KooZeeDoo or KooZeeDon't

Sadly, very sadly, I would categorize my dining experience at KooZeeDoo as a BUST, not a must.

I need a moment to grieve.

Perhaps all this melodrama isn't necessary for a single disappointing dining experience, but the meal at KooZeeDoo had been something I had been anxiously awaiting for quite some time. Being a restaurant that serves homestyle, authentic Portuguese food, it was an interesting new addition to the Philly restaurant scene.  Craig Laban liked it, our favorite executive chef at Fond liked it, the JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION liked it, but I DID NOT! Neither did Geo (I had been dining with Geo quite a bit in recent days, mostly due to the fact that it was recently his birthday, and as with most birthday celebrations these days, we apparently had to celebrate it all week).

I will caveat this review by saying that the menu at KZD has changed since all of the aforementioned rave reviews. We did not find this out until we sat down since the website still had the old menu. So you can only imagine my sadness (and utter despair, really) when I was informed that the Baked Duck Rice was no longer offered on the menu! Okay, taking another deep breath. For the record, I am including pics of the menu at the end of this post so you can know what KZD actually offers, rather than tempts you with on their website.

:: KooZeeDoo ::
address: 614 North 2nd St, Philly
what we ate: potato and salt cod croquettes, chicken gizzards, octopus rice, pork and clams
This isn't to say that everything at KZD was bad. There were certainly highlights. I  mean, it is after all, a BYOB. Oh, and it's family-style, so the portions are quite large - which I guess can be viewed as a good thing and bad thing depending on how much you like or hate the dish. Okay, that's it, the end.

Fiiiiiiine. There were other highlights.

Pasteis de Bacalhau: potato + salt cod croquettes
For me, this was the best part of the meal. The outer layer of the potato was crispy and flavorful, and the salt cod was a perfectly paired addition to the soft potatoes.

They were served with lemon to squeeze over top, drizzled with a Portuguese olive oil, and with a concentrated tomato relish that really rounded out the flavors.

As you can see from the picture, the texture was very similar to that of a crabcake, but definitely tasted like salty potato mash with chewy fish.

Espetadas de Moelas: skewered chicken gizzards
This was another well-received dish. The chicken gizzards were extremely tender and tasted more like chicken thighs, than gizzards. If you are a gizzard lover, you would definitely enjoy these.

Again, we were given lemons to squeeze over top of this dish. These were grilled and warm and the juice was easily squeezed.

Clearly, the appetizers were good here. Which got us very excited about the entrees to come. As I had mentioned, the baked duck rice had been removed from the menu, but we came across yet another obstacle. One of our first entree choices had been the Entrecosto e Entrerneada, which was the grilled pork spareribs and pork belly dish. Our server informed us that because of the rain, the KZD chefs couldn't cook on the outdoor grill, which would really take away from that particular dish. He suggested that we make a return trip when the weather was nicer in order to really appreciate the dish to the fullest. That sounded like good advice, but of course, now I have no plans to return - HA.

Here are the entrees that we did end up ordering.

Carne de Porco a Alentenjano: pork + clams + crisp potatoes
This entree was a mixed bag. The clams were cooked perfectly and had very nice flavor, as did the potatoes, which truly were remarkably crispy and therefore, enjoyable. On the other hand, the pork itself tasted a bit dry and bland.

Arroz De Polvo: octopus + rice + chourico
Obviously, we ordered this because we thought it would be a good stand-in for the missing Duck rice. FALSE. This was, bar far, the grossest thing I have eaten in some time. It didn't even LOOK appetizing. The rice was PURPLE, for heaven's sake.

Even the octopus pieces themselves weren't very pleasant. The were enormously thick and oddly mushy/chewy. I still don't really understand how that texture was achieved, but just looking at these pictures again actually remind me of the flavor and taste and it is grossing me out. So, I will move on.

To sum it all up, I really wanted KooZeeDoo to be great. Not only because it's another small Philly BYOB, but because Philly still needs more variety of cuisine and the idea of having a Portuguese place in the Northern Liberties was exciting. However, the food itself fell quite short of my expectations. I sincerely hope that my experience was an anomaly and that others find the KZD fare more appealing to their palate, because I definitely don't want to go back.

As promised, the NEW MENU.

garces garces garces garces garces

Finally FINALLY, we made it to the Garces Trading Company for dinner. Despite the 1 hour, 40  minute wait, it was one of my favorite dining experiences in Philly. I think the last time I was this blown away by an entire meal was a few years ago when I first tried Modo Mio.

:: Garces Trading Company ::
address: 1111 locust st, philly
what we ate: artichokes, gnudi, flatbread pizza, pasta carbonara, hangar steak, coffee, wine
On Saturday night, around 7:50pm (otherwise known as prime time dining hour), 4 of us ventured over to Garces Trading co in the hopes that we might be able to have dinner at some reasonable hour. We had already missed our reservation at Zavino because I had been too busy kicking some serious ass in bowling at North Bowl to keep a better eye on the clock. The hostess quoted us 1 hour 15 minute to 1 hour and a half wait time, and we optimistically put our names in to wait.

As I mentioned, the wait ended up actually being closer to 1 hour and 40 minutes, but we were still quite cheerful and happy the entire time due to the fact that the Garces Trading Co staff is unbelievably good at making the experience a bearable, almost pleasant one.

Here are some of the delightful things you can do while you wait for your table:

• Shop for a bottle (or two or three) of Spanish, French or Italian wines in the state store located INSIDE of the Garces Trading Co restaurant. The beauty here, besides the obvious convenience factor is that you can a) ultimately buy wine for your meal without the huge standard markup, b) there is knowledgeable staff on hand to help you make a great selection for your meal and c) if you realize you need more wine, you can simply get up and go buy another bottle in the middle of your meal. They also have a respectable offering of liquors as well in case wine isn't your thing. 
• Sample the various specialty oils and vinegars to whet your appetite. Walnut, black or white truffle oil and pomegranate balsamic vinegar are just a few examples of the kinds of samples you can dip your crusty cube of sourdough bread into while you wait. 
• Stalk the charcuterie and cheesemongers. There are usually plates of prosciutto and cheese samples along the charcuterie wall - if you smile a lot and give the staff sad hungry eyes, they will continue to cut you samples of their delicious cheese and meal selections. During our wait, we tried 4 different cheeses, including a pecorino romano and gorgonzola with nutella. 
• Go to Varga Bar for a drink while you wait! They take your phone number to call you when the table is ready. 
• Drink WINE! Whether you bring your own, or purchase at the state store inside, the hostesses are more than happy to uncork your wine and bring you a few glasses so you can enjoy your beverage and chitchat with your friends while you wait. C'mon - how can you beat that?!  

And then, of course, there is the FOOD. The 4 of us decided immediately that we were going to share everything so we could taste a wide array of garces delights. 

Baby Artichokes: preserved lemon + oil + honey + dates

YUM YUM YUM. The artichokes were quartered and drizzled with a lemony olive oil that was vibrant, tart and still sweet. The slices of dates that topped the artichokes were chewy and added a nice sweetness and texture.

Ricotta Gnudi: wild mushrooms + bianco sardo + morel cream

At our server's suggestion, we added a starter size portion of the ricotta gnudi and boy am I glad we did. Gnudis are a type of gnocci, but made with ricotta cheese and flour. They are almost dumpling-like and have been described as a ravioli without the filling. At any rate, the gnudi at Garces Trading Co came dressed in a mushroom cream sauce with mushrooms, micro greens and a few slices of parmesan dusting the top. 

The gnudi were soft and fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth pillows of tastiness. This dish was a surprise hit with our table and is proof that you should always listen to your waitstaff, especially when you're at the Garces Trading Co.  

Tuscan Fusilli Alla Carbonara: guanciale + eggs + black pepper + pecorino

The second pasta that we ordered is the tuscan fusilli carbonara. I had heard from many different food critics, Garces fanboys and "respected" press alike that the carbonara was a must-try dish. I had my reservations because I've never really been a fan of carbonara sauces; the idea of using an egg yolk to coating your entire pasta dish sounded so foreign and unappealing to me. HOWEVER, I have been converted. Thankfully, I have found that I have newfound appreciation for all things raw or runny eggs, which definitely helped. 

Of course, the guanciale (which is unsmoked Italian bacon prepared from a pig's jowl or cheek) definitely helped get me excited about the dish. 

You can see in the picture the slightly poached whole egg that is just waiting to be broken so it can spread into the dish and wrap all the delicious pasta, cheese and pepper together to prepare for your first bite. The pasta itself was cooked al dente and was magnificently chewy and the thickness of the pasta managed to catch the perfect amount of the sauce for each bite. 

Pizza De Prosciutto: oven roasted tomato + mozzarella + prosciutto + olive oil

We ran into Jen while waiting for our table. We consider her to be a Garces Trading Co expert since I'm pretty sure she eats there once a week (lucky girl). She mentioned that the prosciutto pizza was one of her favorites, so we opted to order this as our pizza selection. 

The pizzas are definitely a good size. They are cut into triangles and as you can see, are generously topped with the delicious ingredients so they are perfect for sharing. I was surprised by how much prosciutto and fresh mozzarella was in each bite. The crust was thin, but thick enough to complement portion of toppings - and chewy, but crispy towards the ends (as great pizza should be).  

Streak Frites: grilled hanger steak + duck fat fries + asparagus + maitake mushrooms + béarnaise

Garces Trading Co has a Plats Du Jour (daily specials) section on their menu and each item is different for each day of the week. These dishes are dinner specials, available after 5pm, and usually considered large enough for two people to share. On this Saturday night, the special was the Steak Frites. This lovely couple seated at the table next to us had ordered this as their dinner and raved so much about it that we were convinced to order it for the table as well. 

We were definitely not disappointed. The hangar steak came out perfectly cooked medium rare and was very flavorful and tender. However, the 2 stars of this plate were the duck fat frites and the asparagus! While the duck fat fries at Village Whiskey are very good, I had never been blown away by how they were prepared there - they were delicious, but not really a standout. In contrast, the duck fat fries at Garces were unbelievable. They were much thicker cut fries so I have no idea how they did this, but the outside of eaach fry were super crispy, especially along the edges, and the inside of the fry were soft but still firm and full of flavor. The asparagus was also amazing. You could taste the smokiness from the grill with each bite and of course, they were also perfectly cooked and had that light crunch. 

We dipped everything in the bearnaise sauce and didn't even feel guilty about it because it was amazingly delicious.   

Coffee and the Little Things

Because apparently, we are now old, we had actually ordered coffee for the table early on in the meal. As with everything we tried at Garces Trading co, the coffee was equally delicious. Even on presentation alone, it is impressive; two sizes of coffee offerings and they serve it at the table in an authentic french coffee press. 

You can see how much care and thought went into the planning of this restaurant. The small details and combination of restaurant + cheese/meat provider + dessert specialist + state liquor and wine store is just genius.

I love the way each table has a small fresh pepper grinder and a small dish with coarse grain salt, and of course, sugar in the RAW.

THUMBS UP, INDEED.    

village whiskey: KING of burgers

last thursday, my friend andrew was in town from NY and we decided to show him what the best of philly burger tastes like. obviously, that meant, VILLAGE WHISKEY. vw is another one of jose garces' genius contributions to the city of philadelphia. and we love him for it. it's absolutely my favorite burger place, even though the prices, like the decadent burgers, are excessive. located next to another garces location, tinto, village whiskey is dark and cozy, with small tables that work best for groups of 2-4 and a long bar that is always packed with people. the bartenders here make some of the best cocktails in the city, and true to the name, vw has an impressive list of whiskey - scores of bourbon and rye, OH MY! the beer list isn't too shabby either. and somehow, the bartenders really seem to know what you'll like.

side note: i decided i am going to try something new - usage of capital letters in appropriate places. sigh. because i am apparently an adult and adults should write with proper punctuation and capitalization. 

:: Village Whiskey :: 

address: 118 south 20th st, philly

what we ate: beers, bourbon, cheese puffs, tater tots, whiskey king, 2 variations of village burgers

Now, Andrew is a true foodie and from New York, so clearly the pressure was on. After all, we have a reputation to uphold! 

Tater Tots with garlic aoli

Though, tater tots might nostalgic for the days you bought lunch in your school cafeterias, the tots at VW are probably not what you expect. The tots are shaped like little round balls and the potatoes taste like mashed potatoes that have been coated and deep fried.

I didn't really like the garlic aoli that accompanied these tots. It was overall a bit bland and didn't seem to add anything much to the dish. It would have been so much better with extra bite - perhaps spicy dijon. 

Cheese Puffs

Very disappointing. The puffs were bland and not even the cheese could help distract from the unappealing texture. Usually, we have to fight over the last remaining item in a dish, but with these, the last one just sat there until the rest of our food arrived at our table and the server cleared the plate away. 

Whiskey King burger: maple bourbon glazed cipollini onion + rogue bleu cheese + applewood bacon + foie gras

Andrew ordered the whiskey king. I was somewhat surprised by the size of the foie gras slice since it seemed so much smaller than the last time I had gotten this burger. 

The bacon slices looked thicker though, which is always a plus. Andrew was not too impressed with this burger. I mean, he wasn't disappointed with it, certainly, but expressed that there were places in NYC that had better burgers. That may be true, but a) that's NY and b) i feel like it's possible his opinion was tainted. 

Let me explain: he ate the burger with a knife and fork. And didn't eat the top bun.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that (other than it being a heinous and offensive crime to the best burger of all time, in philadelphia, in the year 2010... need more qualifiers - heh). BUT, I will say that it does change the experience of eating a burger - the experience should include big bites of the burger with a little bit of every ingredient smashed together, with meat juices dripping onto your hands and plate and toppings sliding out of your grasp. All I'm saying is... if you go try the whiskey king, eat it with your hands for optimal pleasure. :) 

Village Burger #1: sesame roll + house-made thousandisland + tomato + boston bibb + haystack mountain chevre + caramelized onions

I'll say this. We ordered both Village Burgers medium well. I'm not sure what I was thinking - maybe I was still haunted from my experience at Bobby's Burger Palace, but I think that was a mistake. Medium is preferred, and you could probably really go Medium Rare if you wanted to. I don't think that caramelized onions and chevre cheese are the ideal combination. 

Chevre is a goat's milk cheese and has a mild flavor, and of course, is very soft. The sweetness of the caramelized onions would have been better complemented by a sharper cheese - like a bleu. 

Village Burger #2: sesame roll + house-made thousandisland + tomato + boston bibb + jasper hill cheddar + marinated crimini mushrooms + fried egg + smoked bacon

This is my personal masterpiece. I call this the VW Burger a la mindy. I think it's PERFECTION. Better than the Whiskey King. Don't get too excited because once you add up all the ingredients, it still costs as much as the Whiskey King signature burger, but tastes BETTER imo.

As far as food trends go, I know 2010 is lovingly being referred to as the "year we put fried eggs on sh*t," and I am ALL for this idea. Fried eggs make almost everything better, wonderful, droolworthy, etc. I have this thing where I like to cut my burger in half before taking a bite, and this strategy works quite well when you have a fried egg topped burger since the yolk will break and lovingly coat a generous portion of the burger and all toppings with its gooey richness.

The bacon adds that extra chewy saltiness, which is balanced out by that gooey egg. The sauteed mushrooms add moisture, while the tomato and lettuce added that always welcome refreshing sweetness and crunch. And the cheddar, of course the sharp cheddar.... yessssss. In short, the VW Burger a la mindy is a must.

Andrew liked this better than the whiskey king too! Although, once again, I'd like to note that he did in fact eat this burger with his hands (rather than knife and forking it) - so that may have played a part too!

hearts VW.