Buckethead's Profile
Would like to do a Layover - Philadelphia. Suggestions?
Where do you live now?
Great dishes at restaurants that have bars where you can sit and just share one dish and not blow your appetite for the rest of the day:
Maitake mushroom and celery root fritter at Vedge (not open on Sunday)
Half-portion of pasta at Osteria (I love the chicken liver rigatoni but really just pick one, they make great pasta)
Benton's bacon fat popcorn at Khyber Pass
Pig tails or mussels escabeche at Jamonera
Chicken and duck liver parfait at Dandelion
Foie Gras soup at Sbraga (not open on Sunday)
Wild boar tacos at South Philly Tap Room
Ela or Fond?
I'm guessing you've already been to Le Virtu but if you haven't, go there. One reason I haven't been to Ulivo or Il Pittore yet is that Le Virtu is in my neighborhood and it's hard to go anywhere else for Italian when I have LV so close, and it's so good. There's a whole rabbit "porchetta style" on the menu there right now that is great.
Ela or Fond?
I've managed to cross quite a few places off my "new places to try" list over the last couple months, but I still need to get to:
Ulivo
Il Pittore
Russet
American Sardine Bar
La Calaca Feliz
Vedge is easily the best new place I've been to recently, I was just back there over the weekend and had another stupendous meal. Make sure you get the maitake mushroom/celery root fritter dish. On my most recent visit we ate almost the entire "Dirt List" (daily specials) and every dish on it was excellent, there was a snow pea salad on it that I'd especially recommend if it's still there when you go. It's up there with Bibou as one of my favorite places in the city. I'm really looking forward to going there again once summer veggie season is in full swing.
Of your list, I'd go to Meritage, Meme, or VW over Ela, although I've only ever had three things at VW: Village Burger (which you should absolutely get), fries, and the Cobb Salad (which was excellent). I haven't been to Branzino.
Ela or Fond?
Fond by a mile, but they will be closed from May 25th through June 6th so the couple that runs it can get married. I had a fantastic meal there a week or two ago, they have a tuna tartare dish right now with avocado and coconut broth that is really great. What else is on your list? I wasn't impressed with Ela, especially for the price.
Real Water Ice
Mancuso's on E Passyunk Ave (I like the lemon best there), also John's Water Ice at 7th and Christian.
Stateside
If I remember correctly they gave us about 6-8 more slices to split between the two dishes we had that came with bread originally (the liver mousse and the rillette).
Also, there were four of us at the table, so for each of us to get a taste of the liver mousse, we would have had to split the toasts in half and share. It seems really bush league for a place like this to nickel and dime its patrons on toasted baguette slices.
Stateside
I had another very good meal at Stateside over the weekend. One good dish that was new since my last visit was the smoked mackerel croquettes.
However, the reason I'm posting is that they have apparently adopted a ridiculous scheme to rake in a few extra bucks: serve the dishes that require bread (pate, rillette, etc.) with far too few pieces of toast to spread the dish on, then charge $1 for more bread. I don't remember it being on the menu the first time I was there but this time I couldn't help but notice "Extra bread $1" on the menu. That wouldn't be such a terrible problem if it weren't for the fact that (for example) the liver mousse was served with a scant two thin toasted baguette slices. I asked for more for both that and the rabbit rillette. I meant to check the bill to see if we were charged for it but by the time it came I forgot to look, so I can't swear that we were actually charged but it was on the menu.
Anyway, if you go, keep an eye on the bill.
Talula's Garden or a.kitchen?
I like a.kitchen much more but I haven't been to Talula's since the current chef took over.
Cheesesteaks at or within walking distance of Citizens Bank Park?
I've actually had better luck at the Tony Luke's stand at the ballpark than at the original location, I think because the line is usually long at the stadium and turnover is very fast. But my experience is limited to just a few times.
Like barryg, I recommend skipping the cheesesteak and getting a roast pork sandwich with broccoli rabe and provolone instead, it's replaced the cheesesteak as Philly's signature sandwich and it's much better.
looking great food in a low decibel atmosphere
I've seen that "Simply Prepared" category on at least one other menu recently, that one was even more simple, advertising that those dishes were prepared with just olive oil, salt, and pepper. Seems a little silly but you've gotta give the people what they want. That pork ribeye dish at R2L is really good though, the fat was perfectly rendered.
looking great food in a low decibel atmosphere
I'll second the R2L suggestion, it's not sleepy, the noise is limited by the relatively few tables in the dining room (as sylviag says, they're spaced a comfortable distance from each other) and the fact that there are a lot of sound-deadening fabrics and carpet around. And the views are great! When you make the reservation, call them and specify that you'd like a window table, that way you'll only have other diners on one side of you. I wasn't thrilled with the food there when they first opened but I recently gave it another shot (for dinner) and the food is pretty good now. Not amazing (or especially adventurous), but very good. The Pork Ribeye was excellent.
what's new?
I forgot to mention one thing I did like: the marinated anchovies. Of course, they aren't doing much to the anchovy. It's still not something I'd go back for. Let us know what you think.
what's new?
We did the 3 apps for $15, also another app, a pizza and a pasta. We didn't have anything I'd go back there to eat. The "Fennel Flan" was particularly disappointing, the flavors were OK but the "flan" had been overcooked into a terrible curdled mass. I can forgive some of the other failings of what we had but I don't see how you can send that flan dish out to a customer like that. Our pasta dish was probably the best thing, but it and several other dishes were severely under-seasoned. I do really like the space, it's nice and feels very connected to the street with some huge windows in front. They'd only been open for maybe a week when I went, it may improve, but for now you can walk a few minutes in almost any direction and go to a better restaurant: Vedge, Kanella, Sbraga, Fish, Mercato, Barbuzzo, Jamonera, Sampan, Lolita, Time, etc. It's not a good neighborhood to be mediocre in.
what's new?
They're pretty tiny, I think 2006 is also the last time Foobooz's design was updated...
what's new?
There are links at the top of the page for prior openings going back to 2006.
what's new?
Foobooz's openings list is pretty good too:
http://philadelphia.foobooz.com/openings/
what's new?
Easily my favorite place that's new in the last 6 months is Vedge. It's one of the best restaurants in the city right now, I'd go there if I were you but you are probably going to have trouble getting in there this weekend. I'd call them though. Jamonera and Stateside are also very good and new. Vetri's newest place, Alla Spina is pretty good but I wouldn't recommend it over Jamonera or Stateside. Some new places I've been and wouldn't recommend include Spiga, Brick, and Ela.
Barbuzzo, Fish, or Amis?
You're going to have a hard time spending under $50 for two at any of those places, entrees at Fish start at $26. Barbuzzo and Amis are small-plates kind of places so you could spend less and eat less but you'll have a hard time spending under $50 for two and also leaving satisfied. It's not impossible though. Barbuzzo is probably the least expensive of the three by a slight margin.
Kanella is pretty close to there and is better than any of the places you list, and also slightly less expensive. It's BYO as well, so that keeps the price down. Appetizers there hover around $10 and entrees are mostly between $20-$25.
Restaurant with a great bar menu and a Television?
I'm pretty sure there are two TVs, I remember being there during a couple Phillies games and being able to see one TV but not the other. I haven't been in a while though so I may be mistaken (or they may have taken one down).
Restaurant with a great bar menu and a Television?
Brauhaus is really good too, but I think you may have an easier time getting a TV tuned to what you want at P&K, where the bar is much smaller.
Restaurant with a great bar menu and a Television?
Pub and Kitchen has 2 or 3 TVs in the bar and a very good menu of bar snacks. They make a great porchetta sandwich there too. The drink focus is definitely on beer but if I remember correctly they have some decent wines by the glass.
Clam Pizza in Philadelphia?
FYI, the walk up Broad St. to Osteria is not particularly nice. You may want to take a cab (at least on the way back, later at night).
And yeah, I think it's safe to discard the opinions of an apparently 11-year old blogger..
Kanella's for dinner tonight. Any recs?
Order whatever looks good to you. Kanella is fantastic, you basically can't miss no matter what you order. I always like to start with the dips of the day and their lamb dishes are always great. Don't skip dessert, they make good ones. I recently was there for their Sunday night meze prix fixe for the first time, had 15 different dishes and they were all good.
Vietnam Palace tonight, any suggestions?
I'm not a big fan of Vietnam Palace but I did like their stuffed grape leaves. I much prefer Le Viet, just north of Washington Ave. on 11th st.
Dessert scene in Philly?
I popped in to Belle Cakery this week and their macarons are incredible, best I've had except for Johnny Iuzzini's at Jean Georges one time. Admittedly I haven't had a ton of other macarons in Philly (haven't had Miel's or Sugar Truck's) or elsewhere but I've had them at Garces Trading and on various dessert plates and the ones at Belle Cakery are the best I've had in the city. They're not expensive either, $1 each.
Studio Kitchen
FYI, you can now get on a mailing list to be notified of upcoming Studiokitchen events:
http://www.studiokitchen.com/events
There's one this Friday ("Wild Edibles Dinner") with 5 spots still available.
Dinner after the Franklin Institute
If this is for the day after tomorrow you should call them, Opentable says they're booked except for 9:30 pm. They do have a bar there but I haven't sat there yet, I don't know if it's for walk-ins or if those seats are reserved.
Dinner after the Franklin Institute
Vedge for me. I like a.kitchen a lot too but Vedge is really great, one of the best restaurants in the city.
Dinner after the Franklin Institute
There's the cluster of good places just north of Rittenhouse: Dandelion, a.kitchen, and Zama. El Rey is very slightly closer but also not as good as any of those three.
Need recommendation on chef's table / private room in Philly
Must-haves: pizza, pasta, and the polenta budino dessert. There are no must-avoids but I almost always skip entrees so I can try more of the smaller plates, so my experience with the entrees is limited. I'm not sure what happens at the kitchen table though, there may be a set menu or tasting or something.
