A New Chef and Vibe at Crowne Pointe’s Bistro
Changes are afoot at the Bistro at Crowne Pointe. Robbin Haas, a new chef with big plans for reinvigorating this Bradford Street restaurant, has already begun making his mark.
“If I could pick one thing to accomplish, it would be to get the locals looking at this restaurant as a great alternative [to what’s in town],” Haas says. He admits there is some great food in this town, but says the Bistro offers more contemporary cuisine than most places, and also something more “earth-conscious.” Haas says the restaurant will be working with more sustainable farms, getting their beef from cows fed on grain grown less than 50 miles from the cattle farm. They will be using free-range, no-hormones-added, steroid-free chickens, and they will be using more sustainable fish, avoiding things like swordfish, unless they are line-caught.
But the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. The Bistro offers a classic fine dining experience atop a hill overlooking the town and adjacent to the iconic Pilgrim Monument. But the atmosphere is not stuffy. Menu items range from a burger and fries to Braised Lamb Chops with apricot-mint chutney and watercress salad.
“As far as flavors, that’s what really counts for the diner. We want to let the flavors shine through,” Haas explains.
Fair Fare
The new menu features a selection of small plate samplings and main dishes. The small plates include Roasted Portobello Mushroom with Roquefort polenta porcini mushroom sauce; Baked Clams made with Portuguese sausage, roasted red peppers, garlic, and fresh marjoram; Carpaccio of Fresh Tuna, with shaved horseradish yuzu and shitake mushrooms; and the brilliant Steamed Mussels, served in white wine and butter with scallions, roasted tomatoes, and croustades.
Several small plates are also available as entrées, and lighter fare, like Organic Greens with toasted soy nuts, apples, and cider vinaigrette, are also available, along with an excellent clam chowder and the White Bean & Portuguese Sausage soup.
For entrées, the choices are no less enticing. The Seared Halibut - a succulent fillet, seared to perfection, lies gently on a deep green bed of seasoned swiss chard, surrounded by a lemon-caper sauce with toasted garlic. Or there’s the Roasted Chicken, which surpasses one’s flavor expectations with its crispy skin and juicy dark meat atop an unassuming mound of potato puree, edamame, and thyme-parsley pan sauce.
And then there is the Old School Bistro Burger. Let’s face it, sometimes a cheeseburger is all you need. The Bistro’s version is made with top quality Angus beef and cheddar cheese, accompanied by crispy, thin french fries seasoned enough to forgo the obligatory ketchup. One bite of this burger proves that the Bistro uses only the finest quality beef, as it carries a rich, deep flavor and is juicy without being greasy.
Other delicious entrées on offer include Grilled Tuna Steak with wasabi potato puree, soy-sesame glaze, and a fresh herb salad; the Seafood Hot Pot, featuring the fresh fish and shellfish catch of the day in a roasted tomato-basil broth with croustades and corn sauté; and the Grilled Filet Mignon, served on gorgonzola polenta in a red wine sauce.
Fresh two-pound lobsters are served four ways here: “Classic,” with corn and fingerling potatoes; “Thermidor,” featuring cream with sherry, tarragon, and parmesan; “Angry,” with tomatoes, chiles, red onions, toasted garlic, and scallions; and “Steak,” removed from its shell and prepared with basil, butter, chives, and a roasted tomato-lemon sauce.
Local Clientele, Local Ingredients
Haas is a veteran of the culinary world, with experience developing a number of restaurants such as Nokiate, a contemporary sushi, sake, and seviche restaurant, and Bistrot Cinq, a French restaurant, both in Guatemala, where he has lived with his wife for several years. He moved there “during the Bush years,” in part out of frustration with the direction our country was headed, but also because of the even, temperate climate.
Haas says his work here at the Bistro at Crowne Pointe is all about taking advantage of the great, fresh ingredients available to us. “We’re working in a very healthy, contemporary vein, and we’re also looking at flavor and textures, and placing more emphasis on the local seafood... I’m sure it’s all been on the menu before, but what we do with the product – that’s the difference.”
At the same time, bringing in local residents is important to Haas and he says he will be making changes not only to the menu, but also to the decor, in order to have a more contemporary, comfortable atmosphere – even featuring an open kitchen so you can see what goes on behind the scenes.
