There's something for everyone at this electic Tucson restaurant

After the first meal, we think we got it.

It's a little bit of everything — a little seafood, a little beef, a little Mexican, a little Asian, a little Southwestern — we could go on.

Yet all that littleness adds up to big flavor and good meals.

The Tucson restaurant's Web page explains that "pastiche" means a "composition made up of selections from various sources." We found that the name describes the menu as well as the restaurant's colorful décor.

We visited on a quiet Wednesday night and a more lively Friday night. Both times conversation was easy and the service attentive.

We had peeked at the dinner menu before our first visit, so we knew that the restaurant served one of our all-time favorite dishes, San Francisco-style cioppino, ($22.75). We couldn't resist.

The fish soup was not only good, it got better with every spoonful. A thick tomato-based broth bathed fresh mussels, scallops, shrimp, calamari and sea bass. Flavors of the ocean tinged with garlic and other spices infused every morsel.

We were impressed that none of the seafood in the soup was overcooked. The shrimp, particularly, remained tender and sweet. A hunk of sourdough garlic toast rounded out this winning entree. For my dining partner, this was the hands-down favorite dish.

We also tried the rosemary crusted pork tenderloin served with butternut squash risotto, poached figs, goat cheese and pine nuts ($19.95, $14.95 for the bistro portion).

While the pork suffered in comparison to the cioppino, it was still a good, creative dish.

The pork slices were tender and served with a dark, sweet fig sauce garnished with several fig buttons.

We ordered this instead of the scallops because it was served with the risotto . . . and it sounded too good.

It was good. The first bites of the risotto evoked Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie. But after a few bites, the risotto flavor and the pine nuts overwhelmed the pork.

That said, the risotto could probably stand on its own. It was thick, creamy and rich, and most of it went home with us in a box. Owner Pat Connors said the pork and risotto are more suited to dining in winter and expects to find something lighter for the summer.

We ended the night with an orange parfait ($6.95). To us, it seemed to have taken on the flavor of the inside of a refrigerator. As a result, most of it sat uneaten in its stemmed glass.

On the second go-round, the eclectic menu made for difficult choices. Did we want beef or fish, tacos or eggplant lasagna?

This time, we went seafood all the way. We tried the pan-seared sea scallops in the ancho honey glaze ($20.95, $14.95 for the bistro portion) served with basmati rice and mango salsa. Of the four dishes, this was the one that appealed most to our seafood-in-the-desert sensibilities.

The scallops were nicely browned on the outside and tender and moist inside. They sat on a thick, crimson ancho chile sauce that delivered both sweet and heat on the same fork. Though the chile flavor was distinctive, not once did it overtake the delicate scallops.

The second plate was described by our server as the restaurant's signature plate — thyme sea bass ($20.95, $15.95 bistro portion) served with smoked tomato-caper beurre blanc, champagne cream sauce and mashed root vegetables.

The sea bass was cooked just right — moist and flaky — and the cream sauce was a worthy complement. The capers added little bursts of flavor to the subtle fish flavor.

This time for dessert, we hit a winner with a thick slice of pastry chef Kristie Guest's chocolate cake. My partner noted that the layer cake, prepared with a chocolate ganache, was chocolatey rich but not overpowering.

We liked the appetizer menu so much that we had appetizers at both meals. The hummus served with pita bread triangles was exactly how we dream of it — thick and creamy with a bit of olive oil on top.

Another starter, jalapeño-encased shrimp, managed to pack the chile taste without the burn. As a result, the shrimp and jalapeño flavors mingled happily in this fried finger-food delight.

Next time you're in a crowd and can't agree on a restaurant, think of Pastiche. It's the kind of place that gives the Tucson restaurant scene a bit of quality and flair — all while offering a menu that seems to include a little bit of everything.

TUCSON Restaurant review

Pastiche Modern Eatery

3025 N. Campbell Ave.

325-3333

• Hours: 11:30 a.m.-midnight Mondays through Fridays; 4:30 p.m.-midnight Saturdays and Sundays.

• Family call: Kids are welcome.

• Noise level: Not a problem.

• Vegetarian choices: Several.

• Reservations: Unnecessary during the summer.

• Dress: Casual.

• Price range: Entrees from $12.75 to $23.95; appetizers start at $3.50; bistro portions available on some dishes.

• Wine list: Extensive.

• Summer special: Thyme crusted sea bass with a bistro baby greens salad, $20.

• Other: The Pastiche Wine and Gift Shop is next door to the Tucson restaurant.