Cochon

[rae]

We went to Cochon very spur of the moment tonight. It was outstanding. We probably hadn't been in a month or two, and after the first bite we were yelling at ourselves for not getting down there often enough.

For apps we had the pork croquette special (with blood sausage). It was so good. Blood sausage was incredible, croquette was perfectly fried on the outside and perfectly soft and delicious on the inside. Also has scallops (perfectly cooked and delicious) and sweet breads, also great.

For entrees we had the rack of lamb, the pork shoulder (my perennial favorite) and the cassoulet speccial. The rack of lamb was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The pork shoulder is always fantastic and tonight was no exception. But the standout for me was the cassoulet. It was made with quail and chicken sausage and other deliciousness. I couldn't get enough of it. In fact I traded a piece of my rack of lamb to dagordon just for the leftover beans in the cassoulet. (We were both happy with this arrangement.)

Yum.

[dagordon]

Yeah, this was a terrific meal. We were worried when we first got there, as there was only one other table eating; but the place quickly filled up.

The baby lamb rack was about twice as good as the one we had at Le Bec Fin last night, which was about twice as expensive.

The cassoulet was oustanding, and craveable.

[rae]

Okay, I just had Cochon's second version of cassoulet (at least the second one that I've had), and I don't know how it was possible, but I think it was even better than the first. Although really, saying better would be like choosing between two children, but this one, my goodness... It was pork confit, garlic (?) sausage, and some duck breast, with the most yummy beans.

I've been fighting a cold for almost a week now, and I think this might have just been what I needed to fend it off for good. Dare I say it, but the cassoulet might even be more powerful than my grandma's chicken and matzoh ball soup.

Cochon is truly one of my favorite places to eat in Philly. It is really, for me, the only consistently satisfying restaurant.

Did I mention yum??

[Capaneus]

Okay, I just had Cochon's second version of cassoulet (at least the second one that I've had), and I don't know how it was possible, but I think it was even better than the first. Although really, saying better would be like choosing between two children, but this one, my goodness... It was pork confit, garlic (?) sausage, and some duck breast, with the most yummy beans.

I've been fighting a cold for almost a week now, and I think this might have just been what I needed to fend it off for good. Dare I say it, but the cassoulet might even be more powerful than my grandma's chicken and matzoh ball soup.

Cochon is truly one of my favorite places to eat in Philly. It is really, for me, the only consistently satisfying restaurant.

Did I mention yum??

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This is horribly unfair: I've been to Cochon three times since you first used the C-word, and I have found nary a tarbais on the premises. You are so a Chef's Pet!

[TarteTatin]

Aww, c'mon, where's the best Cassoulet in town with REAL tarbais????

Brought back from France?

And, lots of duck confit, and local lamb sausage and pork belly, and local lamb shank and ham hocks and...

[Capaneus]

Aww, c'mon, where's the best Cassoulet in town with REAL tarbais????

Brought back from France?

And, lots of duck confit, and local lamb sausage and pork belly, and local lamb shank and ham hocks and...

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You mean there's more?!?!?!

[philadining]

Cochon May 13, 2008

To start:

Grilled Pâté, Deep Fried Head Cheese, Cornichons

Fried Frog Legs

Grilled Sweetbreads

Grilled Scallops

Fried Oysters

Pork Belly, Garlic Sausage

Blood Sausage, Frisée

Mains:

Pork Shoulder, Brussels Sprouts, Lentils, Poached Egg

Duck Breast

Veal Chop

Lamb Chops

Bass

[Capaneus]

That was yet another outstanding meal. I did think the veal chop and the bass were merely excellent. The rest was a good deal better than that. I think this kitchen is improving steadily: I haven't once had a meal here that failed to meet - and exceed - the expectations left by prior visits.

The "amuse-bouche" the chef sent out... You know you've struck a good night when someone *gives* you deep-fried pork terrine. And the frogs' legs, perfectly crisp, delicate, almost melting meat... I'd win the Wing Bowl easy, if they let me have these. And why has no one fried head cheese before? It's just beautiful, a stroke of genius.

The appetizers were uniformly outstanding: I have to give the nod to the two specials - the pork belly/garlic saussage combo and the blood saussage over frisee - but that may be because they had the advantage of surprise.

Of the entrees, I have to say that the pork shoulder continues to be my favorite item on this menu, but the lamb chops and the duck are right there in the mix.

I decided I'm going to stop complaining about the (very relative) weakness of the desserts: I figured out that it leaves me free to have three savory courses. Total bonus!

In retrospect, someone will have to explain to me why we drank the stuff I brought instead of something, well... better. The rieslings, as usual, were the stars among the potables. They stood up to almost everything on the menu, which is really pretty incredible range.

But still no cassoulet. I'm convinced Rae invented these supposed bean-gasmic delights purely to torture me.

[mattohara]

I'm going to start apportioning a part of my paycheck to eating here more regularly. It's stupid not to, as it's four blocks away from my place and the meal I had last night was perfect in every way.

It was a friend's birthday yesterday and I had to run around figuring out who could be where and when for which festivities. I started off with a reservation for 15-20 at one time that eventually turned into 10 at another time. Everybody was really gracious and nice about it. Service was great, again.

We had some of the same dishes as above. The escargots were much more to my liking than last time. Less sweet and they came with a ramp confit. The scallop and sweetbread dishes were the same as above and perfectly done. I loved the crisp sear and the perfect pink on the inside of the sweetbreads. The blood sausage dish I *think* had some small differece but I can't remember what it was. Chef said he sources them now but may start making his own.

I had the pork shoulder cause I'd heard so much about it and well, it's all true. Great dish. I also tasted the lamb and it was the most tender piece of lamb I've ever had.

Chef also said that he loves to cook for people and usually has some offal laying around so to give him some notice next time and he'd make something up.

I'll stop gushing now cause chef has a theory that the more eG people love a place the more likely it is to dissapear! (Pif, Snackbar, etc.)

[philadining]

I'll stop gushing now cause chef has a theory that the more eG people love a place the more likely it is to dissapear!  (Pif, Snackbar, etc.)

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The curse of eGullet!

I do wonder if our raves about some places might be counter-productive, making the restaurants seem "too foodie" or too weird, or too much of a special destination.

I'm not sure what tangible effects eGullet posts have, positive or negative, but I certainly hope that our Cochon comments haven't been creating the impression that it's an intimidating place, only to be appreciated by the daring and gluttonous among us.

The opposite is true: I find most of the menu to be some of the most comforting and un-challenging food in town. It's just plain delicious. Sure there are a few weird organ meats around, but they're easy enough to avoid if that's not your thing!

[Rich Pawlak]

Snackbar is disappearing?

[Andrew Fenton]

I do wonder if our raves about some places might be counter-productive, making the restaurants  seem "too foodie"  or too weird, or too much of a special destination. 

I'm not sure what tangible effects eGullet posts have, positive or negative...

Much as I enjoy fantasies about my REAL ULTIMATE INTERNET POWER, I suspect that eGullet posts have very little effect on a restaurant's bottom line. Certainly compared to the effect of a review in one of the local papers, it's gotta be tiny.

[Capaneus]

I do wonder if our raves about some places might be counter-productive, making the restaurants  seem "too foodie"  or too weird, or too much of a special destination. 

I'm not sure what tangible effects eGullet posts have, positive or negative...

Much as I enjoy fantasies about my REAL ULTIMATE INTERNET POWER, I suspect that eGullet posts have very little effect on a restaurant's bottom line. Certainly compared to the effect of a review in one of the local papers, it's gotta be tiny.

←

I think it's a small but important effect. The people who pay attention to sites like this are frequent diners, yes, but, more important, they're opinion makes, both online and off. And the effect is magnified by the fact that reviewers themselves often read eGullet. I can't tell you how many times I've recognized a paragraph in print, after having read it here. It's possible that two people writing on the same subject might make similar statements, of course, but a few times the paraphrase was so close, and so extensive, that I really do wonder.

[David McDuff]

It may be a week late and a dollar short, but I've added my own photos (smaller than usual as they're a little rough) and a bit of commentary at:

Cochon: First Porcine Impressions

Looking at PhilaDining's photos, I'm not sure why I bothered to take any. He was hogging all the light ;-)

[philadining]

I think we might be addicted...

Dropped in again and got some of the faves to start: Scallops; Spinach Salad with Pear; Beet and Goat Cheese Salad. All delicious, and relatively light starters for what was to come.

Then we continued with a Steak Frites

Frites were especially good tonight, as was the steak.

Lamb Chops

The chef was flirting with a too-aggressive of a sear on the outside of the chops, but they were overall very nicely cooked, unbelievably tender and very tasty.

And a special Pork Trio: Pork Belly, Garlic Sausage and Deep-Fried Trotters. It was served atop a heap of kraut and fingerling potatoes, studded with a bit more porky goodness, for what was effectively a berserk choucroute garni.

All quite delicious, and in portions so large that even we couldn't finish it all...

[TarteTatin]

Wow. That pork trio looks incroyable!

My French class was there last Wed.

The welcome was wonderful, the food super, and the staff all delightful.

I love getting good service, which we got....which includes knowing who ordered which dish.

I can't stand it when food gets "auctioned" off (who gets the salmon?). The two gentlemen servers were very professional and friendly at the same time, and had a sense of humor from our large, loud party...and patience.

My chicken livers were the BEST I've ever had in my life. I think they were carmelized, or maybe it was the walnuts. Mr. Tarte Tatin's sweetbreads also delicious. He had soft shell crabs, which were a little small, maybe should have been three instead of two, but they were good. My pork shoulder over lentils with sprouts and that poached egg on top, was GREAT.

The scallop app looked good that others ordered, nice and plump. I also saw some nice salads.

For entrees, the chicken, duck and pork loin looked good.

We had a molten chocolate thingy for dessert, with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce. Another at our table had a fruit tart.

Really nice all around.

[Tom D]

Being from Central NJ I normally post on the Mid-Atlantic Board but we often go into Philly for dinner, usually at BYO's.

As some background we like places like Matyson, Radicchio, Chloe etc.

Had 8:00 reservations at Cochon after walking around First Friday for an hour or so. Parking is at a premium in the area around the restaurant, leave yourself enough time.

Arriving at 8:00 we were promptly seated. Getting the bad news out first, the air conditioning was barely keeping up, the restaurant was packed and noisy and the service was spotty although we were warned by our server that the kitchen was "well behind".

The good news is that the food was excellent and more than made up for the other problems.

We started with the Crispy Chicken Livers and Fried Oysters which were both delicious and polar opposite in flavor.

Entrees were the Pork Shoulder over Lentils and Seared Scallops over Green Pea Risotto. Both dishes were great, the chef shows great touch with meat and seafood.

Too full for dessert but finished up with coffee.

My advice to others would be: Try not to go on a 95+ degree day or if possible sit outside where the breeze is likely to be blowing.

If you have to go on Friday or Saturday, get an early reservation when the service (kitchen) will be on top of things and the noise level will be lower.

Great dining experience and highly recommend to others looking for hearty delicious food.

[Holly Moore]

Through specials or otherwise, is Cochon adjusting its menu for balmy summer evenings? The pics on this thread are excruciatingly tempting, but the menu from their website seems targeted to all seasons but summer.

Edited June 17, 2008 by Holly Moore (log)

[ulterior epicure]

Let me guess, philadining, you love this place.

Seriously, great photos. I feel like I've eaten the entire menu, twice over, with you.

[philadining]

Let me guess, philadining, you love this place. 

I do...

And seriously, if you're feeling "porked out"

a) this place will cure you of that sad affliction

b) or you really could make a very nice meal from the salads, the sweetbreads, the scallops, the oysters, the duck, the lamb, the fish...

Trust me on this, eating the food is better than looking at the pictures!

[rae]

We finally made it to brunch at Cochon this weekend. They serve brunch on Sundays from 11 - 3 pm.

I have been on a pancake kick lately so I ordered those. They were delicious. Huge but incredibly puffy and with caramalized bananas. They was perfect, I will definately order them again, I have never had pancakes like them. Others at the table had the frittata, french toast, and eggs over ham steak. All were great (I tried them all), and everyone was completely statisfied with their choice. We all proclaimed it was one of the best brunches we had ever had. I think next time I am going to have the french toast with berry maple syrup.

Finally a place to replace my previous favorite brunch (Snackbar). Although to be honest, I think I liked Cochon brunch better than Snackbar brunch (I never thought I would like any brunch better than Snackbar brunch).

Also, fyi, Cochon is doing a pork-centric 4-course dinner this week to celebrate their anniversary. $35, includes pork cassoulet!!!

[TarteTatin]

Six of us ate at Cochon last night. It was packed! Black Friday, lots of families...

Appetizers included three of the wonderful, decadent chicken livers (the serving was way too big). There was an escargot, a fried oyster, and Mr. Tarte Tatin got the pigs feet terrine. He liked it and said I wouldn't have; that it was very gelatinous.

Two had Cassoulet with garlic sausage and duck confit. It was good! Mr. Tarte Tatin liked his. He said it was one of the best he's had, even in France, outside of his own.

Two of us had the pork shoulder with the egg, two the duck.

Desserts were a very good creme brulee, a warm chocolate cake and one person had the apple cinnamon bread pudding.

We started with a small producer Champagne from Mesnil-sur-Ogur (sp?) - the town where Salon is produced. Tasty. Moved to a Gary Farrell chardonnay, then a 1990 Bandol -sooo good! Also good was a Savigny-les-beaune. We finished with a Beaume De Venise.

All around a tasty evening. The owners and staff were lovely as usual.

...I guess my only complaint is the noise level. It's hard to hold conversations; but really that is the way it is in a lot of places lately. (could it be I am getting....NO! It cannot be! I won't admit it!)

[percyn]

Went to Cochon with 3 others earlier this week. Our goal was to sample the menu and everything on the menu sounded good, so we ordered almost everything, from the regular and tasting menus including:

- Cauliflower Soup - Deep soulful creamy goodness with acidic accents to tingle the taste buds.

- Boudin Noir on black lentils - Interestingly this did not have the strong flavor and smell compared to other interpretations I have tried before. Pickled baby turnips seemed to punctuate this dish.

- Chicken Livers - The perfect blend crispy, silky textures, sweetness from the caramelized onions and tartness from the balsamic vinegar easily made this my favorite dish.

- Escargot - Tender, garlicy ... who needs McNuggets?

- Country Pate - Very good pate, but unfortunately out-shined by the other appetizers

- Roasted Suckling Pig - WOW. Fork tender pulled baby pork (shoulder?) over black lentils, accompanied with some crispy skin. Unfortunately, no slow cooked egg in this rendition.

- Grilled Pork Loin - Juicy and succulent but not as memorable as the suckling pig.

- Cassoulet - Probably one of the better versions you can find in Philly area restaurants. The beans on the version we got seemed a tad overcooked and dry and our dish seemed devoid of sausage. On the other hand, the duck confit it contained was perfect. Monsieur TarteTatin, your cassoulet still reigns supreme.

- Rack of Lamb - Well cooked to the rarer side of medium rare in a delicious sauce which was scraped clean from the plate with some bread. The lamb rack seemed to have a little fat, which enhanced the gaminess.

- Pan Fried Skate Wing - Served on a bed of fennel and tomatoes. Sadly, the least favorite of the lot. Keep in mind that it was not a bad dish, just not as spectacular as the other dishes.

- Chocolate crepes with butterscotch and bourbon ice cream - The crepes were bit too sweet but we were too full to mind. The ice cream was great.

We might have even ordered a few more things I am not remembering.

We paired the dishes above with wines from the Rhone, including

2005 Louis Latour Grand Ardeche Chardonnay

2004 Domaine des Remizieres Crozes-Hermitage

2004 Charbonniere Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Mourre des Perdrix

?? Guigal Cote Rotie

A great rustic meal on an especially chilly night, with terrific camaraderie at the table. Sorry, no pictures.

Edited January 25, 2009 by percyn (log)

[Andrew Fenton]

Cassoulet - Probably one of the better versions you can find in Philly area restaurants. The beans on the version we got seemed a tad overcooked and dry and our dish seemed devoid of sausage. On the other hand, the duck confit it contained was perfect. Monsieur TarteTatin, your cassoulet still reigns supreme.

I think that there may be some luck involved in which meats you get; I had the cassoulet a week or two ago, and it featured a big piece of garlic sausage, as well as the terrific duck confit and some pork cheek confit. Agreed, though, that the beans were a little overcooked, and I thought that the dish was too garlicky; TT has nothing to fear...

[mattohara]

I forgot to write about our New Year's Eve experience there. We did the full menu and everything was amazing. The foie mousse and the cassoulet were standouts.

Gene's wife said that they are trying to have weekly menu changes. I suggested a mailing list like Matyson and she said she'd work on it.