shacke

I went to Ansill last night with 3 other people so we got the opportunity to sample a large amount of offerings. I am a big Pif fan and so I was hoping not to be dissapointed. While I agree with Philadining's overall impression that is very good but not "killer", I plan on going back and I think you should go before it gets too crowded. The other people I went with were totally wowed. There are no reservations accepted but you can sit at the bar and order from the menu there as well. I would say go early or go soon or both as it's going to be really popular. Parking sitch sucks though. I talked to David Ansill for a while and he was there the entire night - doing this and that - making sure all was copacetic. He doesn't cook anymore. Michael, the maitre'd from Pif has also relocated there indefinitely so we talked for a while about how things were going. I hope Pif does not suffer from lack of attention. The menu is indeed "eurotapas" with 3-5 dishes satisfying most appetites. Some plates are lager than others. With the huge variety from ordinary to daring, you should expect hits and misses and there were certainly those. Because of discretion the images are not food porn quality. Things that were great: Shirred Egg with foie gras and truffle oil. Great stuff although the foie only served to make the dish heavier. Did I eat it though? hell yeah. Venison Tartare. Served with watercress, these were 3 big heaps of large dice venison mixed with herbs. Fantastic. So good looking that I rushed to eat it without a pic. Braised pork belly. On the recommendation of those above I ordered this and it was really out of sight. A big plate too. Served over mustard spaetzle and spinach. Not too fatty either. Sweetbreads with pancetta and mushrooms. I am a big sweetbreads fan and this does not disappoint. Perfectly cooked with a hint of crispness. No heavy breading. Wonderful. Things that were very good: Grilled quail over root vegetables. Scrambled duck egg. Served with smoked trout and creme fraiche, the combination of flavors was really good together - smoke, buttery eggs and the tart cream. Roasted porcini. Served with a teaser portion of teleggio, this is a real treat for the mushroom fan. Sadly, I have not been able to find the kind of melt in your mouth texture of those eaten in Italy but its so rare to find fresh porcini around here that you should jump all over it. Things that were good: Red snapper in light fennel broth I think. Not much to say. Cheese plates that we got were taleggio and bleu d'auvergne served with sour cherries and raisins respectively and bread slices. Things that didn't do it for me: Bone marrow crostini. I am a marrow fanatic but the marrow cubes served on the bread appeared to be cook outside the bone and so seemed dry and not unctuous like you find when you scoop it out yourself. I love the marrow at Pif when they have it and I was pretty bummed about this one. Roasted peppers and goat cheese. Simple, harmless and good. Grilled scallions. Same. Panino du jour (homemade nutella and raspberries). The fillings were very good as was the accompaniment of raspberry sorbet but the "wonder" bread used was the dominant flavor and was not my speed. Like Pif, the desserts are not the strong suit at Ansill. As far as wine, there is a good selection by the glass as well as a larger number of bottles offered that will not break your bank. The carafes of pinot grigio or shiraz are the definite value at around $15. All in all with booze and tip it was $60 a person. Could be less but there was a lot of alcohol in the mix. There was way more I wanted to try but didn't. Next time. Go. Enjoy. I did. Evan

I couldn't have said it better myself and I agree 100% I still have the same feeling about SK as I did in my very first post somewhere buried in the earlier part of this thread. It is an experience that I will one day recall very fondly when Shola closes shop. I treat every meal there as if it were going to be my last there and if you do actually take it for granted then you are missing out on the magic. Having said all that, I hope the end is nowhere near and I suspect we will be treated to some awe inspiring dinners after his triumphant return from the European campaigns. Evan

Do tell MrB. I am going there tonight..... Evan

So, Percyn, if I don't finish my ice cream does that mean I don't get dessert?

Not me. Every time's like the first. I just wish I were as eloquent as Chris! What a post that was sir. Good. 1 bell from Laban. Hates it. yup. Next. Not good enough, now drop the thought. Leave us nutty dull palated chatroomsters be! If it becomes BYO"B", count me in for baking the bread!

Doc. To hell with propofol! This stuff makes you feel much better inside. For a brief moment I wished I was an egg again.

I think a "zep" is a hoagie if you live out in Norristown. Stick with hoagie and you won't get hurt.

it was listed as orange on the menu, but i suspect kumquat ← Thanks, that makes more sense. But I wonder how a tomato would have worked... ← I also thought, I_C_T_D., that it was a yellow tomato at first but alas twas a kumquat. It had been soaking in a syrup of vanilla and cardamom.

You, Sir, are a Weak and a Fickle Man! And I assure you, Envy and Jealousy have almost nothing to do with that judgement! What the H-E-double-hockey-sticks is that pint-or-beer-looking dessert component? ← That was homemade raspberry cider with a cauliflower froth on top. Shaved white chocolate made it officially a "chocolate" dessert according to Shola. The froth seeped down into the cider like a snow globe effect. It was tres cool - we took videos. Evan

I am going out and buying an egg poacher. The real egg poacher I would like to have around my house is Shola but that seems a bit of a stretch. Amazing as always. I got to meet familiar names for the first time. As always, the "Duchess of Broken Wind" did wonders with the wine choices. And Shola certainly has done again. That lobster/egg amuse made the top 3 SK courses in my book. He said it was the most challenging and it was certainly awe inspiring. After the first two amuse, it was funny to realize that dinner hadn't officially started yet. That explains the redeye this morning. We were all shocked to find out that the clock had struck midnight. It was that good a time. Maybe next time we'll break out the Pavoni. Happy early 5th anniversary to Chris and Andrea. Come back to Philly again. Thanks to everyone especially Shola, his royal SKness, for another amazing culinary spectacle! Evan

It would be great to get a group to go on a Wednesday night when they have those chef's choice dinners. That has always sounded really interesting. Evan

The last time I went was last year and it was really good. I have since sent 2 different friends there on a recommendation and both were very happy. Evan

uh, you'll have to settle for delayed B-list softcore food porn, likely from Percyn or me (shutter the thought). PhilaD is not going to be there although I will be dropping off his rent check with Shola. What did you think, he has no restraint? C'mon girlfriend Evan

Being a major Pif fan, I am eager to try this place. David Ansill is a good guy and I wish him all the luck. It is near the top of my to do list. Thanks for the report. Evan

Ya ever have one of those days where you wake up on the couch, lights on, laptop JUST about to crash to the floor, several half-edited photos on the screen? No? Happens to me all the time... patience!! All in good time! All this fine living is destroying my stamina! ← Nicely said Bob Loblaw now pictures please! Don't let your cult down.

No early morning post-op report from Philadining? No stunning pics with my am coffee? Sheesh! Some people

Headless shrimp? Lobster tails? Nyuk Nyuk I believe the nouveau phrase for such fishmongers is "pescatarian" Seems to give a niche to the veggie netherworlders. You know what they say.... If animals weren't meant to be eaten, they wouldn't be made out of meat. Evan

Interesting reading the NYC thread. There will always be the NY-Philly in the shadow thing but I like it that way. I consider Philly a well kept secret and NY is the apex of the world (I lived in both for many years) Comparisons of the Starr places will be done. When the dust fails, I predict (and don't wager any bets on my predictions) that Morimoto will sizzle and NY buddakan will fizzle. Curious to see how it plays out. Evan EDIT: Article today in NY times

Jeff's photos seem to evolve with Shola's cuisine - both in the right direction! Daniel, I am glad you got to go - finally. I know it has been on your list for some time. It looked like a top notch introduction to SK. Evan

Went for lunch today and while the food was terrific and the sushi reaalllly good, the service was flat out comically awful. Nothing went our way and at some point the waiter even said "boy I have screwed up everything for you". Understatement. Ironically the place was pretty empty. Having said that, the two other times I have been were great and so I consider it an "off" day. As he was polite, we were going to leave 15% which for us is a sign of discontent with the service. When our check came and items promised to be removed were not, I left my personal "bad doggy!" tip of 10% (have done that maybe a couple of times before in my life) and mentioned the service to the chap up front. I could have fixed the check but it was like "let's end this thing" Still going back, happily. BTW, the Kobe tartare appetizer was pricey but terrific. The sushi combo lunch is $28 and you get like 8 pieces and a roll with soup and salad. Pricey yes but top quality fish.

I rarely have a loaf last enough to reheat it in my house. With a traditional baguette, made without preferments (these are portions of the final dough that are fermented in advance to improve flavor) that extend shelf life, they are to be eaten within a few hours although they should cool for a bit before eating. I have heard from a master baker that French law dictating bread sales and baking (they are serious about theie breads!) actually say that baguettes must be cooled for 20 minutes before being offered for sale in Paris. The taste of bread improves with cooling. While warm bread is dreamy, hot bread is just "carbs". It's like tasting burning hot broth and judging subtle flavors - can't do it. Baguettes made with preferments will have more staying power in the range of days (depending) and are great when reheated. The sourdough baguettes I mentioned above from Artisan Boulanger Patisserie have a great shelf life as they (and I don't know the recipe) are almost certainly made with a high percentage of preferment. If you don't get to Sarcones at the right time, grab a room temp baguette there and worry not. Evan PS - this bread is also served at Pif so if you have been there you probably already had it.

We usually go to V after a single meal maaaaany years ago at VP was not up to snuff but I need to try it again obviously. At V we are big fans of the marinated raw beef with papaya, the appetizer special (sounds similar to what is being described above) and the black eyed pea deesert with hot coconut milk and rice. Sounds like I should not have had 11th street tunnel vision all these years. Evan

I have always said the Artisan Boulanger Pattisserie, the south philly bakery you are mentioning and the location herbacidal is talking about too, makes the best baguette in the city I have had and I am an admitted dough snob. Run don't walk and try their sourdough baguette. Don't be afraid of the dark color. It is a masterpiece. I also think Baker St is underated and Metropolitan is way way way overrated. That of course is IMHO.

I recently had posted in my search for beef patties and despite the responses which including Golden Krust, I have yet to go. Not enough days in a week it seems. I am now putting it on my to do sooner list. thanks for the bump. Evan

Making preparations to go with another couple on a Saturday night and am still a bit wary of no rez places. Anyone know a typical wait for a table at Chloe? It's been on my list and unless its a really long wait I am inclined to make an attempt. Evan