April 16–23, 1998
food
C'est Cibo
Despite its location, there's nothing SoSo about Ciboulette's lower-priced cousin.
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As the Donna Karan line is to DKNY, so is elegant, Bellevue-situated Ciboulette to cute, less-expensive Cibo. Except that Donna Karan (be it haute or not) sucks to the max and Cibo does not.
Cibo is Ian Mark and Bruce Lim's new palatechild; for 10 years to the present they have owned Ciboulette, the upscale classic French restaurant. Cibo is their smaller, more relaxed cafe and bar, recently opened just south of South on Third Street (in the SoSo neighborhood, I guess). Despite its proximity, you'll encounter none of the grime or cheese, or, most typically, the grimy cheese which clings to most establishments on South. (Actually, there was a bit of neon over the bar at Cibo, but I was able to ignore it for most of my meal and so will ignore it now.) Rather, the place is a respite from the hustle and bustle of the immediate area, a stylin' bistro with a rather sedate, expensively dressed clientele. Chef is Alex Cormier (formerly of Alex on South restaurant), the food is described as "American Cafe with French Technique," and prices are approximately half that of Ciboulette.
Despite its American offerings, the appetizer section did blow me away with its Gaul. Written as more of a paragraph than a list, the selections included such frankly French items as onion soup with Gruyère, pâté and garlic sausage (with condiments), and smoked salmon with zucchini, crème fraîche and brioche. My guests for dinner were sushi-phobic Gail and her lovely bride Penny (with red hair and everything). We opted first for the ubiquitous-as-a-Caesar-salad appetizer of shrimp dumplings ($8).
The dumplings were dazzling. Served in a shellfish and ginger broth, the wrapping was so light and delicate that we may as well have been chewing on an infant's ear. The shrimp filling was light and clear—so clear—in flavor. Wow. Is this the way dumplings were meant to be? It's possible. (The Caesar salad at Cibo, by the way, was $6.)
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Cibo's astonishing |
We also sampled the mussels, served in a slightly spicy curry and coriander (cilantro) broth ($8). And these were not just any mussels, dug up out of lord-knows-what-neighborhood in the sand. No, these mussels were rope-cultured, which is rumored to mean they are a bit higher in quality (and at least you know where they've been). They were good, deeply spiced but not overpowered. The broth passed the bread-dunking test with flying colors.
I insisted on one of the nightly specials which, tragically, no one else seemed to want. Specifically, the foie gras. The Cadillac of French pâtés, foie gras is traditionally made from a forcefed goose's liver, flavored with cognac and truffles. In America, land of the handgun, it's illegal to forcefeed a goose, and so a special duck, and his liver, is substituted. At Cibo, the three pieces of foie gras were sautéed over high heat, resulting in a product with a seared outside and a meaty pudding inside. This astonishing foie gras was both delectable and rich rich rich. Rich like the Kennedys are rich, but not nearly as vulgar. For an experience such as this, the $15 pricetag made it—and I know that you don't want to believe me—a bargain. Believe me. Ours was served over a light yam puree, but apparently Chef Cormier dresses his foie with whatever accompaniment seems most appropriate to the patron's choice of entree.
Entrees are nicely split between fowl, seafood and meats ($12-$19). There is only one vegetarian item, a pasta dish, of course, on the regular menu. Well, there are two, if you count the cheese plate ($7) at the bottom of the list of entrees, but that is a bit like designating the contents of a fingerbowl as a drink. We ordered two very hearty dishes, the braised lamb shanks ($17) and the pheasant, a special of the night ($21). The lamb shanks were served over white beans, with a lemon aioli and sherry vinegar sauce. A meal and a half. The pieces of Pennsylvania pheasant were sautéed, served with excellent mashed potatoes, sautéed bacon and cabbage, and a red wine sauce. This was "officially" Penny's entree, but so tasty that I ate over half of it. Gail's baked flounder, stuffed with crabmeat and lobster sauce ($19), was also quite good. Particularly impressive was the garnish of little round vegetables encircling the fish (Brussels sprouts, small red and yellow tomatoes)—such a welcome respite from that confetti-like yawn—I mean, blow—of herbs.
Desserts turned out to be the only disappointment. They are brought in from Ciboulette each day and cost $4.50 a pop. The one we were most excited about, the unfortunate orange créme caramel, possessed an unhappy "tooth polisher at the dentist's office" quality. Boo. The fresh berry napoleon, with strawberries, wasn't half bad, but not as outstanding as that foie gras would have led one to believe. The star was definitely the pear tart, one of those wonderful creations where the crust is such a treat, they could have served it alone and I happily would have paid the $4.50 for it.
Cibo, cafe and bar, 605 S. Third St., 625-3700. Open for dinner Sunday, 5 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; Monday-Thursday, 5:30-9:30 p.m.; Friday & Saturday, 5-11:30 p.m. Open for Sunday brunch, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Late-night bar menu available until 11 p.m. weeknights and until 1 a.m. Fridays & Saturdays. Bar open usually until 2 a.m. Reservations accepted; credit cards accepted. Not handicapped accessible.
