Bistro 63 at the Monkey Bar
63 North Pleasant St., Amherst
(413) 259-1600
Dinner 4:45-10 p.m. every day
Late night bar hours Thu.-Sat.
Entrées $14-$27.
I pass the Monkey Bar/Bistro 63 daily, intrigued by its complex specials and seemingly global cuisine (wasabi, garlic, and Cajun spices can always be found somewhere on the menu). Recently, as I racked my brain for a local spot at which to enjoy the last warm nights of summer by dining al fresco, I thought of Bistro 63 and its outdoor seating area, often full and always surrounded by blooming flowers.
My friend and I passed through the sleek minimalist dining room, defined by swaths of black and tie-clad servers, in favor of the more relaxed outdoor space. Seated at our modest table overlooking Boltwood Walk, we perused the menu and sipped wine, irritated as our waiter (and then several others) came back every few minutes to ask if we were ready to order. Lesson to the waitstaff: there’s a difference between good service and clingy service.
A wide selection of meat and seafood (vegetarians be warned) coupled with rich ingredients such as gorgonzola and aioli dominate the menu, and there is an almost unanimously seafood-based list of appetizers. Finally decided, we sent our eager waiter off with our orders only to have him return 20 minutes later to tell us that he was sorry, but our entrees and appetizer would be coming at the same time. Ugh. But we put our irritation aside in favor of digging in to the massive amounts of food that soon graced our table.
Our tapas platter, much too much for two, arrived accompanied by the scent of frying oil. Coconut shrimp were enormous and moist, but lacked any flavor except “fried.” The same could be said of the greasy spring rolls. Eating both necessitated repeated dips into the sweet and sour sauce around which the finger foods had been arranged. Thankfully, the crab cakes offered a more distinct flavor. Seasoned with a kick, the thick cakes were topped with a drizzle of remoulade and a side of corn salsa for added dimension and color.
Our entrées, albeit starting to get cold by the time we dug in, were far more successful. My friend was served a heaping portion of jambalaya, a spicy blend of shredded chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp, onions, tomatoes, peppers and red beans, all held together by rice and doused by Cajun seasonings. The dish was well done and enormously filling. A nice touch would have been a lighter side to counteract the heavy main dish.
My meal, the seafood Portuguese, was surprisingly delicious. A sampling of the fruits of the sea, the dish contained chunks of haddock, salmon, snapper, and andouille sausage as well as a generous serving of clams and mussels. It was served in a light white wine and tomato broth with a bit of rice. Despite my wariness about ordering shellfish if the sea is not in sight, I was delighted by the lack of fishiness of my mollusks. The hunks of fish were tender and moist.
Despite being stuffed, we were curious to check out dessert. Our waiter enthusiastically described a slew of chocolate-based (mousse, lava, cake, brownie, and flourless) desserts, all of which sounded like too much after such a meal. We settled on the only lighter choice, sorbet. Cool sundae glasses filled with the vibrant flavors of mango and lemon seemed the right choice to follow up our heavy meal on the warm evening.
Instead of trying too hard, Bistro 63 could benefit by sticking to what it does best: offering eclectic, hearty fare simply presented. The entrées succeeded fully at this Amherst hot spot, but beware of renamed versions of Applebee’s appetizers and desserts. Bistro 63 isn’t my favorite meal in town, but the crowds have cast their vote in the restaurant’s favor. Just goes to show, you can’t always take it from me.•
