Tucson Weekly: French Revelation (July 23

Take A Break From Global Fusion And Enjoy Penelope's Pure, Continental Pleasures.
By Rebecca Cook
IN RECENT YEARS, several bold and brassy cuisines have emerged, characterized by a distinct regionalism of ingredients and intense utilization of sizzling and vibrant herbs and spices. It's been a dizzyingly delightful time to be a bon vivant.
In the last decade, we've taken culinary forays across the Pacific Rim and the entire breadth of the Orient, taking in Thai, Malaysian, Japanese and Korean cooking; we've explored the great expanse of the North American continent, each and every region of Italy, the entire length of Latin America, and on into Africa.
Chow In the midst of this obsession with experimenting with the world's cuisines, it seems one area has been overlooked--ironically the very region that might be said to have gotten us into this deliriously delicious fray in the first place. Of course I'm referring to France, and the inimitably exquisite tradition of haute cuisine.
Don't get me wrong: I adore all those dishes incorporating the fiery chili pepper and the flash of unlikely combinations of ingredients impossible in less sophisticated times, given the constraints of growing seasons and geography. It's just that it comes as something of a relief to occasionally sit down to a meal that teases the palate rather than assails it. The hallmarks of French cooking have always been sophistication, nuance and graceful élan, and what a pleasure it is to encounter them once again.
Penelope's has been a Tucson tradition for almost 20 years, first operating out of a diminutive cottage on East Speedway Boulevard. Now located in a renovated turn-of-the-century ranch house just off Swan and Fort Lowell roads, owner and chef Patricia Sparks (who acquired the business from the original owner about 13 years ago) maintains a high standard of industrious elegance and graciousness.
Her dishes reflect a reassuring measure of common sense combined with scrupulous attention to detail. Her salutary excursions from the kitchen into the dining rooms to check on her guests' level of satisfaction bespeaks a courtesy seldom extended these days. When you dine at Penelope's, you're in for a real treat.
The former ranch house has been tastefully converted to resemble a cozy continental country inn: solid wood floors, lace curtains, floral borders, fireplaces and stained-glass windows accent each of the four dining rooms, giving each a unique character. An amazing sound system pipes French melodies throughout the house in a wholly audible yet remarkably unobtrusive way. Penelope's is loaded with ambiance.
Lunch here is a casual affair, with a leisurely pace that'll soothe if you're on holiday and irritate horribly if your schedule demands a prompt return to punch the time clock. Fortunately, on the occasion of my visit, I was unencumbered with the demands of a work day and so could forget everything save the pleasures of the table.
Entering on a hot and muggy afternoon with billowy thunderclouds looming on the southern horizon, we found the appeal of a cold cup of vichyssoise undeniable. Thick, decadently creamy and topped with just a pinch of fresh-snipped chives, this puréed potato-leek potage was pure heaven. This is the way vichyssoise was meant to be served, with no apologies or irreverent thinning down of the contents.
A small salad of cold, crisp, mixed greens drizzled with a pungent Dijon vinaigrette was the ideal follow-up to the refreshing consommé, and further demonstrated Sparks' mastery with those telling details.
Lunchtime selections include a variety of crepes, which can be ordered with chicken, mushrooms, seafood, blue cheese or sliced apples. Regretting the passing of a brief crepe craze sometime in the '70s, I was delighted to find them featured on Penelope's midday menu.
We sampled both the mushroom and shrimp with bay scallops variations, finding both uniformly excellent. The crepes themselves were a thing of wonder: golden brown, paper thin and deftly enveloping their contents. As is often the case in French cooking, the secret's in the sauce, which in both cases was highly impressive. Flecked with the barest hints of white wine, garlic, basil, thyme, cream and minced tomato, these were sauces that adroitly enhanced the featured items rather than eclipsing them. What a lovely repast.
The featured fish that day was a salmon fillet capped with a creamy lemon-dill sauce and served with modest portions of rice pilaf and ratatouille. The salmon was amazingly fresh, moist and flaky, with the grace note of its light and savory sauce--rich without becoming overwhelming.
Again, it's the little things that ultimately tip the scale of a restaurant from good to great. The vegetable hash of chopped eggplant, zucchini, green bell pepper, onion and tomato is often not only too densely spiced to be very appetizing, but appears on the plate as an unsightly mess. Such is not the case at Penelope's, where the vegetables are individually cooked to an impeccable tender-crisp, and lightly bathed in a tomato sauce threaded with just a trace of fresh oregano and thyme.
Penelope's dinner menu features a four- or six-course prix fixe menu as one seductive option. To further entice, Penelope's allows substitutions from their a la carte menu, making it possible for the diner to fully custom design a meal. Who can resist such a pleasure?
Beginning with an appetizer of escargots served in their coiled shells and seasoned with garlic, minced parsley and butter, we kicked off the evening with panache. A squeeze of lemon made this a deliciously auspicious start to our meal.
Our next course was soup, a choice of either the hearty French onion or a bracing, chilled concoction with fresh melon and strawberries. I was torn, but finally decided on the baked-onion soup, which came topped with a hearty slice of French bread and toasted gruyere cheese.
The small tureen arrived densely packed with sweet onions, a rich beef broth and loads of cheese and bread, making this an extremely filling course. Served piping hot and redolent with the flavors of the main ingredients, it was deeply satisfying.
Familiar with Sparks' fish acumen, I chose an entrée of halibut seasoned with a delicate crust of fine bread crumbs, fresh herbs, olive oil and lemon butter. I was not disappointed with my selection: The fish was once again peerlessly flaky and fresh, with a mixture of herbs and a light sauce that served to highlight the qualities of the halibut rather than smother it. And the side dishes--a mixed, julienned vegetable sauté and a blend of mashed white and sweet potato--were again superb.
Another entrée of tender veal medallions sautéed in a sauce of Madeira and sliced mushrooms was also quite good, its flavors blending harmoniously.
In the French tradition, salad followed the main course as did a small plate of seedless green grapes and equal portions of Boursin (cream cheese blended with fresh herbs) and blue cheese.
At last came dessert, which in this case was a choice of two luscious offerings: a classic crème caramel served cold, and Sparks' own signature black-and-white torte, a layering of white and chocolate mousses between thin layers of dark, dense cake served on a tart pool of fresh raspberry sauce. When there's only two choices the safest bet is then to order both, which we readily did.
The crème caramel was a silky, dense custard, which was quite pleasing; but it was the chocolate creation that elicited the loudest round of applause. The tangy contrast of raspberry against the concentrated sweetness of the two chocolates was absolutely delicious. A cup of dark-roasted coffee to follow was just the thing.
If you enjoy the pleasure of being a guest in someone's home and yearn for a reprieve from food that challenges even as it dazzles, be sure to make a reservation at Penelope's. Here haute cuisine has become comfort food of the highest order.

Penelope's Restaurant Français. 3071 N. Swan Road. 325-5080. Open 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Mondays. Wine menu available. All major credit cards. Menu items: $3.50-$23.50.

Home | Currents | City Week | Music | Review | Books | Cinema | Back Page | Archives