Sonoma Bistro & Wine Bar: California cuisine still winner at Brookside eatery

BY SCOTT CHERRY World Restaurant Critic
Thursday, November 29, 2012
3/28/13 at 7:55 AM

Sonoma Bistro & Wine Bar seems as fresh as when we first visited it when it opened five years ago, offering a menu slanted toward Northern California-style cuisine served in a wine country atmosphere.

Never mind that the restaurant sits smack dab in the middle of Brookside - it seems to do a credible job of hitting those marks.

"Our idea from the beginning was to offer fresh, affordable food that isn't overly contrived but still has a touch of foodie in it," said owner Tim Baker.

Among the dishes we sampled on this trip were chicken picatta ($18) and grilled skirt steak with Gorgonzola ($17).

The picatta included chunks of chicken, angel hair pasta, fried capers, artichoke hearts, asparagus and spinach in a lemon-white wine cream sauce. Lemon dominated, but the artichoke hearts kicked in here and there, and the chicken was melt-in-your-mouth, a term usually reserved for other types of meat.

The asparagus was cut from the center of the stalks, so it was neither as tough nor as tender as it could have been.

Skirt steak, by definition, is rather tough but flavorful, and that's how it was in the Sonoma entree. The Gorgonzola cheese was a nice touch, and the dish came with arugula salad with lemon-thyme vinaigrette and crispy onion rings.

Like the skirt steak, another entree that goes back to the restaurant's infancy, and is one of our favorites, is the barbecue salmon tamale ($18). The salmon is served in a corn husk covered with barbecue sauce and corn relish, and somehow it all works beautifully.

Many of the entrees are available in smaller portions for a reduced price.

We also shared a caprese salad ($8), a spinach and goat cheese salad ($9), and a bowl of roasted corn soup ($8).

The traditional caprese included slices of mozzarella, fresh basil and tomato slices drizzled in a balsamic reduction, and the spinach and goat cheese was served with tomatoes in a warm bacon vinaigrette.

The soup had a pleasing corn flavor, but the mini piece of smoked cheddar shortbread served with it was dry and hard.

Judging on past visits, the pizzas and sandwiches are popular items. Pizzas are $9 to $19, and most sandwiches are about $9.

Our server, Kendra, who was professional in every way, offered us a list of house-made desserts, but we were too full for another bite of anything.

The beverage list includes more than 60 wines and some 30 beers, most reasonably priced. All wines are available by the glass and are served in appropriate stemware for red and white wines.

The dining room and two patio areas are fine for families, and the bar area caters to an active older-than-21 crowd. The front sidewalk patio is similar to many on Brookside, but the back patio has a unique courtyard ambience and is one of our favorite places to dine in nice weather.

Derrick Shanklin is general manager, and Nona Helmick is executive chef.

One cautionary note: An automatic gratuity of 20 percent is added to groups of eight or more.

SONOMA BISTRO & WINE BAR

3523 S. Peoria Ave., 918-747-9463

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Atmosphere:

Service:

(on a scale of 0-4 stars)

11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday; accepts all major credit cards.
Original Print Headline: Classy casual

Scott Cherry 918-581-8463
scott.cherry@tulsaworld.com

Associated Images:

The Sonoma Special pizza is topped with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, spinach, tomatoes, bell peppers and mozzarella. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World

Cheese plate items change often. This one has Roquefort, Brie, whipped feta, sun-dried tomatoes, smoked cheddar, two cheese spreads, mixed nuts, dried cherry compote, apples, grapes and a port wine reduction. STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World

A barbecue salmon tamale is served with a hazelnut chocolate torte (background). STEPHEN PINGRY/Tulsa World