Miel

[mrbigjas]

oh man. croissants... apple turnovers.... palmier after palmier after palmier after gateaus after mille feuilles after tortes after... man I'm not even much of a dessert person but good god.

[Holly Moore]

Made it there this (Sunday) morning. Picked up a chocolate croissant and a cranberry muffin. The croissant was as good as, and probably far better, than any I've found in Center City. The pastry case is exquisite.

I'd rate Miel's opening as the most important gourmetocracial event in Philadelphia this year. Like Striped Bass raised the bar for Walnut Street, I'm hoping that Miel will do the same for retail food sales - that Center City will soon have a butcher comparable to Lobel's and a greengrocer comparable to Balducci's.

[john b]

Try Miel's green tea sorbet.

[mrbigjas]

You better believe I will. There's not many things in the world I like more than green tea.

[SG-]

I'm surprised capogiro hasn't done green tea gelato yet...

No more hiking out to the far reaches of Jersey for pastries!!!

[Bux]

I'm hoping ... that Center City will soon have ... a greengrocer comparable to Balducci's.

I hope not. Balducci's went out of business, at least in the Village. The Sixth Avenue store is now occupied by a Citarella market. There is, apparently, a smaller shop on West 66th Street operating under the same name. After buying some bad mussels there some thirty or forty years ago, I was never a fan, but that might have been a bit of bad luck--assuming one can ascribe bad luck to a seafood merchant's willing to sell state shellfish even once in a while. It changed hands a while back and had been going down hill since in spite of the new owner's interest in buidling a super brand retail and online gourmet shop.

NY Times article abstract.

[menton1]

Isn't there a Dean and DeLuca already somewhere in Philly?

[Holly Moore]

I think there was a D&D coffee shop in one of the Penn Center Buildings. But not a full fledged grocer.

Too bad about Balducci's. At the minimum it was very photogentic - at least until their bouncer kicked me out for taking pictures.

[menton1]

From the Philadelphia Smart Pages:

Dean & Deluca

4311 Main Street - Philadelphia, PA

215-487-2078

Anybody been?

[Holly Moore]

Hard core researcher that I am, I dialed the number. Disconnected. I'm assuming it's another one of their Starbuck like stores that closed down when the Center City one closed down.

[herbacidal]

I think there was a D&D coffee shop in one of the Penn Center Buildings. But not a full fledged grocer.

Too bad about Balducci's. At the minimum it was very photogentic - at least until their bouncer kicked me out for taking pictures.

you sure you're not mixing it up with horn and hardart?

i remember a H&H at 17th and JFK i think, still there possibly.

plus the H&H at 16th and Sansom.

i've never heard about a D&D down in philly.

[Holly Moore]

Pretty sure it was a D&D. But is was more about coffee and such than anything else.

[R Washburn]

Pretty sure it was a D&D. But is was more about coffee and such than anything else.

Holly's right, but it I think it closed a few years ago.

Regarding Miel, how does it stck up against Yanni (sp.?) the patisserie that opened in the Fishmarket space at 18thst. and Sansom? The stuff I tried from there was pretty good, although not as exciting as "Madamoiselle de Paris" (alas!).

[Holly Moore]

I went to Yanni (? sp too) a couple of times for morning coffee and croissant. Then I thought I recognized the croissants and asked. They don't bake them themselves. That was a disappointment.

[marinade]

Hey Gang. Would some of you run a price check on the pastries @ the Center City location. I've been to the Cherry Hill store a few times and the individuals are running @ about $5.25 ea. But at Food Source in Bryn Mawr the same rolls out @ $7.00 each. They're great but at that price I should get a receipt for the Ben Franklin Toll.

[mrbigjas]

When I was there on Saturday, the individual pastries were running $4-$5.75 or so. I might could check again on my way home today. Any specifics?

[marinade]

When I was there on Saturday, the individual pastries were running $4-$5.75 or so. I might could check again on my way home today. Any specifics?

[When I was there on Saturday, the individual pastries were running $4-$5.75 or so. I might could check again on my way home today. Any specifics? ]

That's pretty much the same pricing in the Cherry Hill store. The same individual small pastries roll out at $7.00 at Food Source in Bryn Mawr. The quality is well worth the trip to Jersy and CC. Seems we're paying for access in the 'burbs.

[R Washburn]

I went to Yanni (? sp too) a couple of times for morning coffee and croissant. Then I thought I recognized the croissants and asked. They don't bake them themselves. That was a disappointment.

My understanding was that they don't make anything on the premises, but have a bakery in NJ. While that is a problem with croissants, it shouldn't matter with the cakes and tarts.

[cdh]

As to Dean & Deluca, it sounds like they've tried all over town. There used to be a D&D coffee shop with a bit of prepared food in the Art Alliance building where Opus 251 is now... This was way back in 1995 or thereabouts...

As to greenmarkets, yeah, a stellar purveyor of fresh veg would be welcome in town... but we've already got one... Iovine Bros at the Reading Terminal are pretty damn good for quality and variety. Not Balducci-type photogenic, but pretty damn good veg nonetheless.

As to Miel-- must go and see what all this talk is about.

[marinade]

D&D had a run of a satellite coffee shops that were similar to their coffee counter at the main store in SoHo. They dropped a few here, some in Washington, and a number of them in Manhattan. Seems that they were trying to capitlize on their image as a culinary tabernacle, the holiest of holies but it was still just coffee. This may be another thread in itself. but Miel is a true "bar raiser", that is raises the quality level. Can anyone add to this list?

[Andrew Fenton]

When I was there on Saturday, the individual pastries were running $4-$5.75 or so.  I might could check again on my way home today.  Any specifics?

That's pretty much the same pricing in the Cherry Hill store. The same individual small pastries roll out at $7.00 at Food Source in Bryn Mawr. The quality is well worth the trip to Jersy and CC. Seems we're paying for access in the 'burbs.

I went by this afternoon and noted that they also have a good selection of smaller, cheaper pastries; e.g. cheese danishes for $1. A lousy buck! At that price, you can't afford not to buy them.

[Lisa1349]

As to greenmarkets, yeah, a stellar purveyor of fresh veg would be welcome in town... but we've already got one... Iovine Bros at the Reading Terminal are pretty damn good for quality and variety.  Not Balducci-type photogenic, but pretty damn good veg nonetheless.

Anyone been to Sue's produce on 18th bet Chestnut and Sansom? They're moving across the street in a few weeks to a larger location, right next to Yann's patisserie. It's a tiny hole in the wall now but prices are great and everythings super fresh. They also open at 6am!

The owner of Miel came by and dropped off a box of macaroons, they were divine. The passion fruit was devoured.

[katbert]

Made it to Miel on Sat and tried the pain au chocolat, a regular croissant, a big flaky apple turnover, an apple danish and a cranberry nut muffin; $8. The pain au chocolat was pretty good after being reheated in a toaster oven and seemed to have more than the usual pair of chocolate tubes running through it. Lots of buttery flaky goodness. The pastry pastries looked pretty, as did the full sized cakes and logs. One complaint-- the signs for distinguishing bread types need to be bigger if they're 6 feet away from customers trying to read them from the other side of the counter.

kt