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Clementine, the name of Winston Churchill’s beloved wife, also is a cute little fruit that grows in Spain and Morocco. Because this tangerine relative has become so popular here, chef Robert Patton decided to pay tribute with his new restaurant, Clementine’s Bistro.
Located on Passyunk Avenue, just two doors down from the delightful RoseLena’s, the site has housed restaurants for a number of years, with its last incarnation being the Roman-inspired trattoria Albertino’s.
When Patton opened two months ago, he made the right decision: It is not Italian, but rather, a European bistro with strong nods to France, Spain and the Mediterranean.
It’s a winner on all accounts. Book a table now because when word gets out, people will be lining up at the door, bottles of wine in hand, to savor Patton’s glorious cuisine.
Gone are the Etruscan frescos and Roman food. Now there are warm, deep-taupe walls with white trim and colorful prints of well-dressed ladies and gentlemen dancing and sipping drinks circa the 1930s. Tables are covered with linen and pretty wine and water glasses.
My friend John, who is half Greek and half French, loves good food so he joined me. We brought a bottle of white Cotes du Rhone and one of French Pinot Noir.
The blackboard menu reminded us of the early days at Frog. The dishes change frequently and reflect the seasons.
Gazpacho ($5) is one of my favorite warm-weather soups. Few chefs hit the mark, but Patton was right on the Euro. His soup had the proper texture — not too smooth, not too chunky. The ingredients were immaculately fresh and it was served slightly chilled, as it should be. (Nothing is worse than room-temperature gazpacho or one that is icy cold.) The small round onion rolls with softened chive garlic butter were a heavenly accompaniment.
John’s salad ($6) consisted of organic baby lettuces, spinach and arugula from a local farm and was tossed in a light vinaigrette. So many places simply dump a mound of bagged mesclun onto a plate and overdress it.
From the entrées, we selected breast of duck ($20) and a marvelous fish stew ($21). The former has a steak-line quality when properly cooked and it arrived juicy and medium-rare. It included sautéed red cabbage, which is classic with the meat, and sweet yet slightly tart, fresh cherries. Asparagus spears were the vegetables of the evening.
My fish stew spoke of Spain. It was brimming with meaty monkfish — the "poor man’s lobster" — scallops, chorizo (spicy Spanish sausage), onions, sweet red peppers, freshly chopped tomatoes, 1-inch rounds of baby potatoes and asparagus. This fish has a marvelous flavor even though it is one of the ugliest creatures in the sea. Patton cooked it right — slightly translucent — and it was a fine foil for the scallops, which have a lighter texture, and meaty chorizo. This classic goes back to the time of the Spanish Inquisition, when chefs would often pair fish or shellfish with pork. The homemade broth was a combination of fish stock, tomatoes and fresh herbs. Never once did I reach for the tiny salt and pepper shakers.
Patton makes the desserts ($4) and we enjoyed a peach tart prepared with light and buttery puff pastry, and a timbale of rich chocolate bread pudding with tiny chocolate chips. It was slightly creamy and John and I enjoyed the perfect pools of crème anglaise poured onto the plates.
Service was ideal. Our waitress watched the table, served and cleared with ease, and filled our water glasses. She placed our white wine in a marble cooler.
Patton, 43, introduced himself. We chatted for a while and I called him the next day.
"My Polish grandmother had a small catering business so I grew up around food," Patton said. "I was always carrying dishes up and down the steps."
He, his wife Trish and their 14-month-old daughter Natalie live two blocks from Clementine’s. "We are neighborhood people with a neighborhood restaurant in our neighborhood," he said.
He holds a degree in psychology from Temple University and said it "comes in handy in the kitchen."
The chef has traveled throughout Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, spending much time in Spain, a country he loves, which explains why his gazpacho was perfection and his daughter’s middle name is Madrid.
He also is the first Restaurant School alumnus to teach at his alma mater. "It is an honor to teach the students," he said. "I am passing on all that I have learned."
Working aside Olivier de Saint Martin when he owned Dock Street Brasserie in Logan Square, Patton said he owes much to this fine French chef, who now heads Center City’s Caribou Café.
"I cannot see doing anything else," Patton said. "Jacques Pepin said cooking is not work. I agree with him. Cooking for me is ideal. It is creativity with hands-on craftsmanship."
Patton’s eatery is one of the best new restaurants of the year.
Three extraordinary tips of the toque to Clementine’s Bistro.
Clementine’s Bistro
1617 E. Passyunk Ave.
215-755-4240
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Closed Mondays
BYOB
Reservations recommended
www.clementinesbistro.com
