Looking For Upscale Rest. In Philly

[ewindels]

For my aunt's birthday on Saturday, June 5, I'd like to take her out someplace upscale and high end for an early dinner. Any recommendations, please? Not Le Bec-Fin, a little too stodgy and old world, though if you tell me the food is amazing I'll consider it. Any word on Lacroix? She is herself not a foodie and in her early 70's, so it needs to be not too loud or "sceney". I'm sort of looking for the Philly version of New York's Jean Georges, or possibly Ducasse. Any recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated.

[KatieLoeb]

For my aunt's birthday on Saturday, June 5, I'd like to take her out someplace upscale and high end for an early dinner.  Any recommendations, please?  Not Le Bec-Fin, a little too stodgy and old world, though if you tell me the food is amazing I'll consider it.  Any word on Lacroix?  She is herself not a foodie and in her early 70's, so it needs to be not too loud or "sceney".  I'm sort of looking for the Philly version of New York's Jean Georges, or possibly Ducasse.  Any recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated.

Hello and welcome ewindels!

M suggestions would be either Lacroix or the Four Seasons for fine hotel dining, or my personal fave of the upper crust possibilities - Deux Cheminees. Old World like Le Bec, yet not as stuffy, impeccable service and a glorious antique filled townhouse in which to enjoy your dinner. Chef Fritz Blank sets a very high standard for food, service and ambiance. I believe the Prix Fixe is $80/person and well worth it. Really a perfectly elegant restaurant that is often overlooked (and I really can't explain why) but most certainly in the same league as Le Bec Fin.

As an aside, Chef Blank is a reknowned food historian and has one of the largest cookbook libraries in the world (about 15,000 books last I read) which if you ask nicely you might get the privilege of a tour following your dinner. It is housed in the apartment that Chef keeps above the restaurant and is truly a remarkable collection. Chef Blank also owns a kitchen table that was custom built for him by a carpenter friend and is made of the sides of wooden wine cases, with the winery names and logos emblazoned upon the patchwork of wooden pieces that are put together like a beautiful quilt. I covet that table.

I hope this is helpful. Feel free to write back if you have any other questions. A brief Google search on any of these suggestions should provide you with enough information to make a choice that you think would be most suitable to your occasion and dining companion.

[mrbigjas]

M suggestions would be either Lacroix or the Four Seasons for fine hotel dining, or my personal fave of the upper crust possibilities - Deux Cheminees. Old World like Le Bec, yet not as stuffy, impeccable service and a glorious antique filled townhouse in which to enjoy your dinner.

You know, I haven't been to Deux Cheminees for years--probably 5 years. In fact, I was walking by it the other day and thought about starting a "Where HAVEN'T you been lately?" thread, to talk about places that still exist but that you haven't thought about recently and were wondering about. We had a great dinner there years ago for my birthday; I remember talking to the maitre d' that night, and he was talking about how they often were hesitant to serve the kidneys that were on the menu en cloche, because of the smell when you picked up the lid.

I don't know why that conversation stuck in my head, but it always has.

ewindels, Lacroix is very nice, as well. I've got nothing but good things to say about it.

(except that their wine markup is pretty high--nearly 4x the state store price. a $10.99 gewurtztraminer that I was drinking at the time I went there was on their list for $40--d'oh!).

[ewindels]

Many thanks to both Katie and mrbigjas for your comments, I have booked BOTH for Saturday and we'll see what she's in the mood for. I'm very grateful.

[Holly Moore]

Many thanks to both Katie and mrbigjas for your comments, I have booked BOTH for Saturday and we'll see what she's in the mood for. I'm very grateful.

HUGE restaurant reservation no no.

[herbacidal]

Many thanks to both Katie and mrbigjas for your comments, I have booked BOTH for Saturday and we'll see what she's in the mood for.  I'm very grateful.

HUGE restaurant reservation no no.

I must concur.

Reservations at one or the other should be canceled by end of day Friday at latest.

Actually, I would take great pains to cancel them by end of day Thursday.

[KatieLoeb]

ewindels:

I hope you enjoy your dinner wherever it is you end up. But as the others have mentioned, do cancel the reservation you won't be using as far in advance as possible. Both places are a tough rezzie on a Saturday and there might be someone else wanting to take their Auntie or wife or whomever out for a special night and the restaurant could think they're booked up when in fact, you aren't coming. Perhaps an advance call to your aunt might be in order.

Have fun in Philly!

[Derek Lee]

I remember eating at Deux Cheminees about four years ago for our fourth anniversary. I was prepared for a stuffy atmosphere, but once we had settled in at our table, the service was quite un-stuffy and relaxing.

One memorable moment about that meal was that our waiter had asked us if we were there for a special occasion, and we had told him that it was our fourth anniversary. We proceeded through the meal, and when we ordered dessert, it came out in a large bowl with 'Happy 4th Anniversary' written in chocolate along the rim.

Afterwards, the waiter was kind enough to give us a tour of the kitchen and of the chef's library of cookbooks. Every now and then, I consider boxing up a stack of my old cookbooks and shipping them to him to add to his collection.

Derek

http://www.threateningletters.com

(When a kind word just isn't enough)

[ewindels]

Thanks for all the recos, guys -- we did Lacroix, which was lovely, especially as the front desk very kindly and generously held our 6PM reservation till after the Belmont was over (my aunt is an avid horsewoman and would not hear of missing it). The food was not bad, and I very much like their Kellnerian idea of small portions of lots of things, although we only did the three plate menu (I could have happily done the five). Had a glass of an excellent sparkling to start, Marquis de Perlade blanc de blanc, this is one worth finding. I started with the potato and sorrel soup with chicken ravioli -- the soup oddly tasted like neither potatoes nor sorrel, but rather like a rich turkey gravy, which was fine if unexpected. The chicken ravioli were, not surprisingly, flavorless. My aunt started with a roasted tomato salad (I think) with which she was very happy. We moved on to beautiful veal sweetbreads for me, and rilletes of pork for her that had been soaked in milk and cooked till they were incredibly soft, like pudding. She then had the braised lamb shank (very nice if not as strongly flavored as I expected), and I had the suckling pig, which was delicious if skimpy (but again, this being my first time, I wasn't aware how small the portions were and if I went back would go for one of the larger offerings). She had the excellent coffee ice cream for dessert, and I had the four chocolate tasting -- perfectly fine, if kind of routine. The restaurant very sweetly gave her a fondant-wrapped petit four with a candle in it and the chef sent out a hand-written card, so we were both very pleased and I highly recommend the place.