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Y! MyWebBAR REVIEW
Club 55 Bistro and Bar
Troy's Club 55 worth the trek up I-75
Friday, April 04, 2008
Take 75. Drive 65. Turn off onto Ohio 55. Ahead on the left, prepare to be rewarded if you stop and visit Club 55 — one of the newest upscale sophisticated bistro bars to hit the area.
Extras
Photos
An interior photo from Club 55 at 845 West Market Street in Tory.
Ruben with sweet potato fries.Club 55 Bistro and Bar
- WHERE: 845 W. Market St., Troy. [Map]
- HOURS: Monday through Thursday 3-10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 3 p.m. to 2 a.m., closed Sundays. The restaurant's food and drink manager, Steve Taylor, says Club 55 is planning to open for lunch soon, so check the Web site for updates.
- HAPPY HOUR: Monday and Tuesdays 4-7 p.m., with a dollar off drafts and mixed drinks.
- WORTH ORDERING: Black and Bleu Steak Quesadilla ($8.95), Deep Fried Crimini Mushrooms ($4.95), Club 55 steak burger with sweet potato fries ($9.55), Grilled Reuben ($9.55).
- MORE INFO: (937) 332-8547 or www.club-55.com
- MORE: Reader ratings, complete profile
Seated next to the Crystal Room, a 10,500-square-foot banquet facility, Club 55 is part of the Troy Business Park, a redevelopment project that has taken an old Kmart site and split it out among several other tenants.
Opened in late December, the massive dimly-lit space that greets you is richly appointed with a sizeable dark wood bar, upholstered seating areas and a stone fireplace.
For those on a mission to find a place to watch the game, an occasional big-screen TV interrupts the grandiose space, although hearing it might prove challenging.
On our first visit, the bar staff appeared to struggle with the specialty cocktail menu — the one you have to know in advance to ask for and that also serves as the bartenders' recipe card. Even with the help of a recipe to guide them, the drinks arrived improperly mixed after an exceedingly long wait.
The I Can't Drive 55 ($7.50), a potent mix of Bacardi rum, Absolut vodka, Tangueray Rangpur gin, Cointreau, sugar and sour mix with a splash of 7UP was served sans sour mix and sugar. The Southern Bell ($5), billed as a mixture of Southern Comfort, cranberry juice with a hint of lime and grenadine, was plenty of cranberry and little else.
The robust appetizer menu was too tempting for the Lizards to pass up, so we opted for the Black and Bleu Steak Quesadilla with watercress and caramelized red onion ($8.95), the Pepper Poppers stuffed with cream cheese and served with raspberry salsa on the side ($6.55) and the Sesame Encrusted Ahi Tuna with Wasabi Aioli ($10.55). It wasn't long before we figured out just where this bar/bistro shines: the food.
Two extremely generous cuts of seared Ahi arrived promptly. Tender and flavorful, the amount of meat — nearly enough for a meal itself — was a good match for the price tag. The quesadilla elevates the notion of what bar food can be. The mixture of complex flavors — thanks in no small part to the sweet caramelized onions, chargrilled strips of steak and sharp distinct blue cheese — was perfectly done and heartily satisfying. The crisp shell on the poppers carried a satisfying crunch, and the raspberry was a nice counterpart to the rich cream cheese and modest heat from the jalapeño.
A follow-up visit found us in the midst of a Thursday Ladies Night, which, in addition to a dollar-off drinks for those of the female persuasion, means a complimentary nibbler plate with cheese cubes, stuffed olives, salami, apple and grapes (normally retailing for $7.55) for the ladies.
This time out, we commenced by ordering the Deep Fried Crimini Mushrooms served with a side of Thai sweet chili sauce ($4.95) and the Green Chili Chicken Nachos ($9.55). Both were a hit, but the soft mushrooms housed in a crunchy seasoned shell with a tangy tasty sauce for dunking won out.
The half-pound Club 55 steak burger loaded with applewood pepper bacon, avocado, pepper jack cheese and chipotle mayo on a toasted brioche roll ($9.55) was as decadent and savory as it sounds and the Grilled Reuben made with some seriously tender corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut on marbled rye with thousand island dressing ($9.55) was an instant hit.
Sandwiches are served with a choice of French fries, sweet potato fries, chips or cole slaw. We highly recommend the sweet potato fries. They are some of the best we've had, with the only drawback being the lack of dipping sauce. A sweet-honey mustard or something along those lines would work well.
Ready to test the skills of the bar staff, we ordered the same two drinks from our original visit with a similar wait and disappointing result. Best to probably stick with a beer or a very simple classic drink. A Stella Artois draft ($4) or Fullers London Pride ale in a bottle ($4) proved to be satisfying choices.
On one of the nights we visited, the mediocre live music was a constant unnecessary distraction that brought the overall mood down a notch. Still, while there are several kinks for this new business to work out, it's clear there's plenty more they're doing right.
CRAIG SCHROLUCKE AND ALEXIS LARSEN love pubs, bars and clubs in equal amounts.
