Q&A: Chef Patrice Rames, Bistro St. Tropez
Twenty years ago this summer, Patrice Rames opened Bistro St. Tropez, his hide-away French bistro in the Design Marketplace.
Though you won’t find his French poodles, Gaston and Lutece, trailing him to the market and through the restaurant anymore, you can still find Rames in the bistro kitchen. To celebrate the anniversary, he’s cooking up a three-course prix fixe for $19.87 — but we really want is the secret to the restaurant’s longevity.
What was the Philadelphia dining scene like in 1987?
It was not the way it is now. There were only a few French restaurants. I could count them on one hand. At the market you couldn’t find chives or sorrel, not even Belgian endives. It was an adventure, and people didn’t know very much about food. People were not familiar with boulibasse and cassoulet. Snails!
What made you open a restaurant in that environment?
I was only 25 and I was working for Georges at Le Bec Fin. My ego was big.
Has the restaurant scene changed in the past two decades?
The market has changed tremendously. There’s much more competition and people are much more selective, more careful about where to spend their evening, how to spend their money. The city has more chefs — and we’re all waiting for people to move into those condos that are being built everywhere.
Has your restaurant changed?
People are more familiar with French food now. When I opened, I was always frustrated by dishes like sweetbreads and bouillabase. I loved to make them, but I couldn’t sell them. Rabbit, too. So many times, I took them off the menu. Now they sell well. But I still can’t take the goat-cheese-and-olive-crusted striped bass off the menu.
What’s the biggest challenge to running a restaurant in Philadelphia?
The biggest challenge is to find good employees. But it’s getting easier. One thing I’m really happy to see is the Restaurant School really doing a great job. They have good students who are really passionate about food. You didn’t see that 20 years ago. Food was not such a profession.
Is there a secret to running a successful restaurant?
People have a misconception about restaurants. They think it’s easy, but it’s non-stop. I’m surprised I’ve lasted 20 years. The only secret is to have a 100 percent passion for the food, the wine and the people.