dcs Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 It has been years since I have been in this place and have no idea how many ownership changes, if any, may have taken place. Last week for lunch I really enjoyed the trout sandwich with a side salad for about $10.50, give or take two bits. Nice crispy long roll. The trout looked pan-fried and was not overcooked, accented with capers. The salad ingredients were very fresh. Very tasty all in all.The web site can use a little work and a good editor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziv Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 I think there are quite a few good sized cities that have fewer good dining options than that strip mall. Between Rays, Guajillo, Greenberries, Pho 75 and Village Bisto you have covered a good portion of the gastronomic spectrum! Village Bistro gets very little press or recognition, but they serve very good food for a pretty good price. I like the bistro calamari, nice change from the usual fried preparation. The mussels are pretty good as well. For the entrees the tortellini is really good as well. I love the fact that here in Arlington we have so many good cafes that it is easy to forget about one and then go back and find that it is still producing excellent meals, years later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanMike Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I've always had good meals there - especially the lobster ravioli. With the amount that I go out to eat, I should really remember to go here and to Guajillo more often... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookGuy Posted January 11, 2010 Share Posted January 11, 2010 I don't go as often as I should but they have a very good deal in small plates if you don't want to try the entrees as being too large. I think that the chicken liver small plate and a Caesar salad make an excellent meal. The place gets virtually no notice but apears to have a very loyal local clientele. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kibbee Nayee Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 Had the lobster ravioli today and it is good. This is a lovely little space next door to Ray's Hell-burger, and the crowd is decidedly older than Ray's. The charming little dining room is decorated all around with antique prints from the '20s and '30s, and if they are not reproductions, they are worth a decent amount of money -- some of the Clyde's restaurants are decorated similarly, and I know the guy who does it for Clyde's. The problem with this place is its location. There are two Ray's in the same plaza, plus the Vietnamese place. While the lobster ravioli was good, I kept thinking about a juicy burger with bone marrow on top next door.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wineitup Posted November 26, 2010 Share Posted November 26, 2010 Ate there a number of times when I worked in Rosslyn. Always good food. As noted above it gets little press and maybe gets overlooked a bit because of all the other great choices in the area (and in that strip mall). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wristband Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 I want to thank you for resurrecting the Bistro in my addled mind. I used to patronize the place frequently before that tiny plaza had a refacement years ago. Then, with all the other options opening up in the vicinity, it dropped completely off my radar screen. I will head the battleship back towards Wilson Blvd and play Mad Max in that odd parking lot. Looking forward to the pleasant environment and reasonable pricing after far too many years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kibbee Nayee Posted February 1, 2011 Share Posted February 1, 2011 Back again for lunch two weeks ago (sauteed Delaware flounder) and today (chicken saltimbocca). Both dishes were above average, not great, not bad. Execution isn't bad, but the kitchen has a heavy hand on on fatty mouth-feel, without the standard chef trick of a squeeze of lemon to cut it a bit. All the dishes I've tried seemed to have a heaviness that lasts through the afternoon, at least. Village Bistro appears to cater to an older clientele, set apart very visibly from the 20-something crowds at both of the Ray's on either side of it. In addition, there appears to be something of an identity crisis going on. A decidedly French look and feel "bistro" has more than a few Italian dishes on the menu, including today's saltimbocca, but set off against bistro dishes like escargots and a fines herb or tomato omelet. And if it's not Italian or French, then it's ugly American like blackened tilapia or Cobb salad. I would like to like this place, but I keep hoping that my business companions stop choosing this place so I can enjoy a bison burger with fois gras at Ray's Too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbh Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 There's signage up now with "Mele Bistro". Check of the web page confirms that the're renaming the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonRocks Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 There's signage up now with "Mele Bistro". Check of the web page confirms that the're renaming the place. The web site can use a little work and a good editor. After 1.5 years of new ownership, the new owners changed the name from Village Bistro to Mele Bistro - and the website could still use a little work and a good editor - both URLs (villagebistro.com and melebistro.com) now take you to frenchitalianarlingtonva.com. It's almost as if the website is a parody of "all things to all people." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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