Restaurant Week

[sara]

It's happening again, this time with a much longer list of restaurants...

http://www.centercityphila.org/restaurantw...04/default.aspx

I already booked El Vez for the 30th..may go for Angelina as well

[ktbear7476]

Ohhh! Thanks for the heads up!

Right now I'm thinking of checking out Matyson....but maybe Angelina also!!!!

[katbert]

All the menus for restaurant week are now online.

kt

[herbacidal]

Just made a res for Tuesday @ 8 @ Alma de Cuba.

[herbacidal]

Stopped by Alma last night.

I had:

Alma Colada: Bacardi Silver, Myers Dark, passion fruit juice, coconut milk, shaved coconut

I enjoyed this twist on an old school favorite.

It wasn't as cloyingly sweet as the pina coladas I remember,

but I would have preferred if there was less shaved coconut.

A little more than the standard garnish would have been ideal for my tastes.

Initially, it seemed like half the coconut shaped glass it came in was filled with the shaved coconut.

cassava flatbread with blackbean puree

This was a nice warmup to what was to follow. The puree and flatbread were great contrasts and stomach liners for the food yet to be digested.

Paella Ceviche: calamari, shrimp, scallops in a saffron lobster sauce

This mix of Iberia and Latino was quite tasty.

The saffron was subtle as always, while the lack of raw citrus juice made

the overall effect much more rounded.

The peas were a nice addition for color, but what overshadowed everything else was the dish.

Served in a container approximately 1/2 inch deep, 1 inch wide, and 15 inches long, attempting to transport food from plate to mouth was a trying task indeed.

The spoon I was given wouldn't even fit in the container deep or wide enough to

grab enough to make the trip up worthwhile.

Vaca Frita: twice-cooked skirt steak served over black beans, white rice, and tomato escabeche and onions

This tasted superb. The flavor combinations were right on, with skirt steak as soft as brisket and onions retaining much of their natural sweetness. Almost better than the taste was the presentation: great color contrast and linear placement of the different parts of the dish.

Port Wine Flan with honey goat cheese ice cream

When I first gazed upon this, I thought of polenta. It didn't have the grainy texture of cornmeal, and it was a much brighter shade of yellow. I imagine it was nothing more than a similar shape to polentas of a past life.

Great flavor, especially the flan. Not overly sweet, with a slight kick in the aftertaste, resulting from the port wine, no doubt.

Service was professional and knowledgeable on all fronts, from waitress to hostess to everyone in between.

As my first time in the space, I can understand past diners' fondness for Alma de Cuba and its predecessor, Le Colonial.

It is very well laid out, with a lounge and bar area on the ground floor and a mezzanine level with 20 foot ceilings up one flight of stairs, I dined on the next level up, a smaller more intimate dining arena.

[Lisa1349]

The peas were a nice addition for color, but what overshadowed everything else was the dish.

Served in a container approximately 1/2 inch deep, 1 inch wide, and 15 inches long, attempting to transport food from plate to mouth was a trying task indeed.

The spoon I was given wouldn't even fit in the container deep or wide enough to

grab enough to make the trip up worthwhile.

Was this one of those new, long, olive dishes meant for an hors d'eouvre spread? Strange.

[sara]

I visited Matyson last night w/ 3 friends. We had some spotty service (long wait for a table that ended up being near the door, several servers dropped dishes loudly during the meal, etc), but enjoyed really wonderful food--so good that I made another reservation for next week before leaving!

We had the following dishes:

Tuna Tartare (nice, but not spectacular flavors)

Grilled Quail (very good, creamy risotto underneath)

Spinach Salad (very nice creamy goat cheese in this)

Duck breast and confit (two people had this, it was very moist, nicely flavored, tho the dish itself could use some more color)

Braised Short Ribs--fantastic dish, falling off the bone, wonderful polenta and baby carrots

NY Strip Steak--perfectly cooked to order, good mashed potatoes

Lemon Souffle Tart

Ricotta Fritters w/ Blood Oranges--these were the dessert standout, excellent

Truffle Tart

Creme Caramel--runner up for best dessert, nicely creamy

All portions were quite substantial, 2 of us took doggie bags home. We enjoyed a 2001 Catena Malbec, and a Spanish Temperanillo with the meal.

In total, with the Restaurant Week prices applied, the bill was $128 before tip. Very good deal for 4 people.

I liked the room a lot--nicely mirrored, a little noisy, but we didn't feel crunched in as at other small restaurants in the city. This is definitely the next 'big' restaurant in Philly--and it deserves the accolades. Make your reservations now tho--they have plenty of open tables for next Friday and Saturday nights...

[live2eat]

I'm a bit surprised there haven't been more postings about restaurant week....

I had the opportunity to dine at The Prime Rib earlier this week. The RW menu is as follows:

Starters: two salads (house/caesar) and tomato soup

Entree: prime rib, filet mignon, salmon, or chicken

Dessert: key lime pie, cheesecake, or creme brulee for dessert.

Quite a deal considering the prime rib/filet itself is at least $30 on a normal night. I opted for a medium-rare prime rib and what arrived on my plate was a beautiful 16oz slab of well-marbled beef, still pink and dripping with juice. It was very VERY good. Our steaks were accompanied by string beans and mashed potatoes. Nothing on the cutting edge of the culinary arts, but there's something to be said about a simple well cooked steak.

The salad was nothing to write home about and the desserts were good but not specatular. But if you're a steak lover, you may still be able to get at table tonight (Friday's prolly out). I saw more than a couple open tables when we were there earlier this week.

[SG-]

I'm a bit surprised there haven't been more postings about restaurant week....

I had the opportunity to dine at The Prime Rib earlier this week. The RW menu is as follows:

Went for a business dinner a few weeks ago, ordered a medium strip steak came out well done...

Edited January 30, 2004 by SG- (log)

[sara]

Going to El Vez for RW tonite--anyone been and having ordering suggestions? Is that guacamole worth the extra charge?