After what has seemed an elephantine gestation period, Brasserie Pavil, the brass-accented, mahogany-trimmed offspring of hotelier Patrick Kennedy and Chef Scott Cohen, has finally seen the light of day at Loop 1604 and Huebner — within spittin’ distance of powerhouse duo Wildfish and Roaring Fork. Cohen has been working on the menu, perfecting recipes at Ben E. Keith’s test kitchen, since his departure from Las Canarias, and it reads like a classic document indeed. French onion soup? Bien sûr. Pissaladiére? Mais oui. Plateaus of seafood large and small, lemon sole, coq au vin, moules frites, rack of lamb … no surprises here. We look forward to it all and would offer “break a leg” — except Cohen has done that recently. (brasseriepavil.com)
In complete contrast, A-B notes the opening of another enterprise with altogether different ambitions: Bloom N Bistro. Billed as a combination deli, florist, catering, and event-planning operation, we can only marvel at the chutzpah that pairs White Trash Wednesdays with Meatloaf Madness and the sensibility that can place tofurkey, Frito pie, and cheeseburger soup on the same menu with a classic Reuben. We look forward to trying this one as well. No, really. (bloomnbistro.com)
