By Irene Merenda

Cortesse’s Bistro, Fine Mediterranean Cooking, 172 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084. 904-217-0705

On a recent Thursday evening, a group of six friends went to Cortesse’s Bistro, which we understood had recently re-opened after a long closure following a fire.

Our reservation was taken several days in advance by a friendly gentleman with a great accent.  We requested the outdoor seating area, which turned out to be one of the best parts of our experience.

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Our server was a bit slow, a little aloof and impatient, and we waited quite a while for our 2 bottles of wine to be brought to our table.  Those in our group who know such things, indicated that the wine selection was good.  I wish I could tell you about the “legs,” “tannin”, and “bouquet”, but all I can honestly say is that what our friend chose was delicious!  Oh, one wine was red and one was white!  (Perhaps the Spoonbill Courier might find someone who can talk more about wine than its color for a future column?)

While waiting for our appetizers, which again, took much longer than we had anticipated, we were served delicious hot, steaming crusty bread with an oil, balsamic and spices dipping sauce, arriving one hour after we were seated.  Both were delicious but when the bills came we learned that there is a $6 for each of our two orders of bread.  This was surprising, and a little tacky for a restaurant trying to be up-scale, in my opinion.

Appetizers included fried calamari ($14) with light breading and a very bland tomato sauce for dipping.  The pasta fagioli soup appetizer ($10) was hearty, but needed added hot sauce and seasoning to make it flavorful.  Caesar salad ($10) was very good.

One friend ordered the Ahi tuna ($26) served very rare, with a sesame crust and seaweed salad.  This seemed to be one of the best entree choices made by this group, as she said it was very fresh and tasted wonderful.  The small portion of veal piccata ($28) was served with baby potatoes and asparagus, which was too thick and “tough.”  The entree was described as “ok, but not exceptional.”  The chicken piccata, ($22) offered with the same sides, was a small portion of sliced chicken breast that was a bit rubbery in texture.  The flavor, however,  was very lemony and good.  A seafood paella dish ($32) was well-stocked with clams, mussels, calamari and scallops and was flavorful and good.  An extra plate on which to place the shells was not provided, and our server was nowhere to be found for an extended period of time.  No one came to check on us after the food was presented.

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What I enjoyed most about this restaurant, other than the company of wonderful friends and good wine, was the ambiance.  The courtyard was so pretty with twinkle lights, wrought iron furniture and greenery giving it a rustic feel. We could have used some space heaters on this cool evening to make it even more enjoyable.  The outdoor area is not handicap accessible.  There is a small parking lot, but not large enough to accommodate all the diners on this evening.

Cortesse’s Bistro serves lunch from 11:00-2:00, and dinner from 5:00-9:00 daily with extended closing to 10:00 on Friday and Saturday.

Because the restaurant recently re-opened, I would like to suggest that our mediocre service and some disappointing dishes may improve with time.  Its location, ambiance and wine and menu selections make me think that it has great potential and we will try it again in a few months. 

For now, Cortesse’s Bistro is awarded 3 spoonbills out of 5.