The Bistro at Union Station

Since its renovation in 1999, Union Station has had a hard time establishing itself as a culinary destination. But things improved for the cafe in the center of the Grand Hall when local restaurateurs Paul Khoury and Bill Crooks of PB&J Restaurants Inc. took over that space in early 2008. They've given the space a menu that captures the fresh simplicity of an urban bistro: sandwiches, salads, a few good pasta choices and five tasty small pizzas. Service is casual but professional and attentive. It's not as sophisticated as Pierpont's across the hall (though the view from the second-floor dining area is elegant and dramatic) or as laid-back as the noisy Harvey House Diner nearby, but the place is surprisingly appealing. And not too costly: prices range from $9.95 for the California Asian chicken salad to $10.95 for a sweet-Italian-sausage pizza.
Sat., Sept. 20, 2008