So Hubbs and I haven't been terribly adventurous in our dining lately, the result of both laziness and a general unwillingness to venture into the unknown.However, on Friday night we decided to go out on a date, and do the "Whyte Ave." walk. I was starving, as was he, so we thought we would find a quiet, tasty place to enjoy a quick meal. When our walk took us past Flavours Modern Bistro, I decided to stop and gawk at the menu. The restaurant seemed quiet (particularly in comparison to Julio's Barrio, or Yianni's), and I figured a bistro would serve healthier fare.
After a quick perusal of the menu, our decision was made. We were hungry, the place looked nice, and we thought we could afford a bit of "adventure" on this date. We were seated immediately upon arrival, in a quiet two-person table near the bar. The seats were made of a velour-style fuzzy material, and had a deep seat and high back that seemed to wrap itself around your body. Me likey right away. :) There was a mural of old Whyte Ave. painted along the top of the bar, as well as dark wood furnishings and tea lights on each table. The general ambiance was cozy, modern, and very intimate. The only decor choice I did not agree with were the two green ceiling fans that hung above their high ceiling; those things were hideous and the green did not coordinate with the remainder of the furnishings.
The server came by in an appropriate amount of time to get our drink order, but it took him a bit to return with our actual drink (I was the only one who had a drink). It seemed the man was pulling double duty as bartender *and* server, and there appeared to be only 2 servers on the floor (though there were only about 5 tables of people, so the load for these servers was hardly unbearable). There was also a fellow who presumably worked there; he was lurking around the bar area and chatting with the servers but he neither served nor mixed drinks, and I never saw him run any food. I didn't appreciate his presence; it seemed he was distracting my server, and that (in part, anyway) led to the very slow service that followed.
The menu was small, and made our decision-making process efficient - a few choice starters, and about 10 entrees to choose from. Hubbs and I decided to share the gnocchi with roasted tomato pesto as our starter; it is normally an entree but we convinced our server that we could share that instead of each having an app. We also ordered a lamb shank entree (for Hubbs) and a Hungarian goulash with potato pancakes for me. This was when the wait began. We strained our necks every time the servers came out with food, hoping it was ours. I am convinced there must have only been one or two people in the kitchen, preparing each dish individually. It must have taken nearly 20 minutes for our "appetizer" to arrive! We gobbled that thing up quickly; it was delicious and the pine nuts sprinkled on top of the gnocchi gave the dish a fantastic texture.
Fast forward another 15-20 minutes before our entrees were served. By now I was salivating like Pavlov's dog, so hungry I could run into the kitchen and make myself a sandwich! The gnocchi, which we had devoured nearly half an hour prior, was not so filling when shared as to truly satiate our hunger. Our dishes came out together, and Hubbs thoroughly enjoyed his lamb shanks. My choice had been a riskier one, and I wasn't entirely sure what Hungarian goulash was going to look or taste like. Thankfully, as described, it was a tomatoey beef stew served on top of a folded, crisp potato pancake. The crispy edges of the pancake were delicious, and the stew, hearty. I could not finish the entire dish.
After we had inhaled our entrees, we were stuffed. My hunger dissipated, and my sanity returned. The jazzy music in the background, the hug-me chairs, and the relative quiet of the place (compared with the rest of Whyte Ave.) was a welcome retreat for us, and we were very glad to have dined at Flavours, in spite of the slow service. The delicious food and the look-and-feel of the place were reminiscent of some of our better dining experiences in Vancouver, and so we appreciated having a bit of a "Van experience" in E-town. If you're looking for a romantic, but casual dinner date location, and you are in no hurry, do try to give Flavours Modern Bistro a try!
Rating: 8 / 10
