Tasty Northwest, Mediterranean mixes at Edmonds bistro

I’ve never had a bad meal at Epulo.

In fact, most of the food I’ve tried at this bustling bistro in downtown Edmonds has been worthy of enthusiastic encore.

And that is saying something.

My husband and I have been indulging at this wonderful new addition to the south county scene since it opened in November in the old Shell Creek Grill space on Main Street.

We’ve tried lunch, brunch and dinner and we’ve enjoyed our experiences immensely every time.

Then again, Epulo is my kind of place. It features small and large plates showcasing seasonal, Northwest ingredients with trendy as well as traditional Mediterranean flourishes.

Deep, boxy, dark-stained wooden booths line one side of the restaurant, where candles glow in wall-mounted fixtures and displays of wooden spoons add rustic, homey flair.

Tables face the windows to the street. And a banquette stretches next to a full bar with a TV.

Though we’ve had multiple meals in the quieter booths (your best bet for a romantic evening), our official review visit was at 6 o’clock on a Friday night at the banquette.

Most of the tables and all the bar stools were full of chatter and excitement, creating a slightly loud, classic bistro vibe.

Our server was speedy and savvy about the menu items and made us feel at home.

We dove into the specials menu with the tuna carpaccio, a lovely, long display of incredibly thin sushi-grade ahi, topped with a bright, crunchy micro green salad with shaved fennel, a sparkling lemon-mustard vinaigrette and coriander salt.

I wanted more of this deliciousness, however, at $11 a plate.

Though just about everything on the new spring menu sounded worthy of exploration, we finally chose the grilled asparagus, topped with chevre, herb vinaigrette and Marcona almonds ($6).

The asparagus was perfectly cooked and topped with just enough dabs of slightly melted cheese to compliment the flavor of the early spring spears.

Penn Cove mussels ($11) arrived next in a light and luscious garlic-butter broth. My husband happily ate the mussels. I sopped up the broth with slices of crusty artisan bread.

Taking on a third small plate, we moved onto spicy lamb skewers, served with spicy paprika oil and a luxurious mint and cucumber yogurt, which paired beautifully with the tender, tasty, bite-sized lamb chunks ($10).

To end our feast, we shared a large plate, Chicken Under a Brick, a deboned half chicken marinated and grilled, served on top of the house panzanella, a vibrant salad of grilled artisan bread, cucumber, cherry tomato, avocado, red onion, mozzarella, basil and balsamic vinaigrette ($18).

That’s not very seasonal and therefore not very local, but we welcomed the blast of summer anyway. It’s also available as a side salad.

Our chicken was juicy and full of flavor. Its crunchy, salty skin added a smoky, rustic boost to each bite.

I also highly recommend the Painted Hills short rib, a boneless explosion of flavor, served with whipped potatoes, baby arugula and a red wine demi glace ($18), which I had on a previous visit.

Epulo also serves wood-fired pizzas that are totally worth the calories. I had previously enjoyed the prosciutto pizza topped with garlic, truffle oil, arugula and Grana Padano, an Italian cheese.

Two diners seated next to us on the banquette made me vow to order the wildly popular “Fig &Blue” pizza ($11) next time. It’s topped with caramelized onions, Stella blue cheese, figs, fontina and fresh thyme, and its aroma was so intoxicating I thought I might pass out with food lust.

I imagine it would pair incredibly well with the many local wines, local beers and seasonal cocktails served here, too.

Way too stuffed for sweets, we had to tell the waiter no on the dessert menu, including banana bread pudding with caramel anglaise, walnut brittle and cinnamon ice-cream ($7).

It will be one of many dishes we hope to try on our next visit.

Sarah Jackson: 425-339-3037, sjackson@heraldnet.com.