Ah, Bywater. Where do I begin? We went for our anniversary dinner and I was so excited to try out Warren's newest restaurant! We went at about 7 on a Saturday and there was no wait, which was nice. But it was almost full and there was a steady flow of customers. You can sit indoors or out. We chose in because we were really interested to see all the details of the decor inside. It didn't take long inside to realize that every single detail, from the lighting fixtures and menu holders to the presentation of food and even the soap in the bathroom... Every single thing was so clearly and thoughtfully planned. The restaurant itself is beautiful. The staff is all very friendly and very attentive. From drinks and apps to the meal and dessert, someone always let us know that whatever we had ordered would be out soon. I never felt like I was waiting on anything but I also didn't feel smothered. I think that can be a difficult balance, but the Bywater staff knows how it's done. I started with Bywater's take on a Moscow mule. They added basil which gave it a great flavor. For an app we ordered the grilled corn eloté. It was grilled corn on the cob smothered in a delicious, creamy sauce with cotija cheese and lime. So good. We were also brought complimentary homemade soda bread, which was served on a little wooden board with a ramekin of butter and a little bowl of salt. The bread was fantastic and I don't knew what kind of butter it was but it was so good I wanted to eat it with a spoon. I love the addition of the salt, too. Sprinkling salt on the butter really made it. For the main course, I had a hard time deciding what I wanted. The menu is actually pretty small, which I like because it's not overwhelming; it's simple and concise. I ended up ordering the ricotta gnocchi. The gnocchi came piled with pea greens and had pieces of smoked ham and mushrooms. The ricotta gnocchi was a different texture than I'm used to. More chewy than soft. Overall I really enjoyed the meal; it was super flavorful and I loved the balance of the fresh greens with the creamy, rich gnocchi and ham. My husband ordered the shellfish panzanella. It was lobster, mussels, littlenecks, and sausage mixed in a tomato & herb broth on top of cornbread. He loved it. The cornbread soaking in the broth was delicious. The sausage seemed to be house made but I'm not positive... Wherever it was made, it was reeeeally good. And finally, dessert! We couldn't decide and since we were hoping to put ourselves into a food coma, we picked two. Salted chocolate chip cookies and milk, and house made coffee ice cream served with Turkish coffee to spoon over it. Ummm, amazing. Our waitress told us that Katie, the owner, makes all of the ice cream, and it all has a little bit of liquor in it. I believe the coffee ice cream has brandy in it. Bravo, Katie. Also, Katie was so sweet and gave us some of her fav dessert wine after we had let her know it was our anniversary. It was a really nice end to our amazing meal. Alright, I think this is the longest review I have ever written. Final thoughts: this is a wonderful little restaurant that Warren is so lucky to have. (Have you all caught on yet that Warren has the best restaurants?!) A little on the pricier side but for locally-sourced, delicious food, it is worth it. Bywater is the perfect spot for a special occasion. I can't wait to go back and try everything else on the menu! read more