Dining Out Review: Tastebuds American Bistro

I hold some restaurants in such a special place in my heart that I get excited, almost like parents would watching their kids, when they live up to their potential. I'm bound to grow attached, having kept an obsessive eye on Richmond's restaurant scene for more than four years.

Strange analogy, I know, but I don't know how else to describe watching Tastebuds American Bistro grow from a mostly takeout operation on the city's North Side to a tiny eatery able to fill four tables to the full-fledged restaurant it is today.

When owners Andrew and Valentina Wisniewski opened Tastebuds a few years back, they filled a niche by offering gourmet meals-to-go to the area's distinguishing palates. Weekly menus included everything from seasonal pizzas with peaches and country ham to globally inspired dishes, such as Moroccan chicken with butternut squash couscous.

Andrew's skill in the kitchen and Valentina's genuine front-of-the-house demeanor garnered quite a following, so much so that the restaurant recently moved into larger digs roughly four times the size a few doors down and the couple hired chef Ryan Baldwin to keep up their signature culinary style.

While I'd been to the reincarnated Tastebuds a handful of times for my usual takeout, I hadn't had a sit-down meal there until recently, and all I can say is, I'm impressed.

The same level of care is put into Tastebuds' rotating menu, but now there's room to invite a large group of neighborhood friends for a sit-down dinner complete with an easy-drinking wine list and quietly skillful service.

We grabbed a table near the corner bar inside Tastebuds' comfortably open dining room. Black and white tile floors, buttery walls and a smattering of colorful artwork make the space casually elegant and inviting.

Valentina quickly arrived to take our drink orders from a wine and beer list that includes several of my favorites from Once Upon a Vine, a wine and beer store in the neighborhood.

We started with eggplant Napoleon ($7.50), one of Tastebuds' most popular starters. After one bite, I realized why. Delicately thin slices of lightly breaded eggplant were layered with fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil, bringing my dining companion to note it was on par with the version his grandmother from Sicily makes -- a simple recipe made extraordinary with vividly fresh ingredients.

And that's the standard for the rest of Tastebuds' menu: fresh, fresh and more fresh.

Take the Fragrant Thai Shrimp ($14.50), for example. Served over rice, the mélange of brilliantly plump shrimp was lightly coated in a spirited sauce redolent of coconut and chili, its sweetness giving way to a slow heat. Accompanying red peppers, carrots and snap peas tasted fresh from the garden.

We also tried pork adobo tacos ($12.50). Two double-layered tortillas were overflowing with shredded pork so juicy and flavor-packed, it reminded me of top-notch barbecue. Accompanying roasted corn and black bean salsa complemented the adobo's spice nicely, while a drizzle of mango sauce tempered it with a kiss of sweetness.

We were too full for dessert, but the options, such as carrot cake, Key lime tart and chocolate torte with espresso sorbet, sounded intriguing.

Andrew recommended that we try the pineapple raisin bread pudding ($5), a sweet ending that would travel well. Moist and delicately sweet, it was perfect reheated the next day. Whipped cream and fresh berries in a separate container were appropriately subtle accents.

If you don't live in the neighborhood and haven't had a chance to pop over to Tastebuds for some gourmet to go, the expanded digs leave you no excuse not to give it a try. Round up a group of friends and prepare to settle in for one of the freshest, most casually comfortable meals. Maybe I'll see you there.

Freelance writer and graphic designer Dana Craig considers dessert the most important food group. The Times-Dispatch pays for the meals on her unannounced visits to restaurants. Contact her at .