Bites Nearby: 1515 Restaurant and Lounge

We never thought of eating at 1515 Restaurant and Lounge, best known as a late-night downtown hot spot. Then a friend and self-professed foodie told us that the food is "really good."

So we checked it out, and our friend was right: the restaurant portion of 1515, overseen by Chef Gerardo Wence, is hitting on all cylinders, with excellent food, an impressive list of cocktails and wine, and winning service.

The meal started out with bread sticks served with an olive tapenade and hummus. A wedge salad with iceberg lettuce was crisp and flavorful, topped with blue cheese dressing, bacon bits and diced tomatoes. 

After the salad we enjoyed the jumbo cheese ravioli, served not with a sauce but drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette that perfectly balanced the flavors of the mozzarella, parmesan, asiago, and ricotta cheeses tucked into the pasta.

The meal continued to delight with a cheeseburger served on a french roll. Moist and cooked to perfection, the burger is always a strong test for any restaurant: do it well and everyone loves you; blow it and you can kiss success goodbye. 1515 can rest at ease: the burger was great.

What came with the burger was even better: lobster bisque. I decided against the various salads and fries offered with the burger and instead received an excellent, rich lobster bisque that was creamy, thick and a revelation with each sip. It went perfectly with the burger and with the rest of our outstanding meal.

To top it off, we had a chocolate chip cookie melt: a warm and chewy chocolate chip cookie, ice cream, drizzled chocolate and butterscotch sauces, and strawberry slices loaded with whip cream. It was a great end to a terrific meal that showed the restaurant's excellent kitchen and fine service working very well together indeed.

The restaurant and bar are open every day at 11:30 a.m. with executive happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. The restaurant is located at 1515 North Main Street, 925-939-1515, www.1515wc.com.