philadining

Hmm....I thought the LaTour Beaune was actually kind of fruity. True, it was restrained and earthy, not ultra-concentrated, but I found it juicy and refreshing, with plenty of flavor. I guess the good thing is that at such a good price, it's worth trying another bottle or two and seeing if it fits our personal preferences. I really think it suits my taste really well, and seems especially good with food, at least from my experience with one bottle so far... Let's drink some more and report back. I say we start with Pedro's stock.

There are almost too many to mention from Upstate NY... Bully Hill has lots: Banty Red Bulldog Baco Noir Heritage Red and of course, Love My Goat, Le Goat Blush, and Goat White. There were more good ones back when Walter S ___ was illustrating the labels, some charming anthropomorphic raccoons and the like... but the labels aren't quite as exciting these days.

Percyn wrote: I'm glad you liked it, and I'll agree it was a really nice match with the squash, and I want to take a minute to give some props where props are due: big thanks to our own rlibkind for mentioning this wine here on eGullet, I hadn't paid any attention to this NYS Finger Lakes winery, but they do indeed make a darn fine gewurtz as well as some other German-style whites. I've got a bottle of their late harvest gewurtz that'll I'm looking forward to trying. And thanks to Diann for reminding us that this was sitting in the ice bucket, I was kind of zoning-out, not totally digging the sherry either, but forgetting that we had another option! I'll second what Percy said about the sherry, it was indeed tasty stuff, and I completely understand the logic of suggesting it as a match for the squash, but it was just too much for this soup. We made good use of it toward the end of the evening! I liked that Niedrist Rose too, that's two of his wines I've really liked now. Bears further investigation.

Fairly routine and uncritical travel article, but nice that someone acknowledges the sandwich culture here: Air Canada website

OK, you want to know the secret? Just say yes. That’s it. Entry 345 in the journal of being in the right place at the right time: StudioKitchen November 2, 2005 Amuse: Chilled Yellow Brandywine Tomato Soup, Tuna Tartare, Pickled Mackerel with Apple, Hot Chinese Celery Broth. Shola described this as “cold, fish-fish, hot” which doesn’t quite do it justice… We started with a shotglass of pure tomato essence: sweet, round and smooth. Next were cubes of raw tuna, just barely tweaked with some sweet miso and salty shreds of seaweed. Following was a fine dice of sour mackerel, countered with sweet crunchy apples. And to end this sequence a shot of clear broth, that was both complex and cleansing, recalling the spicing of an elegant pho. I could go for a big bowl of that broth with some noodles. Terrine of Foie Gras and Tea Soaked Prunes, Lemon Miso Glaze, Curly Endive, Asian Pears, Rye Bread Crisps Each element of this plate was distinctly delicious, but as one worked around and tasted them all together, the effect was only amplified. The foie was a classic cold terrine, rich, but tempered by the prune and other accompaniments. The stripe of lemon miso glaze was sweet and sour and salty, the endive bitter like a delicate frisée salad lifted by a lemony dressing, the Rye crisp adding some crunch, the asian pear cubes offering fresh sweet juciness. Butternut Squash Soup, Esplette Oil, Maple Glazed Braeburn Apples, Nutmeg Milk, Vapors of Lemon. We were pretty curious about the vapors too, and you know, it wasn’t some silly conceptual thing, this whole course was infused and altered by the essence of lemon wafting up from an outer bowl, surrounding a smaller bowl that held the soup. Who’d have imagined that some lemon zest hit with some steaming hot water could have such an impact? But this soup, already vibrant with squash cooked in carrot juice, topped with a nutmeg foam, hiding chunks of sweet apple, was transformed by the citrus edge that felt like a flavor, even if it was only hitting our noses. Scallops wrapped with Dover Sole, Chestnut Purée, Braised Oxtail and its juices, Lentil-Cumin Emulsion. Why wrap the scallop in Sole? Why not? These huge, sweet diver scallops gained an interesting textural edge from the belt of fish, and a hearty flavor twist from the beefy sauce. This is not a combination that I’ve encountered before, but it worked really nicely. Torchon of Rabbit Saddle, Mushroom Farci, Rabbit Confit and Onion Croustade, Rack of Rabbit, Caramelized Salsify, Truffle Glaze I’m sorry, did you say “rack of rabbit”?!?! That certainly counts as a novel presentation, and one that highlights Shola’s attention to detail, and slightly obsessive nature! It sounds like a cruel trick one plays on the new line cook, suggesting he go French-out the bones on rabbit ribs… But it was worth the trouble, the meat was tender and tasty, the bones serving as handles for eating the tiny chops. The torcheon was hearty and earthy, its mushroom stuffing providing a textural contrast. But in what is turning into a pattern, the crispy, crunchy, pastry stole the show, the combination of bun and a shredded meat filling evoking the feel of a Chinese Bao. And just in case you thought we were eating off of really HUGE plates, here’s that rack of rabbit, with a wine cork for scale… Lychee Soup, Sweet Stracchino Cloud, Crystallized Almond and Ginger, Sencha Powder The airy could floated above a denser ice cream, each rich with creamy stracchino cheese. A subtle bitter note from the powdered green tea pulled the sweetness back from the brink. Clean, sweet fruit soup and crunchy almond flakes completed the picture, for a signature Shola dessert, traversing a wide range of textures, temperatures, densities and flavors. So, how to sum-up without resorting to familiar platitudes? Uhhmmmm.. impossible. Once again, a surprising, delightful, and delicious meal, with some new twists I haven’t seen before at SK. You'd think I'd be getting jaded, or bored, by now, but the opposite is actually true. I always look forward to a dinner here, and have yet to be disappointed. And once again, it was a lovely evening even above and beyond the food, with great dining partners, some interesting wine (notes to follow from our trusty wine scribe - you get to guess who…) Thanks to all for the lovely company! And to those at home, feeling jealous, just remember, be open, be receptive, and just say yes.

I’ll echo the thanks for a truly enjoyable night at Rx. Of course, our gratitude to Chairman Newman for giving up his evening to eat and drink with us, and share some amusing and informative stories. At the end of the evening I was even more convinced of his passion for improving the wine experience here in PA, and of his devotion to giving people opportunities to try new and better wines than they might have. It was obvious that he takes a special glee in being able to wangle an excellent bargain, and it is a credit to him and the system in general that those savings are passed on to the consumers. The very fact that he’s willing to come out to these public events, give a talk, and take questions, bodes well for the future of the wine scene here in PA. Thanks are due also to Deirdre Costello for getting this organized, under constantly changing conditions. Tracking the availability of wines, and Chairman Newman himself, was a challenge, and we appreciate the work she put into it. …and to Katie for her part in getting all the parties coordinated, and to Evan for getting this whole concept going to start with! And of course, huge thanks to Greg Salisbury and Russ Essner of Rx for a wonderful meal and the perfect setting for this event. So, enough of the love fest, what did we think of the food and wine? My (usually) trusty Pentax is in the shop, so I’ll leave it to Evan to post some pics the two of us took with his camera. Dijon/Lemon marinated Spanish Mackerel, Potato-garlic Skordalia, crispy capers. St. Francis Chardonnay Behler Vineyard 2003 This was a very assertive first course: the fish had a strong flavor and the skordalia packed a punch, the smooth potatoes heavy with raw garlic and salty with capers. The first bite of each of these items felt a little over-the-top, but once that introduction was made, I found I liked both the fish and the potatoes, and the two together even more. I ultimately really enjoyed the crisp crunch of the fried fish and the skordalia was a worthy match, although the garlic was hanging on my palate a bit as I was trying to transition into the next flavors. The St Francis Chardonnay was a good solid partner for this course, a bit of oak and smoke to stand up to the bold food, but overall clean and refreshing. Handmade Fiorentine pasta, oxtail shortrib ragout, wilted chard, roasted tomatoes, Reggiano Montes Alpha Syrah 2003 I loved the falling-apart tenderness of both the oxtail and shortribs, the extremely flavorful stewed meats creating a lovely sauce for the tender pasta. The Syrah was good, but not knocking our socks off at our end of the table, so we jumped ahead and popped the Freemark Cab/Merlot, which we liked a bit more with this course. Grilled Lamb Loin, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, Bosc Pear-Parsnip Gratin, reduction of tonight’s wine Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon Bosché Vineyard 2000 The lamb was very nicely cooked, tender, juicy, and drizzled with an intense reduction of one of these wines… But in the end it’s a loin cut: tender, luxurious, but a little safe. Raves all around for the Brussels Sprouts, sweet and creamy from their internal sugars caramelizing over high heat, nudged along by a quick hit of maple syrup. Even lifelong sprout-haters were converted by these! And the gratin was a stealthy little side, looking for all the world like another boring potato dish, but instead it showed a lovely mellow sweetness from both the fruit and the root. It played a perfect supporting role to the lamb, and was pretty darn tasty on its own. The Freemark Bosché went pretty well with this dish, until some troublemaker opened a bottle of the Freemark Sycamore, which quietly blew the doors of the Bosché. And I actually ended up backtracking to the Syrah, often enjoying that grape with Lamb, and indeed that was a good partnership as well. I think the Sycamore was the winner here. Although, there was a back-door challenge being mounted from another direction altogether: a bottle of Latour Beaune had made its way around the table as well, almost causing a fistfight mid-table. Peacekeepers were called in, parachuting-in some extra glassware, and nobody was hurt. After the dust settled, that fruity red Burgundy was quite a hit, going nicely with almost anything. Be warned, Capaneus is making a concerted attempt to buy ALL of it, so you’d better get to the state store, like, now… Lancaster County Five Apple Cobbler, Cider Syrup, Vanilla Ice Cream. This was a very nice fall dessert, with thinly-sliced apples, crunchy crumbles and a very rich vanilla ice cream. It was quite delicious as served, but Katie was passing around a bottle of Two-Hands Moscato, daring us to disassemble our desserts and make moscato floats with the ice cream. And it was freaking awesome! That moscato was light and fizzy and flowery, with a big fruity nose that, after a few coin-flips, we decided was white peachy. That bottle is a STEAL at $15 for a 500ml. Go get some. Now. Trust us. We were also generously provisioned with another dessert wine, and I’m ashamed to say I’m not even sure whose largess to credit. I was thinking it was the folks at the PLCB, but it could have been Greg… In any case, thanks! I kept missing the bottle, so I never saw exactly what it was. It was a much bigger, thicker, stickier drink, that picked-up on the apple in the dessert very nicely. It was a good match, and I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I hadn’t fallen helplessly in love with the Two-Hands. All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable meal, good wines, and great company. It was really cool to meet some more eGulleteers, and share a few glasses with some of the regular posse as well. Thanks again to everyone who got it together, I thought it was a great success. (And just to head off any nasty rumors, NONE of us went to Capogiro afterward. That would have been sheer gluttony. )

I'll agree with Jeff L, except that The Standard Tap is on Second street! Of course, if the crowd is just too much there, he can indeed retreat up a block west to 3rd and Brown, to the place called North Third and still get good local beer and well-made food. It's not much more organized there, but I've generally been able to find a table if we got squeezed out at Standard Tap.

I just got an email announcing that Marigold Kitchen will do a 5-course Tasting Menu on November 22 and 23, $45pp. Additional info at their new website which is!! --still under construction... They're also pushing catering for holiday parties in your home, or events at the restaurant. There'd probably be more info about that on the website too, if it existed....

I've generally had good service and good food here, but things can get a little slack in off-hours sometimes. I usually order something off the blackboard, but the menu has some good stuff too. I just had an excellent basic homey roast chicken with mashed potatoes.. There's always good beer, and decent, very affordable wine by the glass or bottle. And most importantly, according to Sono Motoyama,Stephane likes it.

Indeed, Holly, give them another chance, the fries, in their various incarnations were nice and crispy on our recent visit, whether propping-up a fish-fry, serving as a vehicle for spicy salt, or dripping with melted cheese. Our bedraggled crew ended up on their doorstop on an especially busy wednesday night, (I dunno, there seemed to be some sort of baseball game going on...) I suppose none of us was surprised that there wasn't a table for 9 waiting for us, and despite things looking bleak for a while, our gracious host Scoats convinced us that we'd be able to grab a table before long. A few beers later we did indeed squeeze together at a long table for a bar-food pig-out. Clams and mussels were excellent, tender and carefully cooked, each with a tasty broth. Wings were conventional, but well-made. The afore mentioned fries were appropriately crisp. The duck spring rolls were nice and crisp, with a good amount of great-tasting duck meat, but my portion was still cold inside... The place was packed upstairs and down, and so the kitchen was straining under the traffic, but still managed to put out some tasty food. A few items had run out, including appropriate long rolls for cheesesteaks. A few of us ordered steaks anyway, willing to accept the indignity of a round roll. Miraculously, a few long rolls did appear, holding some good beefy chopped steak. Sadly the fried onions were AWOL, and the cheese wasn't always as ordered, but Scoats generously comped a few orders that weren't quite right, and the steaks were still pretty darn tasty, if not quite the transcendent experience described upthread. In keeping with the recent Philly sandwiches thread, Charlie has pics... There was at least one burger, and there were a few orders of fish and chips, but I didn't sample those, so I'll let folks that had them describe them. The beers on tap were outstanding, although we missed some of the truly whacky things the Dogfish Head folks had brought along for a special event. Their 120 minute IPA was incredibly flavorful, and just one step back from a cereal bowl full of dry hops. It's probably good that they limit customers to one short glass of that... I liked the Rogue Saizon, and the Double White, whoever made that... Later in the night, Rich Pawlak (apparently the honorary governor of New Jersey - who knew?) graced the few of us that remained with one of their legendary tomato pies. This particular one was a little over-done, but one could still perceive its place as the almost perfect bar food. I'm not sure I'm yet convinced of its inherent culinary value, it struck me as closer to a Chef Boyardee pizza kit raised to heights beyond its wildest dreams, but I am quite sure that it's an excellent thing to snack-on with a good beer. All in all I'll have to concur that this is a truly great bar, with a cool vibe, fabulous beer selection, and great service from Scoats and the rest of the crew. Oh, and impressive tile work in the first-floor men's room... I'm not sure I found it to be a dining destination in and of itself, but I wouldn't be reluctant to order food again if I were there having some beers. The clams and mussels in particular were quite good, and despite my bizarre description of the pizza, I suspect I'll be ordering one again before long... And admittedly, the kitchen was snowed-under a bit by the large crowds, so we might not have seen their best efforts. Big thanks to Scoats for his kind attention in the midst of a chaotic night. And the rest of you eGulleteers can rest assured that we did you proud in Quizzo: the final three of us finally gave up before round five, all facing a long drive back home, but we were still solidly in the game at that point. I'm looking forward to heading back to the Grey Lodge soon, I wish there were a bar like this in my neighborhood.

The Philadelphia Inquirer: Craig LeBan finds the new Old City sushi spot Haru a horror, delivering a rare no-bells review… Rick Nichols somehow manages to resist the lure of the roast pork and tries DiNic’s 5-Hour Brisket sandwich. Michael Klein writes about the opening of the upscale Greek Estia, and the closing of South Street Spanish spot Mallorca, and more in this week’s TableTalk Philadelphia Daily News: Sono Motoyama pigs out at Porky and Porkie City Paper: Mary Armstrong gets fresh with seasonal foods Carolyn Wyman shops and chops with Jean-Marie Lacroix. Drew Lazor surveys new restaurants on the scene Andrew parks gives his pics for Pub Grub The Philadelphia Weekly The Taste Dining Guide 2005 is viewable on-line or downloadable as a .pdf Kirsten Henri reviews Liberties Walk pioneer Deuce, and goes into sugar shock at Chocolate by Mueller in the RTM Neil Ferguson tosses back a few rounds at Krupas The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Alice T. Carter flips for La Filipiniana Michael Machosky is crazy about Taqueria Taco Loco Rochelle Hentges and Chris Pastrick do a pizza-slice shoot-out The Morning Call (Allentown) Sylvia Lawler visits Raphaela’s in Bethlehem for Caribbean and Latin-American cuisine.

jas, I think you hit it right on the head, the term "tapas" often evokes an experience of cheap snacks in a divey bar. But that's not what Amada is. There are too many variables to make a clean comparison, but in the realm of Mexican cuisine, when Jose Garces was chef at El Vez, I thought the food was really great (actually still was, last time I was there post-Garces). But of course it was WAY more expensive than some little taqueria. Cynics would say it was all about decor and location and marketing and hype, but it was also about the quality of the food. The ingredients are more expensive, the preparation is more meticulous and time-consuming, the presentations give you more. There's never going to be an answer to whether one approach is "better" than the other, they're just different. I find both the cheap, simple, straightforward thing, and the more refined, more expensive version to be satisfying in their own ways. Now Garces is doing Spanish food. Yes it would be nice to have a cheap, simple, divey bar that served great cheap tapas. We don't have one one of those. Now we do have a nice restaurant that serves things that look like the inexpensive tapas, but due to the ingredients and preparations and accompaniments and service and location of the restaurant, they cost more. Might not seem worth it to you. Or it might. Sounds worth it to me. (And I'm not rolling in cash either, I spent all my money, well, you know where...)

I really liked the vibe at Abbaye, and appreciate the beer selection. I was even kind of charmed by the large dog who came over and sat inches away from me throughout my entire meal, begging for a sample of my food, although it might have been nice if someone, either the dog's owner or maybe a staff person, had asked me if I minded... But that one time I decided to eat there, food was only OK: good ideas, careless execution. It's not really fair to dismiss them after one experience, but I've had consistently excellent food at the Tap and at North Third, so it's hard to pass those up to take a chance on a place I didn't love. Stephen, you're the first person I've heard that really liked the food, that might be enough incentive to try it again...

Took a friend from out of town to Tifco's tonight. He's a little shell-shocked, but I think he's still speaking to me.... Got the dumplings in spicy chicken broth, which were tender and delicious as always, and yet again displayed an uncanny ability to deliver a dose of hot oil to an uncomfortable spot in the back of your throat, no matter how you eat them. I don't care, they taste great! Shredded Beef in Szechuan Style (#61 on the Chinese manu) was very good, and really hot, with almost as many dried chiles as shreds of beef. Peking Style Pork (#58) has become a favorite, it's not spicy, more sweet and tangy, which is handy if the heat from everything else is getting overwhelming. It was all really good, and it made quite an impression on my friend. He called me some nasty names, but kept eating...

Well, you know not everyone is observing the "10 percent for Jeff" ordinance that City Council passed recently..... But seriously, thanks for that excellent report TT, that sounded like a great meal. And I totally understand what you mean when you said it was so much better than last time, but last time was so good, how could it be?!?!

I agree completely, I love the food here, from all of the things you mentioned, right on up through the fancier dinner entrees. The bohemian vibe and somewhat chaotic seating scheme make it hard to recommend in all circumstances, but for a casual meal with great beer (and a decent selection of wine by the glass too) it's hard to beat.

Oh man, I hope you stay inside on New Year's Day...

I went a little over a year ago, and it was OK. I have no distinct memories of it, which is a bad sign... I do recall it being perfectly acceptable food, but nothing particularly exciting or authentic. I had fond memories of the mint juleps they used to serve when they were on the 300 block of South Street, so I ordered one for old time's sake and got some weird drink with no mint in it. When I asked about it, I was told that they had run out of fresh mint, so they just made it with creme de menthe. I think that says about all you need to know. Carmine's in Narberth is better.

I'm willing to bet nothing you get will be exactly the same as last time! Please do let us know how it was. I'm going through withdrawal - a description, maybe some pics, would get me through....

The Smoked Joint sells pulled pork for takeout: $8 for a pint, $16 for a quart. There have been some arguments about their quality, but the most recent time I went, mid-summer 2005, it was excellent.

Some of these questions about how much time does it take, etc just came up in conversation during dinner yesterday, so I feel confident making a couple of comments: He ordinarily does StudioKitchen two days per week. There may be occasional exceptions. I'm sure it varies from meal to meal, with some dishes requiring much more prep than others, but Shola says it often takes 2 or 3 days to prepare some of the things he serves. That may not entail standing over a hot stove for 72 straight hours, but many of the sous-vide preps will go for a day or two a low temps, sauces may be done a day ahead to aid clarifying and de-fatting them, etc. So there is often a good amount of work being done a day or two out, and then many hours the day-of. I doubt we could get him to write-up a play-by-play for a StudioKitchen dinner, but if you go, he'd be happy to tell you!

Oh, yeah, sorry to post these pics on the day of a fast... I'll try to spend this day finding a way to atone for it...

So, what, I was supposed to turn down this invitation just to avoid being mocked mercilessly on this forum? I'll withstand your cruel taunts for another dinner like this one! StudioKitchen October 12, 2005 Chufa and White Truffle Horchata, Pardinas Lentil Emulsion Chicken Wing Escabeche 2003 Blue Mountain Vidal Blanc Yeah, Studio Kitchen has become our favorite spot for wings... And why is it that all the sports bars don't french their wings out so they have a nice neat little handle? This version eschewed the Crystal hot sauce for the subtle sourness and paprika notes of an escabeche. But the more dramatic flavors were coming from the multi-stage flavor transformations of the soup, a lovely creamy puree, rich with the flavor of tigernuts, crossfading with truffle, lentil, back to the truffle... The Pennsylvania Vidal was not as sweet as some, just nice and crisp and refreshing, and a very nice partner with these flavors. Calasparra "Bomba" Rice Parsley Puree, Escargots, Baby Clams,Finocchiona Smoked garlic Froth, Marcona Almonds 2002 Heron Hill Semi Dry Riesling Wonderfully tender snails, not those rubbery erasers so may places try to pass-off. And instead of bathing in garlic and butter, they absorbed more of the bright parsely flavors, and some of the smoke from the ethereal garlic foam. I especially liked the salty edge from the fine dice of Finocchiona salami. The rice itself was creamy, yet still in distinct grains, bathing in the herby broth. This Heron Hill Riesling is made a few hundred yards up the road from Dr Frank's place, but isn't nearly as serious. Its forward sweetness was a bit overbearing on its own, but ultimately played off the herby, salty flavors in a nice way. This is not a particularly distinguished wine, but it did a nice job with this course. Halibut Wrapped in Serrano Ham Pork Trotter Croquette Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Shaved Mojama Jerez Sauce 1996 Domaine Billard Beaune “Les Epinottes”1er Cru Halibut can be mild to the point of flavorlessness, but wrapped with good ham, seated on a sherry sauce, this version was delicious. Even so it might have been upstaged by the Croquette, its intense porky flavor and slightly gelatinous texture crowned by a satisfying crunch. The mushrooms, perked-up by a sprinkle of dried tuna, refused to resign themselves to the status of a simple accompaniment, demanding attention on their own, and soliciting many raves. This light red Burgundy is a favorite of mine with fish, playing a quiet supporting role. Wagyu Oxtail and Onion Tart Tatin Yellowfoot Chanterelles Whipped Horseradish Rioja Glaze 2001 Byron Io I'll bet you'd been wondering what happened to waygu oxtails... Well, Shola makes dessert out of them. This actually wasn't sugary, although the caramelization of the meat and onions, and the Rioja glaze gave it a slight sweet note. But the wonderful falling-apart texture of the beef, mingled with the earthy mushrooms, atop a crunchy pastry made this perhaps my favorite dish of the night. The Rhone-style Io from California came out swinging, a big, bruiser of a wine, seemingly way too aggressive for this dish. But with a little air, it ended up being a really enjoyable partner with this deeply beefy dish. I liked it a lot. Bergamot Scented Braised Lamb Shoulder Escalivada Piquillo Rellenos Ibores and kefir Cream Spicy Membrillo 1999 Millbrook Pinot Noir Another one of Shola's slow-braised dishes, which ended up as an intensely full-flavored lamb, but without any of that muttony funk. The tea notes from the bergamot were subtle yet undeniable. A little dab of the quince membrillo was an excellent counterpoint. The tender Piquillo pepper was stuffed with a light vegetable stew, a wonderful balance to the earthy meat. I wouldn't have thought of a Pinot Noir for this course, but I'm glad we drank it for a few reasons. First, it was just a really nice wine, on the lighter end of the scale, but very tasty. Second it was a revelation to have this good of a Pinot from the mid-Hudson Valley in NY. And third, it ended up matching well with the lamb. Nice call, I can't take credit for it! Chocolate Cherry Ganache Fromage Blanc Ice Cream Olive Oil Caramel Black Pepper and Cocoa Nib Craquant Black Olive Tuiles Yeah, yeah, another molten chocolate cake... but this one was injected with an intense cherry syrup, melding with the liquid interior. And when's the last time you got one accented with black olive? The very olivey stripe of caramel, and more subdued flavor in the crunchy tuille were both surprises, a good partner with the chocolate, and a novel one (at least for me!) The ice cream was mostly super-creamy, rather than cheesey, and especially good as it picked-up the citrusy crunchies, and combined with the cake. Again, a thoroughly enjoyable dinner, every forkful delicious. These dishes were a little different from what I'd been getting lately, and every bit as good, or better! The interesting textures from the trotters and oxtails were welcome, as were some of the uncomplicated, direct flavors, like the trumpet mushrooms. And we keep saying this, so it seems like we're just being polite, but I think there's something magical about the room, and Shola's vibe, so I always end up really liking meeting everyone at the table, enjoying the comraderie almost as much as the food. We had folks who traveled from NY and Washington DC purely for dinner, and all seemed to think it was more than worth it! So, big thanks to everyone who came, for the good company, and for good (and sometimes surprising) wines. Especially big thanks to Christina for putting it together. And of course, thanks to Shola for another exciting meal.

First, I'll join in the thanks to Charlie for getting this together, it was a great dinner and a really fun evening. And thanks to Chef Mims for some excellent food. I was so frazzled from the rain-slowed drive that I forgot to take a picture of perhaps the post impressive-looking item all night: an amuse-bouche of a HUGE raw oyster topped with bright red roe and a drizzle of sauce. Go ahead, imagine it... Duck and Andouille Gumbo (my fave...) Blackened Skate and Fried Oysters in Browned Butter Braised Beef Short Ribs w/ Crawfish Smoked Gouda Grits Sticky Bun Bread Pudding (it was in-focus in real life....) The gumbo was really excellent, deep flavored and spacy, with a good amount of duck meat and sausage. I'd go back just for that. My skate wasn't "blackened" in any sense that I've encountered at Cajun places, yet it was a touch overcooked, but hey, he's trying to get 35 of them off the line at the same time! The crunchy fried oyster was fabulous. The shortribs were rich and tender, and the very creamy grits hid little nuggets of crawfish. And the sticky bun bread pudding wasn't as sweet as it sounds, just right with a cup of chicory-tinged coffee. Really enjoyable meal, and cool to meet some more eGulleteers in the flesh, and plenty of other fine folks as well. Thanks again Charlie!

I agree that the food is very good, and I wouldn't have thought of going to this unlikely location if I hadn't been taken there... I had heard that this place was branching out, to Wilmington, and also 9th and Chestnut in Philly. Those are related to the Palace of Asia in Lawrenceville NJ, which also seems well-regarded. (Any thoughts Rich?) I can't figure out from the web whether it's the same owners as the one in Ft Washington. The menu looks similar, but it's odd that the web site makes no mention of any other locations. www.palace-of-asia.com Michael Klein indicated that it is the same organization in the Inky. So, I expect that there will be a similar Palace of Asia in center city in a few months. It's northern Indian, of which there's no particular shortage in the city, but the one in Ft. Washington is very good... it can never hurt to have another good place!