Salt and Pepper

Salt & Pepper is the name Roger Barakat gave to his 8-month-old restaurant at Sixth and Fitzwater because he likes to collect whimsical shakers for these commonly used spices. Barakat recently hired a new chef in Brandon Hieber, so it seemed a good time to make a long-anticipated visit.

The owner turned the former Rocco’s Deli into a charming shoebox dining space. Walls are painted bright yellow and tables are covered with white linoleum with white paper on top, but you get a linen napkin. You also get to sip your Schuylkill punch from pint-sized colorful Breakstone sour cream glasses.

Barakat himself showed us to a table for two and opened our wine. He speaks in a soft European accent because his mother is from Lyon, the French capital of gastronomy, and his father is Lebanese.

"The soup of the day is jumbo," he told us. "Gumbo!" shouted Hieber from his very open kitchen, just steps from our table. "Oh, gumbo," the owner said with a smile. "It is spicy, but not too spicy."

We sipped our wine and perused the small menu. Every entr�e is under $16, which is a good sign for a neighborhood BYOB. The emphasis is on fresh fish. Barakat purchases his seafood daily from Samuels & Sons, the city’s top purveyor of fish and seafood.

"The whole fish of the day was trout. I bought seven of them. But a family came in and bought five for takeout dinner, and I just served the last two," Barakat told us.

Hieber’s version of gumbo ($4.50) was prepared with chicken and fresh saut�ed vegetables. It was not authentic gumbo because it lacked okra and rice, two of the most important ingredients for any type of gumbo. But the stock was tasty, free of salt and spiced just right.

Mussels with sausage ($7) was a takeoff of the classic clams and chorizo from Portugal. I received 11 mussels, neither Prince Edward Island nor New Zealand, which are the best you can get. They were scrubbed clean and served in a rich broth that I particularly liked.

The sausage in the dish, however, was disappointing. Three pieces of ordinary kielbasa did little to enhance this dish. Chorizo or andouille should have been used to impart flavor. Three small slices of French bread came with the mussels, and I happily dunked away.

My husband and I shared the arugula portabello salad ($7.50). We received a small mound of ordinary mesclun with perhaps a few arugula leaves, dressed in a light vinaigrette. Hieber scattered a few strips of sundried tomato, which would have tasted better had they been plumped in olive oil. A few bits of goat cheese were included along with three strips of grilled portabello mushrooms. The salad was thoughtfully split in the kitchen.

Salt & Pepper was filling up as Edward and I ate our appetizers. Barakat is a one-man operation. He takes the orders, serves and clears. He could use some bus help and another server, although he did his best to keep his patrons content.

I asked for some bread, and he delivered a basket of hot whole-wheat pita, which was uncommonly good. We also asked for some olive oil.

Four our next dish, Hieber took five mid-sized diver scallops and quickly seared them to perfection. They were properly seasoned and a bit translucent inside. He dotted the plate with a pesto-like oil that paired tastily with the scallops.

Along with the mollusks, I received three piping-hot roasted potato wedges, two spears of steamed asparagus, two undercooked baby carrots and one slice each of yellow squash and zucchini. The vegetables were steamed and, ironically, required salt and pepper. They were fresh, but would have been better if saut�ed in olive oil. My dinner cost $16, which is a bargain.

Edward ordered the Australian lamb ($16), and told Barakat he preferred it medium-rare. His plate contained four nice-sized slices of pink lamb that were slightly overcooked, to our taste. But the meat was tender and juicy, and we particularly liked the red-wine rosemary sauce. The taste and aroma were quite appetizing. He received the same vegetables as I did.

Dessert was in order. "I just made a flourless chocolate cake," shouted Hieber as he wielded a saut� pan filled with mussels. "We also have flan," added Barakat.

We went for the cake. The hefty wedge ($6), prepared with semi-sweet chocolate, was rich, dense and absolutely outrageous. Hieber iced the cake with milk-chocolate icing, which was not too sweet. In fact, it was perfect.

Two tips of the toque to Salt & Pepper.

Salt & Pepper
Sixth and Fitzwater streets
215-238-1920 or 215-767-0202
Not wheelchair-accessible
Cash only, BYOB
Reservations a good idea