A typical Friday night

By Jason Wollam

Posted: 5/20/2007 1:10:34 PM

On a typical Friday night, driving through College Park with a friend, we discovered one the most refreshing establishments.

Taste, located on Smith Street just off Edgewater and Princeton, provides a rich, soothing atmosphere of vivid colors and well placed beautifully accented artwork. The bistro's modern premise infuses art, food and drink to provide a fully enriching experience. Tasteful elemental design left the impression that no detail or accent was overlooked. The seating is arranged in a dining style environment and leaves plenty of room to house small performances.

The menu describes the dining experience as tapas, which in this setting describes small portions of food served in a dish easily shared among others at your table. It was evident that great care was given to the dining selections and the presentation of the dish we ordered, Savory Beef Empanadas ($6.95), was impeccable.

The chef, Rashida Berji, left me with the impression of this truly being a community oriented establishment, something Orlando lacks with its infusion of corporate restaurant franchises.

Taste features a full liquor and wine bar that provides an assortment of stylish drinks. We ordered Mojitos that where a bit dry but the fresh mint offset the gin nicely.

Arriving just in time for what was the first night of an experiment in local music for Taste, we caught several local musicians setting up to close the night with an assortment of musical styles. The name of the performance, "Up Close and Personal," described the surroundings perfectly.

Acts were diverse and featured a mix of soul, jazz and folk with a wide variety of instrumental talent. Singers, percussionist, keyboarders and trumpet players all served up an astounding amount of talent. It was not surprising to hear an announcement that they had been invited back to perform again. Links to more information on the artists are listed under Up Close and Personal Artists.

It was a unique experience that I would recommend to anyone or any group of people who are looking for an enlightening and memorable night out.