Simply French brings bistro fare to Pittsburgh
Simply French says it all.
Pittsburghers need not venture to Paris to experience French bistro fare.
Simply French, a Cultural District restaurant, is serving up savory and sweet crepes, fresh-made soups and salads, homemade bread, merquez -- lamb sausage -- and other authentic entrees geared toward the gourmet in everyone.
The kitchen is headed by longtime Pittsburgh-area chef Chris Frangiadis, who honed his reputation for fine food at Southwest Bistro, Christian's in Turtle Creek and Isabela on Grandview, among others.
He's no-nonsense: Everything has to be made from scratch, from stocks to bread to desserts, and he means in-house. It seems an almost unimaginable task if you take a peek into the tiny kitchen where Frangiadis works with sous chef Scott Fisher, but even the sorbet is hand-made.
Frangiadis, a native of Reading, Pa., owns Simply French with Molly and Matt Rutkowski. The executive chef received his culinary training as an apprentice at Le Bordeaux restaurant in Tampa, Fla., and at La Rive Gauche in Seattle.
The Simply French menu changes seasonally, says Frangiadis, with hearty traditional dishes such as cassoulet and choucroute during the cold months and Jamison spring lamb and roasted duck breasts in the spring and summer.
"We have a strong business clientele during the day, and it's a combination of pre-theater and destination diners at night," he says.
Lunch patrons can choose from 13 savory and sweet crepes -- fillings range from Grand Marnier, orange butter and pastry cream to seafood and lobster sauce -- as well as roast garlic soup, a house terrine and croque monsieur and croque madame -- ham and cheese sandwiches. Crunchy, hot, thick pommes frites -- french fries -- are available all day.
Dinner fare is more substantial, but still within simple bistro boundaries. Starters include garlic-chevre-stuffed ravioli with roasted red pepper coulis; escargot with Brie and Roquefort in puff pastry; gazpacho with avocado sorbet; and mixed greens with mimosa, chevre and honey roasted pecans.
Main dishes are the likes of salmon baked in parchment paper with miso julienne vegetables and lobster sauce; a seafood tart on puff pastry featuring tilapia, shrimp and scallops with saffron beurre blanc; two choices of couscous; peppercorn-crusted prime New York strip steak with Cognac creme fraiche reduction; and pasta pistou with roast garlic, creme fraiche, sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts.
Frangiadis also features a roasted herb-crusted half chicken prepared in true bistro style, the recipe he shared with Cooking Class. One secret is his pan sauce -- another is to avoid overcooking the chicken.
Simply French's roasted chicken is served with pommes frites . The soy sauce-lemon juice marinade not only flavors the bird, but the acid in the mixture will help to crisp the skin. Dried herbs can be used, but cut the amount of each to 1 or 2 teaspoons. The sauce is optional -- veal stock reduction is available at specialty food stores -- but broth can be substituted. If you do not have a roasting pan with a rack, trim the chicken wings at the second joint and place the pieces underneath the chicken to protect the skin.
Roast Half Herb-Crusted Chicken
- 2 ounces fresh lemon juice
- 2 ounces soy sauce
- 1 roasting or frying chicken
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
- 2 slices bacon
- 3 ounces white wine
- 3 ounces veal stock reduction
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- About 2 tablespoons butter
- Finely chopped ripe tomato, for garnish
- Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Combine the lemon juice and soy sauce and pour the mixture over the chicken in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Turn to coat. Cover and marinate for 2 hours (if marinating longer, place the chicken in the refrigerator).
Heat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove the chicken from the marinade. Brush all over with the egg yolk, then sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Sprinkle with the herbs, patting them gently to adhere to the skin. Cover the top of the breast with the bacon slices.
Place the chicken, breast-side up, on a rack in a roasting pan and roast in the hot oven for at least an hour, removing the bacon from the breast halfway through cooking. The chicken is done when an instant thermometer inserted in the leg/thigh joint reaches 155 degrees. Remove from the oven and set aside, uncovered, at room temperature until cool enough to debone, for about 30 minutes.
To make the sauce: Discard the fat from the roaster, leaving the cooking juices and bits of meat and herbs behind. Place the pan on the stove and let heat until the juices are bubbly. Off the heat, add the wine, then return to the stove and deglaze the pan, using a whisk. When the alcohol has burned off, add the veal stock reduction and whisk to incorporate.
Add the Dijon mustard and butter. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk them in. The mixture will slightly thicken as the butter is incorporated.
To plate the dish: Using a very sharp knife, cut the chicken lengthwise through the breastbone. Remove the bones from the breast and back, and make a slit between the thigh and breast so the chicken lies flat.
Arrange the chicken halves, skin-side up, on 2 dinner plates. Using a spoon, drizzle the chicken with a few tablespoons of the pan sauce and garnish with the basil leaves.
Makes 2 servings.
Additional Information:
Details
Simply French, 129 Sixth St., Downtown, is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m.; and for all-day dining from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Details: (412) 338-1030
