Pat's a Nice

A new Italian Market BYO overcomes its early stumbles.

by Trey Popp

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Published: Dec 31, 2007

Michael M. Koehler MAKE-A-FISH FOUNDATION: Pat Bombino's salt-water interpretation of osso bucco features a sea scallop wrapped in salmon atop a bed of lively risotto. (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

The real problem with a bad first impression is that there's almost always a second chance to rub it in just a little deeper. Food critics know this truth all too well. The next time you come across the food-crit equivalent of a cluster grenade, weep not for the restaurateur struck by the shrapnel. Save your empathy for the critic who likely had to return a second or even third time — without Gordon Ramsay along to reverse the kitchen nightmare.

That's the scenario I feared after my first bite at Pat Bombino's, a six-week-old Italian joint on the corner of Ninth and Catherine streets. It was a night that could have frozen a woolly mammoth, and I'd ordered a bowl of chicken tortellini soup. It arrived so quickly, sensation had not yet returned to my nose. I took a spoonful of broth. It was room temperature. My spirits sank.

The waiter reappeared immediately to make sure it was hot enough, but even a trip to the kitchen for reheating couldn't rescue this soup. The chicken came from a breast that had been grilled, sliced and then dumped into the broth — somehow managing to remain dry even when submerged. Carrot circles bigger than half-dollars bespoke a steroidal root so thick I couldn't imagine anyone selling it, much less buying it. Meanwhile, the liquid suggested a culinary interpretation of the word laughingstock.

And there I was, faced with two more courses plus a whole extra visit.

But like a leadoff batter who goes down on strikes only to reach base the next eight times in a row, Pat Bombino's proceeded to hit the sweet spot with each new thing I tried. And among the walks and singles, it even managed to knock a couple over the right-field fence.

The first home run came in the form of slow-cooked duck falling to shreds over freshly cut pappardelle. Here was the warmth I'd been craving. The pasta was simply perfect, and the rich ragout had a haunting, mouth-coating flavor so subtle that I couldn't quite pin down the spice responsible. A faint trace of nutmeg? Mace? I didn't want to rob the dish of its mysterious allure by asking.

Other entrées proved that the kitchen knows more than pasta, and can run the gamut from the straightforward to the clever. Braised beef brisket could hardly be simpler, served with potatoes and unbelievably flavorful roasted peppers in a mellow vinegar sauce. This is a classic Piemontese preparation, but these days it's probably more common in the Balkans — where peasant cuisine still resides in the hands of, well, peasants. This version reminded me of some of the best I ate in Serbia.

On the other end of the spectrum was a nifty salt-water take on osso buco. A salmon fillet came wrapped around a sea scallop — a visual stand-in for the marrow-filled veal bone — with a deep green band of leek leaf tied around the construction to hold it together. Underneath was a lively risotto pungent with the essence of orange.

This was a fancy piece of work, but the restaurant's 40-seat space exudes a laid-back vibe. If the décor is a bit overwrought — more New Jersey suburbs than Italian villa — the atmosphere is unusually congenial. In one slack moment, my companion and I found ourselves laughing with one of the chefs as he tucked into a restorative plate of tortellini at the next table.

Complimentary antipasti platters underscore the welcoming mood. Terrific olives are one component of about 10 possible options, the best of which was a mound of chickpeas dressed with honey, white balsamic vinegar and curry powder.

If you want dessert, however, you're going to have to save room. They're big. A creamy Nutella tiramisu was plenty for two. A plate of Italian doughnut balls, fried to order, could have fed four, but I didn't mind having them all to myself. To my surprise, the tasty chocolate and raspberry sauces accompanying them were completely outshined by the perfectly moist dough, which had been plucked from the fryer at the very second it had begun to turn to cake.

I can't entirely overcome my first impression — the restaurant's long menu might hold more disappointments than that soup — but overall, Pat Bombino's was an unexpected surprise. In a part of town that's got more than its share of classic Italian food, this place is worth trying. Maybe even twice.

(t_popp@citypaper.net)

Pat Bombino's

767 S. Ninth St., 215-238-6555

Hours: Tue.-Sat., 5-11 p.m.; Sun., 2-8 p.m.; closed Monday.

Antipasti, $9-$14; Pasta, $12-$22; Entrées, $18-$28

BYOB.

Wheelchair accessible.

 

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