Patio 33 rewards intrepid foodies with fine fare, service

The much-ballyhooed River District might better be described these days as the Big Dig District. Just when it seemed that it couldn't get worse, the city shut down a major swath of First Street two weeks ago, before the already abbreviated - and anemic - winter season ended.

Nonetheless, there remain good reasons to head into the war zone, as I was reminded last Friday while enjoying a superb dinner at Patio 33. The restaurant, tucked into Patio de Leon between First and Main streets, still serves lunch every week day, but it's only open for dinner Thursdays through Saturdays right now.

While times might be rough, the food and service were first class.

The current owners - Roger Mercado, Stacey Trippe, and Denis and Lisa Meurgue - have done a fine job of warming up the ambience in the historic building that, since 1927, has been several beauty shops, a corseteria and two restaurants. The walls are a cozy mustard tone, matching the linen napkins on the tables. There's a well-appointed bar along the back wall, a window into the kitchen near the entrance and a touch of greenery in small vases at each table.

Crispy Duck The warmth continues with the welcoming attitude of the servers, who readily greet customers, offer recommendations and remain attentive throughout the meal.

The wine list offers 14 varieties by the glass along with four sparklers. In addition, there were a few special wines available by bottle and glass. We sampled a cabernet sauvignon - Chateau Larose-Trintaudon, from the Haut-Medoc region of Bordeaux - which had a deep ruby color, ripe tannins and understated fruit, and an Argentinean malbec, the specifics of which I failed to note. It was smooth and mellow, with plum and cherry notes that went well with my duck entrée.

Not long after our wine arrived, our server returned with hot rolls while a second server poured olive oil and ground fresh pepper for each of us. I liked this individual approach, which circumvents the whole double-dipping issue.

The meal began well, with the presentation of the Asian spring roll and carpaccio of yellow fin tuna appetizers. There appeared to be two spring rolls, each cut in half at an angle and placed at 45-degree angles around a small bowl of what the menu said was mango chutney but which looked and tasted more like a sweet chili sauce. The roll, which contained chicken, pork and veggies, was crisp, as advertised, and well seasoned, pairing well with the sweet and spicy dipping sauce.

Lemon Mousse The carpaccio featured small squares of seared tuna encircling a small bowl of soy dipping sauce. The tuna was buttery and fresh, set off by a delicate wasabi vinaigrette, all arranged beautifully on a square glass dish.

Dinner entrees range from straight-up comfort fare, such as rotisserie-grilled meats and roasted rack of lamb, to one of the fanciful nightly specials: red snapper with sun-dried tomato and capers and saffron mashed potatoes with an almond and butter sauce and arugula salad with smoked salmon.

After assurances from our server that the rotisserie crispy duck really was crispy, I ordered that while my seafood-loving companion opted for the snapper special.

As was the case with the appetizers, our entrees were gorgeous. Chef Denis Meurgue plates his creations with as much artistry and care as he takes in cooking them.

Snapper Special The duck breast, leg and thigh, covered in crisp, golden skin, sat atop a mound of creamy mashed potatoes, surrounded by a pool of ruby red dried fruit port wine sauce. Stalks of tendercrisp asparagus added color and a contrasting shape, enhanced by a lattice-work potato crisp and what looked like a piece of fried plantain, topped off by two slender chives. The beauty wasn't merely crispy skin deep - the duck was moist and mild, the potatoes creamy and the sauce, studded with dried fruit, just sweet enough without overpowering the duck.

The snapper was just as comely and delicious, with the tender fillets bathed in an understated butter sauce, enhanced with sun-dried tomatoes, capers and almond slivers, set alongside a mound of potatoes with bits of crab and a crisp shell filled with arugula and smoked salmon.

Portions were just right - neither so small as to be dwarfed by the plates nor so large as to be intimidating. They also allowed us to order two desserts, something we rarely do, but our server had praised both the lemon mousse and the chocolate fondant and his guidance proved as reliable in this case as it had on the duck.

FLORIDA WEEKLY PHOTOS KAREN FELDMAN Spring Roll Served in a martini glass, the feather-light, pale-yellow mousse came with a vibrant red raspberry sauce and a ripe strawberry and blackberry on top. The fresh lemon flavor and the ethereal texture made this an exceptionally good finish.

The fondant is Patio 33's version of the popular chocolate volcano, a cupcake-sized chocolate cake with a milk chocolate liquid center served warm, accompanied by vanilla ice cream and a demitasse cup of dark chocolate sauce. We poured a generous amount of sauce over the cake and ice cream and luxuriated in the rich warm texture, the contrasting chocolates and cool ice cream. In the end, we poured the rest of the sauce in the bowl and unabashedly spooned up every drop.

This was stellar experience from beginning to end and well worth the extra few minutes it took us to navigate through the downtown mess to get there. Despite the upheaval, I'd like to urge those who value the downtown district, its restaurants and retail shops, to make an extra effort to patronize them during what is sure to be a tough spring and summer. Patio 33 should be right at the top of the list.