by SARAH MUSGRAVE

Don’t worry, even though Bistro Europa serves up an odd combination of Italian, Czech and Hungarian food, there’s no fusion going on here. In fact, the only common ground between these cuisines is that they’re all served in this unpretentious, cozy downtown hideaway. Tucked away on a corner of Sherbrooke street, this spot is often quiet in the evening, despite its reasonable prices, attentive service and charming surroundings. The handful of customers, taking their cue from the Czech cook/owner, seem to favour the homey Eastern European specialties available here.

For starters, this place always has more soups than you can shake a spoon at. Among the six choices ($2.50–$3.75) are two daily concoctions—on the night of my visit that meant a cream of vegetable or Brussels sprout soup. This last was a picture-perfect bowl filled with a light, rustic broth, sprouts and pieces of other veggies like carrot, potato and mushrooms. The other hearty soups include a meaty goulash, sauerkraut or an excellent beet borscht, which is both strong and round on the tongue. I opted for the chilled cucumber soup this time, full of refreshing green slivers in a thick yogurt-like base, accented by fresh dill.

Another appetizer you might want to check out is the so-called “magic mushrooms” with creamy house dip ($4.75). They’re breaded and fried like mini schnitzels, soft on the inside and crusty on the outside. You can also begin your meal with classics like stuffed pierogi or a sausage and cheese plate.

When it comes to main courses, one of the aforementioned quirks of this resto is the whole range of pizzas and pastas that share menu space with the Eastern European classics. While these Italian entries are inexpensive at $6.95 and $8.95, they interest me far less than the harder-to-find Hungarian and Czech fare.

Schnitzels include pork, veal and chicken filets ($10.45). The breaded meat, fried to crispness, is served with mashed potatoes and a simple salad on the side. While it might not be refined enough for Vienna standards, my chicken order was freshly prepared and fairly fortifying, especially when sprinkled with the wedge of fresh lemon on the plate.

On a more recent occasion I tried the Hungarian goulash ($10.45), made with mighty chunks of beef in thick gravy laced with paprika and a few strips of bell pepper and onion. The accompanying dumplings are huge doughy creations, more fluffy than dense, cut into half-inch slices and arranged on the plate in a single layer. They make satisfying mechanisms for soaking up the sauce.

My companion got the Czech-style sauerbraten (also listed as svieckova) with dumpling ($12.50), made of marinated roast beef in a faintly tangy and faintly sweet, yellow-coloured cream sauce. My one complaint is that while “sour roast” is supposed to be tender, the meat was exceedingly firm.

Other regional fare includes cabbage rolls, fried cheese stuffed with ham and a stew variation called Szegedin goulash, which substitutes pork for beef, and is served with sauerkraut. For a cheap snack, sausage sandwiches with knackwurst or debrecin sell for $5.45.

Desserts ($3.50) don’t let you down. The homemade strudel was plump with seasoned apples in a light pastry casing. The rhubarb and strawberry pie was slightly tart and freshly dusted with icing sugar. There are also crêpes stuffed with apricot as well as chocolate mousse served in individual crusts.

With its cozy atmosphere and rib-sticking recipes, Bistro Europa offers a lot of the things a lot of people will be looking for this winter, whether they’re trudging through slush in Montreal or in Budapest. The food won’t blow your mind, but it will blow the snow off it. :

Bistro Europa
Address: 1620A Sherbrooke (@ Guy)
Phone: 933-8866
Hours: 11:30am–9pm daily
Best features: Comfort crêpes, chalet cachet
Alcohol: Yes
Vegetarian friendly: Limited
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: No
Price: $15/person before tax, drinks or tip
Rating: ** out of ****