RESTAURANTS / Max Jacobson : Despite Problems, Gemmell’s Serves Consistently Fine French Fare

Gemmell’s, an elegant French restaurant in Costa Mesa, recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and though the restaurant has no plans to close, according to maitre d’ Jean Bernard, it does face a major reorganization. And that is a real shame. Gemmell’s is a finely tuned restaurant that rarely fails to impress just the way it is.

Of course, judging by the empty tables amid the ornate (and surely expensive) surroundings on a recent visit, I should have sensed trouble. Indeed, things are tough all over for this area’s French restaurants. Le Saint-Tropez, a Newport Beach institution, recently closed after 20 years. Pascal, the excellent Provencal restaurant that opened exactly one year ago, has not gotten the overflow crowds it deserves. Diners are headed in different directions, toward Italy and the Southwest, it seems. The day may have passed when France ruled the dining scene like a vain empress.

But Gemmell’s, in particular, deserves a better fate. Modeled after a French country home, it is a quiet, understated room with lace curtains, classical music, and tables draped like ballroom gowns in green-and-white linen. You can imagine the rest: the Villeroy and Boch china, the brandy cart, the silver domes for presenting entrees, the pastry table. OK, so it isn’t very trendy.

But quality never goes out of style. Chef Byron Gemmell, a Guatemala native who trained under the late Jean Bertranou of West Hollywood’s L’Ermitage, would prefer that you call his food “cuisine unique,” as he does. I can’t agree there. Except for a dish called duck banana (I didn’t try it), there is little unique about Gemmell’s food. It is first-rate, though.

You get a sense of the chef’s talents when the solicitous (he has the time to be) waiter brings an amuse-gueule of perfectly browned cheese straws--long crisps of buttery, crusty Swiss cheese baked onto a delicate puff pastry.

Among the appetizers, I like one of Gemmell’s several near-perfect terrines. Mousse de foie au porto (a duck liver pate with port) is creamy and subtle with a sweet aftertaste from the port. At lunch, there’s rabbit pate; grainy and generously larded, it comes surrounded by a delightful aspic, cornichons, marinated onions and a tomato rosette. Best of all is foie gras au choux (warm goose liver wrapped in a perfectly blackened cabbage leaf). It’s a tiny package, with nothing more than a little salt and pepper for garnish, but one bite will convince you that this chef should stay in town.

Entrees showcase chef Gemmell’s solid expertise--and his tendency toward the expensive ingredients that make dinner here a pricey proposition. He insists on serving such high-ticket items as Dover sole and fresh imported duck liver, even though unordered leftovers often end up as employee meals. “The chef wishes to preserve his reputation and continue serving what he’s known for,” says maitre d’ Bernard.

He may have to compromise soon and shorten his menu, but meanwhile, I ate a flawless veal chop with morels, beautifully bronzed in an artful demi-glace. I also had the fresh duck liver, imported from France, a magnificent morsel in a pear brandy cream sauce with browned apples.

Standbys on the menu include homard au Sauternes (live lobster in a sweet-wine sauce), filet mignon with chanterelles, ranch squab with fresh noodles in a basil butter sauce and other regal selections. These items don’t come cheap. The main dishes also come with elaborately prepared side dishes, including concasse of tomato in a pastry boat; timbales of cauliflower, pea and turnip, and various chartreuses of baby vegetables.

There are separate specialties at lunch, too, carefully plated in large portions. Souffles are made to order and served with sliced fruit. A whole boned chicken thigh is stuffed with minced veal and served in a light raspberry sauce.

Pastry is made on the premises, too. A wonderful genoise with a mocha butter cream filling, an excellent, flourless chocolate cake, and a flaky pear tart are just a few the restaurant prepares daily. The coffee is good, the brandies are excellent, and there is an extensive wine list. They’ve thought of everything here, really, except for the most important thing: how to fill the restaurant.

Gemmell’s is expensive. Hors d’oeuvres are $7 to $14. Salads are $7.50 to $15. Entrees are $17 to $29.50.

GEMMELL’S

3000 Bristol St., Costa Mesa

(714) 751-1074

Open for lunch weekdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., for dinner Monday through Saturday from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Closed Sunday

All major credit cards accepted