Oakwood Bistro has been open as long as I can remember. I can remember going there with my family for brunch on Easter morning with the rest of my family, when I was still little, and I know that we went there more than once. While reminiscing, I realized that I had not eaten at Oakwood Bistro in quite a while, and decided that it would be fun to revisit one of my favorite childhood restaurants.
For appetizers, we had fried green tomatoes and French onion soup. The fried green tomatoes were fancier than one might expect; they came with asparagus, crab, and a balsamic drizzle. The French onion soup was also very well done. For entrees, I ordered a risotto which was made with chicken, onions, artichoke hearts, and tomato. The risotto was very wholesome and filling. My sister ordered a salmon blt, which also came with fries. My mother ordered Butternut Squash and Pumpkin Lasagna. The lasagna was very good, but it was extremely large, and we came no where close to finishing it. For dessert, we ordered creme brulee with fruit. The fruit was not fresh and the whipped cream was not real whipped cream, so the creme brulee was a bit disappointing. However, that did not stop us from eating all of it.
My family and I were there on a Saturday night, so the restaurant was very busy. As we walked out, my mother's friend, Mike, was surprised to see more than a few of his friends there. These little interactions help show what is great about Oakwood Bistro. Oakwood Bistro has good food, but it is by no means the very best in Kalamazoo. It does not serve extremely innovative, new kinds of dishes. Yet, it has an amazing, warm atmosphrere that fosters community and family interaction, and that is what makes it a great restaurant.
