2515 North Proctor
Tacoma, Washington 98406
http://www.europabistro.net/
Let me introduce you to Europa Bistro, a restaurant owned by Alfredo and Justine Russo, a cash cow located smack in the middle of Tacoma's upscale Proctor district. Europa offers a wine bar boasting local and imported wines, passionately made authentic Italian cuisine and an intimate atmosphere that bring young and old to this small but popular bistro. I am a regular at Europa Bistro, have been for a few years now. The good food, moderate prices and inventive food keep me coming back. I've tried everything from the Chicken Cordon Bleu, the Antipasti, to various linguinis and spaghettis. The food is terrific, however the service leaves much to be desired. But, who actually goes to a restaurant service?
Tonight was a special occasion. No, it wasn't an anniversary or anything, but with my wife being nine months pregnant and baby being due almost any second, it was just nice to have a little time to ourselves to enjoy a quiet dinner together. The Prosciutto con Gambieri is an excellent appetizer consisting of prawns wrapped in prosciutto, pan seared and served on a bed of eggplant. Served piping hot, I was amazed at how quickly the dish was prepared and brought to the table. Five large juicy prawns greeted me with a delicious aroma and strong flavor. The eggplant added texture to the dish and was flavored with the drippings from the prosciutto and prawns. At $10.95, I thought it was a steal.
Linguine Veronese, our first entree, consisted of strips of boneless chicken, julienne zucchini, caramelized onions and a cream saffron sauce. At first glance, and no offense to the chef, it looked like a glop of sauce covering noodles and chicken. The color looked like something you hacked up after eating your great aunt's meatloaf, but to my surprise, it was delicious. The flavor of the saffron creamed "sauce" enhanced the dish greatly and the chicken cooked to perfection. The portion of noodles was larger than I had anticipated and thus making it a fulfilling meal. I guess you really can't read a book by its cover.
Our second entree, Spaghetti e Gambieri, was made up of prawns in a garlic sauce, white wine, capers and spinach, topped off with a light Roma tomato sauce. The garlic prawns added a kick to the tomato sauce, adding rich flavor and texture to the dish. It was an escape from boring homemade spaghetti with E-coli infested ground beef and store bought tomato sauce.
The service at Europa is what it is. The more you come, the better it'll get. Waiters and waitresses tend to spend their time with regulars that have been there since inception looking to get huge tips from posh Tacoma clientele. Our experience this evening was horrendous. After receiving our entree in record time, it then took 45 minutes to receive our entrees; I noticed them sitting ready to be picked up and cooling off for about 25 minutes. My waitress lost our receipt and had to print up a new one. It took her 10 minutes to get me my change.
The only thing that didn't make this dinner a total disaster was the owner and the cooks- friendly guys smiling, waving at people coming in and checking on customers to make sure the food was up to snuff.
This was my worst visit to Europa out of dozens of visits. I will be coming back however, not for the service...but for the food. The food is so good, so delicious and priced right for the quality presented, that you won't give a damn about the service. The wait staff will just have to go without a tip.
by Andrew Cray
[Photo: Corey Knafelz]