The Public Bistro

A neighborhood hangout with a hint of European sophistication.

by

“Mondays are still a little tricky, but it’s a good neighborhood day,” says owner Kate Ashby, who can often be seen at The Public Bistro with her husband, Kyle Bankston, who assists with management duties. “And Cooper-Young is such a great neighborhood. I think over time [Mondays will] become a little more steady. It’s been a receptive crowd so far.”

Indeed, on the Monday when I visited, the place boasted a dozen or so tables of patrons, and more at the bar. And the night was still young. A mellow mix of groovy, hip-hop inflected soul murmured in the background.

The Public Bistro is well-situated to become a neighborhood hangout, as the Sweet Grass/Next Door combo once was in the same location. To that end, it presents the perfect vibe, with sleek, modernist décor and clean lines that register as both homey and cosmopolitan. It feels roomier than the square footage suggests, and subtle touches like the stamped-tin ceiling tiles give the an immediately vintage feel.

“We basically took it down to the studs and put in new floors and a new ceiling,” says Ashby. “The ceiling tiles look like they should have been here forever. It’s a classic bistro feel, nothing too busy.”

The same can be said for the menu, which focuses on reassuringly familiar bistro fare. “What we wanted to do here was just classic American staple dishes,” Ashby explains. “Nothing too left-field, more like the things that you make at home, where you don’t have to Google all the ingredients — we want to make sure you don’t have to do that.”

Appetizers include biscuits, macaroni and cheese, barbecued shrimp, and mussels. Tomato is a standby alongside seasonal specials, while their salads range from a classic Cobb to burrata cheese with pesto, roasted tomatoes, and arugula. The sandwich section features no-nonsense burgers (including a black bean patty option), chicken, steak, and even grilled cheese. And the entrée offerings range from a roasted half-chicken to pork chops, steak frites, ribs, chicken cacciatore, mushroom gnocchi, and salmon.

I chose the latter for dinner, but relaxed first with a spot of wine. The drink menu is substantial — no surprise, considering that Ashby also owns the bar Knifebird, practically around the corner on Central Avenue. The Public Bistro features some creative house-special cocktails, including “the Icebreaker, a rotating mini cocktail curated by our bartender team,” as well as classic mixed drinks, a lengthy wine list, a few bottled and canned craft beers, and three local micro-brews on tap.

“What we wanted to do here was just classic American staple dishes. Nothing too left-field, more like the things that you make at home, where you don’t have to Google all the ingredients — we want to make sure you don’t have to do that.” — Kate Ashby

Lucky me, it was happy hour, and I opted for the Grüner Veltliner, a crisp, citrus-tinged white that “has arguably done more to put Austrian wines on the map than any other grape variety,” according to Food & Wine. It was perfectly chilled and appealed to this longtime Sauvignon blanc fan.

To begin, I chose the crispy Brussels: roasted Brussels sprouts with a perfect brown tinge, topped with almond slices. The lemon-tahini sauce was a delightful surprise, complementing the earthiness of the vegetables with a zesty zing.

The executive chef at The Public Bistro, Gannon Hamilton, knows his vegetables, having originally made a name for himself at The Farmer in its Highland location. As an organic farmer at the time, I knew Hamilton well — he always wanted the freshest farm produce he could acquire. Since then, he’s built his good reputation around town, including a stint at Wolf River Brisket Co. Since joining The Public Bistro upon their opening this October, he’s found a perfect fit for his talents.

“It was funny,” Ashby says. “Gannon used to be the executive chef over at The Farmer and after that he hadn’t really found his home. We had put out an ad and interviewed a few people but hadn’t really found the right person. And as Gannon told us, ‘I never go online to look for jobs.’ Yet for some reason he did that day and saw our ad, so we met with him. And it was just a very good union, because The Farmer had maybe a little more Southern focus, but still was focused on that classic American kind of food. He had been looking to do that again. And that was really what we wanted to do here: classic American staple dishes.”

It didn’t hurt that Hamilton was easy to work with. “He’s such a nice guy,” says Ashby. “You know, sometimes chefs are good, but they have that ego, and you just have to say, ‘Well, but his food is so good.’ But Gannon has no ego. He’s just the kindest, most patient person. And he told our staff during training that he would do pretty much anything for a customer.”

True to form, Hamilton honors his commitment to local produce whenever possible. “He’s getting our mushrooms from Bluff City Fungi,” says Ashby. “And he goes to the Cooper-Young Community Farmers Market every Saturday to get stuff for us.”

I thought about that ethos as my entrée was served: a generous portion of broiled salmon topped with Hamilton’s chili chutney, served on a bed of herb risotto, with roasted carrots on the side. I could picture the bunches of multicolored carrots one often sees piled high at the local farmers market, now transformed into delectable savory morsels of white, orange, and deep purple. The risotto was also a savory delight. And the salmon, crisply browned on top, yet creamy and tender beneath, was complemented with the intriguing spicy sweetness of the chutney, bringing a bit of fireworks to the main course.

I silently toasted the chef with my Grüner Veltliner and pondered the dessert menu. Though tempted by the chocolate raspberry cake, the apple tart, and the pear cheesecake, I stuck to the Euro-American theme (I had started the evening with Brussels sprouts, after all) by selecting the crème brûlée. Besides, that’s a tricky dish to pull off in a home kitchen. When it arrived, I knew I had chosen well: the exquisitely crunchy crust of caramelized sugar perfectly set off the creamy custard beneath, and was topped with fresh raspberries, strawberries, and a dollop of whipped cream. After the rather filling main course, the lightness of the finale was very welcome.

All in all, it appears that The Public Bistro lives up to its name: an approachable, populist gathering space with the warm, cozy atmosphere of a bistro, and a core commitment to fine, fresh flavors. For her part, Ashby is relishing the homey vibe she and Bankston nurture like proud parents, especially as it fits into the city’s flourishing food culture.

“[The dining scene] is expanding a lot here,” she says, “which is exciting. Since I moved here in 2016, the number of things that have opened is remarkable. It’s exciting to see how much is developing and how many more opportunities there are. I’m from Philly, and I lived in New York for a long time. And in New York, I would never ever want to open anything on my own. It’s oversaturated; there’s just too much. So, it’s kind of refreshing to be on the other side, where there are little opportunities for people to do something that’s needed in the area. Plus, the people are so nice here. In Philadelphia, we’re not known for being very nice. It’s great being in the hospitality business in a city that is so hospitable.”

The Public Bistro is located at 937 S. Cooper, 901-509-2113.