Blue Jeans Bistro, 266 Park Ave, August 19

Overall impression:  Lovely to sit outside on a summer night. Somewhat slow service, but fine food, including a large selection of appetizers.

(For general info go to: http://worcesterscene.com/worcester/restaurants/blue-jeans-bistro/
I can't find a dedicated bistro site, but Blue Jeans pizza is at http://www.bluejeanspizza.com/)

The building next to Blue Jeans pizza now houses "Blue Jeans Bistro" on the first floor, open Wednesday-Sunday. We have had Blue Jeans pizza before (mmm...) and were drawn to the Bistro by $5 burger Wednesdays and outside seating on a warm night. We were the only bistro customers outside or in, but a pizza-eating family with lots of small kids livened up the outdoor atmosphere. Overall it was a good experience.

[We had only been to this building once, 10 years ago. This was a time we spent a weekend in Worcester looking at apartments and doing the final decision-making process about relocating. Eric had been out for his job interview, and I requested to see the city before moving all the way across the country. We decided to check out the only Thai restaurant we could find then, which was in the now Blue Jeans Bistro/Loft 266 space. And - it was awful. God-awful. Limp rice noodles with vinegar kind of awful. I was sure it was a mafia front. It was a major shock to the system coming from Berkeley, CA, with world-class Thai food on almost every street. Yet we still moved. I am so happy that there are a few good Thai places in Worcester now (see Basil N Spice review). And that now a lovely pub-type restaurant has replaced the horrible old place.]

We started with potato skins. There aren't that many vegetarian things for main courses, but the appetizer list is jam-packed. I then had a great salad and Eric had the burger and onion strings and a beer. The server was very pleasant, though the food took a while. That was ok, we were enjoying the evening.

I think this would be a great place to go for drinks and munchies with a group of friends after work. Bonus for us it is on the edge of the west side (where many of our friends live) but not far from our house (north Worcester). And its close to That's Entertainment, where I am weekly or bi-weekly.