Even though we enjoy a variety of restaurants for a variety of reasons, most of our friends know that Sovana Bistro is one of our favorite go-to restaurants. We even wrote a post about one of the events and added it at the end of this article.
What started as a quaint little BYOB restaurant 20 years ago in 1998, has grown into a full size restaurant, complete with bar, and a year round outdoor heated patio with a roof.
From the start of your journey to Sovana Bistro, you are greeted with an open door by smiling staff as you walk in. Everyone is pleasant and they all work pretty hard to make your dining experience pleasurable and comfortable.
The bar manager, Beau Fournier, constantly works towards creating the perfect dining environment. He’s always asking questions about your experience, seeking feedback to tweak their customer service, helping staff add yet another extra special touch for future diners. Kudos!
Their menu provides a balanced yet diverse choice of both classic and eclectic food items, prepared in a way that wonderful flavors are clearly identifiable. Included in their menu selections is the popular wood fired pizza. The traditional styles (Margherita, Pepperoni, etc.) are available along with seasonal offerings such as (The “Original” Corn Pizza, Black Mission Fig, etc.), all of which are a lot of fun, with superb taste.
One of our favorites is their amazing homemade bread.
Just prior to the main course, someone brings out samplers of the chef’s culinary innovations on ceramic spoons. While the samplers are not on the menu, it allows the patrons to encounter eclectic blends of these original creations.
Watermelon Gazpacho with cilantro , basil, and Champagne vinaigrette.
Similar to the food, their Wine and Bar Menu has the traditional mixed with the non-traditional.
Items we’ve enjoyed include what may be considered traditional cocktails, but are made with their own spin on the recipe, separating the taste from other locations.
The wine menu is paired well with their food items. It’s obvious they’ve done their research. They carry the popular known wines (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir), and some more adventurous white and red wines Cote Mas Blanc and Veritas, respectively. The Rosé of Barbera is a nice local wine from Wayvine Vineyard in Nottingham, PA. that pairs well with pretty much every food item on the menu.
We are fairly regulars at Sovana Bistro and they anticipate our classic orders even as we are moving towards the table. We both like sparkling water with lime, and it usually appears at the table within a minute or two of us sitting down. More than once we have been seated with our water already on the table.
We loved the “side order” of meatballs so much, we ordered it years before it actually appeared on the menu. We aren’t sure if we were instrumental in it becoming a menu item, but we like to think so.
“Side of Meatballs” and Truffle Fries with some nice red wines.
They are usually pretty busy, so if you arrive after 7pm, finding a place to park close to the restaurant may take a little finesse, but we’ve never had a major problem. The fact they’re that busy is a testimony to the total environment they’ve created. Side note for take out – if you’re ordering take out they do have two “5.5 minute” parking spaces.
Reservations are encouraged (especially if you have younger children as part of your party). However, waiting with a drink in the bar area can have its own enjoyable dynamic. We’ve seen old friends and met quite a few new ones while waiting.
Post from September 22, 2018 (on HOME page as well)
Dick Vermeil’s Wine Tasting Dinner at Sovana Bistro
Sometimes when you go to an event, you know it’s going to be good before you even get there. The Vermeil Wine Tasting Event at Sovana Bistro on August 26th was one of those events.
The combination of Vermeil Wines and Sovana Bistro cuisine (crafted by Nick himself) was extraordinary, and pairings for each course were exquisite.
The grapes for Vermeil Wines are grown in Napa Valley and have been in the Vermeil family for several generations. Mr. Vermeil decided he wanted to do more and share the wonderful wines that they make with others.
As guests were arriving the staff was busy preparing the room and putting the finishing touches on everything.
When the reception began, the wine started flowing. The appetizers were paired with the 2016 XXXIV Red Wine Blend that had 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Cabernet Franc, 22% Petite Sirah & 9% Zinfandel.
A special bonus was that several members of the Vermeil family, along with three former Eagle players from his team – Bill Bergey, Frank LeMaster, and Kevin Reilly were also in attendance.
Business owners from The Brand (Dick’s fellow winemakers from Napa Valley), Dineable and Holla Spirits were also there to show their support.
We had pre-assigned seats at tables set for ten. We were a party of 4 And we’re seated with 6 others, some of whom we’d seen in Sovana Bistro on other occassions.
A menu, describing the 5 courses and the wines they were paired with awaited us at each place setting.
Prior to each course Dick Vermeil took a few minutes to explain how each wine came about and why it paired well with food that was prepared. General Manager Adam Junkins complimented the discussion with explanations for each of the food courses. Sovano Bistro owner and chef, Nick came out of the kitchen long enough to share a little about the food selections.
Even Sovana Bistro owner Nick came out of the kitchen long enough to share a little about the food selections.
First course
Late Summer Tomatoes and Sauvignon Blanc
Second course
Pete’s Farm Corn “Velouté” and Chardonnay
Third course
House Made Rigatoni (no meat) and “Jean Louis Vermeil” Cabernet Savignon
Fourth course
Grilled “Panted Hill Farm” Tenderloin of Beef and “Rosedale Black” Cabernet Savignon
Fifth course
Blueberry Creme Broulee and 1908 Block Zinfandel
Dick Vermeil not only explained each of the wines in detail, but he made it a point to try to talk with each guest.
It was a great evening and incredibly enjoyable from start to finish!
Dianne and I are frequent customers of Sovana Bistro and have developed friendships with some of the staff. Due to that we heard about this dinner before it was even open to the public.
You may be asking yourself, how can I take advantage of and be included in events like this?
Start by liking their social media pages and/or get on the email list. This gives you first-hand information on when events or specials are either occurring or about to occur.
Be forewarned though. It’s not just rock stars whose concerts sell out quickly. This popular event sold out in in only a couple of days. If you’re planning on going, be ready and commit early. Additional tip – it’s better to purchase as many as you think will attend and relinquish extra tickets than not have enough for everyone who decides to go.
Another advantage of being on the list are being able to take advantage of gift cards. Gift cards can be purchased for sometimes 75% of the normal cost, (for example sometimes $75 buys a $100 gift card). If you’re looking to give someone a gift of this nature, why not get it cheaper? (and it could make you look better, lol)