A root beer braise gave the short ribs a slightly sweet flavor that was balanced by darker, richer bovine notes. The texture was just a tad tougher than I would have liked, as the ribs were only easily separable from the bone rather than "falling off." A side of spritely sauteed greens and Zelko's show-stopping butter-cheese polenta more than made up for the tenderness issue.
And while, with regards to my starter, I did succumb to tradition by ordering the Chopped Bleu, I still managed to go off my beaten path a bit thanks to my companions' order of the cheese plate. Almost as impressive as the assortment of hard and soft, pungent and mild locally-sourced cheeses was the rainbow of berry and grape accompaniments. Cutest of all was a center spoon holding a square of honeycomb, no doubt from the Heights Honeybee Project.
So concludes another love letter of mine to Zelko Bistro, which I know must have faults. But with every visit, I become even more blind to them.
