STARS: 2 out of 5
Pros: Good Atmosphere, Friendly Service, Outdoor Seating
Cons: Overpriced Menu, Overcooked Food, Poor Presentation for a higher-scale restaurant
It is always bittersweet when a restaurant that you love closes and another one opens in its place.
Three Square Bar & Café, which was most recently owned by Sean and Emily “Sunshine” Winder, was one of my favorite places to bring an out-of-town guest for brunch. It offered a simple, sophisticated atmosphere, delicious food and strong, delicious cocktails garnished with fruit and flowers. I have not heard why the café closed, so if anyone can shed light on this, please leave a comment.
When I read that a new bistro had opened in its place, I immediately wanted to find out more. A business review in the Register-Guard told of a new place by former Willie’s on 7th owner, Walid “Willie” Saleeby. The quote that caught my eye was Saleeby saying his new bistro would offer “quality food at mid-range prices.”
Unfortunately, my experience at Saleeby’s A Change of Heart Bistro & Bar hit the pocketbook much harder than I had anticipated and crushed any hope to turn this restaurant into a weekly occurrence for me, as Three Square had been.
When my two dining companions and I walked into A Change of Heart Bistro & Bar – the recipient of $60,000 in renovations – it looked almost unchanged (from Three Square) in the dining area. I am hoping the money went towards the kitchen and the outdoor seating area, which was packed with patrons as we passed it on our way in.
Lemon yellow walls and curtains, along with a stained concrete floor, brown booths and butcher-paper covered tables, created a cozy and familiar atmosphere. We were greeted quickly and led to our seat, a tabletop in the middle of the restaurant, featuring Three Square’s signature chairs.
After being seated, we ordered $9 cocktails (about $2 to $3 dollars more than the average cocktail in South Eugene) and were served the best part of our meal — warm, chewy squares of bread, accompanied by a delicious herbed olive oil/vinegar dip. Our drinks came, and were quite good, so I would almost tell you to limit your visit to bread and alcohol.
Strawberry Fields included muddled strawberries, strawberry-infused rum, scratch sweet and sour mix and lime. It was a little sour for in-season strawberries, but I would order it again. My other dining guests ordered very refreshing cucumber coolers. Also, our server made sure we always had enough H20.
Third person a charm, we finally met our waitress, who greeted us with a smile and told us the specials. We ordered two appetizers and two entrees with complimentary salads to share, as we found that many of the entrees fall around the $20 range and the appetizers average $9 — much higher than a “mid-range” price.
Now I don’t mind paying this much for a meal when it is worth it, but after trying a myriad of dishes, I concluded that based on the price, presentation and how well the food was cooked, the fare is overpriced and needs to be reevaluated in at least one of those three categories to fit the bill.
APPETIZERS
- Ahi Tuna Tostada — Two mini tostadas served with seared ahi tuna, pico de gallo, shredded cabbage and seasoned with a garlic lemon dressing. This appetizer was too small to split between three people, so we broke the miniature tostadas into smaller pieces. The shredded cabbage could have used some spicing up and the ahi was overcooked, making this one of the many overpriced dishes of the night.
- Sweet Potato Ravioli — The flavors of this dish were great. The sweet potato went well with the other flavors in the dish — sage and prosciutto. Brown butter gave it a bold flavor that made it feel like a decadent dessert. Unfortunately, the whole taste experience was ruined by the overcooking; the raviolis were too crisp on the outside and hard to cut.
- Organic Dinner Salad — A simple but fresh spring salad mix and grape tomatoes, accompanied with a homemade dressing. We tried the Green Goddess dressing and the Garlic Lemon dressing. What could have set this salad apart from any other restaurant was the dressing, so we tried two homemade dressings, the Green Goddess and the Garlic Lemon. If you don’t like plain mayo on your salad, you won’t like the Green Goddess dressing. I will say that the Garlic Lemon had a fresh, summery flavor that went well with greens.
ENTREES 
- Mahi-Mahi — The presentation was sloppy for a $20+ meal. This entrée was the only well-cooked dish of the night, besides the bread. Thick chunks of mahi-mahi were drowned in mushroom risotto and served with roasted vegetables, all in a light, flavorful sauce.
- Cowboy Rubbed Beef Brisket — Coming in around $17.50, the beef brisket was still overpriced. In this case, slow-cooked apparently meant “cooked forever.” The meat was dry and the only thing that saved it was the Adobo sauce, of which I used every last bit to disguise the meat. This dish was served with herb-seasoned roasted
potatoes and roasted vegetables, both had good flavors.
After shelling out more than $100 for dinner (two entrees plus 2 appetizers), drinks and tip, my dining companions and I felt full, but not at all satisfied. The quality ingredients (which merit a higher price), friendly staff and cozy atmosphere are all spot on. However, there is no reason to go to a restaurant if the food is not worth the time.
If A Change of Heart can change their prices and presentation, and find more consistency in how everything is cooked, they might have a chance to win back my heart — and my service.
