Petoncles aux deux Poivres, or seared jumbo scallops with sweet red and yellow pepper sauces, is typical of the fine fare at Patou French Bistro.

PATOU FRENCH BISTRO Location: 1315 East Blvd. Phone: 704-376-2233 Prices: $13-$22 Hours: Lunch: Tuesday-Friday, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Monday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 5-10:30 p.m.

With an array of dining destinations opening from one end of town to the other, this week we visit an established Charlotte favorite. Sometimes it's nice to break from the hip and happenin' hubbub and settle in with an old friend. That's exactly how you will feel when you dine at Patou French Bistro.

Interiors at Patou are soft and warm. Dark wood walls and soft cream-colored lace café curtains, white tablecloths and linen napkins set the bistro's charming tone and style. Outside is an equally charming patio where you can enjoy classic French bistro fare at sidewalk tables. Surrounded by large planters of flowers and small trees, the patio is slightly walled in from the rest of the strip center at The Courtyard on Park Road in Dilworth. The exceptional staff is warm and welcoming and well versed on both the menu and wine list. You'll feel right at home and the food is simply marvelous.

Lunch at Patou is an abbreviated listing from the dinner menu and features a host of cold salads, assorted omelets, and classic French sandwiches, as well as a soup and a homemade noodle dish of the day and a daily choice of a tart or quiche. Many of the luncheon menu items are also available for dinner in the guise of first plates and appetizers. It's hard to go wrong with any selection, but if you're looking for suggestions, try the escargot au Roquefort, a half dozen tender snails baked in a Roquefort and garlic butter, seasoned with fresh-minced parsley and baked with small crunchy croutons. Use the fresh baked bread to sop up every bit of the delicious sauce. The Moules Marinieres, mussels served in the shell, steamed with white wine, lemon and garlic, and the Boudin Blanc de la Maison, a homemade mild chicken and veal sausage served with caramelized apples, are both winners. Paired with a salad, these entrées prove to be plenty for lunch or dinner.

New on the spring and summer menu at Patou is a classic paring of asparagus and morel mushrooms, served on it's own as a first plate. The pairing of vegetables comes lightly dressed with a delightful orange demi-glace. Try this one early in the season while asparagus are still thin and tender and as flavorful as it's been in years.

If your table is looking for something light to share, order the Rilletes de Saumon, a seafood terrine made from smoked and fresh salmon served up in a slice with capers and freshly baked croutons on the side.

After appetizers and something off the well-stocked wine list at Patou, it's time to move on to salads. Again, several could make a meal, but for a pre-entrée taste of something special, try the Salade de Caille. Here, a bed of mesclun greens is topped with a lightly blackened well-seasoned semi-boneless quail, perfectly dressed with grapes, walnuts and a red wine vinaigrette. A bit heartier and richer in both taste and texture is the endive salad, with leaves of the crisp and slightly peppery chicory surrounded by apple slices and walnuts, dressed in a rich and creamy lemon and Roquefort vinaigrette.

With dinner entrées, it would be hard to make a wrong choice. There is chicken, quail and an outstanding crispy roasted half duck. In terms of seafood, look for skate and salmon offerings as well as a plate of seared jumbo scallops served with a duo of sweet red and yellow bell pepper sauces. Moules Frites is a throwback to Patou's early Belgian influenced roots. The mussels are steamed and served with a side of pommes frites or french fries. Heartier menu fare includes steaks, veal chops and rack of lamb, but perhaps my favorite new springtime entrée at Patou is the rabbit. Called Lapin Roti Montagnard, this entrée revolves around a braised half rabbit cooked in a warm and wonderful garlic and black olive demi glace studded with chunks of artichoke and red pepper served in a shallow bowl over homemade pasta. Again, you'll need the bread for the last few drops of sauce on your plate.

RATING SCALE Excellent, a must try. Above average, worth consideration. Average, but nothing spectacular. Just okay. Poor, not recommended.

Desserts at Patou change daily. There's always something chocolate, a classic apple tart Tatin or other fruit tart, and perhaps an ice cream or sorbet. Ask your server for suggestions and take that advice.

New owners, same style
Patricia and Thierry Moiety opened Patou in 1996 in celebration of fine French bistro cuisine. The Moietys were from France and Belgium, so the dishes on the Patou menu took on some of the characteristics of their native homelands. In July 2001, in search of a change of pace, the Moietys sold Patou and moved to Wilmington.

New owners Rachid and Laura Ouchou have held fast to the restaurant's original roots, changing very little about the manner and style that is Patou. Rachid comes to Charlotte from Morocco by way of Toulouse, France, and offers the influence of southern French cuisine to the menu and teams with Phillip Barnes to plan nightly specials and seasonal menu changes. In addition, Rachid works the front of the restaurant, greeting and seating customers and working with the well-versed staff.

Rachid met his wife, Laura, in Charlotte while working as a waiter at the old Tio Montero on East Boulevard, where Laura was a customer. "I worked at Tio for a long time" said Rachid. "Laura thought I cooked everything she ordered." Despite the fact that someone else was cooking at Tio Montero, the two were married in 1991. Laura is a native Charlottean but there's no indication yet that ham biscuits or grits will be on the menu at Patou. In the meantime, she handles public relations and marketing for the restaurant and raises their three children, ages 5, 7 and 9.

Celebrate springtime at Patou with a classic pairing of asparagus and morel mushrooms, atop a flavorful orange demi-glace.

Well-known Charlotte restaurant critic, food writer, cooking instructor and connoisseur of food and wine, Heidi Edidin writes "South Charlotte Weekly: Culinary Corner," a restaurant review or food feature that appears weekly. Contact Heidi with questions and restaurant, food or story ideas by email at heidi@southcharlotteweekly.com.

SCW photos by Sean Busher.

This article first appeared in "South Charlotte Weekly" on May 16, 2003. "South Charlotte Weekly" is a free, locally owned, independent newspaper that's "About the Community, For the Community," available every Thursday in South Charlotte and Uptown.

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