I had been eagerly awaiting the opening of Odeon for a number of reasons. First, I've always loved the space on S. 12th Street, the original home of Battles Florist - with its stained glass name still on the transom.
Second, Odeon has the pedigree of two accomplished restaurateurs, Steve Ledbetter of Alouette and Gary Bachman of Frog and La Terrace.
And third, I hungered for some genuine bistro food, having sampled it in New York where it's been the rage for some time.
The restoration of the building by the new owners is splendid. Chocolate brown woodwork still dominates, accented by pale yellow walls, large mirrors, green marble columns and understated deco sconces and ceiling lights.
The expansive staircase sweeps into two tiny balconies which contain the best seats in the house unless you count the see-and-be-seen cocktail table smack in the spacious window at the end of the bar. The simple but handsome bar features a Cruvinet that allows for up to 16 bottles of wine to be dispensed by the glass in 3- or 5-ounce sizes.
Bistro food, like the duck with a mountain of olives at Allard in Paris or the massive platter of grilled mushrooms with branches of fresh thyme at Chez Louis in New York, is simple, hearty and copious. While Odeon has some very good food, prepared with obvious skill and care, what they serve is a lot closer to tiny-portioned, subtle (often extremely so) nouvelle cuisine than bistro fare.
The two best dishes sampled were first courses. Soupe de poissons ($3), the classic Provencal fish soup, was a real triumph of burnt sienna broth married with sweet and garlicky mayonnaise. Supremely delicate sauteed fresh goose liver ($12) finished in a syrupy glaze with a chestnut garnish was aptly described by my wife with the words: "Oh, my God."
Red pepper mousse with green petals of lamb's lettuce ($3.25) was bland. Plump baked mussels ($4) were buttery but in need of more garlic. Attractive seasonal greens ($3) could have tolerated a more seasoned hazelnut vinaigrette. Also needing a bit more oomph was the sauteed crabcake ($4) in lemon butter sauce. Fresh and verdant pappardelles noodles were nicely swathed in a light tomato sauce with mozzarella ($3.75).
At lunch, head for the sweetbread medallions ($10), wonderfully napped in a brandy-spiked wild mushroom sauce. The souffleed cheese omelet ($6.50) was fluffy and cheesy and the chicken salad ($7.50) looked like the mountain in ''Close Encounters" with sheets of chicken breast forming the steep sides.
