Philly Ray's Profile
Perrier out at Le Bec Fin
He can try any stunt he wants but I, for one, will never set foot in that restaurant again, even if someone else offered to pay. I didn't feel our first visit there was worth it, and I felt duped after his decision to remain open.
Good vs. Evil - Tony Bourdain and Eric Ripert in Santa Rosa, CA
More on the Ripert/McEnroe incident here...
http://www.observer.com/2003/03/chef-eric-ripert-says-the-french-feel-our-froid/
Possible to find good, reasonably-priced eats near Rittenhouse?
I had lunch at a.kitchen (18th and Walnut Sts) yesterday and it was very good.
Philadelphia's 4 Bell Restaurants
And just so we can beat this topic into the ground a little more, here are more "Best Ofs" from Laban in different categories (Gastropub, Italian, BYOBs, etc.)
http://www.philly.com/philly/restaurants/4Bell_Favorites.html?cmpid=131298059
Philadelphia's 4 Bell Restaurants
UPDATE---
During his weekly chat, LaBan discussed the new Bells. In fact, I think some of the people who posted here asked some questions. Complete transcript can be found here...
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/laban_chats/
Chefs and SMOKING
My wife and I once celebrated our anniversary at one of Philadelphia's well-known fine dining restaurants. Our table was close to the kitchen and at one point, we thought we smelled cigarette smoke. When a server entered the kitchen, I spied the owner/head chef in the kitchen smoking a cigarette.
Offset Bread Knife Recommendation
Buy a Dick
http://www.cutleryandmore.com/f-dick/bread-knives
Personally, I wouldn't buy a really expensive bread knife. While it can be done, I don't see the point in sharpening a serrated blade. Just buy something cheap and replace it when it gets dull.
lunch and / or dinner
I was going to ask about that. We have an upcoming res at Zahav (made before the four bell announcement). The last time we were there, we did the Tayim menu. I have wanted to try the Mesibah, but I'm afraid it will be too much for only two people. Is that the case? Otherwise, is it worth it to bring the remaining lamb home with us? Does it reheat well?
Philadelphia's 4 Bell Restaurants
While I would never return to LBF (and that is based on our previous visit there, which this new review confirms), I have no qualms about returning to Lacroix.
Philadelphia's 4 Bell Restaurants
That's a good point. When we were at Le Bec-Fin, the servers never really connected with us. But at Lacroix, they were much more personable and always made our evening seem special.
Philadelphia's 4 Bell Restaurants
It's funny. When my wife and I were there before they were (allegedly) closing, my wife was absolutely stunned that they did not crumb our table before dessert (or at any other time during the meal). And there it is, in a very brief review by LaBan, the same complaint noted.
We also sat at a table in the back of the main dining room, near the kitchen. At one point, we thought we smelled cigarette smoke wafting out, and sure enough when the door opened, I spied Georges himself taking a few puffs.
Philadelphia's 4 Bell Restaurants
The article is available online....
http://www.philly.com/philly/restaurants/HT_4BELL_RESTO.html?cmpid=131298059
The new top five are:
Bibou
The Fountain
Talula's Table
Vetri
Zahav
Lacroix demoted to 3 bells and Le Bec-Fin demoted to 2 bells.
Let the discussions begin!!!!
First time to Philly.....help!
Vetri is not stuffy and you would not feel out of place without a jacket or a tie. However, I would wear a shirt with a collar.
The food is awesome.Be sure to try the spinach gnocchi. It is one of their signature dishes.
First time to Philly.....help!
Other worthwhile "upscale" restaurants would be Lacroix (in the Rittenhouse Hotel) or The Fountain (in The Four Seasons Hotel).
Condiments and Eggs
Here's a question about hot sauce...Do you just put it on top of the cooked eggs or do you put a few drops in the raw eggs before you cook them (scrambled or omelettes)?
Recommendation for a Romantic Dinner
This would not have been for Sunday brunch at Lacroix (however, we have done the brunch there and it is fabulous). They also do a "standard" breakfast during the week that isn't much pricier than Parc.
Recommendation for a Romantic Dinner
My wife and I went to Parc the morning after our anniversary dinner at Lacroix and while the food was good, the service left a lot to be desired (especially after the great night we had at Lacroix). It took forever for my wife to receive her cappuccino and then they brought her the wrong entree. By the time she received the right dish, I was almost done mine. So much for having breakfast "together".
If we had to do it over again, we probably would have had breakfast at Lacroix since we stayed the night at The Rittenhouse.
Lunch Near 18th/19th and JFK
Our accountant is a family friend. When we meet at his office to do our taxes, I usually take him out for lunch afterwards. Last year I took him to Matyson and it worked well because I was able to make a reservation and get him back to his office relatively quickly.
Any other places in that area that we could walk to and have a nice sit down lunch? Ability to make a reservation would be a plus.
Gastropubs on Thursday/Friday night
Yep, I would cross Birra off of the list in favor of South Philly Tap Room. They are not too far from each other, so if you were already willing to travel to Birra, definitely make that change.
Recommendation for a Romantic Dinner
My wife and I celebrated our 10th anniversary at Lacroix last October. It was a wonderful meal on all fronts (service and food). If you can't get into Vetri, it would be my choice too.
Need advice on range grill feature
If you do it, make sure you get a range hood that will adequately vent the smoke and heat. Preferably one that vents outdoors since I don't think a recirculating or a downdraft vent will do the job.
Philadelphia's 4 Bell Restaurants
I don't think The Fountain is moving down. During his weekly chat last week, someone asked LaBan about The Fountain and if he should keep his reservation there. LaBan's answer made it sound like it would stay at 4 bells.
My personal feeling is that Le Bec-Fin is moving down. Like I said in my original post, I was not as impressed with my meal there (service and food) as I was with The Fountain, Lacroix, and Vetri.
Philadelphia's 4 Bell Restaurants
I read a teaser that Craig LaBan will reveal his latest list of 4 Bell restaurants next Sunday (2/5). Apparently, he started with 13 contenders and finished up with five 4 Bell restaurants.
Lets try to figure out might be on the list. For the final 5, I would go with these 4 to begin with:
Vetri
Lacroix
The Fountain
Le Bec-Fin (although, on my one visit there, I didn't feel as if it stacked up to the first three on this list).
The last one has me wondering. Will he go with Talula's Garden, since he was itching to give it 4 bells on his original review? Or maybe another Starr place like Morimoto or Barclay Prime? Other possibilities could be Zahav or Amada. Or, will any suburban restaurants make the cut?
What others would you include in the Final 5 or list of 13?
Chicken takes forever to cook - chicken parm
When I make chicken parm, I usually go 350 for about 20-30 minutes. I don't know if 10 minutes at 400 will be enough time to melt and brown the cheese.
Chicken takes forever to cook - chicken parm
That sounds like an eggplant parmigiana recipe.
Are these places I should check out for 3 nights in Philly - Other thoughts??
If you are staying in the Rittenhouse area, also consider Lacroix (which is in the Rittenhouse Hotel). It is one of our best fine dining experiences.
Prime steaks
Not sure of their pedigree, but I have gotten some nice ribeyes at Lombardi's Prime Meats on Bigler St (not far from Chickie's & Pete's).
Only in town for ONE NIGHT! Recs?
What about Vetri and his restaurants? They don't do RW. Maybe they have availability.
Only in town for ONE NIGHT! Recs?
I would also consider Lacroix (in the Rittenhouse hotel).
But when will you be here? This week and next week are Restaurant Week. Most downtown places are not serving their regular menus. But if you can get into Vetri, they do not participate in Rest. Week.
