Dining Out
Freshwater Bistro
Gambo
Ph. 674-5577
The best food I ever ate in
Gambo was my aunt Mu's. Well, until recently it was the best I ever ate. Now
I’m torn between the breads, pies, tarts, and stews cooked in a crackling wood
stove by my dear departed auntie and the beautifully prepared dishes of Gambo’s
answer to fine dining. It’s an out-of-the-way little place called Freshwater
Bistro.
Freshwater Bistro is just a small part of a business known as Freshwater Inn and Bistro. It’s located down at the far end of Gambo, just before you get to the boundary sign with the big, black, silhouette of Joey Smallwood’s head telling you that you’re about to leave the birthplace of the last father of confederation. That last section of Gambo was always known as Middle Brook.
We found Freshwater Inn and
Bistro off the main road and hidden among stunted spruce trees - two buildings:
one, accommodations, the other, bistro, office and dwelling place of the
owners, Nicole and Alex Bracci. Alex is a soft-spoken man of Italian descent
who was smart enough to marry a girl with Gambo roots. Nicole’s mom, like mine,
came from Gambo.
Make no mistake; the
“bistro” end of the business is definitely the smaller part. That was obvious
when we walked through the door. I’ve seen bigger master bedrooms in some St.
John’s homes. We counted five tables in the cozy space - a room of hardwood
flooring and bright red walls decorated with several pieces of amateur art.
Actually, there was a little too much red wall for my taste.
A couple of women sat close
by, a charming mother and daughter team who had been traveling the Trans Canada
on a fall colours sightseeing expedition. That was part of the reason I was on
the road. I love seeing the colours of forested areas this time of year. Sure,
we don’t have the colours of Vermont or Quebec but our mostly gold leaves are
handsome just the same.
The women had heard good
things about Freshwater Bistro and wanted to check it out. I gathered they were
a couple of foodies who eat out a lot. Feeling we were kindred spirits I asked
about their meal. They had tried the greens salad with goat cheese and walnuts,
and the Italian wedding soup. They gave both dishes a thumbs-up.
Freshwater Bistro’s beverage
list included a small selection of white wines, the most impressive being a
Rosemount chardonnay. Among the reds, the ubiquitous Wolf Blass Yellow Label
cabernet was the most drinkable. Being in Gambo, birthplace of the famous
sherry drinking Smallwood, I wasn’t surprised to see Harvey’s Isis Pale Cream
on the list of Freshwater Bistro’s fortified wines. Bristol Cream sherry was
Joey’s favourite. As a matter of fact, the last time I visited the Smallwood
Museum in Gambo they had a Harvey’s Bristol Cream bottle resting on the floor
inside a glass enclosed model of Joey’s study.
Alex Bracci, wearing a
baseball cap, golf shirt and short pants, took our order. If he were cooking as
well as serving - which I believe he was - I’d have no issue with the cap. Call
me old-fashioned but, in my opinion, long pants are more appropriate for a cook
and server. This was not, after all, a roadside greasy spoon. This was a
restaurant serving appetizers, entrees and desserts at an average cost of $8,
$20, and $6 respectively.
Taking the lead of our fellow
diners, guest and I also tried the Italian wedding soup and salad of “greens in balsamic vinaigrette with goat
cheese, mandarins and toasted walnuts.” The golden soup was perfectly salted
and flavoured to the point where its grated Parmesan cheese came to the fore. I
also liked the use of the tamer flavoured baby spinach instead of basil. The
combination of cheese, chicken broth, noodles and greens was delightful. I
found no meat in my soup but enjoyed it anyway.
Freshwater Bistro’s salad
was sensational. What really elevated it for me was the use of very soft,
creamy globs of goat cheese, liberally distributed on top. I must also mention
the generous sprinkling of toasted pieces of walnut. A piquant dressing with just the right level
of acidity tied all the various ingredients together nicely.
My guest moved from the
greens salad to an entrée that starred tiger shrimp sautéed in garlic butter.
The shrimp were amazing. They were plump, tender, moist and oozing shrimp and
rich garlicky flavour. I could have kept eating them all night. However, I did
have something else under my nose that grabbed my attention.
My main course was pork
tenderloin in a calvados - apple brandy - cream sauce. It was an impressive
dish, not overly complicated but well executed. The pork was tender and the
apple-flavoured sauce with cream was a perfect accompaniment adding a
complimentary fruit flavour as well as a touch of decadence with liberal
amounts of cream.
Dessert for guest consisted
of a few pieces of Swiss mocha chocolate cake with raspberry coulis. It was
warm, moist, dark and rich, just as a good chocolate cake should be. It had a
very homemade taste that I equate only with food prepared by a mother,
grandmother or, yes, maybe an aunt. However, the cake paled when compared with
the extraordinary taste of Freshwater Bistro’s fresh lemon tart. My piece had
not been out of the oven long. It was nothing less than a citrus sensation -
outrageously creamy with the tang of fresh lemons and the flakiest piecrust
I’ve ever enjoyed.
I started this review
describing a dilemma. Was Freshwater Bistro’s meal the best I’d eaten in Gambo
or was it my aunt Mu’s? The answer is: Freshwater Bistro’s food was special but
nothing could ever supplant my aunt Mu’s cooking. But she’s not here anymore;
and I’d say, if she could, it’s a pretty good bet she’d send you to Nicole and
Alex Bracci’s Freshwater Bistro.
Our meal for two at
Freshwater Bistro - including a bottle of Bolla Classico valpolicella, one
Grand Marnier and gratuity - cost approximately $135.00.
Freshwater Bistro was not
wheelchair and the noise level was low.
Best Points:
A pleasant atmosphere and yummy food.
Areas for Improvement:
If you redecorate, perhaps a little less red paint.
Ratings Category:
Freshwater Bistro gets 8 points.
7 points = satisfactory, 7.5 points = good, 8 points =
very good, 9 points = excellent, 10 points = perfection