Pascal’s Artisan Bistro & Gourmet Coffee
2.5 out of 5 stars
241 E. Davis Blvd., Tampa. Breakfast: $8-$13; lunch: $4-$14; beer & wines by the glass: $5-$7; desserts: $1-$4. 813-513-5478, pascalstampa.com.
When I first hear about Pascal’s Artisan Bistro & Gourmet Coffee, I’m excited. My mind automatically goes to Paris, where there are seemingly magical bistros on every corner. The Bay area, sadly, has a dearth of affordable, distinctive bistro food.
However, once I finally see the menu online, I need to adjust my expectations. The chef certainly has artisanal aspirations, but more accurately, the Davis Islands restaurant is a gourmet panini shop. It also serves an imaginative breakfast, but closes its doors each day at 4 p.m.
My first visit is for a satisfying breakfast, beginning with a huge and tasty latte that arrives in an enormous cup. We settle on a wrap featuring custardy scrambled eggs with bits of bacon, Cheddar Jack and tomatoes, plus some wilted spinach and a dollop of garlic aioli all swaddled in a pale green spinach tortilla. It’s terrific.
Pascal’s spin on French toast is to elevate delicious banana bread. While there’s no visible warm maple syrup, the toast is still moist and sprinkled with sweet pralines and craisins, which are a real treat. Add a touch of honey butter and whipped cream and it’s a nice surprise. A special version using pumpkin bread tempts my tasters, too. We ask if we may get a side of the pumpkin bread, but what arrives is the complete French toast treatment — pumpkin style. It’s decidedly softer. So much so that we wonder whether the slices are fully cooked. No matter, because it’s not doughy and delivers the lovely fall flavors in demand as Thanksgiving approaches.
Perusing the rest of the lineup, the restaurant also offers tempting pancakes, waffles (with gluten-free options) and three-egg omelets with a range of cheese and toppings. DI Shakshuka, though, catches my eye. It’s a Mediterranean hot skillet dish dressing a house-made roasted tomato and pepper sauce with tahini and two baked eggs, a lovely variation on traditional fare.
When I return for lunch, we begin with an ample cup of the soup du jour. It’s a vegan-friendly lentil soup built around a full-flavored mushroom broth. There are bits of soft leeks, chunks of cremini mushrooms, and toothsome al dente lentils. I’d prefer a bit more salt, but that could just be the swap of beef or chicken stock for veggie broth. In any case, it’s perfectly pleasant.
We try the house-cured salmon presented on a huge slate plate with rope handles as well. The fish sits on large crostini slices slathered with goat cheese and dotted with bits of red onion and capers. It’s a nod to the artisanal goal and big enough to qualify as a main course. The salmon is on the subtle side. It’s fine, but doesn’t deliver the excitement that a handcrafted item should to justify the effort.
The same is true of the Revolution Milkshake. There’s a blob of ice cream affixed to my straw, so I know it’s homemade. Yet neither the flavor nor texture is surprising. It’s on the thin side, you know it’s chocolate, but any wow factor is absent.
The restaurant is out of roasted potato wedges, so we accept the substitution of sweet potatoes. These are large hand-cut pieces, seductively soft with no contrasting crispness on the outside. Again, predictably pleasant.
Our curry chicken salad panini comes on a yellowish turmeric and black pepper sourdough that’s smooth and not overly toasted. It has a delicious chili-mango chutney, but on closer examination, hardly any pieces of chicken. The ratio is totally backward; the chicken seems like an afterthought. Plenty of flavor is there, though the advertised star of the show has sent in an understudy. I doubt 20 percent of the sandwich is chicken. It’s either careless or a “bait and switch.” Neither option inspires repeat business.
Better is the chimichurri panini with thin slices of steak, pickled onion and smoked Gouda on butter sourdough. Unlike the curry chicken salad, this has deep tracks from the panini press to add great texture. The accompanying thick-cut, house-made pickles are delightful.
The chef’s desserts are squares of multilayered whips: crumbs, cream cheese, pudding and cream. The restaurant is out of pumpkin and pistachio. Willi Wonka is chocolate with crushed Oreos. We devour the butterscotch, yet the top is a bit grainy and overly sweet — almost like Cool Whip.
Pascal’s is new, so you expect some growing pains. On my two visits, the service was friendly, albeit slow. Perhaps that’s the kitchen finding its sea legs, but anticipate a leisurely visit. The place isn’t yet right for a grab-and-go lunch.
After a long wait to place our order, the server finally greats us, only to exclaim, “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” There’s a rush out the door to hug some friends passing by. Pleasantries are exchanged, and finally after the brief interlude, our order is taken. This is the first time I can remember in my years of dining out that I’ve experienced this particular “order interruptus.” But also, we requested drinks (on both visits) that failed to materialize and later asked for a to-go box for some leftovers, which disappeared. To the restaurant’s credit, the kitchen did make good on what was tossed when we asked.
Pascal’s has so much good intention and potential, but if the restaurant wants to thrive in the competitive Tampa culinary market, it needs to up its game. There’s nothing wrong here that isn’t easily fixed. Go for a fine breakfast and challenge the crew to meet their aspirations at lunch.
CL Food Critic Jon Palmer Claridge dines anonymously when reviewing. Check out the explanation of his rating system, or email him at food@creativeloafing.com.
This article appears in Nov 1-8, 2018.