The Lighter Side of French Fare

Pomme Restaurant is a sophisticated hideaway in downtown Clayton, warm and dark. It’s a place to tuck into dinner and relax and enjoy, like wrapping yourself up in a cashmere sweater (and just as pricey). Bryan Carr, owner and chef, has been busy the last few years. Along with his wife Diane, he’s opened Pomme Café and Wine Bar two doors north of the restaurant and opened and then closed Mockingbird Market in Olivette. More recently, he’s taken the helm at Atlas Restaurant. Yet even with all this going on, the food at the original Pomme Restaurant is still reliably good. The menu is influenced by France, but it also draws from America, Italy and the seasons. The kitchen puts out a simple and comforting menu but goes easy on the tons of butter and cream and salt typical of more classically French restaurants. Sometimes this is a boon, as with a deep, almost brick-red crab soup that is poured tableside over lump crabmeat, carrot, zucchini and fresh tarragon. It’s a really lovely soup, thin but not without body, wonderfully pleasing and aromatic. There aren’t gobs of fat in it, but it’s delicious just the same. Occasionally, however, that easy-on-the-butter approach is a bit of a bane, as with the halibut with lobster sauce, a recent special. The fish was sautéed beautifully, with a dusting of flour to achieve a bit of a crust and some color. But it was underseasoned, as was the accompanying lobster sauce. The lobster flavor was there, but it lacked depth and could have used some enrichment, as lobster screams for butter, cream and booze. The roasted chicken with mushrooms and lemon thyme sauce was rich but not heavy. Little potato spheres, lightly browned, and bright green snow peas arranged almost like a set of wings rounded out the plate. The chicken was a single breast served sliced, off the bone. It didn’t have a deep golden and crispy skin, as I’d hoped, but the chicken was moist and juicy. The sauce was a flavor-packed gravy, and it blanketed the hen-of-the-woods and royal trumpet mushrooms, some of which were cut too large and thus a little tough and woodsy. The duck confit was disappointing. The skin on a large leg portion of duck wasn’t crispy, and the meat sort of clicked between my teeth as I chewed it – a telltale sign of dryness. The best part of the dish was a surprising carrot flan that was at once sweet and savory, fluffy and luscious, in stark contrast to the tired wild rice or sweet caramelized apples. A trio of hearty house-made pâté was served with a little celery leaf salad and dressed greens, crostini and mustard. The thick slice of pâté was dense, fatty and meaty. Smeared on the crunchy bread with accoutrements, assembling each bite to your liking, this was a great start to the meal. The gnocchi in brown butter with Parmigiano-Reggiano was also a nice starter. The gnocchi were adequately tender and light. And anything sitting in a shimmering pond of browned butter and cheese is hard not to like. Pomme’s desserts are delightful. House-made ice cream is light and creamy. A hazelnut gâteau was a sophisticated version of the elementary Moon Pie: Its circular layers of moist chocolate cake with a cream-filled center were enrobed in glossy ganache and served with a scoop of hazelnut ice cream and a dollop of whipped cream. A real treat. A rhubarb galette was just as good. The rhubarb filling was lemony and tart, and the enveloping pastry was buttery and golden. (The bottom of the pastry was a little underbaked, but that’s not always a bad thing.) As the scoop of vanilla ice cream melted over the warm galette, a happy unison of sweet and sour, warm and cool was achieved. The dining room is small and softly lit, with exposed brick and mirrors, a tiny bar at the back and large paintings of apples and pears. There is a hushed feel about the place, cozy and romantic. The servers are very gracious and knowledgeable, describing wines from the concise list, which includes a selection by the glass. When the restaurant is busy, service slows a tad, but servers were very professional and kind just the same. BACK FOR SECONDS Don’t-Miss Dish: The crab soup and any dessert. Vibe: The mature crowd seems at home in the hushed, sophisticated dining room. Average entrée prices: $22 to $34 Where: Pomme Restaurant, 40 N. Central Ave., Clayton, 314.727.4141 When: Tue. to Sat. – 5:30 p.m. to close