philadining

This is also correct, good eye prasantrin! While nothing was especially Japanese or Korean tasting, there was certainly a bit of that aesthetic in play. That dish you pointed out (the pulled skate wings) didn't have any rice in it, but was certainly inspired by the bibimbap/donburi thing of a bowl of warm earthy goodness with an egg integrating itself into it. I haven't drizzled bourbon-barrel-aged maple syrup into my donburi lately, but you know, maybe I'll try that... We were laughing about how we were drinking wines that had been aged less than the maple syrup! Weird world.

(added menu to photos upthread...)

Good call, Chris! While it didn't really taste anything like Bibimbap, that was definitely an inspiration for this dish. The official menu reads:Pulled Skate Wings Mushroom Ragout Hot Spring Egg Scallop-Morel Emulsion Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Vinaigrette "pulled skate" ?!? yep. Next big thing, you heard it here first!

StudioKitchen February 21, 2006 Togarashi Caramel Corn Dried Tomatoes This was really fun: spicy, sweet, crunchy, tangy.. This is what happens when Cracker Jack and Screaming Yellow Zonkers spend all weekend watching Kurosawa DVDs and inevitably want to be as cool as Toshiro Mifune. Smoked Salmon Pickled Fruits Maple Cured Wild Steelhead Roe Celery Confit, Spicy Herb Coulis Sorrel Salad The lightly smoky fish played beautifully against the sweet and sour fruit, what else could it need? Ahh.. a little crunch. And finally a Napolean with some height! The celery had been tamed by sous-vide, but still retained a bit of snap, and gained a depth of flavor and a pickled tang that played nicely against the salty roe. The maple curing contributed an ethereal sweet edge to those sharper tastes. Those of us prudent enough to save a little of the Chateau Frank NYS sparkler we were drinking at the start would have found a simpatico accompaniment in their attmpt at a classic champagne. On the other side, a sweet moscato played off different aspects of the dish, to no less pleasing effect. Parsley Soup Two Ways: Roasted Parsley Soup Last Summer's Corn Milk Chicken “Para Bistek”, Aromatic Spices, Roasted Garlic Parsley Root Soup Leek Confit, Grapefruit Emulsion, Lemon Oil The root soup, sharing the shotglass with some chunks of grapefruit was both earthy and airy, not too different from other root vegetable purées, brightened with citrus essences. And it's that combination that really lifts this, the broth itself would be perfectly satisfying and comforting, but that grapefruit edge somehow fits comfortably in, while simultaneously pulling the flavors up and out. But it's the roasted parsley soup that stole the show, maybe took the prize for the whole meal. The green broth was as vivid a flavor as it is a visual statement. What you can't see is the mellowing sweetness of the corn soup that resides underneath, giving a creamy richness to the soup, and offsetting the spicy chopped chicken. That chicken had been given a rustic grilling after being encrusted in too many spices to count, which added mostly complexity, but a little heat too. Somehow this was not too much going on, rather it was a concert of flavors pulling together, an orchestra paying attention to the conductor. I completely misunderstood where these flavors would be going when reading the menu, and had selected a dry Italian white to pick up the parsley and garlic and corn. Sadly it was a complete mismatch, in fact rather unpleasant with the root soup. This may be the only time I've ever failed to bring a Riesling to Studio Kitchen, and I think one might have done the trick if I'd just listened to my inner voice and thrown one in the cooler! Or perhaps, with the assertive spice and earthy Mexican flavors of the green soup, we would have been well-served by Shola's suggestion of a nice cold beer. Ahh.. we live and learn... Pulled Skate Wings Mushroom Ragout Hot Spring Egg Scallop-Morel Emulsion Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Vinaigrette This was a really comforting, tasty homey-feeling dish, inspired by those warming Asian meals in a bowl, such as bi-bim bap or donburi. In this case the egg wasn't meant to be stirred-in, it was much too much of a work of art for that, precisely slow-poached in its shell in the circulating bath so that it reached a perfect just-barely-set consistency. Doesn't hurt to start with excellent cage-free eggs either... A little drip of barrel-aged Maple Syrup from our own little squeeze bottles really took that egg to an even higher plane. The pulled skate wing had a delightful texture, cleaving along its natural striations, ultimately reminding me of the most artfully thin-sliced meats in Chinese stir-fry that roll up on themselves to almost resemble a noodle. The combinations of the tender ribbons of fish, the pillowy egg and deep dark mushroom base made this another supremely satisfying dish. It wasn't too hard of a call to drink a Chassagne-Montrachet with this, that clean yet full white burgundy was just perfect. Braised Veal Cheeks Seared Foie Gras Pickled White Asparagus Coco Beans and Cocoa Nibs Banyuls Vinaigrette A few at the table cheated and headed straight for the foie gras, but I'm not sure which components of this plate offered the most rewarding richness. Those full flavored cheeks were concentrated by a slow braise, the cocoa nibs and banyuls adding to the intensity. The pickled asparagus offered a crucial acidic counterpoint to the richness of the meat. I loved eating the asparagus and the foie together. The strong flavors of this meat allowed us to bring out the big guns for a change, and both an Almaviva and the Chateau Lynch-Bages were worthy companions to this plate. I thought both wines were delicious, and very good matches, and if I gave an edge to the Lynch-Bages, it would only be by a nose. Parmesan Soup “Sholives” Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. Creamy, cool, cheese soup, Shola's trademark pickled grapes, some fresh greens and twists of fresh reggiano make for a beautiful if unconventional cheese course! Shola joked that it was almost a liquid caesar salad. Don't worry, that version is coming... a couple of tweaks... Some sweet, but not too sweet, Vouvray was a lucky coincidence, it ended up complimenting this dish beautifully. Wish we could take credit for the paring, but we didn't know this course was coming! It's good to have spare wine... Chocolate Cherry Galette Smoked Chocolate Crumble Cardamon Infused Mineola Syrup Cauliflower Foam It's hard to go wrong with a big, intense chocolate dessert, and this was all that, and then given a spin of complexity with the spiced orange syrup, and the now-familiar cauliflower flavors. The cauliflower and orange are for some reason a beautiful combination, as are orange and chocolate, so... guess what? they all play well together. And this occasioned one of the wine highlights as well, a Recioto della Valpolicella that was quite lovely on its own, but freaking awesome with the chocolate. Major thanks to the folks down at Moore Bros in Wilmington for that excellent tip. And we're never going to dissuade Evan from popping a bottle of PX for good measure... To sum up, see earlier posts, you know, the ones about how this somehow topped the meals before and was a truly magical experience and blah blah blah... it must seem so trite from the outside. But really, yet another amazing meal, all the way through. Big thanks to my dining partners, who did indeed help make it an even better night. It's always fun to have some new folks along, and watch as they get that possessed, addicted look in their eyes... I'm quite sure we made some converts last night! Special thanks to JeffL, Percy and Evan for donating some truly awesome wines, and of course to Shola for somehow topping himself again and again...

Welcome, urbanfabric! That's a darn nice first post, and no I don't think you broke any rules... Please let us know about your other dining excursions, even if it takes you a while to get back to Lacroix.

Allister, thanks for that review, and I'm sorry to hear that nothing was very pleasing to you. And wow, omakase really starts at $200?!? Having tried the omakase at his place in Philly, for $80, and having thought several parts of it were outstanding, and all of it at least good (except maybe dessert, which was a bit dull) both the price and the quality that you report are surprising to me. Nonetheless, again, thanks for the report. Is there a less-expensive omakase offered at the tables, with the 8-seat inner-sanctum reserved for the higher-end?

Joe's was something of a spin-off from Sang Kee, which is still going strong on 9th street, and makes incredible noodle soups, Peking Duck, etc... And Joe Poon, one of the former Sang Kee guys that started it up, is back doing his Joe Poon thing in Chinatown as well. Not quite the same thing as Joe's, but he still makes a heck of a Peking Duck,

Katz's deli is often clotted with tourists, sitting under the arrow and reenacting Meg Ryan's fake orgasm, but that doesn't make their pastrami taste any worse. Morimoto (the restaurant) is meant to be a big, spashy, flashy, exciting place, that will indeed thrill the out of towners with it's dramatic decor and throbbing techno music. But that doesn't mean that Morimoto (the chef) won't serve up good food. I'd just like to read something from someone whose opinion we trust here on eGullet, who has actually gone there. How many pages are we up to in this thread without a single first-hand report?

Thanks for that report Diann. I've gotten similarly curmudgeonly about Restaurant Week, haven't even bothered to go anywhere the last couple of times. But I'm glad it was at least good. Some out of town friends managed to squeeze into brunch yesterday at the last minute, and while I haven't gotten get details yet, I got a voicemail describing it as a "spiritual experience," and TOTALLY worth the money, so... I think they liked it!

Killing time between a couple of movies, we felt the urge for something sweet. As etalanian posted above, I'd previously found Fork's desserts to be OK, but no huge thrill, but "Fork etc." (the little informal counter-service/take-out spot next door) was exactly the right place at the right time, so we stopped in and had a couple pieces of cake and some hot drinks, and it was quite good. I had an Opera Cake and a good cup of La Colombe coffee The cake was nice and light, with a surprisingly airy nutty layer contrasting with the chocolate. I'd get that again any time. The DDP had a piece of "Chocolate Dream Cake" and Spanish Hot Chocolate. This was intense and creamy in that ganache way, without any of the graininess that sometime sneaks into large productions. The little caramel layer at the bottom made it dreamy indeed... The Spanish hot chocolate was Spanish only in its origin, nothing else too exotic, no smoked paprika in it or anything... but very good. This was a very nice place to stop in and grab a quick bite, relax a bit in a casual setting. Sandwiches and salads looked really good, but I didn't try anything. There's not too many other spots good for that down in Old City, unless you want to drink. (Of course we almost went back to Amada, but they weren't open yet... and we would have ended up in some serious trouble with some of those cocktails, I'm sure. Coffee was safer.) I'm keeping this in mind for quick pre or post-Ritz movie bites.

Hey Katie, sorry your experience there wasn't uniformly enjoyable, especially since I steered you there!! I've experienced a range in the quality of service, it's often quite good, with helpful servers, but other times I too have gotten the drop-and-run, or a refusal to even say what the soups are, or no help at all in explaining things, etc. I know sometimes it's a language thing, and some times it's a cultural/experience thing. For instance, they probably don't get a lot of folks bringing wine, let alone someone wanting to chill it... of course, in a perfect world you certainly SHOULD be able to get an ice bucket, but I can imagine some of the waiters I've had being totally perplexed by that request. A lot of little independent places, regardless of the ethnicity, can suffer from this service roughness, it never surprises me too much, so I'm usually ready to roll with it, as you guys did in just going and getting your own spoons. As for the spiciness: I've experienced some wide variation there too, I've gotten the lamb with cumin when you really couldn't even see any lamb amongst the pile of dried peppers... The manager once stressed to me that they can tone anything down, just ask. He was shocked that we ordered, and ate, the Guizhou style chicken straight as the chef usually makes it. That said, I think it comes down to a personal preference, sometimes the hottest versions were my faves, and not from a macho masochistic show-offy perspective, I don't like heat for heat's sake, but I found both of those dishes to have fascinating flavors under the burn, and sometimes the most intense versions were both extra-hot and extra-flavorful. I'm sure everyone's palate reacts differently, but I've found myself sweating and panting and unable to stop eating because it really tasted good. But I can certainly see how someone else would find some of the food there to be just over-the-top too hot, and not be able to get past that. I've heard the comment that some of the very hot stuff just blows-out one's taste buds making it impossible to taste anything, but that's just not how it works for me. I've experienced some lingering after-effects, but I'm still able to taste the food while I'm eating it. But again, I'm sure it's different for everyone, just be aware of what you're getting. But again, anyone who goes, and would like some spice, but not the full-on assault, just ask when you order, they'll mellow it out for you. And not everything on the Chinese menu is crazy hot, the Peking Style Pork has become a favorite of mine, and has no heat whatsoever, the spaghetti with minced pork has no heat to speak of, there's a hearty and mild beef stew that I liked, etc. And there's also an entire colorful, glossy menu of stuff more geared toward the mainstream that's just fine, there's no shame in ordering off of that! (I've had the minced-whatever in lettuce cups too, and they are indeed quite tasty.) I'd agree that the spicy dumplings are indeed better at Szechuan Tasty House, and the STH has a few things I don't see at Tifco's, but Tifco's has a WAY broader menu of seriously traditional things, most of which I've found to be quite good. I like both places a lot, and they're far enough apart that geography is probably going to make the choice for me most of the time. But I think we do need to get a larger group together out here at Tifco and order a wide range of things, like we did at STH, to get a better overview. THEN we get the Hot Rabbits Ding!! Katie, you're coming to that even if we have to drag you!!

Had a really great brunch at Carman's on sunday, I'm really glad I managed to get organized enough to call ahead for a change! DDP had the special omelet It had, ummm... I don't remember what it had in it, but I stole a forkful and it was really tasty, especially with the recommended pancetta on the side. Another special of beef stew with eggs sounded odd at first, but slowly insinuated itself into my imagination until I couldn't resist... And I'm glad I succumbed to that impulse, it was delicious. The chunky, tender beef stew was served over potatoes and other vegetables, with a couple of eggs on the side. Toast was good for mopping up both egg yolks and sauce. I almost licked the plate... Portions were huge, that one meal held us through a whole day of strenuous movie-watching. I can't wait to go back, thanks Carman!!

Here's a listing from Roadfood.com that suggests Charlie the Butcher is a good place for this sandwich in Buffalo, and indicates that the beef is rare, or at least pink... Same for Schwabl's

And some of you mock me for going as often as possible! It is the middle of February already, so I'm not too surprised that he's booked through March. And he's been planning on doing some traveling and studying, so closing-up for a while is not a big surprise to many of us. Of course we certainly hope that "indefinitely" isn't too long, and there's reason to believe that there will be StudioKitchen dinners again in the future, but when? If? Will it be the same thing? Who knows? We shouldn't take Shola and StudioKitchen for granted...

No surprise, I had yet another fantastic meal at Amada on saturday. Between the 4 of us we had: PULPO CALLEGO / Spanish Octopus, PATATAS BRAVAS / Spicy Potatoes, PIQUILLOS RELLENOS / Crab-Stuffed Peppers, MELON CON JAMON / Serrano Ham & Cantelope, CROQUETAS DE JAMON / Ham Croquettes COLCOTS CON SALBITXADA / Charred Green Onions CALAMARI (a la Plancha) two Cocas - GAMBAS CON GARBANZOS / Shrimp, Chorizo & Garbanzo Bean Puree COSTILLAS DE TERNERA/Beef Shortribs, Horseradish, Parmesan and Bacon PERNIL ASADO / Roasted Pork, White Beans, Arugula and Orange MERLUZA EN SALSA VERDE / Spanish Sea Bass, White Wine, Clams & Parsley ATUN Y TOMATE / Seared Tuna w/ Tomato Escabeche & Manchego Croquettes CHOCOLATE EN CINCO TEXTURAS / Chocolate 5 Ways BANANA Y AZAFRAN / Caramelized Bananas and Chocolate Cake w/ Saffron Custard We made it through a couple pitchers of red sangria and a "Bad Education" which both got a strong thumbs-up from the whole crowd. Once again, we liked everything, and this was almost exactly the right amount of food for us, about 3 plates per person. The shortrib coca was freaking outrageous, a big favorite with everyone. The octopus and the ham croquettes were standouts as well. The Pernil is a pretty good small-scale approximation of the whole roasted pig, so if you don't have a gang, or can't plan ahead, just order this... The calamari were really beautifully done, just a quick sear on the plancha, and a good dose with oil and garlic, and almost too much salt, but not quite, we loved them. The tuna was very good, just barely seared on one side, and what could possibly be bad about a manchego croquette beside it? Nothing, I tell you, nothing. The Crab-stuffed peppers might be a little subtle, and the sea bass didn't thrill me, although the tiny, sweet clams that accompanied were amazing. Nothing wrong with either dish, just on the plain side. Service was excellent, we had a very helpful and knowledgeable server, and good pacing of the plates. We had to wait maybe 15 minutes after our reservation for our table, but I can't fault a restaurant for that on a saturday night. We sat WAY in the back in a little room with only two tables, which was very nice, and a bit quieter than the raucous front room. Overall, an excellent evening, and a big hit with some out-of-town guests. Thanks to all the Amada folks, and to Katie for, you know, being Katie. (And yo, I stole a sip of that Bad Education, and that is one delicious drink!)

Here's a link to the review (may require registration.) It's a good review, but it's kind of surprising that he doesn't mention the spicy dumplings, one of the faves with everyone I've gone with. His description of the spicy wontons makes them sound good too, but I think the dumplings seem more interesting... And the cold chicken in spicy sauce is pretty remarkable too, and different enough that I'm surprised he wouldn't have tried it. But then, there's only a finite amount of room in one's stomach, or one's review, so I can see it...

I don't know man, I think I'd give them 4 Bells just for the Golden Coins! But seriously, glad to see them more recognition. Every time I walk by, the place still usually looks empty! Hope this helps change that for them.

Yes, on the take-out menu I have, it's about midway down the middle column, between the Chile Relleno and the Milanesa. It's probably a big version of the taco you had while you were waiting last time. And sadly, it probably would dry out on a long ride, so you might need to eat it there. But it could be worth taking the extra time, it was really good... Apologies for making fun of your previous misfortune, I'm sure it's frustrating!

Hathor, glad you made it to SK, and enjoyed your dinner! That menu is not too different from what many of us have been seeing, but you're probably right: he might need to get to know your crowd a little better before he'll spring something really unusual on you... But I'd be happy with those dishes any day. Welcome to the club, and we look forward to more reports in the future!

In my ongoing campaign to torture Percy, I got some take-out pork from Los Mariachis tonight. This time: Carnitas This doesn't look quite as good as it tasted. The shredded pork was quite juicy and herby. The guac was simple, but fresh and good. Really nice piled up in a corn tortilla: This is actually one of the more expensive things they have, at $9. But it's a big portion of meat and guacamole, worth it as far as I'm concerned. And so far, my luck is holding, and I have avoided the Percycution our friend has suffered... But then I have a much shorter trip home, which helps, I'm sure.

Well, I made that sandwich at home, so...a couple of bucks? And Holly, I too am curious whether they're made with rare roast beef in Buffalo. I saw a photo like that in an airline magazine once and it just looked weird to me, because I'm so used to getting them like pictured above. But as I think I mentioned, I've had them at family parties, and little greasy-spoons in the rural area in between Rochester and Buffalo, not right at point of origin...

I contacted Wegman's through their website, asking if I could count on getting Kimmelwick rolls on a regular basis, or if it was a fluke that I found them in PA. I got a quick response saying that they are baked in-house and if I ever needed them, just contact the bakery manager and they'd make them available. I presume that would be true at any of the stores. So, as they quietly take over the world, you can probably get them more and more places. The Wegman's Store locator....

Look, I know we're over-analyzing this, it's a charming metaphor: I'm sure Shola exudes an aura of cool sophistication perched at the bar of a brand new restaurant. But having seen him flat-on-his-back exhausted after non-stop cooking gigs recently, the idea of him as a man of leisure amused me! And the very idea of Philadelphia as a place one engages in such boulevardiage (?) is similarly funny to me. Where exactly would one make such a promenade? Maybe Rittenhouse Square... Anyway, it was a good article.

You know, I think eGullet is one of the few places in the world one is likely to see the phrase:

There's an article by Rick Nichols about Ansill here in the Inky. And wow, who knew Shola was a boulevardier?