Awesomeness Alert - Cocktails and Charcuterie at James

Update: sadly James has closed, and the chef has moved to NYC... 

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 cocktails are delicious. There's not a long list of them, but the specialty cocktails on the menu are quite interesting. The bottles at the back of the bar are high-quality, but not especially numerous, so the options may be more limited than at other cocktalian destinations around town, but the drinks they make are worth a trip. The Cava Cocktail '88' seems like it might be sweet and innocuous, but after an initial hit of fruit, the dryness of the sparkling wine rolls back in, the complex overtones from peach bitters lingering on the palate. Unexpectedly deep for something so pretty.

The Tommy Gunn mixes Tub Gin and absinthe with a touch of lime for a drink that's resiny, piney, herbal, and unexpectedly refreshing. This might just be the summer drink to beat. Served in a big old fashioned glass, it's one of those concoctions that evolves slowly over time, as the temperature changes and the slow dilution from melting ice alters the balance of power.

Despite the comfortable bar and inviting lounge area, James is a restaurant, and it would be a shame to ignore the talents of chef James Burke. There's a smallish bar/lounge menu, but they seem happy to serve selections from the main menu as well, even if you're sitting at the bar. This is one of those bars that's comfortable to eat at, and our bartender was every bit as informed and helpful about the food as the regular waitstaff, so there's little downside to eating at the bar, especially if you're a party of one or two.

The first thing that caught our eyes on the bar menu was the house-made charcuterie platter. It's becoming increasingly common to find interesting charcuterie or salumi in Philly, and in more and more places, some or all of the meats have been cured in-house. We're big fans of the salumi at Osteria, and we recently had a very nice selection of homemade charcuterie at Fork, so it's only after careful consideration when I say that this might be our favorite plate of preserved meats. I'm sure which specific items are included will vary over time, but we got two terrines, one made from rabbit, the other from pork. Duck prosciutto has become almost mundane around here, but this version was especially intense and tender. Porchetta, Sopressata and Rillettes filled out the plate, which was also adorned with two homemade mustards and a fennel mostarda. Accompanying was a dish of three pickles: ramps, radish and tiny cucumber, each marinated in a different brine. Each element was very good, but taken as a whole, it became our favorite charcuterie platter in Philly.

It could be all about the pickles...


James
824 S. 8th Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19147
www.jameson8th.com

Awesomeness Alert - Cochon's Burger

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 during Sunday Brunch (11am-3pm) and it's hard to resist the more traditional breakfast-oriented options. But it's worth skipping the glazed ham and eggs, the gargantuan pancake, the berry-covered french toast. Get the burger.

Cochon
801 E Passyunk Ave
(near 6th and Catherine Streets)
(215) 923-7675

www.cochonbyob.com

New Phnom Penh - Cambodian cuisine in South Philly

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 Wolf.

The cuisines of neighboring Vietnam and Thailand have a much larger presence on the Philadelphia restaurant scene, and on the surface, Khmer cooking seems pretty similar, but it's most definitely not identical. The flavors are different, often a bit bigger and bolder, darker and funkier than one might find in a Vietnamese restaurant, less spicy than Thai.

We started with spring rolls, which may not have been stylistically unique, but they were excellent: perfectly crispy wrappers enclosing a meaty ground pork filling. They were even better wrapped in basil and lettuce, and dipped in a sweet sauce.


A special soup featured sliced beef, ground pork, fishcakes (and normally shrimp) atop rice noodles, in a hearty broth. The soup is not as delicate and aromatic as a Pho, but the gutsy flavor made up for any lack of subtlety. Fresh bean sprouts and a squeeze of lime gave it some added complexity.


Pork on Rice Noodles seemed a little blah at first taste, but little by little, a subtle spice crept up, eventually revealing a complex curry-like flavor to the thick sauce, that was especially good soaked-up by the pleasantly chewy noodles.


A dish called "Beef Style" on Rice was probably "Loc Lac". which is somewhat similar to the Viet "Shaking Beef" but again had a unique flavor, slightly sweeter, funkier, nuttier.



There's really no better way to finish a meal like this than with some dark coffee with condensed milk.

All of our food was quite good, service was very friendly, our server happily offering suggestions when we asked what was good. Prices were extremely reasonable, about $30 for all that food. I suspect that many of the recommendations we got were for dishes that were palatable to newcomers, so we're eager to get back and dig deeper. We noticed a lot of folks having soup, and dipping fried dough into it, which looked pretty great... There's plenty more to explore on this menu, and another restaurant or two just up the street, so we hope to have updates soon.


New Phnom Penh
2301 S. Seventh St. (at Wolf)
215.389.2122

If Pigs Could Fly...

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 it's hard to imagine a credible challenge to this brilliant concept: Pork Wings.

Yes, that's right, like Buffalo Chicken Wings, but made with a vastly superior raw material. As far as I know, they haven't been doing any weird genetic modifications to cause pigs to sprout wings, these are actually pork shanks, with the bones frenched to make convenient handles. We had these as a special at Cantina Los Caballitos, although rumor has it that something similar is on the blackboard at Royal Tavern.

The sauce is more substantial than the traditional hot sauce and butter coating for buffalo wings, there's a nice barbecue-ish tang to it, and a bit of heat. The blue cheese dip might be a little predictable, but it's delicious, and a revered combo for a reason. The "wings" themselves are much meatier, with deeper flavor and less grease than a traditional chicken wing. It appears that they're grilled, or maybe broiled, definitely not deep-fried, giving them a perfect caramelized crust, but not an oily coating.

This one's going to be hard to beat... so I feel confident getting behind this one as the true champion, the best bar snack in the city.

We couldn't just get the wings though. So we needed some empanadas, which were better than ever. I really loved these when the Cantina first opened, then there was a mid-period when they were still good, but not transcendent, but I'm happy to say that they're back to being as good as ever, maybe better than ever. Tender pastry, wrapping a moist, flavorful shredded meat, that's all I ever ask for from an empanada.

We also got the Pork Anticuchos, rum-glazed grilled skewers of pork, served over a quinoa salad. Somehow I didn't manage to get a good photo of them, but they were quite attractive, but more importantly, delicious, with a nice char on the outside, but remaining juicy.

But the real reason we came was for the Goat Tacos. I've had a few goat tacos at taquerias around South Philly, but I never loved those. I'm not sure what prompted me to try these, they may have been recommended by Shola from StudioKitchen, and when he says something is worth checking out, I believe him!

And indeed, over the last six months or so, these have become one of my favorite things to eat anywhere. There's a depth of flavor to these that leaves most other tacos tasting bland in comparison, yet this version doesn't have that funky, gamey taste that so often shows up in this meat. There's something about the spicing and cooking technique that chef Mark McKinney uses that renders the meat tender, juicy, and vibrant.

I've been especially liking these with a little dab of guacamole and some pineapple salsa, but I'll also happily eat them plain. If you've never thought of eating goat, this might be the place to try it, you won't be sorry.

So, between the pork "wings" the empanadas and the goat tacos, this meal contained some of my favorite things. And the rest was pretty darn tasty too...

Cantina Los Caballitos
1651 East Passyunk Ave
South Philly
(215) 755-3550

The Philly Sandwich Lexicon

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 up in a "sub"urb in another state, and had had no idea what hoagies, grinders or cheesesteaks were before coming to Philly. They were all "subs" to me. But the Washington Post writer would have done his readers a favor if he explained the local customs a bit, and detailed the accepted local jargon.

So, as a public service to visitors or the newly-arrived, let's try to catalog some of the quirks of Philly sandwich slang. I'm sure I don't know all the vocabulary, so please feel free to add your comments, and I'll compile them into this guide to sandwich terminology for visitors and new Philadelphians!

Keep in mind, this vocabulary is used IN Philly, the slang may change pretty quickly with distance in any direction. It's probably different in the various neighborhoods, but we'll do our best.


The Philly Sandwich Lexicon:


Hoagies
A "Hoagie" is a sandwich on a long Italian roll, by default dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion, salt, pepper oregano and a drizzle of oil. Sweet or hot marinated peppers are usually offered. The exact array of toppings can be customized, and usually is, but if you don't specify, it will probably include all the above. These items are most often placed on top of the meat as the last step, but some places make the sandwich with more meat or cheese piled on top, which tends to keep everything together a little better.

The term "hoagie" has more to do with the specific dressings than with the roll, yet the roll is a necessary component. If you put the identical fillings on a kaiser roll, it's not a hoagie any more. Plain turkey and mayo on a long roll might be called a turkey hoagie, but it would almost be easier to call it a turkey sandwich on a hoagie roll, because it's going to take a lot of explaining to get a turkey hoagie with no cheese, no lettuce, no tomato, no onions, no oil, no peppers, no spices... it would start sounding like that scene in 5 Easy Pieces in which Jack Nicholson is trying to get some wheat toast by ordering a chicken salad sandwich.

A "Grinder" is a hoagie toasted in the oven, usually with some cheese on top.


Cheesesteaks
A "Cheesesteak" is a hot sandwich made with thin-sliced beef, cooked on a flat-top grill. It may be chopped into small shreds while on the grill, or left in slices. Discussing which of these is correct, or more authentic, is guaranteed to start a fistfight. A cheesesteak is always served on a long Italian roll, which may vary from soft to firm to crusty depending on the place. Discussing who has the best roll is guaranteed to start a fistfight. Given the vast number of places making them, there are bound to be deviations from the long-roll: Donkey's Place in Camden uses a kaiser roll, as does McNally's for their famous Schmitter, but those are rare exceptions.

As you might guess from the name, the sandwich usually includes cheese. It could be Cheez Whiz, American cheese or provolone. Discussing which of these is best, or the original, is guaranteed to start a fistfight. Simply ordering a cheesesteak without specifying the type of cheese will get you whiz at most of the old-school stands, American cheese at a sidewalk cart or food truck. There are some exceptions to this, so if you have a preference, indicate it as part of the order. One can of course get a steak without cheese, but it might take a few repeats of "no cheese" to make sure it won't be slathered with whiz. If you order provolone, a few places will ask: "sharp?" indicating the more flavorful aged cheese. The correct answer is "yes."

A cheesesteak is not referred-to as a hoagie, although it's the same shape. You can have a "cheesesteak hoagie" but that indicates a cheesesteak dressed like a hoagie, with lettuce, tomato, onion, etc. It usually implies mayo on the roll and provolone cheese as well.

"wit" at an old-school cheesesteak stand indicates "with fried onions." If you're not from South Philly, it is acceptable to say "with fried onions." This might actually be preferable, until you can get the exact pronunciation of "wit" down. It's somewhere between "wit" and "wid." Listen carefully while you're in line. Because "wit" sounds a lot like "whiz," it is often misunderstood to mean "with cheez whiz." But the most common cheesesteak order at a place like Pat's is "whiz wit" which would be redundant if wit meant whiz. Cheesesteak customization is indicated in a specific sequence: (non-onion) vegetables, then type of cheese, then onions or not. E.g., Pepper Whiz wit. Mushrooom Provolone witout.

"wit" is only used for cheesesteaks, asking for an Italian hoagie wit, or a Roast Pork sandwich wit, will probably elicit "wit what?" Do not ask for "con las cebollas fritas" or "con" for short, at Geno's. You might get away with "con le cipolle fritte" but I wouldn't risk it.

"pizzasteak" indicates a cheesesteak with tomato sauce poured on the meat. It usually also means provolone cheese by default. It occasionally means provolone or mozzarella on top, with the whole thing toasted in the oven.

There is no such thing as a cheesesteak "with everything." That phrase may work when ordering a hot dog or hamburger, but is nonsensical at a cheesesteak joint. The New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni famously asked for that at John's, and there was great confusion and consternation all around.

Cheesesteaks must be eaten immediately. Do not get them to go, don't let them get wrapped, don't wait, don't go stand in the Pat's french fry and beverage line. Eat the thing! It's getting significantly worse by the second.

A "chickensteak" is an abomination in the eyes of the culinary Gods. Please stop talking about them. I don't care if they're good. You can't get a chickensteak at any of the iconic cheesesteak places. There is a reason for that.

Rating and ranking cheesesteak joints is a local obsession, and one that, you guessed it, is guaranteed to start a fistfight. There's never going to be a definitive list, there are just too many places making them, so making a truly thorough study, with multiple visits to the same places, is just too daunting. That said, folks can't resist, and lists are made. A pretty good one came from a surprising source: Glen Macnow from WIP sports radio came up with a strong list, with credible explanations for his findings. The Philadelphia Inquirer's Craig Laban undertook The Cheesesteak Project several years back, with the help of some local high school kids. I can't find the list any more, they may have taken it down, thinking it was out of date? The top spot in that survey went to John's Roast Pork, and many agree. I might agree, but I find it very hard to order a cheesesteak there, when they make an excellent roast pork sandwich as well.


Roast Pork Sandwiches

Despite the cheesesteak's fame, the roast pork sandwich is actually Philly's best sandwich, and just as unique. Thin-sliced herby roasted pork, piled on a long roll, moistened with some garlicky jus, it's much more complex and rewarding than a cheesesteak. These sandwiches are often served with sautéed greens, either spinach or broccoli rabe. Some believe that the slightly bitter rabe overwhelms the flavor of the pork, others say it balances the fattiness. Discussing which of these positions is correct is guaranteed to start a fistfight. Pork sandwiches are usually accompanied by provolone cheese, often aged, sharp provolone. When offered the option, get the sharp, it contrasts well with the rich meat. Do not order whiz on your pork sandwich. It's oddly delicious on a cheesesteak, but perversely wrong on pork. I'm not sure if anyplace would even give it to you. Let's hope not.

Roast Pork Italian is a roast pork sandwich with greens and sharp provolone. You may be asked to choose between spinach and rabe, and between sharp and mild cheese. Be ready.

There are three iconic roast pork stands: John's, DiNic's and Tony Luke's. A good case could be made for adding George's on 9th street to that list. At John's they only have spinach, so don't ask for rabe. DiNic's used to be spinach-only, but have added rabe, so it's your choice. Tony Luke's has both. George's has rabe. DiNic's also offers roasted peppers. When at John's always get the large pork sandwich, even if you're not all that hungry. The small comes on an undistinguished kaiser roll, and is therefore a much less interesting sandwich. The large comes on one of the best rolls on earth, so go ahead and splurge. Even if you only eat half of it, it will be much tastier.

In November of 2006, Philadelphia Magazine restaurant critic Maria Gallagher compiled a list of the best roast pork sandwiches. It still looks pretty good to me, and includes some great details about the origins of the rolls, which is a pretty important component of a pork sandwich. Interestingly, a roll that's good for a cheesesteak may not be good for roast pork, and many places use bread from different bakeries for the different sandwiches.

Other Sandwiches
Places such as Tony Luke's and Shank and Evelyn's have chicken cutlet and veal cutlet sandwiches that are worth checking out, but I don't know any special ordering tricks. Some of the best sandwiches in town can be gotten in little Vietnamese places around Washington Avenue. Those Bahn Mi (sometimes called Vietnamese hoagies) are inexpensive and delicious, served on good crusty French bread with picked vegetables. Anyone have any good ordering techniques?

Any other good tips from Philly residents on unintuitive terminology or ordering quirks? Thanks!

Ugly American Brunch

Update: Chefs David and Carla Gilberg left the Ugly American and opened their own excellent restaurant called Koo Zee Doo, in Northern Liberties.  The Ugly American is still in business, but seems to have scaled-back the food side of their operation.

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, more of a sweet Italian style than a rustic country one, but that's of little consequence because the whole package worked beautifully. The creamy sauce was rich, but not too thick, which too often bogs-down unskilled versions of this dish. The eggs were poached perfectly, still a little soft and runny. The biscuit was first-rate: a little sweet, almost cakey, but substantial enough to hold up to the hearty topping. The portion was very generous. Looking at the following photos, I'm not sure that the portion size communicates very well, they're pretty big plates, and the serving sizes were pretty satisfying all around.

We also sampled a Lobster Omelet, which was very well-executed, with fluffy eggs surrounding a creamy, cheesey sauce with lumps of lobster. Roasted potatoes were good too.

French Toast was good, if not especially outstanding. It was executed well, and was served with good maple syrup, the bananas went well with it. I think we're spoiled by the crazy versions at Carman's, and so, expect French Toast to be a riot on the plate. Still, there's something to be said for a basic rendition.

There's also much to recommend basic ham and eggs, when the ham is this good, and the eggs are properly cooked, and especially when it comes with one of those biscuits.

Coffee cups were a little small, but they came around with refills often enough that it wasn't an issue. The space was mysteriously not packed, in fact almost empty, although we were there on the late end of brunch service, which ends at 3pm. I'm confident there were still long waits at Sabrina's and Morning Glory at that time. Seize the moment, get in here before the word gets out and it becomes totally jammed. The menu's not huge, but the food's very good. And no matter what you do, don't miss the biscuits.

The Ugly American

Update: Chefs David and Carla Gilberg left the Ugly American and opened their own excellent restaurant called Koo Zee Doo, in Northern Liberties.  The Ugly American is still in business, but seems to have scaled-back the food side of their operation. 

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 have a few quibbles with some specifics of the preparations, but overall the food was fairly satisfying.

Their "Beef on Wick" is a very tasty roast beef sandwich, given an extra dimension by a very good roll studded with caraway seeds and coarse salt. We suspect these rolls are made in-house, they're certainly not from Wegmans, and house baker Carla Gilberg made some wonderful bread during the short stint she and her husband, Ugly American chef David Gilberg, spent at the Queen Village bistro Coquette. The roll is the secret to this sandwich, and this is a very good version, but there's one other crucial element that didn't quite survive the trip from Buffalo to Philly. A Beef on Wick is always served with horseradish alongside, to provide its unique kick to the rich meat. In this version, a cup of jus on the side was supposed to be spiked with horseradish, but bore no evidence of it. When we asked about it, they brought us a small dish of grated fresh horseradish, which illustrated the problem: it was dried out and flavorless. The concept could have worked, and we respect the impulse to use fresh horseradish root, just not if it doesn't taste like anything! Note to the Ugly Americans: no need to deconstruct this, just put some good jarred horseradish on the side, it'll be an awesome sandwich. This version is somewhat unconventionally topped with caramelized onions, but I can heartily endorse that variation!

(Incidentally, although "weck" might be more proper, "wick" is a commonly-seen spelling for these rolls, and sandwiches. Around Buffalo, they can be found called "kummelweck" "Kimmelwick" and variations of the two.)


Another Upstate New York specialty on offer is the notorious "Garbage Plate" made famous by Nick Tahou's in Rochester. It's basically a variety of diner foods all piled together on a plate, although a few particular ingredients have become emblematic. The base is fries, usually home fries, but sometimes french fries. There's either macaroni salad or baked beans at the core as well. Burgers or hot dogs are usually stacked on top, then slathered with a unique "hot sauce" then mustard and onions. Ugly American doesn't slavishly adhere to the conventional structure, but includes most of the elements in a slightly upscale version. There are good french fries, decent macaroni salad, juicy burgers, and a "mustard pan sauce" drizzled on top.

The hot sauce (not a spicy pepper concoction like Tabasco, more like an exotically spiced meat sauce, similar to a thin chili) is a crucial element in a Garbage Plate, but is sadly absent here. So it's hard to directly compare the Ugly American's offering to the classic version. Theirs is more of an interpretation, and as such, it's pretty tasty. But other than the burgers being served on top of mac salad, it's not especially Garbage-plate-ish. Stack everything on top of the potatoes, and glop-on a version of the hot sauce, and they'd really have something. I'd love to see white hots as an alternative to the burgers too. OK, I'll admit it, I just want to see some white hots...


A chickory salad echoes a French classic made with frisée. The dressing was a little shockingly lemony, but an earthy truffle flavor comes through as well, and the combination plays well off the bitter greens and rich poached egg.


The "American Cassoulet" was very close to excellent. The black-eyed peas and collard greens provided a hearty base for luxuriously fatty pork belly and nicely spicy sausages. Everything was baked together with a crispy breadcrumb crust, creating a pleasing textural range along with the comforting flavors. The one thing that kept this dish from greatness was that one of the sausages had dried out completely. The second one was quite delicious, but that first one was tragically dessicated. One would hope that was a fluke, and we'd recommend this dish as the ultimate winter comfort food.


Lighter and brighter is a dish featuring perfectly-seared scallops, along with clams, brussels sprouts, and "salt potatoes." The tiny new potatoes weren't roasted whole with rock salt, in the fashion of the classic central NY "salt potatoes" but sliced-up, they absorbed the vibrant butter sauce to pleasing effect. This was an excellent dish, similar to, but much better than, an entrée Gilberg had prepared at Coquette.

We were too stuffed to attempt most of the numerous desserts, all of which sounded quite appealing. We did manage to sample some sorbet, which had good flavors, but a curiously thick, creamy, almost gummy texture. It was not completely unpleasant, but odd, and made the sorbets a bit less refreshing than one expects. But we noticed some great-looking desserts being delivered to other tables, so we're eager to try some more.

We're being a little nit-picky in some of our complaints, although there's not much subjective about a dessicated sausage. The wine list is perfunctory at best. The beer list is better, but they need a cocktail menu.

But on the up-side, overall the food was pretty good, and we could certainly see going back. We feel like they're missing an opportunity by not featuring more regional American specialties (Binghamton Spiedies? Cincinatti Chili? A Kentucky Hot Brown? New Mexico Green Chile Enchiladas?) But even without any geographical expansion, there's good food to be had here. I could see going back on a regulaar basis just to get a Wick fix!

The Ugly American
1100 S. Front Street
215-336-1100