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A Taste Of Europe In North Tampa

By KURT LOFT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 5, 2008

CARROLLWOOD - Whenever we craved simple French country food, we headed for Belleair Bluffs and a little bistro called Le Bouchon. No matter if crepes or lamb shanks were on the menu, our meals always glowed, the wine flowed smooth and the bill made barely a dent in the wallet.

So when owner Peter Leonavicius sold the restaurant, we lamented another good thing gone south. Then, quicker than you can say bouillabaisse, he reappeared in Carrollwood with a new table and hungry following. The word about Le Bouchon followed - or maybe it was the irresistible aroma - because people discovered the Toasted Pheasant Bistro, a candidate for our best-eats list at the end of the year.

Sure, we're biased over French food, and who wouldn't be? The French revel in their culinary paradox - good food and wine leads to good health - and insist the day should be tailored around meals, not the other way around.

Toasted Pheasant brings together old European class with a more casual New American sensibility, and melds Mediterranean into the mix. Hearty stocks, reduction sauces and ragouts add depth to any meal, and the wait staff on evenly paced nights pampers its guests in the regal dining room.

The restaurant seems an odd fit in a corner of Grand Plaza, a commercial strip on north Dale Mabry Highway, but once inside the cozy atmosphere puts visitors at ease. Addicting breads open a meal, and a good way to ignite the appetite is by sharing among friends a small wheat-crust pizza made with a Boursin cheese base, Roma tomatoes and herbs de Provence. The kitchen tops its Bistro pizza with oak-smoked ham and artichokes, and its Paris with grilled chicken, melted Brie and portobello mushrooms.

We enjoyed a very flavorful Chicken Scaloppine Piccata, the pounded breasts dusted in herbs and spiked with a tart lemon-caper butter. A heady thyme reduction adds finish to a rich Duck Confit made from slow-braised duck legs, and the pan-seared Lamb Shank wears the perfume of a rosemary demi-glace.

It makes sense to order the restaurant's eponymous dish, the Toasted Pheasant and Beef Medallion. A heavenly Madeira glaze sets off the roasted breast stuffed with a mince of wild mushrooms.

Seafood fares well here, if we judge quality by our outstanding American Red Snapper, the fish moist and rich in flavors, and served with just the right touch of lemon herb oil and a hearty helping of spinach. A simmering concoction of tomato, olives and basil lends depth to the Seafood Trio Nicoise, a combination of salmon, tuna and shrimp.

For dessert, we enjoyed a tender strawberry crepe topped with whipped cream, although the poached pear and chocolate gateau sponge cake should please anyone who likes the luxurious taste of red wine syrup.

Our only disappointment is a shallow wine list, and at least one less-than-satisfying selection from Tuscany. A restaurant with such a creative kitchen needs a cellar to match, but that should be an enjoyable chore.

DINING REVIEW

Toasted Pheasant

Bistro

BOTTOM LINE: Elegant French-Mediterranean fare

WHERE: 14445 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa

HOURS: Lunch, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday; dinner, 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday

CREDIT CARDS: All major

RESERVATIONS: Yes

CHILDREN'S MENU: Can accommodate

ALCOHOL: Wine and beer

WHEELCHAIR ACCESS: Yes

PRICE: Entrees range from $10.50 to $25.50