Rouget: Worth the Trip

I have driven past countless times, always telling myself “I will eat there one day.” The former Sparkles Salon always seemed a little out of place but a fine dining restaurant next to Rita’s Water Ice and La Stalla just seemed like a bad location.

A friend finally encouraged me to try it, telling me to overlook the location and focus on the food. I took him at his word.

I arrived at the restaurant planning on eating with just my bride and our friend who made the recommendation. To my surprise, eight other people talked themselves onto our reservation. I felt this was a good sign--they must know something I don’t.

Walking in, I could see Culinary Institute of America-trained chef/owner Brian Held’s influences. Pictures of great chefs -- Paul Bocuse, Charlie Trotter, Charlie Palmer, Fredrique Giradet and Alice Walker -- share space with a simple ravioli maker, a deliveryman with wheels of cheese, a bread truck and meat deliveryman. All craftspeople, all iconic figures for a chef. I felt at home. Simple salmon-painted walls with whitewashed wainscoting added little to the ambience, as the craftspeople on the walls were the focus.

Our table was simply set with white tablecloths, plain silverware and wine glasses. One end of the table was an alcove filled with cushions, where one of our guests and his wife relaxed throughout the dinner. An ice bucket was delivered for white wine, each guest sharing his or her favorite, and all of us appreciating Rouget’s BYO designation. The room was relaxing, but still formal enough for the food that was to come.

My friend suggested the 11 of us order the chef’s $55 tasting menu; the chefs looking down from the walls advocated my agreement. One of our tablemates was a vegetarian and another did not eat red meat. I felt bad for the chef, until our server Jamie assured us that would be no problem.

It seemed a while for our first course to arrive, but it was well worth the wait: a simple combination of goat cheese and leek on a disk of buttery puff pastry, with a red pepper puree to add sweetness to the salinity of the cheese. It was delicious -- hot, crisp and fresh from the oven. It seemed that Held knew what he was doing. I relaxed, sipped a glass of white wine and enjoyed my culinary journey through Held’s repertoire.

A giant bowl of mushroom soup appeared next. Scented with truffle oil, it was textbook perfect, piping hot with just a little sautéed leek to add texture. Its rich and creamy texture was an example of Held’s skill at letting foods’ simple flavors speak for themselves.

I almost cried when the next course arrived, a simple seared scallop on a bed of risotto with porcini mushroom broth. The risotto was cooked expertly, the rice’s starch cooked out just enough to bring creaminess to the dish while leaving a bite to the kernel. The scallop was seared to a crispy crunch but gossamer on the inside, hot and cooked right. The dish’s crowning glory was porcini broth; it brought the whole thing together, adding umami to the texture of the rice and scallop. I want that dish again right now! All the scallops were cooked to the same crispiness, everyone’s rice perfect--great job.

Roasted monkfish with prosciutto followed. Crispy prosciutto almost overpowered the fish with its salt cure, and lemon from the sauce confused my palate with the accompanying potato puree. The expertly roasted fish, carrots and English peas saved the day. Braised veal cheeks, one of my favorite cuts of meat, represented our meat course. Garnished with a little sautéed shallot, a pave of root vegetables (rutabaga, parsnip and sweet potato) and a delicious, almost pickled honeyed turnip, the meat was tender and full of flavor.

I thought I saw a smile from the picture of Jean Pierre Tardy hanging on the wall as I looked up, as if he knew what I was eating and was jealous.

Service was wonderful -- informal but professional. Cutlery was replaced between courses and wine glasses swapped for each new wine we opened. Jaime and the chef took care of our vegetarian and non-carnivore, never making them feel left out.

For dessert, we were offered a selection from the full dessert menu. White chocolate bread pudding, bananas foster, lemoncello cheesecake and sautéed berries made it to the table, along with a birthday cake for one of our party. I got the bananas foster and was a little disappointed that the bananas were raw and not sautéed as is traditional. My wife’s lemoncello cheesecake was delicious, light and full of lemon flavor with a biscotti crust.

Espresso and coffee, and we were on our way. Ten happy diners said good-bye. I found myself in a stare with the picture of the ravioli maker, a humble man who loved what he was doing. I felt I had misjudged Rouget by its location. The man in the picture was a parallel of Brian Held--craftsmen cooking upscale, honest food for an honest price. I will return and pray for forgiveness.

Rouget is located at 2 Swamp Road, Newtown. For more information, call 215- 860-4480 or visit www.restaurantrouget.com.