Zinc Bar

[mattohara]

Zinc Bar just opened last night. It's owned by Olivier, who also owns Caribou and is a reworking of the other restaurant he owned in the same spot.

http://www.zincbarphilly.com/

I stopped by (Karen works at Caribou, that's how I found out it was open) to check it out. It is small, about 26 seats and a bar (zinc and imported from France). It has a small menu, does brunch, has a French aperitif selection similar to Caribou's and looks great.

Edited September 6, 2007 by mattohara (log)

[Holly Moore]

For more location info, from their website

...  off the beaten path, located in a very desirable

neighborhood.

Located in the Midtown village, Zinc is around the corner from Jefferson Hospital

If the 11th and Locust area is Midtown, is downtown Washington Ave or Old City?

Would that they were open for lunch.

[Mummer]

We had a fine DDC dinner there earlier this year.

I never cared for the old name (La Boheme Cafe,) probably because there's one (maybe called Bistro) in every American city of a certain size.

[mattohara]

For more location info, from their website

...  off the beaten path, located in a very desirable

neighborhood.

Located in the Midtown village, Zinc is around the corner from Jefferson Hospital

If the 11th and Locust area is Midtown, is downtown Washington Ave or Old City?

Would that they were open for lunch.

←

nah, Old City is the East Village, Midtown village is the West Village (duh), Rittenhouse is the Upper West and East Side, Bella Vista is Hell's Kitchenish, but I don't think that Washington Ave is anything except Washington Ave.

[MarketStEl]

nah, Old City is the East Village, Midtown village is the West Village (duh), Rittenhouse is the Upper West and East Side, Bella Vista is Hell's Kitchenish, but I don't think that Washington Ave is anything except Washington Ave.

←

Au contraire.

Even though we already have a Chinatown, Washington Avenue is now Washington Heights and Chinatown/Little Italy rolled into one.

(Actually, is there a Southeast Asian community in Manhattan? I think they're more of an outer-borough phenomenon in NYC.)

[Holly Moore]

Stopped by last week for a late lunch, right at their 4 PM opening. Had the charcuterie selection - mortadella, salami, duck and pork pate, fig jelly, dijon mustard and cornichons. Everything was great, though I would have preferred the pork part of the pate to be more highly seasoned. Also, had to ask for bread which I expect with charcuterie.

Gotta get back soon for their calve's liver.

[mattohara]

that's exactly what I want to try Holly.

We had their escargot with pastis on puff pastry when we went for brunch last weekend. It was good but needed more pastis. So far Vintage's escargot (in-shell) is the only version that comes close to Pif's now that 20 Manning isn't doing their fondue version anymore.

Also there seemed to be alfalfa sprouts as a default garnish (as seen in your picture above). I didn't think they added either a good flavor or texture. Also visually not too nice. The Oeuf Benedicte was very nice though, on brioche and with smoked salmon.

[TarteTatin]

We enjoyed our dinner there tonight. We were going to an early show (7:00) at Walnut St. Theatre, so got there about 5:30. The place is just beautiful. The bar that they brought back from France is stunning. We ran into one of the ex "furniture guys" dining, he is working for a shop in Northern Liberties that actually imported the bar. From 1919.

Pretty little bistro.

Didn't remember it was restaurant week. After looking at both the regular menu, and the restaurant week menu, we both ordered off the special prix fixe. Next time, we'll try the raclette, etc.

He started with a Ricard, I had a red Kir. The amuse was a salmon mousse, just ok.

The $30 prix fixe:

Chevre Chaud en salade- I had this, it was goat cheese mix in a filo basket, a nice frisee salad with baby spinach (overdressed with too much raspberry vinegar).

He had the Salade d'endive a la Fourme D'Ambert-Belgium (shouldn't it be Belgian?) endive salad with creamy french blue.

A third choice we didn't have: Tarte aux champignons sauvages et au Morbier.

Wish we brought the camera. Pretty presentations.

Then:

Both had: Roulade de poulet fermier a la truffe-potato crusted (really?) Giannone farm (where?) chicken roulade with asparagus and truffle sauce. (didn't taste an ion of truffle).

Other choices: Saumon a l'oseille and Duo d'agneau et de poisson au jus d'ail.

We each had one of the two desserts:

Nougat glace et son coulis de framboise and Marquise au chocolat. (Both overdressed with too much raspberry sauce).

The wine we chose, listed as Viognier for $39 (one of the most inexpensive on the menu), was actually only 10% Viognier, 60% Rousanne, and 30% what? I say Gamay, he says Marsanne. Anyway,it was from the Rhone, it wasn't great, and probably about $10 in the state store. Anyway.

He really liked Zinc, was yearning for a good, local, French bistro.

I thought it was okay. Needs more seasoning, more taste...the atmosphere was good, the feeling very neighborhood. The waiter was good, the waitress from Bulgaria nice...

Overall, we enjoyed.

I think we'll go back at a normal hour, when we order off of the regular menu.

[Domaine]

Gamay is a red grape

[Capaneus]

Gamay is a red grape

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Red skins, not flesh. Not that difficult to vinify it white. I haven't seen it done, though.

[TarteTatin]

I can't remember.

Should it be listed as Viognier at all if the bottle says its only 10%?

That bothers me.

[Capaneus]

I can't remember.

Should it be listed as Viognier at all if the bottle says its only 10%?

That bothers me.

←

I don't know of any appelation that would allow it, but if they're not designated then they're often under very little regulation.

Did the bottle identify the wine as Viognier, or just the list?

Anyway, Marsanne and Roussanne are the big hitters in most Rhone white blends, so they would make sense together here (while Gamay is a Burgundy grape, and doesn't thrive in quite the same climate). But those varietal names are pretty difficult to identify as something US consumers will recognize: it's illegal to depict the wine as Rhone, even by mentioning the region, or CdP, or Hermitage. Viognier, on the other hand, is gaining in popularity.

[deprofundis]

I live up the street from Zinc and I noticed that they are advertising in the window that they have acquired a 19th century duck press. With two days notice, they will prepare pressed duck for two for $70. Has anybody tried this yet? Anybody know of any other places in the city (or tri-state area even) that serve pressed duck?

From their website (zincbarphilly.com):

"Fall / Winter menu starts October

Special feature:

Canard à la presse (1800 method to serve wild duck). With two days notice, we will serve you table side this Normandy duck in two services (Roasted breasts with sauce civet first and then grilled legs). Unique in Philadelphia! For $70 for two."