Snack Bar!

[docsconz]

Fabulous photos as always, Philadining. The meal looks outstanding. One element that caught my eye was the "Hebrew genesis Ale, Schmaltz Brewing Co., Saratoga Springs, N.Y." That comes right from my backyard, yet I have never heard of it. Can anyone tell me more about it? Was it good? What was it like? Thanks.

[BrentKulman]

Fabulous photos as always, Philadining. The meal looks outstanding. One element that caught my eye was the "Hebrew genesis Ale, Schmaltz Brewing Co., Saratoga Springs, N.Y." That comes right from my backyard, yet I have never heard of it. Can anyone tell me more about it? Was it good? What was it like? Thanks.

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Hebrew Genesis is an American Pale Ale. It's reasonably well balanced between the caramel malt and piney hop elements but is nothing special. There are better APAs out there and there are much better beers from this particular brewery, in my view.

[docsconz]

Fabulous photos as always, Philadining. The meal looks outstanding. One element that caught my eye was the "Hebrew genesis Ale, Schmaltz Brewing Co., Saratoga Springs, N.Y." That comes right from my backyard, yet I have never heard of it. Can anyone tell me more about it? Was it good? What was it like? Thanks.

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Hebrew Genesis is an American Pale Ale. It's reasonably well balanced between the caramel malt and piney hop elements but is nothing special. There are better APAs out there and there are much better beers from this particular brewery, in my view.

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Thanks, Brent. Are the brews from this company readily available? I'm just surprised that I have been unaware of it before now. It does not appear to have a large local presence, but then I'm not generally scouring local beer lists.

Edited January 9, 2008 by docsconz (log)

[NaFairge]

alwang....

fennel puree:

wash and slice the fennel. sweat it out in unsalted butter until super tender. add a small amount of toasted fennel seed and deglaze with pernod. splash with water or stock and reduce. puree very smooth and strain through a chinois.

you could also add fresh tarragon leaves with the stock and THEN puree. thats how we would normally rock it out. but for the flavors in this dish we omitted them.

j

[BrentKulman]

Thanks, Brent. Are the brews from this company readily available? I'm just surprised that I have been unaware of it before now. It does not appear to have a large local presence, but then I'm not generally scouring local beer lists.

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I see them all the time here in North Carolina and they are readily available in Philadelphia, too. The Genesis and Messiah bold are their standard offerings and are available in 12 oz bottles. More interesting are the brews they bottle in 22 oz. bombers, particularly their recent special release, Jewbelation 11.

Although they are brewed in upstate NY, the are brewed under contract and the company that markets the brand is based in San Francisco. I think of them as a west coast beer, as a result. Perhaps that is why you are not seeing them locally.

[David McDuff]

I thought this was a really successful meal, everything was quite tasty, and most importantly, painting with a different palate of flavors than we usually encounter.  This bodes well if this is the kind of thing chef Solomonov is planning on doing at Zahav.

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I'm sorry I missed last night's dinner at SnackBar; however, I had a similar reaction to a meal at Marigold Kitchen -- one of the last to be served under Solomonov's direction -- about a week ago.

[docsconz]

Thanks, Brent. Are the brews from this company readily available? I'm just surprised that I have been unaware of it before now. It does not appear to have a large local presence, but then I'm not generally scouring local beer lists.

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I see them all the time here in North Carolina and they are readily available in Philadelphia, too. The Genesis and Messiah bold are their standard offerings and are available in 12 oz bottles. More interesting are the brews they bottle in 22 oz. bombers, particularly their recent special release, Jewbelation 11.

Although they are brewed in upstate NY, the are brewed under contract and the company that markets the brand is based in San Francisco. I think of them as a west coast beer, as a result. Perhaps that is why you are not seeing them locally.

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Thanks, Brent. That makes sense.

[NaFairge]

for the 4 february 2008:

marc vetri.

8 courses. $150 (menu, wine pairings, tax, tip).

menu:

1. crispy rice ball. frothy parmesan emulsion.

2. porchetta. charred treviso. arugula. celery in forms.

3. squid ink spaghettini. calamari. hot tomato jelly.

4. braised eel. chanterelle ragu. winter greens.

5. pomelo campari sorbetto

6. veal cheeks/sweetbreads. bone marrow gremolata. saffron artichokes.

7. 'castagnaccio'. chestnut cake. ricotta foam. honeycomb.

8. chocolate-olive oil macaroons. orange cynar marshmallows.

wines:

1. franciacorta

2. vermentino

3. blanche bier

4. burgundy

5. barbera

6. vin santo

jeff benjamin, partner and sommelier at vetri, will be on hand as well. there will only be one seating, so space is limited! you will have your table for the entire night so it promises to be an amazing evening. many thanks to marc for his generosity.

email jam@phillysnackbar.com for reservations.

jmac

Edited January 24, 2008 by NaFairge (log)

[arazi]

any seating left?

$150 for everything?

[philadining]

snackbar. february 4 2008.

guest chef: marc vetri

crispy rice ball. frothy parmesan emulsion.

porchetta. charred treviso. arugula. celery in forms.

squid ink spaghettini. calamari. hot tomato jelly.

braised eel. chanterelle ragu. winter greens.

pomelo campari sorbetto

veal cheeks/sweetbreads. bone marrow gremolata. saffron artichokes.

'castagnaccio'. chestnut cake. ricotta foam. honeycomb.

chocolate-olive oil macaroons. orange cynar marshmallows.

[percyn]

Blistering Barnacles I could not make it !!@@!

Nice pics Philadining, did you use a lightbox?

[philadining]

Thanks Percy, but no, I haven't gotten quite obsessive enough to carry around my own lighting. Well, not everywhere...

A while ago I was coincidentally seated next to a little alcove near the bar, and I noticed that it had a shelf and some back-lit glass, that while still a little dim, did act a bit like a light box, providing diffuse light from a pleasing angle. I'll admit, it's a little neurotic, but I've gotten in the habit of dragging my plates into that alcove and shooting them. The light in the dining room is just not all that good for photos, and it's just a lucky coincidence that there's a convenient alternative.

Jonathan Makar is used to me now, but I suspect Vetri and Benjamin think I'm a little weird.

I was hoping the pictures would spur someone else to post about the meal, I'm getting self-conscious about making every third post in this topic! The short version is that I thought the food was really delicious, and different enough from the usual Vetri style that this specific event was especially interesting. The snackbar-isms that crept in really worked well: the pepper jelly spheres in the pasta were surprising in a good way, the foam on the arancini was just right, the celery in the porchetta dish benefitted from some cold sous-vide vacuum treatment, at least I think that's what made it so intriguing.

I liked all the wines (and one beer) and for the most part the matches were very good. Big thanks to Jeff Benjamin for digging up some interesting selections. His descriptions of the wines with each course added a lot.

There's a little more play-by-play on my blog (although the photos are acting weird over there... )

Thanks yet again to both Jonathans at snackbar for making it happen, and to Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin for devoting the time to it, I'm sure they're pretty busy with other stuff!

[Buckethead]

I was hoping the pictures would spur someone else to post about the meal, I'm getting self-conscious about making every third post in this topic!

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Personally I was a little disappointed with the meal. Everything was decent, but nothing wowed me. I think for $150, something ought to. I did really like the arancini, and the wine served with it. I was particularly disappointed with the veal cheek dish, it sounded really good on the menu but mine was a bit underseasoned, and the sweetbreads were crusted with an unpleasantly soggy outside. From your pics, it looks like mine was also missing the gremolata. Everything else was just OK. Afterwards I wished that I had just gone to Osteria or Ansill (or Vetri, which I've never been to) and saved my pennies for another time.

I will say that the wine and beer pairings were excellent, especially the first one (with the arancini).

[jm chen]

I thought the ricotta foam plated with the chestnut cake dessert was just spectacular. Which is certainly not somewhere I expected to be impressed, but the salty sharp lightness of it made me blink with every bite. That chestnut cake was my favorite dish of the night. (Probably not a majority opinion; it was a very earthy and dense and unsweet. But that just made it better with the honeycomb.) Least favorite, the squid ink pasta, which was fine but not exciting.

Wine matches, as buckethead notes, were excellent. They made the price tag go down a lot easier for me.

And I found out I don't like sweetbreads. Luckily, there were volunteers nearby to relieve me of my portion. Generous souls.

[Capaneus]

I thought the ricotta foam plated with the chestnut cake dessert was just spectacular. Which is certainly not somewhere I expected to be impressed, but the salty sharp lightness of it made me blink with every bite. That chestnut cake was my favorite dish of the night. (Probably not a majority opinion; it was a very earthy and dense and unsweet. But that just made it better with the honeycomb.) Least favorite, the squid ink pasta, which was fine but not exciting.

Wine matches, as buckethead notes, were excellent. They made the price tag go down a lot easier for me.

And I found out I don't like sweetbreads. Luckily, there were volunteers nearby to relieve me of my portion. Generous souls.

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What they say about strokes and folks.

I thought the rosemary in the chestnut cake made for an unpleasant vegetal note, though the honeycomb went a long way to mollify me.

On the other hand, while I agree the veal cheek was underseasoned, I thought the sweetbreads were spectacular - the fried sage leaf was wonderful in that dish.

And the spaghettini were, I thought, wonderful, as was the arancini, and the sorbet...

All in all, I thought it was well worth the money. It's hard to compare "value" in these things, but surely the fairly focused attention of a celebrated chef, on an evening when he stepped well outside his comfort zone is of some value, if we value these things, and I think we all do.

And I would like to add my appreciation of Jeff Benjamin's thoughtful, delicious wine pairings. The Friulano and the negroamaro were the best exponents of their kind I've tasted, and have sent me on yet another exploratory buying binge.

[philadining]

It's always interesting, as Capaneus says, strokes and folks... not to mention that there's unavoidable small variation in the raw materials, in the exact timing of cooking and delivery, and most influential, one's expectations.

I actually understand what Buckethead wrote, to some degree I too was expecting fireworks on every plate, and I didn't quite get that. But I did enjoy all the food quite a lot. As for value, let's remember that it was $150 ALL-IN, for 7 courses including 7 glasses of wine, tax and tip. If you break it down, that's not especially expensive for serious food.

And the varying reactions are fascinating. I loved the "bad chestnut" (or as Vetri explained to us: "naughty chestnut") cake. It was unlike anything I've ever tasted. Jael, thanks for reminding me about the ricotta foam, it and the honey made the whole package pretty close to mind-blowing. Unless you hated it.

And I suspect the range of reviews on the sweetbreads reflects personal preference as much as any variation in execution. Personally, I got them exactly like I like them: a little crusty, but still this side of crispy. Others are disappointed if they don't crunch. My veal cheek was very well-seasoned.

And I'll agree with the wine-match plaudits. I'm with Capaneus: the Friulano and the Negroamaro were especially good. I liked the beer with the pasta, although I didn't find the two together to be especially transformative. The Pinot Noir was perfectly fine with the eel, and an interesting wine in and of itself, but the two together weren't a huge thrill. But I actually did find all the other pairings to be pretty exciting, and enjoyed the wines on their own merits.

As I said before, I quite liked the food itself, but add-in the wines and the informative commentary from Mr. Benjamin, and for me at least, the dinner was an excellent value.

[David McDuff]

Well, it looks like everyone has pretty well hashed things over already.... In any event, I've finally posted a write-up of the evening, with full wine notes and photos, at:

Marc Vetri at Snackbar

You'll find that the different strokes theme continues.

Many thanks to Philadining for allowing me to borrow several of his photos.

[Buckethead]

On the other hand, while I agree the veal cheek was underseasoned, I thought the sweetbreads were spectacular - the fried sage leaf was wonderful in that dish.

Er, OK, I didn't get a fried sage leaf either.

All in all, I thought it was well worth the money. It's hard to compare "value" in these things, but surely the fairly focused attention of a celebrated chef, on an evening when he stepped well outside his comfort zone is of some value, if we value these things, and I think we all do.

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I do as well, but if we're getting the 'fairly focused attention of a celebrated chef', shouldn't all the veal dishes come out with the fried sage leaf and the gremolata on them, and with the sweetbreads crispy on the outside (for example)? Those things make me wonder what else was different that I can't pick out from looking at everyone's pictures.

My only basis for comparison really is Shola's guest chef dinner at Snackbar a while back, which was better IMO. I missed Michael Solomonov's gig.

[NaFairge]

3 march 2008. tasting menu.

$120/pp includes wine, tax and gratuity.

menu:

1. mushroom yeast broth. licorice blackberries. beans & lemon.

2. flat tomato round. horseradish. celery vodka.

3. red snapper. mangetout puree. white asparagus. fermented cranberry.

4. teardrop baby chicken. butternut syrup. coffee & pears.

5. reblochon. white chocolate skin. date-tamarind.

6. chocolate creme brulee. banana consomme. peanut butter.

wines forthcoming.

please email ed@phillysnackbar.com or call 215.545.5655.

space is limited! please join us!

jmac

[philadining]

I just couldn't clear my calendar enough for this latest dinner... any reports? I thought the menu looked really interesting.

[NaFairge]

last night was great!!! sorry you missed it.

we have some great shots from the kitchen of the food/plating/etc. maybe i will try to figure out how to post photos!!!!

it was a really good night. the poussin turned out just like i wanted it to. see you guys next time.

j

[chickenfriedgourmet]

last night was great!!! sorry you missed it.

we have some great shots from the kitchen of the food/plating/etc. maybe i will try to figure out how to post photos!!!!

it was a really good night. the poussin turned out just like i wanted it to. see you guys next time.

j

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I am impatiently waiting for these photos

[philadining]

Additional proof that there is a god, and that he loves us:

snackbar to re-introduce brunch!

And there was much rejoicing.

hmmm, that photo looks familiar...

[rae]

Yaaaaaayy!! I have been dreaming of this day for so long. It is surely going to be hard to wait until April 19, but I suppose I will manage somehow. Those who know me well know that there is nothing I'd rather eat for brunch than Jonny Mac's french toast. Yay french toast (please let there be french toast!)!

[Andrew Fenton]

Those who know me well know that there is nothing I'd rather eat for brunch than Jonny Mac's french toast. Yay french toast (please let there be french toast!)!

According to the article, it'll be on the menu, so you're all set.

Anyway, that's great news; I look forward to enjoying a few snackbar Bloody Marys this spring...