Caesar's Bistro

Chef Bonetti does it again

by Jim Johnson

Caesar's Bistro
70 Southbridge Street, (at Clarion Suites Hotel), Worcester
791-1400
Tues.-Thurs. 5-10 p.m.
Fri.-Sat. 5-11 p.m.
Major credit cards
Full bar
Handicap accessible

There was a time, I must admit, when I referred to Worcester's Southbridge Street hotel as the Carrion Suites Hotel, so bad was the food in its restaurants. Quality, variety, and ambiance have pulled a happy 180, thanks to the creative touches of chef Keith Bonetti, who transformed the now-closed P.T Beanie's (later Blackstone's) into a dining destination. He's done the same with Clarion Suites, making Caesar's Bistro a fine place to spend an evening.

Caesar's menus change with some regularity, but the appetizers listed during a visit with two friends give a strong indication of Bonetti's range: lobster and wild mushroom pancake with crème fraîche and caviar ($9.95), saffron risotto with garlic reduction sauce and parmesan cheese ($7.95), steamed littlenecks and mussels with white wine garlic broth and pesto croutons ($8.95), grilled scallops wrapped in prosciutto ham with Danish bleu cheese and garlic sauce ($8.95), and spinach phyllo with peppered chevre, garlic sauce, and fresh herbs ($6.95). For appetizers, these aren't bargain basement prices, but we're not talking Buffalo wings here, either. (Actually, if you really wanted Buffalo wings, you could walk 30 feet into the adjacent Bailey's Pub and get a dozen for $4.95.)

Our server ingratiated himself with us quickly, sort of a happy-go-lucky Caddy Shack kind of guy. His informality and occasional irreverence were by no means inappropriate, however. For most of the evening, we were the only guests (a true shame), and we were in a fun mood ourselves. Not only that, but he knew the menu inside and out. Apparently lurking behind that Bill Murray exterior was a Wolfgang Puck yearning to break free.

We asked him to suggest four appetizers; we'd pick three. We don't know what we missed, but his recommendations were right on target, arriving in an explosion of color and aromas. Each plate was decorated with sliced beets, parsley, and diced peppers. The lobster and wild-mushroom pancakes were filled with more lobster than mushrooms, the meat sweet, the mushrooms slightly earthy. The fritters themselves were gooey inside, crisp outside. A leek in the center held crème fraîche and two types of salmon roe.

I've never been a big phyllo fan, but maybe I never had it right. This appetizer was heavenly. The layered dough was both crisp and fluffy, plumped with firm spinach and rich goat cheese permeated with peppercorns and herbs. A light garlic sauce made it perfect.

Our third appetizer was smoked salmon salad (8.95), another great choice. The salmon was sheet-thin and tender, the flavor delicate. Served alongside a bed of mixed greens, the salmon was dressed traditionally with sliced eggs, capers, red onions, and a slightly sweet lemon dill dressing. (Caesar salad was another choice, with chicken, shrimp, scallops, and steak tips as addon options.)

Most normal people would have stopped at this point. But most normal people would not have seen the list of entrees. I was torn between three selections: nut-encrusted lamb loin ($18.95) with potato pancakes, bleu cheese, wild mushrooms, and port sauce; boneless breast of chicken marsala ($14.95) with angel hair pasta, prosciutto ham, and grated parmesan; and two-way duckling ($19.95) with saffron risotto and peach anisette sauce. Anisette can kill a dish, but our server assured me that this treatment added more depth than flavor.

When our entrees arrived, they were as colorful and exciting as our appetizers but on an even grander scale. The duck was served more on a palate than a plate, surrounded by carrots, beets, a mound of risotto, and a row of crisp, sweet, salty disks of salsify, an African root, spread across the plate. I could barely detect the anisette, which indeed brought out the sweetness of the peach sauce. The risotto carried a rare, strong saffron flavor, and the duck itself was splendid, several pieces of moist breast set against deeply flavored dark meat.

One tablemate had ordered grilled fillet of salmon ($18.95) with creamed celery root sauce, lobster, and fried leeks. The fish was tender and flaky, the sauce smooth, the lobster generous, and the fried leeks sweet. Add to that some strips of tortilla and beets and a melange of string beans, and the dish was near perfect.

Guest number two was ecstatic about the fillet au poivre ($21.95) with five peppercorns served in brandy cream sauce. The steak was cooked exactly as requested, and the peppercorn coating added crisp texture to the tender meat. The sauce served as much to bind the peppers as add its own delicate flavor. By no means delicate was the horseradish mashed potatoes, which some might find a bit harsh but we enjoyed. A sprig of rosemary saluted from the top. Vegetables included beans, turnips, and carrots.

Dessert was an equal adventure, a split portion of bananas Foster, best described as a puffed tortilla filled with a flambéed banana, chocolate sauce, and vanilla ice cream.

If I hadn't known of chef Bonetti's involvement, the top-notch experience at Caesar's Bistro would have been a total surprise. Instead, it was simply a total delight.