philadining

I did not get any sense of what they will be serving drinks-wise. There was one lone beer tap connected and otherwise empty refrigerators and bar, so I really don't have a clue. And I really think of this more as a snack/casual kind of place to have some drinks, much on some food, rather than a formal dinner destination. I've been to a really awesome Yakitori place in Tokyo, but I haven't been to the high-end places in NY, like Yakitori Totto. One of our party the first night says it doesn't even compare. I don't think Yakitori Boy is trying to be one of those places, Despite the name, it's more of a casual izakaya to get drinks and something to eat, rather than a place trying to perfect the art of Yakitori. And as such, I think they're going to fill a niche nicely. But this is not going to be where you'll have the greatest yakitori ever.

Stumbled-in to Yakitori Boy again, mostly to satisfy an urge for Ramen. As it turns out, we didn't much care for the ramen, but got lots of other stuff we did like! Bacon and Eggs... Chicken and Scallions, Chicken Meatballs, Chicken Skin, all quite good. They seemed to have a bit more of a marinade/glaze and better char than last time, making them very tasty. Tempura: light, greaseless, crispy, just right. Kimchee Don mixed spicy kimchee with fried pork and beansprouts. Simple and delicious. Ika (squid) Salad was tangy and bright-flavored, with a pleasing chewiness. We actually got a ton more food, we really don't have any self-control... more details (and more pix) here>> The one big lesson we learned was that it's better to order in batches: each thing is pretty small, so it's easy to overwhelm the table with plates. And most everything is best hot out of the kitchen, so you really don't want 15 plates arriving all at once. So order a few things, maybe order a couple more as those arrive, or eat those, see what you feel like next... Overall, we think this place is starting to get in its rhythm, and we'll be stopping back for a late night snack, or a full dinner. You might want to hurry in, although they still don't have their liquor license. We spotted Rick Nichols in there last night, so there's certain to be an article in the Inquirer soon, and crowds to follow...

Oh, right, it's a pretty tiny space, and I do think they're often booked way out on weekends. However, I've discovered that it's not too hard to get a table during the week, and that's when they have the great tasting menus too, so if there's any way to schedule a weekday dinner, it's easier to score a reservation, and probably better too!

Yet more evidence that Matyson is doing just fine without Mat y Son. If you're one to order the duck on a menu, you owe it to yourself to get there pronto, they're doing a duck-themed tasting menu this week. Rilletes with a Trio of Garnishes Apricot marmalade, crumbled blue cheese, & cornichons OK, I have to admit that I didn't love this dish - it was OK - but the texture of the duck was too mushy, and the flavors were a bit muted. This however was the only course that was less than excellent. Foie Gras Ravioli & Truffles Black trumpet mushrooms, parmesan foam This was awesome. The ravioli was gently pan-fried to give it some texture, but it wasn't quite crispy, the filling luxurious chunks of foie, earthy truffles underneath, the foam layering-on a light twist of flavor. Cassoulet Crispy duck confit, andouille sausage Absolutely perfect confit, a boldly spicy sausage and luxurious beans added up to a delicious dish. The elements were a little too pretty to have been all cooked together, which usually means the dish as a whole would be missing unified flavors, but somehow this version pulled it off. It was so delicious, we considered begging the kitchen for another plate of it. But that would have been excessive. Crazy. We'd never do that. Duck L'Orange Potato puree, haricot vert, almonds Almost an anticlimax after the cassoulet, except that it was perfect: a light, subtle citrus tang to an elegant reduction, not some goopy, sticky sauce, and beautifully tender slices of breast, with just the right hint of fat beneath the crisp skin. Potatoes were good too... Chocolate Toffee Cake Vanilla ice cream Straight-up, dense, fudgy chocolate cake, no big thrill, except that we found ourselves licking the plates... Inexplicably compelling. Overall a really satisfying meal, especially the cassoulet and the foie ravioli. Highly recommended. This menu is just up for a couple more days, although if we're lucky, maybe it will roll around again... www.matyson.com/tasting.html

I went recently and it was excellent. The food was not only delicious, but a ridiculous value. They do a tasting menu and a "bistro menu" on tues-wed-thurs, both of which are crazy bargains for such elegant food. Go!

Hey Gordon, have you tried Young's in Henrietta? (120 Mushroom Blvd.) And what is it with the semi-hidden locations for Korean restaurants out there?!?

They'll definitely call you cab, just ask as you're getting ready to go, I've seen them do it many times. I think it's worth doing, rather than standing out on that stretch of Broad. It's not so scary, just not ideal making-mother-in-law-comfortable terrain.

I thought this was a really successful meal, everything was quite tasty, and most importantly, painting with a different palate of flavors than we usually encounter. This bodes well if this is the kind of thing chef Solomonov is planning on doing at Zahav. The quince spheres that accompanied the cheese were not very popular at our table, not because they were weird, but rather, because they weren't. Ours just didn't really taste like anything. But we really enjoyed everything else, especially the lamb tartare, and surprisingly, the fish and banana. I've posted a little more play-by-play at philadining.com. Thanks to Chef Solomonov, and to the snackbar crew, for a really interesting and delicious dinner.

Haven't done brunch in a while, but recent dinner was pretty awesome... not sure how much that helps.

And there was a great wailing and gnashing of teeth, and rending of garments, for lo, Lakeside Deli has closed! Menupages Blog

Actually, the space used to be a novelty shop, hence its former incarnation as the restaurant called "Novelty." But Capaneus had the rest of it right, the name is just a play on the farm-to-table thing and the idea that the food is good for you. And just to be nudgey, it's spelled "Farmicia" with an "i" after the "m".

Given his epic travels and tireless documentation of them, it's amazing that Doc had time for behind-the-scenes hosting duties. I'll join the others in this topic in extending thanks for his hard work, and hoping that we'll still get to tag-along on his journeys via his amazing travelogues. I've had the pleasure of sharing dinner with Doc, and some of his family, on a couple of occasions, and they're as warm and generous as you might imagine from the posts you read here on eGullet. I certainly hope to break bread with them again, but more importantly, share dinners virtually, through his excellent photos and descriptions. I hope retiring from the administrative end of eGullet will only give Doc more time to explore culinary delights near and far (and share them with us.) Doc, thanks again for doing all the heavy lifting that we didn't see, as well as all the great posts we did. And we all eagerly await reports from your next adventure!

Interesting... Yannii can you tell if the packaging that says Bellota is from the point of origin? I only ask because Dean and Deluca in NYC was selling some Iberico labeled as Bellota, but then said that it was a labeling mistake. I don't think anyone's trying to be deceptive, I think many folks, even the ones handling it, are honestly confused about the distinctions. Whatever it is, those pics above were of supposedly (non-Bellota) Iberico from D&D, and it was still awesome. I can only imagine the Bellota is even better. I'm just psyched that any of it is around! Thanks for the reports, Yannii and Bill!

Although it's still not quite fully open yet, one can actually eat at Yakitori Boy, the much anticipated Yakitori joint on 11th street, just south of Vine, near Lee How Fook. The short version is that, while we were not totally blown away by our first small sampling of the food, we're thrilled to have a place like this here, and are hoping that they're just not completely in the groove yet. The various yakitori we had were mostly pretty good, just not as flavorful as some we've had elsewhere. The small nuggets of fried chicken were really tasty. Service was super-nice, and the place itself is lovely, with a couple of bars and comfortable booth seating. Should be a good addition to the dining scene, if only because it promises to be open late every night. We're looking forward to trying more of the menu, there's sushi, ramen, okonomiyaki, and more... A couple more pics and comments here>>.

Is the Jamon Iberico that's making it over here worth those prices? ummm... yes...

No, the sushi place Sandy's referring to never opened.

Ask for extra sambal!

I don't think you missed anything by skipping the boiled dumplings: we had some on sunday and they were pretty blah. The fried ones are pretty good though. Didn't love the buns, they were a little too dense. And they didn't have (or couldn't make) the sesame pancakes on sunday either, which is a shame because they're the main reason for going to this place. The dumplings are decent, and cheap, but the sesame pancakes were really good, and cheap...

Wow, I'm saddened to hear about your experience Percy! I didn't have those problems you mentioned, but when I went, the place was almost empty. And it did seem as if there was a lot of frantic buzzing around by the staff despite the lack of customers, so I could imagine that a more-full room could throw them off. And the crêpe I got was not quite as crispy as I like them, and not as texturally interesting as I remember them from their downtown Philly location, but it was still pretty good. Sounds like mine was better (and more promptly delivered) than yours, but one would hope that they could get a decent one out when there are more than 3 tables filled. So my initial excitement is dampened a bit, but I'm going to give them another shot after they've been open a little while, they're still pretty new. On a similar note (not the newness part, just the disappointment part) I recently hit the Black Lab Bistro, a stone's throw away from the crepe place. I'd had a pretty great meal there a couple of weeks ago when Katie Loeb and her posse stopped by, featuring a surprisingly good French Onion Soup and a nicely-made Frisée salad with pears, Maytag Bleu, Pecans and prosciutto. Entrees were interesting, especially the lamb crusted with chevre, and the flat iron steak with a cheesey sauce. Some of the sides were pretty blah, and the sauce on the duck was overly sweet, but overall it was a good meal. But on this latest visit, our soups were cold (including the French Onion - how is that even possible?!?) entrées were delivered before we were done with the soup, and those main courses were only OK. The bison rib-eye in the mixed grill was tender and delicious, but the venison was dry and the quail was kind of mushy. Seared scallops weren't really seared, or very hot. The food wasn't bad, just not quite up where it should be, given that the place is not inexpensive. I wish it were a little more consistent, as it can sometimes be quite good. On both occasions, desserts were excellent. Pecan Tart with Bourbon Ice Cream, Chevre Panna Cotta, an assortment of cookies with a milkshake, a Chocolate Trio, a Pumpkin Chesecake with bruléed marshmallow... Maybe I'll just pop in for dessert...

Bourdain hasn't posted on eG for over a year, so I'm not sure a PM would reach him. But if he's reading: Tony, if you get back to philly, we know some places...

Yep, roasting is key. Pull off any loose or wilted outside leaves, trim off the very bottom of the stem end. Cut the larger ones in half, maybe even in quarters. Give them a quick sautée in oil, with salt and pepper, just a minute or two to distribute the oil and seasonings (you can even get away skipping straight to the roasting step, but they somehow seem to turn out better for me when I give them a quick toss in a pan on the stovetop...) . If your sautée pan can't go in a very hot oven, transfer them to a pan that can, drizzle them with a little maple syrup, and roast at 400F for about 10 minutes. Stir them once or twice to expose different surfaces. Of course, they're even better with bacon. I chop several strips of bacon (the smokier the better) into maybe 1-inch long pieces, and start those in the pan, let them get not quite done, then toss-in the sprouts, let the sprouts pick up some bacon drippings, then proceed as above, the bacon will finish cooking in the oven. The restaurant Momofuku in NY serves this with puréed kimchee to drizzle over the top. It's absolutely fantastic. Easy to do at home: just buy a jar of kimchee from a Korean grocery, and put it in the blender. Purée it. Done. Serve cold.

Han warned us about this, but we found out for ourselves that the restaurant gets really busy on saturday nights! We managed to snag a table quickly (stealing if from under the nose of the Jaredrakes party!) but the food came out pretty slowly, which was no surprise, all tables were full and they were doing a brisk take-out business as well. It was totally worth the wait for: Taiwanese Sausage (of course); Dan Dan Noodles, Lamb in Dry Pot; Bacon with hot peppers. It was all delicious, and not surprisingly, the Lamb in Dry Pot is WAY better eaten there than it is from a take out box (and I liked the take-out version.) It's served in a little mini-wok over a burner, so it sizzles away for a while at the table. It was absolutely loaded with szechuan peppercorns and dry hot peppers, lending that Ma La thing to beautifully tender lamb, accompanied by onions, mushrooms, and a little tuber-ish vegetable that I couldn't identify, but really enjoyed. The bacon with hot peppers had a great smokiness to it. The Dan Dan Noodles were pronounced the best he'd ever had, by a visiting friend who practically lived on them from Grand Szechaun International up in NY. Great meal, worth the wait, but I might stick with weeknights, or off-hours, just so things are a little less frantic!

Whoops, careless reading on my part! Still, someone else asked him what he thought about Philadelphia restaurants, and he said he hadn't eaten here in a long time, so he simply didn't have an opinion. While it's certainly possible that he was in town on friday night and was taken out somewhere, I would think he would have mentioned it then: "I don't really know Philly restaurants, but I ate at ___ last night and it was ___" or something.

He was asked where he was going to have dinner, and said he was going immediately back home to NY to see his family. So I think it's unlikely he had supper at Supper.

I went on saturday, about 11:15, and as mrbig discovered, the sign said they were open, the lights were on, there were employees there, but they waved me off and told me they were "closed today". I asked when they would open, and they shook their heads, looked kind of frustrated, and said "maybe later today, maybe tomorrow..." I m assuming a lot, but I'm guessing they're having trouble getting supplies. I only say that because they time I did manage to eat there, they didn't have steamed buns, and they said, "maybe tomorrow" about those too. Given that they have actually served me, and Orion, and MichaelG, dumplings, and sesame pancakes, I think it is indeed an actual restaurant, not a front. I just think they haven't worked out how to get the raw materials transported consistently from the mothership in NY, or something...