Broad meal appeal

When you think of a Bistro, you think of a cozy atmosphere, simple dining and casual conversation. After visiting Bill's Bistro on Broad in downtown Brooksville, you might add a sense of community to the mix.

Bill Staunko, owner of Bill's Bistro, is as motivated to glue the community together as he is to fill hungry stomachs with amazing food creations. His mission is to promote traffic to downtown Brooksville by combining his business with the assets of others.

He is well on his way to accomplishing that goal through creative ways of enticing new customers to his restaurant while pitching the goods and services of his neighbors.

"I am in the business to build the community," Staunko said.

Bill's Bistro is only two months old — it opened its doors December 29. It is a comfortable place to share a lunch and, on select evenings, a memorable dinner with a diversified menu selection.

While Bill's Bistro offers signature dishes regularly, the restaurant takes special pride in its ability to vary the menu. In fact, Staunko's recent stumbling across a load of wonderful eggplant led to inspired dishes that were served that same week.

Classic items include sandwiches like meatloaf, Buffalo Chicken, Curried Egg Salad and Italian Sausage. Also on the menu are various Quesadillas (veggie, mushroom or chicken) and amazing soups and salads. Everything is made fresh using mostly locally grown or prepared items.

But the restaurant is experimenting with different ideas, offering specialty dishes at different times and encouraging suggestions from its customers.

Staunko's motivators travel beyond building his own clientele, however. He strives to meet customer expectations as he assembles a formidable foundation in an area he perceives to be "the creative heart of Brooksville." Yet he also wants to bond the community.

Staunko got his restaurant experience from his sister who opened a small café in St. Petersburg. In fact, some of the Bistro's signature dishes came from her inspiration.

Ironically, Staunko was not looking to open a restaurant when he and his wife, Pamela Staunko, stumbled on downtown Brooksville. The couple was actually trying to find a location for Pamela's store, Revamp It, which is described as an "Eclectic Workshop."

They looked at several locations managed by the same owner, including the old sports bar.

"We ended up leasing two stores," Bill Staunko explained. Pamela opened Revamp It around the corner on Main Street. And Bill converted the sports bar, with some creative decorating and stylish finesse, into a bistro.

Apart from his changing menu, Bill's Bistro is also experimenting with a "Date Night" concept he intends to offer monthly. The themed, multi-course dinner experiences will include appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts.

The Valentine's Day debut to date night was warmly received. Bill's Bistro hosted two dinner time slots, attended by reservation, at 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The décor was romantic, with dim lighting, soft music and tables sprinkled with Valentine heart confetti. A hostess seated the couples, four that attended the early dinner, and offered a choice of beverage, including select bottled beers and wine by the glass.

The meal consisted of courses, brought to the table in segments. It began with fresh baked rolls by Bonnie Von Dohre, an artisan bread baker whose breads are often served at Bill's Bistro.

Appetizers of grilled shrimp over a bed of grits and a stuffed Portobello mushroom cap followed.

A fragrant dinner salad of fresh greens, juicy plump tomatoes and a tangy lemon dressing preceded the double entrée of Pesto Nut Encrusted Salmon and a tender filet, oven roasted garlic mashed potatoes, oven roasted beets and grilled Bock Choy.

The meal was rounded out with strawberry shortcake, an assembling of fresh baked pound cake slices, fresh juicy strawberries and a succulent tower of whipped heavy cream and a generous slice of Chocolate Coca Cola Cake. Bill's own daughter, Amanda Staunko of Amanda's Sweet Escape, baked the decadent desserts.

Newlyweds, John and Dorothy Weiss, brought their friends, Roy and Dolores Garner, to experience Bill's Bistro as their guests. Roy Garner, a former Pastor of Garden Grove Baptist Church, had married the couple December 31, 2011.

"We saw this place when we were at the courthouse getting our marriage license," Dorothy Weiss said.

Although the Bistro was closing at the time, Bill Staunko invited them in and served them a meal. The Weisses were so impressed with the quality of the food, the dynamic service and the generosity of Staunko that they booked their Valentine's Day dinner.

"Part of it is the congeniality," Roy Garner added. "Everyone comes around and asks how everything is. Even the owner came to our table."

Matt and Beverly Lowman also attended the dinner and were impressed with the experience.

"The stuffed Portabello mushroom was my favorite," Matt Lowman said. "The steak was very good and the salmon was excellent."

Matt Lowman also praised the gift packets given to couples with marketing trinkets and coupons from local businesses. As part of the Lowman Law Firm, Matt Lowman is an advocate for building strong communities downtown.

"It is really great that they did this," he added.

Bill's Bistro is currently open for lunch Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. They offer a full lunch menu and brown bag lunches, delivered on foot to local businesses. In addition, the Bistro has added a dinner menu Thursday through Saturday, reopening from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.