Restaurant Week in Philadelphia

[arice]

i agree with everything y'all are saying RE: the economics of menu selection for restaurant week. though i was disappointed that pasion! wouldn't consider including a veggie or fish dish, (even a smaller portion if needed) i understand why they are not. those people who would like to dine there during this week that are not meat eaters are just out of luck. we have been there once and have always wanted to go back... another time i suppose.

we are going to alma de cuba instead... their restaurant week menu will be a bit more varied than pasion.

allison

[Lisa1349]

It seems Pasion should be able to get some kind of fish for the price of skirt steak, which ain't cheap. Maybe their kitchen is better equipped for the volume of steak rather than fish? I love skirt steak anyway, but I know it's a bummer to you fishetarians. I think I saw Sansom St. Oyster House is participating. Is this place a tourist trap or worth stopping over after Pasion?

Lisa

[herbacidal]

It seems Pasion should be able to get some kind of fish for the price of skirt steak, which ain't cheap. Maybe their kitchen is better equipped for the volume of steak rather than fish? I love skirt steak anyway, but I know it's a bummer to you fishetarians. I think I saw Sansom St. Oyster House is participating. Is this place a tourist trap or worth stopping over after Pasion?

Lisa

it's a decent place. i'd go, but as far as going there for optimal value, depends on the restaurant week menu.

i think you can get gift certificates there on ebay that would be a better bang for buck though.

therefore, i'd be looking for a place that:

1) didn't have certificates i could pick up for relatively little

2) their RW menu is a decent foundation for a meal, to be supplemented by something else a la carte (assuming you're a glutton like me ).

[katbert]

If you check out the restaurant week link again, they've posted menus. Interesting. kt

http://www.centercityphila.org/restaurantweek.html#

[cinghiale]

Anyone care to comment on experiences? I'll go first:

Alma de Cuba, Sunday, 7:30 PM.

The lounge was virtually empty and very quiet, a dramatic contrast from the dining room, which was have-to-shout-to-be-heard loud though only about 3/4 full. I wish we'd chosen to eat in the lounge, though the cushy seating there almost makes eating impossible.

Starters were shrimp ceviche and wild mushroom empanadas. The ceviche was quite good, though the sweet/spicy sauce was a bit cloying. The empanadas were the major disappointment of the night: flavorless, dry, overbaked (?) dough holding a tasty though unimpressive mushroomy ragout-ish sauce.

Mains were chicken breast over chicken rice ("Arroz Imperial") and Cilantro Honey Mustard Glazed Salmon. The chicken breast was lacking in any noticeable flavor and was a bit dry. The rice dish, however, was delicious: it was fresh, well-seasoned and had a sweet component to it that harmonized well. The salmon and lentils were very well prepared.

We tried one each of the desserts. The lemon verbana flan is said to be a Rodriguez signature, and it was truly delicious. The other dessert was a coconut-based cake, accompanied by strawberry sorbet made out to look just like a strawberry (in the dim light, anyway), and both were quite good.

We drank two glasses each of open wine @ $8/glass + two coffees @ $3.50. Funny how a $30 three-course ends up being $130 for 2 after T/T. But seeing as the menu prices hover in the high $20s, low $30s for mains, and $15 for apps, it proved to be a bargain for checking out what the restaurant is like.

[katbert]

We went to Cibucan last night and tried the guacamole, salad, scallops and cold plate for starters, the tuna (x3) for the main, and also the poached pear and flan for dessert. The bread came with a lightly spicy roasted red pepper dippy stuff in a pool of olive oil. We liked the plantain chips b/c they weren't particularly greasy although they did break sometimes in the guacamole. Looking back at the web description, I don't think there was any avocado in the salad, and I could also see where the plate had been wiped off around the edges for dressing drips. =/ The cold plate surprised at least one person b/c one of the roasted peppers was maybe a serrano and not just a sweet pepper. oops! I thought the scallops were well executed, meaty and juicy, but someone else thought they were average. The little grape tomatoes that came with the scallops were really warm, which I liked.

We ordered 2 rare tunas and 1 medium rare- these came out done exactly to order and we were very very happy with the fish and the balsamic reduction. Generous portions for the fish- some might find the plaintain crusting a bit greasy but I'm not particularly fat phobic and enjoyed the crunchiness. One person liked the mashed potatoes b/c they were on the thick and heavy side, although I prefer mine lighter and more whipped, the way they come out of my ricer. Also the green bean/ pea pods were very snappy and crisp.

For dessert, the poached pear came out on a nice rectangular plate with a scoop of goat milk, honey and rosemary gelato. The texture of the pear was nice and firm, and we also really liked the gelato. The flan was very attractive and had a texture and eggy flavor similar to the egg custard tarts you find in Chinese bakeries, and the person who ordered it thought it wasn't lemony enough.

With a mojito, margarita and a banana martini (average $7 each), the total came to $122 for the three of us, and we were pretty satisfied. The restaurant started out about 3/4 full when we showed up at 6pm, and was maybe ~1/3 full by the time we left. Service was fine although we had to ask for water more than once, and the runner for the food had to ask us every course who had ordered what.

kt

[sara]

Anyone been to Pasion for restaurant week yet?

I'm pretty disappointed in their limited menu--I've had the shrimp ceviche before and it's fine but not exciting. I may give up my reservation for 6--if anyone's dying for it, let me know. It's Friday night 7:45 pm.

[cinghiale]

I did Pasion last night, and I'd have to say it was great, much better than Alma de Cuba. The room(s) is nicer, the staff more knowledgable, and noise level very acceptable.

Started w/pre-menu arepas -- terrific. Three balls (coulda been flatter and easier to eat): (i) chicken picadillo w/avocado lime sauce, (ii) bacalao w/roasted pepper sauce, and (iii) foie gras w/chocalate sauce. #3 was decadently good, but the other two were also delicious. The cakes themselves were light and flavorful. $11.

Apps were Ecuadorian Shrimp Ceviche and Corn Bisque w/Creme Fraiche. Weird that both AdC and Pasion have the same ceviche, name and all. Pasion's was presented much differently -- in a square bowl rather than AdC's glass trough. I preferred Pasion's (wasn't easy to eat outta that vessel, though) and thought the sweet/spicy flavoring was more muted, subtle than AdC's. Corn soup was delicately flavored and really enjoyable.

Mains were skirt steak and chicken. The skirt steak had a marinated quality to it (coulda been the chimichurri, I guess) and was grilled perfectly. Really tasty. Came buried under a rather large mound of yuca fries. The chicken was a leg/thigh combo with a little breast. Much better flavoring than AdC's. Came sauced with a tasty, super-tangy guajillo sauce. The goat cheese-stuffed black-bean tamale was a little too sour for my taste, but it complemented the chicken nicely.

Dessert was a delish Cuban flan, served with a pastry "hood".

Had a bottle of Rioja from California (Baja) that was OK @ $34. Two mango/papaya mojitos (quite good) @ $8/each. Coffee, water. $135 + T/T.

Pasion really did a nice job, with the menu inspired and fresh despite the onslaught (apparently reservations were nearly double normal last night).

[herbacidal]

i'm planning on walking in on le bar lyonnais sometime tomorrow night.

if they're full, i'll see who else i can wander in on randomly and eat at the bar.

if anyone wants to meet, PM me.

I will be offline for much of the day, and probably will get a chance to check it early in the day, and again early evening.

[katbert]

Tuesday night we went to Prime Rib for their prime rib (beautifully done, we had rare and med-rare and they were perfect). The rest wasn't anything amazing but it was nice just for the moo.

Wed we were seated in the mezzanine level up the staircase from the main dining room at LBF for the Le Bar Lyonnais menu. Started off w/ fresh crusty rolls (baguette, olive, or wheat) that was fabulous. Appetizer choices: the soup listed online, a seasonal veggie thing that came out as a cute elevated pile of vegs with a basil sauce, and a truffled risotto. The truffled risotto was probably the winner of the night for flavor. Main choices: the roasted salmon listed online, an item described as chicken shepherd's pie but was really two reasonably sized chunks of chicken with mashed potatoes in a (something something something) sauce, and sea bass, asian style. The sea bass had an evenly crispy skin, and arrived with a finely shredded pile of veggies and a mystery sauce. I need another word for sauce. Dessert choices: creme caramel creme brulee, sorbet trio (banana (?), raspberry, apricot), and flourless chocolate cake w/ vanilla ice cream. I liked the creme brulee better than the chocolate cake, although the ice cream was terrific. The LBx experience was characterized by the flawless and almost excessive service (everyone says something to you on your way out), a multiplicity of formal silverware, and care in presentation. Not snooty, but firmly nice- we always had water, were offered bread multiple times and they explained the spoon with the dent in it for us. We tried the Pinot Grigio recommended, and should have gotten a bottle. We also walked by the cheese cart and the two dessert carts on the way in and out. Next time! I think I might have liked to look at the wine menu but we didn't ask.

(katie! I wish I could make it to Striped Bass but I'm already reserved for Pasion! & BP)

kt

[herbacidal]

okay, at le bar, i had:

the white bean soup.

didn't recognize the proscuitto, it was rolled up, and texture wise, i was thinking something more like

cuttlefish or octopus.

i liked the layering of the salmon dish; marinated mushrooms on bottom, grilled salmon in middle, sliced fingerling potatoes on top.

the st. nizier, which was flourless chocolate torte with vanilla ice cream.

all superb, as expected.

the staff was very good and professional. interesting to watch georges perrier's brother as maitre'd downstairs.

there was also an incident downstairs where woman got too drunk/mixed medicine and alcohol/????

and had to lay down in coat room.

staff handled it well, although i think they should have waited on sending the lady home in a cab (to West Chester) for another half hour or so. perhaps calling her friend (from phone list in cell phone) to take her would have been better, as suggested by the bartender.

evidently for the extended restaurant week, they've reduced the menu, with no choices.

1st and 2nd courses where what i had above, with the dessert a creme caramel.