Last week we had the pleasure of dining at Tano Bistro in Loveland. We were eager to get out of the house and have a “dinner for two” instead of a “dinner for six”. With the children home for the summer I have been itching to have a real honest to goodness romantic dining experience with my husband. It has been too long since we’ve gone to a fancy restaurant for dinner with just the two of us, so Tano Bistro was quite a treat for us.
The date night didn’t start out too well because it just so happened to be on a night where there were thunder storms and when I arrived I felt like I looked like a drowned rat going into a very posh restaurant. I immediately relaxed when I joined my husband at the table, and the server promptly arrived to offer me a drink. After ordering a drink and looking around, I didn’t feel so bad about how I looked. The dress code seemed to go from casual to dressy, and I wasn’t the only patron who looked water-logged. It was a very wet evening! I wish it hadn’t been because as nice as the dining area is in Tano Bistro, I would have loved to have sat outdoors. They have a great seating area in front of the restaurant that would be perfect on a pretty night. I’m going to have to make sure we go to Tano Bistro again so we can dine outside.
As I said, the dining area was lovely. To lend to the romantic ambiance the lights are turned low, the tables lit by candles, and there’s soft music playing in the background. Even though at first glance it appears that the room is crowded with tables, it didn’t feel crowded even with every table full. The noise level was very low and you don’t feel like you are hearing every other conversation going on, or shouting to be heard, as I sometimes feel at restaurants. It was perfect for a romantic dinner, we were able to chat quietly and enjoy each others company for a few hours with out loud background noise or interruptions. Even the servers seemed to time their visits so that they weren’t interrupting our conversations. We had fantastic service, she was always on hand just when we needed her, and was very helpful and patient when I couldn’t seem to decide what to eat (it’s a problem of mine when faced with too many tantalizing options).
The food was delicious, and it came out to the table in good time. We shared the Spring Rolls as an appetizer and then for dinner I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried the Maple Leaf Farm Duck (seared duck, with peruvian potato cakes, carrots, tree fruit au poivre), it was terrific. Michael had the Tilapia (romano breadcrumb encrusted, wild rice, broccolini, lemon caper beurre blanc) and he raved about that as well. The portions were quite generous, and the food was perfectly cooked.
Tano Bistro makes their food from fresh ingredients, and changes their menu seasonally, which not only provides variety, but ensures that you are getting meals made from in-season ingredients, which I love. The prices were a bit expensive, but you get what you pay for, fine quality meals and good sized portions. And if you check eReach.com before you go to Tano Bistro you could print yourself a coupon to use to help cut costs. The only thing I regretted about dinner is that we got so excited about our entrees that we did not save room for dessert. That too will have to wait for my next visit.
The beer and wine list is also worth mentioning, as both were full of many choices. We are beer drinkers and were happy to see many interesting craft beers on the menu. Neither one of us are wine drinkers, so I can’t speak to that menu other than to say it looked like there was a lot to choose from. I think we’ve found a new favorite date night location in Tano Bistro. Be sure to check out the Tano Bistro Date Night Special before you go!
