Friday, June 01, 2012

Jean Paul's House

Jean Paul’s House, a date-friendly restaurant from former La Cofradia chef Jean Paul Desmaison, occupies a quaint cottage in Wynwood. The space is decked out in artfully-scuffed chairs, circular mirrors and a communal picnic table. An L-shaped bar provides ample room for solo diners or those popping in for happy hour cocktails. There are plans for a gourmet market in the back as well as takeout pizza counter and a small wine-tasting bar.
Italian, American and Latin dishes pepper the menu but Peruvian classics like ceviche and lomo saltado (steak stir-fry) anchor the offerings. And the Peruvian spirit pisco find its way into dishes like the crispy pork belly and the passion fruit tart. Prices are wallet-friendly with snacks for $3, starters $9-$11 and mains $16-$29.
Start things off with the homemade potato chips and black mint sauce or the garbanzos saut̩ed with spinach and chorizo. Starters include three types of cured fish Рa flounder tiradito topped with avocado, a salmon sashimi and a traditional ceviche. The eggplant carpaccio brings thinly sliced grilled eggplant topped with shaved reggiano cheese and a drizzle of olive oil while the beet salad is a colorful combo of yellow beets, avocado and blood orange. Mains include braised short ribs over polenta, a bouillabaisse with lobster stock and red snapper cooked with white wine and grilled lemon.

Pastry chef Lamyaa Samir (Soho Beach House) curates a dessert menu with items like Peppercorn Genoise, an Italian sponge cake topped with figs and balsamic glaze and a passion fruit tartelette with a mango piscojito sauce and toasted meringue.