Archive for the ‘Restaurant Reviews’ Category
Cafe Spice: It Ain’t No Tiffin/Ekta
t says: A couple of fellow associates at work and I had the opportunity to take a work-related dinner on the boss’s tab. While the nature of the work cannot be discussed here, the nature of the meal can! We originally planned to go to Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian “steakhouse” chain famed for unlimited quantities of delicious meat for a flat price. Having never been (despite being urged by my friends), it sounded like a great [free] adventure! Unfortunately, we had some vegetarians with us (what? I hear Fogo has a great salad bar!), so we had to make a last minute change – one person had suggested Cafe Spice. So off we went to 2nd street …
3/2010, Monday 6pm, Party of 5. The place was nice but empty. It wasn’t particularly fancy, but perhaps it was trying too hard to with the colors and boxes and things. The place had a lot of space – this wasn’t your super-tiny Philly BYO (it also had a bar – duh!). I ordered a 10Cane Mojito which was actually quite delicious – it was the highlight of the evening. Unfortunately, the food I had was only “ok” (I sampled the chicken samosa, ragada patties, and chicken korma). I’m going to spare you the individual descriptions because I really can’t think of anything that stuck out as being exceptionally good or bad. In my mind, it was “meh”. The samosa and korma tasted exactly as I expected these dishes to taste if delivered from an average Indian take-out place. The nan was pretty good – nice and thin with just a bit of charred crisp. The ragada patties were more interesting (as I’ve never had them before), combining patties of potato with sweet tamarind and chickpeas, but the end result was still only “meh”. Maybe my tastebuds for Indian food aren’t refined enough? Personally, I think it’s because I’ve become used to Ekta and Tiffin delivery, both of which use such bright and vivid flavors in their cooking.
In the end, I think that there is definitely better Indian to be had out there, although Cafe Spice is particularly close to Old City, so maybe there is some convenience in that. Of course, Ekta and Tiffin both deliver, so who can beat the convenience of sitting in your own home? Sorry Cafe Spice – I’m only going if friends really want to go … or if it’s free …
Cochon: Philly’s Best Pancake?
t says: Ok, those are some big words in the title, but we have reason to believe that Cochon might serve the best brunch in the city. Now, we’ve never been to “fancy” brunch eateries, like LaCroix or Fountain Restaurant, but we have been to some pretty good small[er] places that put some nice twists on brunch, like Sabrina’s, Carman’s, Slate, Tinto, Farmicia, Mixto, and Day by Day. Palumbo’s Grill (may it rest in peace) did an awesome brunch – it was cheap and tasty. Carman’s is similarly priced and delicious, with a little more innovation, but good luck getting a seat (and I sometimes wonder about that kitchen’s cleanliness)! Sabrina’s also does a good job, especially the Art Museum location that is far easier to get into – but I haven’t been blown away every time. As you can see, I’m very picky about what I want in a brunchery. I want reservations, friendly service, delicious food, ample servings, and a reasonable price. It seems that as food quality and quantity goes up, it’s harder to find it cheap (e.g. Tinto) or not packed (e.g. Carman’s, Sabrina’s). And, while I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad brunch in Philly, there just hasn’t been a place that did everything right. Palumbo’s was the closest. Cochon is my new frontrunner.
The first best part about Cochon’s brunch is that it is unknown – or at least, that’s what it seems (they’re well-known for dinner – we still have not had a pork dish to rival that pork shoulder special they had when we went – it was insane). Their brunch starts at 11 (and that’s when our reservation was for). We arrived at 10:50. There was no crowd. There was no line. Only one two-seater table had patrons in it (I guess the hostess didn’t have a problem with letting a couple people in early). This alone was a breath of fresh air. We took a walk around the neighborhood to kill some time – it was a beautiful day! They seated us the moment we walked in, and we ordered some tea. The selection wasn’t huge or exotic – there was no “French Breakfast Tea” like at Parc, but for me, any black tea (which I purposely over-steep) is fine for a nice “rustic” breakfast. Maybe other foodies will want more of a selection. As far as a “crowd” – we never really saw one! Even by the time we left, there were still open tables! How weird!
As the menu stared back at me, I was faced with a major conundrum: there was no way that I could taste everything I wanted at this one meal. The egg dishes all sounded fantastic. They had French toast and pancakes (the age-old battle of the breakfast breads). Then they had pizzas (?is it a French pizza? a traditional pizza? no idea!) including one that had brie cheese, caramelized onion, and pear. Then they had what I could only imagine were sandwiches of smoked meats, including ribs, short ribs, etc. It was not fair.
I ended up going for the pancakes – I needed to test their version of a classic (I’m the bad cop, remember?). They came to the table in this round glazed earthenware dish that fit the pancakes just perfectly and were topped with caramelized bananas and walnuts in some sort of syrup. And there was a healthy dollop of cream. They were large and looked fantastic – but nothing looked obviously different than something you might find elsewhere. Then I ate my first bite. Holy … Crap … !! The banana was soft-but-not-mushy and played beautifully with the walnuts. But the heroes of the dish were the pancakes. They had a deep dark color – it was almost like they looked over-cooked, but trust me, they weren’t. They had a nice “crisp-ness” to the outside, followed by the softest, fluffiest interior I have ever seen. And they were super-thick! It was luscious like cake, but floppy like a pancake. Now, I hate the idea of whipping out cameras at restaurants to take pictures of food for the sake of showing everyone else what it looks like – it just feels tacky. It’s clear that I don’t have a problem photographing my own stuff in my own house. But, to be honest, I’d hate it if someone showed up at my workplace and started photographing what I was doing without my expressed permission (wow – they’d be bored out of their mind if they did). Furthermore, I’d be super-weirded out if someone I invited to my dinner party starting photographing my food without asking. But I guess some might feel entitled to do so because the food becomes theirs, as they are paying for it? I don’t know – right or wrong, it just makes me feel awkward. BUT … this one time … I did the unthinkable and asked g for her iPhone. I had to take a picture of the pancakes because no one would believe just how fluffy they are without evidence …
That fork is a normal size fork!
I realize that these pancakes were technically simple – a lot of places can put together banana, walnut, and pancakes. I’m not even a huge fan of banana-walnut things (e.g. I’ll pick blueberry muffins over banana-walnut every time). But these were the best pancakes I’ve ever had. It definitely had less to do with their choice of ingredients and more to do with cookery. If I knew how to make pancakes like that, I’d never eat out for breakfast again … (I’d also open up a pancake shop).
What’d g order? Here she goes …
g says: Apologies that there are no pretty photos of the Eggs Cochon that I ordered… I dug into my plate so quickly, the dish looked a mess and I was halfway through by the time t decided to shoot our meal. Maybe next time I’ll wait for the photo op, but don’t count on it! My dish was an interesting take on eggs benedict – there were 2 poached eggs over a slice of toasted brioche, chunks of roasted suckling pig, and a drizzling of hollandaise sauce, alongside perfectly-spiced home fries. It was incredible, and if there weren’t so many other tempting items on the menu that I am dying to try, I would absolutely order it on every visit! Thank you, Cochon, for another lovely time — our brunch was the perfect start to a lovely Sunday!
t says: The final best part – the entire breakfast, for two people, was under $31. So, for less than the price of one restaurant week meal, both of us ate until completely stuffed. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t finish my entire plate, as much as I wanted to – and I was still a little uncomfortable trying to walk home. Even g had a little leftover (but not enough to bring home).
Conclusion: The lack of a crowd makes me suspicious – was our meal a fluke? This, combined with how many things we still want to try on their menu means only one thing: we will be going back. Forget just “going back” – g and I started staking out rental properties nearby to see if we could live within walking distance (seriously)! The food was ample, the price was right (maybe $2-3 more expensive than Sabrina’s – but they don’t have the “normal” stuff that Sabrina’s has, like “2 eggs any style” … well, they do, but not without including house-made sausage and bacon), and the seating is not super-cramped; I might even consider bringing my parents there! The way we figure it, we have 9 months or so until Philly magazine tells everyone else how great brunch is here (or maybe they already have and no one read it – but remember – you read it here first), and then it’ll be so booked you can’t get in. Although I warn you – g and I have booked a table for every Sunday possible for a ridiculous amount of time into the future … Let us know if you want in.
LATER …
t says: We went back to Cochon today, and I ordered the pancakes. Yep – absolutely as delicious as I remember – and still super-thick! Actually – it was so much that I couldn’t finish it. So I brought some home … and measured it … right before I ate it.
The ruler and pancake are the same exact distance from the camera lens ...
That’s right – it is a bit over an inch tall! And that’s for ONE pancake! They serve you two!
Giwa: 6 Kimchi Takeout Containers and No Leaks!
t says: This past weekend, my mom and dad were going to visit, so we suggested getting Giwa for takeout. We had gone there once before (review here) and enjoyed the food. We hoped that they could impress the real critic: Korean mom.
Because we were ordering takeout, I couldn’t order my favorite: dolsot bimbimbap. I also was wary of the Haemul Pajun because it wouldn’t be crispy by the time they got it home. It was cold and rainy outside, so I focused on spicy dishes and stews. I ordered Duk Bok Gi, Soon Du Bu, Kimchi Jigae, Kimchi Bokumbop, and Bulgogi. My parents picked it up and brought it to our apartment. It was nice to eat in the dry warmth of our own nice home, on our nice table, with our nice view. It was a nice time.
On to the food …
I was impressed that although several of the foods were kimchi based (and two were stews!), not a single one of the containers had leaked! This was very impressive. Of course, it was only a short trip, but still – inadequate food carriers are a big no-no in my book for Asian takeout – especially when you have such, shall I say, “pungent” foods.
The Duk Bok Gi appetizer resembled classic Duk Bok Gi in that it had rice cakes and fishcakes in a spicy, garlicky red sauce – but it had a twist! Ramen noodles! The guy taking my order did ask me if I wanted ramen noodles, but it sounded like if I didn’t, then he just wouldn’t put them in. Why turn away free food? Sure! Add them in! It was a good thing they did, because I ended up liking them a LOT. My mom thought it was a little weird, but after she tried it, she’s thinking about adding some to hers next time she makes it at home. I wonder why more people don’t add ramen noodles to their Duk Bok Gi?
Of the two stews (Soon Du Bu and Kimchi Jigae), the Soon Du Bu was superior. Soon Du Bu is essentially a fiery red hot soup with plentiful chunks of tofu. It was quite good – the tofu was soft, the soup was spicy (but not too spicy), and there was a good amount of tofu, too! Plus, my parents said it was a “special”, so it only cost $6 – score! On the other hand, the Kimchi Jigae, which is supposed to be a stew of kimchi and pork was a little disappointing. There was very little meat, and very little “stuff” in the soup. I actually wonder if they forgot to put meat in it at all. Also, for the price of the dish, I was expecting a lot of matter in the soup, as neither kimchi nor pork are that expensive (we’re not using beef tenderloin or pork chops here). Well, at least the kimchi was good.
The Kimchi Bokumbop was a dish that we had the first time we went to Giwa. I felt that it tasted exactly like it did before with the exception that it wasn’t as dry – so that was actually an improvement. As far as texture goes – it does still feel a little monotonous, so it was good to share among us. g whipped out the sriracha sauce to give it some kick – I just added some of the sauce from the soups.
The Bulgogi was well done (with mushrooms and edamame). I have to admit that it was a little dry by the time it got to us, but that’s not their fault – that’s just the nature of Bulgogi – it’s best straight from the grill. I liked it enough to look forward to eating it fresh at Giwa next time. I probably wouldn’t order it for takeout again (I did it this time just to see how it was marinated).
Finally – I think they need to give us a little more rice! The quantity they gave was on the order of those little pint containers you get when you do Chinese takeout (ok, maybe 50% more). For stews especially, they should give more because it adds to the heartiness of the meal (especially if you’re going to charge nearly or over $10). Plus, it’s just white rice, so I’m not asking for truffled risotto or anything like that.
So what did mom think? My impression of mom’s impression is that older Koreans might not enjoy this style of cuisine. The number of those little pickled plates they give you before you start your meal (panchan) was too few (she’s looking for like 10 of them). Also, the tastes are more for the younger generation that’s on-the-go (which is probably what Giwa is catering to – the lunch crowd in center city). She did like the Soon Du Bu and the Duk Bok Gi, so there might be hope for Giwa, yet – but next time, I think that my parents might consider going there and seeing the place in action … I kept telling them about the dolsot bimbimbap …
Parc: Donnez Mois Raspberry Jam!
t says: We’ve been trying to go to Parc since it opened. Every time we walked by, especially during warmer weather, the happy-faced diners sitting on the sidewalk and the gentle hustle-bustle sounds emanating from the open windows were always so inviting. Food Network’s Robert Irvine (from Dinner Impossible) even claimed that Parc makes the best mashed potatoes he’s ever eaten! But for some reason, whenever we picked out restaurants to visit, Parc kept getting bumped in favor of other well-respected, French-esque [BYO] eateries. Well, all that changed when we found ourselves craving a Sunday brunch at a place that took reservations (we’re tired of waiting at Sabrina’s and Carman’s) and was within walking distance of Rittenhouse Square.
Sunday, 11:15am, Party of 2. We showed up to our reservation nearly 15 minutes early (apparently we walk MUCH faster when it’s cold outside), but the restaurant was happy to seat us immediately. Our server was very friendly and made her suggestions – I was particularly swayed by her descriptions of the pastry basket and the pain perdu (which we ended up ordering). g had some decision-making to do about her order, which she’ll go through below. We also ordered a “French breakfast tea” (black tea with a bit of mint and vanilla) and a French75 (common theme throughout the blog: g likes sparkly drinks), both of which were very good and we’d highly recommend – more about the French75 with g below.
The pastry basket featured a blueberry muffin, a plain croissant, a chocolate croissant, a croissant star with a dollop of jelly, and a lemon custard filled pastry. First off, the croissants were great – they were crispy on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside, and tasted of delicious butter without being oily. When coupled with the included raspberry jelly … they were even awesomer (that’s right, awesomer, because “more awesome” just doesn’t adequately capture the degree of increase in awesomeness). The other pastries were also good, but those croissants stole the show. However, I had a major gripe with the chocolate croissant. I see this all the time, especially in coffee shops: a “chocolate croissant” on the menu. But in actuality, it’s a plain croissant with a single rod of solid chocolate in the middle. Sorry guys – that is not a “chocolate croissant” to me (maybe this is how they do it in France – I have no idea). My chocolate croissants (i.e. the ones I buy – no, I don’t make them – although maybe I should) have layers of chocolate interspersed throughout the croissant – not an identifiable rod. How one attains that result – I have no idea – but I’ve definitely seen it done. But don’t worry – I handled the fake chocolate croissant situation at Parc with grace … I ate the part of the croissant with the chocolate first, and then finished the rest that was completely void of chocolate with the raspberry jam. Problem solved.
The french toast was very good. The brioche bread, itself, was superb. It was thickly sliced (four slices) and dense but super-soft. The cooked, caramelized apples on top were a nice touch, but the hazlenut butter was what completed the dish. As good as the hazlenut-apple combo was, I found it to be a bit monotonous midway through the second slice. By the end of the third, I felt a little bored (and it wasn’t just because I was getting full), so I reached for the raspberry jam from our pastry basket – that livened the dish up nicely.
g says: My brunch selection process went something like this:
g – “Ooh, I want something with eggs; maybe eggs benedict or the omelette espagnole.”
t – “Omelette espagnole? That doesn’t sound French! Sounds like ‘Spanish omelet!’ Are you sure you want that here?”
g – “But what about the ratatouille? Ratatouille is definitely French; the movie says so. Also, although I love a good eggs benedict, I don’t know if I could get something like eggs and ratatouille just anywhere. I think I’m gonna get it.”
t – “Really? All right, whatever. It’s your birthday week.”
g – “Yep.”
End scene.
I was really happy with my choice when it came out of the kitchen. It was a rather large (filled a decent size plate) disc of ultra-fluffy eggs, seasoned with some green herbs, topped with a generous helping of ratatouille (squash, onions, eggplant, tomatoes all cooked down into a warm compote). And it was delicious! Paired with the bread basket t and I shared, it was even a little too large to finish. The ratatouille may have been a tad overseasoned (I tend to be pretty salt-sensitive) but the rich veggie flavors were a nice, homey foil to the more dainty taste/texture of the eggs. I definitely want to try and make my own version of this at home sometime.
Lastly, can we please talk about how great French75’s are? Every place I have had one makes it a little bit differently, but the basic recipe that I like is champagne, good gin, fresh lemon, and a little bit of sugar or simple syrup for sweetness. I have seen them made with cognac and cherries rather than gin and lemon, or raspberry instead of lemon. Parc makes a good one (basic recipe), so I was happy. I’m not sure if it beats the ones I had at double crown (Brad Farmerie’s place in NYC), but that’s a post for another day.
t says: g loves Brad Farmerie … I’m glad I found her first … finders keepers, losers Brad Farmerie …
g says: what? he seemed like a nice guy on Next Iron Chef!
Tabla: You Have to try the “Green Drink”
g says: I was browsing my Tasting Table emails last week and came across an advertisement for NYC Martini Week. I had no idea what that was or what it meant, but I sure liked the sound of it! I knew I must participate (at least for the sake of the sneeze).
After reading on, it became apparent that this martini week was indeed right up my alley – several restaurants around the city were serving special $10 martinis made with premium vodka or gin from 5:30-8:30 pm for a 2 week duration. We have been working really hard at the office, so a few of the girls and I set out to plan a little happy hour to celebrate our love of martinis and treat ourselves a bit. We knew it was meant to be when we saw that one of the participating locations was Tabla (located just across the park from our office); this was an offer we just couldn’t refuse!
3/2010, Wednesday 6:00 pm, Party of 3 – We arrived on time and were seated right away in the mezzanine dinner area. The atmosphere was comfortable, spacious, and afforded us a great view of not only the cool “bread bar” below (the lower level where there is more casual seating), but also the park right outside.
I have been to Tabla on 2 or 3 occasions before for lunch, and have never been disappointed. Their Indian food is creative, fresh, and always delicious. It has been a long while since I have dined there, so I don’t remember exactly what I have tried before, but I do remember being completely satisfied with my experience each time. I also don’t have a gauge for how authentic the food is; I am inclined to think it is more Indian-inspired than traditional, but it doesn’t matter to me as long as it’s tasty (and in my experience, it is).
The time came for us to order our drinks – I was so excited to hear what kind of special drinks they would be offering! They had an upgraded version of their signature Tablatini (pineapple with vodka — upped to grey goose from skyy) and something we referred to the entire night as the “green drink.” I forget what our server told us its real name was, and her description didn’t sound too fabulous either (green and spicy with muddled cilantro), but it was more interesting than pineapple and vodka, so I wanted to give it a whirl. Also, it was a gin drink, and I am usually a fan of those.
The girls ordered a dirty martini and a glass of cava respectively, and I ordered the mysterious green drink. Boy was I happy I did, for it was incredible! First, it was a more fresh, translucent green than the murky color I was picturing. Then I came to find out that it was composed of Bombay Sapphire, cucumber, lime, mint, and cilantro – not so much spicy as herbaceous and refreshing – a total hit for me. Gold star for drinks!
But what happy hour would be complete without something to nibble on as well? Tabla happens to also be a perfect place to get apps and small plates to pair with something from the bar. I was the only one of us who had visited there before, so I was able to make my recommendation: flatbread and chutney for all!
I love a good flatbread and chutney any time of day, and Tabla makes them both really well. We ordered both the rosemary and garlic tandoori flatbreads, as well as the 6 chutney sampler (cilantro-mint, tamarind-jaggery, mango, spicy chili, peanut, tomato), and a saag paneer pizza for good measure. My drink dates and I were delighted by the bold, yet approachable flavors of each item we ordered, and it was just the right amount of food.
I think the girls were pretty impressed, as we vowed to return again another time. I’m thinking that might have to be pretty soon…
t says: I’ll trade NYC our Cafe Spice for their Tabla any day …
City Food Tours: Educational AND Fun
t says: Part of g’s birthday present was to go out for a Philadelphia “food tour” run by cityfoodtours.com. The company puts together visits to a few locales throughout Philadelphia, and tourists are escorted from site to site (all are within walking distance), taught a thing or two about food at their destination, and given samples. The tour I chose was “Flower Show” themed; we were going to learn/taste cheese, tea, and chocolate with a special focus on incorporating flowers and herbs. Unfortunately, g fell ill, and we ran into the one super-negative about cityfoodtours: the tickets are non-refundable and tickets cannot be applied to any other tours than the one scheduled. Thus, if no one used my tickets, then we would have wasted all that money. In my opinion, this is an absolutely ridiculous policy. Because of this, g informed me that we needed to either find someone to give the tickets to or find someone to go with me; she refuses to waste money (she feels the same about food). I mass-emailed and texted some friends, but no bites. Then k made the mistake of signing into gmail and saying that she was free, but didn’t want to go by herself (cm was working or studying or something). After a few minutes, g managed to persuade (i.e. brow-beat) her into going with me. It was the start of another t and k adventure (like Zahav lunch)!
3/2009, Saturday 3pm, Party of 2, “Flower Show Tour”. We showed up at DiBruno brothers, where we were greeted by our slightly over-enthusiastic, but friendly guide, who happens to be an owner of the company. However, he did make the mistake within the first 10 seconds of meeting me by making a comment about my glasses that I found offensive – he said something like, “nice hipster glasses”. Such an accusation is dangerous – I have many friends who hate hipsters. Also, I’m not a hipster and these aren’t hipster glasses; neither my glasses nor I are “ironic” (or cool) enough. The tour guide redeemed himself later on by commenting that “every halfie is hot”, including me. I say he redeemed himself because in retrospect, it’s a hilariously generalized statement to make; however, at the time, k and I had no choice but to sit there with our awkward turtles in silence. What was also funny was that he assumed that we were married, (which led to another awkward turtle). We are … but not to each other! Overall, k and I both think he was quite a character and did a reasonable job teaching and guiding, although k was not amused by the name game in the beginning (when he made everyone introduce themselves as an icebreaker) or by the “canned jokes”. Personally, I think it’s better than no attempt to get us to open up and laugh.
Our first “stop” was at DiBruno Brothers. I was kind of weirded out because the group didn’t have a designated sitting area, rather, we just stood near the cheese the entire time. Basically, it looked like we were a group of normal shoppers who happened to be standing around the cheese case in a circle. The thought that crossed my mind was, “Gee, I wonder if this entire project is a dude taking us around to different places to shop for stuff – with no actual coordination with the sites, themselves?”. It turns out that there was some coordination, as each site had an “expert” who could tell us more (in about 10-15 minutes) about what we were going to taste. So, at Dibruno, our guide gave us a lecture/primer on cheese, including types of cheeses, the process of making cheese, whether eating rinds was safe, whether cheeses ever go “bad” (and what to do if mold starts growing on cheese), and a potential origin of cheese. We also tasted a selection of four. They were each unique, but there’s no way I can remember any of their names. I did take the opportunity to buy a Pecorino cheese (I know – bboorriinngg) that should be tasty with our pastas later this week. k couldn’t find hamantashen and was sad.
Our second was TBar, which was interesting because as little as I know about cheese, I know even less about tea. Once again, we learned about the historical origin of tea, how tea was made, and the different types. There was a little workshop on how to organize a planter containing different plants that one could use to flavor teas – it was a little boring (all he was doing was putting plants into the planter!). Next time, skip the planter altogether and just have us pass around some fresh sprigs from the plants, themselves, so we can experience the aromas (and then give us some to take home in little baggies!). We tasted four teas – I liked the lavender-cream tea – but k preferred the rooibos (which is not technically “tea” but we still call it “tea”). I picked up a small sample of “chocolate tea” (i.e. black tea and chocolate) for me as well as a sample of “white bliss” for my ailing wife (it was described as tasting like peaches – g likes peaches!).
The third was Naked Chocolate. Anyone who knows me knows that I love Naked Chocolate. Those caramel-stuffed waffles are amazing. The same deal – we learned about chocolate and then ate some chocolate. Although I did have to miss out on some of the learning (I had to buy more time for the parking meter), what was said about the care, techniques, and specificity that Naked Chocolate pursues in their chocolate really raised my opinion of them as a legitimate source of chocolate treats. Our tour guide’s opinion of Max Brenner’s chocolate outpost in Philadelphia, however, was less than favorable (but I see his point). Very interesting how, like wine, cheese, and tea, there is a world of chocolate snobbery, too! We got to take home lots of chocolate, so I’m super-thrilled. ALSO, there are Irish potatoes at Naked Chocolate! Who woulda thunk it? g says they taste good, so we’re happy to see them.
In summary, check out city food tours – I think they’re a great introduction to foods you may not know a whole lot about and was a good fun activity to do. Don’t expect a rigorous education or a classroom environment – basically, it’s some guy who leads a group of people around to different establishments, introduces them to the broad category of products (e.g. cheese, beer, chocolate, tea), and arranges for a sampling of those products. The tour guide was good, the tastings highlighted differences well, and I have a lot of leftover chocolate, so I’m happy! I know that g would have especially loved the tour, so I’m sure that we’ll go again (that’s right, it’s good enough to go to more than once – but a different tour of course)! Special shout-out to k for coming out last minute – you’ve made g sleep easier knowing that nothing went to waste!
Babbo: New York’s Vetri
t says: How dare I insinuate that a well-known NYC restaurant is a “version” of a restaurant in Philadelphia!? Babbo was first! Babbo was created by Mario Batali – who’s this “Vetri” guy? I apologize, I didn’t know what I was thinking – but I got your attention, right? I actually have no intention of trying to make the case that Babbo is New York’s Vetri … I will mention, however, that Batali and Vetri are friends, and Batali has been quoted saying that “Vetri is possibly the best Italian restaurant on the east coast.” … I’m just saying …
g was recently gifted Batali’s The Babbo Cookbook (thanks l!). It brought back memories of the two times that g and I had visited. Because they were so long ago (over 2 years ago), I’m a little fuzzy and what in particular made it so great. Was it the energetic, yet soothing atmosphere? Was it the impeccable wine service? Or was it the gigantic wine list that included actually good makers from actually good years for only moderately-increased prices? Or maybe it was the food – the way it was rustic Italian with a twist here and there? All of the above. Because I have very little specific recollection of our visits, as they were so long ago, and so much wine was consumed, I guess this really isn’t a “proper” review – but take my word for it that it was delicious overall. Interestingly, I remember that none of the pastas are horrendously expensive, so it wasn’t too much of a bankbuster (I think they rely on wines and the meats/fish to bring in the $$).
I do remember a single dish. I had it on our second visit – it was the end of February 2008. I remember it like it was yesterday. It was cold outside, and we had just squeezed in to one of the few tables of the restaurant specifically set aside for walk-ins. I wanted someting warm and rustic. Something that was meaty and heavier than just “pasta”. And there I found it: gnocchi with oxtail ragu. This was the first time that I had had oxtail outside of Chinatown, and, despite the unattractive name, it was amazing! The gnocchi were perfect fluffy pillows. The meat clung to the pasta via a very thin sauce that brought forth sweet onion, tomato, and, of course, meat. The meat, itself was as tender as can be. It was like taking Osteria’s gnocchi and combining it with Melograno’s short rib ragu (well, except using oxtail instead of short rib). As a whole, I think it still holds the title as the best Italian gnocchi/pasta dish I’ve ever had (I use “Italian” as a qualifier because Talula’s did have a dumpling dish that was equally out-of-this-world, but not traditionally Italian).
I bring all this up now because in the cookbook, there are recipes for some of the dishes we actually sampled on our visits. Among them is the oxtail ragu. It’s time to get cookin’ …
after dinner sneeze 