RobinQ

After Mademoiselle de Paris (was owned by a couple of Belgians), the shop was occupied by Yann (Frenchman in the states for a long time), who made excellent chocolates and pain au chocolate and served, among other things, the lobster salad on brioche. Yann shut down quite some time ago now. I loved both places. Yann maintains his pastry business in NJ, but I think he only services corporate functions and banquets.

Just ate at Amis for the first time. I do love Vetri and Osteria for the attentive service and creative dishes. So, I have to say that I came away from Amis with mixed feelings. I thought the small bite starters that I chose (marinated sardines and fried lambs tongue) were quite tasty and went well with the glasses of wine (a sauvignon blanc and a gewürztraminer). However, the strozzapreti with clams was so over-salted as to mask the flavors of the pasta (which was nicely al dente) and the clams. Such a shame when the chef is heavy-handed with the salt shaker! The gnocchi alla romana with oxtail ragu was and interesting take on gnocchi - two giant gnocchis in the dish, and all the flavors melted well together - so I liked it better than the strozzapreti. The pork and fennel pollen sausage with peperonata was quite flavorful, but rather simple; it could have been a smaller dish or could have been served with some pasta. The desserts that I chose - the olive oil torta and the chocolate torte with pistachio - were superb; I am tempted to go back just for the desserts! The other negative aspect was the rushed service - I arrived around 5 PM when the place had just opened - with no plans to be anywere else soon - but I had the sense that they needed to clear me out and have that table free again quickly. Perhaps Amis is not really a place intended for the foodie who wants to linger over the flavors and admire the food; it seems more a place for the suburbanite (like those at the table next to me, who were in a rush to get to a show) who comes into Philly to sample the simpler, more rapid version of Vetri food.

I agree about the salt. When I go there, I tell them not to add salt and to go easy on the butter. Additionally, I have been disappointed with the whole fish dishes, since they are too complicated to eat at the table. They should fillet it for you before serving. The salads are always quite nice (good mix of flavors), and I haven't tried the desserts.

Bangers and salad? How healthily unhealthy. ← I felt really guilty, too.

I enjoyed the shrimp appetizer with a homemade ginger ketchup, followed by the bangers, which came with a lovely salad.

Just been to Tria, as is usual when I am around on Sunday, to enjoy Sunday School. Really enjoyed the Berlin-style Weisse beer. The Austrian Gruner-Veltliner was so-so; a bit too floral. The local PA amish cheese was nice, but I also tried the Irish Ardrahan, which was stinky and even better. I always feel that Tria is a great way to finish the weekend!

There is a food truck that operates at Temple School of Medicine (west side of Broad St., near Tioga St. corner) and serves up excellent organic (small producers) coffee and delicious crepes. Fillings include Nutella, jams, and assorted savories (egg, cheese, meats). The proprietor, Serge, is French and the crepes are exactly like those you can get from crepe trucks in Paris.

It's my favorite item on the menu!