Get Going to Gervasi

We’ve heard much about The Bistro at Gervasi in Canton, Ohio, and finally got our chance. The Gervasi Vineyards are well-known in these parts for their upscale dining and gorgeous weekend stays at their hotel. Gervasi has three restaurants, The Bistro being their “Fine dining,” the Crush House and The Piazza being the other two. Gervasi specializes in Italian Cuisine, wine, and other spirits, as we found out. On a beautiful Mother’s Day evening, we walked into an elegant and rustic dining room with a view of the lush green lawn and Gervasi Pond. It was like a painting both inside the restaurant and outside. I must mention Ben, our waiter, as he was the best. Knowledgeable and friendly, he enhanced our Gervasi experience. We started with the Focaccia Bread and Olive Oil/ Balsamic Vinegarette dip. That bread took us to Carb Heaven. We also ordered the House-Made Ricotta Spread with a honey drizzle to be adventurous. That spread was like warm ricotta crack. As Lisa said, that could have been our whole meal. We ordered cocktails, and I had the best “flavored” Mojito I have ever tasted. It includes the Gervasi-distilled Spiced Rum, which we brought a bottle home, Gervasi BLU Liqueur (Blueberry flavored), Mint, and Lime. It was perfect. I wanted and got the recipe at the Gervasi Marketplace next door, where you can buy many things Gervasi. I hope to make my own Mojito this summer. Lisa had the Wild Boar (from Texas) with pasta. The boar was soaked in red wine to remove much of the gameness that comes with wild meat. I would have preferred more gameness, but not everyone is as outdoorsy as us mountain men. Lisa found out she doesn’t like Juniper Berries, which came with the boar. They had taken out too much of the gameness, and although the meat was well-cooked, she thought it tasted like cheap grass-fed beef. I went with the Seafood Chitarra. My dish came with noodles cooked in a Lobster Stock, grilled shrimp, and scallops. The peppery taste of the shrimp made me want to get pounds of it to take home. It was a simple dish that doesn’t disappoint if you like seafood. Finally, we shared a Crème Brule, the most average part of the meal. Although larger than most places, the flavor wasn’t anything to write about. We also discovered that we like it when the custard is still warm on top, just underneath the crisp shell, which was not the case here. Still, we will return to the Bistro this summer to sit outside, dip into the gallon bucket of Ricotta spread, and bask in the glory of the Tuscan Beef Short Ribs, my next Gervasi entrée adventure.