If you've ever visited Chester, you know it's among the most adorable places in the state. The town has a total surface area of approximately 17 square miles, and yet it is home to several of the region's best restaurants — many situated in the petite downtown district among galleries, boutiques, and other picture-perfect businesses. I've reported on a few of those outstanding restaurants in this space, and with the opening of the Village Bistro, we've got another River Valley dining destination to add to the list. 

Village Bistro opened late last year in the space formerly known as Hot French Chix and, before it, Restaurant L&E and, even further back, the late great Restaurant du Village. All of which were known for their charming, cozy dining spaces and excellent, inventive menus. Based on our recent tour of its menu, Village Bistro is carrying on that tradition with aplomb.

If you're a curious but noncommittal sampler like me, you probably love restaurants with small, specialty plates. Village Bistro's Small Bites and Small Plates menus offer several such options, and we started a recent visit with an order of Shishito Peppers ($10; and, oddly, my second encounter with them in as many months) and Steak Montadito ($15), a dish new to all of us. VB prepares its grilled shishitos on a bed of whipped ricotta and topped with crumbled pistachios and a drizzle of honey. In the first of many excellent ingredient combos, the peppers were at once bright, tangy, and savory, balanced by the mild sweetness of the ricotta and honey. Crisp texture prevailed, even as peppers waited to be consumed on their bed of ricotta.

The Steak Montadito lived up to its intriguing menu description: "charred eggplant, red onion jam, Moses Sleeper, and Pedro Ximénez" on two pieces of sourdough toast. We confess we had to do some Googling and learned: Moses Sleeper is a soft, Brie-like cheese, and Pedro Ximénez is a Spanish white sherry. Paired with the flavors of grilled eggplant, sweet onion jam and tender steak with notes of soy and/or maybe ginger, what looks like a small dish delivers big-time on richness and texture. We split up ours into four pieces, and the overall richness of the dish left us quite satisfied with the portion.

Another great starter is the Artisan Cheese Board ($18), featuring a selection of three local cheeses, jam, a sprig of mushrooms (of the enoki variety, we believe), pickles, and dollops of thick mustard. We loved all three cheeses — a Brie and two mild hard cheeses — and found multiple ways to enjoy them with the accompanying sweets and sours.

Among the many entrees at VB, you'll find the humble hamburger alongside dishes like Monkfish Osso Buco and Duck Breast. Of course I had to try the Village Burger, and while $16 is much more than I would prefer to pay for one, VB's is fantastic enough to partially justify the price. (You can add an egg or bacon on top for an additional charge.) For what it's worth, the Village Burger comes with very good, very salty shoestring fries. Topped with a generous portion of cheddar cheese, tomato jam and beautifully fresh lettuce and tomato, this burger hit all the right notes and then some. Even better, I ordered mine cooked medium, and that is what I received upon a fresh brioche roll.

One of these days we'll try some of the classics on the menu — steak frites and roasted chicken among them — but we were too curious to pass up two of the more unexpected entree options: the Vegetable Hot Pot ($22) and Soy Scallion Noodles ($17 to start; add pork belly for an additional $6). Both dishes are perfect for blustery nights, packed with warming ingredients and mild kicks of heat. The Vegetable Hot pot is a stewed mix of red lentils, radicchio, cannellini beans, jasmine rice, asparagus, and coconut curry and hereby known to us as a delicious balance of sweet and savory ingredients cooked to perfection.

If you've ever wondered what umami means, try the Soy Scallion Noodles. The combination of strong flavors from garlic (and lots of it), sesame, green onion, and peppers will give your palate a tasty workout with notes of ginger offering some lightness to the load. All that flavor goodness and abundant sticky noodles make for a hearty meal, and we suspect leftovers would only get better overnight.

Dessert was not an option for us, but that will be priority one for our next visit, perhaps paired with something off the lengthy wine list or creative house cocktail menu. With the world slowly emerging from pandemic life, Village Bistro will surely become a hotspot for date nights, friend reunions, or just a quiet dinner out. Remember having dining-out options? It's good to be back.

The Village Bistro

59 Main Street, Chester

(860) 322-3933

www.villagebistroct.com

Atmosphere: Cozy-chic, dimly lit small dining area with a handful of tables and small bar area.

Cuisine: Per the website, "New American Cuisine with a touch of European flair," including steaks, veggie, chicken and seafood entrees; a few pasta dishes; and an array of small plates.

Hours: Sunday, 4-8 p.m.; Monday, 4:30-8 p.m.; Thursday, 4:30-9 p.m.; Friday, 4:30-9 p.m.; Saturday, 4-9 p.m. (Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.)

Service: Very accommodating and welcoming. Note: Servers allow ample time for guests to sit and talk before and after the meal.

Prices: Up there. Entrees run from $16 (for the Village Burger) to $48 for an 18-ounce ribeye. Appetizers and small plates start at $6 and go up to $20. Specialty cocktails are $14 and $15 each.

Reservations: Yes, and easily done on the website

Credit cards: Accepted

Handicapped access: Tight quarters inside and parking can be challenging.