ARLINGTON — Insulated from I-5 by several miles of farmland, this city retains a traditional Main Street downtown — a fine thing made even better by the presence of what surely is one of the best places to dine in Snohomish County.
The place is Bistro San Martin, a welcoming, bustling restaurant across Olympic Avenue from City Hall. The bistro opened in 2005 in a space that once housed a restaurant — also quite good — operated by members of the Love Israel commune. Former Herald restaurant reviewer Anna Poole was greatly impressed by the bistro when she visited soon after it opened. Three years later, the place remains a delight.
On a recent Friday evening, the bistro buzzed with the convivial chatter of a packed house. One server tended all the tables — two servers certainly would have been preferable. Chef Martin Estrada-Perez occasionally stepped out of the open kitchen to help deliver plates. Short-staffed restaurants can mean hassled, crabby servers who insist on making sure you know just how busy they are. Not so at Bistro San Martin, which is a testament to the professionalism of Estrada-Perez, restaurant manager Steve Van Matre and their crew.
The bistro keeps a regular menu and a nightly fresh sheet. Both reflect the place’s commitment to regional cooking that’s influenced by cuisine from around the world. On the standing menu, you can choose from such first courses as Dungeness crab cakes ($12.50) and escargot ($9.50). On the fresh sheet, you might encounter Asian salad rolls ($8.50).
We selected a chilled salad made of roasted beets, goat cheese and red onion in balsamic vinaigrette ($8.50), and oven-roasted Roma tomatoes enhanced by goat cheese and herb-balsamic infusion ($7.50). Both were simple dishes, done well.
Standing entrees lean to familiar fare given uncommon preparation, such as a center-cut pork chop with braised red cabbage and rich brown apple-brandy demi-glace ($21.50) and half a roasted chicken stuffed with Granny Smith apples, smoked gouda and spinach ($19.50). Or ask for steak — either flat iron ($21.50) or New York ($27.50). A recent fresh sheet even cruised into 1950s yacht club waters with surf and turf ($42.50), pairing a flat iron steak with Maine lobster tail.
If you see seared scallops on the fresh sheet, grab them ($26.50). They’re gratifyingly crusty-medium-brown on the ends, without the slightest hint of overcooking inside. The scallops sat atop an assertive, but not overpowering, melding of a rich onion beurre blanc and a sweet soy-ginger glaze.
We also chose grilled pork tenderloin in a red wine reduction and cinnamon-anise-blueberry soy-ginger glaze ($24.50). The tenderloin was moist and fork-tender, and the flavor notes from the cinnamon, anise and blueberries were well balanced.
A leek and edamame risotto accompanied both entrees. The soybeans provided an appealing semi-firm contrast to the risotto’s creaminess. You’ll also get perfectly cooked seasonal vegetables — broccoli and carrots on this occasion.
As you might gather, portions are generous. Bring your appetite, take your time and, if necessary, ask for a take-home box.
The bistro’s wine list is comprehensive, with many interesting choices in the $30 to $40 range. You also can sip a cocktail — there’s a selection of specialty drinks, such as the Signature San Martini, made of premium tequila, lime, pomegranate juice and Agavero. As a follower of the Thurston Howell III school (you take gin, and show it to the vermouth), I object to calling such concoctions “martinis,” no matter how tasty they might be.
Desserts, all $7.50, are made in-house by Estrada-Perez. We chose a lemon creme brulee and “Naughty Chocolate Cake” — the naughtiness from a hint of cayenne. A side dish of a refreshing strawberry-rhubarb sorbet counterpointed the cake’s richness.
Bistro San Martin is the kind of place where well-satisfied patrons — regulars, no doubt — shake hands with the proprietors on their way out the door. We’ll shake hands when we return to this polished gem of a bistro.
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