Locals Loving New American Bistro on Main Street

When Subway Sandwiches left Main Street last year, many lamented the loss of one of their favorite downtown lunch spots.

Today, many of those people are saying, "Subway who?"

The American Bistro opened its doors at 10407 Main St. just under six weeks ago.

Owner and head chef Jo Sholtis says, the bistro is very much a family business - her mother is her sous chef, her husband runs the coffee portion of the business as well as the marketing and accounting, her dad helps out whenever he can, and her four children all help out as well.

On the menu are all manner of comfort foods - coffee and espresso drinks, soups, salads, sandwiches, quiche, pastries and more.

In addition to the coffee, it's often the soups and delectable pastries that draw customers in.

Facebook fan Kim Steffen says, "I wake up every morning and think...what kind of amazing soups do they have today? I can't get enough!"

Jerry H. Miller says, "Wow - breakfast bacon souffle is amazing!"

Carol Hilton, who lives just down the street, says she is overjoyed that such a place has opened in her neighborhood - and that it's exactly what Old Town has been missing.

"I love having a neighborhood 'sinful treat,'" she said of her favorite pastries. "And it's so nice in here - I just love grabbing my coffee and my sweets and sitting and chatting and relaxing."

Sholtis says, though, it's not all sweets. When designing the menu, she said she wanted all manner of palates to be able to find something they like.

"I wanted us to serve foods for all kinds of diets," she said, explaining how, several years ago, she was inspired to lose weight and train for her first Marine Corps marathon. So, they serve healthier, lighter fare along with their "sinful treats" like chocolate croissants, coffee cake, snickerdoodles and more.

And, it's all made from scratch - when she's not ringing someone up at the cash register or pouring someone a cup of joe, you can usually find her in the back baking, or on the line slicing up ingredients for a fresh salad.

As for business, Jo said it's been slowly growing each month, but the summer will be the bistro's real test.

"Location is key, and I think we really lucked out. But the 4th of July - I think that will really help us decide if we can make it long-term and start living past our reserves," she said, explaining that, with the city's parade and downtown festivities over the summer, it will be important to see how many new customers the events help draw into the bistro.

Have you been to American Bistro & Coffeehouse yet? What do you think of it? Tell us in the comments below.

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