled cheese croutons, priced at $6.95. The croutons were soft and added a charming, homey touch to the tasty soup that wasn't at all chunky but wasn't smooth either – it is simply fresh.

Next we had hanger steak salad, made up of fresh greens, grilled nectarines, goat cheese, cranberries and a peach balsamic reduction, priced at $16.95. The nectarines and the steak were surprisingly perfect compliments, while the unique peach balsamic reduction brought out the cranberries. The cheese added a tart touch to the warm and tender steak, served medium rare.

The third course was the crispy branzino, served with a cold salad of red onions, celery, scallions, black olives and artichoke hearts and a side of potatoes, priced at $22.95. Though it was odd to see what looked like hash browns paired with a pan-seared white fish, it's a perfect pairing of two crispy counterparts. The salty hash was especially refreshing next to the warm potatoes.

Bacon-wrapped meatloaf came next, served with a housemade BBQ sauce, passionfruit infused sweet onions and mashed potatoes. This dish was not my favorite – it was less unique than the previous dishes and was far more hearty. The BBQ sauce was sweet but almost overwhelmingly so. Even as someone who doesn't like mashed potatoes generally, however, these mashed potatoes were simple and delicious. My mom and I both also commented on the colorful and delicious addition of the passionfruit infused sweet onions to the dish. They were sweet, flavorful and light. The plate is priced at $15.95.

Our final course was comprised of three desserts, a slice of lemon tart, a housemade brownie and a slice of apple blackberry pie, each priced at $7.95. The tart had sugar sprinkled on top, a crunchy addition to the smooth texture, and balsamic vinegar contributing an additional layer of sweet. 

The brownie was presented warm with chilly vanilla bean ice cream and walnuts on top – my mother and I asked for an extra one to bring home because the flavor was so rich. It was a classic treat done fantastically. 

The apple blackberry pie, meanwhile, was the perfect mix of flour and fruit. The apples and the blackberries were both sweet and tart, giving the pie an extra bite and contributing both chunky and creamy textures. 

The meal seemed to be representative of the variety of options the restaurant offers, all made with fresh ingredients, many of which are also locally sourced. It was a fantastic meal fit for any foodie, with all of the plates beautifully presented and worthy of a photo. I'd recommend Bistro 7 for a delicious and unique meal in a warm and classy environment.

Bistro 7, which opened July 2012, is located at 991 Danbury Road. To find out the hours and some of the restaurant's specials, visit its website.