b.b.go! coming soon (apparently) as a fusion rice bar

:: b.b.go :: 

Address: 18th St and Ludlow, Center City.  COMING SOON.

Center City, it looks like we're getting a bibimbap haven by the name of b.b.go. at 18th & Ludlow. And soon! Korean food has crossed over; it's so totally mainstream now. IMO, the two things that helped to accomplish this were:

1. The accessibility and availability of BBQ grill meats like kalbi and bulgogi, and
2. Bibimbap - aka rice in a hot stone pot with meats and veggies all mixed together for a flavor explosion custom spiced to your liking with the accompanying hot red pepper paste sauce.

Can't be certain, but it looks like there will soon be a Philly eatery where you can get rice in a hot pot (or cold if that's your preference), and I suspect you will be able to customize your veggie and meat preferences.

As a Korean, and a lover of all things rice-y and meaty, these are the things I'm hoping b.b.go will include:

• runny fried egg to top off your rice, veggie, meat concoction
• interesting and inventive combinations (to really live up to the promise of "fusion" part of "fusion rice bar." Maybe like bacon and jicama or something, I dunno. Heh.
• other fried rice dishes like kimchi fried rice or spicy pork belly fried rice

Stay Tuned. I want. Now.

ADSUM (it's so HOT right now) Brunch and a weekend recap

This weekend was like an MK FriendFest; somehow many stars aligned and I ended up catching up with a bunch of very dear friends I hadn't seen in awhile.

WEEKEND RECAP
Friday: HH with J Sho, fish tacos and bourbon, drinks at Locust Rendezvous - the ultimate dive bar - with Jessica, Mogg and other HS buds, swooning over a fleeting crush on our bar server (what? she was adorable and edgy at the same time!), creamy drinks and more bourbon pours.

• Jose Pistolas - GREAT BEER selection, awesome bartenders, okay table waitstaff and forgettable food. J and I were super excited about the fact that they had 3 different kinds of fish tacos on the menu (fried grouper, grilled mahi mahi, seared tuna), but we ordered the grouper and mahi and both landed somewhere in the range of okay to bad. She didn't even finish hers! We also got a half order of the nachos and I can see the potential, but they weren't particularly great. However, since we didn't get them with meat or guac, I concede that they could be awesome and we just didn't get them the right way. 
• Locust Rendezvous - This is the kind of place that can either by depressing or awesome - I think it would mostly depend on your mood/state of mind. I found myself totally digging the chill, dark and bare-bones bar feel of it. Plus, our hot server was really attentive, funny and totally engaging, which really helps when you're surrounded by sad, frown-faced old dudes with scotch on the rocks. The most notable event of this part of the evening was that Jessica can now drink White Russians and not vomit. YAY!  

Saturday: brunch with one of my favorite couples/family (the DINGS + 1 Erik), SYTYCD finale on DVR, Step Up 3D (aka the worst movie of all time) with "ChiLex," a beer and snackies at Varga Bar, impromptu dinner at Garces Trading Company with the Caldwells including Baby Caldwell, then Grace's bday drinks at Lucy's.

• Adsum Brunch - full review below
• Step Up 3D - ok really... I know you may laugh, but I was really excited about this movie. Say what you will about the Step Up movies, but no matter how corny they are, they're still enjoyable. NOT really so with this installment. It felt like it was just an hour and 40 minutes of terrible scripting, a crude mechanism for showcasing the effects of 3D without actually paying what's due to the integrity of awesome choreography. A total hot mess. Sad. ChiLex (I think I still prefer ChiFong), Soopah and I basically just giggled the entire time.  
• Varga Bar - this is the best place, period. But, also the best place to wait until your table is ready at Garces Trading Co! Thank Goodness they have good IPAs on tap again. Was a bit disappointed at the lack thereof the last time I was there. Plus, hello - how can the fall off the bone wings always be so consistently good and arrive at your table so quickly? HOW, Varga bar, HOW?
• Garces Trading Company - you know how I feel about this place. Those feelings still stand. Plus, any dinner with adorable Baby Caldwell is going to be a good time. I will note that this place and our server really surprised me because they were SO adept at handling a toddler at the table - super kind and attentive, and great about handling his egg allergy as well. It was Julie and Jim's first time here and they really enjoyed the prosciutto pizza and scallops. Thanks for dinner, guys!   

As you can see, Baby Caldwell loves bread. Everyone should it bread this way - Pure Joy.  

Sunday: eat, sleep, TV, repeat.

These full weekends really make me appreciate all that Philadelphia has to offer. I sit back and remember that I'm super fortunate to have the friends and connections that I have here - and I acknowledge that having lived in the same town for most of my life does have some benefits.

So, right - BRUNCH REVIEW.

:: Adsum ::
address: 700-702 South 5th St, Philly
what we ate: chorizo corn dogs, omelet, egg pancetta and potato hash
Located at the corner of 5th and Bainbridge, Adsum is one of the new, "hot," restaurants right now. You can't look through food blogs, news or twitter without seeing several mentions of this place. It's not surprising since they just opened their doors a few weeks ago and Exec Chef Matt Levin is of Lacroix fame. You can see from the creative and adventurous menu that he has the goods to back up his pedigree.

Lately, Soopah and I have been making an effort to hit up as many great brunch spots as possible so we knew this was a must hit place. What cemented Adsum as our brunch for this weekend was the Foobooz post from Friday with the full menu... I'm fairly certain "UHM, does that say CHORIZO CORNDOGS?!" was our immediate reaction. What made the experience even better was that my very dear friends Michelle, Kwan and Erik just so happened to be in Philly for the weekend and were planning on joining us for brunch.

We arrived a good 15 minutes late and found my awesome friends sitting at an outdoor table, on the shaded side of Bainbridge, Slyfox Pale Ale, Mimosa and Porter on the table, aviators on, just being cool and waiting for us. <3 these guys. So we sit down, order a dogfish 90 and a mimosa, and immediately tell our server what we want to eat and so brunch begins. Mind you, the point of this last paragraph (other than to share how awesome these guys are), was to mention that Adum has a great beer/drink selection. :)      

ricotta beignets: vanilla + strawberry marmalade

Beignets are this French, fried dough concoction - usually rolled/covered in sugar... so essentially, a DOUGHNUT. Which is primarily why I'm not really much of a fan. However, these beignets were really delicious. Amazingly, the dough tasted light and buttery and crumbly in the perfect way, but at the same time had this rich denseness that was bursting with flavor. It was probably a bit sweet for a starter, but I'd definitely recommend as a dessert. 

chorizo corndogs: fried hen eggs + black beans + cilantro crema

Clearly, this was the dish that I was excited about - and apparently so was the rest of our table. Michelle, Kwan and I all ordered the corndogs and we were not disappointed. The breading was crumbly and crispy - and the chorizo sausage was spicy and salty. The cilantro cream was a nice bright counter flavor to the heat of the chorizo and the beans helped to settle all the flavors down. The fried eggs were perfectly cooked and was delicious with each bite of corndog. I don't know if this was a perfect dish though - I mean, I enjoyed it thoroughly, but I don't think I'd order it again. I wish the chorizo would have been a bit more... moist, perhaps? It was quite crumbly and I thought maybe it was the round shape of the corndog that wasn't optimal. I think because they were basically corndog balls, the chorizo to cornbread batter ratio were off towards the center. But yeah, I'm really nitpicking here. 

poached eggs + pancetta + shallot-potato hash + hollandaise

SOOOOOO GOOD. I was surprised but the shallot-potato hash seems like it's their potato mainstay - like Adsum's version of home fries - and it is ridiculously good. The potato is shredded and formed into a triangle of awesomeness. There were pancetta pieces throughout  (of course I wished there was more) and the eggs were placed on top. The poached eggs were a tiny bit overcooked, but still really tasty so I would imagine the perfect execution of this dish would make it even better. We were surprised to find a relatively thick layer of caramelized onions between the potato and eggs, but they really added that extra something to the dish that took it to another level.       

omelet: heirloom tomato + chimichurri + farmhouse cheddar

I didn't try this, but Erik said it was quite tasty. It also came with the potato hash YUM! Plus, I love anything with farmhouse cheddar. 

OVERALL, I liked this place a lot, and the menu items are definitely the draw (though the interior decor and outside dining are quite nice and memorabl), but definitely on the pricey side. With the mimosas, beers and food, our bill racked up pretty quickly. Besides, I wouldn't say it even makes my top 5 brunch places in Philly, BUT it was extremely solid and makes me look forward to when we return for dinner.  

he brings you CHEEZ!

So, if you are a big food follower (read: food twitter nerd), you may have heard about the GRILLED CHEESE guy, "Ronnie" in NYC. He has been featured all over the NY food blogosphere for delivering his hot, delicious grilled cheese concoctions to various street corners all over the city.

Well, Philly - we have our very own "Ronnie" (is it sad that Ronnie always makes me think of the Jersey Shore? I feel I should be ashamed of this association, but alas, I'm not), and  today marks the first day of deliveries.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here is what "i bring you cheez" is all about.

1. Dude updates his twitter feed with his daily grilled cheese sandwich menu availability. 
2. You tweet, email or text your desired sandwich and quantity to Dude. 
3. Dude tweets, emails or texts you back to confirm.
4. Dude makes fancy pants grilled cheese sandwiches.
5. Dude delivers them to you - as long as you're in Center City, Old City, U-city, Nolibs (yea, so all of Philadelphia, basically).   

On the DL and delivered to your door. Prices apparently change based on the ingredients used. 

For example, today's menu included a) Roasted Plum and Gouda/Fontina blend and b) Chorizo and Oaxacan (Mexican mozzarella) - both $5 a piece. Interesting, no? 

I ate the roasted plum version today. YUM, buttery crispy sourdough (I think) bread with tart plum slices and creamy flavorful gouda and fontina cheeses.... 

I'm not sure if this will be a daily delivery system, but you can always find out by checking Dude's twitter feed, apparently. 

How to order from Dude: 

Twitter: @ibringyoucheez

Email: ibringyoucheez[at]gmail.com

Gotta have that chorizo and oaxacan next time. God I love me some chorizo... hear it was delicioussssssss.

BTW, the fact that we have our own GRILLED CHEESE guy totally supports the fact that Philly is a LEGIT food town. But we all know that already, right?  

the reason to go to SMITH's is...

.... THIS GUY!

Meet G! He is one of this fair city's best bartenders and he makes Smith's in Center City the place to go every Thursday and Friday. Tough, good-looking dude and he is uber friendly, pours drinks with the quickness, flashes sick tattoos, and brings the wit and perceptive observations.

Smiths is on 19th St, between Chestnut and Market and is yuppie central - largely afterwork HH crowds from the nearby high rises (so much Brooks Brothers you will drown in it), but they have great drink and food specials and is a pretty chill bar. Plus, like I said G works there! If I had to say, I'd call it "upscale pub" I guess? Very upscale... hahaa hence the YUPPIES, but still a worthy stop. And if ever there were a yuppie antidote, it'd be this guy.

G is a regular renaissance man; he does everything! Stop in and ask him about his helicopter flying or snowboarding.

Anyway, the bar/restaurant is made up of 2 decently sized rectangular rooms that are connected, with a back room with a pool table in the left bar. (But G works on the right side!). There isn't anything particularly notable about the food or beers on tap here, but the food is solid and consistently executed. It's a great go-to place to drop in with your coworkers when you're looking for a chill spot to share a drink before you catch your commuter train home.

As for the food specials, they have quesadillas and boneless chicken wings at discounted prices (I think half off?) between 5-7pm on weekdays.    

Mizu Pleasu

The galpals and I hit up Mizu for a quick dinner tonight. J. Gigs had found this tiny Rittenhouse area eat-in/take-out Japanese restaurant when she had been living a few blocks from it. Mizu is very small and casual, but still clean and welcoming enough that sitting down for dinner is still quite pleasant.

J. Gigs had been talking up the HweDupBap and sushi rolls from Mizu for weeks, and it's pretty rare to find good hwedupbap in the city, so we knew we had to have it! So, of course, 3 out of the 4 of us had the HweDupBap and we shared a monstrous sushi roll. BTW, hwedupbap is a Korean dish similar to chirashi, in that it has sashimi layered over rice, but there a quite a few differences between the two dishes, including:

• chirashi has sushi vinegared rice where as hwedupbap has plain rice (that sometimes has a bit of sesame oil)
• chirashi usually has many different types of sashimi layered on top, but hwedupbap is generally just fluke or tuna (or both)
• chirashi is usually eaten with soy sauce and wasabi, but hwedupbap is mixed in with a spicy tart and tangy hot pepper paste. 
• hwedupbap also has shredded veggies like lettuce, sesame leaves, radish, cabbage, carrots, that you mix in with the rice and fish.

YUM. So as a korean, I prefer the spicy, crunchy mixture of hwedupbap over chirashi any day.

:: Mizu :: 

address: 133 South 20th St. Philly

what we ate: hwedupbap + magma roll

HweDupBap: rice, fluke, salmon, tuna, flounder, salmon roe, lettuce, sesame leaf, carrots, radish, apples, cucumbers, imitation crabmeat, chojjang (red pepper paste sauce)
I am pretty sure I'm missing some of the veggies included but yeah it was fan-TASTIC. The fish was super fresh and chopped into cubes that were the perfect bite-size morsel and the veggies were shredded fine enough to make everything blend together perfectly. I kinda wish it came with a bowl of miso soup, which is what I'm used to, but other than that, it was soooo good. Plus, I felt like I was being healthy! Win!

Magma Roll: rice + nori + spicy tuna + mango + spicy mayo + jalapeno, crunch, scallions
This was a HUGE roll that had so much flavor and texture and it was wonderful. The jalapeno and spicy mayo gave this good heat, but it was subtle, not really overpowering.

I enjoyed Mizu so much that I will have to try to come up with a reason why I shouldn't head there every night for dinner.
The menu also had bulgogi/beef over rice bowls, as well as a wide variety of sushi and sashimi offerings. Honestly, their rolls all looked very interesting and creative. As an added bonus, for your non-fish liking friends, Mizu has a pretty good selection of veggie only rolls as well.

Galpal Ladies - thanks for a lovely meal and the chatties!

the end of an ERA at Yaki Tuesdays

My friends and I have been longtime fans of Yakitori Boy. Every Tuesday (and sometimes Wednesday, Friday, Saturday too) our self-titled HH (happy hour, DUH) crew would meet to lament, to laugh, to smacktalk, to drink ... and to SING! Our regular weekly attendance helped us become friends with the Yaki bar staff - Cindy, Ryu, Janny... and most beloved of all - JOSE. Soon, one of our own, Syl, even joined that elite group. Ah yes, the golden days of Yaki Tuesdays.

But ALAS, it's the changing of the guard. Yakitori Boy has new management in the upstairs bar... and... I DON'T THINK I LIKE IT.

Jose was the linchpin of the Yaki Tuesday Happy Hour Fun Time. He represented everything that is RIGHT and GOOD about great bar management - friendly, totally took care of his regulars, super fair, extremely fun and always willing to jump on top of the bar and sing (shout?) a roaring rendition of GASOLINA. Just to give you an example of his awesomeness, Jose gave us a plate of "fried boneless chicken finger thingies" (aka tatsuta age) with a candle in it when we dropped by Yaki to celebrate Soopah's bday - just because he knew we loved that dish and ordered it almost every week.

C'mon... that's good. RIGHt?!

Jose left Yaki to pursue more lucrative ventures in suburban Philly, and his exit coincided with a mass exodus of those familiar faces... goodbye bartenders. Now, Syl is the only face we know - and it's a great face (we love her), but it's definitely a huge SHIFT.

Because of these changes, and the fact that we have newly discovered love for South Philly and craft beer bars all over town, we hadn't been to Yakitori Boy in quite some time. Well, we went last night and were reminded of how much has truly changed.

Upon arrival, we were asked to check any large bags/handbags we may have. This was VERY upsetting to me. I was appalled that I had to now hand someone my messenger bag purse in order to gain entry to our one-time weekly spot. I tried to protest and asked if this was necessary, to which the girls responded "oh yes, new policy. Don't worry, it's for your safety, really." * hate *  I pulled out my blackberry, my wallet, my other blackberry (shuttup) - the handful of necessities - and reluctantly handed them over to the girl at the desk. What was even more infuriating was that once I made it upstairs, I found that they were sort of haphazardly enforcing this policy - every group seemed to have at least a handful of people who had been given the right to keep their purses.

Hanging out felt different too. For our group, last night was almost like a reunion since many of us hadn't seen each other in awhile. Most of the usual players were in attendance... and it should have felt like coming home. But it didn't. To me, it felt like a shell of its former glory.

Sure, the Tuesday $1 yakitori skewers, cheap beer specials and hilariously AWFUL karaoke singing will continue to give us a reason to return to Yakitori Boy - but it will never again be the home it was to us before. I miss those days.

* moment of silence for those glory days *
     

CONTENDER, battle of the Korean Fried Chicken

Okay so we had been reading about the KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN thursday night special at Meritage for weeks now and yes yes yes it made us drool every time because:

1. This is the year of fried chicken (didn't you know?!)
2. I've had enough fried food to recognize good ones and these sounded soooo promising
3.  HELLO it's KOREAN-style and like duh I am gonna be partial to this.
4. Did I mention it was something FRIED? 

So, last Thursday, my partner in crime J. Gigs and I went to Meritage to try this much hyped Korean Fried Chicken. We spent the days before our dinner date obsessing over how this chicken would compare to all the other fried chicken dishes that have come before it... RAH, Cafe Soho, Memphis Taproom, South Philly Taproom (wouldn't it be great if I had been a good blogger and updated the posts about all those places already?!)... but of course, we knew that it'd likely be very different from anything else we had tasted before. And yes, we suspected it'd be different than the korean fried chicken we were familiar with. 

Off we went. 

:: Meritage ::

address: 500 South 20th St. Philadelphia

what we ate: Korean Fried Chicken special + Spring Vegetable Risotto 

Well, first of all, it's a really good deal. $25 for 5-6 pieces of fried chicken (they are mostly thighs so pretty big portion) + 1 20oz can of sapporo beer + 3 small side dishes. So dinner for 2 at $25 isn't bad at all.

Korean Fried Chicken: sauteed spinach dish + asian slaw + pickled daikon/carrot slices 

The chicken was incredibly juicy and tender, but not greasy AT ALL, which is almost surprising since that's what you expect of fried chicken sometimes. The batter was medium thickness and delicately crunchy which worked really well for chicken pieces that size.

The sauce is billed as "a sweet tangy spicy korean bbq" (I may be paraphrasing heh) and I'd say it is indeed all of those things. If you're familiar with korean sauces, it was like a combination of red pepper paste (gohchujang) and siracha with maybe a few other seasoning things. Flavor-wise, it was very satisfying - lots of flavors and they worked well with the sesame oil tossed spinach, pickled daikon and carrot slices, and sesame oil/vinegar dressed cabbage slaw.

Where some korean fried chicken purists may take issue is that it is very different from the likes of Bon Chon Chicken, or what you can find in the motherland. Well, what I'd say to that is DUH, it's not supposed to be an exact replication... It's an interpretation and it was tasty.

And btw why does fried food and beer go so well? The pairing of the complimentary sapporo is genius.

Spring Vegetable Risotto: risotto + zucchini + squash + corn + mushrooms  

The fried chicken special is meant to be a dish for 2 people and that should have been enough. But, we are biggies and foodies and like to try a lot of things, so we couldn't stop ourselves from ordering the Spring Veggie Risotto that was another one of the specials for the evening. 

MY GOD was it good. I actually enjoyed the risotto even more than the chicken. It had the freshest veggies - mushrooms, zucchini, squash, and corn - and it was all cooked so perfectly. The risotto had all the  crunchiness, tender sweetness, savoryness (I can make up words, let it go) that I would want spring risotto to have.

As for decor, I liked meritage a lot. It is very comfortable and home-y, like your friend's parents invited you over for dinner. The service is great as well.

NEED to go back for their wednesday night Korean Taco special soon....

Oh, and as promised, receipt of the total cost! 

Royal's Brunch, Burgers and Beverages

SATURDAY
Obviously, we brunched. I mean, it was SATURDAY, after all. Our brunch must-try list is still ridiculously long, but we are really chipping away at it week by week. This past brunch brought us to Royal Tavern. Man, that place is good. We had already been a few times because we love the beer selection and the staff, but we finally made it down there to have their brunch fill our bellies and dayummmmm was it good.

:: Royal Tavern ::
address: 937 East Passyunk Ave, Philly
what we ate: bloody mary, mimosa, burger, cuban omelet, curry chicken sandwich, sloppy joe 
Oh. Does that look like a lot of food to you? Did you think maybe a large group of us attended brunch together? HA! Oh, no no - that was a list of all the things that Soopah and I had the pleasure of eating on Saturday - JUST THE TWO OF US. Impossible, you say?? Well, it wasn't in one sitting, so it was very possible. We just found that brunch was so enjoyable, and we saw soooooo many things on the menu that we just HAD to try, that we made a return visit. THAT EVENING. You  may think we're sad, but I'd say we're geniuses.

Anyway, during BRUNCH, of course we had a bloody mary and a mimosa. PERFECT. They use siracha in their bloody marys instead of tabasco, and it results in a thicker tomato-y, spicy beverage. The mimosas were also heavenly, with just a splash of orange juice with a healthy pour of champagne.

Angus Burger: bacon + caramelized onions + smoked gouda + pickled longhots + chile mayonnaise + seeded brioche bun
The issue of who makes the best burger is widely discussed and debated in Philly foodie discussions. Amongst the frontrunners is always the Royal Tavern burger. And hell yes, it should be. I was a bit worried that it wouldn't live up to the hype (because hell yeah there is a lot of it), but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it totally does!

The burger meat was perfectly seasoned! I really dislike when places don't use enough salt, or use too MUCH salt, for that matter (I'm looking at YOU, PYT), but this burger was fantastic. Even more exciting, is the bacon was ever so present (that's because my burger pet peeves are as follows: bland meat, minimal bacon presence, mushy bread), which is something I'm always happy to find. The pickled longshots provided a nice kick without being overwhelming and the large, thick slice of smoked gouda really held up within the mix of those flavors. YUM. I don't know that either I or Soopah loved the bun, but we didn't hate it. So I mention our ambivalence for that component - you know... just to be fair and pretend we're objective or something.  

Cuban Omelet: with ham + pulled pork + pickled veggies + mustard + vinegared sliced potatoes + flour tortillas
My recall is currently terrible, so I may not have included all of the ingredients that were included in this dish. But, I'm sure you get the picture. Cuban sandwich, omelet-style! This dish came out of nowhere and we foudn it to be AWESOME. We folded in pieces of the omelet into the tortillas and stuffed with the veggies and potatoes to make little wraps. Added a bit of siracha and BAM, deliciousness.  

Right-O. Then, when we came back for Dinner (hehehe)............... we came right back to try the other items that had been taunting us earlier during the day.

Sloppy Joe: beef in a spicy tomato sauce + hand-cut fries
The vegan sloppy joe was the sandwich I had really wanted to try, but this past weekend, the beef sloppy joe was one of the specials. At the behest of our adorable bartender, I went with the beef version. It was definitely excellent - tart, tangy, spicy and tender. I think the bun they used was the same as the burger, so again, I was ambivalent about that part, but the meat was great. Brought me back to the olden days of high school cafeteria dining - but properly gourmet'ed up, of course. * ah, nostalgia *  OH yeah, and there was cheese! C'mon. CHEESE! <3

I do need to note that the hand-cut fries at Royal Tavern are freaking unbelievable. Crispy, flavorful and addicting. It took everything in me to not gobble up this entire plate of them.

Chicken Frankie: indian curry chicken + indian slaw + warm lovash + hand-cut fries
Our very interesting bartender told us that they make a huuuuuuuuuuge pan of curry chicken and just let it simmer (simma simma) for super long periods of time. He also said, if you pay attention, you can taste the TLC in each bite. Yes, we tasted it... YUM.

Frankly, this frankie (HAHA, sorry, had to), is delicious, but if I had to choose where to eat a curry meat in a wrap, I think I'd prefer the japanese style beef curry burrito at Maru Global, but at least we have OPTIONS!

I really love that Royal Tavern has such a wide variety of interesting dishes, like the tempeh sandwiches, tofu banh mis, shepard's pie etc. I mean, c'mon... basically there is something for everything. Plus, it's so cozy, quaint, casual - really lets you focus on the food and BEER.

We're FANCY and FUN. Le Bec-Fin said so.

We keep saying how it's ridiculous how well we've been eating. I mean, it's really quite absurd. When your weekend recap includes dining at a renowned French restaurant that is a Philadelphia institution, repeat visits to a gastro-pub that is arguably the best in town, as well as dinner and drinks at a suburban beer oasis, you know you're living a GOOD FOOD life. First, the fancypants French recap!

FRIDAY
Le Bec-Fin. 6pm Dinner. 40th anniversary special dinner that we read about on uwishunu.com.
J. Gigs had read about this special a few weeks ago and we knew we had to go. I mean, how often would one be presented with the opportunity to dine at Le Bec-Fin for $40/person? We made reservations immediately, and two days later, we heard the very sad news that Le Bec-Fin would be closing this year. I would imagine reservation slots have filled up quickly since the announcement of its closing, so I would say book something soon....

:: Le Bec-Fin ::
address: 1523 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
what we ate: $40 pre-fixe

The special includes 4-courses: Starter, Entree, Cheese, Dessert. Ah, love the french.

• Starters: Grilled Octopus with Chorizo puree, Tomato & Watermelon Salad, Chilled Pea Soup 
• Entrees: Stuffed Quail, Poached Salmon, Flat Iron Steak
• Cheese: chef selection with bread and fruit
• Dessert: choice of 2 selections off of the dessert cart

Le Bec-Fin also had a special wine selection to anniversary diners; you could choose from 4-5 wines that were all priced at $40. All in all, an incredible deal, no? 

To start the meal, complimentary amuse bouche.

The grilled octopus with chorizo puree and hot chorizo oil was really tasty. Perfectly cooked octopus and the chorizo oil had a nice spicy kick to it. 

Chilled Pea Soup w/almond sorbet was most certainly an interesting dish. We weren't sure if we'd like it, but with no question, we had to try it. The almond flavors worked really well with the pea soup and it was a refreshing starter. 

The Stuffed Quail was in the most delicious sauce, with creamy beans and savory vegetables. I'm not really sure what the bird was stuffed with, but it had the texture and flavor like meatloaf (I know this sounds weird, but it soooooo wasn't), and was the best part of the meal, for me.   

As expected, the Flat Iron steak was cooked exactly as requested. The medium-rare meat was tender and flavorful, but the puree and the gravy that accompanied it was even more memorable. Seriously, we had to restrain ourselves from sopping it up with extra bread....  

What could I really say about the cheese course, other than WHOOOHOOO. Everyone should really include a cheese course in their meals. Friday night's selection was an Italian sheep's milk cheese. YUM.

Being the bad flood blogger that I am, I don't remember the names of any of these desserts, but rest assured, you will be able to find something you like. The Dessert Cart had over 10 different varieties of cakes, and even some poached fruit options. It really lives up to its reputation and unbelievably, you get to select 2 different desserts EACH! And if that wasn't enough, you still get the complimentary plate of cookies. 

Overall, the food lived up to its reputation, the service was impeccable, and the dessert cart really is as good as they say, but ultimately, it was OK. I mean, the best part of the meal was the fact that we were dining in Le Bec-Fin... but for $40, I can think of at least 4 other restaurants with a fantastic pre-fixe that is much more exciting, innovative and droolworthy. Still, discover the history and experience that is Le Bec-Fin before they close their doors forever.      

FOND philly food phun

YES, yet another month of non-blogging. Bad, TrifectaBAM bloggers. BAD.

HOWEVER, blogging returns, starting with a review/recap of one of the most satisfying dining experiences one can have in Philly: Fond BYOB in South Philly. Woooo! Just a warning, this is a comprehensive review and will be long (a DOOZY). Don't say I didn't warn you.

Anyway, I'm ashamed to say that I've actually been to Fond several times now and still have not blogged it. (tsk tsk tsk) My only defense is that for Fond, I always wanted to give the review proper thought, weight and accolades the restaurant so deserves... and with this very admirable thought in mind, kept pushing it off until I had more time. Well... FAIL. clearly. The good news is, I can say, without a doubt, that Fond is consistently AMAZING. So, at least we have that.

:: Fond ::
address: 1617 East Passyunk Ave, Philly
what we ate: everything on the menu (basically)
So, last week we managed to make our way down East Passyunk for a lovely Chef's Table dinner in the new garden at FOND. This charming table can seat up to 8 guests (maybe 10?) in your party and is in the private garden, which is tucked away at the back of the restaurant. You make your way through the main dining room, and stealthily slink through the kitchen and suddenly you're in a Foodie's EDEN.

Guess what? The only caveat about the Chef's Table dining experience requires that all guests in the party participate in the chef's tasting, but that is awesome. It's a really GREAT deal and a wonderful way to try the lion's share of the menu and I'll tell ya, everything is worth it on there. There are 5 or 8 course options. Of course, if you don't want to eat a 5-course meal (c'mon, weak. just do it), you can always take recommendations from Tory Keomanivong, who runs the front of the house, and will happily steer you to the right choice.

What is SO COOL is that Fond is a joint venture by 3 young, ambitious and undeniably talented people with  impressive pedigree: Le Bec-Fin and Lacroix... really?! Both Exec Chef Lee Styer and Exec Pastry Chef Jessie Prawlucki worked at Le Bec-Fin as sous chef and exec pastry chef, respectively. Plus, Tory had worked as captain at Lacroix for 4 years and had met Lee during his stint there.

What is very clear from this operation, is that Lee, Jessie and Tory are three friends who all care very deeply about their work and for each other, and it's apparent on every level of their execution. Doubly shocking is that they're so young (Lee is in his mid-20s!) and handling this business with the maturity and drive that is unparalleled.

And HELLO, it's a BYOB. You know we always love that.

Now, the FOOD!!


APPETIZERS
Crispy Veal Sweetbreads: creamy ricotta, caramelized onions, augula pesto
This is definitely a must try menu option. Even if you're not very adventurous and have no idea what sweetbreads (don't look it up!) are, these are very approachable for new foodie and simply put, taste INCREDIBLE. Not to sound totally cliche, but they really do taste quite like fried chicken...

I really love when you can trust the chef to pair flavors together that truly complement each other for the best possible taste/experience, and executive chef Lee Styer does this perfectly. With this dish, definitely make sure you get each component layered into each bite because it really does make such a difference. The creamy ricotta, sweetness from the onions, fresh bite from the pesto and of course the salty crunchy sweetbreads all combine to bring you flavor bursts of awesomeness with each forkful.  

Yellowtail Crudo: dried Mexican chili, jicama, cilantro
This yellowtail appetizer is a really refreshing and bright option on the menu. The crunch from the jicama helps to balance the spiciness from the chili and you can't help but think... ah yes... raw fish yummm melt in my mouth.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad: baby greens, smoked paprika yogurt, white anchovy
One of the best apps, for sure. You'll want to smother the roasted cauliflowers until they are coated with the smoked paprika yogurt. Do it. Don't be afraid. We won't judge you.

Seared Foie Gras: rhubarb-tonka bean jam, almond cookie
How much more decadent can you get than foie gras, right? Of course, right. But this seared foie gras is worth every calorie/dollar/mean look from friends you refuse to share with...

Since foie gras tends to be such a heavy flavor, it's really nice to have that sweet, fruity jam which really helps to cut into the richness... which, in turn, helps to keep you coming back for more. Waistbands beware.

Special Appetizers: Foie Gras Pate and Foie Gras soup
Fond also does daily specials, both for apps and entrees, and they consistently deliver in creativity and execution. So when we heard the specials included a foie gras pate and soup, we knew we had to try them. Besides, Foie Gras Pate - need I say anything else, really? It was served with a dijon mustard and toasted bread. Not too rich or overwhelmingly salty in any way. Put it this way, we had 2 plates of this and ate every last morsel of pate and had to get more bread!

The Foie Gras Soup was similar in creaminess to the mushroom soup that is on the regular menu, but of course you could taste the distinctive flavor of the foie gras, that was almost buttery, with a hint of sweetness and a whole lot of yumminess.

We found that there was actually a sweet, nutty, jam type coating on one side of the bowl. Going back to perfect complementary flavors, I was so surprised by how much scooping a bit of this jam with each spoonful of the soup made such a difference.

MAIN COURSES
Seared Skate Wing: meyer lemon risotto, edamame, soy brown butter
I love love love skate. It's amazing that it has so much flavor, is properly salty, and rarely has a fishy scent or flavor, or at least I've only had the good fortune of having well prepared skate. This is a dish I have tried a few times now, and it never fails to impress me. I'm a big fan of risotto and I love when chefs make a lemon risotto that is so tart and bright because it goes so well with fish - especially skate, which is usually a saltier fish. And brown butter really helps to temper the tartness of the lemon in a way that makes you really want to lick the plate clean. Don't do that, though. I mean, we're not really judgmental foodies, but ... too far!

Berkshire Pork Loin: white beans, pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, pork jus
This was our first time trying the Pork Loin and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan was it good. Soopah ventured to say that it was an unbeatable pork loin... I don't know if I've had enough Pork Loin to make such a BOLD STATEMENT such as that, but really... it is GOOOOOOOOOOD. The pork is tender and flavorful, while the soft beans and tart tomatoes all meld together in that delicious thing known as pork jus!

All Natural Chicken Breast: house-made pasta, summer vegetables, buffalo mozzarella, chicken jus
I generally shy away from ordering chicken when I go out to restaurants because ... well... I mean, you can imagine why, yes? Chicken is boring. Chicken is so often dry and bland. Chicken is for the non-foodies to order while their foodie friends scoff at their unadventurous spirits. BUT BUT BUT  (what what, in the ...heh) this chicken was none of those things.

THIS chicken was juicy and flavorful and tender.... mmmmmm. The house-made pasta on this evening was a pappardelle, which was wonderful with the mozzarella and veggies, and I remember it (vaguely), but yeah.. the chicken.. it was droolworthy chicken.
    
New Zealand Lamb Rack: eggplant caponata, pinenuts, spiced cracker, lamb jus
Rack of lamb is generally a fancier entree option, or at least it sounds like it to me, but often a risky choice as well. IMO, it's a meat that must be perfectly cooked in order to be enjoyable; there is so little room for error. In addition, putting together an original combination of flavors, that still makes the lamb the centerpiece, is quite difficult to do. Well, as usual, Fond delivers.

Each piece was super flavorful and didn't have a hit of gamey-ness at all. I actually think this is my new favorite regular entree item at Fond. I do acknowledge that this may be because I am just so impressed with good lamb.

Seared Yellowfin Tuna: Greek-style farro salad, feta cream
The tuna was a very solid dish. Good tuna, well-executed and nicely balanced flavors. I will say this is probably the only dish I can't feel myself getting super excited about. This may be influenced by my recent discovery that I don't really care for seared tuna, but I would generally say this was the least exciting item on the menu. Don't get me wrong - still excellent, but essentially, I would give everything else a try before ordering this one.

Heh, it is also a bit unfair because this picture doesn't quite do it justice... but... still, good stuff. YAY tuna.

DESSERTS
Somehow, some way, we always make room for dessert when we dine at Fond. I think there are very few places in the city where the starters, entrees and desserts are on a similar plane of excellence. There are tons of places that have extraordinary appetizers and/or stellar entrees, but totally forgettable desserts. Not so, here - the desserts at  Fond are unbelievable. GOOD WORK, Jessie!

Tahitian Vanilla "Cannolis": whipped mascarpone, red plum sorbet,hazelnut praline
Fond's innovative interpretation of the South Philly Italian favorite is so good even I like it (I don't usually enjoy cannolis much). The thin shell is made of hazelnut praline and it's so delicate, but is sweet and crispy enough that it holds the light whipped mascarpone perfectly. The plum sorbet adds another layer of tartness that keeps everything fresh.

Pistachio Tart: saffron ice cream, rose water honey, vanilla sour cherries 
Okay, this is where I go off and use superlatives and rave and drool and whine until I can have another bite. The pistachio tart is, BY FAR, my favorite dessert... of ALL TIME. Was that clear enough?

The tart is covered with pistachios and honey and is just heavenly salty sweet buttery in each bite. It's slightly chewy, but that's from the gooey honey coating the entire tart. The saffron ice cream has a really subtle saffron flavor, and really gives the tart great contrast. I could eat this all day long. AND I'm superduper excited to say that I've had it more than once and it hasn't failed me yet.

Sorbet Sampler: waffle cookies, peach, watermelon, passionfruit
Simple, delicious, refreshing, satisfying! The flavors are super fierce and distinctive. Eating the watermelon sorbet seriously felt like I was having mouthfuls of cold watermelon slices, which is amazing. I honestly can't remember if the first sorbet was peach, or something else, but it was delicious nonetheless. That much I do recall!

Mocha Mousse Cake: dark chocolate, coffee Chantilly, pecan crunch  
The mousse cake is everything that a chocolate lover would want: decadent, semi-sweet, crunchy with a hint of coffee... omg... and because it's largely mousse, it feels light (HA).  

I think it's truly incredible that each course at Fond makes everyone gasp and wipe their drool and keep coming back for more. It's really not surprising at all, though, when you think about who is running this place.

SHOWING PHILLY SOME LOVE 
If you know me, you're aware of how much I love supporting the awesome local businesses in Philadelphia. Philly locals have really been vocal about how great the dining options are in our fair city, and these days, I really appreciate that Philly is also getting sooooooooooo much love and national recognition. Fond was even recognized by the food critic Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post in this great article about Philadelphia dining. Check it out for a full backstory of the partners and Fond opened its doors.

Man, it's really a good time to be a Philadelphian - eating and boozing it up.


To sum up, go to Fond because:

• the food makes you want to lick your plate/silverware/table clean
• parking is relatively easy to find in the area
• BYOB
• the take reservations (!) (215) 551-5000
• these young, local Philly restaurateurs represent the next generation of food genius  

Seriously, Fond is my current fave South Philly spot, and definitely my fave BYOB of the moment. Go and I'm sure you'll experience the same.