The beauties of the bistro

The term "bistro" translates into great comfort food, informality, smooth music, cool decor - no big mysteries here. And the buzz in the Tampa Bay area is the growing number of bistros among us.

By CHRIS SHERMAN, Times Restaurant Critic

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 18, 2000

What's in a bistro?

In France it would be steak frites, a croque monsieur, or chicken that had been stewing most of the day, quick, casual comfort food.

In America it has been hard to translate. Anything French, even ordinaire, sounds expensive. Two new local translations may capture the gist of it: a few frills but mostly easy lunch and dinner meals of foods people like.

-- New name for the former Marco Polo in Northwood Plaza is Polo Club (2516 McMullen-Booth Road, Clearwater; (727) 791-7979); new owners Marilyn and Richard Johnson revamped the 178-seat place, dividing it into two sides, fine dining and, cue the Piaf, bistro.

Actually, the bistro music is jazz and blues, with dance floor and two bars (smoking and a smaller non-smoking bar -- definitely not a French touch). Food on the bistro side is modern polyglot: oysters Rockefeller, wonton shrimp, baked brie, pizza and grilled veggies from the wood-fire grill for starters; crawfish etoufee, meatloaf, crab-chile pasta, steaks, burgers and ribs for entrees, with prices from $5.95 to $16.95. On the white-tablecloth side, called the Trophy Room, entrees run to veal chop, rack of lamb and duck and porterhouse, with prices from $11.95 to $26.95.

-- J. Ryan's on the Grill (717 S Howard, Tampa; (813) 250-1661), a small Sarasota chain making its debut in the newest boomlet in Tampa's Soho, also serves meatloaf, oysters Rockefeller and Buffalo shrimp and declares itself an upscale bistro.

The Nibbler found first bites slick, quick and casually chic only a few days out of the box. The high-ceilinged, paneled space has the polished wood and glass of this century and the vintage advertising posters of the last.

Menu mixed friendly with sophisticated, Cuban sandwiches, chicken pot pie and apple pie for two (maybe four) to calamari salad, turkey club on brioche and jumbo scallops with vegetable souffles, various tuber mashes as well as crisp pommes frites. Prices run from $6 to $15-$16 for steaks and ribs.

There are two more J. Ryans in Sarasota, plus Mark Hames Water Grill and the Plaza steakhouse on Longboat Key.

Packed house on J. Ryan's first Tampa weekend had the open kitchen cranking, and the Nibbler predicts it won't let up.

Pancakes

I did it for your sake and in the name of fearless culinary journalism. Still I thought trying two Burger King breakfast sweets at one sitting, er, driving, would strike anyone as depraved.

The Nibbler: "I'd like the mini pancakes and (embarrassed pause) the French toast sticks."

Ms. Drive-Thru: "Like some hash browns and something to drink with that?"

Just a minute while I work this out.

Let's see, 236 calories for the pancakes and syrup, 440 more for the French toast, hash browns at 240 for the small . . . we're only up to 916 calories for breakfast, so sure, throw in a chocolate shake.

Another 440 brings us up to 1,356 calories taken care of at breakfast, which on an ordinary daily regimen of 2,000 calories, would leave 644 for lunch and dinner.

But then you knew that. Sure, you eat a balanced diet almost every day but sometimes a drive-through breakfast is just soooo convenient.

Relax. What you wanna know is just how messy are these mini dip 'n' go pancakes, one food your parents never let you eat with your fingers? They look like an accident waiting to happen inside the car or at your workstation for what the trend-spinners call "deskfasting."

It's also a case of cross-branding synergy: the pancakes were developed by BK's corporate partner, Pillsbury. Originally they were a four-week spring promotion, but they were so popular Tampa Bay locations kept them on.

Sticky business they are, but I found the pancakes more manageable than the syrup container. Which is another early morning math quiz: The pancakes are 2 inches or more in diameter, but the syrup containers are 17/8 inches by 13/8 inches.

Thank goodness for the hypotenuse. Doable at a traffic light but dicey once under way.

Taste? The pancakes were remarkably light and fluffy, almosttoo thick, but better than toaster fare. If you want good-morning fat, go for the French toast, deep-fat fryer crisp with enough grease to spare; you won't even need syrup.

Which brings us back to the surprise -- those mini pancakes actually are the low-cal entry on BK's breakfast menu, fewer calories than even a plain biscuit with no nothing. Still it's hardly packed with nutrition; spend the calories you saved on a little OJ.

And make a note to try breakfast at home one of these days.

Coffee's still perking

Joffrey's coffee bar in Old Hyde Park, where Tampa Bay first stood in line for a jolt of that Seattle phenom, good coffee, will brew its last cups May 31.

Mind you, this is just one of Joffrey's locations and it's only moving; neither the company nor the coffee buzz are dead.

Still a historical marker might be appropriate: On this spot in 1986, Tampa woke up . . . and maybe fell back to sleep.

When I arrived in 1989, the little alley among the upscale shops was a mandatory stop on the hip parade. We were proud to wait half an hour for a coffee latte; we fought like squatters for tables outside that let us feel like boulevardiers or Bohemians.

No more. Joffrey's will survive, just not here. After almost 15 years in Hyde Park, executive director Pat Walter says he'd rather be in Garrison Channelside, set to open in November, and the high-end International Plaza going up near the Tampa airport.

The new Garrison location will be bigger and a combined operation with Mike and Didi Zudar, longtime caterers to south Tampa deli fans.

As a company, Joffrey's still has almost a dozen locations, franchisees and licensees plus a large but hard-to-see presence at Disney World. (Joffrey's has 11 locations at the park under various names, plus it sells all the espresso used in Disney restaurants, hotels, etc.)

Walter insists that Joffrey's first location wasn't hurt by the opening of Starbucks a few blocks away. Certainly Hyde Park's not giving up caffeine.

Joffrey's will be quickly replaced by Blackhawk, a coffeehouse from Fort Myers, brewing Seattle's Best Coffee (a Starbucks rival). It will expand on Joffrey's space and add beer and wine as well as light foods.

In addition, Old Hyde Park is primed to open the first local unit of Brainfood, which specializes in books, cafe food and, sure, coffee.

Smuggling's over

La mortadella is here at last. Italian markets around Tampa Bay have called the Nibbler with the happy news that the real Bologna, finely ground and spiced with pistachios and pure, gorgeous fat, is now being delivered after decades of prohibition in the United States.

Look for it around $5 a pound, but hey, it's the Chivas Regal of baloney.

Charitable indulgence

The spring marathon of food and wine events may have winded some foodies, but those with appetite and budget to spare know there's more to come.

Next on the agenda is the 10th annual Share Our Strength feast, a $150-a-plate sit-down dinner and auction with food prepared by the area's top chefs under the guidance of a visiting star.

This year that's Susan Goss, of Zinfandel, a Chicago restaurant famous for its renaissance of regional American cuisines served in rotation. Her SOS menu takes farmhouse goodness and freshness on a gourmet tour.

The event begins at 6 p.m. May 25 in the grand ballroom of the new Tampa Mariott Waterside (700 S Florida Ave., Tampa). Proceeds benefit Divine Providence Food Bank and the Beth-El Mission; tickets may be reserved by calling the food bank (813-254-1190).

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