Northside Bistro Raleigh

Excellent meal & service with 1 suggestion: Our dinner was absolutely excellent! Our server Ashley was friendly and efficient. We arrived with a reservation Saturday evening and were seated immediately in a nice comfy large booth. We started with a glass of Quilt Cab and an iced tea, then ordered our starters of Bistro salad which was so fresh, crisp w/delicious dressing and my husband had the Million Dollar Pie as his app to enjoy with his Cab. He devoured that pie in minutes! For dinner we ordered the Hashtag Tuna which came with rice, broccoli, and delicious soy sauce drizzle all over of which he said was incredible and filling. I had the Short Rib w/polenta w/asparagus and it was dynamite! I could only eat 1/2 so my husband finished mine then said both were excellent but he loved his tuna best. Another glass of Cabernet, plenty refills on my tea w/refreshed ice, then I decided there is always room for some chocolate ice cream/gelato. I think it was the best gelato I’ve ever had (in the USA)… if you like brownie flavored chocolate, you’ll love this! Creamy and delish. By 5:30pm the restaurant was packed, every seat at the bar taken, almost every table, glad we had a reservation as a few couples were turned away that walked in, as they were booked full for the night. I see why! The music was upbeat. Seeing the bustling of the kitchen. Nice decor. Delicious food. Quilt by the glass is elevated. Our bill was $167 plus tip. PS I’m Gluten Free and they can make most every dish to accommodate! Negative: obviously this must not bother most but it did me. Before we left I had to use the ladies room, our server pointed me in the direction, and it’s 2 (1 person) bathrooms that men or women can use. I didn’t like that I went in after a man, the seat was up so I used paper towels to put the seat down, there was pee on the floor, upon exiting another man was waiting on me to enter. I’m sure these were very nice men…but I did not like “sharing” a toilet with a man. This is not political, this is just the thought of me putting a toilet seat down from a stranger man seems very odd for such a nice restaurant. They could have a separate ladies and men’s room which I’m sure they’ve thought of but choose to do it this way.