Chuck Perley — a SoHo restaurateur resembling Karl Malden — opened Le Pescadeux, the French seafood bistro last August on Thompson Street, nestled between Prince and Spring.  Last month at a press dinner, I sampled much of the menu.

We started with  Le Pescadeux’s raw bar including mackerel ceviche, fresh oysters and baby octopus salad in a balsamic vinaigrette served with a on bite of the best - calamariPeller Estate Riesling (2007, Niagara, Canada). Next the roasted calamari with picante piri piri sacue ($12) with Maison Nicolas “Reserve” 2008 (Pays d’Oc, France), followed by Walleye pike “Gnocchi, with organic turnips with a Pinot Gris, Four Graces “Estate” 2008 (Willamette Valley).

Perley’s classic “Fish Duets” – two  half-orders of different fish done two different ways – arrived next. Ours included a crisp Atlantic dorado royale over a fennel puree and Grank Bank flounder with a fried oyster hat and a bearnaise sauce. A Macon Milly-Lamartine 2009 (Burgundy, France) accompanied the duet. At the restaurant you can choose two half orders of any of IMG_7281the signature seafood options including the two we sampled or the Walleye Pike “Gnocchi,” with Organic Baby Turnips and Lardons, wild bass with a port reduction, roasted cod with a red pepper coulis or soft shell crab with spicy mano! Great for all of us who can’t make up our minds!

My favorite dish of the evening was the cooked-to-perfection Lamb Porterhouse (I’m a lamb lover!) with a madeira glaze and sauteed escarole. Not that I had any room, but we also sampled fries covered with pepper jack cheese. Irresistible.  A Zweigelt, Hans Nittnaus 2007 (Burgenland, Austria) worked wonderfully with the lamb.

Le Pescadeux
90 Thompson Street
New York, NY 10012
www.lepescadeux.com
(212) 966-0021

Le Pescadeux on Urbanspoon