Pastis in Miami's Wynwood district, where French bistro charm meets Miami glam.
Pastis is a French bistro on steroids, offering a (mostly) French menu and the best pommes frites.
Bigger and more theatrical than its Parisian counterparts, Pastis is an American version of a French bistro,. Think a bistro on steroids. It’s lively, bustling, buzzy. It’s nostalgic in that French kind of way, reminiscent of a stroll around the left bank, a first taste of escargot, a romantic lunch a deux. While not the type of small and local restaurant I gravitate to, I fell for Pastis much like I fell for Paris.
Pastis began life as a beloved New York restaurant, an icon that helped turn the Meatpacking district from gritty to glam. Ultimately it became part of the Starr group, a sprawling restaurant company known for theatrical backdrops, consistent food and welcoming service.
Pastis Miami was launched year ago. It mimics its NY sibling restaurant in many ways: an impressively curved zinc bar, white subway tile, those woven French bistro chairs, lots of gleaming glass and brass. The outdoor garden is somewhat open to the sky and full of that sultry Floridian air, which makes it a bit more Miami in feel. But still, even the garden gives off that French vibe.
The menu is what you would expect: steak frites, moules frites, pommes frites. Perfect pommes frites in fact. Also, escargot, duck confit, soupe a l’oignon gratinee, artichoke a la barigoule, salade niçoise, and a perfect Cheeseburger a la Americaine. You get the picture. You can also find some iconic Italian treats, like Linguini Vongole and Spaghetti Bolognese.
Pastis is a trip down memory lane.
Take the classic deeply garlicy, buttery, steaming, bubbly escargots, for example. Served in the traditional cast iron caquelon (that’s the round pan that has little cups, just big enough for the snail and garlic butter), the dish took me right back to Beaune, France, the wine capital of Burgundy. I remembered sitting in a lively square, on a mild summer evening. It was one of my first nights in France, ever. Wanting to be cool and French, I ordered Escargot de Bourgogne, the emblematic dish of Burgundy and France. I remember putting that little delight in my mouth and thinking I was as happy in that moment as it was possible to be. It’s rare to find escargot out of France that are quite as good as this version. Look carefully at the video below and you can see all that bubbly, sizzling goodness.
For one of my dining companions, Pastis itself is the source of happy memories. Over twenty years ago, in the depths of a painful divorce, she caught up with her high school boyfriend at Pastis in NYC. She hadn’t seen him in over 20 years. She walked in wondering what he might look like. Evidently, he was wondering the same thing when he walked in. They saw each, realized they looked the same, ate some lunch, drank some wine and talked the afternoon away. Twenty years later they celebrated their continuing conversation and partnership by dining, where else, but Pastis in Miami.
Most of what we ordered shone brightly; there was one disappointment.
Our night as Pastis was an end-of-winter/beginning-of-spring celebration. It started with drinks, the most impressive of which was “Mangue a Trois”, a cold, refreshing, perfectly balanced drink made from Kettle One Citroen, mango, passion fruit, vanilla and, la piece de resistance, a side of sparkling wine in a petite pitcher.
The Citroen is vodka infused with lemon and lime. It’s bright and light and perfect with the passion fruit and mango. Pour a little of the sparkly wine into the drink, take a sip, and your mouth sparkles and smiles.
In addition to the magnificent and memory-provoking escargot (discussed above), we had the artichoke appetizer. Crispy, savory, with the vaguest hint of sweetness, you can thank the menu-planner at Pastis for including this classic Italian dish on their French menu.
It’s flayed out like a flower and served with aioli. You do not have to navigate those prickly ends or the chokey interior of the vegetable; every bit of this dish is edible. If there is more than one person at dinner, my advice is to order more than one of these dishes.
For entrees, we ordered that Cheeseburger a la Americaine (a double burger with the fixin’s), the Chicken Paillard and the Artichokes a la Barigoule. The paillard was the best I have ever had. It‘s a big portion, paper thin, tender, slightly crispy on the outside, served with a fresh green salad. Perfect. And you can never, ever go wrong with the burger.
I admit to being disappointed in the Artichokes a la Barigoule. I am an artichoke lover and after experiencing that wonderful appetizer, my expectations were high. Artichokes a la Barigoule is a classic spring dish from Province. In its highest form, fresh artichoke hearts are braised in white wine and olive oil and stewed with some carrots, onions and aromatics. It should be as light and bright and fresh as a spring morning. This version tasted like canned artichokes with overly cooked carrots and onions, more bland and boiled than fresh and crisp.
And then we get to dessert. Profiteroles, of course. Four of them in a serving. Three form a platform and the fourth balances on top. It’s a bit of an acrobatic presentation, a little indulgent, a little precarious. In the end, you want to dive in before it topples over. And it’s delicious.
The “choux” (or pastry) is light and not too sweet. It’s filled with ice cream and dribbled with just the right amount of chocolate sauce. It’s a great dessert to share.
The wine
I found the wine list extensive, expensive and overwhelming. It’s mainly French, as you would expect.
We ended up ordering from the “by the glass” menu. I wanted red wine and when I scanned the options, what popped were the high prices ($33. for a 5 ounce glass of wine? What????). Not leaning to that level of indulgence, I defaulted to the cheapest 5 ounce glass (a 2020 French Malbec for $15) that was perfectly fine - easy to drink, balanced, but not distinguished. In the end, I felt the “by the glass” list was a result of a corporate strategy to encourage indulgence over exploration of different wines. It was a bit of a disappointment.
After I got home, I took a second look at the list. I recognized there are some interesting selections at not over-the-top prices. Perhaps I over-reacted to those $30+ glasses. When I go back, I promise myself I won’t be so hasty and dismissive of the choices!
Plates and prices
$392 or $78.40 per person, including tax and tip.
1 artichoke appetizer
1 escargot (6 to the order)
2 cheeseburgers a la americaine with fries
2 chicken paillard
1 artichoke a la barigoule
1 profiterole plate
1 cocktail
5 glasses of wine
Pastis
480 NW 26th St
Miami FL 33127
305-686-3050
Open for lunch, brunch and dinner
www.Pastismiami.com
PS: my trusted tables’ exclusives list!!
Mmmm: I love that this place doesn’t take itself so seriously and offers a hamburger “a la americaine!” Good for them! Escargots, pommes frites and moules—some of our favorite things. It’s going on my list!😘