COCO’S BISTRO Address: 515 Wayne Ave., Dayton

Class factor: A running theme for all five of our James Bond inspired cocktail hangouts continues at Coco’s with dark woods accented by bursts of color, thanks to a few carefully selected art pieces. When done well, this decor can create a sophisticated milieu perfect for any secret agent’s lair — and Coco’s is no exception.

Featured cocktails: The Bourbon Bath ($9), made with Woodford Reserve on the rocks shaken with Gran Marnier and sweet Vermouth, is one of the Lounge Lizard favorites and one we’re sure would impress James Bond. The Blue Goose ($8) made with orange Grey Goose, Blue Caracao, white cranberry and a splash of lime also is a treat.

WWJBD? (What would James Bond do?): The patio marks the perfect summer spot for any secret agent looking to make a quick getaway. A stone’s throw away from the parking lot, Bond could leap over the fence, jump into his convertible of choice and be off to save the day. During winter months, the suave and debonair Bond would request an out-of-the-way corner table to conduct his business and escape detection (while sipping on his newly found favorite — the Bourbon Bath).

Worth noting: Coco’s menu has been updated recently. A few of the standouts include Chicken and Basil Lasagna ($15) — a rich, decadent comfort treat that arrived just in time for winter — and Blackberry Pork ($18.50) served with a four-cheese au gratin croquette that will leave you wanting more, calories be damned.

Contact: (937) 228-COCO (2626) or www.228coco.com

Five bars that can serve up a 007-worthy cocktail.

So, Daniel Craig, Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, and even Roger Moore, if you’re in Dayton, please drop in. We’ll pick up your tab, and serve it shaken, not stirred.

Dayton Restaurants & Dayton Dining Guide

Average price of dinner and drinks for one: $30

Located in Dayton’s Oregon Historic District and seven blocks from the convention center, Coco’s Bistro serves hearty contemporary American fare at reasonable prices. Coco’s decor is stylish and comfortable. Reservations are recommended for dinner. The bar is usually full. At lunchtime, Coco’s is crowded with business people who know one another. You may run into the mayor. Or you may see Coco herself, the young daughter of the owners, who live nearby.

We really appreciate being known as the place to meet for a business lunch downtown, it’s nice to be a part of all the exciting things that are happening in Dayton.

We also have our patio- which is always a great option when it’s nice outside.

Thanks Dayton Business Journal for including us in your Dining Guide!

Cocos Bistro | Ohiomagazine.com | Ohio Arts & Entertainment Articles
Here’s a little gastronomic quiz: If you saw broiled peaches on a menu “peach halves stuffed with walnut bleu cheese stuffing, then oven broiled and drizzled with zinfandel reduction” would you consider it an appetizer or a dessert?

At Coco’s Bistro, it’s the former – a slightly topsy-turvy choice that ought to suggest the zest and creativity at work in this relatively new addition to fine-dining options in southwest Ohio. The restaurant is perched on the outside edge of Dayton’s Oregon District, a popular downtown entertainment strip. A combination of good reviews, easy parking a rarity in this neighborhood, personal-touch service, great word-of-mouth and terrific food have turned Coco’s into a heavily trafficked spot. Expect a wait for lunch, and call ahead for dinnertime reservations.

Be sure to order those broiled peaches, too. Our smart, on-task waiter, Tony, confessed that the kitchen had talked about moving them to the dessert menu, but you’ll encounter few finer openings to a good meal than this. Unless, of course, you order the fried Brie, which comes crusted in crisp herbs and topped with comfit tomato compote, pesto and balsamic reduction. Put that on a crostini and you might just forget about broiled peaches. Might. Just.

Salads show the same flair. A blackened chicken salad includes caramelized peaches and an apricot vinaigrette drizzle; the plum spinach salad is spiced up with cinnamon-sugar pecans and pinot noir vinaigrette.

The number of entrees is not over-large, but the offerings are so different that variety is the order of an eclectic evening. The Black and Blue Ribeye, dripping in bleu cheese butter and melt-in-the-mouth onion rings, is as good as anything you’ll find in a top steakhouse. Other highlights of note: the Tuscan chicken, served on a pesto mash unlike anything we’ve run across elsewhere; the eggplant Parmesan, flash-fried with a merlot marinara that’s firmer and crispier than you expect anything eggplant to be; the bleu cheese hash-brown casserole that accompanies the already fine crab cakes; the beef and noodles that aren’t like anything your mom ever made; the Bistro Burger that isn’t like anything your dad ever made.

Combine it all with a dark and romantic dining-room atmosphere and an intelligent wine list, and – oh, yes – reasonable prices for a fine night out, and you’ve got a Dayton destination. –” Ron Rollins

DAYTON
Coco’s Bistro 515 Wayne Ave., 937/228-2626. www.228coco.com. Lunch: Mon.-Fri. 11 a.m.-2 p.m., $6-$13. Dinner Mon.–Thur. 5-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m.; entrees $13-$26. CR 3

We’re not sure what CR 3 means- but, we take all major credit cards.

Coco’s Bistro
An area favorite serving traditional dishes at reasonable prices
By Ella V. Adalois
Coco’s Bistro, located near the Oregon District, is an area favorite that has always received high marks for its visual impact. In fact, there are a few other places in town that have come later touting this Cocoesque dramatic décor. The dark grays, corals and ambers with coppery accents provide an inviting feeling that makes it one of the top romantic spots to dine. French framed artwork only adds to the feeling.
Recently I visited Coco’s after judging a 40+ entry dessert competition. Two pastry chefs and I stopped by for lunch after taste-testing a mountain of sweets. We were not tempted by Coco’s three-choice dessert tray, but a pleasant surprise – on my second visit – was the chocolate lava cake, warmed and dressed with homemade whip cream. This dish became a very sultry chocolate explosion. Don’t judge the desserts by the mock-ups on the dessert tray; they are much better coming out of executive chef Darin Mitchell’s kitchen. In addition, given the romance factor, I took my husband to Coco’s during Valentine’s week. We love the high ceilings, sconce lighting, and herbaceous room dividers. The only drawback was that one can occasionally hear the rush of Wayne Avenue traffic when seated with a back to the front window.
The waiters impressed us with countless little courtesies. In most upscale restaurants around town, servers pay attention to the details of making their customers comfortable. But I have to say that Steve and Tony must be members of the superlative servers club of Dayton. These gentlemen had an unbelievable polish with a special knack for good manners, tidiness and attentiveness. It felt a bit like a dance or as if we had stepped into some big city eating venue. No kidding, ask for these guys and you’ll receive astonishing service.
The menu is noteworthy for its reasonable prices of traditional dishes that are made with fresh ingredients then artfully plated. Coco’s serves glamorous ultra crisp fried brie ($9), topped with a confit of tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. It is a bright spot in the hors d’oeuvres section, and an ample appetizer designed to be shared. Unfortunately the vege-tarian spring rolls tasted premade, but the sauces brought this dish up a notch.
Plum Spinach is a striking salad with caramelized plums, crumbled feta, and cinnamon sugar toasted pecans on a bed of baby spinach drizzled with pinot noir vinaigrette. Most dishes are offered at two prices and sizes as in the case of these meal salads. (Salads priced from $5 for lunch and $9 for dinner). The small house salad made of lovely field greens was topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, and chow mein noodles. While the Caesar salad was unremarkable, save the garlicky croutons, the dressings seemed homemade and there are other marvelous salad starters for future testing – Tomato Mozzarella Salad, Italian Vegetable Salad, and Blackened Chicken Salad.
One of the top picks in the seafood category was the Pasta Caprese ($17). It had sautéed shrimp, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella served over penne pasta tossed in roasted garlic oil, finished with chiffonade basil. It was served with garlic crostini and house salad. The Crab- cake Sandwich Griddle blue crab cake served on a toasted roll with shredded lettuce was a little heavy handed on the shaved onion and sweet chili sauce. They also serve a Pecan Tilapia in a beurre blanc. ($18)
For the Italian fare, Mushroom Raviolis (with – $15 or without – $13) has the option of a grilled chicken breast with caramelized red onions. The raviolis were tossed in a delicate roasted garlic cream sauce and finished with cheesy Fontina then served with a crostini. It’s an excellent choice. The Eggplant Parmesan ($12) was a little too heavily breaded for my taste, similar to the premade version. From the tomato bisque soup, to the Merlot marinara on the eggplant as well as the Spaghetti & Meatballs ($13), the sweetness could be dialed down a bit. The two large homemade meatballs were moist, well seasoned with familiar Italian herbs, served on a bed of al dente linguini, and finished with shaved Asiago and garlic crostini.
Look for spring updates to the menu with seasonal produce available. Coco’s is also planning an Easter brunch with some wine tastings over the next couple of months. Their wine list contains familiar offerings, but have enough variety to be interesting. The beer menu goes well beyond mass-market selections.
Coco’s Bistro is located at 515 Wayne Avenue. Prices range from $9 to $26. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday-Thursday dinner 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday dinner 5 to 11 p.m. Closed Sundays. For more information, call (937) 228–2626.
Reach DCP dining critic Ella V. Adalois at
contactus@daytoncitypaper.com

Here is what was in the Dayton Daily News from readers:

Readers’ response to Restaurant Week robust
COCO’S BISTRO”Four of us went to Coco’s and the whole dining experience was wonderful. We sat down at the time of our reservation, the server was attentive and experienced, the food (tilapia, eggplant and beef tips and noodles) was very tasty, drinks and wine, bread and dessert. What else could you ask for? We love restaurant week and look forward to the next one in the summer. It’s a great week to try a new restaurant.”

— Jen

There is always something going on at Coco’s- please subscribe to our newsletter, or our RSS feed to keep up to date! We look forward to seeing you soon.

We’re thrilled to be so highly thought of by Dayton Business Journal readers, we’re in the top 5 “best local fine dining” with Jays, L’Auberge, El Meson, C’est Tout.

Considering we’ve only been open 16 months, that’s quite an accomplishment.

We’ve absolutely had a blast, and it’s so nice that so many of you have bought your friends, and then, they in turn bring their friends.

Almost every week we host a wedding rehearsal dinner, and some of the guests are so happy to have “discovered” Coco’s. Thank you all.

Coco’s a tad hard to find, but worth a visit
Dayton Business Journal
November 3, 2006 by Caleb Stephens

Choosing where to eat can be a difficult decision. Whether its a business meeting or a first date, I often rack my brain to find a spot with the right mix of good food and uniqueness. I heard that Coco’s Bistro was such a place. Coco’s, situated in the Oregon District, opened earlier this year. I decided to check it out:

Parking

Coco’s has a large on-site parking lot. The restaurant itself is tough to find, off Wayne Avenue across from several empty buildings.

AtmosphereNatural light illuminates the front of Coco’s, and it gets darker further back.

The 120-seat restaurant features a modern design with exposed ceilings and stark artwork. With maroon and green walls and a leopard skin-print carpet, the interior feels hip, yet relaxed. On the downside, the tables were too close together. That, coupled with high ceilings, made Coco’s noisy.

ServiceThe service during a lunch visit was excellent. The waitress knew the menu well and throughout the meal another server helped clear plates. Even the owner stopped by and asked how the meal was.

Food infoCoco’s offers a mix of sandwiches, salads and pastas for lunch, in the $7 to $9 range.

I was hungry and got the chicken parmesan sandwich ($8), a hulking feast served with French fries. A guest ordered the grilled turkey and brie sandwich ($8) and another opted for the Harvest Apple and Chicken Salad ($8.50).

A consensus was reached on the food: It was terrific.

Final analysisCoco’s is not the first venture for owners Karen Wick and Jim Gagnet. The duo operated the quaint Coco’s 520 Grill for years in the Oregon District, until closing the restaurant in 1999 to make way for The Blue Moon to expand.

The new Coco’s shows the pair haven’t lost their touch. It’s a great place to make an impression. It’s got the food and a smooth look and the prices won’t make you cringe, at least not at lunch.

The one issue I see facing Coco’s is its location. While it may be officially part of the Oregon District, you won’t see it driving down Fifth Street. It’s a little off the beaten path, a few blocks from Fifth on Wayne Avenue. But Coco’s is worth the extra turn to get there.

Caleb Stephens is managing editor of the Dayton Business Journal. Reach him at cstephens@bizjournals.com.

Yes, your faithful Leadbellies are not above shameless promotional tie-ins, but you already knew that. Last year, local cooks were invited to bring the best garlic dishes from their kitchens, and we tasted them at the festival. It was fun, but we couldn’t get near our wives for a few days.

This year, the Cox Arb folks invited five of the top chefs from around town to bring in their garlic specialties, and we sampled those for judging purposes. Here’s who we tasted:

• Coco’s Bistro presented a delicious and gorgeous array of garlic-based appetizers, including tapenade and a roasted-garlic shrimp spread to die for. Their bison burger, a menu favorite, was also presented with the new restaurant’s special garlic mayo. Yum.

Newly reopened, Coco’s hits the mark for artistic, contemporary cuisine

By Elizabeth Rokeach

In the few weeks since Coco’s has reopened, the buzz about the place has just kept growing. I arrived at Coco’s on a recent Saturday to meet friends for dinner and found the dimly lit dining room bustling with happy diners and comely servers rushing food and drinks to their tables. The high ceilings, theatrical lighting, copper sculptures, and walls painted in moody green and dark coral added to its dramatic appeal.
We started with the Sweet and Spicy Sea Scallops and Shrimp Cocktail as our appetizers. The scallops were of a good size and had a nicely caramelized, crisp exterior from being pan-seared. The sweet flavor that resulted was a match made in Heaven for the spicy pool of homemade jalapeño jam in which they arrived. The addition of earthy, fried parsnip shavings over the top of the scallops completed the attractively presented dish.
The shrimp cocktail, simmered in a spicy beer broth, came chilled with a traditional (made in-house, no doubt) cocktail sauce as well as a lemon curd dipping sauce. The lemon curd sauce was more ambitious than tasty and I preferred the horseradish-heavy traditional tomato cocktail sauce as my dip for the plump, perfectly cooked shrimp.
A house salad came with my entrée. Unfortunately, this course is an afterthought at many establishments. Not so at Coco’s. The lovely field greens were topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, and chow mein noodles, but what really won me over was the dressing. I was curious to try the Thousand Island not only because I rarely see it on contemporary menus (and it’s a favorite of mine) but also because Coco’s made theirs from scratch and I was curious to see a fresh approach to this old standby. The dressing was the best Thousand Island I’ve ever had, and was colored a beautiful pink hue thanks to the not-so-secret but wonderfully inventive addition of beets.
For my entrée, I had the Grilled Ahi, a tuna filet char-grilled rare and topped with a shiitake mushroom sauce flavored with soy, sake and ginger. As with Western-style horseradish, wasabi is a natural pairing for mashed potatoes, and the Coco’s version had just the right amount of bite for which wasabi is known.
On another visit, I stopped in for lunch and tried the Barbecue Chicken Burger. This “burger” is a chopped chicken breast formed into a patty drenched with a sweet, Coca-Cola-based barbecue sauce topped with caramelized onions and white cheddar on a foccacia Kaiser roll. It came with a side of lightly herbed and incredibly delicious French fries.
For me, I had an expectation of traditional barbecue sauce, and while this version was palatable, it is nothing like any barbecue sauce I have ever had. That being said, this was also the sort of dish that you try and think is just “okay,” only to find yourself craving it madly three days later.
My husband and I went back for dinner on a weeknight, which was nearly as packed as when I first visited on a weekend. The wine list is both familiar and creative, and our knowledgeable server (who had impeccable timing between courses, I’d like to add) suggested I pair the Parducci Pinot Noir with the Garlic and Herb Crusted Rib Eye Steak as my entrée. Parducci Pinot Noir, known for being an easy drinking wine, was terrific for the price, and had mellow flavors of berries, cocoa and even cinnamon that stood up well to the steak.
The steak itself arrived looking stunning but not fussy, topped with a mound of crispy, fried onion rings and demi-glace. The accompanying sautéed spinach was nice and vinagary, and the carrots were perfectly steamed.
Additionally, it came with a round Borsin cheese potato cake. Coco’s has a way with potatoes, for sure, and once again this potato side did not disappoint. Borsin cheese is tangy but mild, and the somehow airy but rich consistency of the potatoes was so delectable with the rib eye that I found myself hedonistically dipping forkfuls of steak into the creamy potatoes before taking (what ended up being many) bites.
Coco’s Bistro is named for the daughter of owners Karen Wick and Jim Gagnet. Their son, Hector, also makes an appearance on the menu in the form of a children’s menu for what they dub “young protégés.” It’s not surprising their children have such original names since the team of Wick and Gagnet is so creative and solid in the kitchen of their new Dayton hot spot.

Coco’s Bistro is located at 515 Wayne Avenue in Dayton. Hours of operation are Monday through Thursday, 11 am – 2 pm, 5 pm – 10 pm, Friday and Saturday, 11 am – 2 pm, 5 pm – 11 pm. They are closed on Sunday. Entrées range from $6 to $23. Call (937) 228–COCO for more information.

Reach DCP food critic Elizabeth Rokeach
at contactus@daytoncitypaper.com.

DINING REVIEW

Coco’s Bistro offers twists on tradition

By Ann Heller

Staff Writer

DAYTON | By Ann Heller

In recent weeks, the Web site for the new Coco’s Bistro posted my review of the restaurant — actually the original Coco’s restaurant that I wrote about in 1997. I said then that “In some circles everyone is talking about Coco’s. Luckily those circles are just the ones Karen Wick and Jim Gagnet hoped to reach.”

I could write the same thing today about their second restaurant, which opened on Wayne Avenue, a few blocks from the original in the Oregon Historic District two weeks ago.

Since this is my last dining review for the paper, I managed two visits a bit sooner than I usually would for reviewing and saw that table-hopping customers reflected the same interest of a decade ago.

The new restaurant gets high marks for the visuals. The two rooms are warmly inviting, in rich tones of dark pumpkin and sooty green, with copper accents. The leopard-skin-patterned carpet and faux ostrich skin fabric on the chairs reflect fine attention to details. Some finishing touches have yet to arrive.

The menu, notable for moderate prices, looks rather uninventive at first glance, but traditional dishes have been tweaked with additions of chipotle chiles, crisp pancetta and shaved Parmesan that accent multiple offerings.

In a world of fried mozzarella sticks, this kitchen turns out an ultra crisp fried brie, topped with a confit of tomatoes and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. It’s a rich appetizer to share.

The $9 burger, available at lunch and dinner, has a choice of fries or slaw, and I’d get both — the fries simply for the knockout smoky-hot chipotle ketchup for dipping. The smoked slaw, imbued with smoke flavor and nuggets of pancetta, should not be missed. It is a better choice than a bland Caesar salad, with flavor only in the garlicky croutons. The burger itself benefits from a smear of Boursin cheese to keep it moist, and slices of pancetta add flavor, which beef rarely has these days.

An Ahi tuna BLT may draw fans of that fish, and the chef does try to add interest with slices of pancetta and a creamy chipotle sauce, but it is the kalamata olive bread that is the standout in this sandwich.

The dinner menu, with entrees priced from $11 and only one — an espresso-crusted filet mignon — more than $20, provides an option to higher-priced restaurants in the Oregon District.

For now, the kitchen sometimes suffers opening jitters, with badly overcooked green beans served with a ribeye steak topped with crisp, well-seasoned onion rings. Catfish blackened and layered over a curious mixture of chopped sweet potatoes and chopped chorizo, has potential. It too gets a drizzle of that spicy chipotle sauce.

The small dessert list focuses on simple preparations such as a made-to-order coconut cream tart, with filling spooned into a baked phyllo shell and topped with a sprinkle of toasted coconut and whipped cream.

The wine list is scattered with enough unfamiliar wines to be interesting. The beer menu of 20 choices goes well beyond mass- market selections. And coming soon will be monthly wine tastings, with 30 choices offered at stations.

An outside patio is also in the planning stage.

how to go

WHAT: Coco’s Bistro.

WHERE: 515 Wayne Ave., Dayton.

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday; 5 to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

COST: Dinner entrees from $11 to $23.

STYLE: Casual.

MORE INFO: (937) 228-2626.

CRITIC’S CHOICE: A glass of Oberon Cab, Bistro Burger, smoked slaw, french fries with chipotle ketchup.