Owner of Downtown Bistro looks ahead after full year in Lynn

LYNN – After a year of offering fine dining and comfort food a half block off Market Street, John Moore has no problem summing up the success of Downtown Bistro and Wine Bar.”I’d say we’re Marblehead’s favorite restaurant,” he said.No, the local restaurateur is not geographically challenged and he is more than happy to count Marblehead residents among his loyal diners.”We’ve got people coming from out of town but locals won’t come downtown. We can be our own worst enemy,” he said.Moore thinks he has found his niche in Lynn by offering dishes like sea bass, sweet and sour short ribs along with roast chicken and steak and frites (fancy word for potatoes). Entrees range in price between $16 and $22.”That’s a few dollars more than your average pub grub.”Moore said Downtown and its counterpart in Charlestown Navy Yard attract diners who want to stay within their budget and culinary comfort zone, as well as “foodies” who will spend $219 on a bottle of wine and try new foods.”We’re New American – you can see anything on the menu – but we have the standards, too. I gear my menu to what people want.”When he decided last year to move into the restaurant space vacated by the Oxford Street Grill, Moore set his sights on serving “sinfully good food at moderate prices.” He vowed to mix in assorted ethnic cuisines and offer a varied wine list and cocktails he insists “are the best in 20 miles of here.”He praised his loyal diners, in part, for helping Bistro survive its first winter. City Hall workers helped him out by throwing their holiday parties in Bistro and Moore hopes he can make Oxford Street the destination for business functions that currently end up in Route 1 eateries.He would also like to make Bistro an after work destination in order to bring in business before 6 p.m.”People need to discover us.”Moore plans to adjust his menu and beverage selections as warmer weather arrives and he is contemplating décor changes, including adding new art work.”It’ a little stark. I’d like to sex it up a little.”