My Urban Suburban

It’s been a while since Bub and I went out on a date, so last Sunday night we decided it was time to check out a new restaurant.  I’d been told by a few readers that bluStone Bistro & Lounge in Abbotsford was worth a try, so we headed out there to check it out.

My first impression was that I liked the atmosphere – kinda funky, yet elegant and relaxed.  ”Casual elegance” is what they call it.  The concept is a “downtown New York style dinner house, a west coast menu with southern influences focusing on local purveyors, with great service and ambiance.”  My only complaint on the decor front would be the bathrooms – could use a bit of a face lift.  Otherwise though, they delivered on the look and feel of the restaurant.

Their menu is plentiful, offering up standard faves, as well as a few unexpected items.  For instance the Alligator Duo Tapa: Louisiana alligator cooked two ways, in a lemon ginger citrus marinade and grilled, and buttermilk fried popcorn bites served with a honey ancho aioli for$14.95.  Alligator??  In Abbotsford?  I don’t know about that. I wasn’t feeling adventurous enough.  So we settled instead on an appie of Herb Crusted Calamari, which was pretty good.  A little overcooked for my taste, but the lemon dill aioli drizzled on top and the garlic tomato sauce dip made up for it.

They offer a good selection of Mains, from salads (the Soft Shell Crab and Watercress Salad sounded delish), steak and poultry dishes, seafood (I eyed-up the Cajun Catfish), Jambalays and Pasta dishes, as well as a selection of BBQ’d items.

Bub ordered the Blackened Chicken and Ribs – a full breast of blackened chicken and half a pound of sweet rye bbq pork ribs for $23.95.  There was so much food on his plate!  He had enough for dinner, plus a full lunch the next day.  Some people prefer smaller portion sizes, but I’m always happy to see lots of food on the plate, because it means I don’t have to cook for at least one more day.  After much deliberation, I finally settled on the Pesto Basil Prawn Pasta - seared prawns with snap peas in a garlic pesto basil olive oil glaze tossed with fettuccine noodles and served with garlic bread for $14.95.  Again, a healthy portion, but not overwhelming.  Both our dinners were delicious, hot and exactly what we were hoping for.

We were too stuffed for dessert, so didn’t order, but the Jamaican Grilled Bananas (a fresh banana rolled in cinnamon, wrapped in a crèpe, grilled and finished with a cayenne chocolate sauce and coconut gelato for $5.95) sounded incredible!  As did the Vanilla Cheesecake.  Next time.

All in all, a fantastic experience. Although I had a couple complaints, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back. The service was excellent, the food was priced well, it was good and it was hot…what else do you need?

Bon Appetit!

bluStone Bistro & Lounge
2607 Ware Street
Abbotsford, BC
604.851.2583
info@blustonerestaurant.com