Here's a link to my review of Il Rimedio on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/rimedio-phila...

In a word, it's atrocious. The service is appalling (it would be a Monty Python sketch were there anything vaguely amusing about staff so singularly BAD-- not surly, not uppity, but simply incompetently fumblingly dull and gosh, BAD). The food is industrial quality, and that means indifferently sourced, poor quality ingredients, ill-prepared by cooks with the imagination of Myrmidons. I almost felt I was in an airport in Kazakhstan with the meal I had there...

As a long-time resident, my West Philly faves include the underrated Vientiane (Baltimore and 47th), the homey but quite wonderful Gold Standard (Balto & 48th); the deafening but always excellent Pod; the increasingly excellent White Dog (34th and Sansom)-- and I had sworn off the place till the new owner & cook consistently my socks off with the consistently decent food; and then the uneven Kabobeesh (Chestnut and 42nd)-- where we find ourselves doing take out several times a month bec. they're so utterly pleasant and the beef rolls remain family faves. And I'd totally concur with the raves for Desi Chaat (Balto on 42nd) though they are awfully slow and seating is hard to come by -- and chat is not something to take-away since it gets inedibly soggy.
Enjoy the 'hood!

As a relocated new yorker, I''m looking for some smoked salmon like one gets at Zabar's. I prefer not to have it shipped to me from the mother lode, and don't fancy a Bolt run. Does anyone know of a place in town (shudder at the burbs) where I can get some? Thanks so much in advance. And if there's a magic whitefish salad in Philly (like Zabar's...), I'm all ears! Happy holidays, everyone!

I will be the naysayer to the rhapsodic reports on DiBruno's, if I may. Having been spoiled by the Cheese Board in Berkeley (after years of living in Paris), I find DiBruno's overrated, overpriced, and the service characterized by a kind of gruff heartiness that masks deep condescension. It's also an annoying place to shop (CC is almost as bad as Italian Market though for different reasons).

A FAR better option is SALUMERIA in the Reading Terminal Market. If you're lucky, you'll get Connie who really knows her cheeses and is a wonderful person to buy from. You can taste the different offerings and she'll mention that this week's Saint-Marcellin is a bit ripe or they have a lovely new sheep/cow cheese from Auvergne that you might want to taste and so on. Their pate (de campagne-- of pork) or mousse (with chicken liver) are bot fantastic and I'm a convert to the domestic Volpi's proscuitto (a St. Louis concern and far better than the average Parma we tend to get here). Enjoy!

And for bread, all you have to do is walk over a few aisles to the Metropolitan stand though those who have the time might find the schlep to West Philly's FOUR WORLD's BAKERY (Springfield and 48th) VERY well worth it. (Their croissants take me back to my time on rue Notre Dames des Champs...)

Thanks for your warm note, PattiCakes! The mango lassi was spectacular though on the thicker side; and I'd definitely give the vadas (dal fritters) a try. Someone was having them at the table next to us and they smelled yummy. Enjoy!

Welcome back to our fair city!

I'd like to suggest KANELLA (10th and Spruce) as a must go place. No textual description can fully do it justice, so keep that in mind as you read the following. It's a Greek-Cypriot place whose chef spent time in London (a decade) before returning to Philly. The flavors of Cyprus are NOT quite the flavors of Greece-- what connects them is more a basic culinary outlook, spawned not doubt by geography and location. What Constantinos does with lamb and goat is stuff I've never quite tasted in Athens' tavernas. His tongue (lamb) was delicious, even for this squeamish type. I've loved his octopus. His skate was marvelous. The salads are magnificent-- who knew that cumin could blend so magically with the best olive oil in the world (yes, he really sources it from some olive growers in the old country-- you can smell the earth and the trees in it!). I've had his lemon tart and was transported. And those weekend brunches with eggs and baked beans (remember, the guy spent a decade in London) are spectacular.

And best of all, try to walk on 10th Street to read Constantinos' fiery broadsides posted on his kitchen window. I gather he routinely flames the pretentious food establishment and gets flamed by his fans in turn. Very entertaining reading. Lunch and brunch are ca. $8-$10 for portions which are GENEROUS. Dinner is pricier and worth every penny. Bring a few lovely bottles to drink as it's a BYOB.

At the lower end, but no less fabulous, do visit KABOBEESH on Chestnut and 42nd in West Philly. It's a Pakistani tandoor house in a diner car and is spectacular in a very undercapitalized way. The nans are magical-- best I've had INCLUDING in San Francisco's fabled SHALIMAR OR in Pakistan itself. The curries are a bit oily, but the lowly chicken curry is a HIT every time I have it. I am personally a major fan of the resham beef kebabs which are perfectly seasoned, juicy, and very satisfying. My husband is mad about the chicken tandoor (get the leg with bone as it's more flavorful than the breast). The cauliflower when they have it is superb as is the okra and the spinach. On Saturdays, they have haleem (rice, wheat, lentils, and meat all cooked in a porridge). It's one of the best haleems I've ever had. Make sure you ask them to serve it with the fried onions, cilantro, and ginger on top. Sometimes they forget. You can pass on the desserts and samosa. But do ask for lassi which is always delicious. And ignore the lackluster ambience and downmarket hygeine. This is fabulous food in an unpretentious setting made by folks for whom the food matters. They should know--they feed all our city's cabbies!

Bon appetit

And do tell us what your faves in our city are!

Thanks for the tip on the Phila. Chutney Company. We went this Saturday and were bowled away. The dosas are excellent-- wafer thin without that greasy after-feel that many lesser dosas have. I'd say that the dosa itself is as good as I've had in Madras (Chennai) at the fabled Swagat on Fergusson College Road.

I should add that I had the Masala Dosa-- a classic with the "masala" being the potato stuffing on the inside. It was delicious-- pitch perfect in every regard. My husband ordered one of the "fusion" dosas with chicken and spinach and it was disappointing bec. in my view dosas don't quite lend themselves (at least in our palate) to fusion flavors, given the strong flavors of the rice/urad fermented batter from which they're made. But it may simply be my own mind that's messing with my palate. Certainly these dosas are far superior to those that are churned out at the national Udupi chains.

We also ordered some idlis and they were warm, fresh, and very decent. In each order, you get to choose your chutney, and the coconut, cilantro, and tomato chutneys are flavorful, fresh, and very satisfying.

What's a bit baffling is that that none of the orders come with sambhar. That's is like serving burgers without ketchup. Unthinkable. I hope the restaurant will rectify the situation quickly. It's a noticeable weak spot in their offerings and keeps me from giving them a 5-star rating.

The food is inexpensive (dosas from $5 plain to $8 stuffed; idlis $3.50 for 3), fresh, and very satisfying. The restaurant itself has a nice ambience with lovely copper tables that remind me of those at Cafe Milano on College and Ashby in Berkeley. The seating is a bit cramped. The staff is wonderfully friendly and the garrulous owner (a Singaporan of Indian descent) a total delight.

I'm a fan and will certainly go back again and again. And next time, I'm going to try the uttapam (thicker pancakes, made with the same dosa batter) with smoked paneer.

Does anyone have a suggestion for where we can get dosas in the Philly area? (A dosa is that fabulous S. Indian pancake thing, often stuffed with potatoes and served with coconut chutney and sambhar.) Thanks in advance!

Thanks for these fantastic -- and wonderfully varied-- suggestions!

We will be in the Cleveland Park area of DC during Labor day with my 3-year old son and 70+ year mother. I recall the area from 10-years ago as having desultary food choices. Does anyone have any recommendations of places that are quiet, child-friendly (he's extremely good at restaurants) and NON-CHAIN? Thanks in advance!

I've been to Osteria about 3 times for dinner, lunch 3x and drinks and dessert once. It's nice to have such a nice place in such a surly part of town (I work there!). And the food, while good, often seems to wilfully underperform. The wild boar pasta *is* delicious but utterly oversalted, and my waiter said, "yes, we tend to oversalt our food." HELLO! You know this and you still do it??? The entrees are quite nice but not memorable, and for the price one is paying, that is not salutary. And the portions are MINUSCULE! (I say this as a small eater.) I love having the place around and want it to thrive, but in this economic time, they need to revisit their business strategy and their portions. None of their ingredients seems that expensive or rare; there has to be a more reasonable way of serving the food they do in portions and prices they matter. (Maybe they could pick a lesson or two from Parc which has become my restaurant of choice when I'm taking a guest out on an expense account.) That said, do admire the gorgeous LIz Kinder ceramics everywhere. She's a Philly potter of fame and her work made Osteria's fairly ordinary dining room radiate beauty. And speaking of dining rooms, try to sit in the side room (the glass sun porch). It's stunning and a lot more conducive to a conversation, esp. at dinner-racket time! ENJOY!