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The Chef Is Authentically French
At A New Rochester Restaurant
DANNY RASKIN
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1992
T
he executive chef
wears a red beret in
the kitchen and when
coming out to thank patrons
who applaud his culinary ex-
pertise . . . He's even French-
born and raised . . . plus a
graduate of the Culinary
Academy in Paris, France.
You can't get much more
French than Pascal Paviani at
Chez Pierre, on N. Main and
University in downtown
Rochester, which opened
Sept. 15, and his French
cuisine presentations show
very brightly.
This dining spot is the vi-
sion of many years that has
finally become one of fruition
for Dr. Pierre (yes, there is a
Pierre) Atallah, Harper
Hospital and Crittenton
Hospital cardiologist, whose
ideas about French cooking
being good for the heart
reached a point of further
agreement when displayed on
CBS's "60 Minutes" and in a
New York Times feature
article.
Chez Pierre is as you would
imagine a French restaurant
to be . . . cozy, intimate and so
conducive to relaxed dining
. . . This is not your staid type
of so-called French restaurant
with its New Yorky stuffiness
. . . and thank heaven for a
French dining spot with both
a menu and large wine list
that don't rip you off.
Seating is only for 48 .. .
just right . . . You wouldn't
want any more as waiters like
ever-smiling, personable and
pleasant Joe Henderson
whom people loved to have
wait on them back in 1977 at
the Rickshaw, efficiently and
courteously bring French fare
with gracious aplomb.
A service bar in the corner
has four stools . . . and a
beautiful, private banquet
facility with its large, rolling
bar seats 130.
The main dining room fire-
place flickers its flames amid
casual elegance that is receiv-
ing much attention . . . Tall
wine goblets rest atop mauve-
colored tablecloths over white
linen undercloths and white
linen napkins for both the lap
and to cover the French bread
made at the restaurant by
Chez Pierre's own fine Pastry
Chef Joe Alfuri.
Overhead, above the man-
tle, are more than 250 types
of wine lying on their sides
awaiting joyful consumption
. . . On the mantle itself are
authentic French artifacts of
beauty and interest . . . One
of them, an 18th century
clock, is said to have been
seized by the Germans in
France during World War II,
taken to Italy and bought by
Dr. Atallah from an antique
dealer in Birmingham to
adorn his library at home .. .
Even the 9-year-old son of Dr.
Atallah and wife Rosemarie,
Pierre Jr. is represented on
that mantle . . . He was about
6 or 7 years old in the second
grade when making the
talent-laden painting that
sits on a stand . . . and wall
hangings by Rosemarie are
from branches pulled out of
the family yard.
French pictures are all
about . . . plus very subdued
French music softly wafting
from above.
To achieve his dream of
authentic French dining, Dr.
Atallah has done what smart
restaurant owners do . . . sur-
round themselves with the
very best in competency in-
stead of trying to bluff their
way toward what eventually
becomes disaster.
This is where Les Kahrnoff
and Sandy Roncelli come in.
Les' mother, Elaine Kahr-
noff Baker, was Joe Beato's
food purchaser for so many
years at Henry Ford Hospital
and now lives with hubby
Mort in Sarasota, Fla., where
she is a food consultant at
Sarasota General Hospital.
Les was for seven years
regional beverage director,
representing 42 United
States restaurants for Con-
tinental Restaurant Corp.,
and beverage manager with
Jim Constand when the
former Vineyards (now
Norm's Oyster Bar) was own-
ed by E.J. Etkin and sons
Bruce and Doug, Max
Fisher's son Phil, Dick
Kughn's son Gary and Mar-
vin Alexander . . . Les opened
the Franklin Grill downstairs
and left to become a wine
salesman before he and Joe
worked together at the Holly
Hotel where Les was general
manager . . . He tried his
hand at restaurant ownership
for 3 1/2 years with the Brick
Alley in Buffalo.
Sandy was a waitress six
years at the London Chop
House, managed Aliette's
French restaurant on Porter
for the eight months it was
open, and was manager 1 1/2
years at One 23 in Grosse
Pointe.
Chef Pascal doesn't wear
black or white berets . . . He
had enough of them while
serving in the French army in
1982, a mandatory stint for
its young citizens . . . When
Pascal came to the United
States he worked at Anton's
on E. Jefferson five years and
would come to Dr. Pierre and
Rosemarie Atallah's home to
cook for them . . . He return-
ed to France and Dr. Atallah
was going to open Chez Pierre
but wanted to do it with an
authentic French culinary ar-
tist such as Pascal . . . He call-
ed people asking where the
French kitchen genius could
be found . . . with no avail .. .
Finally, one day the phone
rang . . . it was Pascal . . . and
so the story of him coming
back to America to help put
Chez Pierre together.
The lifeblood of a restau-
rant's success flows at Chez
Chez Pierre has a
large menu and
wine list, and
unstuffy
atmosphere.
Pierre with customers retur-
ning many times . . . It is
located in a building that Dr.
Atallah built from the ground
up after leveling a lumber
yard that was there . . . His
foresight in choosing this
locale for a complete out-
patient specialty clinic is a
stroke of genius . . . Chez
Pierre with its French win-
dows and small panes and
balcony for outdoor seating in
warm weather is frosting on
the cake for Dr. Atallah's
medical complex . . . and cer-
tainly a welcomed addition
for lovers of French cuisine.
Downstairs tells still
another tale . . . This is
Rosemarie's dream also .. .
Her last name was Shea and
the Irish tavern she always
wanted is there too, opened a
day before Chez Pierre, Sept.
14, by the former nurse and
presently a practicing at-
torney . . . O'Shea's, with a
completely different look and
atmosphere . . . checked
tablecloths, redwood booths,
but also with a very health-
conscious chef, Ron Nichols,
Culinary Institute of America
graduate who plied his trade
at Les Auteurs and Beverly
Hills Grill . . . O'Shea's seats
125 plus 25 more at a long
bar.
The River Square Building
which houses Chez Pierre and
O'Shea's is also an attraction
with its open courtyard and