Esquire's 20 Best New Restaurants

[Rich Pawlak]

Hard to believe that John Mariani in Esquire couldn't find one new restaurant in Philly to write about for his annual roundup of the nation's best new dining spots, but he didn't. Barclay Prime? Majolica? Marigold Kitchen?

He did however include two sidebars in his roundup, listing his thoughts on "dining trends" (tilapia, burrata mozzarella, New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs, smoked sea salt, small-batch bourbon, pizzette, frogs'legs, gnudi, Hungarian Tokaji Aszu dessert wine and fish tacos), and, snarkily, his thoughts on "Let's Call A Thousand Year Ban On..." (one more steak house, microgreens, 4-hour meals, Gruner Veltliner--sorry, Katie--, Texas-raised Kobe beef, tofu menus, stemless wine glasses, Tony Bourdain, unisex restrooms, and waiters who tell you how to eat a dish).

His roundup is noticably slim, and still includes a bunch of NYC places, which to me is unbalanced and unfair.

[JohnL]

I wouldn't take this list (or any other list like it) too seriously.

One could not possibly be all inclusive in attempting such a task as identifying the top ten anything in America.

The idea is to help sell magazines and inspire debate.

(given the size of the discussion here re" Mariani and ethics etc the piece has certainly accomplished that).

I do believe Philadelphia has been represented in past lists. If I recall Stripped bass was (when it opened) touted as THE best new restaurant in America.

ps

I live in Manhattan (I spent summers in Philly with relatives long ago) and I admire the level and diversity of dining experiences in Philadelphia. I often liken it to Boston in comparison with NY as having more "manageable" dining scene.

(one can easily be overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of choices here in NYC).

[KatieLoeb]

I'm surprised only because Mr. Mariani has always been a vocal champion of the Philly restaurant scene, and the chefs and restaurants here. He crowed about Strped Bass, Pasion, and Vetri to anyone who would sit still long enough to listen. It is a bit shocking that he couldn't find a single place to mention.

Maybe the places that Rich mentioned aren't "hip" enough or are just too silly and overpriced for consideration.

Amada obviously opened too late for consideration, but it strikes me as a place that seems to be to his taste.

As for his ban on Gruner Veltliner, he's obviously not a wine lover or he'd know better.

[Holly Moore]

Per this thread perhaps the pockets of the Convention and Visitor's Burea weren't sufficiently deep to wine and dine Mr. Mariani this year.

[KatieLoeb]

Per this thread perhaps the pockets of the Convention and Visitor's Burea weren't sufficiently deep to wine and dine Mr. Mariani this year. 

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Yeah - OK maybe, but does that mean the Convention and Visitor's Bureaus of Bristol, Rhode Island or Darrow, Louisiana have deeper pockets with which to bribe him? And what about not reviewing places in "minor cities"?

If these alleged demands were made and met then I've just lost a lot of respect for Mr. Mariani and the fools that indulged the requests. His writings just became paid promotional announcements. Bought and paid for. Heck - I could that job!

Where do I apply for that great gig?

[Rich Pawlak]

I have dined out with Mariani many times over the last 15 years, more so when we were both quite active on Prodigy, and he would ask me to arrange restaurant visits with a group of people, so he could sample as many dishes as possible. Sometimes we would visit 2-4 restaurants a day. None of the restaurants knew he was in our party, unless he decided to introduce himself to the chef (or if the chef knew him already)and he always paid for the meals. Always. He abhored comps and generally refused them, except when he could score a comped hotel room during his stay. I seriously doubt that the PCVB or the GPTMC were ever made aware of his visits.

[Rich Pawlak]

I'm surprised only because Mr. Mariani has always been a vocal champion of the Philly restaurant scene, and the chefs and restaurants here.  He crowed about Strped Bass, Pasion, and Vetri to anyone who would sit still long enough to listen.  It is a bit shocking that he couldn't find a single place to mention.

Maybe the places that Rich mentioned aren't "hip" enough or are just too silly and overpriced for consideration.

Amada obviously opened too late for consideration, but it strikes me as a place that seems to be to his taste.

As for his ban on Gruner Veltliner, he's obviously not a wine lover or he'd know better. 

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He fancies himself quite the wine aficionado, actually.