On Golden Pond

Chef Abde Dahrouch makes waves in Radnor.

by Maxine Keyser

Sometimes, the word "pond" conjures up thoughts of dark, amorphous creatures, bottom dwellers and the like, but no such images come to mind when you eat at Pond.

Formerly Passerelle, this is one of the most enchanting restaurants around. A little bridge covers a placid stream where swans float by. It's a most romantic setting, especially in the spring, but we were not concerned with bucolic pleasantry. Having heard that Abde Dahrouch had left Taquet to come to Pond, we were anticipating a splendid meal.

CHOP SHOP: Grilled veal in a garlic jus is plated with shiitake mushroom and fingerling potatoes. : Michael T. Regan

The restaurant itself has been completely redone. The Venetian glass chandeliers have been replaced by wrought iron fixtures that work well with the burgundy walls. The soaring, exposed-beam ceiling is white so it does lighten the room, but the feeling is cozy, almost like an elegant hunting lodge with handsome appointments and a courteous staff. The wine list is not cheap, but we found a reasonable white Burgundy, and one of our group had a glass of the house cabernet and pronounced it acceptable.

The dining room was full, with the noise level just a shade above unpleasant, and all in all, the mood was happy and satisfying.

Dahrouch's ever-evolving menu is a joy to read, but if nothing's to your liking, you may also order from the menu of Cassis, a bistro across the hall. Sweetbreads were one of the day's specials, and I can never pass them up. I received two plump pillows, with a light crust and a meltingly soft interior, lying in a pool of simple stock reduced and lightened with a little cream. While I exclaimed over my plate, one companion rhapsodized over another special — sauteed wild mushrooms, also in a simple stock, served with a crusty bread. The tangle of mushrooms emitted a woodsy aroma that wafted over the table, delighting us. Incidentally, the mushrooms were originally listed in a cream sauce, but since my friend is not partial to cream, the kitchen prepared them to order in a much simpler style without complaint.

The restaurant staff gets points for its attitude, and so did our next dish — a jumbo crabmeat cocktail that was truly jumbo and shell-free, tossed in a creamy soy lime dressing on a bed of wakame seaweed. We found no fault, nor did we with the gravlax — delicate slices of rosy salmon, dotted with dill cream, accompanied by dill brioche and a terrific cucumber and tomato salad.

Veal cheeks, something else I adore, were lovely — so fat and tender and full of flavor that they needed the baby spinach to cut their richness. They were surrounded by mashed potatoes piped in a circle to complete the dish.

A companion enjoyed the sauteed Norwegian salmon, which sported a tomato and zucchini gratin, and a Bordelaise vinaigrette (a red wine goes into that dressing, which went very well with the salmon). A fish as good as this one can stand up to a red wine anytime.

Another companion loved the "tagine" of striped bass. I didn't think it was really baked in a tagine, a conical Morrocan clay pot that enhances the steam of cooking vegetables, but it had all of the requisite Moroccan flavors — saffron, olives and peppers — in the accompanying confit. The bass was firm and flavorful, and, just as the salmon was, cooked perfectly on the underdone side.

My other friend decided to order from the Cassis menu, selecting a red-wine-braised lamb stew with root vegetables, which turned out to be fragrant and delicious with the standard carrots, and — would you believe? — a circle of piped potatoes. Does three out of four dishes embellished identically show a lack of imagination in the kitchen? Or is it laziness? I doubt it, because I have eaten Dahrouch's cooking before, and it is anything but lazy.

The dessert menu was elaborate. We could only handle two. A café latte chocolate sponge cake sprinkled with espresso liquor was plated with a chocolate coffee mousse. The dish combined many flavors and textures but turned out slightly bitter on the finish. Maybe the liquor gave it that off taste. But we enjoyed the floating island in a creme anglaise a great deal more.

So ended the kind of evening that you don't get too often — when all the elements fall into place. We had good conversation in beautiful surroundings, and felt cosseted by the waitstaff. And we got the splendid meal that we had anticipated.

(m_keyser@citypaper.net)

Pond

175 King of Prussia Rd., Radnor, 510-293-9411

Hours: Lunch, Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thu., 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5:30-10:30 p.m.

Appetizers, $10-$18; entrees, $25-$29

Wheelchair accessible.Reservations suggested.Credit cards accepted.