Posts Tagged ‘Supper’
The Pig Crawl [and Percy Street BBQ: A Taste of the South on South]
t says: Last Sunday, g, kp, and I wanted to do a pig crawl. We wanted to sample some notable pig dishes and truly experience pig in all of its glory. We originally planned to go to DiNic’s (in Reading Terminal), Sampan, and Percy Street BBQ. Things don’t always work out as planned.
When the day began we actually found ourselves at Parc with even more friends! We’d gone there once before and, in preparation for our pig crawl, we exerted restraint in choosing our dishes. We opted for the pastry basket, a side of bacon, and a French75. That’s restraint, right? Starting off the day with some buttery pastries and fatty bacon chased by a bubbly cocktail? Sounded good to us! Plus, the bacon meant we were starting our pig crawl early! (which is actually why we ordered it). The pastry basket was delicious like the first time (although the chocolate croissant still had its rod of chocolate), and it included madelines! Sooo good. The bacon was only ok for me, as I like mine a bit thicker (and a little crispier), but the salty, smoky taste of it was quite nice, and, after all, who’s going to argue with bacon? The French75 was exactly as before, so g liked it a lot! Our friends sampled the pomme frites, pain perdu, the poached eggs, and the steak-and-eggs. By the end of the meal, not a single scrap of food remained, so I think it was a success. Good job, Parc. You might not be besting Cochon’s brunch, but you’re a good ol’-reliable.
As g, kp, and I readied to go to DiNic’s, we called ahead just to make sure they were open. It’s a good thing we did because they told us that they only had like 15 sandwiches left and that unless we were “in the area”, we probably wouldn’t get there fast enough. We appreciate their honesty. But that removed DiNic’s from the Pig Crawl! So we decided to take a little break (that pastry basket was quite filling) and skip straight to Sampan.
Sampan was very nearly empty when we got there (5:30). We were seated and enjoyed the Pork Banh Mi, Brussels Sprouts, and the Beautiful Boy sake. The Banh Mi was spot on (you go, Fernandez!) – I grow weary of raving about it, so you can read about it in all of our past reviews. g felt that the meat was the most tender it’s ever been – I felt that there might have been a tad too much cilantro – but it’s not like any of this prevented us from demolishing the sandwich. The Brussels sprouts were a little firmer than I’d like, but still tasty. The sake was as smooth as a baby’s bottom. When we were finished we got up and readied ourselves for the main event – a restaurant we’ve never visited: Percy Street BBQ.
5/2010, Sunday 6:30pm, Party of 3. When we arrived at Percy Street, I was impressed with how big it was. Maybe it was the open windows or something, but it just felt like a very large space! We were seated promptly and happily perused the menu. kp was happy that there was a roll of paper towels on the table – apparently that’s how they do it in the South. We ordered a PST sandwich, the deviled eggs, the mac-and-cheese, and a half-pound each of pork belly and pork spare ribs. We had no idea that this was WAY too much food for three not-starving people.
The mac-and-cheese and deviled eggs arrived first. The deviled eggs were classic deviled eggs. No dill (like Village Whiskey), no fancy add-ins (like Supper) – just eggs, mayo, and paprika. If there was anything else, my feeble palate missed it. They were quite good! Classic. I’m not sure how they got the filling to be so light and fluffy – but it was like an egg yolk cloud in my mouth. The mac-and-cheese came bubbling in a hot dish covered with nicely-toasted breadcrumbs. It was a nice, plain mac-and-cheese. Once again – no weird cheeses, nothing added to it – just mac … and cheese … It was also done well – the macaroni was a soft-but-not-mushy consistency, and the cheese was calm and smooth. kp and I wanted a little more flavor in the mac-and-cheese (maybe some sharper cheese), so kp requested his go-to fix-all, hot sauce. He was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with Percy Street’s selection of hot sauce: Crystal (apparently this is also the hot sauce that is used in the South). It perked up the mac-and-cheese nicely (although if I used as much as kp did, my mouth would still be burning).
When the meat came, I was a little worried that I was getting full … but I pressed on … for the sake of the blog. As the meat was set down, we were asked if we wanted some bread to make sandwiches. Sure! The waitress returned immediately with a basket of sliced white bread. kp was delighted by this as well, as apparently white bread is also how they do it in the South – no fancy baguettes, no brioche – this could have been Wonder Bread. And it worked beautifully. I put some pork belly on the white bread with some of the baked beans. Wow – that was SO tasty. The pork belly was soft and nicely streaked with fat (maybe a little too much for g’s taste – it’s a textural thing). The baked beans had just a touch of sweet and some nice heat and were firm enough so you knew were eating beans, not mush. So good. The ribs were no slouch, either (actually, opposite of my preferences, kp preferred the ribs to the belly!). The meat was super-tender and had enough smoky flavor that made you want to gnaw on the bone to ensure you got every last bit.
g’s PST was a pork belly-coleslaw-pickled green tomato sandwich. It tasted exactly as one might imagine it to taste – the pork belly was the same as I had ordered but the accompaniment of that pickled tomato and cole slaw added some sour and tang. I gravitated towards the belly-bean combination – g gravitated towards her sandwich. I kind of doubted that the belly-bean combo was that good and suspected that the atmosphere was altering my perceptions … Well, I took the leftovers home and ate it the next day; yep – still delicious. I have GOT to learn how to make pork belly like that …
The wait staff was very courteous and the food was quite good, so we liked our Percy Street BBQ experience overall. It was definitely fun to have BBQ-esque food that you could pick up with your hands. I have a feeling that this place could be kind of like a cheap Amada for us in the sense that it would be a blast to dine there with a group of friends. Of course, unlike Amada, the dishes aren’t as polished/refined, but BBQ’s aren’t supposed to be ; Percy Street wasn’t so chic-ified that it lost sight of the whole theme: down-and-dirty BBQ.
g says: Whoa there, cowboy! I wouldn’t go comparing psbbq to the almighty Amada. They are definitely not in the same galaxy of awesomeness. Don’t get me wrong, we did have a great time and really enjoyed our meal, but I wouldn’t get carried away. Are you with me, kp? Okay, I’ve said my piece – back to your regularly scheduled programming…
t says: That said, a true, Southern BBQ seeker I imagine will be disappointed with Percy Street because it’s not that down-and-dirty, but for someone who wants a slight touch of clean with their down-and-dirty (kind of like a down-and-dirty-lite), I think he/she will be satisfied – we sure were. Actually, we look forward to taking our dads there … between ribs (for my dad) and chicken (for g’s dad), I just can’t see how they wouldn’t like it!
An Ode to Bobby Flay
k says: This is an ode to my culinary hero. I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of Bobby’s Burger Palace (BBP) just a few blocks away from our apartment. First, a little background on the topic that is so close to my heart —
I love Bobby Flay. Now, I know there is some controversy here. t himself has bashed Bobby on a few occasions, even in this very blog. And yet we’re still friends … t thinks that Bobby is inferior to Morimoto and that he was kind of a whiner in that classic Iron Chef episode where they first faced off, and similarly childish when they rematched in Japan. While I agree, it’s now over 10 years later and the new Bobby is not like that. The new Bobby makes shrimp and corn tamales that still make my mouth water one year after eating them. The new Bobby has humility. He is always a little embarrassed when he wins a Throwdown. The new Bobby knows how to share the stage and is always open to learning from others on Grill It. t will mention that Bobby is sometimes criticized for playing it safe in competitions, only sticking to the cuisine he knows best, relying heavily on southwestern flavors and his favorite chipotle. True, but who sticks to what he knows more than Morimoto? And nobody criticizes him…because it’s delicious! A robust statistical analysis will show that Bobby consistently wins in the “taste” category during Iron Chef competitions. Bobby has cultivated a style with bold and complex flavors, as evident by the Mesa Grill menu, that in my opinion is quite delicious.
A full restaurant review is forthcoming …
t says: If I see Bobby tomorrow, I’ll fight the urge to buy a burger from Supper (or a burrito from the nearby Chipotle) and challenge him to a throwdown … But on a serious note, I’m totally down for a good burger – I hope he delivers the goods …
Meritage goes cheap[er], Supper goes BYO (kinda)
t says: g and I enjoy Meritage – we can walk to it and the entrees are reasonably priced and have some novelty (see review here). Also, Chef Anne Coll’s really cool. Well, Philadelphia magazine reports that they are having a new fixed price deal on Tuesdays. It’s a dinner for two featuring a whole roasted chicken, parsnip puree, Brussels sprouts, and Chinese sausage for $30 per couple. I think that’s a pretty good deal (I suppose it depends on the size of the chicken)! I’d try it.
Another weeknight special: While this is old news (and maybe I already mentioned it), but g and I have still not had the chance to go to Supper for their new BYO nights (Sundays and Wednesdays). I wonder what wine would go well with their awesome burger? (see review here)
Village Whiskey: Best Fries in the City?
g says: After months of trying to find a time when there was not a 2 hour wait at Jose Garces’ latest venture, we finally made our way there for lunch today– we were at the bar, but we still made it! At last, we would be able to taste for ourselves the storied burgers and duck fat fries, and even try a little whiskey.
We were surprised by how narrow the place is; I guess it seemed larger from the outside in warmer months when they have outdoor seating to accommodate the throngs of folks wanting to check out how the newest Iron Chef makes a burger. But no matter, we were in and not moving until our mission was accomplished.
To drink, we shared a classic old fashioned, which was refreshing and had a nice balance of bitter/sweet. For our lunch, we split the following: deviled eggs, Village Burger with cheddar and caramelized onions, and short rib and cheddar fries.
Our deviled eggs were decent — unlike any that I have experienced before, as they seemed to include chopped pickles in the filling. I did feel that the batch served to us were oversalted, so not the best I have eaten. But, I am a bit of a deviled egg snob, so I wouldn’t discourage anyone from trying them out for his or herself at some point.
The Village Burger is aptly named, as this thing could have fed an entire village. The couple seated to my left actually exclaimed when they received theirs, “This is the biggest burger I’ve ever seen!” Luckily, we saw a few come out of the kitchen before ordering so we knew that splitting one between us would be just right for us. Our medium burger was cooked nicely, and definitely made it into my top 5 list of best burgers ever. I know that t is still talking about that Supper burger from a few months ago, but I feel that is an unfair comparison, as that was a brisket burger, and the Village Burger was made of a ground beef more familiar to my classic burger taste.
The short rib and cheddar fries were delicious! See further comments by t below.
The verdict — I would absolutely come back, especially with friends who have not been before (and I will have to make up for the fact that we went without my mom. Sorry, Mom — I promise to make it up to you). Every once in a while I have a classic burger craving, which I believe VW could handily satisfy on any day. However, I think that I would more frequently come in just for the short rib fries, some dessert (the three on their menu sounded incredible, though we were both far too full to try) and a drink. It made for an amazing Saturday afternoon, and I was really pleased with our lunch as a whole.
t says: 2/2010, Saturday Lunch, Party of 2 [at the extension of the bar, facing a wall]. Yes, it was time to experience what the infamous food critic Craig Laban (of the Philadelphia Inquirer) claims is the best burger in Philadelphia. Now, g and I are not huge burger eaters, so we don’t [yet] have a huge repertoire with which to compare/contrast the food at Village Whiskey – but we have had one remarkable burger (and deviled eggs and fries) at Supper on South Street. Given my competitive nature (thanks, mom), it should not surprise you that I [not so] secretly modeled our selections to mirror what Supper had offered.
While I completely agree with g’s description of the burger and eggs, in the end, someone has to be the bad cop; I’m the bad cop. My conclusion: VW’s burger just can’t compete with the sheer flavor and texture of Supper’s burger (VW’s was a little “crumbly”). Personally, I also preferred Supper’s outside-the-box deviled eggs (we STILL put Sriracha sauce in our deviled eggs) to VW’s take (I’m not a huge fan of dill/pickle). Keep in mind that while I praise Supper here, our dinner there wasn’t flawless, either (you can see my critical analysis in the page “Oh the places we’ve gone”).
We also had VW’s short rib cheddar fries. They were amazing (why didn’t -I- think of such a dish – I love short rib!). I feel that they were the saving grace of the meal (not that the rest of the meal was bad – it was quite good – it just didn’t blow me away). The short rib and cheddar fries were served to our [tiny] counter next in a hot Staub cast iron platter. It looked amazing: big, beautiful chunks of tender short rib among well-cheesed (i.e. not just on top), golden fries. The meat was tasty, and the cheese wasn’t overwhelming. The contrasting textures between the cheese, short rib, and potato was fantastic – this was no puddle of mush. I don’t think I’ve seen fries prepared with short rib before, and the result was the most delicious homage to potato that I have ever encountered. That said, an order of these fries is substantial enough to stand alone – this ain’t no side dish.
Finally, I do want to mention that after eating 3 deviled egg halves, 1 burger, and 1 dish of fries (and that old-fashioned), g and I were stuffed from 2pm all the way until 9:30pm. I was uncomfortably stuffed for at least 3 hours, and by our 9:30 reservation at Sampan (see our review for details of that meal), I still wasn’t starving. So my advice is don’t be fooled by this gourmet “burger joint” – it’s easy to get full.
Oh the places we’ve gone …
We were trying to become foodies long before deciding to start a blog. We kept track of our experiences at a lot of restaurants through the reservation-making website opentable.com. Unfortunately, they impose a very low character limit (which actually was one of the primary reasons we started this blog – limitless space!). We’ve copy-pasted these reviews (actually, they’re mostly t’s impressions) below so both we and readers will be able to remember and know the places we went in the pre-blog era.
Some of the more recent visits will migrate into actual posts. We’ll also try to add on several other reviews of restaurants we’ve visited for which we did not provide an opentable review – our memories will likely be fuzzy, which is most definitely a shame, as we kind of wished we had recorded those experiences to revisit. It’s funny how sometimes we even forget the things we swore we’d never forget …
29 Jan 2010. Tinto. Fri, 8:30pm, Party of 4, Restaurant week. I find that Jose Garces restaurants are among the only ones that perform very well during restaurant week in Philadelphia; go with a group ready to share and you’re guaranteed a fun time. There were too many dishes for me to evaluate – highlights included sea bass (cooked perfectly), mussels, and the cheeses. Meats were done well – nothing extraordinary, but good. While not every dish was mind-blowing, everything was consistent; I still prefer Amada (guess I’m a sucker for flat bread and bolder flavors). Also, the red sangria was better than usual!
20 Nov 2009. Supper. Fri, Dinner, Party of 2. We were searching specifically for an excellent burger, especially after visiting Devil’s Alley the weekend before. The hostess, waitress, and support staff were all excellent: prompt and pleasant. We started off with the deviled eggs of the day, a sampler including one each of truffled, sriracha, tandoori, and bacon. While all were unique, well-executed, and tasty, the siracha one was AMAZING. The charcuterie plate wasn’t to-die-for like at Vetri, but respectable. We each had the Supper Burger (which ended up being a mistake – we only needed one to satiate us). For only $14 we got perhaps the best burger I had ever had! It was fancy, but not too fancy; it still had soul. It’s our new standard by which to measure all other burgers. Now if only their charcuterie plate was better and they started being BYO …
13 Sep 2009. Chifa. Sun, Dinner, Party of 4, Restaurant Week. Unfortunately, for me, this is the weakest of the Garces restaurants that I’ve visited (Amada, Tinto, Distrito, Chifa). If Asian flavors are new to you, then this place may pack enough novelty to warrant a visit. It’s tough to do soups and curries as sharable food items, which is supposed to be the theme of this small plates restaurant. That said, Chifa does a dynamite ceviche – perhaps the best I’ve had in the city – somehow the super-bright citrus comes out just enough to balance, and not overtake the fish – amazing. My second favorite dish was the fabled pork buns – I think they’re a little overhyped (I’m sure Momofuku will blow these out of the water – I’ll let you know if/when I ever get to go), but they are at least “very tasty”, with a good amount of salt and sweet and savory, in a package you hold in your hands.
01 Aug 2009. Zahav. Sat, Dinner, Party of 3. We opted for the tasting menu x 3. The multiple course “salads” (a variety of pickled and lightly sauced vegetables) and choice of hummus were an excellent way to start the meal – a multitude of unfamiliar but delicious tastes. The rest of the dishes were all very good, but nothing was really mind-blowing with either big/unexpected flavors (which is surprising given how unfamiliar I am with this cuisine), rather, a lot of subtle flavors. The raw ground lamb was only “ok”, while the standouts were the lamb kibbe and some sort of melted cheese concoction (sorry, I forgot which meat was featured). My dessert which featured baklava and panne cotta was dynamite – I wish the whole meal went like that one dessert. The service was adequate, but our waiter wasn’t personable and didn’t look me in the eyes once, almost exuding arrogance. The wine list was ok, but I’d like it more if it were BYO or offered more Israeli wines by the glass. Because it’s not, and the food by itself wasn’t consistently mind-blowing, I’d really only go back with good company. (N.B. I did go back for lunch in January 2010 and the food and service were much improved.)
28 Jul 2009. Distrito. Tue, Dinner, Party of 4, Restaurant Week. This was my second visit to Distrito, and it was even better than I remember. However, I advise that you order a nice mix of super-tasty dishes with others that will provide more ‘filling’. For instance, we ordered ceviches and scallops (which were executed perfectly), but foiled it with orders of guacomole and short rib flatbread (which were also delicious but had larger portions). The rosemary orange margarita was delicious. (I apparently forgot what I had for dessert, but I’m sure it was as good as the rest of the meal.)
09 Jul 2009. Fig & Olive – Meatpacking. NYC. Thu, Dinner, Party of 2. They have a great selection of olive oils (they offer three when you first sit down). The wine list was not huge, but the wines they did offer were VERY good. The charcuterie plate was delicious and worked well with the included fig-olive tapenade (I find some tapenades a little too strong). For dinner, we had filet and lamb (with sides of spinach and olive oil mash) – they were good, but definitely did NOT shine through as the best ever entrees we’ve had – the seasoning was a little off (some too salty, others bland). Service was excellent. I would say that this would be an EXCELLENT place to go if you made a meal of the wine, appetizers, and smaller plates – pass on the entrees. From where we sat, it seemed like they have a great bar scene (and a nice open space) given the location and excellent snack-esque offerings.
21 Jun 2009. Little Fish. Sun, Dinner, Party of 3 (FTC), $28 5-course meal. Food was tasty – everything was superbly executed – the chef knows how to cook seafood. However, I would have appreciated it had they pushed the creative boundaries a little more, which I’m not sure is the goal of Little Fish. For them, it’s more ’safe’, (although is cooking seafood really “safe” given the slim margin of error?) g thinks that I’m being too harsh and that every dish she had was superb. Service was top-notch. As critical as I was, I must admit that a 5-course, $28 meal is a superb value!
24 May 2009. The Melting Pot. Atlantic City. Sat, Lunch, Party of 2. We went during memorial day weekend – it was empty. Service was very good – it has to be given that the format of the restaurant. I feel that the price of the food was a bit higher than warranted – however, the price of the food is in line with the polished interior design and well-stocked wine list (including half-bottles). So, either the food needs to be better, or everything else needs to come down. Keep in mind that the food wasn’t bad. We had the swiss cheese fondu which was tasty, however, the vegetable assortment was a little bare, and adding some fruits as well as toasting the bread (for a little more flavor than plain bread) would have been nice. The ‘French quarter’ entree fondu was ok – but the spices overpowered the meat. I guess for a gimicky chain, it was “not bad”.
25 Apr 2009. Cochon. Sat, Dinner, Party of 3 (FTC). We went to Cochon before it joined opentable.com, thus I have no written review. I’m trying to piece together what we had from emails in order to capture why it was SUCH a great meal. Cochon is small and cozy. We were seated close to the “kitchen” and were intrigued by the aromas that came forth. The appetizer I remember the most is the escargots – they were tender and full of flavor; the sauce was the most delicious garlic-based sauce I have ever had. We ordered three different pork dishes, 2 of which came from the menu (one was a tenderloin), and one of which was a special (24-hour Berkshire Pork Shoulder with a Mushroom Madeira Sauce). I actually remember asking the waitress if she preferred the pork shoulder or some lamb special – she recommended the pork without hesitation. This pork was the best pork I had ever had. The tender texture of the meat and silky texture of the sauce was a one-two punch that completely overshadowed the two other dishes. Part of the reason why I can’t remember what else we ate is likely due to how strong a memory I have of just that pork shoulder. (N.B. Even by the time we started afterdinnersneeze, it’s STILL the best pork I’ve ever had).
17 Apr 2009. Chifa. Fri, Dinner, Party of 4. For anyone who is already familiar with Asian-fusion dishes, the cuisine at Chifa will not blow you away with uniqueness. So, while the dishes were all “good”, nothing really made me sit up and take note. Service and ambiance were as they should be for a Garces restaurant. Unfortunately, of the four that I’ve been to (Amada, Tinto, Distrito), this one is my least favorite (but it’s not “bad”). Interestingly, the noise level was low, but that might have been because the restaurant was surprisingly empty! Maybe it’ll be louder for you! (N.B. I revisited Chifa in September 2009 and, while the food was better, it still can’t outdo the other three small plate Garces joints.)
21 Mar 2009. Ruth’s Chris Steak House – Philly. Sat, Dinner, Party of 2. This Ruth’s Chris is rather stuffy (vs the one in AC) with the diners being either older or families. The food was tasty – nothing special or earth-shattering (I still stand by the lamb as their best dish) – very nearly on par with Morton’s in taste/texture (although inferior in presentation and service). Although the waiter was intially far too eager to ‘help’ with our drink order – he stopped after we demonstrated our wine knowledge (all you have to do is pimp them on Bordeaux vintages). All in all, the food is good for a steak-house chain, but maybe not worth the price, as I’d probably choose an inventive Philly BYOB to it any day. But if you want a no-frills steak (or lamb!), I have no beef with Ruth’s Chris.
13 Feb 2009. Bistro St. Tropez. Fri, Dinner, Party of 2. We were hoping that this restaurant would be a hidden gem among Philadelphia restaurants. It was not. The menu mentioned reasonably priced entrees that sounded very good, however, when the food arrived at the table, I was completely underwhelmed. Technically, the dishes included all of the ingredients listed in the menu, and everything seemed like it was cooked ok, but there was no soul in the food. For instance, meat can taste like meat or it can taste like meat. When I eat out, every dish MUST be better than what I can make at home if given access to those ingredients. This expectation was not met. I do want to mention that its location is both weird (it’s in a building of showrooms) and cool (the views of the river at night are phenomenal). The decor was ridiculous (in a bad way). Why can’t a good restaurant (preferably BYO) move in here?
Ancient History:
Morimoto. Great food, although pricey for what it was. The fish was superb. The atmosphere is unique and definitely is a place to go at least once (or more if someone else is paying).
Morton’s. I’ve been here a number of times throughout high school and college, and it’ll stand in my mind as having the best “classic” steak. Nowadays, I’m more into “unique” foods, so I don’t know when the next time I’ll go will be. Their flourless Godiva chocolate lava cake still stands as the best lava cake I have ever had.
Django. When I first came to Philadelphia, this BYO was tauted as “the best” in the city, having received four bells from Craig LaBan. By the time I got there, it was supposedly “on its way out” as the owners Sikora and Olexy had moved on (I had just missed them!). Nevertheless, those meals we had at Django in 2005 and early 2006 were some of the best we had ever had in Philadelphia (on par with the best dishes we’ve had at Bibou and Cochon). That said, Django did slowly decline over time, eventually closing its doors in either late 2008 or early 2009. May it rest in peace.
The Helmand. Having spent some time in Baltimore (early 2000’s), I had the great fortunate of visiting some of the best restaurants (with the exception of the Charleston – the one that got away). In the end, the Helmand is the one that I remember the most fondly. Completely unpretentious (no fancy plating, no weird cuts of meat, no bizarre techniques), it served the best food in Baltimore. It’s been several years since I left, but I hope it’s still going strong.
Towson Best and Sushi Hana. In Towson, MD are these two Asian restaurants. One is a chinese takeout joint that also does sushi, while the other specializes primarily in sushi. Towson Best has some of the best fake Chinese food you’ll ever have (this is not being sarcastic at all – it really does taste delicious!). Go for the “Veal Mimosas with Orange Lest” (a funny typo on their menu) or any of the fried chickens (e.g. General Tso’s, Orange, or Sesame), and I’d like to see you try and stop yourself from eating yourself into a food coma. Couple this with some nice rolls (Dragon Roll, Red Phoenix Roll, Birthday Roll), and what you have is a very satisfying meal. I mention Sushi Hana only because some might criticize Towson Best as maybe not having enough turnover to consistently have the freshest sushi (although I’ve never had a problem). For these critics, I suggest Sushi Hana around the corner – but you won’t get the awesome fake Chinese food!
after dinner sneeze 