Pastor at Pascal
Restaurant · Downtown Coral Gables
2611 Ponce de Leon, Coral Gables, FL 33134
Highlights
French bistro serving French & Spanish fare, famed for soufflés
French bistro serving French & Spanish fare, famed for soufflés
"In what can only be described as a Peter Piper tongue twister, Pastor At Pascal took over Pascal’s On Ponce a few months ago. In case you’re still confused: the chef behind this classic French spot in Coral Gables retired and sold the restaurant to a Spanish fellow. What they did with the classic French menu is far less confusing. They kept it. So what’s new? A dining room with enough fake vines to attract a family of sloths and an additional Spanish menu that fits seamlessly with the gruyere soufflé and duck confit we know and love. Pastor At Pascal is a new restaurant with the soul of a classic, and the food is as exceptional as it’s ever been." - ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, mariana trabanino, virginia otazo, virginia otazo, virginia otazo, virginia otazo, mariana trabanino
"In what can only be described as a Peter Piper tongue twister, Pastor At Pascal took over Pascal’s On Ponce. In case you’re still confused: the chef behind Miami’s best French restaurant retired and sold it to a Spanish fellow. What they did with the classic French menu is far less confusing. They kept it. So you can enjoy the same incredible gruyere cheese soufflé, seared foie gras, and the city’s best duck confit like nothing ever changed. But don’t be afraid to embrace a little change. The new Spanish dishes, like Galician octopus and bacalao croquetas, are excellent. Hop around the two countries, but always end in France with their creamy Grand Marnier soufflé." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
"In past centuries, it hasn’t always been pretty when the Spanish and French met. But at Pastor At Pascal’s, Spain and France live in harmony. The menu mash-up is the result of a new Spanish chef taking over this classic French spot. Now, seared foie gras leads seamlessly into Galician octopus. If you’re here for the Spanish section of the menu, get the jamon and bacalao croquetas to start. And order their Iberian grilled pork shoulder the Spanish way: as rare as you can stand it. But you should also try the French dishes that made this restaurant famous in the first place, especially the soufflés." - virginia otazo, mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer
"To talk about Pastor At Pascal, we need to talk about Pascal’s On Ponce, a classic French restaurant your parents probably loved. It was stubbornly old-school and famous among people who go gaga over soufflés. When Pastor took over, it Frankensteined Pascal’s French classics with a new Spanish menu. And it worked. Here, seared foie gras leads seamlessly into Galacian octopus, while crispy duck confit and Iberian pork shoulder are friendly allies on an ironed white tablecloth. It’s a move that could only make sense in a city like Coral Gables, where a French Normandy village was built on a street called Viscaya Ave." - virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer
"Pascal’s was a Coral Gables classic that served the best French food in Miami for 25 years. It was stubbornly old-school and famous among people who go gaga over soufflés—a small but fiercely loyal demographic in Miami. Then the owner retired and sold the restaurant to a Basque chef who had two choices: kill a legendary French menu or let his own creation blossom. He chose both. The beautifully Frankensteined Pastor At Pascal kept the French classics and added a separate Spanish section to the menu. Somehow, both feel like headliners. video credit: Ryan Pfeffer You’d think the French and Spanish menus would be feuding like it’s 1635. But seared foie gras leads seamlessly into Galacian octopus, while crispy duck confit and Iberian pork entrees are friendly allies on an ironed white tablecloth. Pastor works because it sticks to traditional dishes from both countries, and executes them with precision. Pastor kept Pascal’s going in more than name and menu. It also retained its staff, both in the front and back of house, which is why their gruyere soufflé still scrambles all of the logic parts of your brain. The longtime regulars still show up even though the renovated dining room where they celebrated the last two decades of anniversaries now looks more like the craft services of a Jumanji reboot (the fake vine budget is steep). video credit: Virginia Otazo video credit: Virginia Otazo Pause Unmute Thankfully, when the food hits the table, the dining room disappears. Pastor At Pascal inherited a dream menu, but its Spanish dishes are good enough to keep up with the famous French ones. That’s where the fun of this restaurant is. It’s also just nice to see a new restaurant go through the pains of preservation, especially one just blocks from a slightly depressing landmark and painfully perfect Miami metaphor: a tiny family home swallowed by a monstrous development after refusing to sell. Pastor is proof that irreplaceable things should be respected, and you can still find creative ways to make them exciting and new again. Food Rundown Gruyere Cheese Soufflé When people talk about the old Pascal’s, they’ll talk about this dish. It’s fluffy, salty, airy, and the parmesan fondue adds a tanginess that makes you salivate like a rottweiler. photo credit: CLEVELAND JENNINGS / @EATTHECANVASLLC Croquetas The cod in these croquetas tastes like it’s been swimming in rich cream all its life. And the jamón ibérico version is a crunchy ball filled with rich pork and silky bechamel. The best part is they’ll let you order half cod and jamón. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer Grilled Galician Octopus It’s so easy to mess up grilled octopus. That doesn’t happen here. Pastor’s is fat, charred at the tip, and covered in a tetilla cheese. It’s spectacular. PlayMute video credit: Virginia Otazo Duck Confit Fitting with Pastor’s overall theme, this duck further proves that something can be two things at once. The skin crackles, but the meat is juicier than the first few bites of bubble gum. It’s another Pascal’s classic we’re so happy is still on the menu. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Presa Ibérica Order it medium rare, and you’ll never think of pork as “the other” anything. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer Grand Marnier Soufflé A good rule is to start and end a meal at Pastor with a soufflé. This one comes with a creamy orange sabayon that’s pierced into the center of its sweet, molten center. PlayMute video credit: Ryan Pfeffer" - Virginia Otazo
