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On a brutally hot summer evening a number of years ago, Edward and I enjoyed a fine Mediterranean dinner at Aden in Northern Liberties. The owner was Israeli and I recall a delicious Cornish game hen stuffed with couscous and vegetables.
Aden’s space is now occupied Copper Bistro and the menu is now new-American, reflecting the multicultural influences of one of my favorite cuisines.
Daniel R. Connelly is the executive chef while Todd Braley is the chef de cuisine, and they strongly favor the use of in-season, local ingredients. They have put together a well-balanced autumn menu and looked to France and Italy for inspiration. The mix of tastes and textures was dazzling — one didn’t overpower another. Nothing we ordered relied on a sauce, and even when one was used, it was fresh and clean, properly reduced and sparingly used.
The BYOB’s two dining rooms and open kitchen offer visual appeal. It’s named for the decorative pots and molds that line the original brick wall. Tables are set with crisp white linen and napkins. The china, flatware and glassware are modern, and each table contains a bud vase with a few flowers. Adding to the setting were the pumpkins and assorted squash scattered around the room. The hostess led us to a cozy table for two by the window.
I wanted to try almost every dish on the bill of fare. The server opened our wine and told us the soup du jour ($6) was a cream of Hubbard squash — perfect for this time of year. Thank goodness there was no list of specials. She brought piping-hot twisted dinner rolls (I could have eaten three) and softened butter. She also gave us a complimentary glass of warm, homemade spiced apple cider in oversized sherry glasses, which were a nice touch and tasty prelude to dinner.
The soup was a golden-yellow purée of the roasted squash with a smooth velvety texture, topped with a teaspoon of crème fraiche. It arrived in a deep white bowl and was good sized.
Beet salads have been all the rage for about 10 years, especially when paired with arugula, pears and walnuts. The chefs at Copper Bistro have created a carpaccio of turnips and beets ($7.50), which is more an appetizer than a salad since there are no greens. Red beets were roasted, cooled and sliced before being placed on the plate with overlapping slices of white turnips. In the center stood a tiny dollop of imported Gorgonzola topped with a few caramelized walnuts. I found the turnips to be a bit bitter, but Edward did not.
The Milanese classic Osso buco is one of Edward’s favorites and Copper Bistro offers a pork version ($20.50). We had never heard of it so we had to try it. Two shanks were braised until the tender meat fell from the bone. Osso buco means "bone with a hole" in Italian and, although these shanks were not veal, they contained a hole with marrow inside. The pork was cooked in its natural juices, wine and an apple reduction in the spirit of fall. It melded beautifully.
Each entrée is a customized plate: a starch and vegetable are selected to complement the meat, chicken or fish. The pork came with a Swiss chard "tortino," an Italian version of the French quiche. A hearty fall vegetable, the chard married well with the mix of cheese, eggs and herbs. A small mound of spaghetti squash also was on the plate.
Day-boat scallops have been preferred by discriminating chefs for years. Connelly and Braley put together a tastefully inspirational scallop entrée ($20.50) in which four perfect scallops were pan-seared and finished in a sauce containing proscuitto di Parma. It added a slightly salty, enjoyable flavor. Each scallop was good-sized and still a bit translucent inside — not a bit overcooked. My customized entrée came with a potato rosti, the Swiss word for potato latke. It was piping hot, perfectly prepared and not a bit greasy. A small sauté of exotic mushrooms, thinly sliced and beautifully seasoned, sat on the rosti.
Copper Bistro has only been open for a month, yet a number of patrons were sitting in the dining rooms during our visit — and they all brought wine. The staff was professional and attentive: Our flatware was changed for each course and no one bothered us with, "Is everything all right?"
I cannot think of one glitch. Customized plates often fail because the chefs have not mastered the art of having three ingredients ready at the same time.
According to the Web site, brunch may soon be offered. If so, I hope the seared duck breast, served with "fregola" (a pasta from Sardinia), transfers from the dinner menu.
Three tips of the toque to Copper Bistro.
Copper Bistro
614 N. Second St.
215-627-9844
Credit cards accepted
