Parc
Rittenhouse Square
227 South 18th Street
(215) 545-2262
© NEAL SANTOS
Parc, Stephen Starr’s sprawling, spectacular French brasserie on Rittenhouse Square, was almost a deli.
“That’s what the owners of the building originally wanted,” says Starr, a restaurateur renowned for his endless supply of restaurant concepts. He pauses to consider: “This isn’t that much different from a deli, really.”
Age-tarnished mirrors, salvaged brass fixtures, French-language newspapers, and the city’s best baguette aside, Starr has a point: The bistro is France’s answer to the deli, serving up a classic menu, three meals a day, in a casual, convivial environment. Plus—this is key—a bar, the same gleaming zinc beacon you’d find in a Paris classic.
And then there’s the inimitable location, stretching down 18th Street along the park—those bistro chairs, all turned to face Rittenhouse Square, a warming sight even on blustery winter days—and turning on to quieter Locust Street, where en plein air diners might hear the city’s next protégé practicing at the Curtis Institute of Music.
At 7:30 a.m., the restaurant is a quiet refuge for an omelet and a cafe au lait. At noon, it is business meetings over moules frites. At 3 p.m., people watching and onion soup gratinée. At 5 p.m., happy-hour cocktails and oysters. At 8 p.m., lingering over steak frites and roast chicken, crème brûlée and tarte tatin, and a carafe of wine. Weekend brunch—sleep in, the restaurant doesn’t even open its doors until 10—is croissants, Champagne, and towers of fruits de mer.
“Breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This is where you bring your friends and celebrate your life,” says Starr.
SALADE LYONNAISE
One of the most classic and recognizable dishes in French cooking, this salad is a perfectly calibrated balancing act. The bracing acid of the dressing and the bitterness of the frisée cut the fat of the egg yolk and the bacon.
(SERVES 4)
3½-inch-thick slices brioche, crust removed, cut in 1-inch cubes
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper, as needed
½ cup sherry vinegar
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ pound bacon, cut in ½-inch cubes
2 russet potatoes, cut in ½-inch cubes
8 cups torn frisée, dark green leaves discarded
⅓ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
⅓ cup tarragon leaves
⅓ cup chervil leaves
1 shallot, finely chopped
STEP BY STEP: POACHING AN EGG
1. Heat
In a saucepan, combine 8 cups of water and 1 tablespoon white vinegar. The vinegar will help keep the egg whites from spreading during cooking. Heat to 180°F, which is barely simmering.
2. Crack
Crack eggs into individual bowls. This prevents egg shells from falling into the poaching water and allows you to add the eggs to the water more gently.
3. Swirl
With a spoon, swirl heated water to form a whirlpool. The motion will keep the egg whites close to the egg yolk and prevent the egg from dropping to the bottom of the pan.
4. Cook
Carefully add egg to swirling water. Cook for 4 minutes. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Gently press egg with one finger to ensure that the whites are set and the yolk remains liquid.
5. Serve
Serve immediately or allow to cool, returning poached eggs to barely simmering water until reheated before serving.
Preheat oven to 350°F. To make croutons, toss bread cubes with 2 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake, turning once, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
To make the vinaigrette, combine sherry vinegar and mustard. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ½ cup olive oil and vegetable oil. Slowly pour oil mixture into vinegar mixture, whisking vigorously until emulsified.
To poach eggs, bring a large saucepan filled with water to a simmer. Add white vinegar. Gently slide the eggs, one at a time, into the simmering water. (See “Step by Step,” page 46.) Cook until whites are just set, about 4 minutes. Lift poached eggs out of water with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of warm water until serving.
In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter until sizzling. Add bacon and cook slowly until crisp on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon. Add potatoes to bacon fat in sauté pan and cook until golden brown. Remove potatoes, sprinkle with salt, and drain on paper towels.
In a large bowl, combine frisée, parsley, tarragon, chervil, and shallots. Add bacon, potatoes, and croutons and toss together. Drizzle salad with vinaigrette and toss. Divide salad between four plates. Place a poached egg at the center of each plate and serve.