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Bibou reopens with Calmels in the kitchen

A chef change and a decor change coincide. Bibou now serves just a set menu, priced at $100 per person.

Bibou has returned after a six-week reboot.

Chef Pierre Calmels is back cooking, now four nights a week, at the cozy French BYOB at 1009 S. Eighth St. in South Philadelphia that he founded in 2009 with his wife, Charlotte.

Here is the back story: In late November 2013, the couple opened Le Cheri on Rittenhouse Square, and Pierre headed the kitchen there while his righthand man, Ron Fougeray, ran the show at Bibou. But Fougeray moved to California recently for family reasons (his wife is from Orange County ... they have a little one... the usual story.)

The Fougerays and Calmeses timed the transition. Ron left at the end of March, and Pierre and Charlotte shut down Bibou for April to redecorate and straighten up the kitchen. Restaurants being restaurants, the Calmelses needed a couple of extra weeks.

The remodeling brought the understated dining room down to a mere 20 seats and included the reinstallation of Pierre behind his old stove. Day-to-day, Le Cheri is now in the capable hands of Steve DeLorean. Charlotte shuttles between both restaurants.

Bibou is one of Craig LaBan's two four-bell BYOBs (the other is Talula's Table in Kennett Square).

The experience is a set menu at $100 per person (plus tax and tip), cash only, dinner Wednesday to Saturday. Seatings are at 5:30/6 p.m. and 8:30/9 p.m. It's still BYOB.

Calmels' menu* is:

  1. Chilled green olive soup, paddlefish caviar

  2. Braised stuffed morels with guinea hen and foie gras mousse

  3. Wild John Dory from Portugal, white asparagus, sea beans, Joinville cromesquis, kefir lime emulsion

  4. Seared foie gras, pumpkin bread, rhubarb

  5. Veal medallion, ramps, smoked veal jus, English peas, mushroom

  6. Fromages

  7. Grand Marnier or chocolate hot soufflé

  8. Mignardises

* After opening night, Calmels swapped English peas and mushrooms for the fava beans as garnishes on the veal medallions.