Pinot Pasadena

When it comes to location, Patina’s Joachim Splichal ventures where few other upscale restaurateurs go--namely anywhere but the Westside. He’s kept to this formula with his fifth and latest bistro, Pinot at the Chronicle, which he and wife and partner Christine opened in October at the historic Pasadena dining spot.

All of the Pinot bistros bear a family resemblance. Menus include whimsical touches such as “soup of yesterday” or escargots “1965 classic,” spa entrees of the day and a list of hearty plats du jour. From Pinot Hollywood to Pinot Bistro in the Valley to Cafe Pinot downtown to Pinot Blanc in the Napa Valley, these are restaurants that work hard seven nights a week and, on weekdays, all through the afternoon, too.

The Splichals have given the old Chronicle space a turn-of-the-century look. The massive mahogany bar and booths have been spruced up and armchairs put in front of the fireplace to create a cozy “martini lounge.” Bright touches have been added with splashy vintage French beverage posters, saucy bistro chairs and marigold-colored walls above dark wainscoting. Doorways are set off by heavy red paisley curtains, which can be drawn to create private dining areas. And from behind the cherry-red screen that conceals the kitchen door comes a parade of waiters in long aprons carrying platters of oysters, pretty salads, steaming French onion soup, duck confit and thick steaks.

Since its opening, the restaurant has been packed with the Chronicle’s old faithful, come to check out the changes, and a new crowd curious about this latest Splichal venture. You’d never mistake this group for the Westside or Los Feliz: Pasadena dresses up to go out. Women are carefully coiffed and accessorized. Men wear jackets and ties. Most nights, Christine Splichal negotiates the tables with a watchful eye. One night recently, it was three deep at the bar, and the armchairs in the lounge had been cleared away to make room for more tables. Yet it felt more festive than frenzied.

Next to us, an elderly couple were so clearly enjoying their night out that it was a pleasure to watch. He was courtly, she was flirtatious. They toasted with glasses of the crisp, yeasty Roederer offered that night and savored each bite of their meal. Anyone following their example would have had a lovely dinner. The oysters were sweet and cold and a bargain at $13.50 per dozen. The pork loin special was juicy and tender. For dessert, they shared a double chocolate torte with sour cherry sauce.

Our meal was more mixed. Asparagus in metamorphosis, that night a rough-cut tuna tartar with a flurry of feathery mizuna and roasted asparagus spears, was wonderful. But pumpkin soup tasted more like pasta sauce than a soup. Those escargots “1965 classic” were oily and salty and served with an overly rich potato puree. Crispy cumin risotto cake was more intelligently paired with diced pumpkin scattered with pumpkin seeds.

On other nights, I’d had better luck with the appetizers. I wished we had ordered the exemplary endive and Roquefort salad studded with glazed walnuts. Or the spunky Napoleon Caesar draped with whole anchovy filets. Then I recalled a couple of less successful appetizers: an oily tomato soup garnished with skinny white beans and ribbons of basil and the plate of leathery short rib ravioli drenched in salty broth.

Executive chef Bill Gideon was hired away from the kitchen of the Four Seasons Regent Beverly Wilshire for this new Pinot. I can’t vouch for the spa entrees, but he generally does a good job with fish. Crispy whitefish cushioned on a bed of mashed potatoes laced with cod andgarlic and surrounded with an ivory beurre blanc is a perfect plate of food.

Flaky, translucent salmon served with heirloom beans in a Cabernet sauce is stunningly good. But the monkfish pot-au-feu needs retooling. That big chunk of monkfish strewn with winter vegetables tastes tired and overcooked and has a sauce that’s closer to gravy than broth.

Main courses have a certain monotony to them. I end up longing for more vibrant flavors, more contrast. Reductions are splashed around too freely, muddying the flavors. Everything is soft, warm, brown. A good smoked pork chop comes with delicious ribbons of celery root and greens but is drowned in sauce. Chicken breast is perched on an earthy parsnip-potato pancake saturated in mushroom reduction. Confit of duck comes with a pile of wilted greens and grilled onion-potato pancake; underneath is a dice of bacon and vegetables. There are so many competing flavors, the confit gets lost.

This, like the food at all of Splichal’s Pinots, is a peculiar hybrid of French and California and central Europe. With the exception of the spa entrees, it would be hard to call this cooking light.

The wine list, put together by Patina’s resident sommelier, Christopher Meeske, is intelligent and savvy, emphasizing Napa Valley with a mix of heavy hitters and up-and-coming estates.

For dessert, get the profiteroles--three generously sized puffs of pastry filled with good vanilla-bean ice cream and cloaked in a fudge sauce that tastes like the darkest chocolate pudding. On the lighter side, there’s a lovely compote of warm, spiced winter fruit with orange-buttermilk ice cream. Yet the same kitchen turns out a dreadful pear tart. And while the plate of mixed cookies is a nice touch, these are pretty ordinary.

As sometimes happens at the other Pinots, the food at Pinot at the Chronicle seems formulaic, as if churned out with more attention to the numbers than to what’s on the plate. While a welcome addition to the neighborhood, given its pedigree, Pinot at the Chronicle is a bit of an underachiever.

PINOT CHRONICLE

CUISINE: California-French. AMBIENCE: Bustling bistro with turn-of-the-century touches. BEST DISHES: oysters, endive and Roquefort salad, Napoleon Caesar, crispy whitefish. WINE PICKS: Domaine Weinbach Riesling “Cuvee Theo,” 1994, Alsace; Andrew Murray Syrah, 1994, Santa Ynez Valley. FACTS: 897 Granite Dr., Pasadena; (818) 792-1179. Closed Saturday and Sunday at lunch only. Dinner for two, food only, $51 to $70. Corkage $12. Valet parking.