Parker County Today April 2017 | Page 99

our taste : RESTAURANT REVIEW

BANKHEAD BISTRO & COFFEE BAR IT ’ S a Little Quaint Café You ’ ll Like a Latte

BY THE WEATHERFORD FOODIE
A friend told me there was a great little coffeehouse that had recently opened just south of Willow Park , and of course I had to check it out .
I traveled east on East Bankhead Highway from Ranch House Road and came upon my destination — the Bankhead Bistro & Coffee Bar , a blue house turned bistro located on the south side of Bankhead Highway .
A bistro , by definition , is a small restaurant , serving simple meals in a modest setting . This house was moved here after being used as housing for ministers of Church at the Crossing . The place definitely has good bones . As I parked I noticed the parade of vehicles using the drive-thru window to get charged up for the day .
You enter by crossing the front porch with a white railing leading inside , noting the sign showing free WI-FI . You cross the wooden floors to the display case full of fresh muffins and other baked goodies and place your order .
The best way I can describe the atmosphere is that it ’ s “ very Austin .” Trendy and quaint at the same time ; but it ’ s not so trendy that it makes its more conservative guests uncomfortable .
The barista presents guests with a variety of offerings and awaits their choices . The menu items include a variety of starters including Kolaches and Mexican-spiced brownies , sandwiches of turkey , chicken , roast beef , BLT , and salads for any taste , not to mention the excellent coffee concoctions .
I chose to have the lemon-herb chicken and goat cheese panini , consisting of panini bread with house-cooked lemon-herb chicken with mayo and pesto , a tomato and goat cheese . My companion had the Cuban sub sandwich consisting of ham and house-smoked pork loin , Swiss cheese with yellow mustard and grilled flat . Both sandwiches were served with fresh Kettle Chips presented in individual-sized paper bags , accompanied by a sweet pickle spear . After placing our order , we walked around the two front rooms admiring the artwork of local artist Daniel Stober and chose one of the six indoor tables . They also offer outdoor seating . Our food was soon brought out to us , and we were both pleased .
I also had a large hazelnut latte . It wasn ’ t too strong and it wasn ’ t too weak , having just the right amount of flavoring . In short , it was the perfect latte .
My panini tasted hot , fresh and oozing with deliciousness , and the Kettle Chips were a nice complement . The Cuban sandwich tasted equally as good and had a nice bite to it .
Owners Henry Stewart and Steven Zimmerman opened Bankhead Bistro on March 1 , 2016 , to provide a breeding ground for ideas and culture within Aledo and the neighboring areas . Stewart and Zimmerman approach each day as a challenge . Judging by the crowd , ranging from students on their laptops to soccer moms sharing their lives with friends , I think they have hit the mark , and I will definitely return .
P . S . Next door is a candy shop named Sweet Couture , open Tuesday through Friday 11 a . m . to 5 p . m . and Saturday 11 a . m . until 3 p . m . I found it perfect to satisfy my sweet tooth .
Bankhead Bistro is open Monday through Friday 6 a . m . until 5 p . m ., Saturday and Sunday 7 a . m . until 3 p . m . They are located at 600 E . West Oak drive in Aledo , just east of Ranch House Road on East Bankhead Highway . They can be reached at 817-629-1743 , on Facebook or at http :// www . bankheadbistro . com . restaurant . com .
Weatherford Foodie can be found at weatherfordfoodie . com and on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram , Yelp , Urbanspoon , Foursquare and Pinterest .
APRIL 2017 PARKER COUNTY TODAY
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