Duvall's Best Kept Secret
When we first heard about Flavour Bistro from a local, we were interested. They described this place as a place that served different kinds of meat that you could not get anywhere else. We did also hear it was more on the pricier side so we decided to take my husband’s brother and his wife for their anniversary when they came out to visit. All I can say is, if you have not been here before, then you should! It is absolutely delicious!! The service was fantastic, atmosphere was great and their remodel has just made it better! We liked it so much, we decided to celebrate our anniversary there. Again, we were not disappointed. Chef Sean is a craftsman when it comes to food. If you go and only decide to order one thing, we would recommend the Zongo off of the dessert menu. Believe me, you will not be disappointed at all! This is one dish that Chef Sean has perfected in our opinion! My husband’s brother and his wife would agree with us on that as well! For those interested in knowing what it is, it is flour tortilla stuffed full with cheesecake and banana, cinnamon and sugar with a side of delicious vanilla ice cream (directly from their website). Oh man, I am hungry just typing that!
I normally try to expand my restaurant reviews by talking about the food, overall service, and atmosphere. First let us talk about the food. The first time we went, we decided to do somewhat of a family style so that way we could each try everything. We started the night off with Python Springrolls and Beef Tartare. The Python Springrolls were yummy and you would never have known they had python meat in them. They are served with a house made thai chili and sweet soy. Yum! The Beef Tartare was also really good. We were even able to do the egg directly at our table, since I guess there are some who do not like the egg part. I have never had it otherwise so I enjoyed it! The next course we all tried the Wild Boar Ribs, Kangaroo Tenderloin, Elk Medallions and Halibut Florentine (I was sadly unable to try the halibut myself since I am allergic, but I was informed that it was absolutely delicious!). I honestly have no complaints on any of these dishes! The tenderloin was tender, the medallions were perfect, and my husband and I enjoyed the ribs so much that we ordered them the next time we were there.
After all this food, we still managed to have some room for dessert. We decided on the Zongo (again I highly recommend this dessert!) and the Poached Pear in Port. They were a nice variety as they were very different tastes! The pear dessert according to their website is a ruby port poached pear with dairy free pear gelato. It was very good, but I think the Zongo was the overall winner.
When we went back for our anniversary, we started off with Bone Marrow for our starter and it was so good! We had not had it since we were in Des Moines for a prior anniversary for it was a nice tradition! For the main course we had the ribs (as previously mentioned) and the Duck Pork Stroganoff. The stroganoff was the star of the that main course we decided. The ribs were good but the stroganoff sauce just hit differently! Finally, we ended up night off with our favorite dessert, Zongo!!
For the overall service and atmosphere, I have always been a hard critic as I myself used to work at a restaurant. I take pride in the work and making it a great experience. I have to say that both of our services, Sharisse and Greyson, were incredible! The whole staff was very nice and answered any questions we had for them, even when we asked silly questions. The atmosphere was calming with the lighting (especially after the remodel). The choice of music was perfect and not too loud that I could not hear the people at my table. Chef Sean, who is also the owner, should take pride in the staff that he has. They truly made the experience perfect and everything we had hoped for.
As the title suggests, the reason this is Duvall’s best kept secret is because, unless you know it is there, it is not always the easiest to find. It is tucked back down a hallway. There is a sign on the outside of the building, but when we first went there, we were not fully sure where it was located. Do not be discouraged though, the last time we were there, there was a light with the logo flashing down the ground outside of the door you need to go in. Just go in that door and follow that hallway to one of our favorite restaurants! We would highly recommend this place to anyone, especially if you have something really big to celebrate. It may be a little on the pricier side, but it is definitely worth it in every aspect!
To add to this post, we recently walked by and they have put up better signs! I hope this helps get more traffic there!