The Brooklyn Papers / Aaron Greenhood

Custom made: At Park Slope's Palo Santo restaurant, diners can pull up a stool to the kitchen counter for chef Jacques Gautier's tasting menu.

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In 2002, I visited a restaurant in Williamsburg called La Brunette. It was a small place with a chic, modern interior. Although the eatery got a lot of hype early on for its hip ambience and consistently fine French-Caribbean menu, a few months later, it closed.

I’d wondered what happened to its talented chef, Jacques Gautier, who left the eatery not long after I dined there. In August, when I heard that he had resurfaced with his own place in Park Slope, I knew a visit was in order.

At a recent dinner in his restaurant, Palo Santo (named for the South American tree), I found him in good form. He has fashioned an inviting, informal space with a menu that reflects his Caribbean family’s roots and extensive cooking experience in Europe. The menu, which changes daily according to what’s market fresh, is "eclectic Latin," which means that a succulent duck leg will be served with a rich mole sauce and mustard greens, and a salad of mixed greens will include strips of poblano chile pepper and tart vinaigrette dressing.

Gautier has transformed the street level space of a brownstone into a warm, Latin-inspired environment. You can spot the restaurant, which sits between Fourth and Fifth avenues on a mostly residential street, by the decorative railing leading to the building’s second floor.

In the dining area are wooden tables designed and built by Gautier using salvaged wood. Perched along the lengthy counter, diners are afforded a view of the kitchen where a mosaic installation by Alonso Tamayo runs the length of the wall.

If you sit at the counter, you should consider trying Gautier’s tasting menu. He’ll chat with you as he cooks, creating dishes to your specifications. For a vegetarian, he’ll set forth a selection of meatless plates. If you’re a seafood lover, you can feast on fish, and so on.

Simple pairings, often balancing tart, lemony notes against sweeter, richer flavors, give his dishes complexity.

An appetizer of half a grilled quail features half of the little bird. It’s intensely rich with moist, dark meat and a brittle skin that stays crisp - even with a fragrant, garlicky smear of "chimichurri" (an Argentinean herb sauce). A brightly flavored, lemon-enhanced ratatouille (eggplant stew) makes a toothsome partner.

Gautier enhances the meaty quality of bluefin tuna slices by searing them briefly, then adding a bit of aioli on the side. The sauce has a mild hit of garlic that doesn’t compete with fish. Crisp string beans and slices of radishes in a citrus dressing brighten the plate.

An entree of four grilled, Mayan shrimp is intriguing. The sweetness of the huge, head-on prawns in their shells is amplified by moist, briny rice flavored with black squid ink and an herb, called "marsh samphire," that tastes a bit like watercress.

A duck leg with a complex mole sauce was superb. Often the intense spices of the mole can overpower the rich meat. His version offers subtle layers of taste and less unctuousness than some I’ve tried, making it an ideal foil for the duck. Slices of roasted plantains lent sweetness, and the bitter edge of sauteed mustard greens balanced the ingredients.

Pork can be a luscious treat or an arid disappointment. Gautier’s tenderloin (a cut of meat that can be dry due to its low fat content) is crusty on the outside and dripped juice when I cut into it. He serves it with a beer-enhanced sauce and a stack of roasted sweet potato slices.

Each of the three desserts on the menu is enjoyable. Bittersweet chocolate pudding is too rich for a single person. Order it for a table of chocolate lovers so each person can have a single bite. Lime pie is dense yet creamy with a buttery, gingersnap crust, and coffee creme brulee has enough espresso beans to ward off sleep for a week.

At the moment, the liquor license hasn’t be granted, so it’s bring your own bottle. When it comes through, Gautier will only serve wines from South American vineyards. Don’t let that stop you from visiting. When a chef is in his element, as Gautier is behind the stove at Palo Santo, you eat well.

Palo Santo (652 Union St. between Fourth and Fifth avenues in Park Slope) accepts cash only. Entrees: $9-$19. Breakfast is served Monday through Friday, lunch is served daily, and dinner is available Tuesday through Sunday. Closed Monday nights. The restaurant will be closed Nov. 25-26. For more information, call (718) 636-6311 or visit the Web site at www.palosanto.us.

©2006 The Brooklyn Paper