Bistro Nota: better than bread…

On a dark and gloomy Friday evening, my friend Volchy and I braved the cold streets of Fort Wayne to dine at Bistro Nota–without a reservation. By luck alone, we snagged the last available table. Sometimes, things just work out how they’re supposed to; no plan B necessary. It was there, amongst the exposed brick walls, the muted conversations of other diners, and the cozy glow of never-not-hanging Christmas lights that my friend and I coined a new phrase–a string of words that I think I’ll favor for some time to come and I’ll utter relentlessly much to the annoyance of friends and loved ones. “Better than bread.” Whether it’s a meal, or a person, or even a place–the hope is always to be better than bread. 

The phrase was born out of a discussion of several recent dining experiences I’ve had where, sometimes, the bread–the very first thing that you eat as part of your meal–is the high point of the evening. Of course we want good bread. But, selfishly, we also want whatever follows the bread to be just as good–or better. I want the bread to be good. Hell, I want to live a life full of extraordinary bread, but if that means that everything that follows bread is all downhill from bread, that’s not really how I want to live. Is it too much to ask for extraordinary bread with exemplary things to follow? I don’t think it is. Bistro Nota and I seem to be on the same page. 

I’m not afraid to say when I’m wrong. To annoyingly quote myself, “I’m human and I’m built to fuck up.” Error is par for the course when you’re dealing with people. So, I’m not ashamed to admit that I may have made an error early on in my judgment of Bistro Nota. Upon moving here, I perused the menu and was interested; but not so interested that I made any real effort to get there. In fact, if I’m being honest–and, at this point, I might as well be fully honest–I kept bumping them down my list of places to try in my new city. Simultaneously, I told anyone who would listen that Fort Wayne really lacked any decent French cuisine. Sometimes I’m wrong. Bistro Nota is a restaurant that should have been on everyone’s radars for awhile now. Shame on those of us who ignored it for too long. Especially now that twice James Beard Award nominated Chef Aaron Butts has joined Chefs Cam Kaminski and Jacob Koczergo to complete the trifecta of forces behind Bistro Nota: this is not a place to be ignored. While I wouldn’t necessarily call Bistro Nota a French bistro, they’re not not that. They’re applying French techniques to create food that is comforting and classic–yet imaginative and inspiring. If you’re looking for Coq au Vin and Crêpes, look elsewhere. Bistro Nota is serving up cozy vibes for Midwestern sensibilities with just enough French flair to keep the bougier diners intrigued. (Hi. It’s me. I’m bougie–and so intrigued.) 

Now, back to better than bread–if you know anything at all about Bistro Nota, you probably already know about the bread. Everyone who goes there raves about it. If you’re not starting your meal at Bistro Nota with the Pain Et Fromage, you’re doing it wrong. Their housemade rosemary and sea salt focaccia is beyond delicious; it’s good enough to solve all your problems. But therein lies the problem–is the rest of the meal better than bread? At Bristo Nota, my personal take is, “yes.” Emphatically, yes! They set such a high bar for themselves with this absolutely dazzling bread–yet these talented gentlemen manage to meet or surpass the standard that they’ve set. Extraordinary bread, with a mountainous side of roasted red pepper cheese dip, is only the beginning of a brilliant dining adventure. 

When it’s a Volchy and Plonky adventure, you can be certain of one thing: we’ll probably order too much food. But, that’s okay, because we’ll share a bit of everything–and that’s how well-rounded and well-informed experiences are curated. What with it being soup season and all, Volchy couldn’t pass up on the French Onion Soup–a special the evening we visited. I was lucky enough to sneak a taste. If this soup does not appear numerous times on Bistro Nota’s menu throughout the cold weather season–which lasts a damn long while here in Indiana–I will be devastated. French Onion Soup is classic. Bistro Nota has made no attempt to reinvent the wheel with this soup; kudos to them for that, because some things are perfect as they are and require no big tweaks or major adjustments. This classic soup is still adored by modern audiences for a reason. Under a bed of melty cheese, blanketed over a broth-soaked slice of that absolutely divine bread I’ve already raved about, the soup is just as you’d expect it to be–luxuriously soft and carmelized onions in a sea of dark, rich, flavorful broth. The pro-move is definitely to pop into Bristo Nota on a very chilly day with a friend: order the Pain et Fromage to share, you can each get a bowl of soup, and then split a bottle of wine. This is the vibe. This is how you survive winter like an absolute well-fed baddie. You’re welcome. 

While some may have been done in by the carb-load, we obviously didn’t just call it a night after bread, cheese, and soup–we’re not amateurs. Volchy was interested in the Bistro Mac&Cheese and I had my heart set on the Pasta Bolognese that was only recently added to the menu. We ordered both and shared; because sharing is caring. The Bistro Mac&Cheese is not your mom’s mac and cheese. This mac is anything but stodgy: ooey-gooey is the name of the game. While this dish may utilize one of the French Mother Sauces, it’s far from classic. With additions of crispy prosciutto, caramelized onion, and roasted poblano peppers–this plate is a whole vibe. Definitely shareable; it’s a pretty hefty bite. Do I recommend? Yes. Split it with your favorite folks. As for the Pasta Bolognese: it doesn’t get more classic than this dish. Beautifully executed, this luxe plate of pappardelle is coated in a sauce of local beef, pork, pork belly, tomato, and traditional veggies. Topped with a dollop of ricotta, this is definitely food for the soul. Is it cold out? Go eat a plate of the Pasta Bolognese. Are you sad? Go eat a plate of the Pasta Bolognese. Are you celebrating one of life’s many joyful moments? Go eat a plate of the Pasta Bolognese. You could share this with a friend, as I did–but this is the kind of dish you won’t want to share with anyone. If I didn’t absolutely adore my friend Volchy, and if we hadn’t ordered so much food for the sake of sharing, I would have gone fully feral to protect my plate of bolognese–like Gollum and the ring. It wouldn’t be a cute look for me, but it would be worth it. Pasta Bolognese: I will be back for you again soon. 

For dessert, we were treated to warm chocolate chip cookies. Volchy went for the Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout Cake and I opted for a Caramel Cremeux. The desserts are good at Bistro Nota. I don’t often advise people to get dessert where they get their dinner. So frequently, dessert feels like an afterthought–something rushed–crafted by someone who doesn’t fully understand or care about dessert. Typically, I’d say you’re better off hitting up an ice cream parlor for an after-meal sweet–but Bistro Nota has got their own sweet game down to a science. My Caramel Cremeux was very light; definitely a nice option if you want just a little smidge of something sweet after your meal. Volchy’s cake was a whole mood. I think he ordered it partly because one of the chefs was telling us about how they’d recently sold out of the cake–I get it: my curiosity was piqued by that story, too. The cake is a nearly black chocolate cake, coated in a thin layer of peanut butter frosting, packed with crushed Marcona almonds. Flanking the cake, on one side a generous dollop of whipped cream, and on the other side a pool of triple berry coulis. If you like chocolate cake: get this. It’s a whole new experience. I see this cake as a reimagining of the classic combo of peanut butter and jelly–and I mean that in the best way. While I could rave about this cake and tell you not to miss it, tonight I learned that–for me, at least–the only way to end a meal at Bistro Nota is with a warm chocolate chip cookie. Sometimes simple perfection is better than grandeur. Everyone likes a warm cookie. These cookies, with Callebaut chocolate chips and a generous sprinkling of Maldon sea salt, are my personal ideal end to a fantastic meal. The perfect goodnight kiss. 

Bistro Nota is so much better than I expected–because sometimes I’m wrong. I shouldn’t have waited so long to get there. I know with certainty that I won’t wait so long to get back. This is the kind of place where you can go with a date for a nice meal and know it will be wonderful. You can take your mom for dinner and you’ll both find things to enjoy. You can go with a group of friends and share little bites of a multitude of dishes. For me, the vibe is definitely to keep it cozy: I’m only going to Bistro Nota with my nearest and dearest–only the tightest of my inner circle will join me there. We will bundle up, brave the cold, wear plush sweaters, and unapologetically eat all the delicious carbs and comfort foods. In my dream vision of a perfect trip to Bistro Nota, my friends and I split a bottle of wine–or three–because, holy moly, their wine list is lovely. To go with my meal, I grabbed a glass of the Bishop’s Peak Chardonnay–because I like a Chardonnay paired with bolognese–but I would go back just to eat bread and sip more wine. Not all of their wines are available by the glass–some can only be enjoyed by the bottle–but that’s what friends are for. If you’ve never had wine from Uruguay, they currently have the Pablo Fallabrino 2018 Tannat on offer; a complex, yet approachable sip that I highly recommend. We’re talking dark fruits, crushed leaves–but also cherry, chocolate, and perhaps some leather. If you’re only into old world wines, they’ve got your bougie ass covered with a bottle of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Truly: this is a wine list worth exploring–with great food to accompany you on the journey. There’s nothing more romantic to me than comforting food, good wine, and good company in a cozy little setting–a place that feeds your body and soul and keeps you safe from winter’s cold. As we enter these dark months, it’s important to look for the light. At Bistro Nota, the Christmas lights are on all year long: creating a soft, snug sanctuary from the worst of winter. You know where I’ll be hiding out for the next few months. If you’re smart, and want to stave off the winter blues in the most intimate and delicious way, you’ll be spending your dark days at Bistro Nota, too.