Archive for the ‘in Philadelphia’ Category
just got kung fu’d by some tofu … and i liked it!
t says: a was down for a quick trip to a food truck today and noted that Kung Fu Hoagie had set up shop on 38th and Chestnut-ish. We tracked them down and had them whip up a couple of their banh mi sandwiches. Personally, I went for the tofu “meatball”, figuring that they weren’t trying to imitate real meat, rather, just moosh together some tofu and seasoning and go from there. a was bold and went for the “beef”. I don’t know how his was, but check out mine:
Up close with the tofu “meat”-ball banh mi. First and foremost, the bread was perfect. Absolutely perfect. A nice crunch on the outside and soft inside – and I believe they may have torn out some of the excess to preserve excellent bread:filling ratio. As for the filling, those pickled carrots are amazing, and the “spicy beans” are an absolute must – to omit them would be to miss out on a very important contributor of flavor. Now, for the tofu-ball, I have to say that it was pretty darn good. Do I wish it was something more porky? Sure – but it was nevertheless well-seasoned and had a firm enough texture to stand up to a few bites before disintegrating. All in all, this sandwich totally rocked my socks. I was not expecting such a showing for $5.50. I’d go back there in a heartbeat for the tofu sandwich (and I’d pay $2 if they’d give me some pig).
a says: My unpictured tofu “beef” had great flavor and freshness, but the only issue was slightly soggy bun and chili paste was less hot than usual.
t says: vendors take note: no one likes a soggy bun. Boy am I glad I ate mine right away and didn’t wait ’til later – it’s the only way to avoid bun sog.
a brunch storm
t says: I was flipping through some of my previous photos on my phone, only to find that there were a few dynamite breakfasty items I’ve had recently. While no one particular visit is entirely substantive for a single post, I decided it might be fun to smoosh together some highlights. And here we go ….
Honey’s Sit-n-Eat, March 2014, Brunch. Those who know me know that I am very plus-minus on Honey’s. To this day, I just can’t understand why this particular place is worth waiting in line for. Be that as it may, if you do get in (i.e. on a weekday or something), the service is fast, and the food is often “solid”. Being a pancake-o-phile, I have to confess that I’ve often been a bit underwhelmed with Honey’s; the pancakes are often a bit too thin, and a bit too rubbery/elastic (I prefer cakey!); thus when I go to Honey’s I often try to find something else to eat. Well … except this time: the above is the S’mores pancakes that was a special at Honey’s last month. If you thought that finely ground graham powder, chocolate sauce, and marshmallow would make for a CRAZY good pancake, you would be right! The toppings definitely made up for the pancake’s ho-humness, so much so that I’d order it again if I saw it on the menu!
Parc, March 2014, Brunch. The above pancake is the polar opposite to Honey’s loaded kind. These standard pancakes from Parc’s menu are as good as plain pancakes get nowadays. Yes, there is a luscious taste of butter and sweet sweet sugar when you bite in, but those flavors are oh-so-comforting. Combine those with a fluffy-cakey pancake, and you have a stunning example of what a well-done, un-fussy pancake can achieve. Bravo Parc – way to keep up with this classic!
Cook & Co, March 2014, Brunch. So this one’s not fair because the eatery is located outside of NYC, quite far away from PHL. Served at a place that reminds me a lot of Picnic (the eatery in The Left Bank), the above “Elvis” is amazing, harkening back to my memories of Cochon’s Elvis French Toast. This version is far more restrained, lacking that bananas-foster-sauce, and instead having that peanut-butter cream layer which adds a nice texture and flavor to go along with the banana, bacon, and perfectly battered/cook French toast. While it would be challenging to eat any more than one of these at a time (it’s still pretty rich!), it was a fantastic experience I hope to re-live on my next visit to Scarsdale.
LaBan gets The Fat Ham right!
t says: I had some pictures in my phone from a lunch that a and and I had at the Fat Ham, just waiting to be unleashed onto adsz. But of course, I had been procrastinating … and procrastinating … and procrastinating … until now! LaBan’s review just came out, reminding me of just how much we liked it! No time like the present! While we may not have had the emotional crisis that LaBan went through (he got absurdly bent out of shape over the sauce of the hot chicken), it was a damn good meal. Check it out:
ricotta cheese: this was crazy-good. like Barbuzzo-good. The creaminess and that little bit of oil was perfect. It doesn’t have that drizzle of balsamic that makes Barbuzzo’s so ridiculous, but there was something in its simplicity that just kept me coming back for more. I would have gladly licked the bowl if that was acceptable.
these oyster po-boys were amazing. how it is that the super-thin-and-crunchy crust stays on the oyster, which is not the least bit overcooked might be another wonder of the world. I would have been satisfied with these for a main any day!
the burger was a little underwhelming. featuring wagyu beef, the waiter boasted that it was the best burger he had ever had. and maybe that was true – if we could have tasted the burger! you see, we were prepared for moo-moo succulence, but found the cow to be completely overtaken by pimento cheese in both texture and flavor! sorry Sbraga – there’s just too much pimento! it was almost like cheeze-whiz!
pecan pie … out. of. control. best i’ve ever had. period. flavor, texture, everything. kp needs to verify its superiority.
and they have an exhaustive list of bourbons! some of them downright pricey, but might be worth a stop if you have a hankering for some whisky. Their sauv blanc that was on tap was not bad for $6!
While this is “only” a lunch, if it is any indication of what dinner may promise, then the Fat Ham has destination dining written all over it. I say “destination dining” because let’s face it – who’s going to venture out to that weird little void between Penn and CC? Certainly JG Domestic isn’t drawing any crowds, but maybe the Fat Ham will? I hope so!
Resting on its Laurels
t says: Newly opened Laurel has received a ridiculous amount of hype. Now declared the winner of Top Chef, Nicholas Elmi is definitely reaping the rewards; his E-Passy eatery is booked through June. I’m happy he’s doing well, although I heard that some felt “the other guy” was supposed to win Top Chef. Whatever. I didn’t watch any of the season, so I have no idea who “should” have won. I’m happy for Nick Elmi … but with my happiness comes high expectations … after all, Sbraga is kickin’ ass there on Broad Street, so Elmi should do just as good, right? After all, he is the former Le Bec-Fin dude. Having made a reservation before Elmi was announced the winner, g and I rode out to East Passyunk with a bottle in hand for g’s bday.
February 2014, Friday Dinner, Party of 2. I have to write it here just to make sure he gets the message: a, I’m very sorry we didn’t invite you and v. While I do try to include you two in all the fine dining we do, sometimes there’s just gotta be a good-‘ol-fashioned g + t date night. You know how it is: wives before guys.
As far as atmosphere is concerned, I have to say that the vibe is definitely fancier than Fond used to have. There are white tableclothes, plush chairs, and slightly more table space. As a result, it feels like the place seats less people than Fond – which is quite impressive, as Fond was small enough as it was. The result was a very pleasant, un-BYO-esque experience in a good way – there was ample elbow room, and we weren’t sitting on top of eachother.
And now … the food:
I started with the foie gras terrine appetizer, which looked like an interesting slab of marble when it came out, due to the cocoa that was pressed in there with the foie. The citrus from the blood orange was a nice touch, but ultimately, I felt like the foie didn’t really shine through. Don’t get me wrong, chocolate + citrus is delicious, but if I’m being charged for foie, I want to be able to taste it. (It would have been real killer had one side been torched or bruleed or something for a little bit of that roasted foie flavor).
g did the tuna + asian pear + horse radish. This was a peculiar dish in that the raw fish was coupled with frozen-then-shaved horseradish. While this was texturally interesting (it was fun to have frozen horseradish melt in your mouth and slowly pick up in spice level), it was odd with the fish because the cold temperature muted the beautiful fish flavors. Similar to how you’d never want sashimi to be served too cold, this crudo should also not be too cold. A fun effect, but overall, it probably hurt the dish.
We followed up with the charred Spanish mackeral, which was nicely cooked and without complaint, as well as the gnocchi, which featured pancetta and garlic, resulting in a bowl of warmth we wished would never end. Bravo for course #2.
Third course featured a roasted “sheep’s head” fish, with … foam. g liked the foam, as it brought an airiness to the cider-y flavors within. Personally, I found it to be gimicky and unnecessary. Instead, I preferred my seared fish instead (?trout?), which had a beautiful skin on it and nicely sized, nicely cooked snails. It was pretty heavy-handed with the salt, but I’m down with that..
In all, I have to say that it was a “nice” meal. It’s a step up in “fanciness” from Fond, which I’d have to say is Laurel’s competition in the area for this kind of food. Whether or not “fancy” is a desirable direction for Laurel to go is debatable. For instance, the set-up is more “grown-up date” than “let’s just go out on Friday” … which is good if you want a romantic evening (or at least want to give the impression that you’re mature). The food is fussier as well, with more elegant plating and incorporation of techniques that are a little more new … which is fine … but I felt like some of these flourishes were superfluous, if not letdowns (e.g. frozen horseradish, foam). Along these lines, I felt that there was only one actually “soulful” dish (the gnocchi) out of the whole evening. Similar to the atmosphere and cookery, the service was quite professional, but lacking the warmth of something like a Talula’s Garden or Fond. I guess what I’m trying to say is if you want to impress someone, go to Laurel – it won’t let you down and it’s sure to leave an overall good impression. But, if you want to a meal to remember, one that will make you go ga-ga for the food, go to Fond … and thank me later.
Rex 1516 does brunch right!
t says: Ah, Sunday morning brunch … who doesn’t love eating brunch on a Sunday morning? Well – as much as people enjoy eating brunch on Sunday, the truth of the matter is that finding a venue is difficult. You want to go to Honey’s on South? You have a better chance getting in if you blasted through the wall from the neighboring petshop. Sabrina’s? Good luck – they serve enough French toast per platter so that patrons can sit and linger over two meals worth of time. Or even cute little ‘ol Day by Day? Beware – they start seating people a good 10 minutes before they’re open. So what’s a hungry person to do at, let’s say, noon? Well, with bw, g, and another friend, we decided to let Yelp help our cause … and before we knew it, we were walking down the treacherous ice-laden sidewalks to Rex 1516.
February 2014, Sunday Brunch, Party of 4. The place is kinda cool – it just sneaks up on ya’ as you’re walking. They do have one of those ridiculous golden stands outside with a menu, but I would have walked right by it had I not been forced to count down the blocks (each block was another opportunity for me to fall on my butt and look like an idiot).
The atmosphere is dark, by virtue of the exposed brick and dark (but well-worn) wooden floors. Pretty cool bar scene, probably. As far as the menu, it was chocked full of what I like to call New-Orleans-to-the-Extreme! There’s shrimp and grits … with pork belly. Biscuits and gravy … using “everything bagel biscuits”. Chicken and waffles … benedict. I’m ok with New Orleans-to-the-Extreme – I wanted to eat everything. But, first things first – before I could go for creative dishes, I went with something potentially easy: Bananas Foster French Toast. Just take some French Toast and toss it in some Bananas Foster, right? Nope – make the French Toast out of Banana Bread while you’re at it. The result was DELICIOUS. Visually, it looked like a large plate of “brown”, so they aren’t going to win any beauty contests with this dish, but it tasted wonderful. I don’t think I’ve been this happy with a brunch dish since Cochon (R.I.P.). And my brunchmates seemed as if they enjoyed their selections, and each voiced an opinion that it’s definitely worth coming to again. Because of this, we went back to Rex 1516 1-2 weeks later … this time with sr and ha!
February 2014, Sunday Brunch, Party of 4. This time, I took pictures:
Chicken and waffles benedict: An interesting combination, I will say that that chicken was aggressively seasoned – verging on being too salty. Fortunately, the chicken was tender underneath its fried shell, and the waffle, egg, and Hollondaise were spot on. However, the dish only really sang when I added a dash of maple syrup to give me someone other than rich-rich-richness, allowing me to enjoy enjoy the piece that ha gave me. I’m a fan if they can tone down the salt on the chicken.
“everything bagel” bidscuits and sausage gravy: I had high hopes for this dish, but I suspect it was because I I was expecting the biscuits to be more bagel-y. The only similarities it has with an everything bagel is that someone sprinkled some toppings on the biscuit. Sorry Rex, that’s not an everything bagel, so much as an everything biscuit. Fortunately, the biscuit, itself, was quite good (good texture on the outside, soft on the inside – everything a biscuit should be !), as was the sausage gravy and poached egg. All in all, a solid dish that I wound definitely try again, but with the knowledge that it’s a very rich dish: buttery biscuit, the hearty gravy, and runny egg – I almost didn’t finish mine!
huevos: g went for the huevos this time. They were solid, but nothing extra-special – she actually preferred her po’ boy the week before.
So I guess the second time around, we came across some dishes that were “good”/”solid”/”well-done”, but not necessarily blow-me-away like the banana bread French toast. I do like some of the little spins they had to the chicken and waffles and the biscuits and gravy, but they could have been executed a little better; ultimately, I can’t say they were so addictively-good or head-and-shoulders-above options available at other brunch establishments in the city (and everyone knows how prone to hyperbole I am!). What I can say, however, is that they take reservations, they’re not crowded, and they have what seems to be a very intriguing wine list:
someone with eclectic tastes picked out this wine … i love it. While I haven’t tasted a any of the wines on the list [yet – I’m waiting for a real meal], I have to say that I admire audacity of the following moves: Colombard/Ugni Blanc as well as Picpoul de Penet – I’ve never had either, so I definitely want in on those. Pinot from Germany – well played – I’ve been hoping that someone would do this. Pinotage, Carmenere, and Bonarda – I like how you think! No malbec and no cab – very ballsy! While I think that a list like this is fun, I guarantee that patrons probably order “Chardonnay” and “Pinot Noir” the most due to recognition; I think they could generate more interest in the other wines by giving three simple flavors that are in the wines – kinda like Tria, but not as over-the-top – something like “cherry, strawberry, licorice”. In any case, with wines like these, now I know I have to come back.
in case there was doubt
t says: With the opening of Le Cheri, the Calmels’s new spot on Rittenhouse, one could imagine a scenario where their flagship Bibou might suffer. After all, Pierre can’t be in two places at once. Always up for an investigation, the adsz team was all over it like white on rice, making the state-of-emergency-all-hell-is-breaking-loose snowstorm into an opportunity to dine at a restaurant that normally is just too booked to get into. Well here are the results …
February 2012, Thursday Dinner, Party of 5. Roll the pictures:
We started the dinner off with a unique wine from Ayoub, a small production winery in Oregon. This was a Blanc-de-Noir, a white wine made from pinot noir grapes, similar to a Blanc-de-Noir champagne. Only 20 cases were made in total, so to say that it’s limited would be accurate. As you can see, it’s not a completely “white” wine, with a hint of orange in the glass. On the nose, it smelled of apple pie, and on the palate initially there was rich fruit and vanilla (almost like a Chardonnay that had undergone MLF), but then such a bright citrus zip on the finish that was quite amazing. A very different style of Blanc-de-Noir than I’ve had in the past, but we’ll see what some bottle age does for it.
Shrimp salad / “Crevette”: This was a very refreshing appetizer and highly recommended. Although there are a lot of other things on the plate, the shrimp was the highlight and came through nicely.
bone marrow: this was supposed to be an entree but we got one for the table to share as an extra appetizer. Yes, it was rich and luscious and everything you’d hope bone marrow could be. I do wish there was a little less breadcrumb so you could get a little more of that unctuous bone marrow texture, but it was nevertheless a great appetizer. And yes, a and I did do a small 2001 A Space Odyssey reenactment. g and v disapproved.
oh the escargots … still bowl of garlicky crack if there ever was such a thing.
pig’s foot. Yea – it’s still my number 1 choice. The lentils were a little more al dente than I’ve had in the past, but the trotters piggy sweetness still sang its 80’s-style power-ballad with such dramatic flare that you cannot help but be moved. (v says: but mine didn’t rock my world as it usually does! something just doesn’t seem right.) I felt like it was the lentils – they could have used a bit more pork and a bit more of that smokey/salty flavor.
a suspected that his venison special was superior (a says: My venison was prepared beautifully, the best meat I’ve had in a long time – gamey without being overpowering; succulent), and while I agree that that, too, was an extraordinarily well-executed piece of animal meat, it could have been a touch too sweet for my taste. a promptly told me to stop being an idiot.
g went for the steak, which is not surprising. She gave me half of one piece in lieu of the typical two-piece allotment of steak I routinely get. Conclusion: it’s still awesome. The secret is in that peppercorn, asparagus, red wine sauce. Similar to the pig’s foot, there may be crack in there, too. Never having had crack, I have no basis for comparison, but I know the flavor haunted me long after the waiter had cleared the plates.
Bibou’s weakness has always been dessert. The desserts aren’t flashy, which I understand, as this is supposed to be “French peasant” after all. My problem is that just because they’re simple doesn’t mean they have to be boring. This is a piece of chocolate cake with some banana and banana-rum topping. That’s it. Chocolate, banana, rum. Maybe a few berries strewn around. The cake is like a dense, slightly crumbly chocolate cake. Alas, it does not at all compare to the likes of desserts we’ve had at Serpico and Talula’s Garden. It is a sweet way to end a meal, but deep down inside, don’t you wish for a finish with a bang? (or at least a nearby Capo Giro …)
Similarly, the cheese selection and accompaniments are not that blow-your-mind, either. It strikes me as very simple. Very European. Bibou’s just like: “hey – here’s some cheese and some bread.” No candied nuts. No lavender honey. No garlic dulce-de-leche. No 6 different kinds of crisps. Just some cheese and some bread and some apple. Oh – and there’s some tomato jam as well. Don’t get me wrong, the cheeses are solid selections, and they are able to end a meal just fine … but don’t you wish there were fireworks? Maybe I’m just too American about my desserts …
So, in summary, Bibou’s food is pretty much the same as it was in the past. Sure, there are some very subtle rough edges (the lentils didn’t have as much pork strewn about, the escargots were a smidge smaller than previous), but it’s still absolutely worth going to, as the kitchen is still cranking out top-notch foods that make you feel all warm and happy inside. And had we not known that Pierre wasn’t there, maybe we wouldn’t have even noticed … well except at the end when Chef Ron comes out to say hello instead of Pierre (he’s still a very nice guy – maybe lacking the charm of Pierre’s bashful French accent, but still very nice). I think what adsz will miss the most, however, is the front of house. Our favorite server has moved on to Le Cheri (the replacements are very capable and kind, but we miss our guy’s award-winning smile), and we miss having Charlotte flit about the room, speaking French, shmoozing with guests (although Yuki’s demeanor is very warm and inviting). In sum, we’re sure they’ll do very well there. For the future, we look forward to tasting the non-steak, non-pig’s-foot, non-escargot dishes (i.e. the ones chef is obligated to continue to serve because too many people would cry if he stopped), as I’m sure we will come to find Chef Ron’s voice among the Pierre’s legacy.
All in all, it was a great dinner. And to be honest, the only real “bad” part was trudging back to South Street through Snow-pocalypse IV due to lack of cabs in the area.
catching up!
t says: I know – I know. It’s been way too long since our last real food post! I wish I had a good excuse, but I really don’t. There have been a lot of great at-home meals because of the snow (g and I are afraid of the cold). g’s mastered a bourbon-maple-apple sauce for pancakes/waffles/french toast (the secret ingredient: two types of cinnamon). As for me, I took on the cookery of a some rather pricey slabs of beef tenderloin that I do confess came out quite awesome (with some charred broccolini and fingerling potatoes). And, as usual, several bottles of wine have come and gone, including a Riesling that was like sucking on a lemon (2011 Ransom Wines Riesling). But we have gone out a few times, so let’s start up a firestorm of reviews from places we’ve been:
First off, we visited Spice28 with some friends. The food, much like the last time we visited a little over a year ago, was pretty solid. While nothing super-crazy went on here, we were happy to enjoy the company of good friends as well as the flexibility of the menu to accommodate vegetarians and meat-eaters alike (yours truly went for some kind of very nice lamb-and-eggplant dish that was two thumbs up!). Oh wait – there was something a little crazy. We happened to have gone during restaurant week, meaning there was something like 4 courses for $35. On one hand, this seems like a deal. The truth: it’s not. I’ll allow g the opportuniyt to soapbox it: g clears her throat: If it costs less than $35pp to eat at a restaurant normally, then that restaurant has no business participating in restaurant week. t agrees: Case in point: the 6 of us decided to not to participate in the RW deal, spending ~$45 per couple … including tax/tip … thus coming in at nearly 50% less than we would have paid via RW. Now, it is true that we didn’t get dessert, but you have to admit that with Capo Giro so close, who is going to bother with Spice28’s 1990’s-styled desserts? (have you seen their dessert menu?) In any case, we had a fine time.
The Strip Joint (i.e. the artist formerly known as “Sowe”): g and I hit it up “The Strip Joint” for brunch, and within seconds, I knew I was headed towards the fried pork over waffles. I have to say that I applaud this idea (especially with the bourbon syrup), but I would have appreciated a smidge more pork – there was great crunch going on, but not enough oink! This was a case of pork being cut/pounded too thin. The waffle was “ok” – but really – it was just a vehicle to put syrup-slathered pork into your mouth for breakfast!
g ventured the steak salad at The Strip Joint that suffered some technical issues. Construction was not the most intuitive, as the carrots were tiny pieces, but then the cucumbers were in long strips, against a background of big pieces of lettuce. Additionally, the overcooked meat (so much for “medium”) was a downer (not intolerable, just a few shades more done than expected). But the bread was nice, and the ingredients were fresh. And just to confirm: nothing tasted bad – it just had some execution issues!
I submit this dark picture to remind myself that we also went to Butcher and Singer for RW. Now here’s a place where the RW pricing is absolutely critical, as there’s no way that g and I can afford to drop upwards of $50 on a piece of meat … not including sides … a and v joined us on this adventure, so we knew we were in for a good time – but would the food live up to the friends? This being my first time at B&S I must say that I was super-impressed with the setting. This is a grand restaurant environment if there ever was one. The staff was courteous and prompt, which was a bonus – they were dealing with their completely-booked-for-RW-schedule just fine. But there were some issues … The wine list made us weep. While a spotted a nice bottle of ’07 Duoro that we sprung for, seeing other fairly commonplace wines at 4 times the local wine shop price made us die a little inside. I understand that the whole “idea” of a fancy steakhouse is to be fancy … but at least let someone in the beverage department flex some muscle and put up a little section of wines that aren’t total rip-offs – or maybe make up an “interesting wines you’ve never had” section which would feature more reasonable prices for those willing to take a chance on something relatively unknown (looking at you Greece, Slovenia, Fingerlakes, China, India). Maybe this way a, v, g, and I would be more inclined to visit? Well, wait a second, that’s untrue – in order for us to visit on not RW, they’re also going to have to kick some more ass in the food department. The filet was fine … a nice, solid, appropriately-sized filet … but to be honest, g, who doesn’t do things like “play favorites” (g can be very tiger-mom-ish) admits that our home-cooked filet is superior. Boom. TKO. Similarly, the vichysoisse was good, but uninspired, as was the mashed/whipped potato. Maybe there are strict rules against adding a twist of novelty here and there to tickle the senses?
Now B&S’s dessert, on the other hand, was quite surprising – it was actually pretty frickin’ great. Being a devout chocolate-ophile, I’m pretty suspicious of “chocolate tarts”, “chocolate bombs”, and “chocolate cakes” – it’s going to have to actually do something to make me notice it, otherwise it might as well be like the slabs of chocolate cake they serve at my workplace’s cafeteria (which, by the way, are totally fine – I’ve been known to down a slice or two in my weaker moments!). But one stab of this chocolate tart, and it started bleeding a sweet-but-not-too-sweet caramel that balanced perfectly against the dark bitter-but-not-too-bitter chocolate. I inhaled it. Give me another! Take back the mashed potato and give me one more of these things with my steak! Seriously!
A polar opposite of B&S is Sotto. Ah, Sotto. You’re like the old recliner in every family’s family room. You’re there, you’re not the prettiest piece of furniture, but you’re reliable as hell. g and I returned with k to Sotto and were instantly reminded just how much we love this place. But this time, get this, I did not just get a bowl of pasta! I also tried out calamari, which were fantastic! So well-seasoned, and with a smokey charred flavor that is oh-so-great. And, judging by appearance, it seems like there’s no bung (i.e. pig rectum) – so hooray for us!
And that’s pretty much it for a restaurant roundup for January. We’ll have to get crackin’ with February. Our opentable account indicates that g and I completed 42 reservations throughout the past year – we gotta beat it this year! We’re on a quest for that $100 opentable gift certificate (so we can use it at a restaurant we couldn’t otherwise afford … Per Se, anyone?)
after dinner sneeze 