One of the crown jewels in charming downtown Lodi is School Street Bistro. If you like to be where the action is you will revel in the hustle and bustle of its casual European Bistro atmosphere, its savory selection of entrées and its many liquid refreshment options.

School Street Bistro is owned and operated by former long-time employees of Woodbridge Winery David and Trish Akiyoshi. It is truly a family run business: Trish’s son Will Ownbey is General Manager and Executive Chef and her nephew Josh Inman serves as a waiter. School Street Bistro is a popular hangout for Lodi District growers and winemakers.

We began our experience with the Soup du Jour ($4.95) Cream of Portobello Mushroom with Chicken. This hearty soup contained plenty of mushroom and chicken pieces in a flavorful creamy broth.

There is a selection of seven appetizers from $6.95 to $12.95. We sampled Barbecued Shrimp which features zesty Chipotle Barbeque Shrimp in a ring around a tangy Bleu Cheese Cole Slaw topped with some excellent deep fried onion rings and served on a bed of fresh salad greens, which earns it an “A” for presentation. This snappy meal starter really makes the palate get up and dance. Another bold delicacy was the Artichoke Heart Bruschetta. The pickled artichoke hearts were blended with fresh Garlic, Basil, Capers, Mascarpone spread, onion and Asiago Cheese and served on a grilled baguette.

School St. Bistro offers six salads ($8.95-$13.95) as entrées with Original House Chopped and Classic Caesar salads available in half orders ($5.95). We enjoyed the original House Chopped and Flat Iron Steak Salads. The Flat Iron Steak Salad had Flat Iron Steak and sautéed Portobello Mushroom strips on a bed of Romaine Lettuce, with caramelized red onions, Bleu cheese chunks topped with crispy potato strings. It was a very artistic presentation. The fresh house made dressings really make their salads extraordinary.

Executive Chef Will Ownbey developed most of the recipes emphasizing freshness with a menu that evolves with seasonal availability. His cuisine is best described as Regional American with a southern influence that was enhanced by eight years in Savannah, Georgia. Seafood is delivered fresh daily, produce is strictly fresh and sauces are made that day—some not until the dish is ordered. He believes that in the wine country serving generous portions is the order of the day.

School Street Bistro has an eclectic selection of local, domestic and imported beers and wines. They have a small bar at the edge of the dining room for those who wish to partake of liquid refreshment without dining. When weather permits there is also seating in front of the restaurant for those who enjoy an authentic outdoor bistro experience. The featured house wines are from LangeTwins Wine Estate, which isn’t all that surprising since David Akiyoshi, in addition to his ownership duties at the restaurant, is also the Winemaker at LangeTwins Wine Estate. We tried one of David’s creations, the Circles Edge Chardonnay 2005, and found it to be delightfully smooth and silky.

The restaurant has a large dinner menu on which during our visit had 20 selections (plus six dinner salads). They offered everything from a hamburger with fries ($7.95) to Filet Mignon ($32.95). They have a sizable selection of seafood, beef, pasta and chicken entrées.

We ordered Garlic Shrimp and Heart Clams ($20.95). It has fresh shrimp and clams in the shell, which are steamed in Garlic White Wine Butter Broth enhanced with fresh Roma Tomato bits, Basil, and Asiago cheese, all served on a bed of Linguini. We all agreed that it was a delectable delight for the pasta lover. Pasta aficionados would also like Smoked Chicken Raviolis ($19.95). Handmade raviolis are stuffed with Smoked chicken, Mascarpone cheese and (would you believe it) Pine Nuts, all bathed in a wonderful summer tomato cream sauce.

School Street Bistro features the highest grade of beef called Sterling Beef. Only the top 12% of beef will meet the high standard that earns the Sterling grade. It is grain fed; hand selected for superior marbling and aged a minimum of 21 days. We couldn’t resist trying Senator’s Rib Eye ($28.95), grilled and blackened to order and topped with Cilantro Lime butter. This melt in your mouth steak is served with Roasted New Potatoes and during our visit, zucchini, mushrooms and cooked cherry tomatoes. We also enjoyed the ultimate in beef, a Sterling Filet Mignon ($32.95) with red wine Portobello Mushroom Demi-Glace. Outstanding!

We were well served by the team on duty: Owner Trish Akiyoshi, and servers Josh and Stefanie. Preparing the meals were Chef Will Ownbey and his kitchen staff Daniel, Scott and Jennifer. They all seemed to work together like a well-oiled machine.

Desserts ($5-$6.95) include Vanilla Crème Brulee, California Pecan Pie, Tiramisu with Kahlua Chocolate Sauce, and New York Cheese Cake. A long time menu favorite is Molten Chocolate Cupcake. It is a dark Chocolate cake with a hot fudge center topped with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Gelato. Warm Apple Pie is served with a soft crust and a scoop of house-made cinnamon ice cream topped with caramel sauce. What a delectable variation on an American classic!

School St. Bistro brings a little bit of the continental atmosphere to the wine country and some good old Southern cooking with flair to your table with a great selection of wine to boot. Readers of the Stockton Record have recognized this award winning combination and voted them a “Best of Lodi” award for 2006 in the restaurant category.

School St. Bistro is located at 116 N. School Street in downtown Lodi and is open Tuesday-Friday from 11am and on Saturday from 4pm. They are closed Sunday and Monday. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling (209) 333-3950. Visit them on the web at www.schoolstbistro.com.