Cin Cin reinvents itself as gastro pub with great food, lower prices

There is probably no day of the year when Americans feel a greater need to economize than April 15, when Uncle Sam demands his due.

Given the gloomy economy, it's likely most people didn't wait for the ides of April to start cutting back. The savvy principals at Cin Cin Mediterranean Bar and Grille recognized this and, after a 4½-year run, decided on a radical change to suit the times. On April 1, the formerly tony Mediterranean restaurant morphed into a casual gastro pub with substantially lower prices.

What's a gastro pub? The Cin Cin folks describe it as "a place that specializes in straightforward, familiar food presented with adventurous twists and with honest ingredients. Fancy or simple, the dishes are all reasonably priced."

That precisely defines the new Cin Cin. Executive Chef Scott Sopher remains the creative force in the kitchen and he's done a fine job retooling Cin Cin's offerings, retaining favorites such as hummus and paella, while adding a host of well-known items with just enough variation to make them new and appealing.

His Uptown Philly sandwich, for example, contains beef tenderloin, caramelized shallots, brie, arugula and demi glace — uptown indeed! The po boy comes with preserved lemonharissa aioli, the mac and cheese gets an updo with lobster and then there are the superb burgers — but I'm getting ahead of myself.

For those who still want a taste of the original Cin Cin, large plates such as this grilled mahi over spinach and ricotta gnocchi will fill the bill. The first sign of the transformation comes as soon as you enter the dining room. What was previously an ornate, Old World room has become a chicly casual one with butcher block paper over the white linen tablecloths, framed beer posters on the walls and a large chalkboard listing the beer, martini and by-theglass wine offerings. The two well-upholstered banquettes remain, but the ambience is far more contemporary, befitting the up-to-date and moderately priced menu.

What hasn't changed is the attentive service. Despite the fact that it was his first day on the job, our server was efficient and gracious, taking care of our needs almost before we could express them. Other servers appeared to be doing the same at nearby tables, even though the dining room was two-thirds full and clearly keeping them busy. One other aspect that remains is that on nights when there's live music in the bar, as there was this evening, it's piped in to the dining room at a moderate volume. I'm not sure how well that worked with the original concept but it's a great fit for the new one. (The bar, by the way, is still a great spot for socializing and dancing.)

The Chef's Trio includes créme brulee, espresso mascarpone torte and chocolate fondant. As a gastro pub, Cin Cin has retained its well-chosen wine list, which includes 27 selections by the glass. We sampled the 2001 Gran Feudo Tempranillo Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon and a 2006 Mauritson Zinfandel, both of which arrived in side cars that the server poured into large glasses.

From the two dozen starters, we tried something old and something new. The hummus was as delicious as always, redolent of roasted garlic, smooth and mellow, served with a generous number of warm pita triangles, a mound of kalamata olives, pear slices and a couple of small peppers. It's an appetizer that could well serve two or three people, making its $6.95 price that much more reasonable.

A bowl of French onion soup was classic in presentation and flawless in execution. Served in the traditional caramel and beige soup crock, the savory beef broth contained tender onions, a wedge of toasted bread and a topping of gruyere baked to a golden brown.

Cin Cin now offers sandwiches, pizzas and burgers, but there are also 14 full-sized entrees available after 4 p.m. daily. We tried the grilled mahi served over fresh ricotta gnocchi with spinach and tomatoes and a chervil pesto. The fish was flaky and moist, pairing well with the mild gnocchi and spinach, all of which were enlivened by the pesto.

All the large plates come with a house salad, which consists of fresh greens and vegetables dressed in a light lemon vinaigrette.

From the burgers I choose the mushroom Swiss, a fairly common offering these days, although I've never had one quite like this. The burger was tender and juicy, topped with forest mushrooms, caramelized onions, gruyere cheese and arugula on a sea salt roll with far more substance than the average burger bun. Perfectly cooked fries accompanied the burger, wrapped in deli paper that wicked away any residual oil and positioned upright in a heated cup that kept them warm. At $8.95, this was surely an economical dish but seemed more like a guilty pleasure.

Cin Cin introduced small desserts a while back and still has them, each priced at $4 or $5. Unable to decide on one, we chose the Chef's Trio, which contained a velvety vanilla créme brulee with fresh berries, a little espresso-mascarpone torte with chocolate wafers, a mascarpone layer and espresso créme on top, and a warm, rich chocolate fondant with a custard-like chocolate center.

Our bountiful three-course meal cost $55, including tax but excluding wine. It was an economical meal, to be sure, but one that sacrificed nothing in flavor or service.

Cin Cin's menu says gastro pubs "are not places to 'see and be seen' but rather 'come as you are' places." That may be, but I can say with certainty it's a place I'll be seen far more regularly and I'm betting that will be the case for a lot of other people who may be watching their budget but still want to enjoy great food.