When Chez Pascal changed hands three years ago, we wondered several things. Would the food still be lovingly prepared and presented? Would the waitstaff be as personable? Would the spot remain the neighborhood favorite it had always been? Yes, yes, and yes.
Greeted at the door by co-owner Kristin Gennuso, I had a flash of European courtesy when she took our coats. Being early, we had our choice of tables, and we went up one step to the mezzanine-like space, with just five tables, that’s next to the main dining room. We arrived on a recent Thursday night, to take advantage of the prix-fixe menu (Tuesday through Thursday evenings), and by 7:15, the clientele had filled both rooms, the six chairs at the bar and had spilled over into a third dining area usually reserved for private parties. For the most part, the hubbub was subdued, not disruptive.
The colors in Chez Pascal are Provençal warm: gold tones in the dining room, deep red in the hall, and burgundy in the tinned ceiling above us. Just below the green and white tinned ceiling in the main dining room are two light fixtures, each of which looks like a bouquet of calla lilies, their calyxes glowing with light. On the walls are colorful photos, prints, and paintings from Studio Hop on Hope Street.
Kristin said that husband/chef Matthew is inspired to alter the menu by the availability of various vegetables and other fresh ingredients throughout the year. He also changes the offerings on the bistro (prix-fixe) menu every Tuesday. From that menu, you can order three courses for $28 ($33 with a glass of house wine), and though our waiter warned us that the portions might be a bit smaller than the regular menu, I was thoroughly satisfied with my meal.
From three options to start — beet salad, roasted mussels, or butternut bisque — I chose the bisque, a buttery smooth squash soup with brioche croutons and a bit of brown butter swirled on top. It was delectable and soothing. From the entrées of pork loin, skirt steak, or grey sole fillet, I selected the fish, which had been very lightly breaded, sautéed in butter, and placed over creamy mashed potatoes and wilted spinach. Gentle on the palate and the eye.
Our waiter, Adam, couldn’t have been more helpful in his descriptions of menu items or wine choices — the latter made difficult by the voluminous list, dominated by French regional and California wines. From the 14 offered by the glass, Bill landed on a Berdejo Spanish wine, as fruity as a Pinot Grigio.
Despite the very French foie gras, escargots, and house patés among the appetizers, the “spicy squid salad” ($9) intrigued my counterpart. Tiny poached squid rings were tossed with thinly sliced artichokes, endive, and frisée that had been marinated with lemon, garlic, and a kick of cayenne. I loved the crunch contrast of the veggies and the sharp bite to the dressing.
Entrées like grilled salmon, roasted chicken, grilled steak “a la Bourguignonne,” and slow-roasted duck are accompanied by such winter vegetables as braised red cabbage, roasted celery root with squash and chestnuts, or roasted cauliflower with a bacon and carrot purée. The cauliflower and carrots came on the plate with Bill’s Four Corner lamb from Vermont ($28.50). Three cuts of lamb — a loin, slices of leg, and pulled pieces of shoulder meat — surrounded the vegetables, which were topped by baked onions. The lamb was super-flavorful, moist and tender.
