Clef Club

One good thing about music: It inspired Sonata.

by David Snyder

Mark Stehle TELL ME ALL YOUR THOUGHTS ON COD: Sonata chef/owner Mark Tropea wraps delicate black cod in potato for one of his many well-executed entrées.

[ review ]

Most artists are not shy about sharing their work. But the vocals and guitar licks that Mark Tropea laid down with his brother and a friend on a digital 12-track are not for public consumption. "If you get to hear it, that means I really like you," Tropea joked when I interviewed him.

Fortunately, though, the chef is not shy about sharing his compositions at Sonata, his new contemporary American BYOB in Liberties Walk.

Music's always been a serious hobby for Tropea. But ever since the Glen Mills native got pulled off dishwasher duty at Hilltop Pub to help get the chef out of the weeds, his goal has been to cook. After graduating from the Restaurant School, he landed at Malvern's Desmond Hotel and Conference Center and became executive sous chef. Seven years later, Tropea (now 29) got the itch: When Swallow's former space popped up for sale, he decided to form his own act. To round out the band, he recruited former colleague and school chum Krystal Weaver (Desmond, Brasserie Perrier, Miel Patisserie) as his sous and pastry chef.

Tropea picked the name Sonata to tie his interest in music in with his passion for food, a motif that resonates in the décor. Paintings of musicians adorn warm, cream-colored walls accented by bright red soffits and a slate-colored ceiling. The votive holders filled with shredded sheet music evoked fond memories of me reading (and sometimes ignoring) sheet music on a black music stand as I played the snare drum in high school band.

Although the kitchen does hit a few sour notes, Tropea demonstrates an ability to orchestrate simple ingredients into sophisticated, satisfying compositions.

The practice that demonstrates this the most is Tropea's ability to combine earth and sea, his most adventurous combo being the lobster "mac and cheese." Purists might dismiss marrying cheese with a lobster tail, yet a whisper of mild fontina is a harmonious partner for the crustacean, giving the dish an elegance bolstered by house-made pappardelle. It's the addition of chanterelle mushrooms, though, that makes it a masterpiece. The match seems counter-intuitive, but the lobster stock-infused cream sauce connects these ingredients into one seamless arc.

The surf and turf theme echoes wonderfully elsewhere, too, including the black trumpet-encrusted tuna alongside favas and truffled foie gras butter sauce, a refreshing change from the boring Asian-inspired tuna preparations that often dominate menus.

For another winning dish, Tropea wraps black cod in large, thin slices of russet potatoes before pan-searing each side and roasting the fish in the oven. A sweet onion cream sauce helps the gentle cod flavor pull forward, while meaty chicken of the woods mushrooms work with earthy spuds to provide that warm, comforting depth we hunt for so endlessly in the winter months.

Tropea is also conscious of how texture can be leveraged to make a statement. When I saw that the foie gras starter off the opening menu was now paired with French toast for the fall, I was worried that the inclusion of this breakfast staple would leave the dish soggy. But the caramel-y sear on Tropea's pain perdu (hard bread dipped in milk and eggs, then fried) added a smart flavor transition to the perfectly cooked foie.

It was such attention to detail that left me confused over the rabbit andouille gumbo, another fall menu addition. The gumbo itself — rich rabbit and andouille sausage in a dark roux — was wonderful. But the sear on the polenta cake placed on top of the stew wasn't enough to prevent it from turning soggy. I loved last season's creamy lobster pierogies, but the lobster crêpe that's taken its place is disappointingly watery.

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Tropea prepares many of his proteins and fruit accompaniments sous vide, vacuum-sealed in plastic bags and cooked in a circulating water bath. It's a technique the chef believes should be embraced, and you'll agree once you try his braised short rib. This generous chunk of beef cooks at 142 degrees for two days so the meat stays a perfect medium, resulting in tender, improbable juiciness.

A pair of the menu's sous vide proteins, though, didn't fare as well. Our server promised us that the chicken (cooked sous vide, then pan-seared) would be the best I ever had. It was remarkably dry. And another dissonant chord was struck by the bizarre stuffed pork chop. The idea seemed to be to use the sous vide process to literally bind bread pudding between two pieces of pork, forming a sort of sandwich preparation. Although the concept is odd, the rebel in me would normally appreciate an experimental effort like this — but here, dry meat awkwardly glued to dense bread did not inspire applause.

Weaver's desserts are a mix of high and low notes. Dishes like last season's blueberry fig tart, as well as the new pear and dried cherry strudel, were flat. Although sweetness overwhelmed the autumnal flavors in the pumpkin rice pudding, I would give it another shot. (Weaver told me in an interview that she wasn't happy with the dish, and said she has since made some adjustments.)

The bright sweet spots, however, are very bright. If left alone, I could eat an entire bowl of Weaver's chocolate beignets, chocolate cake teardrops filled with warm liquid chocolate ganache. Weaver's house-made ice creams, too, are stellar — her burnt caramel rendition is one of the best I've ever had, and her butter pecan's not far behind. But last season's panna cotta was one of the more interesting and accomplished desserts I've tasted in a long time. Corn and basil aren't your typical dessert fare, but Weaver was able to harmonize these flavors with a milk chocolate sorbet by using passionfruit as a bridge.

Yes, the kitchen could use a little tuning. But, overall, Sonata's refined fare is something worth singing about.

(david.snyder@citypaper.net)