New Jersey Restaurant Review

Papillon 25
25 Valley Street
South Orange, Essex County, New Jersey
(973) 761-5299

By The Artful Diner
Special to New Jersey Online
7/12/2004

If you cross the threshold with visions of the former occupant dancing through your head, you may be in for a bit of a shocker, as significant, SIGNIFICANT changes have been afoot. Niecy's, which is soon to open at a new location, was an unpretentious Southern eatery inhabiting equally unpretentious quarters... Papillon 25 is anything but. Princeton architect Charles Matz -- at the behest of the new chef/proprietor, Yanick S. Ranieri, her husband, Albert, and their partner, Marino Pazzini -- has magically transformed the once humble surroundings into a sophisticated showplace.

Both chic and stylish, the restaurant attracts an upscale, well-heeled, racially diverse clientele (as of this writing, the ratio appears to be 70/30 African-American to Caucasian). And their first stop is likely to be the breathtaking bar. Here, surrounded by dark wood & granite, metal sculptures, and an eye-catching surrealistic butterfly (papillon), patrons mingle easily and amiably over their favorite forms of liquid refreshment. And since Mr. Pazzini is also proprietor of the Wine Emporium next door, the wine list -- in all price categories -- is particularly inviting. Ditto vintages available by the glass: Sonoma Cutrer "Les Pierres" Chardonnay, $15.00; Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay, $9.00; Dr. Loosen Riesling, $6.00; Bogle Sauvignon Blanc, $6.00; Villa Antinori Chianti, $10.00; Yellow Tail Shiraz, $6.00.

With all due respect to the fruit of the vine, however, here the martini is king. Should you entertain any doubts in this regard, simply take a gander at the whopping seventy-five possibilities to tempt the would-be tippler, all of which may be enjoyed at $8.00 per ($9.00 if you decide to empower your potable with anything other than the house brand) with the option to upgrade to a "Pazzini" ($5.00 extra), the establishment's "Super Size Me" martini.

It goes without saying that no self-respecting classic martini -- or its legitimate siblings/heirs -- would be caught dead in the company of so many creamed and convoluted imposters. If this strikes you as libationary license, you're not the only one. The word "overkill" definitely springs to mind...

As it does the moment you begin to peruse the "Today's Tuesday, it must be Belgium" bill of fare. This menu sets off all sorts of alarm bells. There's simply too much going on here... much too much. Ms. Ranieri, who was born in Haiti, takes us on a gastronomic world cruise -- France, Italy, Asia, the Caribbean, and various stopovers in the US of A -- but be careful where you choose to disembark, as certain ports-of-call are infinitely more edifying than others.

Appetizer-wise, I'd put my money on the chicken and vegetable dumplings ($8.00). Gently steamed and pan fried, they exhibit just the right texture and are paired with a first-rate soy dipping broth. The coconut shrimp ($12.00) -- jumbo crustaceans served with a provocative Hennessey apricot marmalade sauce -- are also quite good... and the same may be said for the savory and succulent Cajun chicken brochettes ($9.00), which are nicely complemented by a homemade red pepper remoulade. So much for the highlights; after this, things tend to get a bit iffy...

The red bell pepper soup ($6.00), a nightly special, is long on cream but comes up short on flavor -- even a hint of the capsicum's natural attributes is purely accidental -- and the black bean soup ($6.00) could use a great deal more pizzazz in the seasoning department. A presentation of roasted peppers bedded on baby arugula embellished with black olives and hearts of palm ($9.00) is generous but generic... and made even more so by an armada of elasticized marinated mozzarella.

Pastas, which may also be ordered as appetizer portions, are something of a mixed bag. The pasta puttanesca ($15.00/$7.50), a given in most Italian eateries, is sabotaged by a lethal overdose of anchovy. On the other hand, the even more pervasive penne in Vodka cream sauce ($15.00/$7.50), in this instance spruced up with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes, makes its case reasonably well.

Entrées, however, even more than their predecessors, demonstrate Ms. Ranieri's penchant for culinary hyperbole and lack of consistency. Paradigmatic are the numerous former inhabitants of Davy Jones' locker... all of which should be approached with the circumspection of a minnow in a shark tank. The lemon sole menuière ($23.00), for example, lacks its characteristic crisp and perky countenance, an apparent casualty of too much clarified butter and a slow hand at the sauté pan. The baked pistachio-crusted Chilean sea bass -- less popularly known as the Patagonian toothfish -- ($28.00) is decidedly mushy and does not appear to be in the best of health. But when the kitchen sees fit to broker an ill-conceived rendezvous with a verdant mound of wasabi mashed potatoes, the result is the "Green Goblin's Revenge..." famine for the eye as well as the palate.

Chicken -- in its various and sundry possible permutations -- also abounds here... but most representatives offer little resemblance to genuine ethnic articles. The coq au vin ($19.00) is a distorted caricature of the French classic, offering up rather dry strips of chicken swimming in a red wine contrivance that lacks both substance and flavor; and the chicken piccata ($18.00) is drowned in a heavy-handed lemon-white wine sauce and reaps absolutely no benefits from an overly sweet coconut rice pilaf. The pick of the litter is undoubtedly the Southern fried chicken ($16.00); but it still doesn't measure up, in my opinion, to the product that Niecy's turned out.

The two entrées that acquit themselves with the most distinction are the veal Marsala ($25.00) and the filet mignon ($33.00). The former is marvelously tender while still maintaining its textural integrity and bathed in a delicately assertive Marsala wine and mushroom sauce. The filet is pan seared to a velvety medium rare and consummated with a heady merlot sauce awash with diced shallots.

Main courses come with suggested accompaniments, but the establishment is quite willing to let you do your own mixing and matching... and this is greatly to your advantage. I highly recommend the garlicky mashed red potatoes and down-home macaroni and cheese. The wasabi mashed potatoes are also quite good, but they can be variable: innocuously bland or incredibly bold and biting. The roasted garlic mushroom risotto tends to be on the dry side, the sweet potato soufflé cloying enough to set your teeth on edge, and the aforementioned coconut rice pilaf eminently forgettable. A vegetable medley -- usually consisting of green beans, broccoli florets, and carrot slices -- is also included as a garnish with most offerings. During one visit, the vegetables are over seasoned and underdone... on another occasion, the complete obverse.

Service, like the food, can be somewhat erratic. One evening, the young woman who attended us was the soul of polished professionalism and never missed a beat. On a return visit, the young gentleman who appeared at our table had a winning personality but was non compos mentis. Among other faux pas, he was guilty of taking our dessert orders and then completely forgetting that he had done so.

And speaking of dessert ($6.00)... this could very well prove to be "the" high point of your evening at table. The brioche bread pudding with three-berry sauce, Key lime pie, and rustic baked apple are all highly recommendable -- as is the potent espresso ($2.75).

Papillon 25, which burst on the scene in late 2003, has proved to be an immensely popular gathering place in the South Orange area, and it has the makings of a first-class eatery; but a number of adjustments need to be made for this promise to reach fulfillment. For starters, the menu is all over the map and must be trimmed down to manageable size with manageable emphases. It is incumbent upon Ms. Ranieri to zero in on one or two cuisines she feels she can do well and that will have the greatest appeal for her clientele and let the rest go by the boards. Once her culinary game plan is in place, she needs to cultivate consistency, tweaking and fine-tuning those recipes that have made the final cut.

These suggestions, of course, are infinitely more difficult to put into operation than they may at first appear. But with just a bit of concentrated effort in the kitchen, I am certain that this fine restaurant will be able to reach its full potential. I wish Ms. Ranieri and her colleagues the very best in their endeavors.

Cuisine: Global
Hours: Lunch: Tues - Sat, 12:00 noon - 3:00 p.m.; Dinner: Tues & Weds, 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.; Thurs - Sat, 5:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.; Sun, 2:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.; CLOSED MONDAY
Credit Cards: All major
Attire: Smart Casual
Smoking: Smoking is permitted in the bar and adjacent lounge only.
Reservations: Recommended
Parking: Street parking
Alcohol: License; extensive wine list and martini menu
Price: Moderate/Expensive
Handicapped Accessible: Yes

Web Site: www.papillon25.com

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