Who knows where their heads are sometimes at the Green Room. The Hotel DuPont's stately restaurant is the state's premier dining room, the pinnacle of potential refinement, yet they're blithely missing a great chance to tout themselves among people who think things here are too stuffy and inaccessible. As you'll read below in Patty's post, our befuddled servers at lunch Monday had to be practically badgered into letting us see the special $15-per-person menu for Wilmington Restaurant Week. Our frequently absent waiter's confusion over the issue would seem to indicate it had more to do with lack of communication than any nefarious intent, but it's hard to come up with a good excuse for the fact that it took two hours to get through our lunch.
The real shame is that by not promoting this event more aggressively, and by not encouraging its servers to be at their accommodating best this week, the Green Room is only helping to perpetuate its own reputation for haughtiness. A lot of public good will (and potential new customers) could be gained from all that the Green Room has to offer this week -- especially the snappy, sassy Monte Cristo sandwich and a delicately sauced, perfectly roasted salmon fillet. The Monte Cristo -- sort of a ham sandwich on steroids -- is dipped in egg batter and sauteed, letting the Gruyere cheese melt into a creamy, chewy counterpoint to the salty ham
This week, you can get that, along with a decent clam chowder, at the most beautiful restaurant in the state for just $15 bucks. But you wouldn't know it unless you already knew it.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wilmington Restaurant Week: Take one
Eric Ruth and I kicked off Wilmington's Restaurant Week with a lunch time visit to the Hotel du Pont's Green Room.
The Green Room wins the award for the most majestic dining room in the state. But the service, well....let's just say it's needs a lot of work.
Eric is posting his own thoughts. Here's my disappointing take:
We were seated and didn't get any menus for a good 10 minutes. (The dining room was definitely not full.) Then, when we did - we didn't get Restaurant Week menus. I was starting to suspect a little Bait and Switch going on, but when we asked the server about Restaurant Week menus, he looked like he had absolutely no idea what we were talking about.
Sorry, but this is unforgivable - especially since a Hotel du Pont chef was on Al Mascitti's WDEL (1150-AM) radio program that morning touting Restaurant Week. I looked around the room and didn't see ANYONE else with Restaurant Week menus.
The food was good - I had a salad with tomato carpaccio (this, my friends, means raw tomato sliced very, very thinly.) The grilled salmon was a hefty serving and served with a wonderfully seasoned lemon-caper vin blanc & tomato jam, roasted potatoes and lightly wilted spinach.
But our meal seemed to take forever - and two bottles of iced tea cost $9.50. Perhaps, our server was a little distracted and definitely had his hands full - he was also waiting on DuPont Co. CEO Chad Holliday who was at a table near us.
Hmm, I wonder if Holliday got a Restaurant Week menu?
The Green Room wins the award for the most majestic dining room in the state. But the service, well....let's just say it's needs a lot of work.
Eric is posting his own thoughts. Here's my disappointing take:
We were seated and didn't get any menus for a good 10 minutes. (The dining room was definitely not full.) Then, when we did - we didn't get Restaurant Week menus. I was starting to suspect a little Bait and Switch going on, but when we asked the server about Restaurant Week menus, he looked like he had absolutely no idea what we were talking about.
Sorry, but this is unforgivable - especially since a Hotel du Pont chef was on Al Mascitti's WDEL (1150-AM) radio program that morning touting Restaurant Week. I looked around the room and didn't see ANYONE else with Restaurant Week menus.
The food was good - I had a salad with tomato carpaccio (this, my friends, means raw tomato sliced very, very thinly.) The grilled salmon was a hefty serving and served with a wonderfully seasoned lemon-caper vin blanc & tomato jam, roasted potatoes and lightly wilted spinach.
But our meal seemed to take forever - and two bottles of iced tea cost $9.50. Perhaps, our server was a little distracted and definitely had his hands full - he was also waiting on DuPont Co. CEO Chad Holliday who was at a table near us.
Hmm, I wonder if Holliday got a Restaurant Week menu?
Wine dinners
Plenty of restaurants offer wine dinners. It usually works something like this: A restaurateur will bring in a noted winemaker who talks about his products. The chef then prepares a multi-course meal that matches the wines. You pay one price - sometimes the tip is included.
Quite often these dinners are very pleasant - you usually sit with people you don't know and the conversation can be fascinating. Or sometimes - like a wine dinner I once attended - you're seated with some real bozos. I once got seated with a very drunk college professor who insulted people at the table for their political views. He also kept dropping f-bombs.Two people got up and left, which a friend and I seriously considered doing, but I was working that night on a story. Afterward, we had a good laugh about the bozo, but it did taint the food and wine experience.
Last night, however, I attended a thoroughly enjoyable evening at Toscana Kitchen + Bar for Tuscan winemaker Paolo De Marchi, hosted by Moore Brothers. Chef Cliff Aycock did an outstanding job with the dishes - wow - I could eat the pan-seared diver scallop over toasted brioche with oven dried tomato concasse and Champagne cream gratinee anytime. And the pan-seared Muscovy duck break over caramelized root vegetables with black trumpet mushroom and duck glace de viande was pure perfection.
Lots of Italian wine lovers in attendance - I ran into Domaine Hudson owner Tom Hudson and Greg Moore, who now spends much of his time in the Moore Brothers Manhattan store, was also there.
Paolo De Marchi owns the Isole e Olena vineyards in Tuscany's Chianti region and his 29-year-old son operates the Proprieta Sperino estate in Piedmont.
Paolo, a very charming man, has been in the family wine business since 1976. He is interested in making wines of their origin and said he has been working to "take Chianti out of the medieval economy to the global economy." Indeed, more than 80 percent of his wines are now sent to 40 countries.
My hands down favorite wine was Isole e Olena Cepparello 2003, a wine made from 100 percent Sangiovese. (I just looked it up and its about $60 a bottle. Gulp. No wonder I liked it so much.) But a close second is the Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2004. (It's a more pocket friendly $23 a bottle.)
I'm going to be in Tuscany this October and I already made plans to visit Paolo.
Quite often these dinners are very pleasant - you usually sit with people you don't know and the conversation can be fascinating. Or sometimes - like a wine dinner I once attended - you're seated with some real bozos. I once got seated with a very drunk college professor who insulted people at the table for their political views. He also kept dropping f-bombs.Two people got up and left, which a friend and I seriously considered doing, but I was working that night on a story. Afterward, we had a good laugh about the bozo, but it did taint the food and wine experience.
Last night, however, I attended a thoroughly enjoyable evening at Toscana Kitchen + Bar for Tuscan winemaker Paolo De Marchi, hosted by Moore Brothers. Chef Cliff Aycock did an outstanding job with the dishes - wow - I could eat the pan-seared diver scallop over toasted brioche with oven dried tomato concasse and Champagne cream gratinee anytime. And the pan-seared Muscovy duck break over caramelized root vegetables with black trumpet mushroom and duck glace de viande was pure perfection.
Lots of Italian wine lovers in attendance - I ran into Domaine Hudson owner Tom Hudson and Greg Moore, who now spends much of his time in the Moore Brothers Manhattan store, was also there.
Paolo De Marchi owns the Isole e Olena vineyards in Tuscany's Chianti region and his 29-year-old son operates the Proprieta Sperino estate in Piedmont.
Paolo, a very charming man, has been in the family wine business since 1976. He is interested in making wines of their origin and said he has been working to "take Chianti out of the medieval economy to the global economy." Indeed, more than 80 percent of his wines are now sent to 40 countries.
My hands down favorite wine was Isole e Olena Cepparello 2003, a wine made from 100 percent Sangiovese. (I just looked it up and its about $60 a bottle. Gulp. No wonder I liked it so much.) But a close second is the Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2004. (It's a more pocket friendly $23 a bottle.)
I'm going to be in Tuscany this October and I already made plans to visit Paolo.
Eat locally
The City of Wilmington's Restaurant Week begins today - with 11 downtown eateries participating - and runs through Saturday. Rehoboth Restaurant Week, with 26 restaurants offering discounted menus, begins Tuesday and runs through Sunday. See my stories on these events.
Definitely stop in some of the participating restaurants if you can. You can find some really good deals. (Seriously, $30 for a three-course meal, is, in many cases, a great bargain. Especially since entrees in many fine dining establishments are creeping toward $30 and more.)
I made a few reservations, including one today at noon, and I'll let you know what I think after I dine. Stay tuned and check back.
We also want to hear your comments and experiences this week - what restaurant has a great Restaurant Week menu and what's not worth the bother?
Definitely stop in some of the participating restaurants if you can. You can find some really good deals. (Seriously, $30 for a three-course meal, is, in many cases, a great bargain. Especially since entrees in many fine dining establishments are creeping toward $30 and more.)
I made a few reservations, including one today at noon, and I'll let you know what I think after I dine. Stay tuned and check back.
We also want to hear your comments and experiences this week - what restaurant has a great Restaurant Week menu and what's not worth the bother?
Friday, April 27, 2007
One reader's view of the restaurant critic
And you think this job's easy? You envy me for getting to eat free food? Be careful what you wish for -- critics are easy targets for folks whose allegiances have been tweaked by a review. This one steps a bit beyond fair criticism and challenges my integrity, but let's not deny readers their occasional shots -- critics cannot be above criticism.
Well. First off, I am only vaguely aware of who does and doesn't advertise. It's no skin off my nose if a heavy advertiser gets miffed. I write for the reader; judge out of concern for the diner; not as a quid pro quo for taking out ad space. As for my qualifications, I'd offer a valiant defense of my culinary skills, if only the memories of the lettuce-wrapped Korean pork disaster that occurred last night in my kitchen weren't so fresh in my mind.
dear sir,
it's obvious that your reviews are heavily tilted by those who
advertise with your newspaper. those in the know, know very well that you are not qualified to rate/judge any establishments and this should be noted in all your reviews, at least some kind of disclaimer. many of your judgements are quite preposterous.
Well. First off, I am only vaguely aware of who does and doesn't advertise. It's no skin off my nose if a heavy advertiser gets miffed. I write for the reader; judge out of concern for the diner; not as a quid pro quo for taking out ad space. As for my qualifications, I'd offer a valiant defense of my culinary skills, if only the memories of the lettuce-wrapped Korean pork disaster that occurred last night in my kitchen weren't so fresh in my mind.
Sounding off about a noisy restaurant
Happy rainy, soggy Friday.
This is the day for reader mail. Got a dining question? Email it in or add it to the comments and we'll try to answer your queries. Here's what on your minds so far:
QUESTION: Not a question, but an observation. We went to Harry's Seafood Grill (101 S. Market St.; Wilmington Riverfront; 777-1500) on a recent Thursday night. What a gorgeous setting, great food...but we will NEVER go back there. The noise level/din was horrendous. Even our waiter could not hear us giving our order. You would think that, with all the money spent on this place, they would have consulted with someone who specializes in acoustics. What a shame. J.
ANSWER: J, I called Xavier Teixido, who owns the Wilmington Riverfront restaurant with executive chef David Leo Banks, and shared your concerns.
“They are right,” Teixido said, offering his apologies. He said the bar area, which has several tables, is “a hard space and that room can get loud, primarily on Thursday or Friday nights.”
Teixido has consulted with sound engineers who told him that 40 percent of the space would need to be covered for the noise to be muffled.
But not everyone hates the din. “There are people who want it noisy, bustling and loud.”
Teixido said that the carpeting in the main dining room was replaced last week “and I even had them put an extra pad on it.” If anyone is ever unhappy with where they are sitting - especially in the bar area, Teixido said “please let us know. We’ll be happy to move you.”
Restaurateurs have said it over and over: They want patrons to speak up - when they're at the restaurant - and voice your concerns, not when they leave. If it's a restaurant that cares about its customers, they will try to accommodate you.
J, since you enjoyed both the food and the setting, I say you give Harry’s another chance.
QUESTION: Hi Patricia ~ About 2-3 months ago, you reviewed a restaurant in Chester County, Pa., (possibly the Unionville area) that sounded like an Irish pub. You described it as small, decent food; a place that is known to locals but gets a good crowd on the weekends. Can you tell me the name of the restaurant and its location? I thought I saved the review, but I cannot find it anywhere. It sounds like a fun place to try. Thanks in advance for any info you can provide. Linda Brinker
ANSWER: Linda, I believe you’re thinking of The Whip Tavern, (1383 N. Chatham Road, near Coatesville, Pa. (610) 383-0600 or www.thewhiptavern.com) a snug, 42-seat English style pub in the hinterlands of West Marlborough Township. Don’t try to find this place on a foggy night - like we did on our first visit. You’ll get hopelessly lost. And don’t go on a Tuesday - the tavern is closed that day. Beer is served at the pub, but The Whip is actually a BYOB restaurant. You can bring your own wine, but a $2.50 corkage fee will be charged. Cigarette smoking is permitted after 9 p.m. (This is a Pennsylvania tavern.) Get the Welsh rarebit, a warm blend of melted English cheddar and Stilton cheeses swirled with Smithwick's Irish Ale and served with crostini for dipping. The mushroom soup is made with locally grown mushroom in a porcini broth. Owner K.C. Kulp says the kitchen turns out Shepherd's pie with ground lamb, regulars love the Guinness lamb stew, and the toad-in-the-hole – or sausage baked in Yorkshire pudding – is now offered as an entree instead of an appetizer.
This is the day for reader mail. Got a dining question? Email it in or add it to the comments and we'll try to answer your queries. Here's what on your minds so far:
QUESTION: Not a question, but an observation. We went to Harry's Seafood Grill (101 S. Market St.; Wilmington Riverfront; 777-1500) on a recent Thursday night. What a gorgeous setting, great food...but we will NEVER go back there. The noise level/din was horrendous. Even our waiter could not hear us giving our order. You would think that, with all the money spent on this place, they would have consulted with someone who specializes in acoustics. What a shame. J.
ANSWER: J, I called Xavier Teixido, who owns the Wilmington Riverfront restaurant with executive chef David Leo Banks, and shared your concerns.
“They are right,” Teixido said, offering his apologies. He said the bar area, which has several tables, is “a hard space and that room can get loud, primarily on Thursday or Friday nights.”
Teixido has consulted with sound engineers who told him that 40 percent of the space would need to be covered for the noise to be muffled.
But not everyone hates the din. “There are people who want it noisy, bustling and loud.”
Teixido said that the carpeting in the main dining room was replaced last week “and I even had them put an extra pad on it.” If anyone is ever unhappy with where they are sitting - especially in the bar area, Teixido said “please let us know. We’ll be happy to move you.”
Restaurateurs have said it over and over: They want patrons to speak up - when they're at the restaurant - and voice your concerns, not when they leave. If it's a restaurant that cares about its customers, they will try to accommodate you.
J, since you enjoyed both the food and the setting, I say you give Harry’s another chance.
QUESTION: Hi Patricia ~ About 2-3 months ago, you reviewed a restaurant in Chester County, Pa., (possibly the Unionville area) that sounded like an Irish pub. You described it as small, decent food; a place that is known to locals but gets a good crowd on the weekends. Can you tell me the name of the restaurant and its location? I thought I saved the review, but I cannot find it anywhere. It sounds like a fun place to try. Thanks in advance for any info you can provide. Linda Brinker
ANSWER: Linda, I believe you’re thinking of The Whip Tavern, (1383 N. Chatham Road, near Coatesville, Pa. (610) 383-0600 or www.thewhiptavern.com) a snug, 42-seat English style pub in the hinterlands of West Marlborough Township. Don’t try to find this place on a foggy night - like we did on our first visit. You’ll get hopelessly lost. And don’t go on a Tuesday - the tavern is closed that day. Beer is served at the pub, but The Whip is actually a BYOB restaurant. You can bring your own wine, but a $2.50 corkage fee will be charged. Cigarette smoking is permitted after 9 p.m. (This is a Pennsylvania tavern.) Get the Welsh rarebit, a warm blend of melted English cheddar and Stilton cheeses swirled with Smithwick's Irish Ale and served with crostini for dipping. The mushroom soup is made with locally grown mushroom in a porcini broth. Owner K.C. Kulp says the kitchen turns out Shepherd's pie with ground lamb, regulars love the Guinness lamb stew, and the toad-in-the-hole – or sausage baked in Yorkshire pudding – is now offered as an entree instead of an appetizer.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Don't go changing to try and please me...
Dontcha just hate it when restaurants take a favorite dish off the menu or get "creative" with one that you adore?
Toscana Kitchen + Bar in Wilmington did that with their calamari, which has been revamped into calamari fritte salad.
I've always loved Toscana's calamari. It's never rubbery, it's got a great crispiness and it's a perfect nosh with a glass of wine, especially a sparkling one like Proscecco.
But I want my calamari alone on a plate with a great dipping sauce - not in a salad.
I was sitting at the Toscana bar with a friend and we were boo-hooing the calamari change. The bartender overheard our conversation and offered to serve us the calamari the "old way." I was as happy as that 13-year-old "American Idol" crying girl pining for Sanjaya. Yippee!
My friend Carolee said she always looks forward to two dishes at Culinaria in Brandywine Hundred - the salmon in the curry sauce and the chicken in the spicy chili glaze.
Now, if Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Wilmington decides to take either its smoked chicken quesadilla or hand-cut sweet potato fries with bourbon vanilla cream, smoked paprika aioli and habareno lime dipping sauces off the menu, that's it - I will boycott the Delaware-based chain. (OK, so maybe not, but these two dishes keep me coming back to Iron Hill. No toucha my plates, capice?)
Please, bored chefs out there, think of your loyal customers when fiddling in the kitchen. I know change can be good, but sometimes it also can be annoying.
Toscana Kitchen + Bar in Wilmington did that with their calamari, which has been revamped into calamari fritte salad.
I've always loved Toscana's calamari. It's never rubbery, it's got a great crispiness and it's a perfect nosh with a glass of wine, especially a sparkling one like Proscecco.
But I want my calamari alone on a plate with a great dipping sauce - not in a salad.
I was sitting at the Toscana bar with a friend and we were boo-hooing the calamari change. The bartender overheard our conversation and offered to serve us the calamari the "old way." I was as happy as that 13-year-old "American Idol" crying girl pining for Sanjaya. Yippee!
My friend Carolee said she always looks forward to two dishes at Culinaria in Brandywine Hundred - the salmon in the curry sauce and the chicken in the spicy chili glaze.
Now, if Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Wilmington decides to take either its smoked chicken quesadilla or hand-cut sweet potato fries with bourbon vanilla cream, smoked paprika aioli and habareno lime dipping sauces off the menu, that's it - I will boycott the Delaware-based chain. (OK, so maybe not, but these two dishes keep me coming back to Iron Hill. No toucha my plates, capice?)
Please, bored chefs out there, think of your loyal customers when fiddling in the kitchen. I know change can be good, but sometimes it also can be annoying.
Tasty tastykakes
I'm more of Peanut Butter Kandy Kake gal myself, but the Tasty Baking Company's new lemon-flavored krimpets, unveiled today, aren't half bad.
The Philadelphia company has partnered with the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation to produce Alex's Lemon Krimpets. The confections are a lemon-filled variation of the company's krimpets, a classic sponge cake. The krimpets cost $3.79 for a family pack. Tasty Baking is donating 50 cents for every box sold to the foundation.
Alex's Lemonade Stand has raised more than $10 million for pediatric oncology research since 2000. It's named for 4-year-old Alex Scott who set up a lemonade stand in her family's front yard. Alex died of cancer in 2004 at the age of 8.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Are we talking about the same place?
I was just cleaning out my email when I came across this gem of a P.R. pitch, sent earlier this month from April Helmer of Breslow Partners in Philadelphia. I don't know how I missed it.
The P.R. firm, while trying to tout a certain Sussex County eatery, managed to dis just about every other restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. And it also showed that it knows little to nothing at all about Rehoboth.
Excerpts from the eye-rolling pitch:
"I know Rehoboth Beach isn’t exactly synonymous with haute cuisine (though this laid-back resort town does boast several fine restaurants)."
Oh really? Since when has it NOT been synonymous with haute cuisine? Rehoboth Beach has long had the reputation as having some of the most innovative restaurants in the state.
And this backhanded compliment:
"Rehoboth Beach’s quiet charm (it is “slower lower Delaware,” after all) makes it a perfect weekend getaway spot. It’s a two hour drive from Philadelphia and Washington D.C., and accessible via ferry from New Jersey."
I dunno, to me, this comes across as if Rehoboth is a backwoodsy Mayberry, which couldn't be further from the truth. (I've also never been a fan of the "slower lower Delaware" slogan.) Anyway, RB is most certainly NOT slower Delaware in the summer as anyone sitting in traffic on Del. 1 or trying to find a parking spot on a busy weekend can attest.
The P.R. firm, while trying to tout a certain Sussex County eatery, managed to dis just about every other restaurant in Rehoboth Beach. And it also showed that it knows little to nothing at all about Rehoboth.
Excerpts from the eye-rolling pitch:
"I know Rehoboth Beach isn’t exactly synonymous with haute cuisine (though this laid-back resort town does boast several fine restaurants)."
Oh really? Since when has it NOT been synonymous with haute cuisine? Rehoboth Beach has long had the reputation as having some of the most innovative restaurants in the state.
And this backhanded compliment:
"Rehoboth Beach’s quiet charm (it is “slower lower Delaware,” after all) makes it a perfect weekend getaway spot. It’s a two hour drive from Philadelphia and Washington D.C., and accessible via ferry from New Jersey."
I dunno, to me, this comes across as if Rehoboth is a backwoodsy Mayberry, which couldn't be further from the truth. (I've also never been a fan of the "slower lower Delaware" slogan.) Anyway, RB is most certainly NOT slower Delaware in the summer as anyone sitting in traffic on Del. 1 or trying to find a parking spot on a busy weekend can attest.
Dining partners
“I almost threw up just then,” my dining partner told me one night at Red Square Restaurant & Caviar Bar in Rehoboth Beach.
Oh my. Now, that’s something you don’t ever want to hear in a restaurant.
Was there a hair in the smoked salmon? Did he slurp a bad oyster? Or bite down on red, raw poultry?
None of the above.
It was the blini I had just smothered with osetra caviar and handed to him.
While I happily munched away on pricey fish eggs and sipped champagne - which were both icy cold and excellent - his face turned into an ashy, Grinchy grimace. He couldn’t swallow water fast enough to get rid of the lingering nutty, briny taste that I adore. (Frankly, I was a little surprised at his reaction - this is a guy usually game for almost any kind of food. But taste is, after all, subjective.)
“It’ll get better,” I promised and scooped up sevruga caviar.
He gave me a look like I just tried to hand him chopped up tarantulas on toast.
Done. Over. Out.
Not everyone is a suited partner for the dining reviews I write for The News Journal and its sister publication Brandywine Signature magazine.
And finding the right dining partners can be harder than you'd imagine.
I’ve taken people along only to find out that they weren’t at all interested in sharing bites of their meal. Others haven’t been so happy to discover that, no, sorry, they could NOT get the same dish as someone else at the table or make special orders. And still others just wouldn’t stop talking, loudly, about REVIEWING the restaurant.
There’s no three strikes and you’re out as my dining partner in crime.
Nope, on my end, it’s one strike and you’re gone.
Dining out is a job. A fun one much of the time, but, albeit, a job just the same that I take very seriously. I have to order a wide variety of food and I need people along who can go with the flow.
Luckily, I’ve developed a posse of eaters who know the rules.
Two of my favorite partners are a pair I like to call The Picky McPickersons, a very well-traveled couple who appreciate all kinds of food. They have great palates and will ask all kinds of questions that I sometimes don't think to ask. They treat my dollar (actually The News Journal's) like their own.
The couple, who aren't professional eaters, are like many restaurant patrons. Faced with an off night or shabby performance by the kitchen or staff, chances are pretty good they won't be returning for any redemption dinners.
They can dine with me anytime.
Burgers, Burgers, Everywhere
Lately, the fast-food burger market has taken an upswing of sorts in Northern Delaware, good news for all beefy-minded grazers who have grown tired (and queasy) at the thought of another McDonald's atrocity. We've seen more and more Five Guys popping up of late, and while their burgers are a notch above the somewhat over-rated offerings at Jake's, they manage to please without really capturing true burger beauty (try their bacon-wrapped hot dogs instead). I've had better luck at the new "Cheeburger Cheeburger" on Concord Pike just north of the state line, where the ambience is decidedly of the "50s sock hop diner" genre and the burgers are fatter, juicier and potentially more lethal than most (I refer here to the 20-ounce "Pounder" ($10.29) that will get your picture posted on the wall if you manage to finish it). The assortment of toppings is staggering (ranging from onions rings to guacamole). Servers are still a bit teen-green, and they need to hone their speed, but it's sure worth a stop.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Clowning around
Saturday night I attended the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus at the Spectrum in Philly with my favorite 4-year-old.
Extremely entertaining. Seriously. Elephants, zebras, high-wire acts, acrobats, people shot out of cannons. Go. Even if you don't have a kid to take along. It's at the Spectrum through Saturday. Shows are roughly 2 hours with a 15-min. intermission.
The 4-year-old was all about Bello, the acrobatic clown with a high top hairstyle that resembles Kid from Kid 'N Play. (Bello was just in Wilmington last week.) Bello, Bello, Bello. That's been the main topic of conversation lately.
But my favorite part was the Big Cat act. This wacky guy, um, I mean, a trainer, gets in a ring with at least 10 big tigers, including a few white ones - and has them performing all kinds of tricks that you just know that tigers don't want to be doing. I've got my own 19-pound white cat - nicknamed Big Boy - who has been known to bite without any warning, so I can't imagine facing 10 500-pound tigers and trying to get them to roll over.
For a few scary, edge-of-the-seat minutes, I thought we were going to witness a Siegfried & Roy moment. But the big cats are always held with a restraint and perform behind a barrier.
OK, so why is this tale on my dining blog? By all means, eat before you go. Or take your own bottles of water and snacks inside. Circus eats ain't cheap. We bought a box of popcorn and it cost $7. Seven beans! For popcorn!
Don't let the kids see the lighted wands, swords and gizmos that vendors are hawking in the stands. They'll take you for $22!
We were suckers. The 4-year-old got a lighted elephant gizmo. Good thing the circus comes once a year.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Celebrity Chefs' Brunch notes
Every time I attend the Meals from Masters Celebrity Chefs' Brunch, I'm blown away by the culinary offerings. This was Sunday's hoity-toity fundraiser at the Bank of America building (formerly MBNA) in Rodney Square. Yeah, at $175 a pop, it's expensive, but the money goes to a good cause and unlike some stroll and troll benefits there was PLENTY of good food and drinks.
(This is kind of funny: MBNA may have left the building, but the MBNA vibe remains - maybe because there are still MBNA-like messages over the doorways that remind employees to think of themselves as the customer, or something like that...)
Before the doors opened at 10 a.m., someone on the loud-speaker called out: "Battlestations...chefs, sous chefs...you have less than 30 seconds..." (I dunno why, but this cracked me up.)
Then the posh crowd poured in and began gobbling.
I had a sip of the Dutch breakfast martini that Vicmead Hunt Club bartender Billy Cerasari sent down an ice luge. Very, very cool, very, very delish. No wonder there were so many people crowding that station. I really wish I hadn't been on the clock for The News Journal because it was a drink that deserved more than one sip.
On to the food: So many interesting dishes, so many interesting choices. Braised pork cheeks, pasteurized lamb, grilled octopus, herring buffet, etc., etc., etc.
I have to say some of my favorites were the shrimp and crab mojitos from chef Chris Prosperi of Metro Bis in Simsbury, Conn., and the smoked rabbit nachoes with creme fraiche cilantro cream from Daniel Stern of Rae and Gayle restaurants in Philadelphia. (Don't make a face. This dish was so good I saw several people pick up business cards and ask for directions to Stern's restaurants. I'm going to write about Stern soon. Stay tuned.)
Pat D'Amico of the Hotel du Pont offered a gloriously delicious torchon of foie gras marinated in vanilla Grand Mariner with grilled pineapple gastrique, coconut froth, macadamia nut tuille and micro greens. It sounds like a lot working on one plate, but D'Amico really showed off his cooking chops and demonstrated why he is one of the state's most talented chefs. Very nicely done, Pat.
Nate Garyantes of 821 Market Street Bistro offered an amazing take on eggs, bacon and coffee. I wrote about it today, but the execution was so top notch and painstakingly difficult - you've got to give Nate and the kitchen staff who cleaned all those eggs a big hand. The coffee beans on the table added an organic and creative touch - as the room filled with people and the temperatures rose, you could, literally, smell the coffee.
Pastry chef Matthew Ratliff of the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, Md., spent 7 hours creating a blown, spun and pulled sugar sculpture that decorated his table. It was a museum quality work of edible art. (Dale Chihuly look out!) I've included a photo from News Journal photog Fred Comegys. Ratliff also decorated the tops of his chocolate-cherry timbale desserts with spun sugar.
"It's like eating a Jolly Rancher," he said of the swirly sugar.
Reader mail
Lots of food news to catch up on especially Sunday's Meals from the Masters Celebrity Chefs Brunch. Read today's story. Also, I'll have a posting later today on the event.
But first, kiddies, readers mail:
Question: Do you know if Sweet Basil has their menu online? Thelma.
Answer: Thelma, you're talking about one of my new favorite places. I enjoyed recent visits to Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine, a BYOB restaurant just over the Delaware line off 202, (610) 358-4015. Read the review. If you like very spicy food, get the green curry. Unfortunately, there's no web site yet. (Forget google, you'll just find a place named Sweet Basil in Australia that's not associated with this new eatery owned by first time restaurateur Paul Lauprasert.)
Question: I drove by Hugo's Inn in Kennett Square a couple of months ago & it looked shuttered and there was a real estate sign in the parking lot. Do you know if it is closed? It must have been there for a long time, as my husband used to go there when he was a child. Thanks, Suzy
Answer: Suzy, what a blast from the past! I don't think I've been to Hugo's Inn in 15 years. Didn't they used to have really good crabmeat stuffed mushrooms and spaghetti with crab meat sauce - or is my memory failing me? The restaurant closed Aug. 10. I just talked with a former owner and the reason given for the closing was they wanted to retire. But keep an eye on the property. I have a feeling - given the busy East Baltimore Pike location - it may spring back soon as another eatery.
Question: It interests me I have had no response to my letter regarding your article mentioning a local restaurant who was having a weekly "crab boil" and would start "steaming" them up around noon..... Apparently reader facts and feedback that differ from what you write are unimportant to you. I thought as a food writer you would appreciate some authenticity? My bad. Toogarden.
Answer: For some reason, Toogarden, the Boomtown Rats song, "I Don't Like Mondays" is going through my head right now. Wow, take it easy. Are you sure you drank enough coffee this morning or is crankiness just part of your personality? You don't say so, but I believe you're referring to the Blue Parrot Bar & Grille in Wilmington. I wrote about its Sunday CRAWFISH boil - not crab boil. And, yes, owner Mark Diamond did say that that the crawfish is STEAMED and not boiled, which is definitely more of an East Coast preparation than an authentic New Orleans style technique. (I have been to New Orleans, pre-Katrina, and ate so much outstanding food it felt more like the Big Queasy instead of the Big Easy by the end of my stay.) My advice: If you don't like how a restaurant prepares its food or if you disagree with their preparation - I suggest you contact them directly with your concerns. Or - a novel thought - just don't go to that restaurant. Easy Peasy.
Your previous letter was posted on this blog on March 26. (See archives.)
Go have a cafe au lait or a Hurricane, sip slowly, take a few deep breaths and enjoy today's beautiful weather.
But first, kiddies, readers mail:
Question: Do you know if Sweet Basil has their menu online? Thelma.
Answer: Thelma, you're talking about one of my new favorite places. I enjoyed recent visits to Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine, a BYOB restaurant just over the Delaware line off 202, (610) 358-4015. Read the review. If you like very spicy food, get the green curry. Unfortunately, there's no web site yet. (Forget google, you'll just find a place named Sweet Basil in Australia that's not associated with this new eatery owned by first time restaurateur Paul Lauprasert.)
Question: I drove by Hugo's Inn in Kennett Square a couple of months ago & it looked shuttered and there was a real estate sign in the parking lot. Do you know if it is closed? It must have been there for a long time, as my husband used to go there when he was a child. Thanks, Suzy
Answer: Suzy, what a blast from the past! I don't think I've been to Hugo's Inn in 15 years. Didn't they used to have really good crabmeat stuffed mushrooms and spaghetti with crab meat sauce - or is my memory failing me? The restaurant closed Aug. 10. I just talked with a former owner and the reason given for the closing was they wanted to retire. But keep an eye on the property. I have a feeling - given the busy East Baltimore Pike location - it may spring back soon as another eatery.
Question: It interests me I have had no response to my letter regarding your article mentioning a local restaurant who was having a weekly "crab boil" and would start "steaming" them up around noon..... Apparently reader facts and feedback that differ from what you write are unimportant to you. I thought as a food writer you would appreciate some authenticity? My bad. Toogarden.
Answer: For some reason, Toogarden, the Boomtown Rats song, "I Don't Like Mondays" is going through my head right now. Wow, take it easy. Are you sure you drank enough coffee this morning or is crankiness just part of your personality? You don't say so, but I believe you're referring to the Blue Parrot Bar & Grille in Wilmington. I wrote about its Sunday CRAWFISH boil - not crab boil. And, yes, owner Mark Diamond did say that that the crawfish is STEAMED and not boiled, which is definitely more of an East Coast preparation than an authentic New Orleans style technique. (I have been to New Orleans, pre-Katrina, and ate so much outstanding food it felt more like the Big Queasy instead of the Big Easy by the end of my stay.) My advice: If you don't like how a restaurant prepares its food or if you disagree with their preparation - I suggest you contact them directly with your concerns. Or - a novel thought - just don't go to that restaurant. Easy Peasy.
Your previous letter was posted on this blog on March 26. (See archives.)
Go have a cafe au lait or a Hurricane, sip slowly, take a few deep breaths and enjoy today's beautiful weather.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
On the way to Annapolis
I don't think my former college prof Bill Fleischman will mind me sharing this email about some recent dining adventures. (Thanks Bill! Great suggestions!) He and his wife traveled to Annapolis, Md.:
"very enjoyable three days and nights...lots of good restaurants and history...Annapolis is a very walkable city... Our favorite restaurant was The Main Ingredient...it's in a shopping center on Bay Ridge Road...the people who run the restaurant also have a big catering business...we were there on Tuesday night when...get this...they offered dinner and dessert...for $14! The chicken au poivre was excellent and the desserts were huge... Perhaps of more interest to News Journal readers, on the way to Annapolis we stopped for lunch at the Blue Heron Cafe in Chestertown...it's on Cannon Court, one block from the main street (High Street?) Lunch was excellent! I had a crabmeat frittata; Barb had an oyster dish.
On the way home, we stopped at Julia's in Centreville, Md., ...another good choice...I had a Cuban pork sandwich (very tasty), Barb had an oyster salad...notice the trend here with Barb and oysters...she's from Maryland...you can take the girl out of Maryland, but you can't...Julia's was reviewed in the Baltimore Sun
"very enjoyable three days and nights...lots of good restaurants and history...Annapolis is a very walkable city... Our favorite restaurant was The Main Ingredient...it's in a shopping center on Bay Ridge Road...the people who run the restaurant also have a big catering business...we were there on Tuesday night when...get this...they offered dinner and dessert...for $14! The chicken au poivre was excellent and the desserts were huge... Perhaps of more interest to News Journal readers, on the way to Annapolis we stopped for lunch at the Blue Heron Cafe in Chestertown...it's on Cannon Court, one block from the main street (High Street?) Lunch was excellent! I had a crabmeat frittata; Barb had an oyster dish.
On the way home, we stopped at Julia's in Centreville, Md., ...another good choice...I had a Cuban pork sandwich (very tasty), Barb had an oyster salad...notice the trend here with Barb and oysters...she's from Maryland...you can take the girl out of Maryland, but you can't...Julia's was reviewed in the Baltimore Sun
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Reader mail
I'm still scratching my head over the following email: Question: Some time last week, I read a review on a small restaurant in your paper. I lost the name and address. The owner was addressed as "She" and the chefs name was Susan. It sounded great. If you have info, please send to me. Littletonjo.
Answer: Littletonjo, my mind reading skills are a little rusty. A little more information, please? I spent some time perusing the archives and I'm guessing that Littletonjo is inquiring about Café Bleu, 25 W. Loockerman St., Dover. 678-WINE (678-9463). Eric Ruth gave it a three-star (very good) rating on Feb. 9. According to Ruth: "Chef Susan Dempsey's ever evolving menu of country French classics and Asian-accented creations gives downtown Dover the kind of casual-but-classy food destination it has deserved."
Pizza ponderings
Dough, sauce, cheese.
How hard is that?
But it's amazingly difficult to find a great pizza. Not merely good - you know, not the chew, swallow and forget what you just ate pizza.
I'm talking about the can't-wait-to-have another-bite, hey! stop bogarting the slices great pizza!
Seriously, even during my travels in Italy I've been disappointed in the offerings. (Though a cafe near the Campo de Fiori in Rome - sorry, can't recall the name - served one of the best I've had. Ah, Roma!)
I'm in the thin, crispy crust corner when it comes to tomato pies. (I've always thought Mack & Manco's at the Jersey shore did pizza right, though it's been a while since I've had a slice.) Right now, I'm convinced that Pizza by Elizabeths in Greenville still offers one of the best pizzas in Delaware.
Recently, I've been impressed by a couple of take-out pies from Seasons Pizza on Kirkwood Highway, near Milltown. Nice, crispy crust, though not quite as thin as I like, but at least it didn't get all soggy by the time I made it home. (And, no, I didn't know Seasons has won News Journal Reader Choice awards when I ordered the pizzas - I just saw that on their web site.)
I'm thinking about doing an upcoming, indepth, passionate study on pizza in Delaware. (And also start an intense, passionate exercise regimen.)
Who do you think has the best pizza in the state? Why is this place worth a visit?
You say Potato ...
To my wife's frequent horror, I'm continually snagging some faintly mutated-looking and generally mysterious vegetable off the shelf at the supermarket, full of curiosity and zeal to discover new tastes. A futile Google search for English recipes using aforementioned vegetable usually follows, capped by a pathetic attempt to re-create the authentic preparation at home. Recently, the vegetative victim in question was a cassava(a.k.a. Yucca), which I had tasted and enjoyed at Wilmington's Hispanic Festival last year. My version was, as my wife says, interesting. I doubt she'll consent to eating it again. Last night, I tackled some sort of mutant tuber called a Name', which features a rather hairy exterior and when raw, an unpleasantly slimy interior, sort of like a potato with poor hygiene. A thorough boiling produced faintly potato-like product, with an almost gluey texture and not much taste at all.
Maybe I'll just stick with Russets from here on in.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Goodbye Tomm, Hello Francine
Did you see Maureen Milford's story today about Francine Covelli's plans to reopen the former Tomm's Produce in Hockessin as an organic market and cafe?
While I always found Tomm's produce to be somewhat overpriced - as are most things in Hockessin - I do miss that market. It was my quick stop place to get corn and tomatoes in the summer.
It's going to be interesting to see how Francine's will compete with the Harvest Market, located about a mile away.
While I always found Tomm's produce to be somewhat overpriced - as are most things in Hockessin - I do miss that market. It was my quick stop place to get corn and tomatoes in the summer.
It's going to be interesting to see how Francine's will compete with the Harvest Market, located about a mile away.
Not quite like home or work...
Presto! Bistro, Coffeehouse & Gourmet to Go in Wilmington could quite easily becoming a "third place" for me.
The April issue of "Specialty Food" magazine has an interesting article about the "third place" concept. It goes something like this: First place is the home; second place is work and the "third place" is "a public spot that's neither home nor work where people like to gather informally and connect regularly."
"Third places" can be VFW Halls, town squares or taverns. In recent years, coffeehouses have become the most popular places where "people like to hang out....and feel included."
I like the modern atmosphere of Presto! - as well as the lattes and homemade cupcakes. The staff is friendly, the TVs are tuned to the Food Network and there's a collection of such board games as Battleship, Scrabble, Connect 4 and Monopoly.
Got a favorite gathering spot? Let's hear about it.
It's Serendipity
A Second Helpings reader yesterday mentioned Serendipity, a very cool, 72-seat waterfront restaurant in Oak Orchard. (210 River Road • Oak Orchard 302-945-3600)
I have indeed stumbled across this fun restaurant - they offer a spectacular view of the Indian River Bay as well as an interesting, and pretty good, appetizer called a crab pretzel. The restaurant also sold chocolate covered candy apples - decorated with gummy worms - around Halloween.
In 2005, owner Matthew Rydzynski hung more than 100 paper rainbow-colored Asian style umbrellas upside down from the ceiling. He also had lavender napkins on the table to match the yards of pink, purple, blue and lavender tissue lame that also decorated the room. Matthew was always changing the decor so I'm not sure what's up there now. But it is worth a visit.
Monday, April 16, 2007
Food writer scores big prize
I've long been a fan of food writer Jonathan Gold - he used to be Gourmet magazine's restaurant critic, now he writes for LA Weekly.
Gold just scored a Pulitzer Prize for criticism for his restaurant reviews. Click here to read his work. Gold got the $10,00o prize for "his zestful, wide ranging restaurant reviews, expressing the delight of an erudite eater."
Gold just scored a Pulitzer Prize for criticism for his restaurant reviews. Click here to read his work. Gold got the $10,00o prize for "his zestful, wide ranging restaurant reviews, expressing the delight of an erudite eater."
Chew on this - and then floss
According to a new survey by Crest, 77 percent of Americans don’t tell people when they see something stuck in their teeth.
And one third of Americans are likely to change their restaurant order to avoid foods that get stuck in their teeth when dining out.
Sussex County eats
Rehoboth Beach was bright and beautiful and surprisingly crowded last Friday. Most parking spots were filled on Rehoboth Avenue. (But, yeah!, no parking meters - yet.)
Did everyone take the day off? Spring Breakers, perhaps?
I drove through Dewey Beach and saw lots of people walking greyhounds - OK, it was a spring gathering of greyhound owners - and then saw signs for the Delaware Music Festival. Okey-dokey.
Some quick observations during my trip to Delaware sandboxes:
- I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the comeback of Irish Eyes, overlooking the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal in Lewes, which had a terrible fire there a few weeks ago.
There were large white signs in the windows touting "Survivors Happy Hour." The folks at the Irish Eyes in Milton say the signs are an attempt at "gallows humor." Apparently, some regulars, who miss resting elbows at the Lewes pub, have been camping out on the dock and in the parking lot and having their own Happy Hour. The Lewes restaurant is hoping to re-open in mid-August.
- The Buttery Restaurant at the corner of Second Street and Savannah Road in Lewes is a gem of a restaurant. This Victorian-era mansion is not only lovely, but the food, created by talented chef Gary Papp, is top notch. My favorite dish - veal tenderloin medallions in a pink peppercorn cream, royal trumpet mushrooms and lobster risotto. ($32) and I loved the Chateaux Greysac Bordeaux from Medoc ($34). I definitely plan on grabbing a seat on the veranda this summer for the $18.95 Sunday Brunch.
- The Purple Parrot Bar & Grill on Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach is always a fun place. I've been giving them grief for years for having a dish called Parrot Poop (it's actually a very good bean dip, but, ugh, a dish named after bird doodie in a town teaming with seagulls??) I had a terrific lunch of blackened grouper there Friday. Sorry, no poop on the "Poop." I can't order it without gagging.
- The former Sydney's Side Street Restaurant is now called The Pig & Fish.
- A wine bar, called Vine Bar, is coming soon next to Tijuana Taxi on Rehoboth Avenue.
- The former Cuban restaurant in Dewey Beach on Del. 1 is now called Sculley's.
- Mariachi Restaurant, with Spanish and Mexican food, on Wilmington Avenue in Rehoboth Beach opened in 2006. But I don't remember seeing this place last summer.
Did everyone take the day off? Spring Breakers, perhaps?
I drove through Dewey Beach and saw lots of people walking greyhounds - OK, it was a spring gathering of greyhound owners - and then saw signs for the Delaware Music Festival. Okey-dokey.
Some quick observations during my trip to Delaware sandboxes:
- I'm keeping my fingers crossed for the comeback of Irish Eyes, overlooking the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal in Lewes, which had a terrible fire there a few weeks ago.
There were large white signs in the windows touting "Survivors Happy Hour." The folks at the Irish Eyes in Milton say the signs are an attempt at "gallows humor." Apparently, some regulars, who miss resting elbows at the Lewes pub, have been camping out on the dock and in the parking lot and having their own Happy Hour. The Lewes restaurant is hoping to re-open in mid-August.
- The Buttery Restaurant at the corner of Second Street and Savannah Road in Lewes is a gem of a restaurant. This Victorian-era mansion is not only lovely, but the food, created by talented chef Gary Papp, is top notch. My favorite dish - veal tenderloin medallions in a pink peppercorn cream, royal trumpet mushrooms and lobster risotto. ($32) and I loved the Chateaux Greysac Bordeaux from Medoc ($34). I definitely plan on grabbing a seat on the veranda this summer for the $18.95 Sunday Brunch.
- The Purple Parrot Bar & Grill on Rehoboth Avenue in Rehoboth Beach is always a fun place. I've been giving them grief for years for having a dish called Parrot Poop (it's actually a very good bean dip, but, ugh, a dish named after bird doodie in a town teaming with seagulls??) I had a terrific lunch of blackened grouper there Friday. Sorry, no poop on the "Poop." I can't order it without gagging.
- The former Sydney's Side Street Restaurant is now called The Pig & Fish.
- A wine bar, called Vine Bar, is coming soon next to Tijuana Taxi on Rehoboth Avenue.
- The former Cuban restaurant in Dewey Beach on Del. 1 is now called Sculley's.
- Mariachi Restaurant, with Spanish and Mexican food, on Wilmington Avenue in Rehoboth Beach opened in 2006. But I don't remember seeing this place last summer.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Acme's Delaware Dithering
As a food lover, I cook. As a cook, I love to shop -- patrolling groceries on idle afternoons for hard-to-find items and gourmet treats. Some stores are sure bets for goodies -- FoodSource in Greenville, Janssen's, and Wegman's up in Pa. Lately, though, a few of Delaware's Acmes have been ratcheting up their offerings, stocking the shelves with a solid assortment of gourmet ingredients and organic products, but strangely enough, there's been a lack of consistency. The Acmes on Limestone road (one in Pike Creek, the other farther north in Lantana Square) are great sources these days, but Acme seems to favor the folks from more refined suburban areas. I present as an example the Acme in Prices Corner, which has been notable for the absence of many goods available at the other stores. The neighborhoods around it are admittedly more Blue Collar, but I can assure Acme they contain more than a few food lovers -- namely me.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Enjoy the weekend
Sorry guys, I'll be in Sussex County all day Friday so no Q&A. I plan on hitting a few restaurants in the area so I'll give you some feed back on Monday.
Got a dining question? Send in an email and I'll get it to next week.
In the meanwhile, check out my review Friday in 55 Hours on Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine off U.S. 202 near Glen Mills, Pa. (610) 358-4015. This elegant BYO is worth a look, especially if you like fiery food. (Make a reservation; it gets crowded on weekends.)
Owner Paul Lauprasert, who has been in the food and beverage industry for 22 years, is really doing a fine job with his first restaurant. It's only 7-weeks old and it's already showing great promise.
Got a dining question? Send in an email and I'll get it to next week.
In the meanwhile, check out my review Friday in 55 Hours on Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine off U.S. 202 near Glen Mills, Pa. (610) 358-4015. This elegant BYO is worth a look, especially if you like fiery food. (Make a reservation; it gets crowded on weekends.)
Owner Paul Lauprasert, who has been in the food and beverage industry for 22 years, is really doing a fine job with his first restaurant. It's only 7-weeks old and it's already showing great promise.
Random notes
I vented recently about bad terrible, but today I've got to give a shout-out to Jordan, our waiter the other night at Dome Restaurant & Bar in Hockessin.
I want Jordan to be my waiter every time I go to Dome. Is that too much to ask?
It's not that I've had terrible service at Dome on other visits - no, not all. It's just that Jordan was so professional and so good, he made the whole dining experience that much more enjoyable. He wasn't pushy, he made very good suggestions when we asked - his description of the salmon in red wine special that night sold me on the dish. And it lived up to the hype.
Jordan didn't hover, he wasn't obtrusive, but he did refill water and coffee when we needed it and was just an all-around nice guy. Kudos to Jordan.
Other observations - and things I plan to make a few calls about:
- Looks like a new coffeehouse is opening in The Devon on Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilmington. I drove by it this morning and noticed a sign for "Rockford Perk" coming soon.
- Pomodoro's is a new Italian restaurant on Union Street in Wilmington's Little Italy. It's housed where the old Cantina Restaurant used to be. (Am I showing my age by using a Cantina reference?)
- Washington Street Ale House on Washington Street ripped out its old deck and is building a new one. Hope it's ready in time for City Restaurant Week
- My buddy Ryan Cormier already covered this on his Pulp Culture blog - but I too saw the sign for Five Guys Burgers coming soon to the Fairfax Shopping Center. It's going in where the late great Imperial Deli used to be.
- My editor Kim gave me the heads up about Blackstones, a new pub in the Shoppes at Louviers off Paper Mill Road across from Bank of America.
Stay tuned. Oh yeah - one more FYI - if you have dining questions, send 'em in today! And I'll post answers later in the day.
I want Jordan to be my waiter every time I go to Dome. Is that too much to ask?
It's not that I've had terrible service at Dome on other visits - no, not all. It's just that Jordan was so professional and so good, he made the whole dining experience that much more enjoyable. He wasn't pushy, he made very good suggestions when we asked - his description of the salmon in red wine special that night sold me on the dish. And it lived up to the hype.
Jordan didn't hover, he wasn't obtrusive, but he did refill water and coffee when we needed it and was just an all-around nice guy. Kudos to Jordan.
Other observations - and things I plan to make a few calls about:
- Looks like a new coffeehouse is opening in The Devon on Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilmington. I drove by it this morning and noticed a sign for "Rockford Perk" coming soon.
- Pomodoro's is a new Italian restaurant on Union Street in Wilmington's Little Italy. It's housed where the old Cantina Restaurant used to be. (Am I showing my age by using a Cantina reference?)
- Washington Street Ale House on Washington Street ripped out its old deck and is building a new one. Hope it's ready in time for City Restaurant Week
- My buddy Ryan Cormier already covered this on his Pulp Culture blog - but I too saw the sign for Five Guys Burgers coming soon to the Fairfax Shopping Center. It's going in where the late great Imperial Deli used to be.
- My editor Kim gave me the heads up about Blackstones, a new pub in the Shoppes at Louviers off Paper Mill Road across from Bank of America.
Stay tuned. Oh yeah - one more FYI - if you have dining questions, send 'em in today! And I'll post answers later in the day.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Revenge, a dish best served cold
Kevin Dunn, manager of the fabulous Moro Restaurant in Wilmington, doesn't mind me sharing this tale he just included in an mass email. It's so PRICELESS, you must read it.
(Kev, you just may have a book in you.)
Read Kevin's tale and enjoy!
Behind the Scenes - Attack of the Coat People
This is one of the best stories so far to happen at Moro.
Let me set the scene.
This couple walks in and we ask for their name. When we ask'd if they wanted to hang their coats, the man said "no," the woman said "yes." The woman told him to hang his coat, too. He now gives up his coat.
On this particular night, there were six women having a little bachelorette party about 30 feet from where the Coat People were seated. The girls were loud and silly. We moved one table upstairs so they could get away from the noise. I went to the Coat People table and mentioned to them they also could move to another, quieter area.
The man says to me, "Will you wash my car too?"
I told him "With that kind of attitude, you can sit here the rest of the night."
Poetic Justice: When dinner was over for the Coat People, we went to run his credit card.
Guess what? DECLINED.
This was a beautiful moment.
I said to him, "Do you wash cars?"
(Kev, you just may have a book in you.)
Read Kevin's tale and enjoy!
Behind the Scenes - Attack of the Coat People
This is one of the best stories so far to happen at Moro.
Let me set the scene.
This couple walks in and we ask for their name. When we ask'd if they wanted to hang their coats, the man said "no," the woman said "yes." The woman told him to hang his coat, too. He now gives up his coat.
On this particular night, there were six women having a little bachelorette party about 30 feet from where the Coat People were seated. The girls were loud and silly. We moved one table upstairs so they could get away from the noise. I went to the Coat People table and mentioned to them they also could move to another, quieter area.
The man says to me, "Will you wash my car too?"
I told him "With that kind of attitude, you can sit here the rest of the night."
Poetic Justice: When dinner was over for the Coat People, we went to run his credit card.
Guess what? DECLINED.
This was a beautiful moment.
I said to him, "Do you wash cars?"
Don't pass me the mustard
This isn’t a stop the presses big deal, but mustard definitely has a shelf life.
This past weekend, I was making a vinaigrette with two different kinds of mustards. The Grey Poupon Dijon mustard I had just bought was fine. Then, I reached into the fridge for a jar of Grey Poupon coarse grainy country mustard. I was just about to add it to the bowl when I decide to check the “best if used by” date on the lid.
It said 2004.
2004! Geez, Louise, that’s three long years past its prime.
I’m usually really good about making frequent clean sweeps of the fridge, so I’m not sure how this happened. What’s really strange is I moved a year ago. So I’m guessing this mustard came with me. But I can’t remember if the jar sat on my pantry shelf for a long time and I recently opened it or it was hanging around my other fridge.
Skeeved out, I went into Psycho Woman cleaning mode and checked the date on every single jar in the fridge and on my pantry shelves. All was fine. Whew!
Now, here’s what’s a little scary: The mustard looked and smelled fine.
But there was no way I was going to use it. I checked the Kraft Foods web site and they say: “We don’t recommend consuming Grey Poupon after the “best when used by” date because the taste and texture quality may no longer be ideal.”
No kidding.
Wilmington Restaurant Week
Menus have been posted for Wilmington's upcoming City Restaurant Week.
From April 30 to May 5, patrons can order, from special menus, 2-course $15 lunches and 3-course $30 dinners from 11 different restaurants. There's also a special $60 "Dine Around" where you can go to three different restaurants for appetizers, entrees and desserts.
Restaurant Week is a cool way to check out an eatery you may not have thought about before.
New York and Philadelphia usually hold restaurant weeks during the January winter doldrums - basically to benefit both restaurateurs and diners.
Restaurateurs usually see a drop in business after the bustling holiday season and it's nice for them to get a boost of customers in January. It's also good for cash-poor diners, who drained their wallets on holiday presents, to be able to buy discounted lunches and dinners.
I'm not sure why Wilmington has their restaurant week in the spring - and just a week after the whole Meals from the Masters weekend of activities - but hopefully the weather will be nice to get out and about.
I checked out a few places last year and most of the menus were winners - though I did have one major clunker of a lunch that didn't make me eager for a return visit to that eatery.
This year's menus look really interesting. Check 'em out. And make reservations now.
From April 30 to May 5, patrons can order, from special menus, 2-course $15 lunches and 3-course $30 dinners from 11 different restaurants. There's also a special $60 "Dine Around" where you can go to three different restaurants for appetizers, entrees and desserts.
Restaurant Week is a cool way to check out an eatery you may not have thought about before.
New York and Philadelphia usually hold restaurant weeks during the January winter doldrums - basically to benefit both restaurateurs and diners.
Restaurateurs usually see a drop in business after the bustling holiday season and it's nice for them to get a boost of customers in January. It's also good for cash-poor diners, who drained their wallets on holiday presents, to be able to buy discounted lunches and dinners.
I'm not sure why Wilmington has their restaurant week in the spring - and just a week after the whole Meals from the Masters weekend of activities - but hopefully the weather will be nice to get out and about.
I checked out a few places last year and most of the menus were winners - though I did have one major clunker of a lunch that didn't make me eager for a return visit to that eatery.
This year's menus look really interesting. Check 'em out. And make reservations now.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Cold soup and bad service
I had great company but a really disjointed lunch not too long ago at Jasmine, a Pan-Asian eatery at 3618 Concord Pike (Concord Gallery), Talleyville, 479-5618.
I ordered maki rolls, which come with a salad and soup.
The rolls were fine - kind of small, nothing special.
But it was the service that made the whole meal go south.
A salad arrives, but there’s no miso soup. The rolls come. But there’s no dish on the table for the soy sauce. There’s also no soy sauce.
The server is MIA.
So we wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, we flag down another server - who seemed annoyed that we bothered him - and asked if he could bring dishes and soy sauce.
Our server finally comes back. We remind her about the soup. "Oh yeah," she said, and disappears again. We wait. And wait. And wait. We were almost finished our meal when the soup came.
It was cold.
Sorry, but I just wasn’t in the mood to bring the mistakes to attention of a manager, like New York restaurateur Danny Meyer suggested in a recent posting.
I ordered maki rolls, which come with a salad and soup.
The rolls were fine - kind of small, nothing special.
But it was the service that made the whole meal go south.
A salad arrives, but there’s no miso soup. The rolls come. But there’s no dish on the table for the soy sauce. There’s also no soy sauce.
The server is MIA.
So we wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, we flag down another server - who seemed annoyed that we bothered him - and asked if he could bring dishes and soy sauce.
Our server finally comes back. We remind her about the soup. "Oh yeah," she said, and disappears again. We wait. And wait. And wait. We were almost finished our meal when the soup came.
It was cold.
Sorry, but I just wasn’t in the mood to bring the mistakes to attention of a manager, like New York restaurateur Danny Meyer suggested in a recent posting.
Chef Catherine
“Big Night”, “Babette’s Feast” and “Like Water for Chocolate” are probably the three best culinary movies ever made.
I should probably reserve comment until I see “Last Reservations,” a new movie starring Catherine Zeta-Jones.
But I have a feeling I'm in for a big letdown.
Zeta-Jones plays a "top chef" whose life changes when she becomes the guardian of her young niece. It's being released in July.
It reminds me of Julia Roberts, who played a restaurant critic in “My Best Friend’s Wedding.” The stupidest part of that movie was in the beginning. Roberts was at the restaurant and the whole staff knew who she was. (Chicago chef Charlie Trotter had a cameo.) Then, she discussed what she would write in her upcoming review at the table in front of the waiters.
Yeah, right.
I’ve eaten out with restaurant critics from different newspapers and magazine and sorry, but that’s just not done.
The saving grace of "No Reservations" may be actor Aaron Eckhart (loved to hate him in both “Thank You for Smoking” and “In The Company of Men.”)
He plays Zeta-Jones’ sous-chef and love interest.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Ti amo The Sopranos
How great was "The Sopranos" last night?
Man, I love that crazy family. I wrote a piece about the show last week. My esteemed colleague Victor Greto wrote an article about why the show offends him.
I plan to heat up a plate of shells stuffed with ground turkey and artichokes in an arrabbiata sauce - look for the recipe this Wednesday - and watch it again tonight.
Mail and phone calls are running about 50-50 as to how people feel about this series.
Here are two examples of emails I received:
Ciao Patti,
Bella, I loved your piece on 'The Sopranos" because it was witty, funny, and imaginative. It too, brought me back to Sunday pasta dinners with my family. Bonus points for finding the spelling for chiacchierone!
Now go across the News Journal office floor and slap upside the head both Victor Greto AND your editor for giving Victor that assignment. Vic took himself out of the game with his first sentence "I don't watch 'The Sopranos.'" Why read further? That space would have been better used by publishing a recipe for Italian Easter pizza.
Grazi.
Best Regards,
Dave Nardone
New Castle
Bella, I loved your piece on 'The Sopranos" because it was witty, funny, and imaginative. It too, brought me back to Sunday pasta dinners with my family. Bonus points for finding the spelling for chiacchierone!
Now go across the News Journal office floor and slap upside the head both Victor Greto AND your editor for giving Victor that assignment. Vic took himself out of the game with his first sentence "I don't watch 'The Sopranos.'" Why read further? That space would have been better used by publishing a recipe for Italian Easter pizza.
Grazi.
Best Regards,
Dave Nardone
New Castle
And on the flip side:
Dear Ms. Talorico,
Regarding your article about the Sopranos.
Please read Vicotor Greto's article.
That is how I feel. Sorry to pontificate about Italian-American
stereotyping, sorry to put you to sleep, but I am
insulted that that is the image that TV wants to use
to portray my heritage.
Evaline Leonetti Alessandrini
I'll drink to that
Moore Brothers Wine Company is getting some love in the May issue of Food & Wine magazine.
Their New York City store at 33 E. 20th St., has been called one of the "12 Great Manhattan Wine Shops."
Noted was the "surprisingly strong selection of well-priced older wines, such as the 1989 Paitin
Barbaresco Sori Paitin ($100), a top Piedmontese red."
Hey, you don't have to hop Amtrak to go shopping. We have our very own Moore Brothers in Trolley Square.
Their New York City store at 33 E. 20th St., has been called one of the "12 Great Manhattan Wine Shops."
Noted was the "surprisingly strong selection of well-priced older wines, such as the 1989 Paitin
Barbaresco Sori Paitin ($100), a top Piedmontese red."
Hey, you don't have to hop Amtrak to go shopping. We have our very own Moore Brothers in Trolley Square.
What's cooking
I took a couple days off from the local restaurant scene and spent some quality time in the kitchen.
(Hello there, food processor. Nice to see you again, cast-iron frying pan.)
I served 12 people dinner on Thursday night and had another full house on Easter Sunday.
Good times. But now, I'm ready to have someone else make my meals for a while.
I had the chance to try out many new recipes - thankfully my dear friends and family let me
experiment on them. (Thanks gang!) The results were often good but I won't share the
asparagus and Napa cabbage dish that sounded really good in print, but turned out to be
a soggy concoction not to be repeated. (Do cookbook authors test their recipes???)
But here is a dish to try - I ripped it out of Bon Appetit magazine last April - it's good for a buffet
or gathering because it can be served at room temperature. Don't make it too far in advance. (Or
wait until the last minute to add the basil; cut basil turns black after a few hours.)
Also, while it say it makes 8 servings, I think it's more like 10 to 12 servings, but I also had many other dishes on my buffet :
Orzo with tomatoes, feta cheese and green onions
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 pound orzo (or riso)
2 cups red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
1 7-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)
Bring broth and water to boil in large heavy saucepan. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.
Transfer to large wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool.
Mix tomatoes, feta, basil, and green onions into orzo. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
Add pine nuts; toss. Serve at room temperature.
Makes 8 servings.
Friday, April 6, 2007
Happy Easter
Ham or lamb?
That's the big culinary question when it comes to Easter.
For the past few weeks, I've been paging through cookbooks, marked pages and was all ready to order a big hunking leg of lamb.
Then I shared my idea with the family.
Silence. A frown or two. Finally, a voice asking (pleading), "I thought we were going to have ham."
Sigh.
I have absolutely nothing against ham but, frankly, I find it kind of boring. It's a lunch meat you can eat everyday for God's sake. You don't eat lamb everyday!
C'mon people. What's your problem?
Anyway, didn't Dorothy Parker once say, "Eternity is two people and a ham."
OK, so a few more people are coming to my home for Easter. But still.
I love my crazy clan. And you have to give the people what they want. So, we're having a spiral cut ham. I'm going to glaze the hell out of it and try to enjoy every bite.
They just don't know yet about my orzo/feta salad side dish or that I'm substituting a French style potato salad for the usual mayonnaise laden one. And that I'm fairly certain there's an artichoke dish brewing in my brain.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Keep your straw out of my drink
I stopped in the Blue Parrot Bar & Grill in Wilmington recently with some friends. Three of us ordered draft beers. When the beers came to the table, my pal Andy thought the beer tasted flat. He told the server who promptly informed the manager. The manager came over.
Now, here’s the really weird part and - something I’ve never, ever, seen in two decades of patronizing bars:
Now, here’s the really weird part and - something I’ve never, ever, seen in two decades of patronizing bars:
He pulled out a straw, dipped it into one of the glasses of beer and siphoned off some with his finger. He drank what was in the straw. Then, he flipped the straw over and did the same with another glass!
The beer was perfectly fine, the manager announced.
Yowsa! We sat dumbfounded - and grossed out - for several minutes.
Our very nice server came over to check on us and he got an earful. We told him we had never seen anything like it before. Imagine, if you will, a chef walking out of the kitchen and sticking a fork into your plate of food.
But the server said it was common practice for bartenders to stick straws into drinks and try a little when a patron questions the taste.
Blue Parrot owner Mark Diamond, who was not at the bar the night of our visit, was appalled when I told him about the straw-dipping.
"That is absolutely not our policy. That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard," said Diamond who planned to have a meeting with his staff. "There's a certain amount of common sense that goes on in this business and some people have it and some people don't."
The beer was perfectly fine, the manager announced.
Yowsa! We sat dumbfounded - and grossed out - for several minutes.
Our very nice server came over to check on us and he got an earful. We told him we had never seen anything like it before. Imagine, if you will, a chef walking out of the kitchen and sticking a fork into your plate of food.
But the server said it was common practice for bartenders to stick straws into drinks and try a little when a patron questions the taste.
Blue Parrot owner Mark Diamond, who was not at the bar the night of our visit, was appalled when I told him about the straw-dipping.
"That is absolutely not our policy. That's the most ridiculous thing I ever heard," said Diamond who planned to have a meeting with his staff. "There's a certain amount of common sense that goes on in this business and some people have it and some people don't."
Jill DeGroff, a spokeswoman for The Museum of the American Cocktail, winced when I shared the tale.
"That’s a little too close to double-dipping,” she said.
DeGroff, whose husband is master mixologist Dale DeGroff - author of “The Craft of the Cocktail” (Clarkson Potter, 2002) and a 2007 James Beard Foundation wine & spirits nominee - said if you’re very familiar with a bartender and a drink tastes off, it’s not unheard of to ask “hey, taste this - it tastes a little off.”
But only if there’s “a familiarity.”
“The job of the server is to make the customer happy. It’s [his] job to replace the beer with a fresh one. You don’t second guess the customer,” DeGroff said.
DeGroff, whose husband is master mixologist Dale DeGroff - author of “The Craft of the Cocktail” (Clarkson Potter, 2002) and a 2007 James Beard Foundation wine & spirits nominee - said if you’re very familiar with a bartender and a drink tastes off, it’s not unheard of to ask “hey, taste this - it tastes a little off.”
But only if there’s “a familiarity.”
“The job of the server is to make the customer happy. It’s [his] job to replace the beer with a fresh one. You don’t second guess the customer,” DeGroff said.
Long story short: No one wanted the draft beer.
The server, to his credit, replaced the draft beer with bottles.
The server, to his credit, replaced the draft beer with bottles.
Diamond said he will make sure the straw dipping never happens again.
Sneak peek at Philly dining - Part II
I need to share another good, and reasonable, Philly restaurant, Divan Turkish Kitchen & Bar, 918 S. 22nd St.
(This is just a small taste - I've got a story coming out later this month in 55 Hours on Philly dining.)
The tables are packed in at this BYOB eatery that's open for lunch and dinner. On a busy weekend night, the dining room can feel cramped and it gets very loud, but the food is authentic, according to two of my dining partners, both of whom other speak Turkish.
The names of the dishes are written in Turkish, but also in English so there's no need to feel intimidated. My favorite dish was Hunkar Begendi ($14.50) - which is hunks of baby lamb in a reddish stew on a bed of pureed smoked eggplant. Entrees are between $9.50 and $20.90. Pay in cash and you get a discount.
(This is just a small taste - I've got a story coming out later this month in 55 Hours on Philly dining.)
The tables are packed in at this BYOB eatery that's open for lunch and dinner. On a busy weekend night, the dining room can feel cramped and it gets very loud, but the food is authentic, according to two of my dining partners, both of whom other speak Turkish.
The names of the dishes are written in Turkish, but also in English so there's no need to feel intimidated. My favorite dish was Hunkar Begendi ($14.50) - which is hunks of baby lamb in a reddish stew on a bed of pureed smoked eggplant. Entrees are between $9.50 and $20.90. Pay in cash and you get a discount.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Let's dance
Have you had bad service recently?
Well, it may be your own fault.
Some restaurateurs believe that patrons can have influence over the quality of the service.
“Dining out is like a dance – you [the customer] have to be a partner,” Patrick O'Connell, owner of the legendary Inn at Little Washington, told Zagat.com. His restaurant was rated No. 1 for Service in the most recent Washington D.C. area Zagat Restaurant Survey.
Being “curt, adversarial or abusive” is the best way to get terrible service, according to Kevin Brown, president of Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.
Brown says he is often surprised “how, on occasion, rude a guest can be. If [their] language crosses the line, the conversation is ended on the spot.”
I’m with you brother. I was once on the other side of the table working as a waitress. Hungry people can be extremely mean people.
New York restaurateur Danny Meyer says that customers need to “realize that we will make unintentional mistakes... Judge us by the spirit of hospitality with which we overcome that mistake and be direct about bringing it to our attention in a timely fashion.”
Meyer’s biggest pet peeve in terms of customer behavior? “Not saying what you need when you need it in a direct, nonconfrontational manner.”
Well, it may be your own fault.
Some restaurateurs believe that patrons can have influence over the quality of the service.
“Dining out is like a dance – you [the customer] have to be a partner,” Patrick O'Connell, owner of the legendary Inn at Little Washington, told Zagat.com. His restaurant was rated No. 1 for Service in the most recent Washington D.C. area Zagat Restaurant Survey.
Being “curt, adversarial or abusive” is the best way to get terrible service, according to Kevin Brown, president of Chicago-based Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.
Brown says he is often surprised “how, on occasion, rude a guest can be. If [their] language crosses the line, the conversation is ended on the spot.”
I’m with you brother. I was once on the other side of the table working as a waitress. Hungry people can be extremely mean people.
New York restaurateur Danny Meyer says that customers need to “realize that we will make unintentional mistakes... Judge us by the spirit of hospitality with which we overcome that mistake and be direct about bringing it to our attention in a timely fashion.”
Meyer’s biggest pet peeve in terms of customer behavior? “Not saying what you need when you need it in a direct, nonconfrontational manner.”
Monday, April 2, 2007
This dog's outta here!
In honor of my beloved Phils and opening day at Citizens Bank Park, I bought a hotdog for lunch.
Not just any dog but a Deerhead dog with everything ($2.25) - mustard, onions and the spicy secret sauce. (Can't get that at The Bank!)
Very good, very messy. I know some people have said the secret sauce tastes different, but it seemed the same to me. I bought my dog from the Maryland Avenue location.
Not just any dog but a Deerhead dog with everything ($2.25) - mustard, onions and the spicy secret sauce. (Can't get that at The Bank!)
Very good, very messy. I know some people have said the secret sauce tastes different, but it seemed the same to me. I bought my dog from the Maryland Avenue location.
Sneak peek at Philly dining
I'm working on an upcoming story for our 55 Hours section on Philly dining which will run later this month, but I'll give you a sneak peek on one place that really got my tastebuds going. It's worth a hike up I-95:
Osteria at 640 N. Broad St., (215) 763-0920; is chef/owner Marc Vetri's new Italian style eatery. (It's several blocks past Hahnemann Hospital.) Osteria is more casual and less expensive than his flagship restaurant, the outstanding Vetri, but just as exciting.
Seriously. I was so afraid the restaurant wouldn't live up to the hype - but it did and more. I'm in love with food here, so forgive me if I gush. Vetri is a tiny, cozy restaurant - that Mario Batali told me one was one of his favorite restaurants in the country - and somehow owners Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin took that same coziness and introduce it to a bigger room without losing the warmth. There are wood tables, tile floors, sexy lighting, piped in Italian music .
But let's get to the food. If you're expecting Italian-American red gravy offerings - go somewhere else. Osteria has dishes you would actually see in Italy. Entrees are $30 and under.
For antipasti, there's wood baked manilla clams with guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon made from pig's cheeks) and scallions. ($12) or the salumi plate with proscuitto, lardo,porchetta and salamae ($14.) You can get candele with wild boar bolognese ($16) - candele is a candle-shaped pasta - and rabbit casalinga with pancetta sage, brown buter and soft polenta. I was so psyched to see - and eat - the house aged rib-eye fiorentina for two with Tuscan bean salad ($60) - this is a staple of Florence restaurants. And it was cooked perfectly.
The artichokes alla romana ($10) are lovely, crisp, little nuggets and an appetizer special during my visit was burrata, an oozy type of mozzarella that was dressed lightly with olive oil, pine nuts and a confetti of zucchini.
I never got to the pizzas - there are eight which cost between $15 to $24 - but I'm going for the polpo - octopus, tomato, red chili flakes and smoked mozzarella, on my next visit. That's right. My next. This is one restaurant I plan to visit often.
Ezio Reynaud, a co-owner of Culinaria in Brandywine Hundred, told me he's already made several trips to Osteria. He says the tripe alla parmigiana ($10) is out of this world and he loved the candele with wild boar bolognese.
The wine list is reasonable - glass are about $8 each. The sommelier is excellent. We were going to order a $36 bottle of Montepulciano and the sommelier steered us toward a $32 off the menu item, a bottle of 2004 Torre Quatro "Don Marcello" Rosso, an earthy, yet fruity bottle of red from Puglia. It was ideal marriage with the burrata and the steak.
Weekend reservations can be tough to get - but pick up the phone and plead your case or visit opentable.com and see what's available during the week. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Buon appetito!
Osteria at 640 N. Broad St., (215) 763-0920; is chef/owner Marc Vetri's new Italian style eatery. (It's several blocks past Hahnemann Hospital.) Osteria is more casual and less expensive than his flagship restaurant, the outstanding Vetri, but just as exciting.
Seriously. I was so afraid the restaurant wouldn't live up to the hype - but it did and more. I'm in love with food here, so forgive me if I gush. Vetri is a tiny, cozy restaurant - that Mario Batali told me one was one of his favorite restaurants in the country - and somehow owners Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin took that same coziness and introduce it to a bigger room without losing the warmth. There are wood tables, tile floors, sexy lighting, piped in Italian music .
But let's get to the food. If you're expecting Italian-American red gravy offerings - go somewhere else. Osteria has dishes you would actually see in Italy. Entrees are $30 and under.
For antipasti, there's wood baked manilla clams with guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon made from pig's cheeks) and scallions. ($12) or the salumi plate with proscuitto, lardo,porchetta and salamae ($14.) You can get candele with wild boar bolognese ($16) - candele is a candle-shaped pasta - and rabbit casalinga with pancetta sage, brown buter and soft polenta. I was so psyched to see - and eat - the house aged rib-eye fiorentina for two with Tuscan bean salad ($60) - this is a staple of Florence restaurants. And it was cooked perfectly.
The artichokes alla romana ($10) are lovely, crisp, little nuggets and an appetizer special during my visit was burrata, an oozy type of mozzarella that was dressed lightly with olive oil, pine nuts and a confetti of zucchini.
I never got to the pizzas - there are eight which cost between $15 to $24 - but I'm going for the polpo - octopus, tomato, red chili flakes and smoked mozzarella, on my next visit. That's right. My next. This is one restaurant I plan to visit often.
Ezio Reynaud, a co-owner of Culinaria in Brandywine Hundred, told me he's already made several trips to Osteria. He says the tripe alla parmigiana ($10) is out of this world and he loved the candele with wild boar bolognese.
The wine list is reasonable - glass are about $8 each. The sommelier is excellent. We were going to order a $36 bottle of Montepulciano and the sommelier steered us toward a $32 off the menu item, a bottle of 2004 Torre Quatro "Don Marcello" Rosso, an earthy, yet fruity bottle of red from Puglia. It was ideal marriage with the burrata and the steak.
Weekend reservations can be tough to get - but pick up the phone and plead your case or visit opentable.com and see what's available during the week. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Buon appetito!
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