Rindsrouladen-Sliced beef top round stuffed with bacon, onion and pickle. Served with spaetzle and sauerkraut. Weisswurst-Spar's white sausage with mustard, spaetzles and red apple cabbage. Fondue-melted gruyere and emmenthaler cheeses with bread and veggies. Potato pancake with caramelized onion and sour cream. The beer-Lindeman's Kriek Cherry Lambic.

(photo: Rose Mattrey)

The night we went to Bistro Europa a soft snow was beginning to fall. We spotted the small restaurant’s facade, complete with faux awning and curtained window, and immediately sensed we were in for a treat. Coming into this cozy, inviting space was just the right thing to do to warm up and enjoy the evening’s romance.

Entering through the draped doorway, I was struck immediately by the restaurant’s small size—and instantly I was excited to be there. In the restaurant world, I often find good things come in small packages. A dark, L-shaped bar sits perpendicular to the small banquette, which accommodates a mere four tables. One round table in the middle seats four, and three higher bar tables on one side are perfect for couples sharing drinks and appetizers. City dwellers will thrive in this atmosphere; you sit close to others here and instantly become a part of the scene. The crushed-velvet draped window overlooking Elmwood is perfect for watching and being watched. Relaxing into your seat, it is easy to feel transported to a small café aside the Danube River, or perhaps a bistro in central Prague. Pick your favorite bohemian epicenter and just imagine you are there.

This intimate environment was lovingly created by the Pijanowski family, who tried to evoke the colors and textures of their heritage. The chef/owner completed the design work himself, his wife worked with fabric on the drapery and seat cushions, and their kids helped out with the fun details. Earthy colors of olive, mustard, vermillion and cerulean blue alternate in squares bordering the entire space. Above the border, framed photos from Eastern European city scenes adorn the walls. Below the border is textured paint of an earthy clay hue. Scattered haphazardly on the walls are quotes: “To get full value of joy you must have someone to divide it with” (Mark Twain) and “To taste right, fish must swim three times, in water, in butter, and in wine” were the quotes nearest to our corner window table. Postcards from afar are placed here and there and show familiar images of the Eiffel Tower and scenes from other tourist locales. One corner has European street signs, delineating the corner of “Altermarkt” and “Konigsalle.”

Another high note is the music, an eclectic mix of French, traditional Eastern European folk, gypsy jazz, lounge, big band. Again you are transported elsewhere, to another time and place. It sets the mood, and completes the entire picture. Atmospherically they have not missed a beat: It is conceptually seamless.

Bistro Europa has a beer and wine license only, and in the small time they have had their license they have compiled a nice selection of wines ranging from $23 to $60 a bottle. They have an eclectic list with interesting varietals and regions. Vinos Sin Ley Garnache from Spain, Tous des Laurets Puisseguin, Saint-Emilion from Bordeaux, Sepp Gruner Veltliner from Austria, and St. Michael Gewurtztraminer from Italy are some that caught my eye. Also they offer Tokaji (a Hungarian dessert wine), sherry and port for sipping after dinner or on their own. Their beer list is also pleasing, with many choices—from Lindeman’s Cassis Lambic to Newcastle Brown Ale, to the locally brewed Flying Bison Aviator Red. Special attention is given to German beers, which match the food quite well, but my friend and I took advantage of the long list of wines by the glass and start with Chapoutier Cotes du Rhone.

The menu is succinct. Divided into two sections, it lists both small dishes and large dishes, with a note at the bottom informing that most small dishes can be made large and vice versa. My friend and I decided to order traditionally, choosing two small plates to start with and finishing with two large as our entrees. We started with the fondue for two, described as a “Swiss delight of melted gruyere & emmenthaler cheeses with bread & veggies,” and the albondigas de chocos, fried squid croquettes with sherry saffron sauce. For dinner, my friend was looking forward to the cassoulet, a duck, sausage, bean and pork stew, but when told they were out, quickly moved to the Rindsrouladen, a German dish of sliced beef top round stuffed with bacon, onion and pickle and served with spaetzle and sauerkraut. I chose a dish which I had often heard of but never tried, the chicken paprikash.

Besides the dozen or so unique and unusual dishes on the menu, Bistro Europa also has blackboards which announce the daily specials. That night they had bigos, a Polish hunter’s stew, and also spinach and gorgonzola risotto. If you cannot see all the specials, ask your server. Service was friendly yet casual, with the server reminding us a number of times that she was new.

The dishes are served on mismatched, brightly colored pottery plates. The fondue—a fun dish, easily shared between two or more people—was served with grapes, blanched asparagus, fresh red peppers, bread sticks and square pieces of bread. The squid croquettes arrived with our entrees. The flavors of the croquettes were lively, but unfortunately they arrived to us a little on the cold side, so the crispness from the searing was reduced to more of an oily texture.

My friend’s Rindsrouladen came in first on our list of favorites. The spaetzle was cooked perfectly and the sauerkraut was sweet and with the essential acidity. The beef rolls themselves were flavorful, with the pickle and bacon vying for attention. My paprikash consisted of bone-in chicken legs, peppers and onions covered with a thick paprika sauce. On the side of the plate were liver dumplings, which reminded me of liver meatballs. The addition of the liver gave the dish a second dimension it needed; the earthy sauce, while heavily seasoned with paprika, needed the lift of another seasoning, perhaps even just a little more salt during the preparation. The dumplings filled this role nicely, and it was a hearty, homestyle dish.

Bistro Europa carries one homemade dessert per evening, and traditional flan with a sherry caramel sauce was offered that night. We asked for one, yet received two. We kept the second and each dug in. I’m sorry to say the flan was overcooked and the texture was off, not velvety as it should be. They need to work on this particular dessert a bit.

Overall, Bistro Europa is just what this city needs, something unique and conceptually strong. In the past I have enjoyed traveling through the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and I’m happy to see that region’s cuisine and atmosphere offered to us here in Buffalo. Anyone who has ever donned a backpack and headed abroad will be thrilled with these offerings. For those who have not, turn off the Travel Channel and head to Elmwood’s newest and hippest space to get away, or at least pretend to for a while.