Rating: 3/5
7401 Pershing Avenue
314-721-8484
$10-$15
The word Bici—pronounced “beachy”—in Bici Café means “bicycle” in Italian. Years ago, the building where the café is now located was a bike shop and is only as far from campus as the Loop. Nostalgia for the restaurant’s roots inspired the current owner to name his restaurant in memory of its bicycling history. I was also informed that the original floor from the bike shop remains today.
Aside from these subtle reminders and some bicycle memorabilia on the walls, it is quite clear that Bici is a café today. Upon entering, instead of being asked what type of bike you’re looking for, you’ll be asked what you’d like to drink. Seated at a comfortable booth, my friends and I admired the brightly-colored yellow and orange cloth napkins and creamy yellow painted walls. A large white and turquoise candle sat on our table, adding a pleasant touch of warmth and color. Though the cold weather prevented us from sitting outside, we still enjoyed the view of twinkling white lights ouside. From our table, we also had a view of the flat screen TV and a small bar.
We were quickly greeted by our waitress. She was very friendly and helpful and offered smiles and advice on what to order. The rest of the staff was equally efficient, frequently refilling our water glasses and preparing the food in a timely manner.
Bici Café offers small plates, soups and salads, sandwiches, pizza, pasta and four entrées. Small plate offerings include a variety of hot and cold Mediterranean options, including octopus salad with tomatoes, red onions and capers, a Mediterranean cheese sampler, falafel “popcorn” with tzatziki sauce, spiced crab cakes and chorizo stuffed dates.
We asked the waitress if these small plates could be shared as an appetizer. She enthusiastically replied that this could certainly be done. We decided to begin our meal with the “Bruschetta of the Day.” The bruschetta arrived promptly. Presented on a large white plate, slices of crusty white baguette were topped with thinly-sliced green apples, goat cheese, a slightly sweet brown sauce and a generous slice of pork tenderloin. Though a unique combination, these tasty bites were quite delicious. The tart sweetness of the green apples complemented the rich flavor of the goat cheese and the savory meaty flavor of the pork. My only complaint would be that there were only three pieces so each of us only got to eat one bruschetta. Perhaps we should have chosen a different small plate to share, such as the falafel “popcorn” or stuffed dates, which I imagine would provide more than three pieces.
For our main courses, we decided to try the grilled tuna sandwich, seafood pizza and the tomato risotto. The grilled tuna sandwich was presented on a long white plate. Served with a small salad and a pickle, the sandwich consisted of a piece of grilled tuna, hard boiled egg and fresh greens, topped with tapenade and sun-dried tomato aioli.
To my dismay, there were many faults with this sandwich. For one, the bread was unexciting. It was simple toasted wheat bread, which is fine for the everyday meal, but for a sandwich at a relatively fancy restaurant, I expected better. The tuna was not fully cooked and parts of it were quite pink. While I’m aware that some people prefer their tuna cooked this way, I think that the menu should have specified that the tuna would not be completely grilled. As for the sauce, I found it to be intense, but satisfying. However, my friend disliked it. Tapenade has a powerful olive flavor that is not for the faint of heart. The accompanying salad was topped with crunchy onions and Dijon vinaigrette. Enjoyed by all, this salad was tasty but its portion was minimal.
The tomato risotto was presented on another large white plate. Topped with large pink shrimp with small pieces of zucchini, I suspected that I would love this dish. (Shrimp is one of my favorite foods.) Yet, I was unfortunately dismayed once again. The sauce had an inexplicably strange and unappetizing flavor. At first it seemed fine, but upon further forkfuls, it became clear that it was just a bit too overwhelming. It had a sort of fruity, cheesy taste that could not compensate for the plump pink shrimp. This opinion was confirmed by my friends.
Finally, we sampled the seafood pizza. Bici offers 10 different types of pizza as well as a “create your own” offering. Pizzas range from the traditional (pepperoni and margherita) to the inventive (a wild mushroom pizza with truffle oil and another pizza made with eggplant puree and ricotta). Debating between the eggplant pizza and the seafood pizza, I asked the waitress for her recommendation, and she enthusiastically suggested that I go with the seafood. The menu indicates that this selection includes clams, calamari, shrimp, pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. Not the biggest clam fan, I opted to forgo that particular topping.
The pizza arrived on another large white plate. The crust was thin and crunchy. Portions of the ends of the crust were burnt. The pesto sauce was quite delicious, however. It was not too garlicky or oily and it complemented the sweetness of the sun-dried tomatoes. The seafood toppings were mediocre. They were not fishy but also did not taste especially fresh. Small pieces of calamari topped the pizza, appearing as little purple octopi. Though adventurous, I was dubious of these tentacled creatures on my pizza and opted to pick them off rather than eat them. My friends agreed that this was the best course of action. While not a perfect pizza, my friends and I agreed that we preferred it over the undercooked tuna and oddly-flavored risotto.
At the end of the evening, we decided to try the desserts. Bici offers several desserts, including a variety of flavors of gelato. I tried the combination of blood orange and lemon gelato while my friend tried cappuccino and chocolate. Each of us thoroughly enjoyed our gelato, ending our evening on a good note.
Bici is a new restaurant trying its hand at many novel creations. It gets a thumbs-up for attentive and friendly service, warm, comfortable ambiance and attractive presentation. However, the food was simply sub-par. After our tasty bruschetta appetizer, the fare went downhill.
It seems to me that Bici may be trying a bit too hard to be cutting-edge and creative. While some of its unique flavor combinations work, others fall short. Yet, I am still holding out hope for this small neighborhood establishment. The owner mentioned that they are trying to attract more Wash. U. students to their reasonably-priced, nearby spot. In fact, he even offered such incentives as a 20 percent off Wash. U. discount after 9 p.m. and the possibility of a future beer pong tournament. So keep your eyes peeled for Bici Café, and if you’re feeling adventurous give them a try; if you’re skeptical about the food, you can’t go wrong with their gelato.
