The Philadining Blog

925 Race Street - Pearl Restaurant - Szechuan Noodles

2011-04-14T05:08:00.003-05:00

I could almost devote a blog to the comings and goings in this one storefront: it's been the home of a large number of exciting places. Sadly, none of them has stuck around for long. I first was intrigued by it being the home of a dumpling place, one of those spots where you could get a plate-full for a buck, along with a stuffed scallion pancake, and other cheap and quick snacks. That didn't

Regional Cuisine in Chinatown: Fuzhou

2011-04-14T04:03:00.000-05:00

On the surface, the majority of restaurants in Philly's Chinatown appear to be variations on a theme: Americanized food, based loosely on Cantonese or Hong Kong style cooking. Of course, there are exceptions, like the Sichuan cuisine offered at Four Rivers, Szechuan Tasty House and E Mei, or the Shanghainese specialties at Dim Sum Garden and Sakura Mandarin. There's Taiwanese food at Empress

Speckulation

2011-01-27T14:54:00.002-05:00

At last, one of the most eagerly anticipated Philadelphia restaurants in years, Speck, the long-awaited showcase for the enigmatic chef Shola Olunloyo, seems to be finally on the verge of opening. After many rumors over the course of several years, a few false starts, and a couple of overly-optimistic estimates of an opening date, the project has understandably generated a bit of skepticism.

Red Kings - Diverse regional Chinese

2010-09-29T02:03:00.001-05:00

OK, I'll admit it, it was the soup dumplings that drew us in. Although we still have Dim Sum Garden and Sakura Mandarin providing Xiao Long Bao here in Philly, there can never be too many sources for these delicate dumplings filled with broth. Restaurants rarely call them soup dumplings, more often they're listed on menus as steamed juicy buns or just Xiao Long Bao. Here, they're called

Frog Burger - Backyard grilled flavors and wretched excess

2010-06-01T13:02:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure what triggered it, but all of a sudden, Philadelphia is awash in burger joints. Steven Starr's burger stand in Franklin Square has started its second season with a surprising lack of buzz, a Rouge splinter-group started 500 Degrees with plenty of PR hoopla, and Bobby Flay opened a chain spot out in University City with lots of fanfare, widespread derision, and almost certain

Awesomeness Alert: Mexican Hot Dog

2010-05-03T02:24:00.000-05:00

They're all the rage in Los Angeles, although the health department keeps shutting-down the carts that sell them - something about the bacon, I think. Every time I read about the Mexican Hot Dog I develop a powerful craving for one: a hot dog, wrapped in bacon, grilled, doused with mayo, sprinkled with cotija cheese, maybe a couple of slices of jalapeño, plopped in a roll. And finally, I found

Passover at Zahav

2010-03-31T11:35:00.004-05:00

For a year, I've been hearing about how great the Passover dinner at Zahav was, in particular, the superlative brisket. Finally, the calendar has flipped around, and I had the chance to try it for myself. It didn't take too much to convince me, I've had several very good meals at Zahav, so I trusted that chef Michael Solomonov would deliver, even if traditional Passover food is often more about

Doma - Modern Japanese/Korean in Franklintown

2010-03-12T00:13:00.001-05:00

Complaining about sushi in Philly is a favorite pastime of local foodies, but a bigger shortcoming is the city's sparsity of Japanese cooked food. Most restaurants offer some non-sushi items, but that section of the menu is rarely the focus. This really doesn't make any sense: in Japan, there are restaurants that specialize in many types of food, and Japanese people eat all kinds of food in

Ro-Zu - New sushi in Queen Village

2010-03-10T01:42:00.012-05:00

Update: sadly, it appears that chef Todd Kulper left Ro-Zu in late May. The main appeal of the restaurant was the unique work this chef was doing, so it's hard to imagine what Ro-Zu will be without him... RoZu has indeed continued-on with a new Sushi Chef. Trey Popp gave it a mixed review in the City Paper, and we'd love to hear more... please post your experiences in the comments section at

Awesomeness Alert: King Crab at Ken's Seafood

2010-03-09T05:06:00.006-05:00

We've been fans of the fresh fish at Ken's Seafood in Chinatown since their opening night almost two years ago. We always scan the tanks at the front of the restaurant on our way in, and also ask Ken if there's anything especially good. We've often enjoyed the fresh, vivid taste of live scallops, shrimp, finned fish, eels, geoduck clams and Dungeness crabs. There's always variation in what's

Meritage - Meritorious Fusion

2010-02-24T15:30:00.014-05:00

Two words lured us into Meritage recently, and they weren't the two that have been getting all the attention around town. The restaurant has gotten significant buzz for serving Korean Tacos, a culinary meme that has evolved from a lunch truck fad in Los Angeles to an almost required menu item at an edgy restaurant in 2010. And don't get me wrong - the Korean Shortrib Tacos are delicious - its a

Awesomeness Alert: Duck Fat Potato Chips at the Franklin

2010-02-02T10:57:00.008-05:00

We tend to shorthand the real name of this place, just calling it The Franklin, but just to be clear: no, we don't mean the Franklin Fountain ice cream parlor, we're talking about the cocktail bar named the Franklin Mortgage and Investment Company. You could be excused for confusing the retro design of both places, and the and fashion sense of their respective employees, but their products are

Kabobeesh - Pakistani Kebabs

2010-01-28T03:27:00.007-05:00

University City used to be the gravitational center of Indian food in Philadelphia. Within a few blocks of the intersection of 40th and Chestnut, there was a large array of choices. Sure, they were mostly pretty similar in style and toned-down in that student-discount-buffet kind of way, but there was some good food lurking among the lukewarm curries. A few of those places remain, but the

Zavino - Artisan pizza in Midtown Village

2010-01-20T18:54:00.014-05:00

Wow, is this toasty feeling evidence of Philly's pizza wars heating-up? Oh, wait... it's just that we're sitting a little too close to the 900 degree oven in Zavino, the latest contender in the long-overdue craft-pizza trend that's finally hitting Philadelphia. Osteria got us going a couple of years ago with its finely-crafted Roman-style pizzas, and Steven Starr recently opened Pizzaria

Spinal Tapas - jokey name, serious food.

2010-01-20T13:24:00.018-05:00

Having picked a name like Spinal Tapas, the organizers of this ongoing series of group dinners probably shouldn't be surprised that people aren't sure whether to take them seriously or not. Even looking beyond the moniker, it's natural enough to be skeptical about a couple of guys who aren't professional chefs hosting dinners in a rented space. Sure, it could be kind of charming to eat food

Han Dynasty Center City - Authentic Sichuan on Chestnut St.

2010-01-18T00:04:00.023-05:00

Over the last few years, residents of Philly's western suburbs have had the pleasure of experiencing delicious authentic Chinese food at two Han Dynasty restaurants, in Exton and Royersford. But these spots are difficult to reach for Center City Philadelphia residents, making it impractical for people without cars to enjoy these places. It just got easier for city dwellers: the third Han

Koo Zee Doo -Portugueze in Northern Liberties

2009-11-10T00:11:00.009-05:00

I have to admit having some trepidation about Koo Zee Doo, the new Portuguese restaurant at 614 North Second Street. It seemed almost eerily similar in concept to their neighbors a few doors up at Kong: both new places featuring experienced chefs interpreting the traditional cuisine of their wives' families. In the case of Kong, it's the street food of Hong Kong; for Koo Zee Doo it's the homey

Awesomeness Alert: English Onion Soup at Pub and Kitchen

2009-10-09T23:17:00.006-05:00

I'll readily admit it: I'm a snob about French Onion Soup. I do not like it when liberties are taken, especially the popular trend of using mozzarella and/or provolone for the cheese. This should be declared a culinary crime, and anyone using salad croutons as a support for the cheese, rather than proper toasts, should be subjected to a lethal injection of Lipton Cup-a-Soup.I make a pretty

Stella - Starry Opening Night

2009-09-30T10:46:00.016-05:00

I usually try to avoid opening nights, especially at buzzed-about restaurants, it's usually too much of a mob-scene, the food and service are still shaking-out the inevitable quirks of a new operation, it's just not a great way to asses a new restaurant. but I found myself unable to resist the opening of Stella, Stephen Starr's new pizza place at 2nd and Lombard. Friends and I have long been

Awesomeness Alert: Charbroiled Beef Short Ribs at Vietnam Palace

2009-07-29T21:43:00.007-05:00

I'm not sure how I ended up taking sides on in long-standing rivalry that exists between Vietnam Palace and Vietnam, restaurants directly across 11th street from one another in Philly's Chinatown. But somehow, I ended up in the Vietnam camp, and I still stand by their huge barbecue platter as one of the best appetizers in town - heck a friend and I will sometimes just share one as a meal. But

The Oyster House - A New Beginning

2009-06-05T11:57:00.010-05:00

The traditional, informal seafood house had almost become a thing of the past in Philadelphia, with the closing of the Sansom Street Oyster House, and Bookbinders, there were very few places to go for a bowl of snapper soup, a plate of raw clams, and some fried oysters. Nevermind that even when they were open, most of the traditional spots had slipped significantly in quality, or become

Sakura - More Soup Dumplings in Chinatown

2009-05-20T12:19:00.007-05:00

It has somehow become my role in the Philadelphia dining community to shoot-up a signal flare whenever Xiao Long Bao are spotted in the area. I'm pleased to say that I can report another spot that offers the delicate "juicy buns" and not only that - they just might be the best yet.The high quality of these dumplings shouldn't come as a surprise: the new-ish restaurant Sakura, at the corner of

Han Dynasty in Royersford - A Feast for 15

2009-04-17T12:11:00.011-05:00

We were thrilled to hear that Han Dynasty in Royersford was being reviewed in the Philadelphia Inquirer, which should garner it some well-deserved attention. A few devotees, myself included, have been spreading the word about this restaurant (and its original outpost in Exton) as much as possible, but even with the reach of the internet, we could never hope to compare to the impact of a review by

Sakura - Regional Chinese, and Sushi too

2009-04-09T02:03:00.015-05:00

Sakura is a restaurant with multiple personalities. One might think from their name that they're a Japanese restaurant, but although they serve sushi, their main focus is on Chinese food. To add another layer of complexity, they serve Chinese food that draws from many parts of China. There are dishes that are typical of Shanghai, some from Sichuan, northern dishes, and the broad selection of

Awesomeness Alert - Cocktails and Charcuterie at James

2009-04-07T13:45:00.008-05:00

The restaurant James has gotten its share of recognition as a destination restaurant for modern Italian food, a place to go for creative pastas like duck ragu with bitter chocolate and orange, Dover Sole with an egg on top, or perhaps to indulge in a tasting menu. We never think of it as a place to drop in and have a drink, maybe have a bite at the bar.It turns out we should.First: the

Awesomeness Alert - Cochon's Burger

2009-03-23T13:08:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure what it is about this burger that is so ...well... awesome. It could be the Neuske bacon, or the good cheddar, or the caramelized leeks lurking beneath it, or the light, toasted bun slathered with sherry-spiked mayo. But it's more likely the meat itself, moist and not over-handled, well-charred on the grill, still dripping juices.The only downside is that it's only on the menu

Dante's Barbecue - Wood Smoke in West Philly

2009-03-11T11:51:00.018-05:00

The first thing we noticed when we opened the take-out container from Dante's Barbecue in West Philly was how perfect the ribs looked. My friend exclaimed "wow - competition barbecue.." and that's exactly right: these ribs looked like they were being presented to a judge at a contest.This is not a staged shot, Dante's didn't know we were going to take a picture, this is just how they were

Chifa: Peruvian-Chinese from José Garces

2009-02-19T14:23:00.024-05:00

Can I just say that the world needs more scallion pancakes? This much-abused Chinese snack is often served as stiff and dry as cardboard or as soggy and greasy as a bag of old french fries. But properly-made, these savory treats can be a symphony of contrasting textures and flavors. José Garces' new restaurant Chifa not only makes these pancakes well, they even bring some bling to the bing,

Awesomeness Alert - Spare Rib Bits at Sang Kee

2009-01-22T04:57:00.004-05:00

A cold night recently inspired a visit to Sang Kee for Roast Pork Noodle Soup. While we were there, we couldn't resist getting some Peking Duck too, which was quite delicious, much better than our last sample.But the real standout was the result of an irresponsible addition of yet more pork to our table: an appetizer of "Spare Rib Bits."They're sticky and sweet and salty and juicy and porky.

Han Dynasty in Royersford - The Dynasty expands.

2009-01-12T23:52:00.025-05:00

I've long been a fan of the restaurant Han Dynasty in Exton, the quality of their traditional Sichuan and Taiwanese foods is unmatched in the Philadelphia area. Or, at least it was... A few months ago, they opened a second restaurant in Royersford, and I'm more than a little surprised to report that it's even better that the original. The menu is largely the same, except that sadly, Taiwanese

Happy New Year!

2009-01-12T23:44:00.003-05:00

Apologies for the gap in posts. Between the inevitable time-crunch around the holidays, and some unexpected technical problems with my main computer, I've fallen profoundly behind on documenting my eating experiences around Philly. I'll be making a valiant attempt to catch-up - despite my paucity of posts, there's been no slow-down in eating! We've made some exciting discoveries. Stand by...

New Phnom Penh - Cambodian cuisine in South Philly

2009-01-12T22:20:00.005-05:00

We'd tried a few times to visit the Cambodian restaurants on South 7th Street, but they tend to close-up pretty early, they're often shuttered and locked-down tight by 7pm. We finally got our acts together to get down there on a Saturday afternoon, and were not disappointed. Sadly, one of the places we had planned on visiting has closed, but New Phnom Penh still sits at the corner of 7th and

Awesomeness Alert: Mini Beignets

2008-11-03T21:21:00.005-05:00

We usually go to Chick's for Katie Loeb's creative cocktails, but it's worth remembering that chef Jim Piano makes food worth checking out as well (the Wild Boar Burger is excellent) and pastry chef Kristin Weber has been quietly making some of the best desserts I've come across in a while. Recently, I did a double-take at the mere mention of one of them: French Quarter Mini Beignets, with

Mémé - Comforting Food from Chef David Katz

2008-10-23T03:42:00.012-05:00

Chef David Katz, who made a splash at the short-lived restaurant M, then had a fleetingly brief stint at the reborn Silk City, then was this close to opening a place in Filter Square about a year ago, has finally surfaced in a restaurant of his own. Mémé, named for his grandmother, is in the space that formerly housed Melograno, at 22nd and Spruce. Those of you who have eaten in that space know

Catching up...

2008-10-22T19:22:00.007-05:00

It's been a crazy Fall, with various projects, travels and general business interfering with the blogging... But I've managed to squeeze a little eating in around the margins, and will try to catch up with some new posts.But right before we get there, a few of the distractions. I had about 24 hours to myself after a conference near Chicago, on days when many restaurants were closed, so I

Apothecary: Midtown Mixology

2008-09-08T04:48:00.022-05:00

Until recently, my feelings about Apothecary, much like their drinks, had been mixed. After a few rocky experiences early on, I'm happy to report that I think I finally have figured out how best to approach this place.As with many serious drinking destinations, it's ideal to sit at the bar, and put yourself in the hands of the bartenders. Second-best at this place is to score a seat on the

Awesomeness Alert: Espresso Granita

2008-08-29T10:29:00.008-05:00

Yeah, sure, in a way this whole blog is meant to be an awesomeness alert, but every once in a while, something in particular jumps out. Therefore, the awesomeness alert.Today's alert: Espresso Granita from Capogiro.It's kind of like a water ice, kind of like sorbet, kind of perfect on a hot day. Not at all bad on a cold one. The default preparation is with whipped cream layered-in and on top (

Cajun Kate's, on the Boothwyn Bayou

2008-08-21T20:45:00.024-05:00

The weekend of August 23rd marked the second anniversary of the opening of Cajun Kate's, the tiny New Orleans-style restaurant wedged into the Booth's Corner Farmer's Market, in Boothwyn. I'm embarrassed to say that I've only learned they were there recently, first noticing a fleeting mention by Craig Laban in one of his weekly on-line chats, then a more formal "or try this" in the sidebar to

Porturuvian Explorations pt 2: Pollo a la Brasa

2008-08-21T11:41:00.013-05:00

We made an earlier trip to El Balconcito in the Northeast in search of Pollo a la Brasa, the fabled Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken, but discovered that it needed to be ordered in advance. Due to a profound inability to plan ahead, and a lack of confidence in our abilities to order chickens over the phone in Spanish, it took us a little while to make it back. We are now in the process of kicking

Things you didn't know you wanted to eat pt. 1 - Duck Tongues

2008-08-12T13:56:00.005-05:00

We've learned to trust Ken at Ken's Seafood, and often don't even bother with a menu there, we just tell him the kind of thing we're in the mood for, and ask for suggestions. Recently, we told him we were in the mood for something batter-dipped and deep-fried, and I have to admit that we were all surprised when he said "Duck Tongue." I'd seen them on the cold appetizer cart at Chung King Garden,

Zhi Wei Guan - The Tao of Dough - Hangzhou Cuisine in Chinatown

2008-07-30T12:09:00.018-05:00

The storefront that housed the Dumpling House (for about a minute and a half) has been the site of a lot of restaurants that have come and gone quickly. Let's hope Zhi Wei Guan stays around a lot longer!They are a welcome addition to Chinatown, adding to the increasing diversity of regional cuisines we're seeing lately. For many years, and even today, most of the restaurants in Chinatown have

Kanella - Cypriot food in Center CIty

2008-07-30T03:04:00.008-05:00

We finally tried Kanella this weekend, and were somewhat surprised to find it less than packed, it's gotten some very good press lately, so we assumed it would be jammed. It did get full-ish later, but I'm pretty sure I noticed people walking-in without reservations. I suspect it might be summer-in-Philly syndrome, everything seems a bit slow. Anyway, go now, I'm sure it's going to be packed

Distrito - Nuevo Mexican from Jose Garces

2008-07-30T02:27:00.007-05:00

My eyes hurt. I just got over my ringing ears from a cacophonous dinner at Parc, and now my eyes are ringing. I don't think I've been this overwhelmed by vivid pink since I accidentally wandered down the Barbie isle at Toys R Us.It's got an open, fun, casual feel, with scorpions embedded in the bar, movie-marquee-style signs, a wall of luchador masks along the stairway, rattan booths, swinging

Parc - New Bistro from Steven Starr

2008-07-30T01:31:00.013-05:00

What?!? Huh?!? Sorry, I really can't hear you, my ears are still ringing from dinner at Parc, the new bistro on Rittenhouse Square. Of course bistros and brasseries are usually bustling places, but this one is ridiculous. It's a lovely space, carefully reconstructing the romantic notion of the classic Parisian dining establishments, with lots of tile, interrupted only by wood and glass,

Cantina Dos Segundos

2008-07-16T11:58:00.022-05:00

I've been very excited about the opening of this new restaurant in Northern Liberties. I'm a big fan of the food at Cantina Los Caballitos in South Philly, and this place, while not an exact duplicate, is owned by the same folks, and the same chef runs both kitchens. The food is not identical at the two places, but if you like one, you'll surely like the other. There's some food in common, but

If Pigs Could Fly...

2008-06-20T13:03:00.007-05:00

OK, I'm starting to feel a little fickle, making multiple bold pronouncements about "the best bar snack." But I just keep running across really great ones! So, I do still love the Khyber's Pretzel Dog. I'm definitely still heading up to the Memphis Taproom for pasties. I do periodically need those bacon-wrapped, cheese-stuffed figs at Chick's.But... I think we may have a new champion, and

The Memphis Taproom

2008-06-02T03:28:00.018-05:00

As the edges of up-and-coming neighborhoods continue to expand and blur, it should be no surprise to find a gastropub up on the border of Fishtown and Port Richmond. I doubt the folks behind the Memphis Taproom use that term, they call it a "neighborhood kitchen and taproom" and while it's true enough that the menu is unpretentious and approachable, the ingredients and preparations indicate

Pork and Beer at Osteria

2008-05-23T02:08:00.012-05:00

I find that most visits to Osteria end up turning into a pork extravaganza. Of course they have lots of other things on the menu, but the pig products are often highlights. So the prospect of an all-pork theme dinner was attractive on its own, but combined with beer from Brooklyn Brewery, it was irresistible. And the dinner did not disappoint: the food was delicious and the beers were not only

Blue Hill at Stone Barns

2008-05-06T12:23:00.004-05:00

If you have the opportunity to attend a wedding held at the restaurant Blue Hill at Stone Barns, don't hesitate, do whatever it takes to get there... The setting is beautiful, the food, spectacular, and the service has to be the best I've ever encountered: gracious and generous without feeling stiff or forced. The full menu and commentary will follow, but in the meantime, the photos above are of

Mad Shopping Skillz

2008-05-02T16:05:00.002-05:00

Sorry that my posts have been a little sporadic, I've been working on my grocery store shopping technique. I'm trying to get as good as these French shoppers:glumbert - Grocery Store Fun

Porturuvian in the Northeast

2008-04-28T22:56:00.011-05:00

It started as a quest for Peruvian Chicken. That particular style of rotisserie chicken, marinated and roasted in a specific way, has been quite popular in New York for a while, but hasn't seemed to make inroads in Philly. But we'd heard it was available at El Balconcito in Northeast Philly. So we trekked on up, thinking that some roasted chicken and ceviche would make for a nice light dinner.

Bread-Based Snacks

2008-04-26T15:24:00.007-05:00

I've stumbled across a few ready great snacks recently, and interestingly, they all consist of stuffed or topped hot bread. These are fairly substantial, certainly just as as appropriate as a light lunch as a snack. The first is the Pretzel Dog, from The Kyber in Old City. I mostly think of that place as a spot to see gritty rock bands, or to grab a good beer, but not to eat. They've recently

Ken's Seafood - New Chinatown highlight

2008-04-25T15:13:00.016-05:00

There's been a lot of activity in Chinatown lately, with a few noteworthy openings and renovations. The corner of 10th and Race is looking much better these days: the old Ho Sai Gai is finally being fixed-up, but even more exciting, a couple of doors away at 1004 Race, Ken's Seafood Restaurant has opened.Some of us know Ken from Xiao Guan Garden, where he guided us through the best parts of

Everyday Good House

2008-03-31T12:05:00.014-05:00

We'd read that Craig Laban was going to review this place in The Inquirer, so we decided to slip-in before the rush and check it out on the friday before the review was published. We figured it was a safe bet that if Laban was bothering to review it, it must be pretty good, and indeed it was true. We didn't have the benefit of his review to guide us, but interestingly, we ended up ordering many

Tai Lake - Fresh food is the best food.

2008-03-27T01:19:00.009-05:00

I am fortunate to have friends on the right email lists, and recently managed to wedge myself in (literally, the seating were pretty tight!) at a special meal at Tai Lake in Chinatown.Many thanks to Ross for putting this together, and selecting the menu. The concept was "Fresh food is the best food" and therefore, we'd be eating things that were so fresh that they were alive until just before

Fuji

2008-03-24T13:45:00.012-05:00

Yeah, yeah, I know there are plenty of good restaurants in South Jersey, just barely across the bridge from downtown Philadelphia. But there's something about the roads over there: I don't know if it's the traffic circles, the jughandles, the route numbers, some sort of magnetic disturbance that interrupts my normally decent sense of direction... whatever it is, I get totally disoriented in New

Underground Cassoulet Parties

2008-03-20T15:58:00.021-05:00

I'm not sure that this has quite risen to the status of a widespread trend, but it ought to... A year ago I managed to wangle an invite to an annual tradition maintained by a couple of Francophiles here in Philly. Each winter, they'd invite friends over to share a few pots of traditional French Cassoulet, built partly on authentic ingredients smuggled back from trips to France. The requisite

The Philly Sandwich Lexicon

2008-03-14T11:35:00.022-05:00

A recent article in the Washington Post spurred some interesting discussion about terminology over on eGullet. The writer used the term "sub" to refer to both cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches. To Philadelphians, this sounds very odd, and I began to wonder why. The writer was probably correct to start his article using "sub" if that's the local term for any sandwich on a long roll. I grew

National Pig Day at Cochon

2008-03-02T16:47:00.005-05:00

March One was National Pig Day, and although the Queen Village BYOB called Cochon (french for "pig") wasn't offering anything special to mark the occasion, we decided it was the best place to have our own impromptu celebration. We tried a few of theirspecials that night, including fried oysters, sweetbreads, pork croquette, pork shank and quail. It was all quite tasty, with a few standouts.

Tasting Menu at Cochon

2008-02-15T14:22:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, we talked the folks at Cochon into doing a tasting menu for us. We told the chef to do whatever he felt like, and we ended up with a fascinating meal, with lots of offal and other unusual ingredients, but which proved to be diverse and most importantly, delicious throughout. Head CheeseThis was very meaty, and not nearly as gelatinous as I expected. With the peppery greens and

Marc Vetri at snackbar

2008-02-05T13:45:00.001-05:00

Marc Vetri dropped into snackbar as the guest chef for their (usually) first-monday tasting menu dinners. These events have created a nexus for some very cool collaborations, encouraging talented chefs to explore ideas that might not fly in their own restaurants, and to avail themselves of some of snackbar's signature edgy techniques. So this time one could find some parmesan foam on the

Ugly American Brunch

2008-01-28T13:18:00.000-05:00

Several comments on the earlier post here about the Ugly American raved about brunch. I'm just cynical enough to wonder about the sincerity of anonymous posts, so I felt the need to check it out for myself. I think brunch can be summed-up by the photo at the left. Which is to say, banging. The biscuits with sausage gravy were absolutely fantastic. The sausage itself was a little untraditional,

Stolovaya: Russian comfort food in Northeast Philly

2008-01-22T01:19:00.000-05:00

I've long known that there's a large Russian population out in Northeast Philly, and was vaguely aware of there being interesting food/nightlife associated with that community, but somehow had missed-out on partaking of any of it. I often get myself profoundly lost in NE Philly, so I may have been subconsciously avoiding the whole area... But thanks to a timely invite (and a GPS unit) I finally

Dim Sum Garden

2008-01-14T16:22:00.000-05:00

We've been frustrated by the lack of good Shanghainese Xiao Long Bao, (often called "Soup Dumplings") here in Philly. They're pretty rare in general, and the few versions we've found weren't very good. Until now! An unassuming little restaurant on 11th street caught our attention a few weeks ago when a friend noticed them on the menu. A few advance scouts checked it out and reported that those

Osteria Update

2008-01-14T03:46:00.000-05:00

It's been entirely too long between Osteria visits. There have been so many new places to check out, it's easy to get distracted from (not so) old favorites. Osteria's menu is in a constant state of flow, with dishes being added and subtracted from the repertoire according to the seasons and the chefs' inspirations. We revisited a few proven classics and tried some new ones too, all to

Yakitori Boy update

2008-01-11T10:33:00.000-05:00

We had a chance to try Yakitori Boy again, and are happy to report that they appear to be getting in the groove. The food was better overall (or maybe we just ordered more things they do well.) Service was very friendly, almost too enthusiastic, we had servers, bussers and runners practically falling over one another bringing dishes, clearing them, or checking up on us. Their liquor license

Matyson's Tasting Menus

2008-01-10T03:24:00.000-05:00

Mondays through Thursdays, Matyson offers tasting menus that are some of the best dinner experiences in Philly: not only are they consistently interesting thematic constructions, they're also an amazing deal. $45 plus tax and tip gets you five generous courses, usually including pretty luxe ingredients. The menu changes every week, updated here>>.This week's menu featured Duck: Rilletes with a

Michael Solomonov at snackbar

2008-01-08T02:50:00.000-05:00

The continuing guest chef series at snackbar picked back up this month with Michael Solomonov, until recently chef at Marigold Kitchen, but now devoting himself to his upcoming restaurant Zahav.We're thankful that he could make a little time in his chaotic schedule for this special dinner, which might have given a hint of some of the ideas to be explored at Zahav. If so, we're looking forward to

The Ugly American

2008-01-07T01:18:00.000-05:00

We like the idea of riffing-on informal regional specialties in a restaurant, and of American takes on classic French dishes, so those attractions alone might have gotten us to check out The Ugly American. But when we heard they were serving versions of the Buffalo, NY classic "Beef on Wick" and a Rochester, NY "Garbage Plate," we had to get there ASAP! And our experience was mostly good: we

Yakitori Boy

2008-01-02T14:33:00.000-05:00

Our first meal of 2008, moments after the New Year's Eve fireworks subsided, was at the not-quite-yet open Yakitori Boy at 211 N. 11th St (just south of Vine, near Lee How Fook.) It's a nice looking space, with a couple of sushi bars and a drinking bar, as well as some comfortable booth seating on the first floor. There's karaoki on the second floor, but thankfully, no spillover on the main

Anthony Bourdain in Philly

2007-12-03T14:38:00.000-05:00

I don't think I was quite ready for the size of the turn-out to see Anthony Bourdain speak at the Free Library on Saturday, December 1. But apparently the Library was, so they had additional seating set-up upstairs with a video feed from the auditorium downstairs. We were lucky enough to get into the main auditorium, but near the back, despite getting there almost an hour early. Bourdain was

Ong's in Chinatown

2007-12-03T12:45:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: January 2009 - I was sad to see this space looking closed on my last few trips through Chinatown. I haven't seen an offical announcement, but it looks like this place may be gone. We were reminded of this restaurant by a recent article in the Inquirer by Rick Nichols. Located on the corner of 11th and Race, we always forget about it, except when driving into Chinatown, thinking "oh,

Dumpling House in Philadelphia's Chinatown

2007-11-24T12:53:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: Sadly, this place lasted about two and a half minutes... it was rarely open, then closed for good shortly after this report, so no cheap dumplings for Philly. Happily it's bee replaced by Zhi Wei Guan, serving really good Hangzou cuisine, including really good dumplings, so perhaps it's worked out for the best... ---I've always thought that Philadelphia's Chinatown had remarkable variety

Tasting Menus at snackbar

2007-11-06T13:06:00.000-05:00

On the first monday of every month, snackbar is doing special tasting menus, often featuring guest chefs. For November, the Guest Chef was Sholo Olunloyo, of StudioKitchen fame, working with snackbar's Jonathan Mcdonald. Desserts were by Bobby Truitt. (We were psyched to see former M chef David Katz helping out as well.) It was a terrific meal, exciting and unusual in the ways we expect from

Return to Osteria

2007-10-29T01:16:00.000-05:00

After a rather unforgivable absence from Osteria (hey, there are lots of places to try!) we finally made it back after a couple of months. The one benefit of doing this is that the menu has changed a bit, and a few old faves have returned with the cooler weather. Most specifically, the Candele with Wild Boar Ragu is back, as rib-stickingly, heart-warmingly delicious as ever. There are a couple

Taiwanese in the 'burbs

2007-10-18T02:06:00.000-05:00

We were thrilled to find good Taiwanese food at Empress Garden in Philly's Chinatown, but we had already found a good source, in an unlikely location. Han Dynasty in Exton, PA is not an exclusively Taiwanese place, but features several specialties, and does them really well. There's excellent Sichuan food there (the Chef was formerly at Tifco's China Bistro in its heyday, then opened Chung King

Taiwanese in Philly's Chinatown

2007-10-17T11:21:00.000-05:00

Although I think Philly's Chinatown has some really great food, it's still a little tricky to find authentic regional specialties, outside of the common Cantonese norm. Szechuan Tasty House and Chung King Garden offer some serious Sichuan cooking, and Four Rivers offers some Sichuan and a few Shanghainese dishes too, and there are dishes lurking on other menus, even if the restaurant as a whole

Pif night at Ansill

2007-10-16T09:41:00.000-05:00

There was much gnashing of teeth when chef David Ansill closed his tiny BYOB called Pif. It had been a reliable source of hearty, un-fussy French food, from garlicky escargots to pigs trotters to an inexplicably delicious steak. The chef had opened a second place, Ansill at 3rd and Bainbridge streets, and chose to concentrate on that location, offering creative small-plates as well as a full bar

Cochon - Queen Village Bistro

2007-10-13T12:37:00.000-05:00

We've dropped-by Cochon twice, and so far, are very excited about this new BYOB at the corner of Passyunk and Christian in Queen Village. We were there opening night, and a again a few days later, so we're going to withhold final judgment, but so far, it's lookign really good as a place for homey, hearty, casual French-style food. Here are a few photos from the second night:

Starting fresh, Fall 2007

2007-10-13T03:27:00.000-05:00

For the last couple of years, I've been concentrating on posting on egullet.org, enjoying the greater energy and interaction of a group forum. But people have complained to me that opinions of specific restaurants are too hard to find, easily lost among the chatter, and that the missed the focused collection of reviews here. So, between this blog for quick posts and pix, and the main