philadining

Since it started snowing, I've been craving a Réveillon. Thanks to Nick at Apothecary in Philly for poisoning my mind with this obsession...

Wow, sorry to hear that Al. I've had a few small complaints about the XLB from time to time, mostly that the crimped tops sometimes get a little tough, but over all the times I've been there, I've never had even one of them break apart. That's one of the things I like about them: they're tender and delicate, but not so fragile that they self-destruct. I'm amazed to hear that your bok choy was greasy. The menu mentions how much less oily their cooking is than other styles, and I've generally found that to be true. The Inky's Rick Nichols wasn't thrilled with the duck noodles either, but Lari Robling from the Daily News liked them better. They've been good enough when I've gotten them that I keep ordering them over again! I'll admit that it might be mostly about the sauce... I've had good luck here overall. It's not always perfect, but I've never had any major disappointments. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't want to try it again, but I suspect you could have a better time if you did, it seems to me that you hit them at an unusual low point. Thanks for the tips about the Shanghainese places in Jersey, we'll have to go check those out. I tend to look at the glass as half-full here in Philly: we DO have a Hangzhou-style restaurant; we have good Shanghainese food at Dim Sum Garden; Taiwanese at Empress Garden and out in the burbs at Han Dynasty in Exton (and now in Royersford); Sichuan at Chung King Garden, Four Rivers, Szechuan Tasty House, and again at the Han Dynasties; Chiu Chow at Ong's; Fujianese and more at Pot Luck. And then there's plenty of really great Cantonese hiding among the Americanized places if you dig a little. There are Chinatowns in many cities that don't offer that much. And that's not even counting Burmese, Malaysian, Vietnamese...

Stopped in at ZWG on sunday afternoon, and was happy to see them packed. The two large tables were filled by one large group, much like we did a few months back, and really ought to do again... Thankfully we were able to squeeze into one of the remaining tables. I had been thinking that I already had photos of everything we ordered, but realized later that we had a few new things that would have been good to document. Oh darn, I'll just have to get them again! Started with pork juicy buns, which were really quite excellent. It's true that they're smaller, and with slightly thicker wrappers than those at Dim Sum Garden, but I think I like these better. They're a little easier to eat, and I like both the flavor, and the ratio of soup to meat to noodle. Nothing wrong with the Dim Sum Garden version, and I can see why someone might prefer the larger size, but I like these. So there. Also had vegetable dumplings in soup, which had pleasingly tender dough filled with green vegetables, in a very nice chicken broth. The Scallion Tofu Soup was excellent. There was definitely more going on than just scallions and tofu, but I couldn't tell you what. Baby bok choy in garlic sauce was nicely done, no surprises, just good. The duck in the Hangzhou duck noodle was a little bony, but hey, it's a duck, they have bones. It's a small place, with a small staff, so when they're full, especially when a huge group drops in on them, they can get a bit backed-up, but I actually didn't think it was all that slow, although Helen warned me that it might be. As I was posting this comment I was surprised to see that I hadn't written about a visit a while back. We just had a few things, but they were good, one thing in particular. Ribs with Bean Curd were tasty, the spongy, yet firm, tofu soaking up the sauce in a very pleasing way. Pet's Ear Shape Dough Soup has an odd name, but you can see the little noodles, shaped something like small orecchiette, along with various meats and vegetables. I think there might usually be shrimp in it too, but they were nice enough to leave it out for me! It as a good soup, and the noodles had an interesting texture. But my favorite thing at that meal was unexpected: fried rice. This is very different from any other fried rice I've had, with a different texture to the rice itself, and a slightly smoky flavor. We had the mixed one that included beef and chicken and pork, along with various vegetables. It's the best fried rice I've had in Philly's Chinatown, distinct in style from most others. The menu has a lot of photos now, so it's easier to navigate if you're not sure what everything is.

I agree that stirring the gumbo in a pot on the stove is much more satisfying, and you can even convince yourself that you're making something, but perversely, I think the microwave might work better... On the stovetop, you risk breaking-up the chunks of meat, and you could even scorch it if you're not careful with the heat, or attentive with the stirring. And the mike is pretty crucial for the mac and cheese, the center would never get hot enough in the oven before the outside got dried-out. And hey, I think the Foo Foghters would have been pretty happy with what Don could whip-up with a stack of microwaves and toaster ovens!

Tried a couple of things at the new Thai Chef & Noodle (2028 Chestnut) and had a mixed experience. The big appetizer combo-platter thing reminded us why we never order big appetizer combo-platter things. Everything was cold, which was pretty sad for the (blah) satay, but really tragic for springrolls and fried dumplings. Tom Yum and Tom Kha Gai were OK, but nothing special. An entree called "Bangkok Garlic" with chicken tasted like chicken with garlic on it, and not much else. We were getting a little depressed right about then, when salvation arrived in the form of Wild Boar with Red Curry. This was quite good, featuring thin slices of tender pork in a vibrant, assertively spicy curry, laden with peppercorns. I'd go back anytime just for this, although a friend mentioned that (the latest) Erawan menu features this dish too, and that it was at least as good there. Given that this place's name includes "Noodle Fusion" we figured we needed to get some unusual noodles, so we went for the Burmese egg noodles in and Indian curry broth. Those were very nice too, the curry a little sweet, the noodles retaining a good chew as they soaked up the delicious broth. Servers were very nice, and the place is pleasant enough, although the monumental undersea murals, and weird flashing star-shaped-light thing can be a bit overwhelming. Portions were pretty generous, but then the prices were a little bit higher than average too. So, we had some good dishes, and there are probably plenty more hidden in the massive, and dizzyingly repetitive menu. I even suspect that the appetizers might be good ordered separately, but the special combo platter is a loser. But then, deep down, we knew it would be.

Dropped by again this weekend and had their smoked brisket gumbo, and the pork po-boy, both of which were just delicious. And I got a few things to go, in an attempt to spread the addiction to some friends. It worked pretty effectively... And I'm happy to report that, much to my surprise, the deep-fried Mac and Cheese reheated very well. Sure, it's a little better if you eat it there, fresh out of the frier, but if you get it to go, they take it out a little early, and instruct you to microwave it for about a minute, then bake it for 5-10 minutes until crisp. It actually got back to pretty close to its original consistency. In a helpful move, they put heating directions for everything on their website, under the menus: http://www.cajunkates.com/menu2.htm I also got a muffuletta to go, and despite their suggestion of a minute or two in a microwave to soften up the bread, I popped a slice of it in a conventional oven for about 5 minutes. Letting the sesame seeds in the roll toast up a bit, and the cheese melt a little, made it really incredible. I had been lukewarm about this sandwich at first, but that might have been because I was eating it lukewarm. When toasty, it's awesome. Fried oyster po-boys this coming weekend!

BTW, it's turkey and sausage gumbo, and oyster poboys this weekend...

I have been back a few times since my last post, and have had much better experiences there. I found that I liked the cocktails much better when going off-menu, ordering either a classic cocktail, or just letting the bartenders run wild, making whatever they wanted to. I've been very happy with those results, and so it may be that I just didn't personally care for the recipes of many of the cocktails on their menu. They definitely have knowledgeable and talented bartenders there, and are working with good ingredients, so one can get excellent cocktails there. To raise those odds, I'd say sit at the bar and have a conversation with the bartender about your preferences. I now that's not always possible, but it's the key to having an excellent experience. It sounds like Mod*Betty will have specific drinks to work from at that special event, so there might not be much customization to be done, but at other times, sit at the bar and tell your bartender what you like. Have I mentioned that you should sit at the bar? It's not that the servers are bad, we've actually had a couple that were very knowledgeable about the drinks, but you're just another step removed from the actual construction of the cocktail. If you're ordering off the menu, or getting classic cocktails with no tweaky variations, you'll probably be fine anywhere. But for the full-on experience. sit at the bar. I posted some other details a while back on my blog. Hey Mod*Betty, tell us how it was! And no, I don't think there's anything quite like Kowloon around here... And wow, that place is more Trader Vic's than Trader Vic's!

I just have two words for you: mini beignets. Oh, wait, one more: Perfect.

While I certainly agree that reservations should be honored, even on a crazy day, let's remember that there were TWO MILLION PEOPLE downtown at the parade that day. I'm sure the hosts of any restaurants near Broad Street were mostly happy to not be trampled to death.

Re Gumbo. There are a bazillion places that are very proud of their gumbo, and I'll leave it to locals to suggest some of the "best" (I doubt you'll get a consensus!) But you certainly should consider Lil' Dizzy's, Dookie Chase, Cochon and Herbsaint. I really like Don's gumbos at Cajun Kate's, and I think they compare very well to the ones I had in New Orleans. But I think you'll find some in New Orleans that might turn your head...

I agree with both Percyn and Rae. Osteria does make really great pasta, and is a very comfortable spot to dine alone (I've done so many times.) But Rae makes a good point, many of Osteria's preparations are very rich and buttery, and there's rarely a red sauce. So while they're delicious, easily my favorite pasta dishes in the city, Osteria might not offer exactly what you're looking for. Luckily Philly has an embarrassment of riches in what you probably are looking for. Seriously, it's almost harder to avoid good pasta in red sauce than to find it. There are lots of homey Italian-American joints in South Philly that might not score many points for culinary innovation, but that make a very fine pasta with red "gravy". Villa di Roma, Ralph's, Dante and Luigi's, are real old-school places down in, or near the Italian market on 9th street in South Philly. They're basic, pretty cheap if you stick to pasta, and friendly in that brusque Philly kind of way... None of those are especially well-suited to solo dining, but it won't be a problem to just sit at a table for two. I'm not sure if those places make their own pasta, but it's good, and probably at least local. I don't tend to go out for pasta with red sauce all that often, but if I do feel the need for that, I personally tend to go to one of those places, most often Ralph's. I like the gnocchi. And the ravioli. And the lasagne... Crintini's seems to be a local favorite for that kind of food, and it's relatively easy to get to, right on Broad Street, even though it's pretty far down into south Philly. Then there's another level up, more fancy places that still would have that kind of pasta: places like Tre Scallini, Paradiso, L'Angolo, etc. Depending on where you'll be staying, getting into South Philly might be a pain. But there are about 800 little Italian BYOBs scattered around Philly, most of which will have something like you describe. And there are a few other more upscale spots that could still hook you up: Le Castagne at 19th and Chestnut, Penne at 37th and Walnut (just for pasta), the list is almost endless. Hopefully some other folks will mention their favorites, but really, it won't be hard to find something pretty good.

I'm going to deviate slightly from my shameless shilling for the goat tacos at Cantina Los Caballitos and Cantina Dos Segundos, to shamelessly shill for the Tacos al Pastor at Cantina Dos Segundos. They have the traditional vertical spit, like Taquitos de Puebla has, but Dos uses a more aggressive marinade/sauce. It's really freaking good. The only problem is trying to resist the goat tacos. Unless you just get both.

It's not dark in there, in fact there's a forest of globe lights in the center of the room, and I was there in the afternoon, but there's something about the yellow-ish color temperature of the light that was throwing off my camera's sensor a bit. So it was indeed shot at a high ISO setting, hence the grain.

Do you mean is anyone doing sous-vide at restaurants in Philly? Matt Levin at Lacroix. I seem to recall that Garces was using it at one point at Amada, but I don't know if that's still true. Johnny Mac had been our highest-profile experimenter with that in a commercial restaurant, but I can't picture him sous-viding anything at Pub and Kitchen. I'm not sure if his successor at snackbar is continuing with that particular technique. I'm quite sure there are more examples, there are a few current chefs in Philly who have at least experimented with it, and might be using that process and just not making noise about it.

Well, I was hoping to give a report from Publican. I tried, I really did, but my attempts to eat there devolved into a bit of a comedy of errors. First, on sunday night, I forced myself off of my barstool at Violet Hour, compelled by the potential for porky indulgence. This was partly by pre-arrangement, but reinforced by enthusiastic reports from the folks sitting next to me at the bar. I'd seen some compelling photos and descriptions on the LTH Forums, and I hadn't really eaten anything substantial since breakfast, so I hopped on the Blue Line, wandered through a few desolate blocks, and finally found myself at their door. (Hey, what can I say, I'd rather spend my money on ham than taxis... ) Sadly, I discovered that Sundays are different from the rest of the week at Publican. This being the first sunday, it was even more unusual. The short version is that they're doing a fixed-menu, family-style dinner on sundays, with set seatings, and I'd missed it. I get the impression they're still working this out, so it may change, but I think the plan is for two seatings on sundays, although they had only done one this first sunday as a trial. What this meant at that moment was that they would be happy to pour me some beer, but there wasn't really any food to be had. I asked if they knew of anywhere I could eat at that hour (9-ish) and the folks at the front couldn't think of anywhere, but asked around, and found another employee who suggested I go a block or two down to Follia. (Which by the way, did squeeze me in, despite the fact that they were clearly in the process of closing, serving me some absolutely stunningly delicious lamb chops, with remarkably gracious service.) I'm not from Chicago, so I don't really know the geography very well, but in retrospect, I can't figure out why the folks at Publican didn't direct me to Avec (which, later, Chef Kahan assured me would have been happy to serve me at that time.) I suspect this might come up in a staff meeting... Sadly, I was flying out of Chicago the next evening, but I thought I might have found a way to still squeeze in a visit. On that failed sunday-night attempt, the very nice folks at the front had told me that they open at 3:30pm, but only serve beer, oysters and ham in the afternoon. The full menu would be served at 5. I did the math, and figured that if I got there a little early, so that my order got taken immediately, I could try a couple things that didn't take too much prep, get out of there by 5:30, and still make my plane. So, I headed back on monday about 4:30, dragging my luggage behind, ready to make a mad dash to O'Hare as soon as I finish. After I'm seated, the waiter gives me the backstory of the restaurant, describes the general philosophy of the place, etc. and explains that right now, there's only beer, oysters and ham, but the full menu will be served at 5:30. Huh? 5:30?!?! I swear they said 5:00 when I was there on sunday night!! Of course it's possible that I mis-heard, or mis-remembered. I see that the 5:30 start is mentioned on the LTH Forum that I had read-through, so it was probably my mistake. I'm really not trying to make trouble for the hosting staff, in fact they were very nice to me both times I was there, but I'm pretty sure someone told me 5:00... And hey, it's the first few days that they're open, I wouldn't be surprised if someone made an honest mistake about the hours. Normally it's not of any major consequence if someone had to wait a half-hour for the kitchen to open, it just so happens that I had a slightly ludicrous plan that relied on split-second timing. I explained my predicament to the waiter, and asked if there were ANY chance that the kitchen could flex on that start time a little, perhaps on something less made-to-order, like rillettes, or one of the salads. He seemed very sympathetic, and said he'd ask, but he couldn't promise anything. This is all reasonable, especially in a brand-new place, I can understand that they might not be up-to-speed for normal service, let alone for making exceptions for weird tourists. And sure enough, a few minutes later, he returned, saying that sadly, the kitchen was just not prepared to put food out before 5:30. I honestly do understand that such a request could throw-off a kitchen, but I couldn't help wondering, was it really impossible to toss anything on a plate for a desperate customer? The situation became clearer later when Chef Kahan came by and personally offered apologies that they could not start serving early, especially because at least one other party had requested the same thing. While it might not be a big problem to give one guy some rillettes, it could very quickly devolve into chaos if they have to serve several tables before they're ready. And I completely buy that rationale: Imagine a server or chef having to explain to everyone else in the place why I was able to get something off the regular menu, but they can't. The place wasn't full at 4:30-5ish, but there were enough people there that it could have created a problem. So, frustrating as this was, I figured I'd make the best of it, and get a Goose Island Matilda, and console myself with ham. I've had Iberico, Benton's and La Quercia Rossa hams before, but not side-by-side, and it was an interesting experience. They're very different expressions of the paradigm, and while I know it's not a competition, I couldn't resist choosing a winner. That was, unsurprisingly, the Iberico. It seemed to be on a whole different level, with elegant intensity of flavor, and a perfect balance of texture - firm yet tender. Tasting all three in turn, the La Quercia practically vanished on the palate, and the Benton's seemed a bit brash and loud. But of course, each has its place, and in the right circumstance, any of the three might be the perfect ham. In fact, the Benton's calmed down and tasted exactly perfect when placed on top of the very good bread and butter. And the La Quercia gained some charm when eating several slices in a row, allowing its subtleties to emerge. In the end though, the Iberico really dominated the others. This was, of course, an expensive experiment, but certainly worth it, and made me feel like my trek over there hadn't been in vain. Of course those hams are all pretty pricey, the Iberico ridiculously so, and they were meticulously sliced on a bright-red hand-cranked Berkel. It's going to take a few plates of pork to pay off that beauty. The beer list is very impressive, with an interesting collection from around the world. I try to stick to local beers when I'm traveling, if good selections are available, especially on tap, but if I lived in Chicago, I'd really appreciate the depth of this list. There's an especially strong Belgian section, but given that the Philadelphia municipal water supply was replaced with Belgian beer a few years ago, or at least it seems like that sometimes in the local bars, the Goose Island actually seemed more exotic to me. And the food menu is really quite intriguing, hence my repeated attempts to sample some of it. It strikes a really nice balance of informality and culinary creativity, at least on paper. Sweetbread Schnitzel, Wagyu Tartare, Boudin Blanc, homemade Pork Rinds, Potée with pork cheek, short ribs, and oxtail... The space itself is very attractive, but set-up in an unusual way. I'm sure it's very different when filled with people, so I can't really say how well it works. I like the idea of large communal tables, a few of which dominate this room, punctuated by some small rounds for people to stand at, along with some stall-like booths along one side that I don't quite understand. I also think it could use some sort of seating more like a conventional counter or bar. I wonder if the space along the kitchen could be used like that? - maybe not, it's a bit low for a counter. But solo diners, and even couples, seem a little out of place in the current seating scheme, it's much better-suited for larger groups. And I think that's the idea - that you'll come with a few friends, order a bunch of things to share, probably get in conversations with the convivial strangers sitting next to you, and fun will be had by all. I'm sure that will work well, but I could see this menu appealing to solo diners as well, and it would be great if there were a more elegant way to seat them. I'm willing to entertain the possibility that I'm weird, but I kind of like grabbing a bite by myself from time to time, not just when I'm traveling for work, and this combination of a great beer list and simple, but carefully-made food is just the kind of thing that would appeal to me. And sitting at a bar or counter feels a little more natural than at a large communal table. In any case, I don't really care, the next time I can manage to get to Chicago, I'm going back here, hopefully with some friends to help plow through more of the menu. But if not, I'll do my best by myself. At least I'll try!

I'm sure there's some variation from bartender to bartender, that's probably true anywhere, and I can't vouch for the depth of talent at the bar, but I just have to say that I had three spectacular drinks on Sunday, stirred-up by Henry. It was pretty slow when I first got there, which allowed for some chat about the drinks and description of my preferences, which always helps. Perhaps thanks to that initial contact, the quality of the drinks didn't go down as the place got busier, and I got three beverages that were not only delicious and interesting, but that pushed my personal buttons really well. I started with the Autumn Old Fashioned (Powers Irish, House Made Falernum, Luxardo Bitters) The Falernum and bitters gave this a great spicy, smoky, complex edge. I really like how it changed as it slowly diluted. And it was slow, that's an awesome ice cube... Moved on to the Woolworth’s Manhattan (Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth, Root Beer Bitters) I was worried at first that this would be overwhelmed by the Root Beer element, it's pretty aggressive on the nose, but it was all balanced out very nicely on the palate. It's more bitter than the average Manhattan, but that's a good thing in my book... And for my third drink, I asked Henry to just make whatever he felt like, no restrictions. He was still debating about a name for this one, I think it was at least temporarily "The Barracuda" There was some strawberry, some tequila, bitters, chile... so it was sweet, but also had quite a bite to it. I really liked it a lot, it was refreshing but not too fruity. Overall, I had a great time at the Violet Hour. I thought the drinks were excellent, the vibe was welcoming, the music was good, and I had a great time chatting with, and getting some good dining advice from, a couple sitting next to me at the bar. Much credit to Henry: he made some great drinks, and more impressively, was able to target my taste pretty accurately, which certainly made the evening more enjoyable. I'm plotting another visit to Chicago for a couple of reasons, and wanting to return to the Violet Hour is one of them...

Sounds like you did it right! Looking forward to a full report...

I think that soon they'll need to set-aside a couple of permanent eGullet seats - we can just tag-team throughout the weekend. Maybe we need a sign-up sheet. When Holly showed up on saturday, we actually had an eGullet majority at the counter. Now that I think of it, we might have been able to pass some legislation or something... That brisket gumbo was INTENSE! I really liked it. And it seems to get better and better as the days go by... It was especially good followed by a Hubig's pie that a friend smuggled back from New Orleans. I was thinking it would be cool if Cajun Kate's brought those in, but then again, they already have good desserts that I can never save room for, so maybe it would just be a torture! The slow roasted pork Po Boy might be my new favorite, at least of the meaty ones. (The oyster Po Boy is hard to beat when they have them.) We saw someone order an Alligator Sausage Po Boy, which looked pretty incredible, so I think we need to put that on the list of things to try next time. We finally managed to try the crawfish pie. They had just come out of the oven and were therefore impossible to resist! They're cheesier than I had expected: there's creamcheese, and swiss, and maybe another one, along with the crawfish tails, encased in a flaky puff-pastry. I had a crawfish pie that looked a lot like this at Cochon in New Orleans, and it was more saucy, the filling more like an etouffée, and I slightly prefer that style, but I must say that both versions are pretty good. The guy sitting next to us was nice enough to donate half of his Bananas Foster Bread pudding to us - actually he might have done it out of a sense of self-preservation, the portion is huge! And delicious... Between two of us we didn't even manage to finish that remaining half. I'd love to order that someday that I'm not stuffed already, but I' having a hard time imagining when that would be!

Rick Nichols loves the fish and chips. I'm not sure that I quite agree with the central premise, that chef Macdonald got "too big for his britches" cooking with modern techniques at snackbar, or that he needs to now make amends for that transgression, but I suspect that's how the history is going to be written. Nonetheless, others have told me that the Fish and Chips at Pub and Kitchen is indeed really great.

I honestly don't know, but I doubt those kitchen plans necessarily indicate a large dining room. Who knows, maybe there's NO dining room! I'm excited to see what transpires, whatever it is...

David Katz, who many of us knew from the restaurant M, has set up shop in the space that formerly housed Melograno, at 22nd and Spruce. The room itself is not dramatically different, in that it's still pretty tightly-packed, pretty noisy, and still dominated by the large windows and the open kitchen at one end. But the vibe is not the same at all, it's brighter, somehow a little more relaxed-feeling (not that Melograno was all that uptight.) There's a blackboard menu, as well as small printed ones whose size, content and typography reminded us a bit of those at the Momofuku restaurants in NY. There are concise descriptions of the food, which tends toward straightforward, classic fare. It's not retro - there's no Steak Diane or Lobster Thermidor, as has been promised at Stever Starr's new Butcher and Singer; it's not self-consciously homey - there's no meatloaf or grilled cheese sandwiches - it's just classic good food. Early press has been unable to resist deploying vivid metaphors of Katz's cooking being as gonzo as the restaurant's Ralph Steadman logo, or as brash and in-your-face as the chef's persona. I can't say I perceived either thing. What I experienced was very tasty food, neither gonzo nor badass, just delicious. As I had posted about Pub and Kitchen, there's nothing wrong with very well-executed food, no matter what the style. And I'm not sure what to label this format, so I won't. It's tempting to resort to the cliché of "comfort food" but my grandma didn't make foie gras tarts or steak tartare, didn't seek out artisanal ingredients or roast shitakes with her chicken. Let's just say it's classics. "Smallish" Mixed Chicories, Roquefort, Walnut, Pear. Sizzling Mussels, Lemon Olive Oil, Herbs Cherry Tomatoes, Ricotta Salata, Grilled Bread, Balsamic Scallops, Butternut Squash, Bacon, Brown Butter Foie Gras Tart, Sweet Onions, Apples, Maple-Sherry Glaze Beef Tartare, Salty Chips, Quail Egg "For Two" Whole Chicken, Roasted Shiitakes, Sweet Onion Grits, Madiera Roasted Lamb Leg, Ratatouille, Potatoes, Lamb Sauce "Larger" Swordfish, Olives Preserved Lemon Sautéed Skate, Slow Cooked Tomatoes, Tapenade Wagyu Skirt Steak, Mushrooms, Fingerlings, Brandy-peppercorn sauce Duck Breast, Chard, Beet, Onions, Port (there's a fettuccini with truffles, and flatbread with goat cheese, figs and prosciutto that we skipped) Dessert Chocolate Ganache cake, Mint Ice Cream Espresso Pots de Creme, Orange Confit Brown Butter Cake, Banana Gelato It was all quite good, but personally, I think favorites were the (very) lemony mussels, the scallops, the foie gras tart, the curry-spiked tartare, the steak, the chicken, and all the ice creams on the desserts. I'm told the duck was delicious, but I somehow managed to miss that dish. I should have known, that's what one risks when eating with eGulleteers! I'll leave it to my dedicated dining partners to describe their faves, and to go into specific details, but suffice it to say that most everything was very vividly-flavored. There were no big culinary surprises here, just very careful execution of good recipes. It's interesting that at a table of jaded diners, the simple roast chicken was mentioned often as a favorite. The juiciness of the meat, the intensity of the sauce, the roasted crackle of the skin, all made for a rare treat. Similarly the steak was a piece of good meat, cooked carefully, with only a subtle buff-up from a good sauce. Quality ingredients cooked well, it's hard to find fault with that. If there's anything to give me pause, it would just be the same question I had about Pub and Kitchen: will this kind of food keep me interested? Time will tell. I think it might, and I'm sure there will be some changes and variations, specials and seasonal tweaks. And regardless, I think I could eat that chicken a few times a week... It's an interesting trend: many of our cutting-edge younger chefs are stepping away from the modern techniques and presentations, although I imagine that some of the experiences cooking in that style of modern cuisine might quietly inform even classic preparations. I'll be very interested to see how this menu evolves. Apparently many people are urging Katz to slip in a few family recipes, perhaps from his Mémé, that reflect his Moroccan heritage. Whether it's that, or just the natural flow of a creative cook, I'm sure the food will change, and I'll look forward to seeing how. (In the interest of full-disclosure, chef Katz knows me, and did come by the table to say hello at the end of the meal. But even though it's a small restaurant, we were seated at the furthest table from the kitchen, and I'm not sure that we were recognized before or during the meal, and I got no sense that we received any special treatment, so I think the photos and descriptions are a fair representation of what anyone would get. Tables are spaced close enough that it was pretty easy to see that others were getting dishes that looked the same as ours. ) I was initially saddened to hear that Melograno was moving, but as it turns out, their new space (on Sansom Street, just west of 20th) looks to be working very well for them, and now we have yet another great place to eat, so it may have worked out well for both restaurants, and for Philadelphia diners too. Mémé is BYOB for a short time while the paperwork is getting finished, but they will soon have a wine list. We were able to get a table n a friday night, and while it was busy, there were not lines of people waiting, which may not be the case for long! So go now...

Finally made it into Pub and Kitchen, then realized that I'd forgotten my camera... oh well. I felt like the chorus of admiration for the Windsor Burger has been pretty consistent, so I decided to try something else (although the parade of them through the dining room all evening did make me question that decision...they looked pretty great.) The beer list is a little short for a Philly pub, but they've got some good stuff on it, so it was no problem. I really enjoyed the Left Hand Sawtooth Ale they had on tap, it reminded me of good, solid British Bitter. The menu is small, but probably just broad enough to satisfy most tastes. A few bar snacks and apps, a couple salads, three sandwiches (Lobster BLT, the Windsor Burger, a sausage sandwich), a steak, three fish entrées, a chicken dish and a veggie risotto. The recent cold snap made me want something warm and comforting, and the Sautéed Chicken Breast with Irish Biscuit and Gravy sounded exactly right. It didn't turn out to be exactly what I'd pictured, but it was delicious, so I can't complain. The chicken itself was a marvel, amazingly tender, juicy, and flavorful, with a nicely crisped skin. It was accompanied by an herbed biscuit, mustardy green beans, and a pool of intense reduced jus. The word "gravy" makes me imagine a thick, hearty liquid, so I was a little surprised at the sauce, but not at all disappointed upon tasting it. We also ordered the Fluke, served atop Lentils and greens. This was a simple, straight-ahead fish, very nicely executed. The greens were unusual, almost dehydrated, but everything worked together very nicely. We got Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon on the side, and quite enjoyed the caramelized little nuggets. And the Onion Rings are awesome. I got the Trifle for dessert, and the only quibble I have is that I always think of trifle as a melange of cake and custard and jam and fruits, doused in sherry. This one tasted very good, but was more minimal, with just figs, Creme Anglaise and a crunchy crumble. That's exactly how it was described on the blackboard, and the combination was quite nice, but I did find myself jonesing for cake and custard. But that probably has more to do with my own nostalgic expectations than with this particular dessert. Service was super friendly, but then again, our waitress knew my dining partner, and Johnny Mac came over to say hi to us later. But it appeared to me that all the tables were getting similarly warm attention. Overall we liked the place, liked the food. I do wonder a little whether simple, hearty, comfort food, no matter how well-prepared, will hold my interest in the long run. It might, and is very likely to appeal even more to customers with food preferences that are less-weird than mine. But I can't help hoping for an occasional special, or little twist on a standard, that can show off some of the culinary innovation that we know Johhny Mac is capable of. But then again, maybe this is not the place for that. And in the meantime, there's certainly nothing wrong with well-made food of any kind. Now, what can we do to open up some parking spaces for me around there?

The PLCB retail cost is about $25, so the restaurant selling it for $58 is really quite reasonable, for Philly standards. I'd be pretty surprised if the whole list had markups that low, but then, maybe I'm just a cynic too!

Matt, that looks like a pretty awesome itinerary. The only things I'd suggest would be: 1) like doc said, make sure Chris McMillan is at the bar at the Pere Marquette when you go. It's really worth reorganizing things to be sure to have him make you a drink. The Mint Julep is a thing of rare beauty, and highly recommended, but for your second one, have him make whatever he wants... It's indeed possible that someone else at the bar could make a credible Mint Julep, but I doubt Chris leaves that ice hammer around, and I suspect there's magic in that hammer... 2) If Miss K is into the Pimms Cup, don't miss the Napolean House, but also ask Chris to make one. Totally different drink, but at least as good, maybe better. 3 ) If you're on a Sazerac hunt, you might want to go to Tujack's, just for the sake of honoring the tradition. The one I got there actually wasn't very good, but I liked standing at the bar and holding it. 4) Get at Vieux Carré at the Carousel Bar. 5) Even though I actually did enjoy the experience, I'm still kind of mixed about breakfast at Brennan's. It's a TON of money, and while I liked everything I had, I still wonder whether it was worth it, both in terms of actual expenditure, and in terms of what else I could have had for that meal. 6) We totally dug Parasol, but there are other great Po Boy shops around, so you might want to let geography dictate whether you end up there, or Parkway, Liuzza's, Domilise's, Mother's, Casamento's, etc. Probably worth researching what the house specialty is, or just ask once you get there. 5) At Herbsaint, get something served on dirty rice, or order it as a side. They also make a really nice Sazerac. 6) At Cochon, order everything, or, as close to it as you can manage. I really liked sitting at the kitchen counter and chatting with the chefs. 7) If I were visiting tomorrow, I'd probably go to both Herbsaint and Cochon, but they are owned by the same folks, so you might want to diversify a little! 8) I don't know what it is about Hansen's, I mean, it's just shaved ice... but I too recommend going there... don't forget to get condensed milk as an extra topping. 9) Go to Cafe du Monde. Yeah, it's touristy, yeah it's just donuts and café au lait, but it's pretty great. And open 24 hours, so you don't really have a good excuse. Have a blast, we expect a full report!