Pat & Pat conjures memories of suburbia, with a grown-up palate
THE house which Pat & Pat has transferred to had been a legend in its own right, with whispered tales of its ownership back in the 1970s and ’80s. A graceful bungalow with curling grillwork on the arches surrounding the walled garden, it had gone to seed. I would know: I lived in the townhouse block on the same street in Old Balara from grade school to college and saw how much the neighborhood had changed over the years.
Pat & Pat, built as a concept by the Freedom Hospitality Group of Patrick and Marichele Gregorio, moved from its space up in Capitol Hills and down to Old Balara this month.
“My husband saw this house. It was old,” Ms. Gregorio said over lunch on May 19. So the house has been completely remodeled: the old arches are gone, but the Gregorios kept the ironwork and used it for the ceiling. The old faux-brick facade has been eliminated for something more modern. While we sat at lunch, Ms. Gregorio got up to supervise the installation of a few paintings by a good family friend, a National Artist (for music — he just happens to do other things). The black walls, the birdcage booths, and the metallic accents may seem a bit imposing compared to the lighthearted menu.
A family came by, a clutch of schoolgirls in Mary Janes accompanied by their grandparents — they seem to be the people who should be in Pat & Pat, with a menu decidedly fit for a nice Sunday lunch with your family.
The restaurant is even named after family members: Pat, as in Patrick, as in Mr. Gregorio, and Patricia, their daughter, who is General Manager for Freedom Hospitality (the two came early to the family meeting that decided the restaurant’s name). Pat & Pat and their other concept, What About Coffee? (with outlets in nearby UP Diliman and Katipunan), was born around 2022. This new Pat & Pat only opened this month, and they will use their old location as their third What About Coffee?.
Ms. Gregorio said that while they were employed in different industries (hotels, for one), they ventured into entrepreneurship through restaurant franchising (hint: it’s chicken). While they kept their chicken franchises, opening their own food business gave them freedom (hence the group name).
For lunch, we had their Shrimp Tacos (P359 for three pieces, served with salsa, chimichurri, and tartar sauce on the side). It was perfect food for summer: light on the palate and heavy in the belly. I am not a big fan of their Herb Crusted Roast Beef (P999), because while it was flavorful, it was a bit dry, and had more in common with corned beef at that point. I will note that their mashed potatoes are really good, with a little bit of smoke in it (achieved by roasting the potatoes before mashing).
Three dishes stood out. First the USDA Prime Grade Ribeye Steak, which feels like it does not belong hidden in suburbia, with the right amount of tenderness and extra juiciness (they have the same meat supplier as a very popular steak chain).
Memory plays with my other favorites. The Three-Chorizo pasta (P399), made with an assortment of sausages sautéed with garlic and tomatoes, felt like something my mother would make when in the mood for something good, and I’m sure the experience would be shared by others. Dessert felt even more personal: a cake called Capitol Hills (P309). This is a homemade chocolate cake topped with vanilla ice cream, and drizzled with chocolate sauce, its chocolate shavings forming a shell on the ice cream. It felt like something I would have made from things I could find in the fridge, growing up in the townhouse block next to the Balara bungalow. I’m embarrassed to say that I might have shed a tear while eating it.
But that’s the whole point of Pat & Pat: conjuring up memories of suburbia, elevated to a grown-up palate. “It’s comfort food talaga,” said Ms. Gregorio. “Ang gusto ko lang, flavorful (What I really wanted was something flavorful).”
That’s also the market that they’re planning to corner. Ms. Gregorio said, “Taga-QC tayo diba (we’re both from Quezon City, right)? Once you’re from QC, always, dito ka na (you’ll always be here).”
She recalled that one of the reasons they built the restaurant was because while living in Capitol Hills, they wanted somewhere nice to go in their neighborhood instead of having to drive to the malls. Their marketing head, Ogos Aznar, said, “Our vision is really bringing this kind of concept close to the community — paglabas ng gate nila (once they get out of their gate), we’re there. You won’t see us in the malls.”
Pat & Pat is at 5 University Valley, Matandang Balara, Diliman, Quezon City. — Joseph L. Garcia
