One of our usual haunts on our nights out without at least one of our four kids is Michael Timothy’s Bistro in downtown Nashua. It is one of those restaurant and jazz bars that have become so popular in all corners of the country. But Michael Timothy’s is a cut above the average bistro. The decor, food, drinks, and staff make it one of the best eating establishments in all of New Hampshire and one of the better ones I have visited anywhere.

On a Wednesday evening (the one weeknight that we ever have a chance of being childless), we visited Michael Timothy’s arriving at 5:00. Since it was pre-dinner time (they start serving at 5:30), we went and sat at a table in the bar area.  After just a short wait, a lovely waitress named Lindsey handed us wine lists, menus, and drink menus. She said she was going to check in the kitchen for the specials and be back to take our drink orders. My darling Michele and I had decided that it was a martini type of night so we put the wine menu aside and settled on the drink menu. Michelechose a fruity number called “Sa rah with an H“, and I chose a spicy martini called “Hot and Dirty” with blue cheese olives instead of regular olives. Both drinks were expertly prepared and nicely garnished.

Lindsey told us the specials, and we decided on a meal of one appetizer, two salads, and a soup. We are going the healthy route, so this mix sounded like a good fit for our evening consumption. The appetizer chosen was the most interesting we could find on the menu, Foie Gras Brulée which was a rich foie mousse served with toast rounds. The soup was the special — a reduced duck broth with mushrooms. Our two salad choices were the White Truffle Caesar Salad and the Warm Baby Spinach and Beet Salad.

After another round of drink orders, our appetizer arrived. It was a generous serving that was excellently presented with a sliced grape fanned on the top of the brulée. The taste was absolutely perfect. It was a savory pate that was warm and perfectly matched its presentation.

Our salads did not disappoint either.  The Caesar salad had a little bit of a mustard taste to it, which gave it a unique flavor.  The spinach and beet salad had a little bit of an issue: it was missing the beets!  When Lindsay returned to our table we made her aware of the issue and she apologized profusely.  Whisking the dish away, she went back to the kitchen.  While the kitchen worked on a new salad, I worked on the soup special.  It was a delightful combination and a wonderful light soup.  The duck broth had a delicious flavor and warmed me on a cold New Hampshire winter evening.   The new salad was returned, this time with with beets, and it was worth the wait.  The perfect combination of the dressing, a poached egg, and the chilled beets was ideal for my palate.  As we were enjoying the salad, three staff members made stops to our table to apologize for the salad redux.

As my lovely partner and I made our way to the door, a jazz band was getting ready for their evening set.   Any couples walking in were set for a great time of music, scrumptious food, inspiring drinks, and fabulous service.  Michael Timothy’s Bistro is a must stop for people looking for a great evening.