Oui! C'est Biologique! NEW FRENCH BISTRO CELEBRATES ORGANIC FOOD BY JEREMY OHMES Photo: Todd Cooper Chef Eric Bertrand is all about energy. Not so much energy in relation to automobiles and appliances, but energy as a force in each of us, a dynamism that is constantly affected by what we do, what we think and especially what we eat. With 35 years of restaurant experience, the 48-year-old Frenchman (and practitioner of tai chi chuan) understands this unbreakable link between food and energy better than most, and with a passion to feed people's energy, Bertrand has recently opened a restaurant, Ratatouille, featuring healthy, organic vegan and vegetarian cuisine. What distinguishes Ratatouille from many vegetarian-friendly eateries is not only its quality of food — almost everything is local and made from scratch — but also its focus on fine dining. When you walk into Bertrand's restaurant, you're immediately transported to a European bistro and time suddenly slows down (yes, even Eugene time). Candlelit tables are set up for couples; black-and-white photos hang on the cream-colored walls; a large selection of French and Italian wine lines the bar; strains of John Denver drift through the sweet-scented air (OK, so maybe not every little detail is there yet). But the atmosphere is inviting, and the food will keep you lingering in an organic bliss. Bertrand's mission to feed not only your body but also your heart and mind comes to form in his haute cuisine. Everything is gourmet, and everything is healthy. That seems like a paradox, but the chef makes it work. Starters like sesame-crusted mushrooms are elaborately served with ripples of saffron, garlic and tarragon aioli surrounding them. The dish is succulent and salubrious, and you can see Bertrand's "food is energy" philosophy even in his presentation, for it looks like the mushrooms are emanating good vibes through the aioli trio. Main courses like raw golden beet ravioli with pine nut cheese and blue corn empanadas with spicy mole further the too-good-to-be-healthy conundrum, but the star of the show is the chickpea socca. Chickpea patties with the texture of tempeh lie next to a pool of tomato-flecked red sauce and are topped with a garlic and white bean puree and perfectly sautéed kale. The airy tomatoes and kale balance out the slightly heavy chickpeas and garlic, and the dish tastes both decadent and wholesome. As for your sweet tooth, Bertrand has a rotating cast of desserts from coconut crème pie to dark chocolate ganache cake to apple hazelnut strudel, and each one can be complemented with organic, fair-trade coffee from Wandering Goat. Everything on Ratatouille's menu is seasonal and fresh; nothing is frozen — well, "except for the ice cream," Bertrand says with a laugh. And even though the menu caters to vegans and vegetarians, he says that a lot of nonvegetarians come and enjoy it too. Pleasing everyone is just what Bertrand does, and he's been doing it since he started working in restaurants at the age of 13. When he was 18, he started his own catering company in France, and by the time he was 25, he owned L'Occitania, which was widely regarded as one of the best restaurants in Toulouse. For a while Bertrand worked in the South Pacific before emigrating to San Francisco, where he worked in various restaurants. In 2004, he bought Sparks Restaurant in the Guerneville/Russian River neighborhood of San Fran, and there he created a vegan/vegetarian menu, which garnered praise and the accolade of Best Vegetarian Restaurant in the Bay Area. After his son was born in 2006, he and his wife wanted to move somewhere more "child-friendly," and they happened upon Eugene. Once in the Emerald City, Bertrand managed the kitchen at Sundance Natural Foods before the kitchen unexpectedly closed. Out of work but with years of culinary experience under his apron, he saw a restaurant for lease on Willamette Street and, noticing Eugene's lack of fine dining establishments, he decided to open Ratatouille on Nov. 1, 2007. "People love it so far," Bertrand says, and he has big plans for the restaurant in the coming year. Once the winter lull is over, he would like to reintroduce brunch and lunch, which he stopped when business slowed down. No matter when he serves his gourmet meals, it's what he serves that is most important to him. "Food is not only about product, it's about energy," the chef reiterates. "Food vibrates out from itself. It is alive." As long as Bertrand's energy doesn't fade, neither will his food. Ratatouille is located at 1530 Willamette Street. 344-0203.   Oui! C'est Biologique! | An Inconvenient Fruit | Rockin' Hot Food | Holy Cow-Tastrophe! | Break Out of the Same Old, Same Old | Ukrainian Rhapsody | Welcome to Whiteaker | West Side Slice | Go Ga Ga Over Ga Ya | La Vida Local |Food, Not Fads |