Spinal Tapas - jokey name, serious food.

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 made by some talented amateurs, but can it be better than a decent dinner party? It turns out that yes, it can. Thankfully, unlike their name, their cooking is not a joke.

The situation is helped by the fact that the two music writers at the center of this project, Tim McGinnis and Brian McManus, have culinary training, and have worked in professional kitchens. So they're not just those neighbors you know that can cook pretty well, and everyone keeps telling them they should have a restaurant. These two are cooks that could probably be working in conventional restaurants if they wanted to, but instead are exploring some other models for serving dinners, outside the bricks and mortar of a conventional restaurant. As it stands right now, the Spinal Tapas dinners are held in the rental kitchen space called Philly Kitchen Share. Most people who rent this space are small-scale commercial cooks or bakers, perhaps they're selling cookies or candies or sauces, and only need a commercially-outfitted kitchen from time to time, or need it to meet health codes.

The Spinal Tapas folks make the space do double-duty: not only do they cook the food there, but it serves as a dining room too. Work tables are pushed together, dressed with tablecloths, and become a long communal table for 16 in the middle of the kitchen. It's not especially elegant, but many foodies, myself included, enjoy sitting in the middle of the action, watching the normally behind-the-scenes process.

Of course, by the time the diners are assembled it's mostly just final turn-out and plating, it's not like one gets a cooking lesson, but diners do get to chat with the chefs and perhaps gain a little insight into how things were done.

This most recent dinner had a Texas Barbecue theme. There were dishes representative of several regions of the state. Brian McManus lived in Texas for many years, and while that does not automatically confer barbecuing credentials, it at least means that he might have learned what the authentic food of the area was like. I haven't spent enough time in Texas to make any pronouncements about authenticity, but the food did remind me of flavors I've experienced on visits to Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. And more importantly, it was delicious.

The night started with a mug of beer and/or some spiked Ice Tea. Then, a "Bowl of Red," an excellent chili made with Arbol chili peppers and chunks of beef. The was assertively spicy, but in a full-flavored way, not as a heat-for-heat's-sake stunt.

Next was pulled pork, accompanied by jalapeno cornbread muffins, and three different barbecue sauces. The meat itself was largely un-sauced, but had a sweet glaze that accented the flavors of pork and smoke. I quite enjoyed this with no accoutrements at all, just the plain pork, perhaps piled on a chunk of cornbread.

Then Brisket, and the large, thick slices were nicely juicy and tender. There was a pile of shredded brisket too, which was rather severely dry, even a good dose of sauce was not enough to resuscitate it. One of my dining partners was clever enough to ask if there were any burnt ends available, and although many of those edge pieces had been chopped and added to beans, there were indeed a few sizeable ends available, and they happily brought them over to us. Those burnt ends were luxuriously fatty and moist, not as crisp as some we've had, but still nicely crusty, and highly spiced from the rub. Surprisingly neither the ends nor the slices of brisket exhibited a strong smoke flavor, but each had an intense beefyness, and the wonderful texture that can only derive from a long, low smoke.

These meats aren't necessarily going to strike fear in the hearts of competition barbecue guys that have been honing their techniques for decades, but in the context of the evening, everything was pretty great.

Collard Greens and Frijoles a la Charra accompanied the meats, and both of those were very good too, due partly to each being spiked with meat.

The final savory course was goat tacos. Tender shreds of cabrito were served in delicious corn tortillas, apparently purchased in south philly, but bearing a rustic feel that made them seem homemade. Excellent guacamole and pickled onions made perfect accompaniments for the strongly-flavored meat.

This was a ton of food, served on platters, family-style, and it arrived in incessant waves! Before we knew it, we discovered that we were stuffed. And then dessert was delivered. We probably would have loved something light, after all that meat, but this was a traditional Kolache: a ball of dough, baked, then topped with apple compote. A delicious caramel sauce complimented the fruit flavors. It was tasty, but dense!

And then, we were done. It felt like it went by in a flash. They were doing two seatings that night, and it's a rental space, so their pace might have been a little more urgent than your average restaurant, but overall the service was quite friendly and efficient.

The long, thin tables don't make it easy to chat with folks too far away from you, but there still is something of a communal feel, as you pass platters of food around. And the chefs and servers couldn't have been more friendly, giving the whole event a very relaxed mood. Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening. They're planning on a Peruvian theme for the next dinner. I don't remember exactly when it will be, and I'm not even sure I want to tell you - at least not until I book my seats! I'll be very interested to see how they do with this very different cuisine - of course it's possible that they just happen to be good with barbecue... I did not attend their first dinner, at which they surveyed some of Philly's must-eat dishes, so I can't speak to the quality of those, but this barbecue dinner was good enough that I'm looking forward to whatever they do next.

Not much info at: spinaltapas.com

Han Dynasty Center City - Authentic Sichuan on Chestnut St.

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 Dynasty opened in late December at 108 Chestnut Street, in Old City. Like the others, this latest branch concentrates on authentic Chinese dishes, especially those from Sichuan province.

Philly's Chinatown has two restaurants that feature dishes from that region: Szechuan Tasty House and Four Rivers but after eating Han Dynasty food, even the hottest flavors that Chinatown has to offer have been leaving me cold. If you like that unique combination of chili heat and sichuan peppercorn tingle, Han Dynasty can bring it, in a package that's complex and satisfying, not bluntly spicy.

Over the course of many dinners in the various locations, we've become friendly with Han Chiang, the man behind these restaurants, and he's recommended many great dishes we would have never thought to order.Luckily, it doesn't require a long history to get that kind of treatment, that's the way Han prefers to work: even on your first visit he'll ask about what you like and don't like, and steer you toward something that you'll enjoy. In his other restaurants, Han developed a reputation for showing disdain for the Americanized dishes on the menu, trying to convince people to try something more traditional Chinese. It's a good point - there's no shortage of places where you can get beef and broccoli or General Tso's Chicken, if you're in a restaurant that can make you something more interesting, seize the opportunity! At this latest restaurant, there aren't any of those cliché not-really-Chinese dishes on the menu. Instead there are categories of traditional styles of preparation, with options for specific ingredients. Many of these dishes are quite spicy, but not all of them are, there are still interesting options for those who don't care for serious heat. The different styles are marked on the menu according to relative heat level, but also, ask your server (who is very likely to be Han himself) if you want to keep the spice under control.

Rather than trying to work our way through the menu over the course of many visits, some friends and I decided to jump-start the process by getting a dozen of us together and asking Han to feed us whatever he wanted to. We gave him a few days' notice, so he was able to come up with a few special dishes, but we were equally happy with the selections from the regular menu. All of it was quite tasty and very different from what you'll get at most Chinese restaurants in Philly.

He started us with an array of cold appetizers. This is a particular strong point of this kitchen, so we recommend that everyone try something from that section of the menu. We then had a Sichuan Hot Pot, something the restaurant does not regularly offer (although they may do so in the future.) A vast array of main dishes followed, and even a dessert soup. There were varying opinions around the table about favorites, but there wasn't a bad dish all night!

	Pickled Carrots (served cold) We've decided that all meals should start with pickled something...
	Pork Belly in Chili Oil (served cold) Rich, fatty, a little sweet, a little hot: that's a good combination!
	Fu Qi Fei Pian (Sliced Tripe, Tongue and Beef in hot sauce) (served cold) Even if you don't think you like organ meats, you might just enjoy this classic dish. The textures are varied and interesting, and the flavor is vivid with sichuan peppercorn and hot chili pepper.
	Rabbit with Peanuts (served cold) This is quite delicious, but beware: there's a significant chili spice to this, and the rabbit has many tiny bones, so eating this requires careful chewing, artful bone avoidance, and an ability to pull little bones out of your mouth with a modicum of tableside decorum...
	Wontons in Chili Oil (served warm) These are great, even better if you stir them around and let them soak in the spicy oil.
	Dan Dan Noodles (served warm) This also needs to be stirred-up before eating it, but with a little tossing, the hot spices, sesame paste and ground pork cling to the noodles beautifully.

Sichuan Hot Pot

Our group was too big to just put the burner in the middle of the table and have us cook things ourselves, so Han was kind enough to do it for us. There are two types of broth in the pot, one spice the other mild. Then various thinly-sliced ingredients are put in the broth to cook. At the end, noodles are added, and one has soup.


The ingredients cooked in the spicy side of the pot picked up some intense flavors from that broth. The milder side predictably yielded a mellower result. And in the end, it's boiled food, which can only be so exciting. Regardless of the technique, a few of these items came out tasting pretty great, especially the spicy tripe, fish and mushrooms.










After the hotpot, it was time for the main dishes:

Ma Po Tofu

Dry Fried Green Beans

Frog in Dry Pot

Lamb with Cumin

Beef in Hot Sauce

Whole Fish in Spicy Bean Sauce

Taiwanese Sausage

Most of these can be found on the regular menu, although he does not regularly have Frog in Dry Pot. I've had other meats in the dry pot there though, and they're are among my favorite things there. And if you really want frogs, give Han a few days notice, and he might be able to arrange it.

That whole fish was very delicious too, especially as it soaked up that vibrant sauce. Lamb with Cumin is one of our old favorites, the meat is literally encrusted in ground cumin, and smells as good as it tastes - but you'd better be a fan of that spice! The dry-fried string beans may not look all that special, but there's some magic going on in the kitchen to make the salty preserved vegetables and ground pork adhere to the beans, which themselves are just the right balance of crisp and wilted.

The classic dish Ma Po Tofu was made with an unusually light, soft tofu. There was some debate about whether a firmer tofu matches better with the ground pork and bold flavors, but this certainly had an elegant texture. Beef in Hot Sauce featured (mostly) meltingly tender slices of beef, coated in an uncharacteristically thick, delicious sauce. Most versions I've had of this have been much hotter, and in a thinner, oilier sauce, but I enjoyed this variation.

The Taiwanese sausage was a special request, it's just a favorite of our crew, usually as an appetizer at the beginning of the meal, but it works pretty well as dessert too. Once they get a liquor license, I shudder to think how much time I could spend at the bar, drinking beer and snacking on sausage...

I liked every dish that we got, but I was especially taken with the Fu Qi Fei Pian, the Wontons in Chili Oil (once they bathed in the liquid a bit) the Dan Dan Noodles, the Frog in Dry Pot, the green beans, and the fish, even the simple carrots at the beginning. But I look forward to revisiting all of what we had, I'd happily order any of it again.

To finish the dinner, there was a sweet soup. Because we had a large group, Han decided we needed to play a game: one bowl had a red tapioca pearl in it, and that person was the "winner."

Of course, along with being the "winner" came a compulsion to do something difficult, or humiliating, or painful. Someone in our group suggested doing a shot of chili oil. So be very afraid if Han suggests playing a game... Although, it got us thinking about special cocktails for when he gets a liquor license. Maybe a Chili Oil Bomb?

The aftermath...

Somehow we manged to eat just about everything, there were very few leftovers at the end. We accompanied this with, as you can see, more than a little beer and wine. Lighter, crisp white wines, not too dry, seem to work very well with this style of food. as do beers. Interestingly, sweet, dry, hoppy, malty brews all worked in different ways. I liked beers that were all over the map: sweet Lindemann's Peche Lambic, a fruity Kasteel Rouge, a dry Ephemere Apple Ale from Unibroue, and a Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA. We also sampled one of Dogfish Head's historical reconstructions, Jiahu, based on an archeological find in China. Not our favorite beer of the night, but interesting,and certainly drinkable, and its slight sweetness went pretty well with the food. So... beer...beer is good. Or heck, some elegant off-dry Champagne isn't bad either!

All in all, a very enjoyable evening, with delicious food and good companionship. Thanks to all my dining friends, old and new, who made it possible, big thanks to Han for getting it all together, and rushing around to accommodate us, while tending a few other tables at the same time. And major props to the chefs, who put out some amazing food.

Don't wait to assemble a dozen of your closest friends - the restaurant is just as enjoyable in smaller groups - you'll just have to make a few more visits to survey the menu. That's not such a bad fate...


Han Dynasty

108 Chestnut St

215-922-1888

www.handynasty.net

Koo Zee Doo -Portugueze in Northern Liberties

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 cooking of Portugal.

A few doors north, Kong's versions of Chinese street food have been disappointing, neither authentic nor all that tasty on an absolute level. So we were concerned - how well would this chef be able to replicate and innovate when working with Portuguese cuisine that he didn't grow up eating?

Well, either chef David Gilberg is a good student, or his wife Carla Gonçalves is an excellent teacher, or both, because the food we had at two different dinners was both true to its roots, and consistently delicious. I'm no authority on Portuguese food, but on our first visit we had a native Portugeezer with us to weigh-in on the authenticity issue. After some initial skepticism, he pronounced that most things felt "right" or were at least recognizable as valid interpretations. I'm personally not all that concerned about how "correct" the food is, as long as it's tasty, but I certainly find it more interesting if it's accurately reflecting its origins.

That said, any creative act should show some traces of its creator, and reflect its place and time, and that's certainly the case here. It's Portuguese food, but made by an American chef, in Philadelphia, in 2009. So what shows up on your plate might not be exactly as any random Portuguese grandmother would make it, but I'm sure she wouldn't find it unfamiliar, or disrespectful.

The meal starts with some wonderful bread, baked in-house by Carla Gonçalves, who had already made quite a reputation in town for her baking at the previous restaurants where she and David Gilberg had worked previously. Her breads at Coquette, and even more so, her biscuits and Kimmelweck rolls at the Ugly American, had created a significant buzz. Koo Zee Doo is the most impressive showing yet by the pair, probably because it's their own place, and they're free to do things their own way, rather than collaborating with quirky owners. The breads here are a light French-Bread-ish roll, and Broa, a dense cornmeal-based bread typical of Portugal.

We started with the Queijo Fresco, a light goat's milk cheese, and the Caldo Verde, a hearty potato and collard greens soup, studded with spicy chouriço sausage. Most noteworthy was the Salada de Bacalhau com Grão em Bico, a chickpea salad with house-cured salt cod and hard-boiled egg. The fish had a wonderful firm texture and intense, salty flavor, but was much more fresh tasting and less stringy than any conventional dried cod I've ever had.

The Carne de Porco à Alentenjano (Pork and Clams) is absolutely addictive. Tender cubes of pork are accompanied by tender clams, and cubes of perfectly roasted potato, both crispy and fluffy. Those elements would be perfectly sufficient to make this noteworthy, but there's also the most delicious sauce in the bottom of the dish, a gravy-like essence of both meat and shellfish. I couldn't stop eating this.

Every once in a while, a restaurant features a dish that so strongly resonates with me that I absolutely must get it every time. I suspect that the Arroz de Pato is one of those. The baked rice is studded with crispy shreds of duck leg, and topped with a sliced, grilled duck breast. It's comforting, yet intense, a great accompaniment to other dishes, and strong enough to stand alone. Let some of that pork and clam juice seep into it, or some runny egg, that is, if it's on your plate long enough to soak anything up.

The Bife à Portuguesa (pictured at top) is a few chunks of Picanha steak, draped with slices of ham, a couple of sunny-side-up eggs and discs of the platonic ideal of the fried potato. I don't think I can even remember what a french fry is anymore, my brain has replaced all fried potatoes with an image of these. We found the steak to be tender and juicy, and the whole package, well, with the ham, and the egg yolk drizzling over the meat, and into the fried potatoes, oooph! Decadent and delicious.

The Coelho à Caçador, a rabbit stew, is really mis-named. It is in fact, a pork belly stew, with some rabbit tucked in behind the crispy edges of the roasted cubes of bacon... Well, OK, I suppose there was a big rabbit leg in there, and some other significant chunks, but it actually did take some digging to find it. Not that I'm complaining about getting unctuous nuggets of pork on my spoon as I dig for rabbit and vegetables. It's worth noting too that the tiny roasted potatoes and other vegetables in the stew were cooked really nicely as well, they weren't merely afterthoughts, or elements used only for flavoring the stew, they were quite good on their own.

Speaking of vegetables, we were intrigued by the Milho Frito, billed as fried corn porridge. (Think fried slabs of polenta, studded with vegetables.) Roasted and grilled vegetables added a mysterious smoky note to the plate. This might be a bit dense and heavy for one person to eat as an entree, but it's great for the table to share.

In fact everything is presented on large plates, in very generous portions, designed to share family-style, and I can testify that that's the best way to experience this food, having a little bit of everything.

Another of those everythings we tried was the signature Cozido Minhoto, a large pot of a wide array of meats: ribs, three kinds of sausages, chicken, cabbage and other vegetables. It's a hearty, homey dish, everything boiled together in a pot, so it bears some resemblance to a traditional New England Boiled Dinner, but with a few more varieties of meats... As you might guess from the preparation, it's very comforting and satisfying, if not shooting off the same fireworks as some of the other dishes.

There are some fish preparations we haven't gotten around to yet, but we've made our way through most of the rest of the menu. I'm not sure how often things will change on the menu, but even if it doesn't for a while, I could see coming back and ordering almost anything we had, especially that Duck Rice... I don't think this menu would make a lot of sense in the summer, but it's almost ideal Fall and Winter food, so I don't care if it stays the same for a while...

Although we were full-to-bursting both times, we managed to find just enough space for a traditional dessert, the Pastel de Nata. It's a custard-filled tart, much like the egg tart you might get in a Chinese bakery, or off a dim sum cart, but larger and well, better! In the future, we really need to make an effort to show some restraint and leave room for dessert here, because Carla Gonçalves is a talented baker and pastry chef, and there are a few other items on the menu that sound good.

Prices are quite reasonable given the mammoth portions, but this place is not cheap on an absolute level. The larger plates start in the high teens, most are in the mid $20s. Starters are under $10, Salads about $10-ish. These strike me as very good values, especially when you could get away with ordering a couple of starters and then less than one large plate per person. But then, why would you want to do that!? The better plan is to order more than you think you'll need, and then you'll have leftovers.

And you DO want leftovers...

Koo Zee Doo
614 N 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
ph: 215-923-8080
www.koozeedoo.com
(BYOB)

Awesomeness Alert: English Onion Soup at Pub and Kitchen

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 respectable version of French Onion Soup in my own kitchen, and after myriad disappointments even in very good restaurants, I almost never order it out anymore.

But I trust Pub and Kitchen chef Johnny Mac, and when I saw this on their menu, listed as English Onion Soup, I was willing to take a chance. I was even willing to allow some slack, given that it clearly was meant as a riff on the classic.

And it is indeed an original interpretation: the rich broth is based on pork stock, rather than the traditional chicken or beef. Joining the expected caramelized onions in the bowl are large pieces of fall-apart tender chunks of pork. It's a surprising addition, but a good one. A couple of toasts hold up appropriate cheese. Most importantly, the whole package harmonizes perfectly. As the weather turns chilly, this is definitely going to be a go-to-soup.

While at Pub and Kitchen, it's hard to resist their famous Windsor Burger, with homemade bacon and English Cheddar, on a very good brioche bun. I especially liked the pickled onion that accompanied the lettuce and tomato. The burger itself was juicy and very beefy, and the sum of all the elements places it high among my favorite burgers. The fries are good too, although they fade a bit as they cool...

The rest of the smallish menu has much worth investigating as well, just don't skip the soup...

Pub & Kitchen
1946 Lombard St. (at 20th)
215-545-0350
http://thepubandkitchen.com/

Stella - Starry Opening Night

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 traveling to New York City to partake in the pizza culture there, from old-school places like Patsy's in East Harlem, or Grimaldi's and DiFara's in Brooklyn, to the newer wave of Neapolitan-inspired artisan shops, like Una Pizza Napoletana (recently closed), Keste and Franny's. In fact it's been hard to keep up with all the openings and changes in NY. San Francisco also has an exciting pizza scene, as does Los Angeles. So where has Philly been during these developments?

Sure, there are some decent pizzas to be had in Philadelphia, and some of the unique local spots like Taconneli's and DeLorenzo's in Trenton lend some regional interest, but aside from Osteria, Philly had been ignoring the trend of the minimalisitic, elegant, artisan, Neo-Neapolitan pizza. Until now.

As reported extensively in the local papers, Stephen Starr's crew did extensive research before opening his pizza place, visiting many of the fabled old-school and new-school spots in New York, New Haven and beyond, even traveling to Phoenix, Arizona to experience one of the most highly-regarded restaurants in this trend, Pizzaria Bianco. I'm happy to say that, judging from our experience on opening night, even amidst the inevitable first-day bumps, the Starr crew seems to have studied well, and they've created an exciting and satisfying pizza experience at Stella.

Does it rank up with the rarified upper-eschelon of pizza places? Should New Yorkers put down their slices and travel down here for a pie? Should San Franciscans abandon A16, Delfina and Tony's Pizza Napoletana and buy a ticket for Philly? Well, maybe not, but then it's a little unfair to judge a place from one visit, and on their first night. Despite that hedging, we thought the pizza was very good, and we're thrilled that a place has opened in Philly that is seriously pursuing this type of thin-crusted pizza, made in the Neapolitan style, with high-quality ingredients and attention to detail. They may not be striving for the obsessive artisan perfection that some spots do, but they've achieved at least a high-quality, reliably tasty result.

That high level of critical asessment was evident to us, sitting at the bar, inches away from the counter where the pizzas were being assembled, then after emerging mere minutes later from the blazing-hot oven, sliced and readied for service. We saw a surprising number of pizzas being tossed in the trash, not measuring-up to the critical standards of chef Chris Painter, who gave each pie a careful inspection, including a few taps to the bottom to test the structural integrity of the crust, before slicing them and sending them out.

And it showed in the final product: the crusts were light and crisp, yet had a satisfying bread-like chewiness, not a crackery crunch. The tomato sauce was fresh and bright, although at least one member of our party felt that it might be overly-herby, too dark with oregano for his taste. Toppings were of high-quality, applied sparingly, although more generously than some of the hard-line Neapolitan joints.

We started with a required baseline pie: a basic Margherita, featuring nothing more than sauce, mozzarella and basil. I thought this was pretty dead-on, with a perfectly charred crust, a good balance of toppings, and a wonderful texture. There's always room for debate about sauce recipes and ideal degrees of doneness, but this pizza certianly hit a satisfying sweet-spot.

We also sampled one of the more ingulgent entries on the menu, the Tartufu, featuring dollops of black truffle paste, a drizzle of truffle oil, and a raw egg cracked on top. It's carefully sliced to avoid breaking the yolk, so it arrives at the table intact, but the server then spreads it around with a spoon, which is probably a good idea, ensuring a more even distribution around the pizza, rather than it mostly running down into the cracks between slices.

Our server performed this maneuver before I could manage to snap a photo of the intact egg, but it's still pretty nice-looking... More importantly, it's quite tasty, with the earthy and rich flavors that you'd expect from its components. We found ourselves musing about how one more flavor would really put this over the top, but we never figured out exactly what that that flavor could be...

We quite enjoyed our seats at the counter, with a great view of the process, including a good angle right into the oven itself. And it turned out that those seats had another advantage: by total coincidence, Art Etchells from Foobooz sat down next to us, and before long, we'd negotiated a trade of some of our slices for a taste of his Pistachio pizza. Somehow, in the chaos of trading slices, I managed to forget to snap a photo, but I liked it enough that I'd order it again, and I promise to photograph it then! (And with a better camera too, I was caught without my usual gear, so all these photos are from my iPhone...) That pizza is an interpretation of one from Pizzaria Bianco, and while I haven't had the opportunity to try the original, the textures and flavors of this version, with merely nuts, Fontina and red onion, were quite good.

Another dining partner down the counter had a pizza with sausage, which had a great fennel kick, so I'm looking forward to trying a whole pizza with that topping soon.

We also tried what has become an unexpected favorite pizza of mine, the Marinara. This most minimal of pies features nothing more than their San Marzano tomato-based sauce, a little garlic, a few herbs. I've found that this expression of pizza lets one really taste the sauce, fully experience the crust. And it didn't disappoint, those very basic flavors and textures worked beautifully. We've had crusts with a little more character, sauce that sang with more freshness of pure tomato essence, but still Stella made a respectable showing even in this most demanding context.

The wine list is short and fairly basic, but hey, it's a pizza place. Mark-ups are predictably severe, except for the very drinkable house red, a Montepulciano that goes nicely with this food, and is available by the glass at a very reasonable price, I can't quite remember $5.50? $6.50? The wine is served in short tumblers, which somehow doesn't seem quite as annoying in this context as it is in some others. Our glasses, and the wine itself, were quite warm, we're hoping this is a simple procedural thing they can fix.

The space is pleasant enough, if a little generic and chain-like. It doesn't have that typical Starr design flair (although it does have the typical Starr loud clamor in the dining room.) None of us cared much for the large photo of Venice on the wall behind the oven. First, uh, why Venice? Second, it's just not that compelling of a photo, clearly a vintage shot of the grand canal, but not an especially exciting one. That said, I wasn't looking at the mural very much, I was more transfixed by the flames inside the oven, and the beautiful pizzas shuttling in and out.

It's a little too early to tell whether this will ultimately be a serious pizza destination, or merely a good option for the neo-Neapolitan style. But it's a real thrill to see this kind of pizza finally available in Philly, and the evident care with which the chefs were preparing the pizzas on opening night bodes well. I'll most certainly be working my way down the rest of the menu, which does include a few appetizers and salads, charcuterie, and even gelato, in addition to several more pizzas. I'm very happy to have Stella here, in Philly, and in a relatively accessible location at that.

UPDATE:
A second visit revealed a couple of changes. The first was in the form of the pizza crust. They seem to be making the pizzas with a larger, thicker cornicione (the raised outer edge of the crust.) I'm not in favor of this development, I think this new style of crust creates edges that are too dense and chewy. I noticed other tables that had finished plates with piles of crust on them, not that unusual in an American-style pizzeria, but really shouldn't be happening in one going for more of a Neapolitan style. I found myself leaving parts of the outer crust uneaten as well, which I did not do on my first visit.

Also: they seem to have changed the sausage used as a topping. On our first visit, it was bright with fennel seed, with an appealing sweetness. This time, the flavor was much more muted, not exactly bad, but not nearly as interesting as before.

In better news, the pepperoni they use is quite tasty, so I quite enjoyed that pizza. The sauce, pepperoni, cheese and crust were in nice balance. Well, almost, there was that issue of the too-thick edges... The Philly outpost of Lombardi's pizza that was on 18th street near Sansom for a few years used to make a pretty killer pepperoni pizza, with slightly thicker slices of meat, and I wouldn't mind that here, but this is not a bad alternative.

Purists will scoff at pepperoni on a pizza, you're unlikely to find that topping many pizzas in Italy. In fact, you're unlikely to find pepperoni at all, it being an American thing... But I think the Italians are missing out! Sure, there are more complex spicy sausages that one could use instead, but there's something very appealing about pepperoni on a pizza. And if one gets good pepperoni, like the ones they make in-house at DiBruno's, I think it's even better in this use than a traditional soppressata or other southern-style salame piccante.

The other good news is that some of the non-pizza offerings are worth checking out as well. We especially liked the Octopus and Squid appetizer. It's a chilled salad, with amazingly tender rings of squid (it could do with a higher percentage of octopus...) small chunks of potato, some herbs, and a light dressing. It's very nicely executed, and a pleasant contrast to hot doughy pizza.


Pizzaria Stella
420 South 2nd St (at Lombard)
215-320-8000
www.pizzeriastella.net

Awesomeness Alert: Charbroiled Beef Short Ribs at Vietnam Palace

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 as a result, I hadn't thought to cross the street in years.

But we recently dared to venture across 11th street to visit Vietnam Palace, and it's there where we stumbled upon our current appetizer obsession: Suong Bo Nuong - Charbroiled Beef Short Ribs. They're sticky, they're sweet, they're salty, smoky, a little chewy, intensely beefy. They're addictive. We've been back three times in recent weeks, sometimes just to get a couple of orders of these. They're a little like Korean Barbecued shortribs, specifically the L.A. Kalbi cut that is strangely hard-to-find in Philadelphia, featuring that distictive cross-bone cut. The sauce is a little thicker and sweeter than one usually finds at Korean restaurants, but the grill char and general flavor profile is reminiscent of that style.

We'd actually oniginally returned to Vietnam Palace to have their "Beef Carpaccio," officially called Bo Tai Chanh. It's thin slices of raw beef, marinated in lime juice, accented by basil, peanuts, raw and fried onions, and hot peppers. We'd been disappointed in some other versions we'd tried around town, and remembered this one as being especially good - and it is - maybe even better than we'd remembered - far and away the best rendition of this dish we've found in Philadelphia.

So that makes two compelling reasons to go to Vietnam Palace, and we haven't even gotten off the appetizer page yet. We've been so obsessed with these dishes that we haven't gotten too deep into the rest of the menu, but we can testify that papaya salad, broken-rice dishes and curries are very good. (I'd skip the fried spring rolls, the ones across the street are much better...)

Vietnam Palace
222 N 11th St (west side of the street)
Philadelphia 19107
(215) 592-9596

The Oyster House - A New Beginning

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 tourist traps, or both, it was somehow comforting to know one could get some of those old-school classics, even if they weren't that good anymore...

Thankfully, not only have the original owners of the Sansom Street Oyster House reopened as simply Oyster House, but they've also updated both the physical space and the menu. The room itself is barely recognizeable, now sporting a very modern, clean, open look, with the charming retro touch of antique oyster plates adorning the walls. The menu too is a mix of the old and new, with straight-up fish house classics, with a few modern tweaks.

The very Philadelphian Snapper Soup is much cleaner and brighter and, well, better than the traditional versions I've had. It's full of flavorful, fresh turtle meat and still-vibrant vegetables, in a full-flavored, but decidedly un-pasty broth. Add a couple of drizzles of sherry, and it's really quite delicious.

They've just opened their doors, so I haven't had a chance to try their clam chowder or oyster stew, but the descriptions of both are so appealing that I doubt I'll be able to wait for cooler, more soup-appropriate weather. I'll dive into a good chowder even in the heat of summer, but I look forward to dropping in here for a warming bowl of one of these soups on a cold winter evening.

They Oyster House isn't stuck in Philadelphia traditions either, they wisely borrow from some other seafood-centric regions, especially New England. Although chef Greg Ling says they're having trouble sourcing the authentic split-top rolls, the Lobster Roll is still a pretty dead-on rendition, and more importantly, delicious.

It's a little on the pricey side (varies with the market price, this time it was $26) but there's a ton of excellent lobster meat, perfectly-cooked, lightly dressed, piled on a toasted bun. Pure lobster indulgence without having to wrestle with shells... it's pretty great. I'm not going to get into the argument about whether lobster rolls should be cold with mayo, or warm with butter, and just say that this one is very tasty. We'd prefer thicker fries, but while we were complaining about how we don't really care for shoestrings, we inhaled all of them....

The Fried Ipswitch Clams (pictured at top) were very good, nicely tender inside and crunchy outside. The batter is actually quite flavorful, which some might say distracts from the clams, but I don't think so, I felt like I could still taste the juicy bellies inside. I think someone was moving too fast and gave us cocktail sauce instead of tartar sauce, but they quickly replaced it, and the clams were a little better dipped in the intended condiment!

To accompany, we sipped the Oyster House Punch, a rum, tea and citrus concoction that was refreshing and tingly with spice on its own, but also complimented the food very nicely. There's a nice selection of classic cocktails, slightly tweaked by our good friend, bartendrix Katie Loeb. The bar selection is not terribly deep yet, but I'm confident it will expand, and in the interim, if you'd like a drink that's not on their list, just ask, they may be able to make it for you. Our party indulged in Sazeracs and Corpse Revivers in addition to the punch, and the yellow-tomato juice-based Bloody Mary variation, the Blonde Caesar seemed to be very popular at the bar. I'm sure that we'll see some more drinks appear on the cocktail list over time, but even now, the slightly-updated classics are pretty satisfying.


I was still mid-clams as a dining companion moved ahead to dessert, so I didn't taste it, but a fruity cobbler/crisp kind of thing looked pretty darn good! I was told that it would have been better warmer, but hey, this was the restaurant's opening day, we're not going to get nudgey about things yet!


As we were getting ready to go, we chatted a bit with chef Ling, and somewhere it same up that we hadn't tried any Oyster Shooters. He was kind enough to offer us a couple, even though the shuckers had packed everything up. He dug-out a couple of oysters, and Katie mixed-up the accompaniments.


To be honest, I'm not sure I get Oyster Shooters, I can't quite figure out whether I'm supposed to be just swallowing them, in which case I feel like you miss the oyster, or if you're chewing-up the oyster a little, there's kind of a lot of fluid... But then, I might just be a little clueless! If you like oyster shooters, they have some very interesting ones, with innovative flavorings, check them out!

Of course we only scratched the surface of the menu, and opening-night is not the fairest time to assess a place, but we were very impressed. It's a great-looking spot, the food was all good, and service seemed very smooth, especially given it was their first day open to the public. So we look forward to trying more, including, incongruously enough, an amazing-looking burger, which is billed as being made from aged prime beef, and got a big thumbs-up from a guy across the bar from us.

Oyster House
1516 Sansom St