Mature Concerns
Accessibility: A ramp on the north side of the building. Once inside, it’s all one floor.
Parking: $5, plus tip, for the valet on the building’s west side, on Superior St.
Cleanliness: Spotless.
Lighting: Comfortable, but older eyes may want the assistance of a phone flashlight for menu reading.
Specialty Diets: Accommodated.
Noise: Relatively quiet, with a hum of activity
Children: Probably not the best place for youngsters. (They don’t deserve it!)
Visit Registry Bistro for a treat to start 2020. You will be glad that you did. There is something extraordinary about this restaurant and event space created by local chef Erika Rapp and her mother, Vickie, who runs the front of the house. The restaurant’s aesthetic, modern and industrial, yet open and personal, is warm and inviting. The walls are adorned with work by local artists, which rotates periodically. Currently, on display are canvasses of huge birds, by Robert Vanivelt. Wooden tables are simply, but precisely, arranged with plenty of room in between to facilitate private conversation. The small bar, located in the corner of the dining room, concocts exciting, curious cocktails and mocktails that are as fun to watch being made as they are to drink. And here’s a tip, Registry’s happy hour, from 4-6pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, boasts a special menu with $5 cocktails to pair with assorted nibbles.
Locally sourced and unique ingredients
The food— including appetizers, meals and desserts— is excellent. Chef Rapp demonstrates her talent and experience by selecting menu items that showcase locally sourced and unusual ingredients. We enjoyed the Wood-Grilled Moroccan Goat Shank with Figs, served with oil-cured olives balanced on goat cheese carnaroli rice risotto ($26). The shank was enormous with a taste that, for the inexperienced, is reminiscent of lamb. Our table’s favorite meal was the Maumee Bay Brewing Company Root Beer Brined Heritage Pork Chop, accompanied by a bacon biscuit, smoked apples and caramelized pork belly ($26). The chop, perfectly cooked with beautiful grill marks, arrived nestled in bacon and apple goodness, and was delicious.
A variety of appetizers are offered, but if you only order one, make that the Fried Cashews with Herbs de Provence Salt ($6). The dish is served hot and Marvelous! (Yes, that’s a capital M).
The dinner menu, which can change regularly, will please everyone. The inviting selections range from the Meatloaf Burger, with house-made bacon jam on brioche ($13), to the Bucatini Carbonara ($18), to the Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Bone Marrow Butter ($36).
Desserts, prepared with the same thoughtfulness as the rest of the menu, are perfectly-portioned as smart, smaller sizes, anticipating that you will probably be full. We tried the Mexican chocolate cup ($6) and pineapple cobbler ($6) and ate every morsel— just the right amount of sweet to end our meal.
Attention to every dining detail
All menu items are marked appropriately— vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free— to benefit those with dietary preferences or requirements, and are mindful of a variety of needs and tastes.
Registry Bistro supports our community with educational and artistic events in their space. Their website (registrybistro.com) is updated frequently and provides information about upcoming events. Sign up for their Craft Cocktail Workshops, offered in February, March and April.
Our Registry Bistro experience was lovely. We enjoyed the evening and were pleased to be tended to so expertly by the staff. Our suggestion? Make a plan to visit.
Open 4-9:30pm, Tuesday-Friday | 4-10:30pm, Saturday
Located in the Secor Building | 144 N. Superior St.
419-725-0444 | registrybistro.com
