Also this issue: Drink Tank Wines of Southern Italy -Peter Burwasser

October 24-30, 2002

food

Back for Seconds

Mac rib: Palette tops macaroni and cheese with boneless beef short ribs. Photo By: Michael T. Regan

Another visit to Palette finds a new, if unusual, menu.

by Maxine Keyser

On my first visit to Palette, another restaurant addition to the Northern Liberties area, I found the decor to be almost decorless. A long busy bar in the front room, red leather banquettes in the back room, with white walls that serve as a background for the local artwork, courtesy of the Ashley Gallery, that colors the room. Dark wooden chairs and tables completed the bare-bones look, but it seemed cozy nevertheless, and there was smooth jazz on the stereo.

The restaurant was crowded with a mixed group, old and young, and the menu seemed promising. They had a list of appetizers, "bar fare" and entrees. About all I remember from that visit is that I loved the fried catfish with a spicy aioli and parsley potatoes that was featured on the bar list, and a waitress who was so rude that we ran into the night without finishing the meal.

It took me awhile to return after that experience, and if I hadn't had a review pending, I never would have. But finally I wended my way back, and this time, the place was empty, except for a few people at the bar. Victimized by that waitress, no doubt, I thought, but she was not there, and, as the evening progressed, more people wandered in.

This time the menu had changed somewhat. The fried catfish was gone, to my chagrin, and so was the separate bar menu, and, of course, there were no more fresh Jersey tomatoes, so I could see that this chef, David Fogelman (late of Bleu and Novelty) respects the seasons. Armed with very generous martinis, we tackled some of the appetizers that I recognized from my first visit. The summer soup sampler -- a clever presentation of three small bowls with three summer soups -- was disappointing, except for one soup. The gazpacho had the taste and consistency of tomato juice; the vichyssoise was simply white liquid; but the pepper soup was a bright shade of yellow, gutsy and full of intense flavor.

Chicken wings glazed with white truffle honey mustard were surprisingly delicious, and not too sweet. They were so crisp that I thought perhaps they had been lightly fried first and then glazed. A bowl of mussels featured small and flavorful mussels in a light tomato broth punctuated by niçoise olives, and with garlic croutons to soak up the broth. Then we had our absolute favorite: grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, which used to be on the bar list. But it's really too big for an appetizer -- where to put it? Wherever, keep it on the menu, because it's a glamorous version of our childhood lunch: cheddar cheese melting within golden brioche toast slashed by tomato confit, beside a bowl of thick tomato bisque with a faint hint of cumin -- it's not what the school lunchroom or even my grandmother used to turn out.

Checking out the wine list, we find some familiar bottles at decent prices, including a $65 Arrowood Cabernet. We order a Lurton Malbec ($27) from Argentina that is deep garnet and chocolatey.

Fogelman is obviously striving for a feel-good, down-home menu. His biggest hit is a large, rich plate of sunny macaroni and cheese topped with boneless beef short ribs. It combines the two top dishes of the year in a tasty mélange of tender and creamy noodles and falling-off-the-bone, spicy beef. (These ribs are a dream dish for anyone on Atkins' diet, because it's just a load of protein and fat.) But then there's a Burgundy fishermen's stew, incorrectly labeled bouillabaisse on the original menu. Red snapper, scallops and striped bass with mushrooms cooked (and not overcooked) in red wine with aioli on the side is a sort of marmite, a traditional stew containing what ever sea creatures the chef has around. It's very tasty here, and good with the crusty bread. (A caveat: No matter what the menu says, you can't make bouillabaisse in the U.S. because we don't have the proper fish for the genuine article.)

Chicken with biscuits is another aw-shucks, down-home dish, but this is not the usual preparation. Here, the chicken is roasted breast and the carrots, pearl onions and potatoes strewn around it are all cut to the same size for even cooking. A flaky biscuit crowns an attractive presentation. Thick slices of rare lamb loin are redolent of mustard and rosemary, and a tomato compote on the side adds color and zest. There's a steak frites that's perfectly fine, as well.

As for desserts, we enjoy the platter of goat and sheep's milk cheeses garnished with figs, grapes and toasted raisin bread. The highly touted chocolate soufflé is overcooked, and therefore too dry.

Fogelman knows what he's doing in the kitchen. He just doesn't seem to be sure what direction he wants the restaurant to go; one minute, it's down-home, and the next it's a French bistro. Combining the two is not as awkward as it may seem, but it takes a little more work. That accomplished, Palette could be just what the burgeoning neighborhood needs -- a hangout where you eat at the bar or in back and are satisfied.

Note: While we're on the subject of bar food, I must mention the glamorous bar at Brasserie Perrier, where the bar meal may be the best deal in town. You can feast on anything from shrimp tempura lollipops ($8) to oysters ($13). And where else can you get a steak frites for $14? They've also installed a fondue station where you can share a cèpe and parmesan fondue with forest mushrooms and risotto beignets ($15) or a peanut butter and chocolate fondue with banana-filled beignets ($15). Forget the sticky concoctions we served with pride in the '50s and '60s -- even Switzerland never saw fondues like this. Perfect with a dirty martini or one of the white wines by the glass.