Dining Review: Touch of Italian at Thyme

Photo by Nikki Boertman // Buy this photo

mussels in beer broth and Thyme Salad with butter lettuce

Times were looking tough when first Whole Hog Cafe and then longtime tenant Jarrett's restaurant closed at the Yorkshire Square Shopping Plaza. But in February, Whole Hog reopened, and then Thyme Bistro opened in the old Jarrett's space in May.

A revival? So it seems inside the bustling bistro.

Photo by Nikki Boertman

Thyme Bistro's Saviori Pizza

bruschetta with fresh tomato and olive tapenade

, goat cheese with an apple cider vinaigrette.

Photo by Nikki Boertman

mussels in beer broth and Thyme Salad with butter lettuce

Photo by Nikki Boertman

Thyme Bistro is at 5689 Quince in the Yorkshire Square Shopping Plaza.

Rick Saviori, formerly with Ciao Bella, has put together a menu that has Italian touches but offers a variety that includes an emphasis on fresh and local ingredients.

This doesn't mean all the ingredients are local, and let's be glad of that as the mussels are one of the restaurant's stand-out dishes. We changed our appetizer selection after we saw -- and caught the aroma of -- a very generous serving on its way to another table.

The mussels were all plump, and not a single one had to be set aside. The beer broth was immensely flavorful, rich in garlic but not overwhelmed by it, which allowed the smoky paprika from the chorizo to shine through. An excellent dish that could only have been improved by a bit of bread for sopping up the juices.

We improvised, using bits of the bread from our bruschetta. Our order of six toasts came topped with a fresh tapenade and diced tomatoes. I couldn't have been more pleased with the tapenade. Instead of being pulverized, the olives were diced in coarse bits. The slight bitterness of the Kalamata olive remained, which was set off by a bit of garlic and olive oil. The bread could have been toasted harder, but it was toasted sufficiently, and that's more than I can say for much of the bruschetta I've eaten in restaurants. (Honestly, what is this? Sometimes I'll order bruschetta and get soft baguette rounds.)

Before I move on, just one more appetizer: The Spanish deviled eggs contain shrimp, capers, olives and are topped with a strip of roasted red pepper. If you like deviled eggs -- and I do -- these will please you.

I wish that restaurants would stop calling any salad with romaine a Caesar. If it comes with a "buttermilk cracked pepper" dressing, it's not a Caesar salad. In Thyme's defense, this is clearly written on the menu. I made the mistake of deciding to add a salad after my menu had been taken. When the server listed Caesar among the selections, I ordered it without asking questions.

I won't make that mistake again, particularly as the Thyme salad is so good. We had it at lunch and if I'd not been reviewing, would have been happy to have made a complete lunch from the larger salad (all the salads are served in two sizes).

The apple cider vinaigrette is slightly sweet, as are the spiced pecans, but the tangy goat cheese and the bite of the red onion play with them beautifully, all on top of a bed of butter lettuce garnished with tomatoes. It's a great balance that makes for an excellent salad. (Our salad also had a bit of spring mix in it, though it's not listed on the menu.)

There are eight 12-inch pizzas on the dinner menu and six 10-inch pizzas on the lunch menu. I ordered the Bianca, a white pizza topped with mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, blue cheese and olive oil. I added a bit of crushed red pepper to mine, but that's a personal preference and wasn't necessary as the pizza had plenty of flavor. I saved enough of the salad to have it with my pizza, which was a great match.

We weren't happy with the Adult Grilled Cheese sandwich and knew I should have gone with the Cuban. Next time -- but back to the grilled cheese. It's Newman Farm bacon, gruyere cheese, house-cured gravlox and sliced apple on homemade brioche.

The gravlox (salmon) was both too salty in general and and too fishy for the sandwich. It was all I could taste, even above the (very good) bacon.

The pasta Bolognese at dinner is a massive serving, enough to feed two or three people. The pasta, made in-house, comes in soft, rippled ribbons. The sauce was hearty and flavorful, though it could have used a bit more spice and depth.

The roasted chicken was a delight. Half a Springer Mountain chicken (a normal sized, not supermarket-sized) is roasted and served with a rice and vegetable pilaf and a tarragon veloute sauce. The chicken was tender and moist, and the touch of tarragon an always-welcomed touch.

Thyme Bistro is a nice place. It's comfortable and attractive. The prices are reasonable; the most expensive item on the menu is the duck at $20. The bar is warm and welcoming and though it'll be a couple of months before we'll enjoy it, the patio is still open and as inviting as ever.

-- Jennifer Biggs: 529-5223

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Thyme Bistro

Food:

Service:

Atmosphere:

Address: 5689 Quince

Telephone: (901) 552-4907

Hours: Lunch Monday through Friday, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m.-until about 9 or 10 p.m. during the week and 10 or 11 p.m. on weekends

Reviewer's choices: Mussels ($11), Bianca pizza ($12 at lunch, $15 at dinner), Thyme salad ($6 for small, $12 for large) roasted chicken ($16)

Alcohol: Full bar

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