The Happy Rooster

May 19, 2011

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Historians have described the 1960s as swinging, violent and turbulent. It was the decade which gave the world President John F. Kennedy, the Civil Rights Movement, political assassinations, sit-ins, love-ins and The Beatles.

In 1968, Abe “Doc” Ulitsky and his French-born wife Madeleine opened The Happy Rooster at the corner of 16th and Sansom streets.

The Happy Rooster was a place to sip a ’63 port or pricey single-malt Scotch. The food, save for the caviar, was not the star. In a way, “Doc” was the main attraction.

In 2000, “Doc,” who was a dentist during World War II, and Madeleine sold the restaurant and moved to France. Eleven years later, I decided to lunch alone at The Happy Rooster and then meet Edward for dinner two days later.

I was in for quite a surprise. The two-room restaurant retains the old-style atmosphere. There are comfortable booths in the front room along with a bar. The staff is young, friendly and eager to please. I was shocked to see the booths set with linen napkins during lunch along with a small blooming plant.

The menu has a light French-style accent which is always tops with me. My booth gave me a clear view of the television where a golf match was in progress. I sipped an iced tea and perused the lunch menu. Lunch began with a small portion of cream of cauliflower soup ($8) with crunchy bits of smoky bacon and was topped with a Jackson Pollack squiggle of olive oil. It was much too salty, but the fresh loaf of baguette and soft butter made the soup go down a bit better.

My salad ($15) was a knife-and-fork beauty, which would be the perfect choice for a ladies’ luncheon. Six large leaves of buttery Boston lettuce were fanned around the cool plate. Four buttery, poached shrimp that were perfectly cooked along with chunks of top-quality, fresh crabmeat. The Russian dressing was a triumph. It was more like a classic Lamaze, a lighter thinner version of the mayonnaise-laden found at any run-of-the-mill restaurant.

Service was excellent. My server filled my iced tea glass as soon as he noticed it was nearly empty.

Dinner was another absolute delight. Edward and I enjoyed big martinis as we decided on dinner. Our server brought us a warm baguette with softened butter.

Green bean salad ($11) proved how delicious a simple dish can be. Chef Matt Savastano blanched the fresh beans until they were just al dente and bathed them in a coarse Dijon vinaigrette topped with bacon and chicken cracklings. The menu lists raisins as an ingredient, but I asked our server to hold them.

Edward’s chickpea salad was a new menu item. Savastano grilled a big heart of romaine and topped it with cool, nicely seasoned chickpeas. Edward and I loved the smoky flavor the grill imparted on the lettuce. We had fun cutting into the salad much like you would a thick, juicy steak.

Soft-shells are in season now. They are no longer the bargain they used to be. Still, it was a menu special ($24) and Savastano allowed the ingredients to speak for themselves. He simply sautéed two large shells in seasoned butter and oil. He prepared a lobster hash, which was so glorious it would be a fine base for a brunch menu topped with a poached egg. He diced the potatoes so fine, I wondered how he did it. They were tiny — and I mean tiny — cubes mixed with sweet tender bites of succulent meat. I cleaned my plate.

Edward enjoyed the center-cut piece of the Atlantic salmon ($19) that was pan-roasted and served with a side of fresh local asparagus napped with a creamy citrus sauce. Not one dish required a twist of the pepper mill.

Service was perfect on both visits. Prices run $8 to $24. The average entrée is about $19.

I salute Savastano and his staff for taking a Philadelphia institution and bringing it into a fresh and tasty 21st century.

Three tips of the toque to The Happy Rooster. SPR