Pazzo - Plantation Center behind Santa Fe

Tiramisu

A new little Italian has opened on the Island.  Pazzo is where the old La Famiglia was (which funny enough, that tosser from Alfred’s worked the room there...maybe THAT’S why it closed...ha!), sort of behind the Island institution Sante Fe.  The owners (also own Flavors on Pope Avenue) have expanded the interior.  The place has a nice buzz to it, charming checkered table cloths, casual Italian – bit more than a pizzeria.  The menu has all the classics – the Parmigiana’s, the lasagne’s, the eggplant’s – you get the idea.  Plus and few other fancier dishes.  There’s also an evening specials board, but our waiter forgot to tell us about that.  It’s only been open a month...so there were serving teething problems!  Nothing to do with rudness..at all...in fact everyone couldn’t have been nicer!  

  Now it’s not me (I swear) – this time I went to dinner with Luke, my son, Sophie, my daughter, and Elena and Ryan, friends of Luke and Sophie’s.  The serving problems stemmed from lack of attention, and I’m not talking about waiting a little too long to take an order.  It wasn't offensive, just perhaps curious.  I thought when the entrees came out we may have had to clear the table ourselves from our starters (I almost did).  There were a few guys “hanging” around, dressed in fancy chef’s jackets folding napkins while we were still playing twister with our plates. 

Sophie and Ryan ordered the Tortellini and Lasagna.  They were the best choices of all our entrees.

Ryan's Lasagne

  We all sampled each other’s and that was the table’s decision.  I had the Calamari to start then the Veal Parm (with the thought that I wanted to see how they did the “classics”). 

Calamari Fritti

The veal was more breading than veal and the marinara sauce was on the bland side.  It was served over a bed of angel hair in a bowl...to be honest; you couldn’t tell what was in the bowl.   Luke also had veal – rollatini – I liked it, he didn’t.  He thought it was bland and tough.  Elena started with a grilled pear salad then also had veal with Parma ham...she said she liked the way I made mine better (maybe she was just buttering me up?!?)  Her salad was huge! 

Grilled Pear Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese

So was Ryan’s portion of lasagna.  So while I hate to say this but we picked the wrong things and you shouldn’t have to say that about a restaurant...they should all be the right things or not on the menu...Si? 

Still juggling our stray ten plates, plus bread, we braved it and ordered desserts...a lot of them. 

Crème brulee, cheesecake, two canolis, and tiramisu...All fresh, made in house, delizioso and beautifully presented!

Again, the desserts came out en masse but at least this time there was back up and the extra set of hands cleared our dinner plates before we had canoli-marinara or tirami-veal. 

The table consensus was...definitely go there for desserts, molto buono.  While the service was dodgy (I’m putting that down to only being open for a month it was nothing even remotely as offensive as that idiot at Alfred’s!), we all decided we would go again, but stick to the pizza and pasta dishes.  It’s mid priced   So my initial thoughts remain the same, a bit more than a pizzeria a bit less then a “proper” full blown upscale give Michael Anthony’s a run for their money sort of place.  Overall...buono...they deserve a shot.  Oh and they are open for lunch.

Pazzo Italian Café

807 William Hilton Parkway

Plantation Center

Hilton Head Island, SC

843 – 842 - 9463

Alfred's Restaurant - 807 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head, SC

It pains me to do this.  It really does.  And here’s why...a hoity toity chef friend of mine, who has every single qualification, basis, grounds, raison d’etre to be very critical of his contemporaries, rarely is (I have only heard him utter one disparaging opinion about an eatery).  His reason being “They’re just trying to make a living and it’s a hard slog.”  I was taken a back at that since I expected there to be intense competition amongst chefs; scrutinizing every little aspect of a rival’s restaurant looking for any tiny crack in the establishment sniffing out anything that was rotten.  So keeping all that in mind, this is what I have to say. 

Alfred has been around for a long time.  He’ s been known on the Island for his sauces.  Terri absolutely adored her Roasted Chilean Sea Bass over mashed potatoes, fresh spinach with a chardonnay sauce. 

Chilean Sea Bass

Mic’s escargots were tender, velvety and not over powered by too much garlic.  When he FINALLY got the bread to mop up the rest of the sauce, well, he was satisfied and happy with his first course choice. 

 For those of us (being me and David) who had never visited Alfred’s when we FINALLY (see the trend?) were given the menu, we were able to see all that was offered.  The choices were varied, but not overwhelming, pretty straight forward, something for everyone without being fussy. When the Maitre d’ FINALLY got around to taking our order, he did so churlishly (pen tapping with a “come on” attitude). When he FINALLY remembered to fill our wine glasses, he dripped wine all over the table.  When we asked for another bottle, he stood there brandishing it and announced;  “I’ll just pour.”  Not a hint of an offer to taste it or even one clean glass.

 I went with the grilled veal chop special with a mushroom demi glace.  Now I’m not being snobby, but he didn’t even ask me how I would like my veal cooked... “Chef’s temperature?” I suggested since the look I got (both hands on hips now with an eye roll) was something of a cross between I didn’t hear you and how dare you speak to me.  I was told that it came out medium “what do you expect?” and that was pretty much that.  The veal chop was cooked on the rare side of medium, which I did end up asking for and almost flipped the guy the bird (but decided to write this instead with the blessings from my dinner partners). 

So, our entrees came.  Mic ordered the halibut special with a potato crust.  David selected the sea bass based on Terri’s rave review...but wait only three dishes came out along with the proclamation from our maitre d’ that “I forgot to place his order,” pointing one of his fifteen pens in David’s face (hand still on hip and no apology).  “It will be out in three minutes, you guys can start,” he said while waving his pen at the rest of the table... No kidding!  We all looked at each other and proceeded to feed David “tapas” from our plates.

 David’s sea bass did come out in three minutes and was returned to the kithchen for another six to eight.  When it came back, it was the same piece of fish, re-plated, and still no apology. 

 It’s a tiny restaurant seating about forty and on the bland side.  Tables basic, chairs bog standard, nothing comfy at all. 

Now, based on where I was sitting I saw our imbecile of a waiter knocking back a brewsky then using the towel slung over his shoulder to wipe his mouth then bald head.  A sight like that makes one’s mind wander...and not in a pleasant direction.

I’m not saying our plates weren’t cleaned by the time we were finished.  The portions were healthy without being gluttonous.  Having said that, the salads we had as starters were thrown on the plate, not long on presentation or inspiration, Terri and I had the Gorgonzola and Spring Mix, David the Beefsteak Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella and Basil.

I guess if you’re known for your sauces and German favorites, you can overlook a few lettuce leaves?  The waiter on the other hand?  I don’t think so.  I’ll never set foot in the place again. 

To sum it up, if you go, Alfred’s is a Pray Eat Leave kind of place.   Pray you don’t get the imbecilic, rude, boorish ass that we did.  Eat what’s known to be consistent food, then Leave!

P.S. Mr. Congeniality didn’t even offer to take David’s meal off our bill...not a sniff of remorse simply a condescending smirky smile when we left.  I actually begged the boys to leave an insulting tip if one at all.

Bistro Patois - Habersham Marketplace - Beaufort, SC

picture courtesy of riann mihiylov photography 

Bastille Day Celebration at Bistro Patois

First Course – Vichyssoise – Cousserges Chardonnay

Second Course – Moules de Provencal – Hughes Picpoul de Pinet

Third Course – Petite Lamb Rack Chop with Ratatouille – Segries Cote due Rhone Red and Segries Lirac

Fourth Course – Oeufs a la Neige Au Citron – Ch Hallet Sauternes

Walking into Bistro Patois feels like you’ve walked into a restaurant that was picked up from the left bank of the Seine, flown over and deposited in Habersham Marketplace in Beaufort.  There’s an immediate feeling of “mais oui!”  My son, Luke, and I drove to Beaufort for French fare (far easier than hopping on a plane plus it’s a pleasant drive).  When we sat down at our table, a nice corner booth, we looked at each other, nodded our heads, and gave a discreet whatever it’s called knuckle punchy thing golfers do.

Bistro Patois, is a curious name.  There is nothing ‘patois’ about the place.  It’s just a year old but you would never be able to tell.  It has calmness about it, suitably proper that makes you think...“we have been around forever.”  It’s small, I think I counted fifteen tables inside and the chance to eat out side if it’s not bucketing down with rain like it was for us on Bastille Day – which didn’t matter one bit.

Chef Penn pillages, in the nicest possible way, the local markets for his menu ingredients.  His philosophy?  Simple is better.  With fourteen years experience under his toque blanche, he’s calm and caring about his restaurant and food and that clearly comes through. I guess that’s the one un-French thing about Bistro Patois...no crazy temperamental chef like Skinner from the movie Ratatouille.

We had a set menu – paired with lovely wines, which I will get to later.  I glanced at the menu proper; it’s definitely up-scale bistro fare.  I guess it could be categorized, if there was such a thing, as a Gastro- Bistro.  It’s expanded beyond bog-standard bistro fare – steak, chips/fries, pate, gherkins, but it’s all there, including raclette!  Their Country Table Lunch Buffet will be expanded later this month to Wednesdays through Saturdays.  A lovely day out – especially on Fridays when the Habersham farmer’s market is in full swing. Well worth the drive from Hilton Head.  My hint, when you go, is to know if you think you are going the wrong way?  You are so going the right way.  You head down a road well signed to Habersham Market and all of a sudden POP it opens up to a small village on the left– I liken it to the little village in Palmetto Bluff. 

Bistro Patois is a sister restaurant to Plums and Saltus in Beaufort – for those who are completely unfamiliar with the surrounding area – it is nowhere near either of them.  What I mean, is that Patois is not in downtown Beaufort, it's approximately 10 miles away.  TheBistro Patois website is comprehensive and informative – there’s really no need for me to go into anything other than that here.

The restaurant itself  is charming.  I was beguiled by the crystal chandelier in the middle of the ceiling (well where else would it be Sally?).  It is truly pretty as is the atmosphere calm and classy.

picture courtesy of riann mihiylov photography

Let me get back to our meal.  Our first course was vichyssoise – a potato and leek soup served cold.  It was traditional and tasty.

  Moules de Provencal was next on the menu.  I love mussels and never make them since I never seem to be able to get them clean enough.  I’m sorry to say that some restaurants have the same problem, that and over cooking them so they resemble little rocks – and well the sauce...can be hit or miss.  Not this time.  The moules were tender and sweet – not over cooked and chewy.  The tomato based sauce was a nice change from the sometimes watery and bland mariniere.  At this point Luke and I asked for more bread – mopping allowed with moules.  Not one bit of that sauce was going to be left. 

Next was Petite Lamb Rack Chop with Ratatouille.  The lamb, again, was cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth – very pink.  The ratatouille served as a bed for the lamb.  The usual stewy ratatouille was replaced with a tasty version that wasn’t runny and had a little bite to it.  You could actually taste and recognize all the vegetables rather than being over powered by too many peppers, or the whole thing drowned in tomato sauce.  The dish was so different from every other ordinary slap it on the side of a plate ratatouille norm that I asked chef Penn for the recipe and will post it here in a few days.

Our dessert, Oeufs a la Neige Au Citron was just a miracle – it was humid and rainy outside and they were fluffy and light! I’m still shaking my head on how he accomplished that meringue miracle.  Also, he didn’t poach them, so they weren’t runny; he baked them to a lovely golden color.

Now, I don’t profess to know a lot about wines. I like my grape juice and usually in the form of chardonnay.  However, I have to say that Henri Gabriel from Advintage was a straight talking juice pusher kind of dude who made sense.  We could actually follow what he had to say since pretentious wine-ing was not his style.  Our standout favorites were the Huges Picpoul de Pinet – it really popped with the moules.  It was crisp, tart and would be great with just about any seafood.  This bottle was so enjoyable and affordable that I bought a case of it.  Nice price point too: about $10.00.  With the lamb – the Sergries Lirac stood out a lovely blend of primarily Grenache, Syrah, and a couple of other grapes whose names I don’t remember.  Anyway, I bought a case of that, too.  Price point: around $20.00, a poor man’s Chataunauf.

Bistro Patois is one for the short list.  Don’t let the drive put you off if you’re coming from the Island. The food alone is worth it plus it’s a nice change of scene.  Driving from Bluffton it’s a hop skip and a jump.  From Beaufort, well it’s a doddle.  As I mentioned, next time, I’ll make a day of it.  I’ll pillage the farmer’s market myself  on a Friday hang around the village and grab an early bistro dinner. 

 Chef Penn and moi

Bistro Patois

21A-1 Market Street

Habersham

843 379 2207

Hours:  Dinner - Tuesday through Saturday 4:30-10:00pm

Lunch - Wednesday through Saturday 11:00am-2:30pm

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picture courtesy of riann mihiylov photography 

Bastille Day Celebration at Bistro Patois

First Course – Vichyssoise – Cousserges Chardonnay

Second Course – Moules de Provencal – Hughes Picpoul de Pinet

Third Course – Petite Lamb Rack Chop with Ratatouille – Segries Cote due Rhone Red and Segries Lirac

Fourth Course – Oeufs a la Neige Au Citron – Ch Hallet Sauternes

Walking into Bistro Patois feels like you’ve walked into a restaurant that was picked up from the left bank of the Seine, flown over and deposited in Habersham Marketplace in Beaufort.  There’s an immediate feeling of “mais oui!”  My son, Luke, and I drove to Beaufort for French fare (far easier than hopping on a plane plus it’s a pleasant drive).  When we sat down at our table, a nice corner booth, we looked at each other, nodded our heads, and gave a discreet whatever it’s called knuckle punchy thing golfers do.

Bistro Patois, is a curious name.  There is nothing ‘patois’ about the place.  It’s just a year old but you would never be able to tell.  It has calmness about it, suitably proper that makes you think...“we have been around forever.”  It’s small, I think I counted fifteen tables inside and the chance to eat out side if it’s not bucketing down with rain like it was for us on Bastille Day – which didn’t matter one bit.

Chef Penn pillages, in the nicest possible way, the local markets for his menu ingredients.  His philosophy?  Simple is better.  With fourteen years experience under his toque blanche, he’s calm and caring about his restaurant and food and that clearly comes through. I guess that’s the one un-French thing about Bistro Patois...no crazy temperamental chef like Skinner from the movie Ratatouille.

We had a set menu – paired with lovely wines, which I will get to later.  I glanced at the menu proper; it’s definitely up-scale bistro fare.  I guess it could be categorized, if there was such a thing, as a Gastro- Bistro.  It’s expanded beyond bog-standard bistro fare – steak, chips/fries, pate, gherkins, but it’s all there, including raclette!  Their Country Table Lunch Buffet will be expanded later this month to Wednesdays through Saturdays.  A lovely day out – especially on Fridays when the Habersham farmer’s market is in full swing. Well worth the drive from Hilton Head.  My hint, when you go, is to know if you think you are going the wrong way?  You are so going the right way.  You head down a road well signed to Habersham Market and all of a sudden POP it opens up to a small village on the left– I liken it to the little village in Palmetto Bluff. 

Bistro Patois is a sister restaurant to Plums and Saltus in Beaufort – for those who are completely unfamiliar with the surrounding area – it is nowhere near either of them.  What I mean, is that Patois is not in downtown Beaufort, it's approximately 10 miles away.  TheBistro Patois website is comprehensive and informative – there’s really no need for me to go into anything other than that here.

The restaurant itself  is charming.  I was beguiled by the crystal chandelier in the middle of the ceiling (well where else would it be Sally?).  It is truly pretty as is the atmosphere calm and classy.

picture courtesy of riann mihiylov photography

Let me get back to our meal.  Our first course was vichyssoise – a potato and leek soup served cold.  It was traditional and tasty.

  Moules de Provencal was next on the menu.  I love mussels and never make them since I never seem to be able to get them clean enough.  I’m sorry to say that some restaurants have the same problem, that and over cooking them so they resemble little rocks – and well the sauce...can be hit or miss.  Not this time.  The moules were tender and sweet – not over cooked and chewy.  The tomato based sauce was a nice change from the sometimes watery and bland mariniere.  At this point Luke and I asked for more bread – mopping allowed with moules.  Not one bit of that sauce was going to be left. 

Next was Petite Lamb Rack Chop with Ratatouille.  The lamb, again, was cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth – very pink.  The ratatouille served as a bed for the lamb.  The usual stewy ratatouille was replaced with a tasty version that wasn’t runny and had a little bite to it.  You could actually taste and recognize all the vegetables rather than being over powered by too many peppers, or the whole thing drowned in tomato sauce.  The dish was so different from every other ordinary slap it on the side of a plate ratatouille norm that I asked chef Penn for the recipe and will post it here in a few days.

Our dessert, Oeufs a la Neige Au Citron was just a miracle – it was humid and rainy outside and they were fluffy and light! I’m still shaking my head on how he accomplished that meringue miracle.  Also, he didn’t poach them, so they weren’t runny; he baked them to a lovely golden color.

Now, I don’t profess to know a lot about wines. I like my grape juice and usually in the form of chardonnay.  However, I have to say that Henri Gabriel from Advintage was a straight talking juice pusher kind of dude who made sense.  We could actually follow what he had to say since pretentious wine-ing was not his style.  Our standout favorites were the Huges Picpoul de Pinet – it really popped with the moules.  It was crisp, tart and would be great with just about any seafood.  This bottle was so enjoyable and affordable that I bought a case of it.  Nice price point too: about $10.00.  With the lamb – the Sergries Lirac stood out a lovely blend of primarily Grenache, Syrah, and a couple of other grapes whose names I don’t remember.  Anyway, I bought a case of that, too.  Price point: around $20.00, a poor man’s Chataunauf.

Bistro Patois is one for the short list.  Don’t let the drive put you off if you’re coming from the Island. The food alone is worth it plus it’s a nice change of scene.  Driving from Bluffton it’s a hop skip and a jump.  From Beaufort, well it’s a doddle.  As I mentioned, next time, I’ll make a day of it.  I’ll pillage the farmer’s market myself  on a Friday hang around the village and grab an early bistro dinner. 

 Chef Penn and moi

Bistro Patois

21A-1 Market Street

Habersham

843 379 2207

Hours:  Dinner - Tuesday through Saturday 4:30-10:00pm

Lunch - Wednesday through Saturday 11:00am-2:30pm

Eat!

A few weeks ago the Picky Palate reviewers (me, David H, Terri and Mic) ate at EAT!  It’s a relatively new restaurant in the former building that used to be Spice (the islands only short lived Indian restaurant.)  It’s a good space, very shee-shee for Hilton Head and the lounge is down right big city-ish.  There are absolutely stunning chandeliers over the bar area.  The website www.eathhi.com has great pictures and do the place and food justice. 

We went for Tapas that evening and as you will see below over ordered by a plate.  We all left comfortably full not stuffed.  The Tapas menu offers you a choice of three small plate for $3.00 off.   Now they do have a full menu you can pick from, but that wasn’t up our alley.  The food was good.  Not great...good.  The company was great!  No one was disappointed and each one of us thought that it’s one to keep on the “short list” of places to go.   Fun for a group.  We’ve all been there before and the food is consistent.

So this is what we had...

Tomato and garlic hummus – very good and the home made chips served with it very good...you can’t go wrong with homemade chips!

Duck confit spring rolls – again...anything deep-fried...just bring it on...the sauces made this one and it was the table favorite.

Mint basil pesto gnocchi – could have skipped that – very ordinary, bland and very luke warm when it was served. - sorry no pic

Fried Green Tomatoes – they looked good and tasted good.  David H, loved them

Tuna Tartar – Fresh and FAB

Beef short ribs with Asian glaze – very good, the boys loved them. Mic’s favorite

Beef sliders with brie and pickle – slightly on the medium well side, but still – it’s a slider and slide down very easily – again, big favorite for the boys

Foie gras – just enough for a little taste each.

Our wine experts (the two that actually know something about it rather than Terri and I who just know how to drink it) called the wine list uninspiring.  We settled on the Babcock, which was a nice chardonnay.

 The only slight UGH we decided was the waiter – he was okay, a bit too “charming and seasoned.”  It felt like he was working the bill a bit and bordered on slightly pushy.  He must have been eager to get his tip since he included it himself when the bill came.  With wine, the bill was around $60.00 per person including tip...the tip that the boys added in!

Reservations are probably a good idea especially around Heritage.  It’s a good restaurant and was we all decided...you know what you are going to get so that’s always a plus!

Eat!

The Village at Wexford

1000William Hilton Parkway, Ste B-6

Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

843 785 4850

Executive Chef:  Alphonse Lee Lucier

The Picky Palate Reviewers

Michael Anthony's - Cucina Italiana

Luke and I had a really, really nice dinner on Saturday at Michael Anthony’s.  This is another favorite on the island for us but this time I went in with a more critical eye as opposed to just a great big “I love this place!”

The décor is nice about as metropolitan was you are going to get here on Hilton Head.  Check out the website www.michael-anthonys.com.  It’s comprehensive, informative and the pictures, I think, give a true depiction of pretty much the entire dining experience.  There’s a Chef’s Table up stairs and I am dying to have an excuse for booking that one-day! 

The place was jam-packed and we went early.  Our table was for 6:45.  The dining room and bar was hopping, not with “early bird specials.”  The main dining room, the quieter room in the back, the bar area and upstairs all full. 

We had our favorite high top in the bar area.  We were lucky to get that.  It was a busy place to eat, especially Saturday night.  Pretty much the main drag for customers and staff to get everywhere, so my advice for anyone who wanted an intimate quiet dinner…don’t sit there.  We didn’t mind, but I can see where it could annoy others.

 The service was outstanding!  Our waiter, Byron, was on top of it and as busy as it was the timing was excellent from start to finish.  Our check was delivered after a nice two hour dinner and there was still no rushed feeling, foot tapping or sighing to get us out even with the bar area now heaving. 

Here’s what we had:

Me:

Insalata con Gorgonzola, Pera e Pignoli

Baby greens with sweet Gorgonzola, pears and honey roasted pine nuts

sorry no pic, it was too dark...but it looked great!

A little boring on my part, just since I ALWAYS order it, but I like it.  The pears are poached so they are still firm and not mushy at all.

Luke:

Risotto con Asparagi, Funghi Selvatica e Tartufo Nero

Creamy Arborio rice with fresh asparagus, wild mushrooms and black truffle

 

A little boring on his part too.  He ALWAYS orders this, but again, he likes it.  He did say it was very hot (temperature wise).  I noticed that there was a pile of asparagus on the edge of the plate though…ahem.

Me:

Costoletta di Vitello ai Funghi con Salsa di Tartufi

Grilled veal chop with fresh herbs and sautéed wild mushrooms

in a black truffle, red wine sauce

This pic is directly from their website

This was good, not too much of a black truffle taste though.  I love veal chops, this was huge and filling with the mashed potatoes as well.  Perfectly cooked I might add.  But what I should have ordered was the branzino(Mediterranean sea bass) Why?  I love it and this is the only place on the island I know that even attempts to get it in. 

Luke:

Petto di Pollo alla Milanese

Chicken breast pounded thin, lightly breaded and pan fried,

served with arugula and shaved Parmigiana

The picture doesn't really do this dish justice...sorry

Here’s a direct quote… “Mum, was delicious and huge…I’m stuffed” Okay, I NEVER hear my nineteen year old son say that he’s stuffed.   He loved it, a little freshly squeezed lemon juice…perfect!  But again, I did note not too much of the arugula left the plate…hmmm. 

Me:

Dolce Mista della Casa

A sampling of Michael’s signature desserts.

Tiramisu, Panna Cotta and Profiterole

Okay, I had my Miss Piggy Hat on!  Here’s how this trio of delights went.  The Panna Cotta was hands down the best I have ever tasted! I loved the caramelized peel on top…  Gone in a flash.  The Tiramisu, was light and fluffy and delicious…a perfect amount and taste.  The profiterole, gone in one bite…

Luke:

Sformata di Cioccolata con Gelato Vanilla

Hot soft centered chocolate soufflé cake

served with vanilla gelato

Another dessert hit.  Didn’t see anything left on that plate…guess since there were no green veggies.

Our dinner bill came to $159.09 + tip.  That included a couple of rather expensive glasses of wine.   Not cheap, but you get what you pay for and this was well worth it!  The food is consistently good, the service consistently nice, the place is consistently busy…all in all…I really don’t think you can go wrong here…that’s if you can get in!  Advanced reservations an absolute must!

Michael Anthony’s

37 Orleans Road

Hilton Head SC 29928

843-785-6272