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classics in a comeback Pierrot Bistrot Francais Mimi Sheraton, the doyenne of American restaurant critics, recently predicted that classic French bistro dishes were about to burst back into popularity. Pierrot Bistrot Francais, a two-month-old place at the bottom of Beacon Hill, has a running head start in setting this trend. Pierrot, very French and very classic, boasts an intimate little dining room in dark woods, persimmon-colored walls, and exposed brick decorated with sepia-tinted posters of its clown namesake. Unlike the overproduced restaurant interiors of the past couple of years, Pierrot goes for the old, not the metallic new, and manages to look as if it had been here for years. It's easy to imagine settling in for a cozy dinner with a bottle of red wine, and dreaming you've been transported to France circa 1950. The menu fits perfectly into that dream. French has been liberally translated in the past few years -- the Gallic technique married to New World ingredients, for instance -- and when it's done well, it can be a good thing. But there's something to be said for revisiting the dishes that inspired the innovations. Pierrot's chef/owner, Pierre Sosnitsky, and Jacky Robert, the consulting chef who's helping with the start-up, are both veterans of the departed Maison Robert. The ambience is much more casual than that Boston fixture, and the young waitstaff seems too frazzled at busy times, but the courtly style of Maison Robert has carried over to Pierrot. And with a three-course prix fixe at $27 and other prices under $28, a visit here can recall the France of yesteryear, before the dollar began its decline against the euro. On a recent Friday evening, one day after the restaurant finally got its long-awaited beer/wine license, there's an ebullient feel inside, even though the view out the window is of the construction barriers running down the middle of Cambridge Street. The waitress's suggestion of raspberry-and-sparkling-wine cocktail sounds just right. A rosy slab of pate -- accompanied by a tray of salty black olives, mustard, and cornichons, and a basket containing a sliced baguette -- proves to be an excellent foil for the spritzy, sweet concoction. So do snails in powerfully garlicky melted butter. (I find myself eating most of the snails, since my companions seem a little squeamish about them. However, in a phone conversation later, Sosnitsky says he's after authenticity, and escargot and tripe are not only genuine bistro dishes, but are also proving popular with Pierrot's customers.) As we sample the hors d'oeuvres the restaurant begins to fill up, its warm glow seemingly a magnet for diners happy to stand in the middle of the room waiting for a table. The hors d'oeuvres selection is a boon for anyone who enjoys classic, almost-forgotten dishes. Boneless pig's feet, its jellied meat sweet and mild, is served as a salad over mixed greens. It's good but needs a little more kick, perhaps with the help of mustard. In fact, mustard would also help a plate of mixed meats, including garlic sausage, salami, pate, and a very dry smoked ham. Salmon two ways -- smoked and as gravlax -- is accompanied by a creamy horseradish sauce, a fine complement to the rich flavors of the fish. The French way with greens is honored so that salads, such as Romaine tossed with crushed walnuts, are simple, salted, and well dressed with vinaigrette. Actually, it's nice to eat a salad that isn't dotted with blue cheese or accompanied by a slab of goat cheese, since chefs lately seem to feel that a salad has to be adorned with a pound of extras to satisfy a diner. Tradition and plain food at reasonable prices are the keys to main courses. Scallops are nicely seared, creamy on the inside, and given a counterpoint from the slight acidity in a fennel puree. A plate of two fat sausages, one from Normandy and another from Toulouse, are balanced by unabashedly buttery mashed potatoes -- the dish is straightforward, unadorned, and delicious. A sirloin steak is heavily peppered and of very good quality, although the next time I'd like to try the chewier but more flavorful cut of hanger steak. Beef bourgignon features a winey sauce and tender meat. And venison simmered in a sauce of red wine and raisin is one of those perfect autumn dishes that promise comfort and deliver bursts of flavor. The best part of a duck confit dish isn't the duck, which is dry and a little stringy, but instead is the accompanying bed of tangy red cabbage and turnips. One evening poached finnan haddie is too salty; possibly the salt cod in the dish needed another soaking. On another visit, a special of bouillabaisse has a fine broth and plenty of fish and shellfish, plus finely shredded vegetables that give a good textural contrast to the soup. Another sprinkle of salt would have boosted the flavors, though. With desserts, there's no quibbling over the flavor in a chocolate mousse, intensely rich and thick. Chocolate profiteroles -- puffs filled with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce -- are also deeply satisfying. A creme brulee, however, has separated, ruining the hoped-for creamy texture, so we move back to chocolate, this time in the form of a dense chocolate banana bread pudding, not light but quite good. A last spoonful of
chocolate sends us out into the night, mulling over the benefits -- satisfying
dishes, reasonable prices, an ambience that transports us to another culture
-- of bistro dining Pierrot-style. Homepage | Restaurant | le Menu | Directions | Contact Us | Revue de Prese | |
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