Philadelphia Weekly

You've gotta love a restaurant that wears its tastes right there in its name. Cochon: It means pig in French, and this cozy, cash-only Queen Village BYOB in the old Caf� Sud sports its porcine obsession loud and proud. Outside, the sign flies high, emblazoned with a pig, snout-to-ground. It seems to say, "Come on, vegans. We've got your tofu right here."

The vestibule's awkward wind-blocking drapes are more human car wash than French bistro, but Cochon looks the part inside: antique hexagon floor tiles, scrubbed white subway tiles and powder blue mouldings on the walls, flickering candlelight, an open kitchen and a generous sprinkling of pig paraphernalia throughout.

At a time when so many restaurants are in the throes of identity crises, it's refreshing to find a restaurant and kitchen that knows itself so well. At the helm of that kitchen is Davio's and �Pasi�n! veteran Gene Giuffi, who owns Cochon with his wife Amy. A few months in, and his solo debut is hitting its stride as both a neighborhood haunt and a worthy destination--evident from the retired Society Hill MDs and yuppie parents in jeans and cable-knits taking up nearly all of the 44 seats.

Fall and winter inform the menu, dominated by lazy braises, slow roasts and bone-in chops. Throw in a barrel of root vegetables, gratin a few things, and you've got Cochon--serving all the stuff I like to eat in cold weather.

I start with onion soup--as good a measure as any for judging a French bistro. Served in a classic crock, Cochon's version is sweeter than most, the natural sugars teased from the onions with low 'n' slow caramelization. The broth is also notably thinner and lighter, topped with a fromage cap more gently blistered than stuck-to-the-edges crispy.

A trio of perfectly pan-seared scallops surround a tuft of frisee studded with boiled fingerlings and crisp lardons of bacon, the lemony vinaigrette slicing beautifully through the sugar, starch and fat. It's a Lyonnaise salad without the poached egg (which incidentally wound up atop a mammoth slow-roasted pork shoulder, gilding Brussels sprouts, toothsome lentils du Puy and each shred of tender pig in yellow love.)

Fingerlings, crimini mushrooms and rutabagas ground the fantastic free-range lamb shank in earthy depth, and the steak frites are better than any I've had recently. The beef is juicy and not at all tough. The frites are hot and well salted. In the open kitchen, the deep-fryer hisses and shouts each time Giuffi plunges a new order.

Not everything is perfect. I sit at the same wobbly table twice, causing near-spills and sliding silverware. During my first visit, the wonderful warm rolls served with smoked, salt-dusted farmhouse butter arrives along with the appetizers. When I order an iced tea, my pleasant waiter tells me first that they don't have any, then that he can brew it but it won't be good. I didn't realize iced tea was that challenging.

In the kitchen, plating could be more elegant. The problem with a meaty menu is that every dish winds up looking kind of brown. Some presentations are eye-catching, like the transcendent grilled pork chop anointed with juniper oil and poised ever so carefully over haricots verts and an earthy celery-root-and-fennel hash. Most of the time, though, the monochromes coupled with romantic lighting and the rich pan sauces that seem to cover everything make me play a guessing game of what's on my fork. Shiitake mushroom? Ah, no. Snail.

The syrupy tang of balsamic reduction overwhelms chicken livers garnished with walnuts and raisins, and the accent of Pernod on the escargots starts nice but quickly becomes cloying. The brief blackboard desserts--molten chocolate cake, creme brulee--though good in flavor and execution, are about as interesting as the meal-enders at Applebee's. Only the lush bananas Foster cheesecake from Darling's bakery in Rittenhouse is the slightest bit different. With a fierce cup of La Colombe and a stomach full of pork, it's the ideal winter antidote.

Cochon
801 E. Passyunk Ave. 215.923.7675. www.cochonbyob.com
Cuisine: French bistro.
Hours: Tues.-Thurs., 5:30-10pm; Fri.-Sat., 5:30-10:30pm.
Prices: $18-$23.
Sound advice: More bookstore than brasserie.
Atmosphere: Cozy-chic.
Service: Manicured, if a little rehearsed.
Food: Carnivore comfort.