Patou 312 Market Street (215) 928-2987
He came. He fought. She conquered. So went the battle of the lightsabers (read: battery powered candle stand-ins on the tables) between the intoxicated woman two tables over and the man beside her at Old City's newest culinary addition, Patou.
Kelicia "Kandi" Pitts, the restaurant's hostess, explained that Patou was so named because chef/owner Patrice Rames' grandmother used to call him that while educating her petit grandson in the ways of the kitchen. Rames, of Bistro St. Tropez fame, opened Patou's doors just a few weeks ago and, according to Kandi, already has regulars coming back multiple times, even within the same week.
Occupying a surprisingly expansive space compared to many restaurants in the area, Patou succeeds in artfully creating a C“te d'Azure atmosphere. Massive sail-like canvases are used to break up the vast space, separating the front bar from the main dining area from bursts of flame coming from the open kitchen. Electric-blue couches line the walls with plush yellow pillows for couch-side diners to lean on during the downtime between courses. The mezzanine, which is a smaller upstairs region in the back, will become a smoking area once the second floor bar is finished.
Mark, our gracious waiter, brought a tuna tartare sampler, which was a delightful demi-portion of tuna sprinkled with herbs, sitting in a tart, pulpy citrus juice. Appetizers range from $5.50-$11. The grilled calamari ($9) was served on a bed of greens with roasted red peppers and tossed with a light lemon vinaigrette. The next sampler, grilled scallops, was served with a combination of citrus fruits and olives and was less successful than the tuna. The juxtaposition of strong flavors wasn't quite thought out, and some of the flavors contradicted each other. However, the taste of white wine that came with the scallops was a refreshing palate cleanser.
Entr‚es go for $14-$24. The perfectly medium-rare steak in the steak frites ($19) was mouth watering, and the potatoes were obviously hand cut and carefully cooked to a delightful consistency of crispy outside and soft inside. The grilled salmon provencale ($18) was less successful, with an oddly gelatinous texture around the edges of the fish, but nonetheless it was an enjoyable dish.
In terms of dessert, your best bet is to indulge in the chef's sampler ($12). Desserts average $6, and if you and your date each order one you will pay the same amount as you would with the sampler, which consists of three pastries to taste. Upon fork-contact with the volcano-like gateau chocolat (usually $7) -- the most popular item on the menu -- the most amazing sweet warm chocolate oozed out of the light, crisp crust. The freshness of the tartes aux poires (usually $6) was immediately recognizable in the first bite of crisp -- yet warm -- pear. Tasty in its own right, the lemon tart (not a dessert menu regular) was fine but comparatively less impressive than the first two samplers.
Barring the fact that a nearby man (the very same one who lost the lightsaber encounter) raised slight havoc by all but overturning his table on his way out, spilling everything onto the floor, dining at Patou was a 2-hour pleasure.
