Guo Shucheng (Davy)
sg008@marietta.edu
If you journey down a road which you have walked a thousand times, you will find that a few steps beyond Giant Eagle, in the Frontier Shopping Centre, stands a small, inconspicuous restaurant — 134 Bistro.
I was attracted to what Yelp showed to be “traditional American” food but surprisingly it turned out not a bit like it, but in a good way. From my point of view, I would label it as “comfort food,” which, by definition, refers to the food that provides a nostalgic or sentimental feeling. With simple preparation and no concept of presentation, the food resembles what your mom will cook you.
When asked about why he chose to serve certain dishes including “Thai Chicken, Pulled Pork, and Smoked Turkey Club”, Richard Christy, owner of the restaurant and one of the “Christy Bros,” said, “There is not an exact category that we serve,” pondering and adding, “but we serve everything that we’re familiar with since childhood.”
Two big hits of 134 Bistro, would be “Thai Chicken” and “Pulled Pork”. The former comes with an exotic touch, whereas the latter is a modification of traditional American. Chicken from the “Thai Chicken” dish first has to be marinated in freshly-made marinade from a secret recipe for hours, and seared on a hot pan to integrate juiciness into myriad flavors, then topped with Asian coleslaw to form a crisp taste, otherwise you might criticize it as greasy. You might think it’s already perfect now, but the one last part — spicy mayonnaise, a typical dressing in Thai and Japanese Sushi — is what adds to the creaminess and impresses your tongue, making it stand out. If you still want some refreshment, just take a bite of the pickled cucumber right beside the signature sandwich. That’s when you’ll savor this moment more than ever, and that’s where my mind couldn’t help but wonder about the traditional and home-made dishes in my hometown.
Finished with the gastronomic journey to the exotic East, you could dash back to the life you normally live and the taste you are most familiar with. The second signature sandwich “Pulled Pork” features what might be a regular on your table, including house-made smoked pulled pork drizzled with ubiquitous barbecue sauce, and a soft toasted pretzel bun. You might think, as I did, that it would be nothing special. However, your tongue would prove you wrong as the taste is sweeter than barbecue sauce normally is. That sweetness comes from apples, according to the chef, and is used because its restraint pairs better with the bold and tangy flavor and establishes some level of equilibrium when crisp coleslaw comes on the stage. You would keep pondering what all those myriad layers of flavors are before the dinner is soon exhausted.
Walking out of the bistro on my journey back, when the darkness started to approach, I was not only physically full with gourmet meals and finally found somewhere I can pay frequent visits but also spiritually filled with all the memories and warmth the comfort food brought me. Providing a nostalgic and sentimental feeling; that’s what comfort food is supposed to do, isn’t it?
