My son Jonas and I had the chance to check out the soft opening of Bolete’s outside individual patios. We picked the five o’clock reservation on a beautiful June evening. The event started the evening prior, as we had to preorder our meals through Bolete’s website where we also pay and tip all using the website.
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I ordered their homemade chips and dip as an appetizer and their pizza as my meal. My 17-year-old son Jonas was much more adventurous with a starter of steak tartare, which he had never tried before, and a pork chop for dinner.
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Both of us got their famous butterscotch pudding. If you are familiar at all with Bolete, I do not have to tell you that the food was delicious and special.
What you may want to know is more about the experience of dining at Bolete under these new circumstances. Firstly, you should know that parking is in the church lot across from Bolete, which is also where you eat! Individual patios were built in the church grass just for this. You should be wearing your mask, as you are greeted by one of their staff members who will let you know which little spot is yours. You should also know that out of respect for their team members and yourself, their masks will be worn every time your waiter comes to your table.
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The tables are decorated with the cutest place mats and table clothes and have plants all around each little patio, which local favorite Sarah Petryk of Allium Floral Design helped design. There is a small cooler with water that you pour into your mason glass, and any drinks you preordered will be brought out to you by the server. (I didn’t realize the part about preordering drinks as well but was easily able to when we arrived.) All of the serving dishes and plates are disposable and when you are done with your food, you throw any plates and utensils away at a little waste basket in your patio area. Any items that are not disposable—like your glasses and any knives needed—are dropped into a bin for the servers.
The courses you selected are brought out to you while you enjoy the summer air and the company. The night we were there, there was also a woman playing her guitar and singing across the street at the Bolete restaurant itself. Between the décor, being outside at a restaurant, hearing other people laugh and have conversation (from a safe distance away) and the food, it was a perfect evening. As we were leaving I ran into someone that I knew and we both gushed about how lovely everything was.
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She even shared that she cried most of the meal because of how wonderful the experience was and how much work Bolete’s owners Erin and Lee Chizmar had truly put into it. All of us are in the middle of this pandemic; small business owners, and especially restaurant owners, are pivoting constantly. The fact that the Chizmars were able to dream up this idea and bring it to life in such a short time is nothing short of a miracle.
