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 Pastiche Is A Welcome Splash Of Creative Fanfare. By Rebecca Cook WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY defines "pastiche" as any musical, literary or artistic composition made up of selections from different works, a definition that brings to mind a gallery of Matisse-like images: colorful, playful and invariably inventive. When this approach is successfully applied to literature or music, the word "clever" often comes to mind.
The brainchild of Blake Wolfe and Patrick and Julie Connors, Pastiche is an Epicurean convergence of tastes, textures and styles. Menu selections span the globe, ranging from a velvety-rich seafood bisque from the coast of Maine to an East-meets-West grilled salmon with portabello mushrooms and chopped scallions, served atop a wasabi soy roll and accented with a citrus aioli. Chef Alan Sanchez executes the dazzling particulars of the Pastiche repertoire with a sure and gifted hand. If nothing else, it's worth stepping into Pastiche just to enjoy the spacious, earth-toned ambiance. If you stay (which you'll be compelled to do), figuring out the evening's repast will be a little like constructing your very own pastiche, a phenomenon the owners no doubt anticipated when composing their extensive menu. Appetizers (under the heading "To Entice") are intriguing in the extreme; light eaters will be tempted to forego a main course and stick instead to a few hors d'oeuvres and one of Pastiche's inviting green salads. No fewer than 12 introductory possibilities tease your tastebuds, including fried leeks, a spicy tomato-basil shrimp cocktail, a ginger crabcake served on Asian greens with sweet tomato oil, smoked salmon carpaccio and that fabulous seafood bisque served with a shot of fruity French Lillet on the side. Decisions, decisions. Finally we settled on a mushroom soufflé served with asiago cream sauce and topped with a delicate nest of fried leeks. We were not disappointed in our choice. The soufflé was a feather-light custard suffused with the full and earthy flavor of mushrooms, a taste beautifully contrasted by the insinuated sharpness of the asiago cheese. Along with a basket of fresh bread, this was an elegant way to stave off gnawing hunger. Salads (dubbed "Green Stuff") are no humdrum affair at Pastiche, but rather an imaginative assortment of garden-variety vegetables, cheeses and snappy vinaigrettes. Picture if you will a duck salad with wild mushroom compote and dried fruit vinaigrette. Or perhaps Pastiche's spinach salad--made with red bell peppers, red onion, egg and a luxurious, warm bacon vinaigrette--would be more to your liking.
Although heartier appetites prevailed the night we visited, a plentiful assortment of sandwiches ("Between Bread" selections) is offered, each accompanied by a choice of onion rings, French fries, fresh fruit or pasta salad. Hamburgers and steak sandwiches can be found right alongside a more unusual grilled salmon, portabello mushroom and scallion variation; or a purely vegetarian choice of grilled mixed vegetables served on a rosemary bun with sliced avocados, sprouts and hummus. "Getting Serious" (for thus are the entrees christened), we moved on to more substantial fare, which includes several pasta dishes. If you allow yourself the sinful pleasure of fresh lamb every now and then, you won't want to miss the special treatment this meat receives from Pastiche. Petite loin chops are grilled over a very hot flame until the exterior is seared and vaguely crisp, and the interior is sealed into a state of tender, succulent splendor. Served with a pureed smoked tomato, basil and balsamic sauce, this was a dish fit for royalty. The whipped sweet potatoes and sautéed, julienned green and yellow squash that came with were mere shadows compared to the radiant chops. Nevertheless, they made for satisfying counterparts. Even a culinary composition as creatively engaging as Pastiche is capable of a few sour notes here and there. We found this certainly to be the case with the lemon ricotta ravioli served with wild mushrooms, chopped chives and a smoked tomato broth. Or, at least that's how the menu described the dish. What actually arrived more closely resembled delicate pillows of pasta drowning in an ocean of what appeared to be a brown consommé-style gravy, a sight that impressed my vegetarian companion not one whit. Although the noodle pockets, with their subtle, creamy filling, were actually quite good once you scraped the jelled goo aside, the inevitable animal protein comparison ultimately proved too much for my companion. Admitting that his coping mechanisms were failing miserably, he decisively pushed the platter away from him, looking slightly ill as he did so. Moral of the story: If you're vegetarian, ask about the dishes you're considering. Even the ones with no meat ingredients listed on the menu can turn out to be wolves in cucumber clothing. Desserts, while quite adequate, are far from the stellar performance I'd come to expect from Pastiche. A strawberry-rhubarb shortcake seemed an appropriate way to greet the spring, but was disappointing once set before me. The shortcake was a little dry, and the stewed fruit puree on top failed to excite in the least, retaining only the tartness of the rhubarb as a distinguishing characteristic. Our waitress described a dessert special that day as crème de pot, a thick chocolate custard. Although I'd previously eaten something similar called pot de crème, I assumed that the play on words was only an elaboration on the Pastiche theme and ordered the treat fully expecting a dense pudding. Au contraire. At Pastiche the dessert came piled in a cup in a very thick state, much like an extremely rich chocolate frosting. Even with my extreme chocolate fetish, this was too much to indulge in all at one sitting. Anytime you can stand your spoon straight up in a custard, it's time to practice a little restraint.
Service at Pastiche is outstanding: timely, efficient and effortlessly
courteous. A request to be moved away from the kitchen corridor
was honored with no sign of irritation or duress, and our waitress
kept careful tabs on us throughout the lengthy process of deciding
on the evening's meal. It's a pleasure to dine in such capable
hands. Tucson has yet another fine restaurant to add to its growing
list of exceptional dining experiences. Pastiche Modern Eatery. 3025 N. Campbell Ave. 325-3333. Open 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 4:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Full bar. All major credit cards, checks. Menu items: $3.75-$17.75.
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And when the art form in question has culinary origins, get ready
for a wild, wonderful and occasionally wacky ride. Get ready for
Pastiche Modern Eatery.
We opted for baby greens tossed with Granny Smith apples,
toasted and seasoned walnuts, crumbled bleu cheese and a semi-sweet
orange vinaigrette, a combination that was awesomely right on.
The swirl of flavors varied slightly with each bite, depending
on the proportion of the individual constituents, but each nibble
was thoroughly delightful. If Mom had served salads like this,
the "eat-your-vegetables" argument never would have
surfaced in our house.
