Chick's Wine Bar

[SugarJ]

We were happily seated at the quiet bar last week for dinner and enjoyed the drinks and the bartender skills, not to mention her company. that said, on to othe food:

Rosemary garlic fries: great thinness, great crisp, really really good aoili. Fried garlic was nice. Fried rosemary wasn't too present in the taste. Nicely salted.

Shrimp and chorizo skewers: perfectly done, nice sized shrimp and a spicy and pleasant chorizo.

Fried calamari: great batter/cornmeal, if a bit too salty, great doneness on the squids. and served piping hot. The sundried tomatoe remoulade- - i think it was that - was good, slightly thick to dip into, needed my knife.

Pan seard scallops with corn, spinach and pancetta: would have been divine, really divine, if it weren't for the salt. Way too heavey handed. But good scallops, again another thing perfectly cooked, and the sort of corn cream sauce was nice but, yep, salty.

We had no wine (I know, i know, its a wine bar) but we were veyr very very pleased with the Salty Pomeranian, Blood Orange Margarita, and a supersecret floral cocktail made by none other.

Prices - hmmmm - i think most of the menu comes in around say $7 - $15. Maybe a few items were over.

Atmosphere - awesome, if you like quiet, dark, tin ceiling and walls, quaint - but not like your gramdother's house quaint. Sorta adult romantic quaint.

I'm going back.

(edited too add: its located at 7th and Kater, just south of South)

Edited August 3, 2007 by SugarJ (log)

[philadining]

A couple more of us checked out Chick's recently too. I'd been curious about it, but then the lure of a Katie Loeb cocktail proved irresistible.

It's almost a shame, there's a very extensive selection of wines by the glass, but I'm having a hard time imagining not partaking of the mixing talents of our fave intoxicologist.

I agree with SugarJ that the fries were quite tasty, and not quite as imbued with rosemary as I expected, but hey... that didn't slow us from plowing through a basket pretty quickly.

There's a nice selection of charcuterie available, and portions were very generous. We sampled a mortadella, speck, and finocchiona, all of which were quite tasty.

I have no idea why the braised shortribs sounded appealing to me on a hot summer evening, but they did, and they were quite enjoyable, paired with polenta and a dab of bleu cheese.

As mentioned, it's a cool, dark space, retaining the historical vibe, as evidenced by a few old photos of the place from many years ago. The old bar wasn't crowded with wine bottles like it is now, and I suspect the old-school bartenders might not have recognized a few of the concoctions Katie can shake up for you, but there's a nice sense of history there. It's a small place, and a little cramped, but I'm told an upstairs expansion is planned.

Definitely worth a stop for a drink, and grab a bite while you're there!

[cinghiale]

I stopped in mid-May, shortly after opening. I was pretty appalled that their reds were stored on shelving above the bar, making for a rather unpalatable, high-temp. beverage on a warm night. I'm not sure they know from wine, as the service was really amateurish. Perhaps they've improved. The food I found acceptable but not representative of the descriptors in execution or price. I haven't returned, but could be swayed otherwise by reviews on this thread.

[MarketStEl]

When did Katie land behind the bar at Chick's, and when is she on duty?

[zeffer81]

Was that Katie behind the bar last night with the delicious sparkling rose sangria? I checked out Chick's last night. Aforementioned sangria was delicious. I love their cheese and charcuterie selection where you can mix and match (one for $6, 2 for $11 and so on...) I ordered two cheeses--a robiola and something I can't remember. They were good but...they were cold! Also, we asked our server for some help selecting a second cheese and he told us he didn't know much about the cheese selections. I was rather disappointed as there weren't that many (maybe 10 tops) and if he didn't know, he should have offered to find out. We also ordered a bowl of mixed olives for $5. For you olive lovers out there, this was a great deal. The bowl was brimming with a few different tangy varieties. The two of us barely put a dent in it. Besides the minor services glitches, it was a cute spot for drinks and snacks. I'll definitely return!

[KatieLoeb]

Hi Zeffer:

Yes - that was me behind the bar last night, making the sparkling rose sangria. That's been selling quite well the last few hot nights. Were you sitting at the bar or a table? Wish we'd had a chance to formally meet. Please introduce yourself next time you make it in!

Not sure who your server was, but we do have a new trainee, that might not be as up on the menu as the rest of us, it being his first day and all. Perhaps that was the problem? If you ever have questions about the cheeses, the kitchen could probably give you the best answers if one of us isn't available to help.

Sandy - I started a few weeks ago, just before taking my week off to go to NOLA for some professional development and a much needed vacation. My schedule is a bit flexible - I'll be in this week Tues-Sat and then Wed-Sunday for a few weeks following. It's a good bet to find me on a Wed, Thurs, Fri or Saturday night for now.

I'll be updating the cocktail menu soon. But I'm delighted to be behind a bar with such an extensive wine selection! I've missed chatting at length about different wines. There's about 40 red and whites from France, Italy and Spain. Hopefully I'll have a bit of input on the wine list as well in the near future. My good buddy and relief bartender Jon is a big beer geek and he's got the draught and bottle selection constantly rotating and including some really interesting choices as well. Bell Oberon and Two Hearted Ale on draught are a rare find indeed, and two of our most popular brews. Duchesse de Bourgogne sour ale, Wehenstephaner Hefe Weisse, Leffe Blonde, Sly Fox Stout and Helles lager and Peroni Italian lager are currently rounding out the draughts. There's also Norman Cider, Jever pilsner, Unibroue Ephemere, and many of the usual suspects (Yeungling, Stella, Corona) in bottles too.

We hope to have something for everyone. With all the beverages covered as well as a delicious menu, and prices being moderate, we're a neighborhood place that hopes to draw a destination crowd as well. Not too many places hitting the home run and covering all of the bases, so I'm excited to be part of it. Piano lounge on the second floor is the next project, due in early autumn. I'll keep you all posted.

[mattohara]

I just went back to revisit last week. The blood orange margarita is wonderful on a hot day and Katie introduced me to a lighter tequila drink called a Diablo. I think it has ginger ale in it. My buddy and his girl devoured a cheese plate with me.

The first time I went I thought 6 dollars was expensive for the (not huge) piece of cheese that you get. This time we had 5 and I think the deal is: for every piece of cheese you get beyond the first one take off a dollar. 5 cheeses (with accompaniments and bread) added up to 26$ instead of 30$. The lesson here is "order lots of cheese."

My buddy got a Pinot that the menu recommended be paired with one of the cheeses and was blown away by how well the two went together (i think it was the Tomette). His girl loved the Corpse Reviver II that I convinced her to get and I loved my cocktails. Katie was tons of fun as always (comparing ringtones was fun).

My friend Erin Swann works there as well so if you're at a table and a bright bubbly server named Erin is helping you out introduce yourself!

[g_camper]

Katy,

You weren't there when I was a few weeks ago, and I have to say (except for one thing) that I was very, very pleased.

Great Scallops, excellent braised beef, phenomenal fries. Wonderful service.

Open windows brought in flies, and the red wine was almost 75 degrees (i.e. summer room temperature).

I will go back, but they need to chill the red wines to allow for lack of a/c in "moderate weather."

I will look for you next time.

Glenn

[philadining]

I've been remiss, neglecting to mention an especially awesome cocktail that our favorite spiritual advisor served up for us...

Sure, the Corpse Reviver 2 is great; the Blood Orange Margarita is delicious, especially followed by a Diablo; there are any number of great cocktails waiting for Katie's able shaking and stirring. But you'd really be missing out if you skip the Rhuby Daiquiri.

Nope, not a typo, that's Rhuby, as in Rhubarb. Trust me on this. Or more to the point, trust Katie.

[mattohara]

there was originally an attempt to make a snarky punny reply like

ouch! no mention was made of a stiff 'barb cocktail! i got stiffed! what a barb in my side!

but it didn't turn out as well as planned. so i'm just going to say that i hope it's available next time i come in.

[Nathan]

what are the hours? I'll be in tomorrow night...

[mrbigjas]

But you'd really be missing out if you skip the Rhuby Daiquiri. 

Nope, not a typo, that's Rhuby, as in Rhubarb. Trust me on this.  Or more to the point, trust Katie.

this is true. it's a fantastic drink. everyone go now.

edited to expand on this: chick's is a nice place, feelin' retro inside. the earlier comments about the wine being too hot should be solved now; katie has a wine fridge over on the side now keeping things at a nice 56, i assume. she also makes a great cocktail, as we all know.

watch out for the contractors drinkin irish car bombs, though...

Edited August 18, 2007 by mrbigjas (log)

[philadining]

what are the hours?  I'll be in tomorrow night...

←

Hopefully Katie will confirm times (and more importantly that she'll be working!) but I'm pretty confident that on saturdays they keep pretty normal hours, probably 5pm-2am. I think they close down a little early if it's super-slow, but that shouldn't happen on a saturday.

[KatieLoeb]

Yes! I'll be in all weekend. I'm even working Sunday night this week. A fresh batch of Rhubarb syrup/compote/goo was made a few short days ago and lives in my cooler. I'll be happy to mix up a Rhuby Daiquiri for anyone that wants to try one until they run out! It's a funky twist on a Hemingway daiquiri and is quite tasty, even if I do say so myself. I love rhubarb and was literally haunted by the idea of creating a cocktail with it until I finally tweaked this one out a few days ago.

[Domaine]

Katie,

Congrats on your new position! Great to hear you are working on Sunday...Tom and I are going to try to stop by tomorrow since that's our new date night!

Meg

[KatieLoeb]

Katie,

Congrats on your new position! Great to hear you are working on Sunday...Tom and I are going to try to stop by tomorrow since that's our new date night!

Meg

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This week my days off are shifting from Sun-Mon to Mon-Tues so I'm in the extra night. Glad it worked out this way! I'll look forward to seeing you then.

[Andrew Fenton]

The Rhuby Dhaiquhihiri (sorry, got carried away with my aspirated consonants there) is indeed a terrific drink, and well worth trying: not too sweet, and a great blend of flavors.

More generally, Chick's seems like a super addition to the neighborhood scene. More than anywhere else in Philadelphia, it reminds me of an Italian wine bar: a relaxed place, with a good selection of wines, and a choice array of prepared foods, with an emphasis on smaller plates. I wasn't able to try any of the dishes this time around-- I'd just come from dinner-- but am planning to return later this week to give the menu a try.

[mattohara]

Yep. I was lucky enough to get in before this batch of Rhoobie Juice ran out. That is some cocktail. I'm so glad I brought some friends in to check it out! It's another one of those "comes in an up glass because if it came in a pitcher everyone would be on the floor" kinda drinks.

Katie I seriously expect, nay DEMAND to know when you've got new stuff going on.

[philadining]

Maybe we could get a webcam pointed at the rhubarb pitcher, so we could get a constantly-updated report on available quantities.

Or we could just go, and have a Corpse Reviver 2 or a Salty Pomeranian if the rhubarb is running low...

[KatieLoeb]

Have I told you all lately that I love you?

The rhubarb thingie is dependent on finding the fresh stalks and having time to make the Rhu-Goo at home. Clearly, we're past the season locally, but Whole Foods has had some the last few times I've looked. I think Chef Jim will be able to procure some for me in the immediate future. But the weather is turning cooler and my thoughts are turning to brown liquor drinks to suit the season. Will you all never forgive me if I decide to make Quince Manhattans or some funky Sidecar variant as it cools down outside? If I promise to keep you all up to date on the newest rounds of mad science will you still come visit me?

[Andrew Fenton]

If you're able to make it to the South & Passyunk market on Tuesday, Rinner's has had rhubarb every week for the last few weeks. It's a little surprising, since as you say, it's past the season: I don't know what the story is.

oh, but if you can't get rhubarb, I MAAAAAAY still come in. POSSIBLY...

[mrbigjas]

Have I told you all lately that I love you? 

The rhubarb thingie is dependent on finding the fresh stalks and having time to make the Rhu-Goo at home.  Clearly, we're past the season locally, but Whole Foods has had some the last few times I've looked.  I think Chef Jim will be able to procure some for me in the immediate future.  But the weather is turning cooler and my thoughts are turning to brown liquor drinks to suit the season.  Will you all never forgive me if I decide to make Quince Manhattans or some funky Sidecar variant as it cools down outside?  If I promise to keep you all up to date on the newest rounds of mad science will you still come visit me? 

←

of course. however i might request one thing:

bulleit bourbon. it's good for drinkin by itself because it's not as sweet as most bourbons and has more structure to it, if you can say that about liquor. it mixes well for similar reasons, it's 90 proof, it's $22 a bottle. my favorite booze.

and i love how quinces turn that candy apple red when they're cooked. harold mcgee says it has to do with tannins and acid and converting one blahblahblahcyanozinitholoideneane to something else, but i just think it's neat.

those things can be--no, need to be--combined somehow. not sure how.

edited yet again to add: it could be the reason your thoughts are turning to fall booze is that it's cold outside right now. don't worry, it's still august! we still got a month and a half before the real fall weather comes...

Edited August 21, 2007 by mrbigjas (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

A nice shout-out to Katie in the current Philadelphia Weekly! Kirsten Henri sings the praises of the Salty Pomeranian:

Bartendrix Katie Loeb whipped up this pomegranate-licked riff on the classic salty dog, and it brings all the elements of sweet/salty/strong together in concert. What’s not to love about pomegranate vodka, fresh and Rose’s lime juices, plus ruby red grapefruit juice graced with a salted rim? In fact, it’s so delicious, it’s the perfect cocktail for the dog days of August. Badum-tish.

[KatieLoeb]

Yeah! I think we need to order some more of that yummy Pearl pomegranate vodka and a few more big bottles of Ruby Red grapefruit juice.

I just love being referred to as a bartrendrix. I am wearing black, after all...

[Holly Moore]

Oozing Bondish savoir-faire, I instruct my bartenderix, one martini, flogged, not stirred.