My favorite restaurant burned to the ground Tuesday. Flames shot from the roof, 40 feet in the air. I happened to be two blocks away at 6:30 in morning and watched the damage throughout the day. The 1890 building is now nothing but rubble.
I played guitar there, once a year for the past ten or eleven years. They took one of my dishes and added it to their menue. Don Bruns’s Creole Shrimp. (from the anthology
Death Dines In) I was almost always given a free glass of wine…”Hey, Don, taste this.” The people were warm, the service was good and the food was great!
I had five book launches at the Bistro, all of them resounding successes. The owners were so supportive. Businesses come and go, but this one was unique. Chef Alisa would make me whatever I wanted, anytime. She catered parties for us and she is the most talented chef I’ve ever known.
I understand there are tragedies in this world…the Health Care craziness, the earthquake, the jobless figures…but in a small but important way the Bistro story is important.
In the small town of Lima, Ohio, this restaurant was of New York City stature. I’ve traveled all over this world, and there were very few places that surpassed the feel, the atmosphere, the quality of the food. I sincerely hope they rebuild. The town of Lima, Ohio feels the pain!
I thank the owners, the staff, and Alisa for the wonderful memories. A good restaurant is a good friend, and this one will be missed!