So he cooled his heels in the Portland area, with a six-month stop at the Third Street Grill in McMinnville. In July 1998, he and De Silva opened Laslow's Broadway Bistro in what used to be Elizabeth's. If the cozy Northeast Broadway bistro seems as though it should be set in bucolic Yamhill County, it's by design. It's elegant yet comfortable, and we didn't want it to be big. I see every plate, and Connie sees every guest.
Many guests come away feeling as if they'd just come into a friend's home for a meal.
The bistro, on the second floor of a Prohibition-era building that houses a hair salon, spreads throughout several rooms. It seats 42 in the winter, but capacity doubles in the summer when the deck opens. You don't even know you are in the city. Stories of the personal touches in decor and De Silva's friendly approach abound. She also is the wine steward, and the list is concentrated and well constructed.