Pub & Kitchen

Brewery Mussels: homemade country sausage & amber lager - Normally I like my mussels in red sauce, but these were delicious. The mussels were soft (far from chewy) and almost sweet, and the spicy sausage was an excellent addition. The toasted bread on top was full of garlic butter (and while it was tasty, there was a tad too much of it). The last time I was at Pub & Kitchen, I ordered the burger (as did two of my friends this time) and it never fails to please.



Roast chicken with mustard greens and Irish biscuit - This dish is one that Pub & Kitchen is known for. The chicken is juicy, yet the Irish biscuit was a little dry (and was almost like stuffing).

Supper

We came to Supper because of the review in both Zagat and Philadelphia Magazine, but as we later found out, both reviews were over a year old. The chef and owner, Mitch Prensky, was nice enough to come over to my table once he saw me taking pictures and asking about the "tapas" brunch that I thought was still served (Philadelphia Magazine may have published last year's article instead). He was very nice and friendly, and his restaurant offers the same vibe. Now on to the food:

Supper Frittata: three egg frittata with tomatoes and bacon, served with potatoes and toast - By the looks of the picture, you're probably wondering where the eggs are: they are dried up and hiding in there. This isn't what I expect to see when I order a frittata; the potatoes should have been on the side, and the eggs a bit more moist.


Housemade Ricotta Blintzes with strawberry compote and sour cream - These were incredibly delicious: sweet, thin crepes, and a beautiful blend of strawberry, sour cream, and ricotta. It wasn't difficult for it to melt in my mouth. However, I was very disappointed with the portion size; for $13, I would have expected more.

James

Of the four dishes I had at James, two of them were truly delicious (and perhaps deserving of Philadelphia Magazine's rank of 3rd best restaurant), but the prices are very steep for the amount of food on the plate. I wanted Wendy's afterwards.

As far as the decor, I was pleasantly surprised to walk into such a modern, trendy, yet calm atmosphere that I would expect to see more of on Rittenhouse Square, not in Bella Vista. It was beautifully, yet simply decorated, with hardwood floors and dark tables and furniture (picture above is behind the bar, not the main dining room).

Swiss chard stuffed quail breast - This was one of the two best dishes of the evening. The quail breast was lean and soft, and the seasoned swiss chard was the perfect flavoring.


Hand cut tagliatelle, duck ragu, shaved chocolate & orange - What a disappointment. Philly Mag said to order this, the waitresses at James said it was the most popular item on their menu,...perhaps I was thus expecting too much. The tagliatelle was thin and obviously homemade, but there was barely any duck, and if chocolate & orange weren't listed on the menu, I wouldn't have known they were part of the dish.


John Dory with onions, apples, and brussels sprouts


Dover Sole "Veronique" - This was the second best dish of the evening. It was simply prepared but my taste buds loved it: olive oil, peeled grapes, and some sort of cream that tasted like hummus. The picture makes it look much larger than it was, but it was more like over-sized sashimi than a filet of fish.


Both desserts didn't taste like anything. I was afraid I had a stuffy nose or a cold, but nah...the desserts were just lacking flavor. Salty Caramel Semifreddo & Pumpkin Tart

Vetri

Vetri, the 10-table Italian restaurant where chef Mark Vetri creates miracles, is impossible to get into for a reason. Some say it's the best Italian restaurant in the country, and I would agree. My unforgettable evening there began when Mark Vetri himself walked out of the door to make a phone call (he then went back inside to cook my food). Not only was I excited to see him, I was eager to taste his delicacies:

Golden sweet onion crepe with white truffle fondue


Quail sausage with salt cured egg yolk, basil, and potatoes -A delicious mix of flavors, the basil was certainly the star of this dish.


Fazzoletti with duck ragu and black olives

Chicken liver ravioli with trumpet royale mushrooms - This was by far the best dish of the evening (I was so amazed that I forgot to take a picture of it). A photo would not do it justice, however, since the most remarkable part of this pasta was what hid inside the ravioli - a huge burst of flavor from the soft, tasty chicken liver that created quite a "party in my mouth." Am I sounding like a food critic yet? The delicate pasta (which is what Vetri is known for) melted in my mouth as well.

Roasted capretto (baby goat) with soft polenta


Orata in umido with mussels and fregola sardo - I loved the crispy skin of the fish (and it reminded me of the tasty orata I ate in Hawaii), but the mussels could have been larger


Chocolate polenta lava cake - A bit too bitter for my sweet tooth, but the warm liquid "lava" made up for that.


Panna Cotta


In summary, order at least one pasta dish!

Tinto

Tinto is right up there with Vetri; both are my favorite restaurants in the city. I've been to Tinto twice, but the pictures and this blog entry describe my most recent experience. After eating here and at Amada, I'm on a mission to try other Jose Garces restaurants. Tapas has become one of my favorite types of cuisines over the years, and Tinto does it best. I vote Tinto over Amada because the dishes are consistently better at Tinto, and the atmosphere is less noisy and chaotic than at Amada.

Charcuterie, Serrano ham wrapped figs, Cheese - We ordered the "mixto" from both the charcuterie and cheese menu, and everything tasted delicious. The cured meats were sliced thinly; the wrapped fig was a perfect mix of sweet and salty (much better than a traditional prosciutto & melon).


Tuna Tartare: big eye tuna, pickled guindilla, chorizo aioli - they could have left the bread in the kitchen and served more tuna


Pulpo: spanish octopus, confit potatoes, lemon powder - deliciously seasoned and very soft texture (despite the bumpy scales you see in the picture!)


Lamb Brochettes: lamb loin, eggplant, bacon, sherry jus - Lamb with eggplant (usually anywhere) is something I will always order, and this dish certainly ranks high among the numerous meals I've had with the same combination. The eggplant was very soft and I loved how it was wrapped around the tender lamb so that one bite included all of the important ingredients. I also thought that the presentation of skewers in "shot glasses" was a nice touch. And as you can see from the photos, all dishes were presented very nicely, so A+ on that.


Mussels with chorizo, fries, wild mushrooms - The mushrooms were the best (from this picture). They came with roasted potatoes, shallots, and parsley, with shallots and garlic as the dominant flavors. The mussels were also very delicious, but they could have been larger (I had the same complaint about the mussels at Vetri; I like big mussels!) The fries were brilliantly seasoned, but they were dipped in lemon aioli which didn't seem to go well.


Be sure to order the Sopa de Castano (not pictured), the best soup (and perhaps dish) that you may ever taste in your lifetime. It's truffled chestnut soup, duck and mushroom hash, fried quail egg, and pistachio. The flavors are just incredible and a hint of smokiness, paired with the distinct taste of truffle, just puts it over the top.

Barclay Prime

Not all steakhouses are worth the money, so if you're willing to splurge, do it at Barclay Prime. It's a "prime" steakhouse! The dining room is chic and classy, with green, squared couches and cushioned seats, old library books on the shelves, and delicate chandeliers (I wouldn't expect anything less from Stephen Starr).

Oysters and Caesar Salad - There were three different types of oysters, and while all were delicious, one type was especially plump and tasty (sorry, I forget which one!) I'm new at eating oysters, and these were certainly good ice breakers. Speaking of which, they were presented on a perfect block of ice. The caesar salad was excellent, not drenched in dressing and extremely flavorful; lettuce was crisp and fresh (and in small pieces, which I like).


"Choose your weapon."


16 oz. Dry-Aged NY Strip - Their signature steak and quite a hunk of meat, it was savory, tender, well-seasoned, and juicy. Leftovers heated up fairly well the next day!


Toasted Peanut Butter S'mores - These are not mushrooms, but marshmallows on top of a brownie, graham cracker, and peanut butter ice cream - I would have preferred the ice cream by itself; nothing else in this dish was nearly as impressive.