Meritage (Again): Tacos and Dogs
t says: g desperately wanted to write up our latest Meritage experiences, however, she only got as far as an outline. I think the outline is funny to read in and of itself. Thus, without further ado – here are her thoughts (with my edits in brackets).
g says:
– rough week, needed a pick-me-up
– want to try meritage Korean tacos [Meritage’s “special” on Wednesday nights]
– tacos were $3 each, but ladder 15‘s weren’t that big, and we didn’t want to run up a large bill, so we “pregamed” at home with some salad [this ended up being a mistake – more to come]
8/2010, 9pm, party of 2
– same server as last time, who recognized us
– us: “you told us to come back for the Korean tacos, so here we are”
– him: “sorry, we’re out”
– t: “you’re joking”
– him: “no, i’m sorry, i’m not – we just got written up in the NY Times and sold out early. i’m so sorry.”
– us: “uh-oh, our master plans were foiled” [No, we didn’t actually say this, but we thought it. I contemplated leaving, but g felt that that would be entirely too rude, and informed me that we were staying]
– we ordered four small plates and the non-Korean-taco appetizer “special” between us
– food runner brought us shot glasses of cold honeydew/lemongrass soup “compliments of the chef” [these were delicious – smooth and sweet with a hint of lemongrass – it was like summer dessert in a shot glass. We still don’t know if all patrons got this amuse bouche, or if it was only for special clientele.]
– food runner dropped off plate of 2 Korean tacos, said “compliments of the chef” and dashed off before we could say anything …
– looked at each other, looked around. I said, “don’t touch them! If these are for someone else, we would look like such jerks eating them after the guy said they were out”
– t caught server’s attention and asked if they were indeed meant for us
– server: “yeah, they must have been held for a bar order but not picked up, so they’re yours. you have the last order of Korean tacos in the house.”
– didn’t have to tell us twice
– fabulous [really, these were quite good – better than at Ladder15, as the meat was more tender, having been braised. The kimchi was fresh and zingy. It’s definitely something I look forward to making at home]
[– also, g and I still disagree on whether the server was telling the truth – if actually they were left over from another order, or if maybe he somehow convinced the kitchen staff that we deserved tacos as we were faithful clients who love their food … or if he said they should fear a poor review on adsz, given that we clearly have the influence to close restaurants]
– gazpacho [g ate every last bit, so I guess it was good – and one of our Southern friends who claimed herself to be a “gazpacho connoisseur” also liked it]
– pulled pork sliders [these were sweeter than the pulled pork sandwich at Cochon, but were solid performers]
– flatbread with curry sauce [once again, this was sweeter than I expected out of a curry, but the chickpeas were a nice consistency, and the bread was delicious]
– chickpea fries [g doesn’t like these, thinking they’re kind of “hoky” – it’s kind of like mashed chickpeas formed into the shape of large french fries and fried – I like ’em! but really, you need to have ’em with some steak or something]
– special of the evening: duck corndogs – like the best chicken mcnugget and sweet-and-sour-sauce I’ve ever had [I have no idea where g’s been getting her chicken mcnuggets from, because, these are nothing like chicken mcnuggets, with the exception that yes, they’re fried, and yes, they are accompanied by a sauce that is both sour and sweet. But holy crap. These were phenomenal. I’d say they tasted as good as, if not better than than the tacos (and they “win” because I’m pretty sure I can’t yet make this at home)! The fried shell was light and crispy, and the ground-duck-“hot dog” was amazing. The Korean sauce had a hint of spice, once again catering to a more “wousy” crowd, but also had a nice tang and sweetness. This was very nearly KFC-good. Seriously, this should be their new “it” thing – quickly – before San Francisco steals it (although I’m sure SF already has done it … somewhere).]
t says: So, Meritage is definitely bringing the thunder when it comes to their Korean-inspired dishes. I think these dishes are great because it’s not like they’re trying to reinvent a classic Korean dish (a la Sampan), which is dangerous if the new creation doesn’t live up to the original; rather, these are introducing Korean flavors into otherwise hackneyed mediums (media?): fried chicken, tacos, corn dogs. It’s fun! Of course, these are only available on certain nights, so you’ll have to do your homework and ensure that you go at the right time (and hope that the kitchen doesn’t run out – we’ve called ahead since this experience to ensure they would have enough specials for us). We have been back for KFC night with some friends (actually, it’s the fourth weekly consecutive visit for g), and it was still quite delicious (although the sauce was a little more goopy this time – probably because we asked for “extra spicy” too far after we ordered it and they probably had to toss it again in more gochujang, which is pasty – if you want it extra spicy, ask for it up front when you order). There are other non-Korean specials on other nights – maybe we’ll get around to them. It’s just too hard to rationalize going to Meritage on a night when they’re not doing something Korean …
Melograno, Radicchio Cafe, La Locanda del Ghiottone, oh my!
v & a say: Three very different Philly restaurants that fall under the same category – small/Italian/byob. Before continuing, we must reveal our bias with a disclaimer: La Locanda is our neighborhood go-to spot which is as inviting and quirky as the food is delicious. Everyone is welcomed with a poster of the late proprietor, Giuseppe’s, Green Card, which reads “I waited three years for my green card, you can wait an hour for your food.” In any event, the staff (read: the Italian-stallion from South Philly serving you), takes pride in the menu and directs you without hesitation or forced pleasantries. This no-frills, entertaining experience, always leaves you satisfied and is well worth the trip. And, if you can’t find anything on the rustic-Italian menu that strikes your fancy, then tell them what you want and they shall deliver. To start, try the antipasto sampler served with cheese, olives, and grilled veggies. Word to the wise, don’t even think about putting cheese on fish at this devout establishment. Oh, and in response to the many less-than-glowing online reviews of this restaurant: We can see how many may think the service is coarse – personally, we appreciate anyone who enables people to enjoy delicious food, byo libations, healthy portions, and, above all, do so with friends and family – but try to take it all in stride. Also, if you only have time for lunch and desire a little of what La Locanda (only open for dinner) has to offer, try its sister restaurant, Il Cantuccio, for a taste.
Radicchio Cafe and Melograno also provide environments where groups can meet and share Italian cuisine, though we would label Melograno’s as more ambitious. Whereas La Locanda can accommodate a more boisterous crowd, these two restaurants are for more “mature” groups. In terms of food, Melograno takes the cake. a and I both ordered fish specials at Radicchio Cafe and weren’t blown away by either. a was steered away from ordering the soup du jour by the waiter – you know it misses the mark if the waiter specifically tells you not to order something. We followed his recommendations and were still left unsatisfied. Of course, we can’t make judgments off of one visit and so, we’ll have to return and let you know what transpires. What a pity.
At Melograno we had a much different experience. d took us to dinner to celebrate one of the year’s many notable events. He ordered the Pappardelle Tartufate which, let’s just say, is the dish he keeps returning for, over and over and over. We both ordered dishes that left us satisfied, to the point where we didn’t have room for dessert. As with La Locanda, the Antipasto Rustico is a great dish to share. Melograno and La Locanda do not differ in terms of quality of food and ambiance; where distinctions can be made is in the overall experience and approach to the cuisine. Melograno is a modern, comfortable, sleek byo with a menu to match, whereas La Locanda is like eating at your Italian grandmother’s house, crucifix and all.
It’s impossible to fairly rank these restaurants without knowing who we would be sharing the meal with. What we can say is that Melograno and La Locanda are at the top. With a loud, boisterous crew, we would choose La Locanda. With a more subdued group and fussier palates, Melograno.
The Cookbook[s] We Want/Need
t says: I can do nothing else but put a link and a quote by David Chang: “The cookbook to end all cookbooks.” Go ahead and read the product description.
Carman’s Country Kitchen: Tied for First …
t says: We realized that we never wrote about Carman’s! My memory has faded, so this is less a “review”, and more of a summary.
About Carman’s … It’s this awesome brunch/breakfast spot that’s well south of South. Let me set the scene for you. The place is TINY. It seats about 12 people total. The place is NOT fancy. You drink out of mason jars, and there’s definitely some patio furniture in there. Some people might look around and question the cleanliness because everything looks old – not “vintage” – actual “old”. Then when you do get in there, there’s only four items on the “menu”, i.e. a chalkboard behind the counter …
Yet, people line up out the door on weekends.
Why? Two reasons. The first stems from the service – it’s very personable. Not fake-super-over-enthusiastic, but it feels real – like if your mom and dad opened up a tiny restaurant that they were trying to run, themselves. Servers will not only take your order, but ask your name as well. It’s not unusual for Carman, herself, to come out and chat with guests – she even took our order, once! (She was also doing something on an iPad beforehand – that was definitely weird to see such a modern piece of equipment in such an “old” place.) Also, I’ve heard, even though I’ve never experienced the wait, that they will serve you coffee outside as you wait for your table, looking longingly into the windows at the food.
Number two: It’s that delicious. We’ve only been there twice, but both times everything we ate was wonderful. The pancakes, no matter what Carman’s sprucing them up with (e.g. a fall-themed squash and cinnamon one, a summer-themed peach one) are fluffy and plentiful. No, they aren’t as thick or fluffy as Cochon‘s, but it’s almost made up for by the other things she adds in. g has had an egg dish once and a shrimp-and-grits dish once. The egg dish was fantastic, but I think the shrimp-and-grits changed her life; they were tied with the best grits she had ever had (those made by kp) – so that’s gotta say something. j even joined us once for some sort of weird hot-dog based dish with sauerkraut or something – I don’t know – I didn’t get a chance to investigate, because it was gone in like 90 seconds (maybe one day she’ll fill us in on what she ate) …
What kind of person would go to and enjoy Carman’s?
1) Someone who is totally ok with not knowing what’s on the menu until you show up, and ok with the fact that nothing’s going to be “plain” (e.g. there’s no plain short stack of hotcakes here – it’s going to have a lot of different stuff on top of it or in it).
2) Someone who doesn’t require fancy decor … or sturdy tables/chairs …
3) Someone looking for a plentiful and awesome brunch, even if it does require a trek and quite possibly a wait.
My advice … call ahead. If you call and they say it’s busy, there’s no point in going. BUT – if you call during a weekday, when they are undoubtedly not busy, you can make a pseudo-reservation by telling them your name and number of people and Carman might be able to hold a table for you. But if you do this – don’t be late. That’s just rude. And it’d be extremely awkward sitting in such a tiny place when the owner is right there and thinks you’re rude.
Finally … what would make Carman’s supplant Cochon for our #1 spot for breakfast? That’s tough. Opentable reservations? Closer proximity? Slightly more space so I can take more than 3 people with me? And I know there’s no way my mom would ever like it in there (she likes super clean places). Oh well – I can at least say that Carman’s is my favorite place for weekday breakfast (Cochon’s only open on Sunday)!
Le Bec for $40? Mais Oui!
t says: We mentioned Le Bec was closing soon and have spent many sleepness nights wondering whether doing that $40 dinner option was worth it. And now, here to rescue us from our despair is the latest additions to the cast, a and v!
a says: And the verdict is… definitely worth the (lower) price of admission. The $40 menu is very small and certainly not typical Le Bec Fin extravagance. It is, however, focused and well executed. We ordered everything on the menu and were particularly impressed by the watermelon salad and stuffed quail. The steak was quite good and made more interesting by the pea pommes puree. In the end, the star of the show was the dessert cart. The pastry wizards at Le Bec still know how to satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth and the staff ensures you do not leave wanting. Service was extremely attentive and unpretentious, especially the sommeliers. The $40 wine list that accompanies this menu is lacking but use this as a reason to admire (and order from) their regular list. We had a red and a white, both (French) under $65, that were wonderful. I think the lax dress code (read: Hawaiian shirt and jeans) takes away from the ambiance but, thankfully, most diners used business casual as a baseline.
v says: Elegance, refinement, and sophistication come to mind when someone mentions Le Bec Fin. As evidenced by the clientele and service, this Philadelphia institution no longer characterizes such luxury. This is not to imply that the service is lacking, but rather that it attempts to meet the coarse population it has come to serve. In order to stay relevant, Le Bec Fin attempts to exude opulence while remaining accessible. While this is a respectable mission given the direction taken by most Philadelphia restaurants and the current economy, it no longer serves the needs of its niche market.
At the same time, this accessibility enables a broader range of individuals to try the richness and delicacy of French cooking. The 40$, four course meal is worth the dessert, which was the best part of the meal and absolutely compensated for the lacking cheese course. In the end, I left the meal satisfied and contemplating the current role of Le Bec Fin in the Philadelphia food community. Is it obsolete? Should it go back to fulfilling the needs of its intended market? I wonder how my experience would have been different in its heyday – sans the Hawaiian shirts. The sommelier was quite partial to wines from near his birthplace in Lyon even sharing a colorful French idiom, “We drink Burgundy and we piss Bordeaux.”
Meritage: KFC is “Doing Chicken Right” (and a Sampan bonus)
t says: We’ve been to Meritage a couple times before and liked it. To summarize those experiences: Chef Coll has some talent brewing in the kitchen, and, while not every dish was a smash hit, I really appreciated the creativity, and g really appreciated good food for a good price. But what’s happened since then? Not much, really – at least – not for us. We’ve just never really found an excuse to return to Meritage. Its price-point puts it at a similar cost to Melograno, which is BYO … meaning that we’re going to go to Melograno every time. It’s such a shame. Well … let me tell you that things are going to change …
7/2010, 8:30pm, Party of 3. It’s a Thursday. At Meritage, that means it’s Korean Fried Chicken (KFC) night. $25 gets you a meal for two: 6 pieces of fried chicken in a spicy/savory/sweet Korean bbq sauce, a few sides, and 20-oz of beer. It was on like Donkey Kong.
g and cm visited first. I don’t want to put words in their mouth … but I will. They reported that the chicken was cooked deliciously (but not really “spicy”) and the sides were also very good, but small. They suspected that 3 people sharing two orders would be the “ideal” amount of food so that everyone would be “very full”. Yes, they had other details, too, but if I told you what they were, then you wouldn’t read the rest of this post …
g, kp, and I then made reservations for the very next week. We were seated promptly and then taken care of by a very friendly, enthusiastic server. No, he wasn’t so bubbly that it seemed fake or overwhelming, rather, just the right amount of energy to put us in a good mood (not that we were in a bad one, but we were even better after talking to him). He told us of that night’s special fried chicken dish as well as some other meat dish that we instantly forgot about. We ordered two orders for the three of us, but asked if they could have a little extra spice to them – I pointed out that although kp and I were new, my wife was there last week and wanted a little more kick on her KFC. I did this for a few reasons. The first is that I apparently like dropping the W-bomb. It makes me feel older, more accomplished, worthy of respect. I like that. The second is that I wanted to draw attention to the fact that at a table of two Asian dudes and a small white girl, it was the small white girl who felt that there needs to be more spice – so the chef definitely needed to kick it up a notch if she was going to appeal to the two Asians. Am I playing stereotypes? I sure am (actually, g can handle more spice than me … *hangs his head in shame*).
When the chicken arrived, it looked amazing. Two plates, heaped with 6 pieces of chicken, emanated this beautiful scent. You could smell the sweetness and spiciness of the bbq sauce, as well as something that reminded me of soy sauce (like if you could “smell” savory) – but not like smelling saltiness. I don’t know – it was hard to describe; it smelled “great”. The chicken’s crust was delightfully crispy, and easily gave way to juicy tender meat. The savory and sweet hits your palate first with heat coming on as you chewed. The chicken was so moist and tender that it tasted like it was braised and then deep-fried at the last second. Apparently it had been brined, so maybe that was the trick. Amazingly, after you swallowed, the spice dissipated, which was nice, because it didn’t overwhelm the palate. The other amazing/weird thing was the size of the chicken bones – they were quite small. g asked kp and me, “What kind of chickens are these? Do they like work them out in a gym or something? Do you think it’s because they’re super organic? Or maybe they use super hormones? I mean, I don’t really care, cuz they’re freakin’ delicious.” g is funny.
The sides were pretty good, too. The spinach reminded me of classic Korean spinach (sigumchi) – except for not as much sesame seed as I’m used to. g said that they had more sesame seeds the previous week, so I’m sure it was spot on, as that was really the only thing that could have taken me way back to eating at Korean restaurants with my mom and grandmom. The pickled daikon and pickled carrot were also very good – they added the acid that you needed to cut through the chicken’s Korean bbq sauce, so I hope these stay on the menu to give the dish some “lightness”. The Korean slaw was a bit of a miss for me. It tasted a little heavy for a slaw – probably because of either sesame oil or sesame seeds. There was some cilantro to try and pep it up, but there wasn’t enough. Man, if this was only a little zingier – maybe add a bit of mint in there or something – then this would also be a perfect foil for the chicken. I don’t know if anyone who knows anyone who knows people who could make this suggestion to Meritage actually reads this blog, but it’d be nice to see if whatever my brain imagined actually was a good idea. Maybe next time, I’ll bring my own mint and try it out.
The beer … it was beer. Neither g nor I drink beer, so kp had to take one for the team. Actually, he had to take 2. That’s right, he downed 40 ounces of beer on a Thursday night. Hooray for livers.
Upon the conclusion of the chicken, we ordered desserts, too! Actually, we ordered only one, but, for reasons I cannot reveal here, more than one came out (we’re mysterious like that). To be honest – these desserts were better than our latest outing at Zahav – although that probably isn’t saying much. Passionfruit creamsicles dipped in chocolate – surprisingly fantastic – especially on a warm summer evening. The chocolate-mint pot-de-creme was luscious – and the pistachio biscotti was among the best biscotti I’ve had in a long time (I’m a sucker for pistachio). We also had the chocolate-peanut-butter bomb … That is one helluva-rich dessert. It was so rich, I kind of wished there was more of the berry jam to cut down the richness. Actually, even more chocolate would have cut down on the richness, as the peanut butter creme was insane – it was like peanut butter and super-extra-creamy-cool-whip had a baby. Don’t get me wrong, though, it was “too rich” not in a “I’m-going-to-be-sick” way, rather a “I-wish-I-could-eat-it-faster-but-I-can’t” way … don’t worry – I did get around to eating every last bit.
In the end, we each paid approximately the amount one would pay when going out for restaurant week, and I, for one, was uncomfortably full. So, go to Meritage. Go with 3 people and pony up $17 each, and enjoy the deliciousness.
SAMPAN BONUS:
We also went to Sampan the day after Meritage. We wanted to eat deliciously on the “cheap”, so we went for a 6pm 1000-pt opentable reservation with the intent of going after the beloved pork bahn mi, the crispy Brussels sprouts, and the Korean rice cake dish. It was … disappointing … Our favorite pork bahn mi maker wasn’t there, so the ratio of meat and toppings and sauce was all wrong – AND they didn’t even wrap the sandwich in the kraft paper – they just left it open! The crispy Brussels sprouts could have used a bit more time on the heat, as they were quite hard. And the Korean rice cakes didn’t have as many rice cakes as I remember (but at least it tasted good!). We suspect that maybe their “starting lineup” in the kitchen was on vacation, and they were letting the “B-team” take over or something. Well – either that or Meritage was so good the night before that their KFC has displaced Sampan’s pork bahn mi in crave-ability? Shazam! There it is … I went there … it’s over … done.
A Poseur Like Me …
t says: It’s not so wrong to like nice things, is it? I like nice things. I like nice food. I like nice cars. I like nice clothes (well, except for my everyday clothes – in which case, I apparently like the clothes that I’ve had since college … back when “Structure” was still an actual store and not some clothing line at Sears … not that there’s anything wrong with clothing from Sears …). In the pursuit of “nice things”, I find that I often get really “in” to looking for an super-ultra-extreme version of a relatively common item. For instance, when I went through a computer phase, back when I used to play a lot of pc games, I knew about the latest CPUs and GPUs and overclocking and liquid cooling (now I own a Mac … the complete opposite of everything I used to stand for). I also went through a pimp-out-your-car phase, so I knew about hp/torque and turbochargers and exhausts and 46G3 and ECUs. Of course, I never had the courage (or disposable income) to ever do anything to my 1.8T Volkswagen Jetta (and I never learned to drive stick) … but I could have added another 50-70 hp, easy! It would have been an awesome mustang- and ricer-killer (we have a lot of those where my parents live in south Jersey).
Was there anything I actually did follow through with? Kinda. One of my more recent “phases” had to do with outerwear. I think it all started during the second >20-inch snowstorms we had this past winter – I was very concerned with staying warm and staying dry and so I started looking at coats to accomplish this. Now, there are a lot of coats out there. And as pretty as some of them are, the vast majority are horrible at keeping you warm and dry. Like the classic wool coat. Why on Earth are these a good idea? Yes, they’re chic, but as soon as they suck up all the snow, it’s as heavy as chainmail and no more protective against the cold. I quickly came to a conclusion. You want to know who cares about staying warm and dry? Skiers, snowboarders, and mountain climbers. (As a sidenote, a long time ago, I had a skiing phase … then I dislocated my kneecap twice – not while skiing – and that was the end of any sport requiring quick knee movements.) It led me to this website (and the point of this post):
Here is a website that has a lot of outerwear (among other things). While yes, a lot of it is expensive, a lot of it does go on sale. And, if you sign up for the emails, 20%-off e-coupons come around a few times a year (if not caught up in your spam filter). But, this is all pretty boring … until you read the return policy. That’s right. Unlimited return policy. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve had the item. It doesn’t matter how much you’ve used/abused it. It doesn’t matter if you still have the receipt (all you need is the online record of the purchase in your backcountry.com profile). You can return it for the full purchase price, right back to your credit card (assuming your credit card hasn’t changed). Does it work? YES IT DOES. I’ve returned a jacket I’ve had for close to 5 years! Full credit! Of course, I then used this credit to buy a new jacket [for cheaper] so it’s kind of like they paid me for a new jacket! And in five years (or sooner … or later … or whenever!), when I see a better one, I’ll make another exchange. I’m not sure how they’ll make money off of me, but what do I care – it’s an eternally new jacket (just so long as they’re in business)! Yes, most ski-worthy jackets are … ugly … but every now and then you find some that don’t look ridiculous. g will still refuse to wear anything in which fashion is sacrificed for function, so I doubt she’ll ever wear as winter-ready a jacket as I – but even she agreed that my latest purchase wouldn’t make her ashamed to be seen with me around town (she really loves me). The only caveat is things that are purchased from their outlet (i.e. departmentofgoods.com) are NOT eligible for this return policy, so buyer beware!
So – will I ever go skiing, snowboarding, or mountain climbing? Hell no. I have two knees and I want to keep them both. But, thanks to backcountry, I will always be warm and dry, and isn’t that all that matters? I totally don’t care if skiers, snowboarders, and climbers all look at me and mutter under their breath: “poseur”.
after dinner sneeze 