Rethinking the basic concept behind a restaurant nine years into its successful, much-praised run is a dicey proposition, but Mary Nguyen did just that when she changed Parallel 17 from a Vietnamese-oriented room to a French bistro — and renamed it P17.
That was in May. Three months after the switch, the restaurant in Denver’s Uptown neighborhood still enjoys brisk business at lunch and dinner.
Although you still find a couple of Vietnamese dishes on the menu, wholesale changes have been made. Seasonings such as rosemary and thyme have replaced the lemongrass and nuoc mam sauce. Instead of long beans and banh mi, you find tomato tarts and mussels and frites.
Pho, the national soup of Vietnam, remains on the menu, but it shares space with French onion soup.
“This idea was percolating in my mind for about a year,” Nguyen told me. “I wanted to take the restaurant back to its origins, unpretentious and with small plates. It had become a little too much upscale.” In keeping with her vision, no entrée tops $20.
The room retains its cozy vibe, albeit minus the decorative paper parasols and photos from Nguyen’s native Vietnam. Gone, too, are the Asian movies that once played on the muted televisions at the bar; on a recent evening they were screening “Rebel Without a Cause,” with James Dean in all his brooding glory. (Criminy, I hope Jim Backus got bonus money for wearing that frilly apron over his gray flannel suit.)
But the bar, always one of the restaurant’s big draws, remains home to a solid wine list and well-crafted cocktails. Two summer refreshers include the Isle of Capri, with Aperol, St. Germaine, orange blossom water and Prosecco, and the Chronic Gin and Tonic, with Hendrick’s, St. Germaine, cucumber water and tonic.
Props also for the non-booze options, including lemonades with strawberry or cucumber and a housemade ginger beer.
The food, delivered by a knowledgeable and accommodating staff, pleases.
A savory tomato tart sported a flaky crust, with the fruit nestled in gooey goat and ricotta cheeses. We were also happy with the grilled squid. Tender, with a smoky char, it was paired with a basil pesto and a bright tomato and cucumber relish.
We were less enamored of the corn dogs. They seemed out of place in the bistro, like they had gotten lost on the way to the county fair.
Two soups are worth seeking out. The lentil soup was rich and satisfying, augmented by Tasso ham, the classic seasoned pork from New Orleans.
But the standout was the French onion soup. Paired with a grilled cheese sandwich packed with Gruyere, it will be a constant during my winter visits to P17.
A salad of watermelon and roasted beets with a charred scallion vinaigrette looked prettier than it tasted. The elements were terrific and I’m all for counterintuitive pairings, but the melon and beets just didn’t work, no matter how lovely they looked lying down together.
It was sort of a culinary version of an ill-fated Hollywood romance. Think Madonna and Sean Penn, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, Lindsay Lohan and anybody.
But sliced pork tenderloin, cooked just pink and laced with a reduction of Calvados (the French apple brandy), was terrific. It sat on a bed of sweet corn and was a perfect antidote to a 95-degree day.
Like everything at the restaurant, the plating emphasized color and construction. Some dishes, most notably the squid, would make an artist stand up and applaud.
Another winning entrée was braised beef shortribs with sautéed vegetables (carrots, sugar snap peas, red bell pepper and squash), nicely crusted mashed potatoes and a red wine jus.
And the mac and cheese was a fine example of thinking outside the box, specifically, the Kraft blue one. P17 makes the dish with wide pappardelle noodles. Creamy and flecked with black pepper, flat-leaf parsley and Parmesan, it was a winter classic that satisfied in summer.
Nguyen might have taken a gamble on reinventing her restaurant, but it seems to be paying off. The old regulars are still coming in, and new faces are joining them.
William Porter: 303-954-1877, wporter@denverpost.com or twitter.com/williamporterdp
P17
French Bistro
1600 E. 17th Ave. 303-399-0988 p17bistro.com
**½
(Very Good/Great)
Atmosphere: Cozy, contemporary room
Service: Friendly, efficient
Beverages: Beer, wine, cocktails
Plates: Small dinner plates, $4-$9; large dinner plates, $13-$19. Vegetarian and gluten free items available.
Hours: Lunch: Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner: Sunday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, 3 p.m.-11 p.m. Brunch: Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Details: Street parking
Two visits
Our star system:
****: Exceptional
***: Great
**: Very Good
*: Good
Stars reflect the dining reviewer’s overall reaction to the restaurant’s food, service and atmosphere.
