sara

Yes, Gia Pronto is in the strip near the Wawa. It's owned by a former Whartonite, very nice guy. They serve La Colombe coffee, very good salads made to order, panini, nice pastries, good yogurt..it's a little pricey but a great addition to the options around campus. I go there constantly for coffee and yogurt, in fact I'm headed there now!

Exactly right--the best damn tasty hedgehog ever!! I was searching for that word when writing my post, thanks for providing it. I took some piks that night, and will get them back today, hopefully they'll be good enough to post...

I visited Matyson last night w/ 3 friends. We had some spotty service (long wait for a table that ended up being near the door, several servers dropped dishes loudly during the meal, etc), but enjoyed really wonderful food--so good that I made another reservation for next week before leaving! We had the following dishes: Tuna Tartare (nice, but not spectacular flavors) Grilled Quail (very good, creamy risotto underneath) Spinach Salad (very nice creamy goat cheese in this) Duck breast and confit (two people had this, it was very moist, nicely flavored, tho the dish itself could use some more color) Braised Short Ribs--fantastic dish, falling off the bone, wonderful polenta and baby carrots NY Strip Steak--perfectly cooked to order, good mashed potatoes Lemon Souffle Tart Ricotta Fritters w/ Blood Oranges--these were the dessert standout, excellent Truffle Tart Creme Caramel--runner up for best dessert, nicely creamy All portions were quite substantial, 2 of us took doggie bags home. We enjoyed a 2001 Catena Malbec, and a Spanish Temperanillo with the meal. In total, with the Restaurant Week prices applied, the bill was $128 before tip. Very good deal for 4 people. I liked the room a lot--nicely mirrored, a little noisy, but we didn't feel crunched in as at other small restaurants in the city. This is definitely the next 'big' restaurant in Philly--and it deserves the accolades. Make your reservations now tho--they have plenty of open tables for next Friday and Saturday nights...

This is actually one of Jared's strengths--speaking his mind and inspiring others to aspire to better wine and dining choices. He challenges his customers, doesn't hesitate to disagree with their opinions, and in doing so, makes even the foodiest foodie think more carefully. He may not always be right, but at least he's provocative, and that attitude stands up well with Jamie's opinionated cuisine. The combination works.

I awoke today completely exhausted and still beaming from last night's incredible birthday meal at Nectar. Jared and Jamie completely outdid themselves, this is truly, IMO, the BEST restaurant in Washington, and perhaps the best among Philadelphia and DC (my two homebases). I am continually astounded at Jamie's intense creativity in the kitchen, Jared's considerate, humorous, and always on-target service, and the extent to which one can completely love a meal and learn a ton at Nectar. LiamDC, mazman, and I were treated to a birthday tasting menu, with matching wines. A total of 6 courses and 8 wines, one of which was provided by mazman (a remarkable 2000 Stephen Ross Santa Maria Pinot Noir). We had: 1. Oysters (Hurricane Bay, from PEI) with a cucumber gelee--this was a BIG improvement over the last version of this dish, the sweet oysters matched up perfectly with the newly intensified cucumber and the bit of mustard thrown in was a great touch. Wine: Privat Opus Evolutium NV. 2. Soup of duck confit, turnips, eggs, duck consomme. Outstanding, perfect dish. Reminiscent of a Chinese soup but 10 times better. Wine: Romano Cleilia Fiano de Avellino, 2002. For this course, Jared brought me the lovely Porteguese bread with the crusts cut off (I hate crusts!). What a man!! 3. Salmon, pan-friend with smoked beets, potato tuille, oestra creme fraiche. We had this with the astoundingly complex Pinot Noir provided by Chris...an absolute match to really high quality salmon, and those superb beets. 4. Hangar Steak, potatoes. Very nice, hearty dish. Wine: Quinta Do Vale Donna Maria, Pouro Tinto 2000. Made of 14 grapes, this was wonderful wine. 5. Cheese Course: Labecou Feiulle, Tallegio, Laguiole, Roquefort "Pappion", Affidelice. Oh my, the stinkiest of these could be spread with a spoon--fabulous! All different, all revelations. Wines: 1999 Rolet Vin de Paille (with the Roquefort), Moreau Sauvignon de Saint-Bris 2002. The former was especially gorgeous. 6. Apple Pie, Cobbler, Alaska, Milkshake. I adored the white russian milkshake as always, and swooned over the Alaska...fabulous! Wines: Appreval, Pommeau de Normadie, NV; Domaine Pichot Vouvray Moelleux 1990. I spent my last two birthdays at Morimoto and Vetri, both in Philly. This meal surpassed those 100 times over. We spent over 4 hrs at Nectar, and wouldn't for a moment wished we were anywhere else. What a terrific kickoff to my 27th year--thanks Jamie and Jared (and Liam and Chris)!!!

Liamdc, Mazman, and I went to Vidalia last night with 2 other friends to check out the renovation and new menu. We arrived around 6pm, and were promptly seated, without reservations, at a nice table in the bar area. Having not been to Vidalia in 10 years (I went there for prom!), I was incredibly impressed by the beautiful new look--it's really quite stunning. We wanted to try a variety of dishes, so decided to share some appetizers, entrees and desserts. Here's what we had: Grillades and Grits braised veal cheeks with creamy grits, tasso ham, tomato, green onion and filé cream 11.50 Shady Lane Salad field lettuce with fresh herbs, candied country ham, boiled egg, capers, sweet onions and verjus vinaigrette 9.75 Crab Cakes jumbo lump crab meat with cilantro-pepper slaw and old bay spiced mustard sauce 13.00 Shrimp and Grits sautéed shrimp with sweet onion ragout, yellow corn grits and shrimp cream sauce 27.50 Rockfish File tsautéed with succotash of butterbeans, lobster, pearl onions, corn, bacon and dumpling squash 26.75 Corn Meal Hushpuppies 4.25 Baked Truffled Macaroni and Goat Cheese 5.50 Vidalia's Lemon Chess Pie a buttery crust filled with rich lemon custard garnished with berry purée and sweet cream 8.50 Coconut Cream Cake toasted coconut crusted rum cream torte with glazedpineapple and dark chocolate ice cream 9.00 Southern Sandwich peanut butter mousse between midnight kahlua cake, roasted banana ice cream and creole fruit sauce 8.75 The standouts were definitely the grillades and grits, the crab cakes, the mac n cheese, the hushpuppies, and the lemon chess pie (there were near fights over bites of this incredible dessert that was reminiscent of my grandma's lemon meringue pie!). But the high quality of the all of the dishes was impressive. I especially loved the accompanying bread basket with perfectly moist cornbread and fluffy biscuits. Certainly, the high prices of some of these dishes was a bit disconcerting, given that I've enjoyed cheaper wonderful Southern food at places like Crooks Corner in Chapel Hill, Herbsaint in New Orleans or any number of smaller joints around the south, but really, this was such a good meal that the splurge felt completely worthwhile. The service was immpecable--appropriately friendly, professional, courteous, and the little touches--such as a lovely french press decaf coffee--were just right. Vidalia's definitely on my short list for future DC visits. We had a bottle and a half of wine as well, but the names didn't make it home with me, so I assume mazman and liam will fill that info in later.

Hi Sorry, but there's no Le Bus next to White Dog--there's only Buck's County Coffee. Not much for lunch there. Herb, I was really surprised to hear you liked Mad4Mex's food, as I've never heard anyone ever say that who wasn't completely wasted on the margaritas. The food I've had there's been of the previously frozen nuked burrito sort, and it all tastes the same--terrible. S

Hi I've been living in the Penn neighborhood for 5 yrs, and I would suggest only staying at the Penn Sheraton for immediate convenience. If you want to stay downtown, I strongly suggest the Latham, right near Rittenhouse Sq, and the 40 bus which goes right to Penn's campus. I've had guests get many good deals there. As for lunch around Penn, no need to go very far.You can get a very good fancy sandwich at Gia Pronto (38th and Spruce near the Wawa) or a sloppy awesome deli sandwich a 10 min walk away at Koch's deli (43rd and Spruce, closed Wednesdays). Or, go over to La Terasse, or Penne (Walnut near 37th)--I'm not positive they're open for lunch tho. If you want dinner near campus, definitely hit Rx at 45th and Spruce. You can pickup a bottle of wine at the liquor store on Market St, around 40th. Have fun!

What controversy about shilling for Joe Shanghai? I posted a review on Chowhound about it once, my posting was promptly removed without explanation. I was later told it was because "there'd been too many positive reviews"!!! ? Anyways, let's not bother attempting to delve into the insanity of that site. I learned my lesson fully last time.

Oh My! Say whaaa???

Well, I certainly didn't hear any "early 80s dance hits" on my visit to Komi (that would've CERTAINLY overriden my negative food experience. ). I think it's interesting that the standards applied to a restaurant vary by the street they are on in DC. To my knowledge, we don't usually apply such caveats here in Philly, other than cutting a little slack to a place right next to your house (convenience can surely mediate the effect of a so-so meal on the overall experience).

My uncle (in Haddonfield) makes a terrific one--with eggs. I'm sure it's not hard to make--if you want the recipe PM me.

The same group of people had a dinner at Marrakesh a few months ago, and while it was fun to sit around those little tables together, I really thought the food was uniformly awful. As was the wine. Several of us had much difficulty shelling out even $20 for that stuff. But I do appreciate the suggestion--that is definitely the kind of track we're on... Ariana's manager was extremely nice when I called, and 15 people wasn't a problem at all, so much so that I may make it 20. And, I know everyone will bring some good wine to share, so that'll be nice. I'll definitely report back.

Herb You've pretty much right on-- I'm dealing with a diverse, pretty difficult crowd, and after all, for once it is MY birthday...So I went ahead and made a reservation at Ariana. However, if anyone's been lately and it's not been good, please speak up!! I'll certainly be willing to switch to somewhere else given that kind of info. Thanks everyone!

Well, it's a completely different crowd of friends going to this dinner--definitely not ALL women, and definitely not dressed up. So that matters less here... Thai's just not exciting me at the moment, since I get that and Vietnamese on a nearly daily basis in my neighborhood...I'm still thinking about it...my friend Carman suggested Judy's--any thoughts on that? Anyone been for a birthday? And was there any reaction to the Afgani idea? Kabul vs. Ariana--can I start a debate there??

I was just thinking that an Afghani place might work...Does anyone have any suggestions? Is Ariana the best, or the one near it? Do you think they are big enough? Which one isn't BYO?

It's happening again, this time with a much longer list of restaurants... http://www.centercityphila.org/restaurantw...04/default.aspx I already booked El Vez for the 30th..may go for Angelina as well

Now don't tease me...You'd better deliver on that promise!! (You think I'm kidding...)

Herb, I actually haven't been to ANY of the places you mentioned in Chinatown except Penang, and am admittedly a little less confident bringing a large group of friends to a place I haven't been before. However, I could be convinced... how do these places stack up to Lee How Fook (which I'm considering for their great hot and sour soup, and head on shrimp, but wish they served alcohol) or Vietnam (which has those fun drinks, but a menu of mixed quality). In particular what is the take on Indonesia?? Particular things you like about it? I really wish I could go somewhere like Azafran, or Porcini, but they're obviously too small.. I've done these dinners at Cibucan and Valanni in the past, but both times the food was mediocre... Any non-Asian suggestions? Thanks

Hi I was planning to celebrate my birthday with 15 friends at New Joe Shanghai in 2 weeks, and they just CLOSED! So, please, quick, I need some help. Here are the criteria: 1. Must be able to accomodate 15 people on a Saturday night (around 8 pm). 2. Price per person excluding drinks, no more than $15. 3. Would prefer that alcohol is served, but BYO is ok. 4. Not in the 'burbs since we'd like to go bar-hopping afterwards. 5. Must have something on menu that vegetarians can eat. 6. Good food. I'm not picky about type of food, area of town, etc. SUGGESTIONS GREATLY APPRECIATED!! Sara

Tell us more about the new menu! I can hardly wait for my birthday celebration there on the 24th...

Hi I'm also sorry to hear you didn't have a good time, it's hard to have such a potentially special evening be disappointing... I spent New Year's Eve with liamdc and mazman, among others, here in Philly. We had a mediocre meal at Pasion--the ceviche and some awesome buenelos for dessert were the standouts, as was the great conversation. Unfortuately, the entrees were generally oversalted and overcooked, and the service was Disney-esque--too much explaining of the menu for "first time diners" We followed that up with a party at my house, including some great wine. Lots of dancing, smiling and drinking, and a good time was had by all--especially me. I'm looking forward to more of the same this year. I especially have high hopes for an upcoming birthday celebration at Nectar! (Anyone know if the menu's changed lately?) I think the thing that really makes a celebration is the people you're with. So I hope you all at least enjoyed the people you were with (or finally ended up with, in Al's case) Wednesday night, if not the food. Happy New Year!!

Apology gratefully accepted! David certainly seems capable of being a nice guy to friends--but that's the easy part. Being gracious with seemingly difficult customers, or those that present any kind of challenge, that's much harder. Morales's fluke carpaccio was brilliant--I can still conjure the taste of it.

Tim--Welcome to Egullet and thanks for your lengthy assessment of my experience. While I do appreciate your insight as a chef, I would like to point out that I never disagreed with the quality and excitement of Morales's food. In fact, I indicated that part of my sadness with this experience is that I won't be enjoying that food in the future--so long as he's associated with that owner. I do take some offense (perhaps you suspected I would?) to your dime-store assessment of my psychology. I am certainly aware, partly from having worked as a server for 5+ yrs and partly from simply being an adult, that good service, and bad service, are no reflection of the customer themselves. That does not mean, however, that it is ever alright to act rudely towards a customer. Certainly, people have bad days, and with regard to servers, that is sometimes excusable--but as Katie noted earlier, it is NEVER excusable when the owner indulges in bad behavior. And think what you might--he did. (I'm not sure why you 'would be surprise' that my experience was terrible--sure, that's a subjective impression--but aren't they all? You are neither female, nor young, I suspect, so I doubt you really meant to presume to stand in my shoes.) Owners are a big part of their restaurant. They set the tone. Occasionally we even go to places where the food is less than perfect, simply because the experience of dining there, and being treated well by staff and owner, is so pleasant. But I seriously doubt that you'd expect anyone to spend a great deal of money in a restaurant where the owner is rude or mean--even when the food is great! (I suppose there was the 'soup nazi', but he wasn't charging $20-25/plate, now was he?). When Morales moves on, you can expect I'll be among the first to dine wherever he's cooking.

Gosh, you all are terrific! Thanks for all the ideas--I especially like the clementine martini and clemmie cake.