White Oak River Bistro

Tonight, we finally went out and celebrated my new job and we went to a local place in Swansboro named White Oak River Bistro. I'd only seen it from the outside and it looked like a nice enough place and the word bistro just seemed to be what my brain wanted tonight.

When we got inside, my first impression of the place was that the decor was very nice. It was a pine-clad interior with a brick fireplace in the corner. There were beams and columns in the center that were wrapped in faux ivy, white strand lights and gauze. That feature made the decor. There were two seating options: inside and out on their deck overlooking (unsurprisingly) the White Oak River.

The waitress took our drink order and gave us some bread. The bread was what appeared to be one normal slice of bread cut into long strips and was served with a cup of olive oil (garnished with red pepper (I think), peppercorns and rosemary). The dipping sauce was very good because the rosemary was so fragrant but Matthew and I were both looking askance at each other over the bread service (we were offered more later on during the service).

As we were reading over the menu and deciding what we wanted for our entrees, we were slightly surprised by the prices. This restaurant is a little more pricey than I was expecting but it is in line with the type of restaurant that it is, in my opinion. This is a nice, local eatery that would be great for a special, romantic night out.

I decided to get one of the specials, salmon wellington served with hollandaise, sauteed vegetables and my choice of pasta (bowtie or linguine) with my choice of sauce (marinara, alfredo, pesto, white wine or pesce). I chose bowtie pasta with alfredo sauce and their parmesan peppercorn for the salad that came with the meal.

The salad came very promptly. It was a small salad of romaine lettuce with two slices of a ripe roma tomato. The parmesan peppercorn salad dressing appeared to be homemade from the taste and texture and it was very good.

The entree came and was presented very nicely. The salmon wellington was a single serving portion all wrapped neatly in puff pastry which was a nice golden brown. Inside the puff pastry was the salmon which was slightly overdone but still very flavorful topped with a medley of cheeses that I don't quite remember (one of them, I'm fairly certain, was ricotta judging from the texture of the dish). Overall the wellington was very nice. The lemon of the hollandaise clashed a bit with the cheese mixture but was very good on the sauteed vegetables. The sauteed vegetables turned out to be zucchini and squash that were perfectly cooked (They were still crunchy! Yum!) and finished with a basil-infused olive oil. That finishing touch really made the vegetables special. The bowtie pasta was cooked nice and al dente and the alfredo sauce was thick and rich. The entree overall was just the right amount of food and it allowed us to try dessert.

For dessert, we had tiramisu. The espresso-soaked lady fingers and mascarpone filling were traditional and very tasty. In addition to this, the chef had included a thin chocolate cake layer on the bottom and a chocolate ganache on top. The chocolate was not overly sweet and was not enough to overpower the espresso flavor. Overall, the flavor of this dish was very balanced and was very delicious.

I would recommend the White Oak River Bistro to anyone who comes into the area that is looking for a place to have a special dinner. The restaurant is kind of pricey for everyday eating and the food can be somewhat fancy but it would definitely be a place to keep in mind for special occasions.