Archive for the ‘in Philadelphia’ Category
Vernick … flirting with awesomeness
t says: We wanted to try up someplace new for my birthday so we took the advice of some Talula’s Garden staff: go to Vernick! I am lacking time to wax poetic nowadays, so we’re gonna cut straight to the chase …
June 2012, Thursday Dinner, Party of 2. Whoa. This place was loud. I’m not sure if it was the way the space was laid out or maybe if the patrons had too much wine or what, but I found myself barely able to hear g at times. I was not expecting that for a Thursday dinner.
And whoa. The patrons are kind of … older. I’m find with dining with “wiser” patrons, but when g and I are the youngest people in a place, that’s kind of weird. Further weird, then, is how/why these people were contributing to such a loud atmosphere.
But now the food …
housemade mozzarella + rhubarb + pumpernickel cubes
This was surprising, because this wasn’t some kind of rustic, bread-smearing mozzarella – this was a fancy mozzarella. It had this rhubarb sauce and that savory pumpernickely rye-twang – it was amazing … small … but amazing. Definitely one of those times when simplicity surprises you.
hamachi + grapefruit + jalapeno
This was a pretty tasty crudo. Or perhaps its more like a ceviche because of the pronounced tart grapefruit? That said, Fond can pretty consistently do something with a better flavor combination, as I feel that this dish was a little disjointed: there was fish and grapefruit and a little green … but it didn’t quite come together. g, on the other hand, liked it a lot – and she’s the crudo expert of the two of us, so maybe I should re-evaluate my memory …
potato ravioli + braised lamb + long beans
This was the “other” side of Vernick. While the mozzarella was kind of flirty and zippy and a little shi shi (did I spell that correctly?), this was earthy and powerful and filling. It reminded me so much of something we’d get from Melograno – it was that good … small … but that good. The nice chunks of lamb and a flavorful sauce really hit you in the mouth and keep you coming back for more …
the braised beef cheek
The beef cheek was wonderful. I know you can’t see much in the picture, but imagine a hunk of the softest beef you’ve ever put a fork through – all with a perfectly browned exterior and accompanied by crisp peas, spring beans, and celery. Celery! That was the most surprising part of the dish because it took something that’s so heavy and luscious and put some spring in its step. BUT … there was a drawback … I needed a starch. And no, I don’t need a starch for the sake of having a starch, rather, I wished I had something to sop up the leftover peas and beans that remained after the meat disappeared into the black hole of my stomach.
We also did the beef tartar which was quite delicious, but could have used a little more cow to tango with the horseradish …
And finally:
g called ahead and pre-arranged dessert!
g, anticipating that I’d order dessert, arranged for both of their chocolatey desserts to come out at the end of the meal. (She reads me like a book.) They were actually quite substantial (we couldn’t finish ’em! and I tried really REALLY hard!). In the foreground is their version of a candy bar which was layers of chocolate (milk and dark?) and something hazlenutty and something crunchy – it reminded me of nutella … and like nutella, this was awesome. The butterscotch-chocolate parfait-ish dessert in the background was pretty good, but could have used some texture – maybe some graham on the bottom or something. Regardless, I was one happy camper with all that chocolate – g knows me through and through.
In conclusion, I have to say that Vernick has some wonderful food. It’s pretty small (it took 4 apps and a main to appease us … and we’re normally a 3+1 or a 2+2 table), but definitely tasty. The wine … oh – I forgot to show you:
a lot of wine
They serve a lot of wine per glass … which would be fine … except that I wasn’t a huge fan of the selections I made. The rose had this earthy hoppiness to it that kind of reminded me of how beer smells. g’s red, meanwhile, had this grape liqueur-ish quality that was a bit overwhelming. I guess we can’t fault them for the wines we chose, but surely they were not prototypical examples of the varietals they represented.
Ok – so back to my conclusion: pre-game with a granola bar or something (small portions), brace yourself for tastiness, and stick to cocktails.
the rotisseur pork belly banh mi
t says: After reading about it on foobooz, I was disheartened to find that I’d have to miss out on Rotisseur’s pork belly banh mi (I just couldn’t fit it in my schedule). And now, after some time has passed (hopefully so they could perfect the recipe), I was psyched to finally try it!
pork belly banh mi sign at Rotisseur
Having had many-a-banh-mi, this one had a twist! Actually it had two twists: the mango slaw and “fresh peaches”. As my brain tried to put the flavors together, it eventually crashed, as I just had no idea how it would turn out …
here it is!
As you can see, this doesn’t feature big hunks of belly, rather, thin slices. I was intrigued at how thin they were! And then look at those peach slices! The guy making the sandwich took great care in arranging the peaches so that they’d look pretty. I appreciate that. This was going to be another take on the banh mi for sure …
But how did it taste? You know I love Rotisseur, but to be honest, this was kind of underwhelming. The sandwich wasn’t bad by any stretch (and the side of kale is still pretty killer!), but the flavors just weren’t as bright or as deep as in other banh mis … or even Rotisseur’s own chicken sandwiches! (which is surprising given the meat they’re using). The other flavors of the sandwich were nice, with the togarashi playing well with the peach. That said, it kind of made me long for their chicken instead … Oh well – sorry guys – I’m just going to have to stick with your chicken-based stuff from now on …
a cross between Tiffin and a night club …
t says: g and I love Indian food – or at least – we think we do. It all started when we first had chicken korma at Tamber’s/”Nifty Fifties” in Baltimore. While probably not the most authentic example of Indian food, we were hooked, and ate there (or did take-out) quite frequently. Now that we live in Philadelphia, our favorites for Indian are Ekta and Tiffin, both of which deliver (of which Ekta is probably the better of the two). As far as Indian restaurants go, however, we just haven’t quite found one we like (although I have to confess that we haven’t been to many). Bindi has long since closed (the owners citing lack of interest in Indian food as the primary cause) despite smn and dz liking it – sorry guys! So now enter Tashan, an upscale Indian dining venue owned by the same guy in charge of Tiffin. His shtick: “modern Indian cuisine”. His location: some building on Broad south of South street. His menu: kind of pricey. Nevertheless, at least one person likes it (although I disprove of the accusatory tone he adopts in his post). Fortunately, kp also felt that the food was good, having been there for multiple happy hours. We figured, “well, kp is Indian, and he cooks extremely well, so if he says it’s good, then it’s gotta be good” … but we still just never got around to it … until now: I saw that Mondays are BYO nights at Tashan. Boom. Done. We made a reservation (even though the hostess initially messed up and denied BYO Mondays – she and her manager both called back to confirm its existence) and ventured to Bella Vista (sadly it wasn’t an FTC meeting, as a and v were busy preparing for a trip) …
June 2012, Monday Dinner, Party of 3. We’ll try to keep it short. First, the setting: it’s kind of huge! There’s a ton of space – this is no small BYO for sure. It’s also evident that someone spent a lot of money, time, and effort trying really really hard to make this place cool/hip. The result is a kind of like what would happen if you put a restaurant in a space that was meant for a night club. It’s just trying so hard to be cool, but to be honest, it’s not like anything in there is actually cool – and that’s coming from me, who is pretty much a sucker for anything sleek/modern (that, and I still think that Adidas samba sneakers are cool). Sorry Tashan, I just don’t think that all of those renovations were worth it …
The service could also use some improvement. The waiter was very well-mannered and pleasant, but his actual serving performance was straight-up bad. He’d say that he was bringing wine glasses but not bring them until 10-15 minutes later. He’d say that he was bringing the wine, but not until 10-15 minutes later. The pacing of the meal was all over the place (25 minutes before our orders were even taken, and then a bizarre 25 minute gap after apps). At least he had a winning smile to go along with his enthusiasm for “his favorite dishes” when we asked his opinion. My advice: is you’re going to say you’re going to do something, then actually do it.
And now on to the real matter at hand: the food. I can say that everything was at least “good” … which isn’t bad (actually, I’d say that every dish but one was “very good”)! Indian food can be very hit-or-miss for me depending on the level of spice and the level of cream/fat in the dishes. To be blunt – I’m not a fan of dishes so spicy that I can’t taste anything or dishes so rich that my tongue can’t clear the hydrophobic coat. Tashan had none of those problems.
The best dish of the night was probably the lamb “lollipops” (that’s our name for them, not Tashan’s):
it doesn’t look appetizing in the photo, but trust me – it’s ridiculous
The lamb was impossibly tender and smothered in a flavorful combo of spices that I’m sure I’ll never be able to parse. The “green stuff” was a lively addition. (Actually, I went so far as to even say out loud, “damn, there’s just no way I could do this at home!” kp smiled, but didn’t say much. This was kp being coy. I called him out on it, asking him directly if he could cook a lamb like this. He pretended to think for a few seconds before admitting that he was sure that he could. Result: FTC at kp’s before the summer is up – Battle Rack of Lamb. Stay tuned!) Nevertheless, the three of us enjoyed our lamb, deciding that they are a must-order for the future.
Butter Chicken and Saag Paneer!
When g and I try a new place for Indian, we stick with some basics to really test ’em. Enter the Butter Chicken and Saag Paneer you see above. We’ve had these dishes from Ekta and Tiffin (as noted in the face-off linked to above), ultimately deciding that Ekta was the winner. I have to say that Tashan’s are probably tied with Ekta. They’re not as boldly flavored as Ekta’s, but really allow the underlying components to stand out – there’s a certain amount of subtlety there that kept me coming back for more. If you want spice and wiz-bang, stick with Ekta, but if you want to taste something a little more elegant (as “elegant” as spinach/paneer or tomato are), go for Tashan.
We did try other dishes (the sausage was fantastic! – but very spicy), which showed us that chef knows how to cook. The only miss of the evening was the goat cheese taftaan – it was interesting, but not in a good way, rather, an “overly fussy, why is this so hard to eat, and why does it taste like the ingredients don’t really jive together” way. I’d avoid it in future outings.
Ultimately, the food is a nice mix of traditional Indian and not-so-traditional Indian, with both approaches yielding delicious dishes. As a result, I think that Sheehan was right: Tashan is definitely one of the best restaurants that we’re not going to (along with Cochon). However, unlike Cochon, Tashan has real, legitimate reasons for people to not want to go (while we still can’t figure out why Cochon isn’t getting as much love as it used to) … Tashan’s service needs some help. Furthermore, we foresee that the location is going to be a problem, indeed. Passers-by in that neighborhood aren’t exactly the type to drop that kind of money (i.e. it’s not Rittenhouse), which means that they’d probably like to be a destination dining establishment – but do they have the chops for that? I think of the places that we go out of our way to go, and I realize that Tashan just doesn’t have the outrageous food like Bibou/Fond, the friendliness and ridiculous desserts/cheese of Talula’s Garden, the intimate BYO feel (and BYO price-tag) of Melograno/Mercato/Modo Mio. And, unlike Jamonera and Barbuzzo, this atmosphere is actually not hip/cool, no matter how many dark interior finishes you put in there. So what’s it gonna do? kp is going to keep on going for happy hour, hoping that his efforts alone can keep them from going under. As for me, I’ll go if other suggest it, but I wasn’t so blown away that I’m rushing back (well – maybe on a BYO night …). I hope for their sake that they find something that keeps them afloat – some kind of off-the-hook dish (the lamb was good, but it’s not Bibou pig’s foot) or special dining events or something. We wish them the best of luck, though – it would be tough for Philly to lose yet another “upscale Indian” place.
mch says: Ditto on Tashan. Service was “meh”. We were definitely impressed by some of the appetizers. The quail was tasty and unexpected since not traditionally what I think of as Indian. Main courses to us seemed fine – but not necessarily better than a neighborhood Indian place. If we went back, we might just order appetizers and naan. We’ll probably go back to try it again at some point.
Chloe and Wedge+Fig make us smile
t says: continuing the a + v dinner series …
a says: First, Chloe …
We’ve been a fan of Chloe for awhile and visit it every few months… if they decide to open. We’ve also wanted to bring my parents there since it is convenient and delicious. Everything came together a few weeks ago for what was our best meal there, yet. It’s no wonder they have lasted this long (over 10 years) and earned a reputation as Old City’s best bistro.
April 2012, Friday Dinner, Party of 4. We ordered almost exclusively from the specials menu which mainly consisted of appetizers and small plates. We find the appetizers to be stronger at Chloe, plus we get to try more items. Standouts included a well executed potato leak soup that had great potato flavor without any mealiness. The leak could have been more pronounced and the Vichyssoise at GTC still owns the top spot for potato based soups. (side note to GTC: Why, oh why, did you take this off the lunch menu? [g interjects from nowhere: Yea! The first time I noticed it wasn’t on the menu, I was SO sad! t joins in: She was almost in tears … g fights back: Shut up!]) A luscious gnocchi in a venison and pork ragu hit all the right notes along with my entree, halibut with a potato, bacon, and lobster hash – I’m pretty sure that’s all the “bait” you can fit in one cohesive dish. I’d say this is one of my favorite entrees from the past few months though nothing about it was nuanced, just damn satisfying. v’s salad with grapefruit, avocado, and fennel was fresh, interesting, and more subtle than the other dishes. If you find yourself in Old City, consider Chloe for inventive, modern American cuisine… just pray they’re open. (n.b. They do not take reservations and are byob.)
Next, Wedge + Fig … x 2 …
April 2012, Brunch, Party of 4. Still one of the best places to enjoy a bottle of wine (byob) while enjoying the outdoors. We went with the cheese board special of the day which introduced us to some interesting takes on old standards. I had the “Jawn” sandwich (butter-fried turkey, pork roll, cheddar, jalepeño-dijon aioli, and red onion on pretzel bread) and can honestly say it was that jawn: A great take on what makes a sandwich uniquely Philly while not being heavy or overpowering. The saltiness of the pretzel bread is a nice touch but I think the pork roll could have had more oomph.
v takes over from here: May 2012, Brunch, Party of 3. On our most recent visit, the service continues to improve as does the decor, chairs, and most importantly, the food. The portion sizes are a bit bigger than when the restaurant first opened. As temperatures continue to rise, Wedge + Fig has made some subtle changes to ensure comfort in the back garden. This is one of the quietest, most relaxing places in Philadelphia. The sound of the small fountain and the high walls block any ambient noise that may come from the bustle of the city. As for the food, it just keeps getting better and more satisfying. I ordered my favorite brunch dish at Wedge + Fig, the lox and cream cheese. It is one of freshest, lightest versions of this classic I’ve had at any restaurant. Not surprisingly, a ordered the panini of the day (PoD) – dubbed the “John Wayne” – buttermilk blue cheese, ham, bacon, fried egg, apples, and whole grain mustard on rustic white bread. This was one helluva breakfast sandwich, not for the faint of heart. The cheese was extremely creamy, the apple cut the richness of the cheese, and the fried egg brought everything together. As always, we left Wedge+Fig content, happy, and above all, relaxed.
elaborating upon ela
t says: Since opening, Ela has received a ton of praise for the quality of food, with much love and adoration for Chef Cichonski’s incorporation of unexpected flavor combinations and a few cutting edge techniques. We here at adsz have been waiting patiently to go. Actually – that’s not true – we’ve been rather impatient with our waiting and have been trying our hardest to get there. And now … we finally did.
May 2012, Wednesday Dinner, Party of 3. g, g’s friend, and I rolled up into Ela for our reservation and found it to be kind of empty. We couldn’t help but wonder why this would be the case, that is, until we realized that it was a Wednesday evening. Right. That’ll do it. The decor keeps it warm and inviting – lots of browns, yellow light (courtesy of “artisanal light bulbs”, right?), and nothing super-flashy (no goofy chandeliers, no pointless splashes of color). It puts you at ease, right away. As I eyed the wine preservation system behind the bar, I looked forward to seeing what values they might have to share.
We were greeted, seated, and had the menu explained to us – including a $45 fixed price lobster “tasting menu”. At first, I eschewed the fixed price menu, figuring that I wanted to choose each course for myself. But then, while perusing the real menu, I kept getting lost. Everything sounded so good (or at least so interesting) that I just couldn’t put a combination together that I felt was superior to any other. As the waitress came around to get our order, I realized that I was spending too much time thinking – I needed to stop (I am on vacation, after all). So I caved – one tasting menu for me!
lobster lobster lobster!
g, on the other hand, manned up and picked out the courses she desired. With our drinks in hand (I went for the Trimbach Pinot Blanc while g and her friend went with some very well-crafted cocktails), we sat back and watched the show …
g’s first: pea soup + poppy meringue + mint + some-kinda-cured-meat
It’s hard to make pea soup look pretty in a picture – it looks like a puddle of green. At least we can say that it tasted for better than the photo makes it look. That poppy meringue and mint really livened up the deep pea flavors – it was a perfect accompaniment for a hot summer day (actually, I said at one point: “It makes me wish it was warmer in here just so I could really make use of how refreshing the soup is!”). It wasn’t life-changing, but definitely a solid start.
t’s first: lobster curry + golden beat + coconut ice cream
My first dish arrived and I was psyched – it’s been a while since I’ve had some good lobster. Scratch that – if you count the “lobster chicken“, then I guess I had it a couple weeks ago (but I’m not counting that). Let me start off by saying that nothing in this dish was bad – and as far as “curries” go, this was bright and lively, which I like. However, I felt that the lobster didn’t really have a place, as it was a little too subtle (I did get some lobster sweetness, but not much more than that) when compared to the punch of curry, the texture of the beets, and the cold of the ice cream (or was it ?sorbet?). The balance was a little off for my taste, as it felt more like a beet curry than a lobster one.
g’s second: gnocchi + cauliflower + filberts (hazelnuts) + unidentified ingredient
Welcome to the gnocchi. Not a visual stunner, but man-o-man, it was some mighty-fine, mighty-interesting gnocchi. The pasta was light and fluffy and kind of fun to eat with the similarly shaped cauliflower (you never knew what the cauliflower:gnocchi ratio was going to be), and the cheesy/creamy sauce/foam with the sweet, earthy hazelnuts was amazing. My tongue didn’t know what hit it. It’s got to be the dish of the night!
t’s second: lobster croquette + pork belly + mustard + other sauces
Mmmmm. Pork belly. I’m a sucker for pork belly … and have had it pretty much every place I’ve found it – maybe that makes me kind of a pork belly “expert” (or at least I could play one on TV). So how was Ela’s pork belly? I’d give it a “good”. Tender? Check. Flavorful? Smoky barbecue – check. But I prefer my belly a little juicier – perhaps deeply glazed or smothered or sauced. In this preparation, the pork belly was kind of naked … but that’s so it can pair with lobster, right? Kinda. I’m down with a lobster-pig combo, but something was a little off in this dish. The croquettes were breaded/fried, meaning they had a decent amount of fatty richness, already. Then when you add on the fat of the belly, the dish comes off a little “heavy”. The smears of sauce just couldn’t cut through it well enough. My wine attempted to, but was outmatched by the fat content of the food. As for the lobster flavor? Once again – it was a little lost with everything else going on – between the pig flavor, the mustard, and the sauces. I like where he intended to go but feel like he was blown off course a little bit …
g’s third: scallop noodles + curry
So this is the fabled dish that everyone talks about – the scallop noodles. Now, I understand the novelty – it’s noodles that are made of scallop – so that’s fun. But I think we need to put on our thinking caps before we praise this dish up and down for being “soooo good”. If this was a curry with plain ol’ scallops, would it be considered good? I’d say probably not. If these were normal scallops, you’d want to see some caramelization on them to bring in some deeper flavors, and not just the flavor/texture you get in the middle of a scallop. The curry, itself, was fine, but the sum of flavors was a little underwhelming. So it’s clear that this the dish relies on the novelty of the scallop noodles … but now let’s go back to the scallop noodles. Are they super-cool? Kinda. there’s a bit of mystique attached to them … that is … until I burst your bubbly and tell you how they’re made (or at least how I think they were made) – it didn’t involve sorcery, fancy cutting equipment, or ginormous scallops! Now, I’m no Ela cook, however, I’m 99% sure they were created in a manner similar to how Wylie Dufresne (of WD-50) makes shrimp noodles: transglutaminase! In short, transglutaminase is an enzyme that can be be used to chain together certain amino acids in proteins (that’s an oversimplification)! So if you have one slab of meat and another slab of meat, you could [in an oversimplified manner] throw on some transglutaminase and glue them together (although “glue” is a little misleading for what’s really going on here). What I suspect Ela did was puree some scallop, mix it with transglutaminase, and extrude it into the pasta shape of choice (once again – oversimplified). If this is true, then it’s not magic – it’s science. (Of course, if this is NOT how these are made, then I’m completely wrong and stupid, and I apologize to the Ela team for spreading lies.) So I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you just get around the idea of eating scallops in noodle form, I think most people would feel like dish needs a bit more going on in the flavor department …
t’s third: lobster brick + lentils + peas + truffle powder
This was probably the best of the three lobster dishes. The hunks of lobster was nice – but to be honest, I thought he was going to meat-glue together some lobster so that the lobster would be presented as an actual brick (like Momofuku brick chicken). It wasn’t, but that’s ok. In this dish, I could finally feel the lobster taking center stage (or at least joining the front line with the other flavors), so I was happy. The lentils and peas still had a bit of bite to them, and the truffle powder was a great way to get the flavor onto the dish without overpowering the lobster or sauce – I’m a huge fan! My lobster was a wee bit over-cooked, but I was so happy to see an actual hunk of lobster that I didn’t mind.
dessert = chocolate + butterscotch + lemon + Asian puffed rice crackers
This was a wonderful dessert – it just took me a while to figure out how to approach it. The secret: mash it all up and stick it in your mouth. This multi-component dessert really needs a contribution from each to get moving. The rice crackers brought in a bit of heat and some of that “funk” (my college roommate called them “fart crackers” … he was a little culturally insensitive … but very funny …), and the lemons kept the palate springy and ready for the next bite. I really liked the surprise of this dish. The execution could probably use a little work (maybe some kind of intricately layered dessert that could be eaten more gracefully?), but I like where they’re going …
Ela had its fair share of highs and lows, and I’m afraid that I just can’t jump on the Ela bandwagon yet. Don’t get me wrong – the meal was good, and the three of us had a great time together, but I think that the dishes could use a little more refinement to really push Ela over the edge so that it can join the ranks of Bibou and Fond. Right now, I put it just under Talula’s Garden in my book – Talula’s doesn’t have as many “tricks”, but does a better job with flavor depth and balance (and its sweets and cheeses absolutely crush dessert every time!) But I’ll keep an eye out for Ela, as I’m sure Cichonski’s going places.
a “hole-in-the-wall” taco joint to be proud of
t says: Ok – enough about Oregon … In our absence, a and v have been busy holding down the fort in Philly …
a says: (April, Dinner, Party of 10) We had a friend urging us (read: begging) to join him for a night at Loco Pez, so we ventured to Fishtown with a large group of taco aficionados, ready for the weekend. The decor at Loco Pez can best be described as taco bar chic and most of the room is dedicated to the bar. I was thoroughly impressed with the salsa, guacamole, and rounds of tacos we ordered throughout the night. I think the best taco was the shrimp followed by the chorizo; the al pastor could have had more flavor. v really enjoyed the vegetarian options and thought the taco accoutrements (cilantro, onions, pico de gallo, etc.) were solid. The mushroom taco was especially fresh and flavorful. We are looking forward to returning so we can try the few remaining tacos (carne asada, pollo, spinach). Beers are reasonably priced and drinks were well made. Of the two margaritas v enjoyed, the Impala (classic margarita) was the best. Turn to Loco Pez when trying to score no-fuss tacos, or with a group that has a vegetarian or two.
“Square Peg … i like you …”
t says: In my first-vacation-since-freshman-year-of-high-school (and by “vacation”, I mean “a period of time greater than 1 week in length in which I had no work to do”), I have found that I get restless pretty darned easily. I just need things to do! This has been good for reading (I conquered the Hunger Games trilogy and browsed a few cookbooks), blogging, swimming (I got destroyed by Penn swimmers last week), watching horrible horrible free movies on Hulu (as you’ve read), organizing our finances and health insurance, and, of course, eating. Not a whole lot of learning going on here, so I’m pretty sure I’m going to be completely inept when I start my real job in June, but I guess I’ll have to worry about that then. What I lack is a partner in crime. It turns out that all of my friends either have real jobs or are doing someactually productive things that don’t lend themselves to missions like wine-hunting and lunch-searching … Except for today! k texted me out of the blue with a request to go to lunch. In a flash (because I have nothing else to do), I immediately began constructing a list of lunch places I wanted to try. At the top of the list: Square Peg. With Matt Levin at the helm, I was super-psyched to go. For those who don’t know, he’s the genius behind the Tastykake sliders (imagine mini-hamburgers … but instead of bread, think Kandy Kakes). Take a peak, if you dare:
And this is just the tip of the Matt Levin iceberg. The rest of it includes FourLoko dinners, super-awesome fried chicken, and more! Square Peg is supposed to be “comfort food with a twist” (my words, not theirs). I like comfort food. So does k. I like twists. So does k. And with that, we booked a reservation and trekked on over to the middle of Center City. It was time for another t & k adventure (past adventures: zahav lunch, Philly Food Tours)!
May 2012, Thursday Lunch, Party of 2. We were late. I hate being late. Ugh. Stupid cars – let’s just say that traffic/parking on Thursdays around noon absolutely sucks in CC. After crawling for what seemed like an eternity (I was hungry, so my perception of time was a little “off”), we pulled into a parking lot on 9th and Sansom only to find there were absolutely no spots left. Sunuvamotherlessgoat! So we pulled out and searched [at a snail’s pace] for street parking. Fortunately, k must have some sort of super-secret car-moving abilities because on the next block, a car pulled out right in front of us. Beautiful! Good job k!
Sensing that we were going to be late, I called up Square Peg to see if they could make sure to save our reservation despite our tardiness. The female voice on the phone was A-OK with it. Great! We walked in 15 minutes late and indeed – not a problem at all. I was surprised, as lunch was ending soon – but I wasn’t complaining.
After taking our seats, I was faced with a conundrum similar to that which I was in at Talula’s Garden – too many things to try and only one stomach to eat with! French Toast, burger, turkey sliders, pulled pork, and tons of other stuff, too! After much debate, k and I decided that we should be strategic and order two things we both wanted to try and share. Boom. We’re smart like that. Now, reading the menu at Square Peg is fun because with every dish, there’s something tweaked to make it different. If you’re not paying attention, you just might miss it. Take the above: “mac-n-cheese ‘grilled cheese'”. I read it and didn’t even bat an eyelash – but that’s because it didn’t cross my mind this was not going to be just some kind of heavily crusted mac-n-cheese, rather, a grilled cheese sandwich with the cheese replaced by mac-n-cheese; k figured it out instantly. Check it out:
k’s pick: mac-n-cheese grilled cheese + tomato soup
I have to say that I was pretty impressed with the execution of this dish. How the hell did the macaroni stay inside the bread? At first, I thought maybe the mac would be one of those “fake” mac-n-cheeses where so much egg and crumbly cheese is used that the end result comes out friable and not the least bit smooth (I hate those mac-n-cheeses). And it wasn’t all thick-and-congealed and it wasn’t all super-compressed-like-a-panini either. It turns out that this mac was indeed smooth and cheesy, with some good cheesy oomph, and just the right amount of stiction to stay in place. How did they do it? Well, however they did, I liked it! I will say that I think maybe interspersing a few (a very few) crumbles of blue cheese would have stepping up the cheese flavor without sacrificing texture. k felt oppositely, feeling that the grilled mac and cheese was already a bit too rich. So we agree to disagree. Either way, we both felt like the tomato soup was a nice counter-point to the sandwich – punching up the flavors and cutting through what was essentially a super-thick cheese sandwich. Nicely done!
t’s pick: “leftover” turkey sliders + gravy
These next sandwiches were “my” choice, even though k spotted it first. Basically, think of a sandwich you’d make using Thanksgiving leftovers: turkey, stuffing, yams, cranberry sauce, and gravy. Brilliant. While an obvious a combination, and not one that is completely unheard of in restaurants (Smoking Betty has had it for a while), this is the first that I had tasted not in the comfort of someone’s house. And it was awesome, tasting exactly like what you’d expect – with some caveats:
1) The cranberry sauce is chunky. I don’t mind this, but some people are partial to super-smooth cranberry sauce.
2) The stuffing doesn’t have stuff in it. g’s mom’s stuffing, the current adsz stuffing champ, is so chocked full of more than just carrots and herbs.
3) The turkey (and rest of the ingredients) is served cold. This is on-theme, as it’s supposed to be a “leftover” sandwich, and probably allows the kitchen to just pull the ingredients out of the fridge … however, I normally zap the ingredients in the microwave first.
4) The gravy is plain … my gravy is not …
Be that as it may, these were some damn good sliders – we devoured all of em (k ate the big one, I ate the two small ‘uns). Sure, they could have been fussed up a bit more, but to be honest, I’d take these over another boring burger any day. But, if I was allowed to change only one thing, it’d be the gravy (and it’d probably be the easiest to jazz up, anyways). Mushrooms, nuts, herbs, cream of celery, belgian pale ale … anything like that would be a nice addition. Of course, I’m no cook/chef, so what do I know?
Finally, we went for dessert:
dessert = chocolate pudding pie = fudgey chocolate + crumbled pretzels + bruleed banana
Ok, so this one was the most unexpected item of our meal because it didn’t really resemble a pie at all. That kinda stunk because we were really in the mood for pie! On the flip side, the dessert did resemble Barbuzzo’s salted caramel budino in presentation, so that made us happy initially, but unfortunately means that it’s going to be compared to the budino, whether it wants to be or not. So about this dessert … The chocolate was definitely not pudding-like, rather, thick and fudgey. I didn’t mind (I like fudge), but it did require some finger strength to drive a spoon all the way to the bottom of the jar. The crumbled pretzel added some nice saltiness and texture. And the banana (bruleed and salted) was nice touch, too, breaking up the chocolate monotony! But now the problem: if only somehow the banana was somehow incorporated better so we wouldn’t have to carefully dissect it to ensure that each bite had some banana. I don’t know how this could be done – maybe mash the banana into a creamy top layer and then brulee the top? I really like the combination of flavors going on here, but it’s just not put together ideally … which is a shame … because … k chimes in: The dessert in a jar definitely filled my chocolate needs, however in no way compared to Barbuzzo’s budino – the original dessert in a mason jar. t’s back: We recognize it’s totally stupid to think that every layered dessert presented in a glass jar is “biting” off of Barbuzzo … but theirs just tastes so damn good!
k delivers the finale: It was a fun lunch place. I liked the atmosphere and the music. The menu was filled with cute and creative twists on old things you’ve had before. For the most part, the twists seemed like yummy ideas. One exception – I thought the tacos with Fritos in a bag sounded terrible. Our choices hit the spot, though. Not out-of-this-world tasty, but still solid.
t refuses to let her have the last word: Yea, I’d totally go back to see what other kinds of crazy are going on up in there. Lunch, dinner, whatever. There’s some real potential. And the prices aren’t ridiculous, either!
after dinner sneeze 