Bistro 1

Bistro 1
1 E Gennese St
Auburn,NY
 

Scaled 1 to 10, 1 being repulsive and 10 being orgasmic (of course!)

Food 5
Ambiance 4
Service 6
Overall Rating 15
Good for drinks and quick lunch
   I booked Bistro One primarily because of a few good reviews and its proximity to our hotel. It was a short 5  minute walk away  and was touted as the only fine dining in the heart of Auburn. We initially passed by the understated entrance and when we finally entered the restaurant were warmly welcomed and promptly seated in the half empty restaurant by  our cheery hostess. The interior decor was standard and  unoriginal, a  mishmosh of  neutral warm toned  orange sponged walls and mahogony colored  furniture, very Jennifer Convertibles and not at all Bistro. The tile floor screamed bathroom or kitchen tile and the ceiling screamed 1970s  outdated white cheap cork like tile. But as I said ambiance is a small part of what I look for.
The menu was surprisingly small and again a mish mosh assortment of American bar food a appetizers with attempts at inventive Nouvelle Inspired mains. Underwhelmed by the appetizer options, we settled for a lobster risotto to share. It arrived a large mass of overcooked rice and minimal amounts of fishy tasting lobster on  a bed of salad. No creaminess or cheesiness in this  risotto, rather it tasted like a  heavy ricecake.
   As we prepared for our mains, we reviewed the wine list which showcased a variety of well priced wines, although surprisingly very few local wines. As we pondered on our red choices, our waitress informed us that in fact,because of a party the night prior, they only had TWO bottles of red wines varieties to choose from. Now although this is the weirdest thing I have ever heard, thankfully of the two there  was pretty decent 40 dollar Russian River valley pinot noir.
Prior to the mains, we were served a complementary salad, laced with balsamic vinegarette. This was a very ordinary garden salad,although I was surpised at the addition of what look suspiciously like iceberg.
   For mains, I opted for the intriguing pork shank confit , especially when my waitress informed me there was only one left . My husband opted for the New York shell steak with roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables. My husband's steak arrived well seasoned and grilled, a healthy portion of meat served with a well sized portion of undercooked roast potatoes and well charred eggplant. The steak was overcooked  as it was served medium although it had been ordered medium rare.
      My pork confit arrived a small fried smoked ham hock next to a lovely potatoe mashcake and grilled vegetables. My pork was not confit at all. Primarily bone with a 2 inch sliver of meat it was reduced   to a sad inedible hunk of meat. I love a good ham hock as well as well braised pork so I was disappointed to find neither of these in the dish. I returned my poor pork in exchange for chimichurri lamb chops. These fortunately were perfectly cooked as ordered,rare, but lacked seasoning. The chimichurri sauce served with these was watery and lacking in flavor. The star of my dish was the potatoe mash and grilled vegetables.  Our waitress throughout was attentive and apolgetic and entertaining, truly the best thing about Bistro One.
    We finished with a banana bread pudding, which also suffered from the dry hunk syndrome of my pork confit. Well flavored, it had likely been cooked the night before and left congealing in the refrigerator.
Bistro One suffered from the same syndrome as Simply Red( check out my earlier review). Truly not Bistro standard, but better in flavor profiles for price than the Simply Red.
The Quest continues....