Matyson (LaBan, etc.)

[Greg Ling]

one thing georges has going for him thathis payroll is noit even close to starrs..

that adds up yo

[wkl]

In the back of my mind I remember seeing a brochure that described a new venture by Perrier in a big new fancy building, but I can't remeber which one.This was three or four months ago.

[Diann]

I hear he is opening a new place in center city in the comcast building ?

Any truth to that ?

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It's true -- Liberty (the developer) sent out a press release about that a while back: Perrier and Scarduzio opening restaurant at the Comcast Center.

[arice]

wasn't this post supposed to be about Matyson?!?

in any case, i have a restaurant week res there on wednesday and am really looking forward to it! will report back...

-- arice

[Vadouvan]

Yes but the Matyson Issue was resolved and the conversation just evolved.

The Thread was actually about KRETCH trying to decide what restaurant to go to....It went slightly off topic after resolution.

[Diann]

Well, arice, getting "back on topic" a little -- I think Matyson is consistently one of the best RW experiences around. You can choose any appetizer, any entree and any dessert, and two of my best RW dinners have been there. It helps that I've always loved their food -- comforting, slightly creative, and it's priced right.

Can't wait for your report! I hope it's good.

[philadining]

Matyson often offers a themed multi-course fixed-price menu monday-thurs, but I'm embarrassed to say I hadn't taken advantage of them before this. But something about this week's offering "Old School Classics" caught our attention:

But first - Matyson was participating in the Foie for Five promotion, so we couldn't really pass that up:

Foie Gras, Onion Marmalade, Cranberry Vinaigrette

This was a ridiculously generous portion of foie, perfectly seared, set-off beautifully by the sweet onions and tart cranberries. A toast and some sprouts cut the richness. Fabulous. (Did you get the part about it costing $5?)

-

OK, on to the old-school menu:

Lobster Consommé

Deep, rich flavors, in a perfectly clear, light consommé, with a tender nugget of lobster floating within. Old-school technique, perfectly contemporary feel. I really wish we saw more soups like this.

Tuna Nicoise

Olives, egg, and tomato vinaigrette

Nicely-seared tuna, crisp veggies, a little salt from the olives and the potato crisp, a little acid from the dressing, made for a well-balanced and delicious course.

Duck Confit a l'Orange

Butternut squash

This might not look like much, but the duck was so tender it was barely clinging to the bone, in classic confit style. The orange sauce was surprisingly light and delicate. Excellent.

Tornados Racini

Pan seared filet mignon, crispy potato, foie gras & truffles

Yet another huge slab of foie, almost obscuring the pillowy-tender filet mignon underneath. A crispy rosti-style potato was an ideal accompaniment, soaking up the winey sauce. Oh yeah, toss in some shaved truffles too, why not? This is so old school, it was considered passé decades ago, but I think it's time for a resurrection! The beef was surprisingly tasty on its own, but combining it with these other ingredients makes it clear why this was a classic dish. The sauce was lighter and cleaner than some of those stodgy old-fashioned roux bombs that often plagued this school of French cooking.

we added-on an order of french fries, because, as I now firmly believe, that is one thing you should ALWAYS get here. Because they rock.

Carrot Cake

It's not often that one can say a carrot cake is light, but this one was, and yet vibrantly flavorful. A great rendition of this classic, maybe better than the Frog/Commisary recipe. (Oops, does saying that get me thrown out of town?)

We couldn't resist sampling yet another dessert, because, you know, chocolate.

I forget the exact name for this, but it's a super-intense brownie and bitter chocolate semifreddo. I loved it.

This special menu, which included everything except the initial foie course, the fries and the chocolate dessert was offered for the crazy-cheap price of $45 (before tax and tip.) This was one of the most delicious and satisfying meals I've had in a long time regardless of the price, but factor that in and it's undoubtedly the best value I've seen in years.

Here's the bad news for you folks: this particular menu is only offered for one more day. It could reappear someday, but who knows when, if ever. So if you have the opportunity, and if they have a table (they were pretty full) go on thursday 10.04.07, and get this. Heck, toss-in a plate of foie for $5.

Big thanks to Dave for noticing this menu and getting the ball rolling. I'm really glad we went!

Edited October 4, 2007 by philadining (log)

[KatieLoeb]

That. Looks. Awesome!

Wow - what a bargain. I often forget what a great value Matyson is because I don't get there nearly as often as I should. I really need to make more of an effort. Food is always fresh, creative, well prepared and generously portioned.

Note to self: Get thee to Matyson next time you're going out.

PS - Foie looks delicious and worth a trip all by itself.

[mattohara]

damn that looks great. wish i could go tonight. everybody knows about their mailing list right? i forget how i got on it but i see it's not through the website. either call or stop by. they send out an email every time there's a new tasting menu.

[Capaneus]

Duplicate. Sorry.

Edited October 23, 2007 by Capaneus (log)

[Capaneus]

Today's Foobooz mentions that Michael Klein's Food & Drinq blog reports Matt and Sonya are leaving Philadelphia. The restaurant's been sold to a relative, and another will be taking over, along with the current sous-chef.

Hopefully nothing to worry about. Can't help but be a little nervous about this: after too long away, I've recently had two outstanding meals at Matyson. The weekly Tasting Menu e-mail is something I look forward to every Monday.

[mattohara]

Did you have the Fall-theme tasting menu? I just had that and it was superb. There was a sardine with beats, a cod dish that was wonderful (i think it had spinach and bacon), a foie stuffed quail (all of these first three paired with a Spatlese) and then a lamb dish that was very stew-like but more delicate and tender than any stew I've ever had (Chateauneuf de Pape).

[jm chen]

That's it, I've dillydallied long enough, I'm going tonight. I'll report back on the Perfectly Porky tasting menu tomorrow.

[philadining]

In Craig LaBan's chat on Philly.com he said that Matt and Sonja are gone already. That said, it's all the same kitchen crew otherwise, so I expect the food will be pretty much the same. And the porky menu looks awesome...

[lancastermike]

We will be in town Dec 8 staying at the Westin. Matyson is my first choice for dinner. Are things still going well without Matt and Sonya? Any recent updates?

Or any other recommendations in the area, I know it is lousy with restaurants. Looking for someplace to eat well and be treated nicely

Edited November 25, 2007 by lancastermike (log)

[Capaneus]

We will be in town Dec 8 staying at the Westin.  Matyson is my first choice for dinner. Are things still going well without Matt and Sonya?  Any recent updates?

Or any other recommendations in the area, I know it is lousy with restaurants. Looking for someplace to eat well and be treated nicely

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I've been twice since their departure, and I would say the level has been kept up remarkably well. I was only disappointed in one of the desserts, and that cannot be related to Matt and Sonja's departure, since, as I understand it, the current pastry chef has been at the ovens for quite a while now.

Oh, and they'll do a side order of the spaetzle. Why had this never occurred to me?

[philadining]

Yet more evidence that Matyson is doing just fine without Mat y Son.

If you're one to order the duck on a menu, you owe it to yourself to get there pronto, they're doing a duck-themed tasting menu this week.

Rilletes with a Trio of Garnishes

Apricot marmalade, crumbled blue cheese, & cornichons

OK, I have to admit that I didn't love this dish - it was OK - but the texture of the duck was too mushy, and the flavors were a bit muted. This however was the only course that was less than excellent.

Foie Gras Ravioli & Truffles

Black trumpet mushrooms, parmesan foam

This was awesome. The ravioli was gently pan-fried to give it some texture, but it wasn't quite crispy, the filling luxurious chunks of foie, earthy truffles underneath, the foam layering-on a light twist of flavor.

Cassoulet

Crispy duck confit, andouille sausage

Absolutely perfect confit, a boldly spicy sausage and luxurious beans added up to a delicious dish. The elements were a little too pretty to have been all cooked together, which usually means the dish as a whole would be missing unified flavors, but somehow this version pulled it off. It was so delicious, we considered begging the kitchen for another plate of it. But that would have been excessive. Crazy. We'd never do that.

Duck L'Orange

Potato puree, haricot vert, almonds

Almost an anticlimax after the cassoulet, except that it was perfect: a light, subtle citrus tang to an elegant reduction, not some goopy, sticky sauce, and beautifully tender slices of breast, with just the right hint of fat beneath the crisp skin. Potatoes were good too...

Chocolate Toffee Cake

Vanilla ice cream

Straight-up, dense, fudgy chocolate cake, no big thrill, except that we found ourselves licking the plates... Inexplicably compelling.

Overall a really satisfying meal, especially the cassoulet and the foie ravioli. Highly recommended.

This menu is just up for a couple more days, although if we're lucky, maybe it will roll around again...

www.matyson.com/tasting.html

Edited January 9, 2008 by philadining (log)

[lfabio2007]

...and of course the last night is today. Looks very interesting, I wish I'd found out say three hours ago.

[dagordon]

I've been meaning to post to this thread for a while... I just want to confirm that the Matyson tasting menus are an absolute steal for the quality and amount of food involved. In fact, last time we were there I tried to convince the manager to raise the price.

I feel like Matyson has replaced Pif as our weeknight go-to place, especially when we have a bottle of wine we want to drink. The food is consistently excellent.

FWIW, I think that the food at Matyson now is better than it was at the height of the Matyson hype. We always felt that the appetizers were solid but that subsequent courses didn't measure up. This is no longer the case at all.

[Mano]

I've been meaning to post to this thread for a while... I just want to confirm that the Matyson tasting menus are an absolute steal for the quality and amount of food involved. In fact, last time we were there I tried to convince the manager to raise the price.

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I remember you! You were the kid in elementary school who would remind the teacher that she hadn't assigned any homework!

[mrbigjas]

FWIW, I think that the food at Matyson now is better than it was at the height of the Matyson hype. We always felt that the appetizers were solid but that subsequent courses didn't measure up. This is no longer the case at all.

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for a while i thought the food was all consistently good but the desserts kicked so much ass that i had to order them even though i don't usually bother with dessert.

good to hear/see that other stuff has come up to that level as well. man i wish i coulda made it on tuesday.

[dagordon]

I've been meaning to post to this thread for a while... I just want to confirm that the Matyson tasting menus are an absolute steal for the quality and amount of food involved. In fact, last time we were there I tried to convince the manager to raise the price.

←

I remember you! You were the kid in elementary school who would remind the teacher that she hadn't assigned any homework!

←

Ha I just want to make sure that this place sticks around

[jm chen]

You might not have time and they might not have space, but if you can swing it, tonight is the last night for this week's outrageously good "Finger Food" tasting menu at Matyson.

Flatbread with pears and blue cheese... a Vietnamese beef wrap... lobster mango skewers... truffled potato skins with braised duck and foie... and a little trio of miniature desserts, each more amazing than the next.

One of the best meals I've had in Philly. I don't know how they get their citrus sauces so citrusy, but it's like lemon-times-83. Incredible.

Can you actually eat all these dishes with your fingers? No. Will you lick your plate? You'll be tempted.

For $45!

[rlibkind]

This week's $45 tasting men: Kennett Square mushroooms! Fungi Delecti!

No single course was dominanated by mushrooms; instead, they were welcome accents to the main events. I certainly wouldn't object to one mushroom-overload dish, but the restraint used by the kitchen was admirable, yet still conveying all the woodsy goodness of the glorious fruiting bodies. Each course, however, surpassed the previous plate.

First was a thin mushroom-foie gras dumpling in a thin, gingery broth. Great starter and stimulant.

Second: duck terrine with pickled mushrooms (looked like some sort of bolete) and a coarse grained mustard.

Third: scallop cooked with a dusting of porcini powdered served over porcini risotto with sea urchin nage. Incredible!

I didn't think that could be topped, but it was. Two rib lamb chops cut from the crown with just a little of the fat still attached (I like it that way!) crusted with mushroom and -- hold onto your hat folks -- bacon ! ! ! ! ! Perhaps the dish was a tad salty, but it was totally over the top in intensity of flavor with meltingly tender lamb.

Dessert was a mushroom-less perfectly poached pear in red wine filled with mascarpone and served amid some crème Anglaise adorned with sugared marcona almonds.

My dining companions stuck to menu items -- steak frites and branzino -- and thoroughly enjoyed their meals. I brought along Ste. Michelle blanc de blanc and, to go with the red meats, a neighbor's homemade zin, which he has developed into a fine wine in his 15+ years of wine-making.

Get over there tonight or Thursday to enjoy this mushroom extravaganza.

[mrbigjas]

i went over to matyson for this last night, and while everything was good, i was expecting more mushroominess. where you say 'welcome accents', bob, i say gimme more fungitude.

for instance the scallop. the scallop itself was delicious, but if that was porcini powder on it, i couldn't taste it (the risotto was great).

i mean, i don't want to take away from the quality of any of the dishes. they were all delicious and executed to my liking (although some in our party thought the scallop and risotto were both undercooked, and the greens that came with my terrine were almost inedibly salty).

i'm just saying, when you say mushroom, i want mushroom.

anyway, i love matyson. it makes me happy to eat there, every time i go.