Gastronomy Blog by Cathy Chaplin

Restaurant Review

30 May 2007

Snackbar – Philadelphia

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5 Comments

May 21, 2007
Cuisine: American (New), Eclectic & International, Tapas

253 S 20th St, Philadelphia 19103
At Rittenhouse Square

Phone: 215-545-5655
Website: http://www.phillysnackbar.com/

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BBQ Dusted Popcorn (complimentary)

Smaller Plate I: Caramel Apples with Miso and Wasabi Peas ($6)

Smaller Plate II: Octopus, Grilled, with Paprika and Lemon ($12)

Larger Plate I: Pork Belly with Pickled Melon, Rhubarb, and Kumquat ($18)

Larger Plate II: Salmon, Poached, with Fennel Strawberry Salad and Basil Tea ($24)

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South 20th Street is becoming quite a dining destination these days, which bodes extremely well for yours truly because I live and work mere minutes away from some of the city’s best eats. Mama’s Vegetarian, Capogiro, and Audrey Claire are a few of my favorites on the block.

Snackbar opened its doors for business late last year and has received plenty of positive press for Chef Jonathan McDonald’s eccentric flavor combinations, like curry and bananas, and captivatingly minimalist menu.

When I dined at Snackbar last week, I was disappointed to find that the menu contained complete sentences rather than a playful jumble of words and some of the more adventurous items on the original menu were no longer offered such as the “Pork (Beer) Belly. Slow Egg. Dashi,” “Foie Gras. Quince. Buckwheat Bun,” and “Banana. Curry. Salt Caramel.” Luckily, the “Apples. Miso Caramel. Wasabi Peas” were still available.

James and I enjoyed the pleasant weather and some BBQ dusted popcorn while we waited for our food to arrive. The popcorn tasted better than regular old BBQ chips because popcorn is much mellower than potatoes and thus the mesquite flavor takes front and center. It was so addictive and I had to ask for seconds.

We started off with two “smaller plates”—apples and octopus. The Caramel Apples with Miso and Wasabi Peas were unfortunately mealy. I was informed by our waiter that Red Delicious apples were employed for this dish, which wholly explains the unpleasant texture. I think using Granny Smith apples would vastly improve upon the dish’s consistency and add an interesting sour element. On a positive note, the apples’ outer coating of Miso caramel and Wasabi peas was really fantastic. Sweet and spicy go together almost as well as sweet and salty.

The octopus was fairly good, but not nearly as adventurous in terms of flavor combinations as the apples. Encrusted with paprika, the octopus was lightly grilled and thus retained its signature chewiness nicely. The plate on which the octopus sat was brushed ever so lightly with a lemony sauce that paired well with the meat, but was too scant to enjoy with the entire dish.

To round out our meal, we ordered two “larger dishes.” I chose the pork belly, while James went for the salmon. The pork belly’s ratio of meat to fat was perfect, but didn’t melt in my mouth as I had hoped because it was seared to a firm crisp. The pork’s accompaniments, pickled melon, rhubarb, and kumquat were visually interesting, but didn’t enhance the pork belly’s flavor at all.

The salmon was delicately poached and very pleasant with the fennel strawberry salad. The basil tea foam was mild and fit in well with dish’s light and summery flavors. My favorite part was the salmon’s deliciously raw interior. James and I both loved the crispy salmon skin.

Restaurant Review

25 May 2007

Bridget Foy's – Philadelphia

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4 Comments

May 20, 2007
Cuisine: American (New), Bistro

200 South St, Philadelphia 19147
At S 2nd St

Phone: 215-922-1813
Website: http://bridgetfoys.com/

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Pear and Goat Cheese Salad / spiced pecans / roasted pear vinaigrette ($9)

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes / lemon zest / sausage links ($9)

Stuffed French Toast / apples / bananas / dried cherries / orange butter ($9)

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I adore lazy Sunday brunches with all of my heart. Leisurely rolling out of bed, slipping on some comfy clothes, heading to an easy-going joint—relaxation at its finest.

As much as I enjoy this in between meal, I hardly ever go because my dining partner of choice is always pounding the lush pavement at Valley Green on Sunday mornings. However, now that The Astronomer has temporarily hung up his well-worn racing flats, we will hopefully be brunching more often.

Last Sunday, we moseyed over to Bridget Foy’s for our inaugural post-track star brunch. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining on the restaurant’s front porch.

The Astronomer ordered a salad to start. The Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with spiced pecans and roasted pear vinaigrette was top-notch and the highlight of the meal for The Astronomer. The greens were fresh and the vinaigrette was delightful. The sliced Red Bartlett Pears were crisp and mild. The spiced pecans were my favorite part of the salad and were indeed deliciously spicy.

For his main entree, The Astronomer ordered the Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes with lemon zest and sausage links. The pancakes were a bit on the wimpy side—thin, flat, light—and not at all lemony. A proper drenching of Grade A maple syrup upon the pancakes made them better, but that’s not saying much because maple syrup makes everything tastier. The sausage was average breakfast sausage, only slightly plumper.

My Stuffed French Toast was a knock-out once the kitchen stopped charring the edges to a bloody crisp. The first one that arrived was toxically black along the crust so I had to send it back. The second one was still burnt, but a vast improvement upon the first. Unlike traditional French toast, Bridget’s are covered with a crumble of sorts, which adds sweetness and texture, but sadly gets scorched in the frying pan. The bread is fluffy, but not nearly as pillow-y as Sabrina’s Challah. The stuffing was the best part; I love how the dried cherries became nicely juicy! The orange butter was pretty awesome as well.

Bridget Foy’s offers a tasty South Philly brunch, without the laborious South Philly wait.

“Stroll” by William King

Restaurant Review

24 May 2007

Ting Wong – Philadelphia

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3 Comments

May 19, 2007
Cuisine: Chinese, Noodle Shops

138 N 10th St, Philadelphia 19107
At Arch St

Phone: 215-928-1883
Website: http://www.phillychinatown.com/tingwong.htm

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Buddha’s Delight Pan Fried Noodles ($6.50)

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Luscious and I first discovered Ting Wong’s after a night of drinking in Old City. We weren’t 21 yet, but no one was checking IDs at the door or at the bar so we were in luck. I had my first “real” (i.e. made by a bartender rather than a fraternity brother) drink that night; a very pink Cosmopolitan. We lounged, we sipped, we forgot about our awkward institution of higher learning—it was grand.

Eventually the fun had to end so we headed back toward Market East Station to catch the R3. The thought of returning to our books and homework was very unattractive so we stumbled into Ting Wong’s to prolong the magic. Neither of us had eaten here before, but the barbecued ducks hanging in the front window and steaming vats of broth signaled that this place was going to be good.

Since my introduction to Ting Wong’s years ago, I’ve returned numerous times with both friends and family. My grandparents, who are the harshest critics when it comes to noodles, adored Ting Wong’s immensely. As did my mother, brother, and cousin Phil. If my family approves, it says a lot! Trust me.

After a movie at the Ritz last weekend, The Astronomer and I swung by Ting Wong’s for a light lunch. We ordered the Buddha’s Delight Pan Fried Noodles because it’s my all-time favorite dish. A hearty helping of deep fried mee pok (egg noodles) is topped with a smooth vegetarian oyster sauce and vegetables including napa cabbage, carrots, broccoli, straw mushrooms, peas, sugar snap peas, and bok choy. Glass noodles, bean curd, and tofu are mixed in as well. The stir fried sauce upon the crisp noodles creates a wonderful texture of both crunch and yielding that truly makes pan fried noodles delicious.

Other notable dishes include the wonton noodle soup and congee. By the way, there is a Ting Wong offshoot in New York City called Tan Wong located at 103 East Broadway between Allen and Forsyth Street. I’ve frequented that location and it’s just as good and even slightly cheaper.