It is so rare that I get to be one of the first to check out a restaurant. Blame this on the fact that I don’t buy or read Seattle print newspapers but instead get my news from their online versions. So, typically, by the time I get to a new restaurant everyone and their brother has heard of, and reviewed, the life out of it. But this time I happened upon The Station Bistro on the night of its grand opening, and while I already had dinner plans I vowed to return on my first free night to check them out. That night turned out to be two days later.

Originally I had found The Station Bistro just by driving up Leary Avenue and noticing that the old service station was looking in better shape than it had been in years. While I love modern design and architecture there is something satisfying about seeing an old, abandoned building, one whose use was very opposite its future intended use, transformed from something of an eyesore into a functional member of the neighborhood. The sign painted on the door states the open hours as 4 PM to 2 AM, seven days a week but when I arrived at 4:30 I was asked to return in about twenty minutes. The staff is small and I could see they were busily trying to prep the restaurant from their late night the previous evening. A few times around the block taking pictures of the warm Fall evening was enough. As I strode back towards the awkwardly angled corner I could smell the savory aromas that the breeze had picked up from the kitchen and absconded with down the sidewalk.

Inside the space is hip and cool, both figuratively and literally. First the glass, roll-up garage doors were open to the elements, allowing free wandering breezes to mingle with the diners. As for literally, all the horizontal surfaces were a charcoal black, the table tops made up of slate of the color (Bits of chalk are provided for your dinner drawing pleasure), while most walls were a medium grey. The exception was the burnt crimson wall behind the bar. The menu was abbreviated; a letter sized sheet of paper folded in half, food on one side, wines on the other.

From the short menu I ordered Russian Steak Dumplings ($9.00) and Herbed Mushroom Risotto ($9.00). The dumplings consisted of bite sized bits of filet, wrapped in dough and floated in a shallow pool of beefy broth. With a dollop of crème fraiche and some chili sauce streaks the presentation itself was spare, clean and modern. It was with the first few bites that I realized the chef had intended something much more complex than what the look lent itself to. The steak was tender and each dumpling cut in half easily. Inside, studding the dough’s interior were bits of cracked, black pepper adding heat and bite to the steak bits while at the same time the crème fraiche, sticking to the outside of the dumplings, added cooling, creamy richness. As I was eating I thought to myself, “This is sort of like beef stroganoff”, and that is exactly what it was like. A much more modern version to be sure but the steak in the place of ground beef or stew meat, the dumplings where noodles would be, crème fraiche instead of sour cream and a broth that, when allowed to blend with the crème fraiche, was beefy, rich and creamy. But I will warn you that this dish can be messy. If you haven’t speared your dumpling just so, and it falls back into the broth, expect to splash yourself and anyone who’s nearby - be forewarned!

The risotto was a little on the unexpected side. While the menu had described something that I thought would be spiked with mushrooms, I instead got a bowl of risotto that was studded with oven roasted vegetables. Large chunks of cauliflower, butternut squash and whole Brussels sprouts blanketed the surface of a rich, cheesy risotto. The first bite was filled with roasted garlic flavor and coated in grated parmesan cheese. As a matter of fact, nearly everything was covered in the finely grated cheese. The vegetables found themselves attacked so that I could get to more bites of the star of the bowl. But they had their own claim to fame. The cauliflower was lightly browned on the edges but cooked just so to bring out their natural sugars, the butternut squash, much like its name was smooth and buttery rich and the Brussels sprouts were mild without a hint of the bitterness you sometimes get from poor preparation. It was after eating past these vegetable toppings that I had realized my mistake; I had allowed the risotto to cool down too much. With the roll-up doors half-way up and a slight chill in the air my creamy, buttery risotto turned more into a leaden, clumpy mass. So if you decide on this dish, eat it first and quickly if the doors are open.

Something to keep in mind with The Station Bistro, the dishes I saw were presented in smaller servings. Like many restaurants, The Station Bistro is participating in the trend towards a variety of small plates that are intended to be shared amongst friends. But don’t let that deter you from dining, like me, solo. A meat dish and a starch or vegetable dish are enough to make a meal for one. Think of the menu at The Station Bistro as something akin to a happy hour menu. One that you browse for tasty treats, of which these are, and nice wines to share with friends or indulge in alone, as you watch the traffic pass by on Leary Avenue.