Well, color me red: Rouge, the upscale bistro on Rittenhouse Square, has a new menu and a new attitude. I’d never been there but had read that it was the place to see and be seen by the upwardly mobile and trendy. (Which is probably why I’d never been there.) I was a little hesitant and made my dining companion wear his Sunday best, but my fears were unfounded.
Rouge was certainly elegant. The intimate décor evoked thoughts of women wearing Christian Dior and men sporting fedoras. I almost expected to see Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall walk through the sheer curtains that hung from ceiling to floor. Or Audrey Hepburn perched on a stool at the white marble-topped bar, long cigarette holder in hand, staring at her reflection in the gold-painted mirror. The sophisticated sounds of Clooney — Rosemary, not George — lent to the retro-hip atmosphere of the place. Despite the quiet grandeur of the physical setting, the place was lively and the staff friendly.
As I waited for my lunch companion to park the car (who took pity on me trying to be sophisticated in my towering 1-1/2-inch heels — that’s as far as this lesbian goes), I heard a hearty laugh echo across the room. To my delight, bon vivant and my sometime-dining companion Noel Zayas was eating only one table away from us. That’s a good sign for any place. We exchanged air kisses and I stole a few French fries before taking a seat at my table.
Executive chef Matthew Zagorski, formerly of Striped Bass and Lacroix, recently added new dishes to the menu and unveiled an affordable new option for lunch: “Choose Two” offers two dishes for $16, letting new customers try different options and regulars to order smaller versions of their dinner favorites.
We got things started with the organic squash soup ($10). This delectable seasonal soup was smooth and topped with a sprig of parsley and drizzled with olive oil. Very flavorsome.
I tried the cauliflower soup ($10). A more subdued offering, the cauliflower was delicate and almost silken with chive oil, which gave the soup just the enhancement it needed. Zagorski is known for his prowess with a soup tureen and both of the offerings were top notch.
The day I visited was warm despite winter. Though the windows weren’t open yet, the sun was shining and I decided to forego the wine selections and opted for an afternoon martini. I ordered the Pearfect ($13), a nice pour of Absolute pear vodka with Navan-infused cognac and fresh lemon and lime juice, and decorated with a thin sliver of pear. It was delicious.
Next was the tuna tartare, served in a crispy wonton cup with ponzu sauce and wasabi lime aioli topped with micro greens. (The selections we sampled are all part of the Choose Two menu.)
Up next was the Bibb lettuce and endive salad, a deconstructed affair with the lettuces tied with a ribbon of chive and accompanied by Roquefort cheese, grape tomatoes, red onions, spicy cashews, a red wine vinaigrette and Granny Smith apples. Chive oil and a little mound of Gorgonzola cheese comprised the rest of the dish. It was as lovely to look at as it was to taste.
After that, we sampled the roasted pork with butternut squash puree served with haricots verts and roasted vegetable glaze. Leaning against the pork were two cute little potato waffles. The succulent flavor of the pork, though a little chewy, played nicely against the sweet flavors of the squash.
We also tried the steamed mussels with a broth of fennel, lemon, tomato, basil, white wine and garlic and served with grilled baguette. I must say, the broth was bread-sopping good. Though the mussels were small and I think I ate more bread than shellfish, it was tasty.
We also tried a miniature Rouge Burger, a 3-ounce version of the venue’s famed cheeseburger with Grueyere, caramelized onions, bibb lettuce and fresh tomato served with pomme frites (french fries). For those who don’t know, the restaurant’s signature burger has quite a reputation. GQ placed it fourth in the magazine’s “20 Burgers You Must Eat Before You Die” and Oprah featured it among the best burgers in the country. Next Thursday, Zagorski will compete against other “best burger” contenders at the Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachel Ray at the South Beach Wine and Food Festival in Miami. I don’t think the mini version did it justice, because at the table next to us I could hear Zayas praising his full-size burger as the best in town.
Next up was the grilled swordfish. This was my favorite. The swordfish was perfectly moist and flaky, the roasted corn was sweet and crunchy and the roasted tomatoes, crispy shallots and lemon relish with parsley sauce and citrus oil made a wonderful combination.
Last but not least was the line-caught fluke with caramelized cauliflower. Swimming in a sweet vermouth sauce with spinach and Granny Smith apples, this was an unlikely combination that worked well. Zagorski’s time at Striped Bass really shines in his seafood dishes.
Taking a breather before dessert, I spoke to Zagorski about the new menu and style.
PGN: What’s the concept behind “Choose Two?” MZ: I wanted to do something so that people could experience a little bit more of the menu at a reasonable price point. We’re also doing something similar at night so that people can try different things. We want to bring more food and more options with the same quality. The menu changes every day: We try to do two soups and things like the burger are always on the menu, but we strive for variety. I wanted to shake things up a bit, the lunch menu was getting a little stale, we had your chicken salads, your omelets. I wanted to bring in something fresh. I went on my honeymoon in December and decided to revamp when I got back. It’s really starting to catch on.
PGN: Were the changes inspired by the economy? MZ: Not really. We’ve been pretty lucky; with the location that we’re in and the following we have, we’ve been pretty stable. We’ve been here for 11 odd years, so it’s nice for people to pick up the menu and see something new. I just wanted to improve things.
PGN: I have to say I was surprised at how comfortable the place seems. It’s much more laidback than I expected. MZ: That’s something we’ve really worked on. The previous owner wanted to make it someplace really special for people, a place where they would feel important, and sometimes that translated into not being terribly inclusive or welcoming to everyone. It could be a little stiff, but we’ve really tried to turn that around with our staff. I want everyone to feel welcome and have a top-notch meal. I’ve also begun to add offerings to match certain dietary needs. I get people who call all the time asking what we put into the various dishes. Pretty much everything you see on the menu is what goes into it, so there are no surprises. That’s helpful for people on vegetarian diets as well.
After speaking to the chef, we ended our meal with two desserts. I had the flourless warm chocolate cake ($8), a spongy cake filled with gooey chocolate, brushed with powdered sugar and topped with blackberries. It was presented in a mosaic of caramel sauce and raspberry puree that looked like a piece of mod pop art. Chocolatey! My lunch companion had the banana cream pie ($9). The crust was crunchy but not hard, the bananas were melt-in-your-mouth but not soft. It was a perfect ending to a lovely meal. I look forward to going back when the weather breaks and I can people-watch from the outdoor chairs facing Rittenhouse Square. I’ll be the one in flats.