Pastis, a Starr transplant from NYC in Union Market

[DPop]

I looked for a thread on this and couldn't find one.  We stopped in on SB Sunday to a mostly empty Pastis for an early dinner to check it out.  The space is like a bigger, cleaner Le Dip; nice tile floors, a big bar and outdoor seating in front with some nicely adorned chalets that will be nice as the weather comes around.

I don't have detailed notes, but in short, the food was a bit of a miss for us.  Not sure if it was the night or we didn't order very well, but we didn't come away that impressed.  I got the Onion Soup, which was satisfying and fine in the weather, if a bit sweet and not as rich as the best versions that you would get.  For mains my wife got the Moules Frites and I got the Duck Confit.  The Moules were an unmitigated disaster; mealy, gritty, and with a distinct and unpleasant fish aftertaste.  I've had bad mussels before so it wasn't a complete shock, but I couldn't believe what they were passing off as frites.  Unlike Le Dip, which nails the thin, well salted style that you would get in a real brasserie, what was served to us were almost certainly prepackaged frozen french fries.  As soon as they sat them on the table they were easy to spot.  I was shocked that a new splashy restaurant like this would cut this kind of corner!  The confit was overall decent if a bit overcooked and dry, saved only by the rich jus in the bottom of the plate.  Not bad for sure, but certainly nothing I would come back to get again.

Pastis is in a great location and a lovely space, but in the long run they will need to step up their game big time if they want to stay relevant in this space around the likes of Le Dip, Le Petite Cerise, Convivial, etc.

[Ericandblueboy]

Aren't they (i.e., Parc, Le Dip, Balthazar, Pastis) all Disneyfied versions of a French bistro?  Le Petite Cerise wasn't particularly good when I went.  Convivial is great but apparently not Disneyfied enough to draw a crowd.  

[Tweaked]

For what its worth, a couple of years ago we were eating a late lunch at the NYC Pastis and a delivery guy wheeled in a hand truck loaded with boxes labeled Lamb Weston, one of the world's largest producers of frozen French fries.  

I like the NYC Pastis because it is a block away from the Whitney so its a convenient spot to have a long lunch before or after museum-ing.  

A Pastis also recently opened in Miami, so perhaps this is the concept that the restaurant group is going to punch out around the country.