Americano – Original Great Lakes Bistro

The story has it that Americans traveling to Rome found the local espresso too small and strong for their palate.  The local baristas would add a little hot water and serve it in a larger cup preserving the flavor of their favorite coffee but presenting it in a fashion more familiar to the "Americanos" and thus naming the beverage.  The legendary bistros of Paris were humble working class dining rooms. Family owned and operated and loyal to their neighborhood.  Their kitchens would render savory sauces and tender cuts by way of lengthy reductions and slow roasting.  Vegetables tasted fresh because the chef would have bought them himself early that morning and the Boeuf Bourguignon would be tender because it had been simmering since earlier that morning.