Seattle is littered with bistros from Fremont to Madison. Every neighborhood seems to have its own little French bistro, most of which are gay-friendly simply by the nature of their design and location. However, XO Bistro stands out among the Seattle restaurant scene.
When you walk in to this bistro, you first encounter rich ocher tones, with banquette seating and a surprisingly ample bar area and you'll rapidly find that the service, the menu and the gay-friendly crowd all supplement this beautiful bistro deor.
During a first trip to this Seattle restaurant, you should seat yourself at the bar and try some of the cured meats, charcuterie platter. The cured meats are served on a little wooden cutting board with plenty of tiny pickles and onions and two different squirts of mustard. The meats- garlic sausage, pate, rillettes, and smoked duck breast - are like a party in your mouth. If you would like to explore some of the other appetizers, try the tarte flambe (which sounds much fancier in French than as the English bacon pie but tastes great in any language).
If you are still in the mood for bacon, try the bacon wrapped pork loin ($16). The pork is sliced into stocky columns and arranged around some half-sauteed apples and a flat plinth of potato gratin. It offers a Hawaiian luau aura to an otherwise upscale French dining experience giving you a unique option in the Seattle restaurant scene.
Make sure to save room for dessert. It may be traditional Seattle bistro fare, but the creme brulee at XO Bistro is worth the risk of being just a little bit cliche.
