Out to eat: Bellevue Bistro

Bellevue is known for its cute indie businesses, including Bellevue Bistro, the neighborhood's only restaurant with fantastic sidewalk dining. A friend and I took two seats inside, warming up the server for a big party that would come around 8.

The atmosphere: The bistro should feel familiar before the first bite. Jeff Meiners has this adorable eatery set up like a small coffee shop, with, say, six tables filling up one room. The one server of the night had the 10-inch TV above the door on with the volume low, so it didn't contrast with Nickelback and the rest of the Top 40 musicians (ahem) playing on the radio.

The food: Our official warning: The menu changes monthly. Looking at appetizers, we picked lettuce wraps ($9.50) over the mussel and crab cakes. No regrets - chunks of marinated chicken were prepared with pickled ginger, sesame oil, peanuts and more on four beds of iceberg lettuce. Do yourself a favor and cover these with soy and garlic sweet and sour sauces.

We had five entrée options: rib-eye steak, vegetarian pasta, barbecue ribs, sea bass and grilled duck breast. My friend opted for the ribs ($15), a full rack, in fact, paired with roasted potatoes, zucchini and onions. "These better not be better than Montgomery Inn," he warned, worried the aromatic dish before him would defeat the fare of the barbecue rib juggernaut. He finished the rack with ease, even splashing a few drops on his shirt.

I didn't make a mess, though. The grilled duck breast ($14.95) came out in thick, 50-cent-size slices dripping with balsamic vinegar and served with an apple-cabbage slaw and roasted potatoes, a perfect target for the complimentary Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce.

We closed with in-house blueberry cobbler, which Meiners should require with every meal.

The drinks: Ladies Night (or Wine Cooler Wednesday!) didn't apply, so we ordered Bud Light ($2.75) and BBC Nut Brown Ale ($3.50).

Why you should go: The bistro also serves breakfast and lunch. I've never tried the latter, but my friend and I enjoyed coffee and breakfast sautés - such as the Bellevue, a plate full of goetta, cheese, red onions and eggs over rosemary potatoes - on a recent Saturday.

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