philadining

Dropped by Waterworks on sunday a little before 5pm, thinking we might be able to grab a drink on the patio before the diner rush. We asked the hostess, and she directed us to "any of the metal-topped tables" which are set-aside for cocktails, the rest reserved for dinner. Upon walking outside and surveying the situation, we both literally laughed out loud. There are 4 small tables, most appropriate for parties of two, squeezed up against the building, that are available for cocktail sipping. A dense forest of white-tablecloth-clad 2 and 4 tops takes up the rest of the sizable patio. I certainly can understand that on a nice day those tables are in demand, and the restaurant certainly can do better serving dinner to folks out there than allowing people to nurse a glass of wine and chat, but still, only 4 tables for folks having cocktails? We probably should have asked if we could sit at one of the quarantined tables if we promised to vacate it whenever they needed it, but I suspect they wouldn't have wanted to open that can of worms. There was some room at the bar, but it's inside, without a view to speak of, so we looked elsewhere. I'm sure it makes economic sense to Waterworks, but it's too bad that the area overlooking the river there is not really a viable drinking and snacking destination any more.

Things were hopping at snackbar on sunday. The place was pretty full, and there was a lot of buzz at one of the sidewalk tables where the next mayor was encamped. (Oh, wait, Michael Nutter still needs to get by the Republicans in the general election, but judging from the rock-star reception he was getting from passers-by, I think it's safe to say he's got it pretty well locked-up!) But we were there for pork bellies, not pork belly politics, so we kept a respectful distance and stuffed ourselves silly. They've added some really cool cocktails to the menu. I forget exactly what was in the one on the left, except that it involved Pimms... the one on the right was a basil lemonade, which was herby, sparkling, spiked with vodka, and totally refreshing. The Octopus has undergone some small tweaks, and I like where it's ended up! It's grilled now, rather than the more gentle sous-vide it had been treated to, and while that's more a common prep around town, there's good reason for that: a slight char is such a great compliment to the flavors of the octopus. It's still assertive with smoked paprika, but now accompanied by olives and celery. The lemony purée remains, and good thing too, it's a perfect bright note among the dusky smokiness. This was really quite excellent. I'm not sure I intellectually understand the combination of Asparagus and Escargot, but it worked, so I don't care! The snails were wonderfully tender, and while they might have benefitted from a bit more garlic, or something (their inherent flavor is pretty subtle on their own) the whole dish worked nicely together, with the slightly bitter char on the cool veggies, the earthiness of the warm snails, the richness of the crumbled egg. We'd really been lured-in by the belly, so there was no resisting it. I liked the interplay of the sweet fruitiness of the melon, rhubarb and kumquat with the fatty richness of the pork, but we both felt like this dish needed something. I'm not sure what it is, maybe a salty component, or a spicy one? There was nothing at all wrong with the preparation, the quality was good, the crunch on the pork was nice, the fruits and vegetables were bright and refreshing, even the accompanying powder (brown butter maybe? something nutty...) was nice, but we still felt like the table needed one more leg. We went back and forth a million times on this: are we hungry enough? Do we really want to order a steak at snackbar? Why in the world is there a steak on the menu here? Glad we succumbed to the pure hedonistic urge, this was actually the star of the meal. Hard to say why, except that it's a nice piece of beef, cooked properly (yes chef, they did get the temp right - see:) Nothing too wacky here, just beautifully tender meat and an excellent horseradish-spiked potato salad, the essence of a nice summer dinner. OK, the super-concentrated wine essence smeared on the side was a little avant-garde. It had an edgy, biting sharpness that I wasn't sure I liked, but I kept finding myself dipping the meat in it, enjoying how it spurred classic sauce memories, rather than being a standard wine reduction itself... All in all, good stuff, and I think the balance of small-plate experimentation and large-plate comfort is a smart one, especially for summertime on the square. Rumor is that more menu changes are on the way, so get on in there early and often, there's plenty to try!

Hardena 1754 Hicks St (on Moore, just west of 15th st) I can't for the life of me figure out what took me so long to get to Hardena. I'd read about it on Chowhound long ago, that crew has been singing this place's praises for years. There was even a Philadelphia Weekly review in 2005, and the restaurant was already 3-years-old then. Maybe it's their somewhat conservative hours, 11am-8pm, and they sometimes look closed even when they're not. And it's in a part of far south Philly that I rarely travel, so it was never on my way to anything. Still, I'm ashamed it took me this long. Prodded by a friend who'd gone several times before, we finally checked it out, and I'm still shaking my head about how many great meals I've missed... There's a jam-packed steamtable holding a wide variety of stewy curries, vegetables, whole fish, and more. Plates of fried chicken, veggie fritters, and other crispy things balance precariously. You can get any of the various dishes individually, but it's way more fun to get a combination plate: a pile of fresh rice, with three items from the steamtable piled on top. Chef/owner Ena may not speak lots of English, but enough to guide even the uninitiated through what's on offer. She'll point, scoop up a little, and give a basic decription, such as "lamb," "greens" or "tempeh." If it looks good, say yes, and when you have three, you're set. This one has Beef Rendang, slightly spicy collard greens and a vegetable fritter. This plate has a lamb curry, some hard-to identify vegetables, and a crispy pile of fried tempeh sticks with anchovy. (Oh, and a fritter - the fritters rock...) The dollop of red is homemade sambal, which carries some serious spice, but is more flavorful than merely hot. Don't forget the satay. It's not on the steamtable, they're grilled-up to order, and that freshness shows, it's some of the best satay I've had. In fact all of the food was delicious, and despite the similarity of appearance of some of the sauces, each offering had distinct flavors, each complex and stimulating. Some were spicy, but none were brutally so, most had some level of pleasing zing. The Beef Rendang was the best I've ever had, more delicate in spicing and tender in texture than the versions I've had at many Malaysian restaurants. The lamb looked rather gray and uninviting, but it too was tender and delicious, bathed in a coconut-milk-based curry. The tempeh was a big surprise, crunchy and light tasting, studded with peanuts, only a hint of salt from the anchovy, rather than any fishiness per se. Both the greens and whatever the other vegetables were had great sauces, and framed their ingredients well. Every thing we had was just great, so I'd have no reluctance to just let Ena make me a plate randomly. This pile of food effectively filled two of us up, and neither of us is a light eater! The tab for two plates, an extra fritter and 4 skewers of satay? $14. The place is not very big, so at certain times it may be hard to find a seat, but one could always do take-out. I'm actually kicking myself for not getting a big of containers of everything to go, to hold me over until next time I get down there... I certainly need a few quarts of Rendang!

Yowza is right. As Katie said last night, it was more of a wake than a sombre funeral. Most everyone was drinking, laughing and telling stories, rather than weeping in their drinks. We had a little eG get-together dominating the bar, sampling Katie's Corpse Revivers and more... Chef David Katz is the one who made me a little sad: by sending out a couple of appetizers, he only drove home what a shame it is that this kitchen is closing. Those two dishes were so technically perfect and just plain delicious that I regretted even more that M is only a memory now. Tiny, sweet, delicate oysters were fried to a satisfying crunch, while retaining their inner creaminess. Woodsy morels accompanied, and both were bathed in a luxurious foie gras emulsion. A little thyme oil peeked through, pulling the richness back from the brink. I found myself eating the sauce with a spoon, probably would have licked the bowl if I knew everyone at the bar better.... awesome. Lobster, Corn, Wild MUshrooms: is there a better expression of summer? I don't think there is a better one than what showed up in that bowl. It was light, yet stimulating, with great textural variation, as well as perfect balance of sweet, salt and forest funk. Here's hoping that chef Katz lands somewhere soon. We really need to be eating more of his food! Hopefully we can post updates here before long. Thanks chef, and thanks Katie, for the wonderful food, drinks and hospitality, though for too short a time...

Just closed... And yeah, that carrot cake rocks. Still can be found at catered affairs around town, I'm told. The recipe is in here, along with some other great stuff. I still pull out my beat-up, stained copy of this book, and cook from it. A few recipes seem dated, or charmingly innocent, but many are classics, and still seem fresh, even 22 years after the book was first published.

Several of us have done it a couple of times. Look back a few pages in this topic, you'll find accounts of it. The short version is that yes, it seems totally worth it. One warning, the staff may encourage you to get some additional tapas beforehand, and while that's always fun, I would keep it to a minimum. There's a lot of pig, and sides, in the package deal, so you don't need much extra food to tide you over. ETA: porkapalooza #1 #2

Sorry to wander off-topic, but Foobooz is reporting that Astral Plane will close this weekend, leaving only Friday, Saturday, Sunday still standing from that funky 70s movement.

Yeah, it's kind of come in waves since that original 70s renaissance that Holly mentioned, but it's been a steadily creative, if under-appreciated, scene for over 30 years. It got flashy with the advent of the Steven Starr era in 1995, and the mom-and-pop BOB thing got pretty big shortly thereafter, but it's been a really interesting place to eat for a long time. I don't know exactly how it all got enough momentum to sustain, although there are some accounts of the origins of that original boom that imply that there was a lucky intersection of people, real estate, and energy. I do know that some of the innovative multiculti food that was coming out of those kitchens in the late 70s and early 80s was influenced by the large number of Thai line cooks that happened to be in the workforce at the time. I think that creative vibe of places like Frog has had a lasting influence on chefs and diners in Philly. There have been little jolts to the scene now and then, but it's been pretty solid for a long time...

New pizza - the "Trentino" - figs, speck, gorgonzola, no sauce. It goes immediately to (near) the top of the pizza hall of fame. Great combination of sweet, salty, pungent, soft, crunchy and chewy. A glass of Pinot Nero amplifies the fig flavors perfectly. The Puglia Rosso they're pouring supports the funk of the cheese. What to do? Drink both.... They seem to have changed the name of the eggplant pizza to "Melanzana," which should eliminate that Parma-Parmigiana confusion. Speaking of eggplant: the eggplant ravioli are impossibly light, the filling seeming more like an airy whipped ricotta rather than a mashed vegetable. Some anchovy and herbs tether it to the earth, lending a dark anchor to the ethereal mouthfeel. Yep, it's swimming in oil. You got a problem with that?

Victor Fiorillo has the spam at Pojangmacha in Upper Darby, as recounted in Philadelphia Magazine.

Yes, according to Michael Klein. ← Klein's Inqlings article.

or there's the chinatown highlights thread.

or... I suspect Capaneus might have been disparaging the lovely town of Phoenixville, where one can find Hendrix Farms cheeses at a little cheese shop there. That's OK, it just means more room at the next Majolica dinner, given that comments like that can get one banned from that godforsaken burg! It's amazing how fast it can happen, there are already posters up all over town with his face on them...

As mrbig says, there should be one tomorrow. And older ones are archived here. So I suspect he was just away the last couple of weeks.

Providing yet more evidence for the variation of personal impressions: I specifically loved the mussels at Tinto. Our impressions were pretty similar to LaBan's, we had lots of wow moments, and didn't feel like we spent a fortune. I wonder if it was the general sense of Tinto's quality, or a sense of what LaBan likes, that led Foobooz voters to overwhelmingly correctly guess the 3-Bell review ahead of time....

It seems that lunch is just thursdays and fridays, at least that what the website says. At dinner, I recently tried the spaghetti a la chitarra with wild mushrooms. Thumbs up. Great texture to the pasta. Word to the wise: if you order the Parmigiana Pizza (with eggplant and stracciatella) speak loudly, and enunciate. Otherwise you might get the Parma pizza (with prosciutto and arugula.) Not that a mistake like that is an entirely bad thing... I could almost see not mentioning it and just rolling with it! Kind-of messes up the wine matches though.

Very interesting analysis of new developments in the Chops v. Laban lawsuit over at Philafoodie. Apparently the restaurant owner has conceded that Laban did not order a "steak sandwich without the bread" but in fact a "Steak Frites." The exact cut of meat used there is still not clear, but it's Laban's assertion that it was billed as strip steak by the waiter. The other interesting twist is the plaintiff insisting on a videotaped deposition of Laban, possibly resulting in his face being shown in open court. Several good points brought up by Philafoodie about the various parties' possible motivations, and potential messages embedded in legal language.

yeah, that seems a little early to stop serving lunch. Thankfully they still serve dinner fairly late. There is a very interesting and creative list of cocktails now, but I didn't get a chance to sample them, as I was busily plowing through some of the interesting beers and wines that are changing so quickly I just can't keep up! For you fans of dessert stickies, ask about a vertical of Monbazillac (especially nice with a cheese plate.) The differences of a few years are fascinating. Oh, and the warm spinach "salad" with sweetbreads, escargots and leeks is weird and wonderful. Why does it work? Oh yeah, pancetta...

Word is that they'll do breakfast and lunch on weekends soon. Not sure about weekdays. Like Katie, I'm always happy at N3rd, so I'm fairly pleased with this development, although, Like Capaneus, I was hoping for something a little more diner-ish. And when I rule the universe, any place even resembling a diner will have to be open all night.

You know, we've had several noble White Burgs go down in flames in the face of Shola's truffle-glazed custards. It always seems like they're going to work, and they almost do, but mostly they get steamrolled. At this dinner, I just took a little sip after I had finished the dish, and the match worked beautifully with the lingering memory of the truffle. I can imagine that it might have washed out in direct hand-to-hand combat. I'd be happy to keep trying different pairings until we get it right...

Discussion of the M Dinner here>> [Moderator note: The original StudioKitchen topic became too large for our servers to handle efficiently, so we've divided it up; the following part of this discussion is here: StudioKitchen (2008-)]

Yeah, the pacing did seem a little too fast, but I didn't feel actively rushed. I suspect that the kitchen was in high-gear, thinking that a full dining room full of tasting menus was going to be a nightmare, but it actually all went smooth... I'll bet they could dial it back a bit if they do it again (which I certainly hope they do!) They were definitely a little TOO quick with clearing the table, it did feel like one's plate was gone as that last forkful was being raised to the mouth. I know there are different schools of thought on this, but I actually prefer it if they wait to clear the plates until everyone is done, which they most definitely were not doing. But those are minor points to me, it's not as if the next course was showing up before we were done with the previous one, it's just that they came out very promptly after one another.

Nope, it was Wild Aparagus, which I've been seeing in posts on line, but hadn't had the pleasure of eating before! I think the herby lovage was in the caponata, but I could be wrong...

You're right, it was pretty much a dead-ringer for a classic StudioKitchen meal, with the only slightly disorienting twist of being served by waiters and waitresses in a larger room! Food was absolutely on-par with SK, both in terms of general composition and execution. Although it was unmistakably a Shola menu, he told us at one point that the M chefs were doing most of the cooking, that he was mostly finishing the platings, so big props to chef Katz and his crew as well. And serious respect to chef Katz for the wine pairings too, they were excellent throughout. That late harvest Zin at the end seemed like it had been manufactured to go with the chocolate-cherry ganache, picking up that fruit, and sliding comfortably alongside the smoky chocolate soil. Can we pause a moment and contemplate the smokiness in the dessert? At almost seemed like there was bacon in there, and I mean that in a good way! That spear of wild asparagus atop the suzuki provided an extra spark to an already entrancing dish. The fish was terrific, but I was busy immersing myself in the sweet earthiness of the eggplant and white raisin caponata beneath. Make anything into a croquette and I'm happy, and if it happens to be flavorful shreds of lamb shoulder, all the better. Set it beside tender medalions of lamb loin, simultaneously medium-rare and darkly-seared, and I'm ecstatic. Set those on top of a sweet fennel jam and an earthy chickpea slick, and I'm over the moon. Sweet corn - funky truffle, is there a better match? The first course gave yet more evidence in favor of the theory that we really should be urging Shola to open SoupKitchen, just so we could eat his soups every day. Perhaps several times a day... Every dish was thoroughly enjoyable, so I'd call that a pretty successful dinner! Here's hoping they do some more of these dinners right here at M, the whole thing was very smooth and well-run. And it doesn't hurt to start the evening with some fabulous Katie Loeb cocktails!

M Restaurant, June 13, 2007 Guest Chef: Shola Olunloyo Spring Garlic Soup Roasted Parsley - Garlic Purée Boneless Chicken Wings Les Argiles Clos Baudoin Vouvray, Lore '04 Sweet Corn - Parmesan Custard Black Truffle Caramel Toasted Brioche Patrice Rion Bourgogne Aligote, Niuits St. Georges '04 Roasted Suzuki Caramelized Eggplant - Pistachio Caponata, Sultanas, Lovage Wild Asparagus Yuzu Brown Butter Roncus Tocai Friulano '03 Loin of Australian Lamb Chick Pea Puree Braised Lamb Croquette Fennel Marmalade Ridge Zinfandel, Three Valleys, Sonoma '05 Chocolate Cherry Ganache Coffee Fluid Gel Smoked Chocolate Soil Pistachio Ice Cream Rosenblum Late Harvest Zinfandel, Russian River '03 (ETA wine pairings)