French Classics Reinvented at Verjus

Julia Child once said, “In France, cooking is a serious art form and a national sport,” a sentiment that Chef Charles Tutino and his wife, Jane Witkin, are taking to heart at their French/New American restaurant Verjus.

Verjus offers a variety of traditional French dishes—but all with an inventive, modern flair. It is clear Chef Tutino likes the challenge of deconstructing each dish and then stretching its limits to make it his own, most of which work extremely well. The menu changes daily and seasonally, using local and directly sourced ingredients and a host of interesting garnishes.  

On two separate visits, I was served warm, crusty rolls from Englewood’s Balthazar Bakery (the wholesale arm of the famed French bistro in New York City) and an amuse bouche. The first was a small ramekin of mushrooms cooked with a hint of tomatoes. The mushrooms were tasty, but not remarkable, and certainly no match for the second evening’s treat: two prunes which had been steeped in Armagnac brandy and topped with duck liver pate and cranberry relish. The sweetness of the prune was a perfect foil to the tart cranberries, which undercut the richness of the creamy paté. In short, it was an outstanding flavor combination and a wonderful peek at Chef Tutino’s craft.

The amuse bouche was followed by Paupiettes of Cured Salmon (which I ordered as part of a three-course $39 prix fixe special). The fish had been cured with the same spices and method as pastrami and then sliced sushi-thin and wrapped around a julienne of cucumber and pickled red onions. The appetizer was dressed with a kicked-up honey Dijon mustard sauce, served atop a slightly too heavy-handed mayonnaise slaw, and garnished with pickled French seaweed. With this dish, Tutino had created an interesting texture contrast. The smooth bite of the fish, the crunch of the vegetables, and the briny-sweet-spicy seasonings all added up to an extremely tasty morsel, despite the slaw’s minor shortcomings.

Aside from the Paupiettes, Verjus offers a wide variety of daily appetizers from Vichyssoise to Fresh Roasted Holland Peppers and Anchovies to Escargots a la Bourguignonne en Cocotte, all ranging in price from $7.95 to $14.95.

Verjus also serves a selection of changing entrees. Past menus have included Jumbo Soft Shell Crabs Meuniere or Amandine ($32.95), Roast Chicken with Tarragon ($23.95), Steak Frites or Steak au Poivre ($32.95), and Sweetbreads (Ris de Veau) ($25.95). Chef Tutino is also willing to cater to those with dietary restrictions, rendering a gorgeous pot of escargot and scallops completely dairy free if need be. 

My prix fixe meal featured Beef a la Bourguignonne Bercy Verjus Style. The beef had been braised in white wine until the meat was so tender, it virtually fell apart at the touch of the fork. A handful of mushrooms had been cooked down and infused with the rich, reduction sauce which was a lovely gravy for the accompanying garlic mashed potatoes. And, of course, the dish wouldn’t be Tutino’s without that little extra something: a garlic dusted salsify (root vegetable) garnish. The dish was rich, heavy, and delicious, although, one I probably would wait to repeat until cooler weather.

My second visit proved again to be better than the first, and I was lucky enough to try Tutino’s Pan Seared Sea Scallops ($25.95) which were served over a bed of thin orange and white noodles, and a sherry mushroom sauce finished with a hint of cream. The scallops were perfect, right down to their caramelized crusts. Topped with a fine frizzle of fried leeks, this dish is truly outstanding. Tutino makes his scallops sing.

Dessert doesn’t appear to be the strong suit at Verjus, which offers a smattering of options such as Lavender or Espresso Crème Brûlée ($6.95), cheesecake ($6.95), and a Crisp Du Jour ($7.95). I ordered the Apricot/Blueberry Crepes to finish off my prix fixe, which was so-so. The crepes were thin and crisp on the edges, and I enjoyed the blueberry filling. However, the apricots were cloyingly sweet and I had to give up after the first bite—a historical move for my sweet tooth.

Aside from Tutino’s excellent starters and mains, Verjus also features a full bar and a well-selected wine list with bottles such as La Chapelle de la Bastide Picpoul de Pinet (2007) from the south of France ($24) and Hendry Zinfandel Block 7 (2003) from Napa Valley ($42). Several good buys can be found for $25-35 by the bottle. By the glass, Verjus’ wines hail from New Mexico, Australia, South Africa, France, and Italy from $6.50-$9. Verjus’ beer menu is equally interesting. Highlights include Dogfish Head, Gosser Austrian Pilsner, Schneider Aventinus, Chimay Triple Ale White, and Allagash Belgium Style White from Maine ($4.75-$11).

While the cuisine at Verjus is excellent overall, the service can leave a lot to be desired, especially for a restaurant of this caliber. For the most part, Witkin runs the front of the house, and although she is extremely charming and very knowledgeable about food and wine, she can’t be everywhere at the same time. As a result, the service tends to be reactive rather than proactive.

On one especially busy evening, the dining room was staffed by Witkin, her daughter, and a young server. Nearly all 12 tables were taken, and I was unfortunately seated in the Bermuda Triangle and not particularly attended to by anybody. Some of the issues I ran into that night were: a query about wines which elicited a blank look and an “I’m only 18. I don’t drink” response with no indication that she would send over help, a second bread roll which didn’t arrive until 35 minutes after the request, and several minutes’ wait staring longingly at my beautifully prepared Beef a la Bourguignonne because the clearer forgot she had taken my silverware and then disappeared into the kitchen. Even though the food had been delicious, my dining experience was certainly less than stellar.

Service does matter, and Verjus redeemed itself on my second visit, a horrible rainy night. The owners did not have extra help that evening, and it was a blessing in disguise. The rain kept the crowds away, and both Tutino and Witkin worked the sparsely filled dining room, mixing drinks, chatting with customers, engaging in lengthy discussions about food and wine, and performing a charming tag-team effort which made one feel both special and right at home at the same time.

Verjus’ décor could also stand a bit of sprucing up. The restaurant is celebrating its eighth anniversary, and its age is starting to show around the edges. The paintings by local artists, the dark, industrial carpeting, and the heavy draperies are reminiscent of a once grand hotel, all of which seem counter-intuitive to the Tutino’s fresh, creative menu. 

The term “verjus” refers to the juice from unripe grapes, once a staple of French provincial cooking. With eight years behind them, Tutino and Witkin’s restaurant certainly has come into its own, serving utterly delicious, creative twists on old French stand-bys. I just wish they would hire a professional server or clone themselves, because the stepped-up service paired with Tutino’s top-notch cuisine would render an evening at Verjus truly memorable.