Home / Bistro / 12.29.18 Tina’s Music Minute, Share Fran Bellamy’s review of Bentley’s Bistro, a bar and restaurant
28 December, 2018

12.29.18 Tina’s Music Minute, Share Fran Bellamy’s review of Bentley’s Bistro, a bar and restaurant

Posted in : Bistro, Music Minute, Restaurant, Weekly Vignette on WCRN 830 AM on by : Out With Joe Tags: , , , , , ,

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Tina Marie Billing’s Music Minute:

Bentley’s Bistro, a bar and restaurant in the center of East Longmeadow.

With the holiday season in full swing, we recently set out to find a spot where grabbing a drink, a snack, or a quick meal with family and friends was a reasonable proposition. That quest led us to Bentley’s Bistro, a bar and restaurant in the center of East Longmeadow.

Bentley’s is a venue we’ve visited before, and we found the premises much as we remembered – big central bar surrounded by pub-style seating. The ambiance is hard-edged minimalist; we’d thus suspect the space has quite the buzz about it when the Bistro is busy.

The menu at Bentley’s concentrates on new American fare, with a dozen-plus entrees such as Tuscan Pasta ($18), Drunken Chicken ($22), Chardonnay Poached Chicken ($23), and Bistro Steak Frites ($24) among the listings.

Starter selections are robust in style and flavor, with choices including Risotto Balls ($9), Fried Brussels Sprouts ($10), and Cheeseburger Sliders ($10). Wings, taco variations, and pizza-style flatbread options are available as well.

We made a lunch hour visit to Bentley’s, so our experience focused on sandwich creations. That particular agenda contains choices such as a Crispy Fish Rueben ($13) and the Kentucky Red Neck ($14), a sandwich that brings together grilled chicken breast, bacon, white cheddar, and pulled pork.

In addition to a bacon cheeseburger Classic ($13), the burger menu offers line items like an egg-garnished Breakfast Burger ($14) and a Black & Blue ($13) that’s Cajun-blackened and blue cheese-garnished.

We began our leisurely mid-day meal with two appetizers.

Poutine ($11) is a Quebec favorite that’s garnered a cross-border following. The version served at Bentley’s isn’t strictly faithful to tradition – it tops “spiced” and “coated” French fries with gravy and cheese – but the poutine is a satisfying, shareable snack.

We gave Bentley’s interpretation of Bone-in Chicken Wings ($12) a try, splitting our order between the “Memphis Dry Rub” and “Thai Peanut” variations. The “Dry Rub” wings had been coated with a spice mixture in which sugar, black pepper, cumin, and chili powder played a role in creating a moderately high voltage flavor experience, while the “Thai Peanut” wings had been shellacked with a teriyaki glaze and a rich peanut cream with red pepper flakes blended in. The customary celery sticks and blue cheese dip were also provided.

From the array of sandwich plates the Bistro offers, we picked three complementary options.

The Turkey Burger ($13) was a thick, pleasingly seasoned patty of ground turkey. Grilled and served on a brioche style bun, the burger was enhanced with baby arugula, thin-slice apple, and cheddar cheese.

In addition to a bacon cheeseburger Classic ($13), the burger menu offers line items like an egg-garnished Breakfast Burger ($14) and a Black & Blue ($13) that’s Cajun-blackened and blue cheese-garnished.

We began our leisurely mid-day meal with two appetizers.

Poutine ($11) is a Quebec favorite that’s garnered a cross-border following. The version served at Bentley’s isn’t strictly faithful to tradition – it tops “spiced” and “coated” French fries with gravy and cheese – but the poutine is a satisfying, shareable snack.

We gave Bentley’s interpretation of Bone-in Chicken Wings ($12) a try, splitting our order between the “Memphis Dry Rub” and “Thai Peanut” variations. The “Dry Rub” wings had been coated with a spice mixture in which sugar, black pepper, cumin, and chili powder played a role in creating a moderately high voltage flavor experience, while the “Thai Peanut” wings had been shellacked with a teriyaki glaze and a rich peanut cream with red pepper flakes blended in. The customary celery sticks and blue cheese dip were also provided.

From the array of sandwich plates the Bistro offers, we picked three complementary options.

The Turkey Burger ($13) was a thick, pleasingly seasoned patty of ground turkey. Grilled and served on a brioche style bun, the burger was enhanced with baby arugula, thin-slice apple, and cheddar cheese.

Part bar, part gastropub, Bentley’s Bistro seems able to deliver a credible and enjoyable meal experience.

Name: Bentley’s Bistro
Address: 53 North Main Street, East Longmeadow
Telephone: (413) 525-7777
Website: facebook.com/BentleysEL/
Hours: Monday through Wednesday, 11 a.m. to midnight; Thursday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.; and Sunday, 9 a.m. to midnight.
Entree prices: $15- $28
Credit cards: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Handicapped access: Accessible, with rest rooms equipped for wheelchairs
Reservations: Accepted

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