Wanderlust | Philadelphia

Lisa and I made a weekend trip to Philadelphia a couple weeks ago to visit our dear friend Dani (pretty much a girls' weekend :P), so I wanted to give a rundown of where we ate and drank, what we saw, and what we did during those two days.

We got in on a late Friday afternoon, where we settled into our hotel room (yay for corner rooms at the DoubleTree Hilton!) and {1,4} pretty much went straight to happy hour at restauranteur Stephen Starr's English pub, The Dandelion.


Along with $4 house wines (we opted for rieslings), we got {5,6}$2 bar snacks (including bar nuts toasted in butter and and marinated olives with herbs, spices, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar) and {2}chicken and duck liver parfait with grape chutney, cornichons, and brioche toast and rosemary (off the regular menu). The nuts were nicely browned and had a really distinct rosemary flavor. They were so good that Lisa wants to try to replicate this at home! The liver parfait was out of this world, as it was the perfect blend of paté together (even better with a sprinkle of sea salt  that came with the butter and {3} country white and stout bread). Not bad for happy hour!


After happy hour, we made our way to {1-4} The Barnes Foundation (of Philadelphia) for a night of jazz (the Museum hosts live music performances on Friday evenings) and art. While the space alone is simply stunning, what an unbelievable collection of art it has housed in its merely-a-year-old modern walls! We saw the featured exhibit, Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture on the Wall, as well as the rooms filled with the Foundation's permanent collection.

Whilst waiting in queue for dinner at Oyster House, {1} we had pre-dinner cocktails at Stephen Starr's Cuban restaurant, Alma de Cuba. {2}I had the Alma Colada with passionfruit juice, coconut milk blended with ice, Bacardi Superior, shaved coconut, and a drizzle of Myer's dark rum; Lisa had the Mango Martini with Ketel One vodka, mango liqueur, and mango purée; and Dani had the Black Cherry Caipirinha (Portuguese for "little peasant girl") made with muddled limes, sugar, and black cherry-infused Brazilian Leblon Cachaca. Delicious stuff!

We waited about 30-45 minutes at Alma de Cuba for a table {1}at Oyster House, where we eventually began with sips of {2} Mother's Ruin punch with gin, fresh grapefruit, cinnamon tea-infused vermouth, and sparkling wine,{4}a bottle of Narragansett Lager, as well as The Bloody Caesar with real clam juice, Sobieski vodka, spicy tomato juice, and horseradish. {3} Please also note the ginormous homemade oyster crackers Oyster House offers in lieu of a bread basket.


For our main meals, {5} Dani had the OH Burger made from grass-fed beef and topped with blue cheese, a fried oyster, and grilled onions with a side of hand-cut fries; {6} Lisa had the Fisherman's Stew with shellfish and fish in a spicy broth and saffron rouille; {8} while I had an order of fried Ipswich clams (essentially fried full-belly clams)! Mine and Lisa's were quite good, while Dani's burger was a little overpowered by the blue cheese (but had great elements like the fried oyster!).


And obviously we couldn't have gone to oyster house without ordering our fair share of oysters. Here was the rundown:

1. *Chincoteague (Chincoteague Bay, VA): Pretty good, but not much after-taste.
2. *Cape May Salt (Cape May, NJ): Buttery with a better after-taste than the Chincoteague.
3. Naked Cowboy (Great South Bay, Long Island, NY): Briny.
4. Little Shemogue (New Brunswick, Canada): Very briny.
5. Beach Blonde (Charlestown, RI): Ehhh...just bland.
6. Salt Pond (Point Judith Pond, RI): Nope. Too metallic.
7. Mermaid Cove (Prince Edward Island, Canada): Not bad -- just okay.
8. *Shigoku (Samish Bay, WA): FANTASTIC! Had a deep cup with a nice melon taste. These were our favorites!

One of my musts on this trip was stopping {1,8} at Federal Donuts for its supposedly {5} awesome donuts and drool-worthy fried chicken, which conquered the next day. I am so very glad that we were able to have both because {2} they sold out of wings within a few minutes after we placed our order for fried chicken!


As far as donuts were concerned, Lisa and Dani had one of the fancy donuts (pretty much glazed or dressed in something) -- {3}sticky bun and {6}strawberry-ginger -- while I had one that was recommended by one of the girls behind the counter -- {4} vanilla spice from the hot fresh section (essentially freshly fried and sprinkled with flavored sugar). While the fancy donuts had a denser interior and a heavier yet tasty glaze on stop that pretty much mimicked the flavor each had promised, the hot fresh ones just came straight out of the fryer, hot and melty with sprinkled sugar and the intoxicating tease of vanilla with each bite.

For the donuts alone, a detour here is worth it, but even more so if you can ALSO get your hands on some fried chicken wings. {7}We shared a half dozen of the honey-ginger fried chicken wings which also came straight from the fryer. The batter was perfect -- not too heavy or light, thoroughly enveloping the chicken and adding that savory, loose crunch with each nibble. The honey-ginger was mixed straight into the batter so there was no stickiness to it that you'd normally get with a glazed sauce. Finger licking is inevitable, but don't worry, they give you wet naps to clean off your paws upon demolishing your basket of fried chicken. Anyway, just be sure to get there early enough before the wings sell out or you will be immensely upset for yourself for not getting up earlier.


Blurred shot of us enjoying donuts and fried chicken at Federal Donuts.


A trip to Philly wouldn't truly be authentic to out-of-towners without a taste of a legit Philadelphia cheesesteak. This time, we stopped at Jim's Steaks, which Marcus highly recommended because they chop up the steak meat for easier eating (and in his opinion, tastier overall than slabs of meat).{1,7} The line wasn't too bad around noon when we arrived (and met up with Megan, one of Dani's good friends), and it moves pretty quickly as it's quite an efficient operation happening over there. {2} The menu is pretty straight forward -- just need to choose your cheese, decide whether you want your cheesesteak with or without onions, and note if you want additional toppings like peppers or mushrooms, too. {4,5} The chopped steak and onions are grilled on an open grill, where a large roll is lightly toasted against the browned bits from the meat and onions, followed with a dab of cheese (cheese whiz if you're going the legit authentic route) and a generous scoop of chopped steak and topped with whatever toppings you request. {3,6} Our resulting cheesesteak was one with mushrooms and onions, and it was pretty damn good!

On our way to Jim's Steaks, {1} I saw a tiny popsicle shop down the street called Lil' Pop Shop which looked totally adorable and sounded really good in the heat, so I suggested we pop in (har, har!) to see what was up. Turns out Dani had been to the shop's other location closer to UPenn and said that Lisa and I had to try it. {4,6} Reading off the first few flavors off the chalkboard menu had us sold, so much that Lisa tried two!


{2} From the pretty array of colorful pops inside the freezer display, Lisa first had the {5} goat cheese with black raspberries (really creamy and rich with nice tartness to it) while I had the Earl Grey with vanilla bean and black pepper (like a cup of peppery English tea turned into a frozen treat). Megan had the Vietnamese coffee (tasting exactly how it sounded), and {3} Lisa encored with coconut hibiscus (which was refreshing, even if it was more coconut than hibiscus). Lil' Pop Shop, please find your way to New York City. We promise we'll be your most loyal customers! :P


After our morning/early afternoon eats, we took a stroll through Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, "a mosaicked visionary art environment, gallery, and community arts center that preserves artist Isaiah Zagar's unique mosaic art environment and public murals." The Magic Gardens site (Zagar's largest artwork) includes a fully tiled indoor space and a massive outdoor mosaic sculpture garden that spans half a block on South Street. And get this -- it took him fourteen years to create the Magic Gardens, having completed it in 2008. Quite astounding!


Lisa, me, Dani, and Megan at Magic Gardens.

Later that evening, Lisa, Dani, and I got drinks {1}at Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company, another place on my must-do's on this trip, before our extravagant dinner at Vetri. In the late 1920s during Prohibition's prime, The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Co. served as the front of the largest alcohol ring in the country. Max "Boo Boo" Hoff (the "King of Bootleggers"and his crew ran about 10,000 gallons a day via truck, train, and bus. As "one of the best drinking establishments in America that assumes the same name in honor of the Jewish mobster who kept Philly wet through the Roaring Twenties," The Franklin "celebrates both the golden age of barrooms of the pre-Prohibition era and the skilled bartenders who fled their homes to pursue a noble craft banned and demonized in its country of origin." It is also crazy to know that the team behind The Franklin is the same folks behind Pouring Ribbons (one of my favorite bars!) in New York City.


{2} The bar is located down in the cellar with that appropriate ambient lighting that you would find in a speakeasy like this one. {4} I got the Julie Winters punch which had Duquesne Blanc and Wray & Nephew rhums, Tanqueray gin, Velvet Falernum, Creole Shrubb, Allspice Dram, lime and pineapple juices, and coconut black tea syrup. It was quite strong but had that comfortable quality that punches have about them. {3} Lisa had the Pie Plant Cobbler which had El Dorado 12-Year rum, Terranoble Carmenere, Zucca, Grand Marnier, muddled orange, strawberry basil syrup, and honey -- all served over crushed ice. This tasted like a fruit pie as a strong cocktail -- very deeply fruity and herbaceous. {5} Dani had the Sorry for Partying Punch with Buffalo Trace bourbon, Wray & Nephew rhum, Dolin Blanc vermouth, Creme de Cacao, Nux Alpina walnut liqueur, Campari, lemon juice, strawberry lychee tea syrup, and orange bitters. Also quite punchy, but went down quite easy. Love the tea-bases in the punches at The Franklin! So if you're looking for a stiff, pre-dinner (or post, even) drink, you will undoubtedly find it here.


Lisa and Dani at Franklin Mortgage.


Last, but not least, we had a phenomenal and magical six-course dinner at Vetri (see full recap here) -- one of the best meals this year. Definitely goes down in my books as one of my top dining experiences ever.

Other Recommendations from Past Visits

• *Barclay Prime (see review here): Marcus and I had a wonderful experience here celebrating our second anniversary at this amazing boutique steakhouse. Not only were our cuts of steak top-top quality, we also got to choose our own steak knives out of an array of four or five different makes.
• Il Pittore (see review here): Beautiful interior for an Italian restaurant opened by restauranteur Stephen Starr, playing off the chef's last name and turning it into a painterly masterpiece.
• *R2L (see review here): While dining at this restaurant, you get one of the best views Philadelphia from the comfort of your table. Breathtaking, for sure! Plus the food is quite exquisite.
• *Matyson (see review here): Really great value for a high-end BYO restaurant -- something you don't ever get to experience in NYC. Food is stellar and impressive with really fun cuts of protein (sweetbreads and foie gras, included) offered throughout the year.
• *El Vez (see review here): Excellent fish tacos and cocktails here!
• *Chhaya (see review here): You can find some solid brunch food, hands down -- particularly those classic dishes made from batter (i.e., waffles, crepes, pancakes, etc.).
• Parc (see review here): Stephen Starr's French brasserie puts forth a decent brunch.
• Café Estelle (see review here): You can find yourself a comfortable, unpretentious brunch here.
• Marcie Blaine Artisanal Chocolates (see review here): Fun chocolate boutique which pays homage to Philly in many of its designs and varieties.
• *OPEN HOUSE: One of my favorite gift shops ever -- you can find the coolest, funkiest gifts here, including a dynamic collection of well-designed, well-curated Philadelphia paraphernalia.
• *Philadelphia Museum of Art: A truly fantastic art museum which offers superb art exhibitions regularly. Plus, a trip to Philly isn't complete without having crossed off the "Rocky Steps" off your list.

Price point: $2 for each bar snack at The Dandelion during happy hour, $4 house wines, $13 for each starter; $22 for adult admission to The Barnes Foundation of Philadelphia, $10 for student admission; $10-13 for each cocktail at Alma de Cuba; $9 for each glass of punch at Oyster House, $4 for each beer, $8.50 for each cocktail, $15 for each small plate, $14-21 for each large plate, $1.25-2.75 for each oyster; $1.25 for each hot fresh donut at Federal Donuts, $2 for each fancy donut, $9 for six chicken wings; $8.50 for each cheesesteak at Jim's Steaks; $3 for each popsicle at Lil' Pop Shop; $7 for adult admission to Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, $5 for student admission; $14 for each cocktail at The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company.

--July 26-27, 2013

*The Dandelion
124 South 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
http://www.thedandelionpub.com

*The Barnes Foundation of Philadelphia
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA 19130
http://www.barnesfoundation.org/visit/philadelphia

*Alma de Cuba
1623 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
http://www.almadecubarestaurant.com

*Oyster House
1516 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
http://www.oysterhousephilly.com

*Federal Donuts
1632 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
http://www.federaldonuts.com

*Jim's Steaks
400 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
http://www.jimssteaks.com

*Philadelphia's Magic Gardens
1020 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
http://www.phillymagicgardens.org

*Lil' Pop Shop
534 South 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
http://www.lilpopshop.com

*The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.
112 S 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
http://www.thefranklinbar.com

*Vetri
1312 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
http://www.vetriristorante.com

Chef's Tasting | Vetri

This past weekend, I was in Philadelphia with Lisa visiting Dani, and on this trip, we had reservations at the well-coveted and well-renowned restaurant, Vetri, near the Avenue of the Arts. It was a dinner that marked a very special celebration -- Lisa getting into business school and Dani getting into medical school! We made the reservation a couple months in advance (crazy, right?!) for 8:30 that Saturday evening, so imagine the hunger we experienced all afternoon into the evening when we had stopped eating earlier in the day at 1 PM!

Eponymous to its owner/executive chef Chef Marc Vetri, Vetri's namesake "was conceived in part in Chef Vetri's belief that people should strive to be their own boss. After years of working in some of the finest kitchens in Italy and the U.S., he returned home in 1998 to his native Philadelphia, took over the intimate townhouse restaurant that was once home to the lauded Le Bec-Fin and started to cook alongside his business partner, sommelier Jeff Benjamin." Vetri's debut proved to be stunning with "its outstanding rustic fare, handcrafted pastas, innovative flavor combinations, and artful presentations," gaining the restaurant a favorable following amongst diners, critics, and fellow chefs alike.



By 2000, the restaurant received the highest restaurant rating from The Philadelphia Inquirer, and Chef Vetri was named one of Food & Wine's "Ten Best Chefs." Five years later, Chef Vetri won the James Beard Award for "Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic" which led to he and Mr. Benhamin to open three more restaurants in Philadelphia (Osteria, Amis, and Alla Spina). Originally opening and operating with a more traditional, a la carte menu, Vetri "moved to a tasting menu only format in March 2011 to fully showcase the constantly evolving, dynamic creativity of Chef Vetri and his kitchen staff and their desire to offer an unparalleled dining experience."


The restaurant's cozy space accommodates thirty guests, "making for a more intimate feel while allowing guests ample room to enjoy their dinner." The highlight of the dining room are two elegant hand-blown Murano glass chandeliers Chef Vetri had custom made by the famed artisans at the Formia glass factory in Venice, Italy.


Loved the water glasses we each had of a different color!

When we arrived at our table, with a much needed glass of the crispest prosecco in hand (which reminds me, I certainly need to ask the restaurant about it!), we were shown a copy of that evening's menu with four sections -- di pesce (fish), di verdure (vegetable), di terra (from the earth), and dolce (dessert) -- which deliberately allows us to peruse the best of the season's offering and broaches a meaningful "conversation with the restaurant's staff to shape the meal. From there, the kitchen works on crafting a personalized six-course tasting."

There was also a complimentary beverage program to consider. In its initial days, Vetri had a 70-bottle wine list that has evolved into a cellar that houses a collection of 2,500 bottles in present day. There were two wine pairing options available that evening -- the basic six-course wine pairing ($90 per person) and the grand wine pairing ($135 per person) -- as well as a beer pairing ($70 per person). Since we didn't realize that the six-course tasting wasn't identical for each person, Lisa was the only one who ordered the basic wine pairing, assuming the three of us would just share the pairing so we wouldn't drink too much. Looking back on it, I wish I had done my own pairing because the wine pairing for Lisa's dishes were stellar and unbelievably spot-on.


To start, we were given an assortment of aperitivo e assaggi: across the middle were three kinds of house-cured salumi, including three-year aged pork and prosciutto mostarda; an herbed vegetable torte at twelve o'clock; and pastrami foie gras (!!!) with with coriander and black pepper fennel moustarda over brioche at the bottom. All were divine, particularly the pastrami foie gras -- I haven't tasted something that shell-shocking in a while. Delicately rich, rugged with the spices of cured pastrami, there need not be any other explanation other than you need this in your mouth. This amuse was actually inspired by a visit to Spago in Los Angeles (run by Chef Lee Hefter) during which a foie gras pastarami (sweet, salty, rich, and creamy) floored Chef Vetri. The house-cured salami was unreal -- that personal touch does so much more.


Along with the little bites, we had a bowl of vegetable crudo with fennel, carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and fresh herbs alongside balasamic crema. A very hands-on salad sans the fork and fancy plate.


And of course, there was the focaccia filone (olives on the side) with French butter. Given how we'd been starving ourselves all afternoon, this made for a great satiating respite before the tasting menu courses would commence.


The first course plates started coming out, which landed me with the New Jersey tomato and corn tortino with corn salad. For such a petite savory pie as this, it sure packed in lots of flavors, playfully emulating the essence of the Garden State's precious produce. It made for light, nimble, and fresh morsels of a true Jersey summer. Can't beat a crisp corn salad like this one.


Lisa was served the soft shell crab with agrodolce (i.e., an Italian sweet-and-sour sauce). With soft-shell crabs still in the last stretch of its prime season, these molting crustaceans can pretty much speak for themselves. Juicy and tender with a loose crunch of shell and batter, the agrodolce merely added a rich tanginess to the already flavorful crab. The soft shell crab was paired with a 2011 Kerner produced by Abbazia di Novacella from Alto Adige, Italy. It was ripe and full on the palate with a bit of crisp acidity, working really well with the savory aspects of the soft-shell crab. Nicely done!


Dani was given a Piedmontese carpaccio with beets, figs, and goat cheese. Thin slices of raw beef lined the plate with quartered figs that had just ripened, making for one delicate but no less exciting carpaccio.


My next course was the whole fish "secondo il mercato" -- the catch that day was Alaskan salmon. The salmon was roasted whole, served and topped with zucchini blossoms (I think?) and some caviar. The broth was lightly sweet and had just the right amount of cream, with the silken flakes of salmon loosely coming undone. It wasn't as strong in flavor as I had anticipated, but it was still well roasted.


Lisa was served the sweet onion crepe with truffle fondue, one of the restaurant's long-term signature dishes, and we quickly grew to understand why. John told us that the onions in this dish are caramelized over the lowest possible heat for TEN hours (I know, right?!) -- this is done so that the onions get this rich, darkened color of being deeply browned, resulting in them tasting sweeter (more like an onion marmalade, per the restaurant's cookbook Il Viaggio di Vetri: A Culinary Journey) and even better with the cream and truffle. The resulting dish was like a crock of baked French onion soup, only brothless. It was truly the sweetness of the onions speaking so deliciously and the dreaminess of the melted truffle fondue that won us over in one fell swoop.

Oh, and don't get me started on the dynamo pairing with 2008 Dolcetto di Dogliani produced by San Fereolo ("Valdibà") from Piedmont, Italy -- flavors of beautiful ripe berries with layers of mint and spice that made it perfect for serving with a fresh pasta dish like this one and juicy burgers (I could see this onion crepe as a topping to a burger :P). The wine made this dish sing us not only a beautiful song, but a powerful ballad. There is a reason why this dish is a signature classic. I hope it never makes an exit off the menu -- that would just be blasphemous!


For her second course, Dani was given the Four Story Hill duck stuffed with chorizo. Cooked to a medium rare, pink center, the duck had soaked up all of the flavors and spices from the chorizo chunks stuffed inside it. Really tender with a little zestiness from the chorizo -- it can be challenging to find duck prepared to the nines, but I am glad we don't need to worry about that at Vetri.


The third course began the pasta portion of the dinner, which for me was almond tortellini with truffle sauce. This dish actually appears on the menu year round. Per Il Viaggio di Vetri, Chef Vetri shares that he first had an iteration of this dish at La Lucanda, a restaurant located in Bergamo originally owned by Chef Luca Brasi. Initially, Vetri used to fill the tortellini with ricotta cheese and toasted almonds, but he learned from Chef Brasi to use rice instead of ricotta, which gives the filling an amazing texture. Chef Brasi also likes to fill them with bitter almonds, which are difficult to find in the United States, but Chef Vetri has been able to track down a bitter almond extract that creates a similar flavor. This little tidbit from the cookbook explains a lot -- when I took a bite of the tortellini, I was expecting a rich, milky ricotta to ooze out, but I was pleasantly surprised by the texture of what was actually inside -- a texture noticeably different than that of ricotta with a less creamy taste compensated with the playfulness of browned almonds and a dash of bitter almond extract. Together, the flavors created pillows of sweet and creamed delight that had that same fragrant aroma as toasted almonds right out of the oven. I now clearly understood why the almond tortellini has a permanent place on Vetri's menu through each and every season.


Lisa's first pasta course began with the spinach gnocchi with brown butter, another one from the restaurant's collection of long-term signature dishes. Although it was more like gnudi than gnocchi for us, that didn't make the dish taste any less fantastic. While most people associate gnocchi with potatoes, gnoccho is actually Italian for "dumpling" referring both to the food and also as a term of endearment. For Chef Vetri, he began to think of gnocchi as just about anything that is soft and tender, leading to his experimenting with making dumplings out of other ingredients besides potato and subsequently discovering that spinach worked beautifully. What makes these gnocchi "lighter than air" is in the thorough wiling of the spnich and puréeing it for a good long time. Funny enough, he and his staff got the recipe right just a few days before Vetri's opening day and has been on the menu ever since.

Upon sinking our teeth into these Italian dumplings, we didn't hesitate to say that they were almost godlike and pretty much "lighter than air" as described in the cookbook -- they melted against the warmth of the palate as the lightest creamed spinach I had ever tasted. It was sad to see these four dumplings go, but it was the perfect amount to bear witness to the whimsical talent that Chef Vetri has with pasta. The pairing, as  with the previous courses, was out of this world -- a 2010 rosso di Montalcino (a sangiovese, essentially) produced by Coldisole from Tuscany -- making the gnocchi even better than we could've imagined.


Dani had the agnolotto with pistachio vellutate and a zucchini salad. The pasta was really fresh filled with a beautiful nuttiness that you only get from toasted bits of pistachio. The zucchini was julienned into gorgeous strings embodying the fleeting weeks of summer we have left. The creamy broth was light and great for sweeping onto each bite. This is how pasta can be poetic here at Vetri.


The second pasta course for me was the culurgiones with corn, chevrot (i.e., goat cheese), and sweetbreads. Culurgiones are a Sardinian ravioli typically filled with potato. But like Chef Vetri did with the gnocchi, he tried something different here -- he instead made it with a mild goat cheese like chevrot. Like all of his pasta dishes, the dough is incredibly fresh (undoubtedly made that morning), and the corn was in prime season, juicy with the subtlest crunch. The sweetbreads were that extra savory this dish needed. I was concerned the goat cheese would be overwhelming for me, but it wasn't at all -- it was pretty subdued (in a good way, of course) and really added a fun texture compared to that of the expected potato filling. Vetri really knows what they're doing when it comes to pasta (and a lot other things, for that matter :P)! Plus, this dish had the same pairing as Lisa's next course (see below) -- a 2011 Grüner Veltliner ("Strasser Weinberge") produced by Martin Arndorfer from Kamptal, Austria. A solidly stellar pairing with goat cheese!


Lisa's second pasta course was the conchiglione with lobster dumplings, paired with the 2011 Grüner Veltliner I mentioned earlier. Great outer pasta, and well-poached lobster inside, only made better with this pairing.


As her second pasta course, Dani was served the lorighittas with frutti di mare (i.e., seafood). Originating in Sardinia, the pasta's name is derived from the original shape of the pasta which was similar to a ring as sa loriga is Saridnian for the "iron ring" that was once fixed to the walls of local houses to tether horses when menu returned from the fields. The process of making lorighittas is truly an art which takes years of training to perfect, taking about six hours to intertwine the rings required to make just one kilogram of pasta.One of the traditional pairings with this pasta is with seafood, which is what Chef Vetri has done here with squid, uni, and scallops. This made for a very delicate pasta dish, as everything was soft and fluid.


For our fifth course of the evening, we each were served the roasted lamb with preserved porcini and moliterno (an Italian sheep cheese from Basilicata). It was cooked to a perfect medium rare, where the texture of this cut of meat reminded me very much of a slice of beef from a rib roast, only with that distinct taste that makes lamb taste like lamb. The jus was a thicker glaze that blended well with the slices of vinegared porcini and the crumbled pieces of moliterno. This was paired with a 2008 merlot produced by Perusini from Friuli, Italy, which really brought the lamb to life, underscoring all of the great flavors that would've been otherwise tucked away.


Before the dessert course, we were served a fresh mango sorbet with Lancaster blackberry. It really helped cleanse our palates of the rich and savory dishes we had just eaten through together with the well incorporated tang and tart.


I really loved the porcelain china on which tea and dessert was served -- they're part of the Paola Navone collection by Richard Ginori.


After seeing that they had cannisters of Bellocq tea in their service buffet chest, Lisa and I had to treat ourselves to a cup of tea -- its No. 31 green tea blend called Siam Basil Lemongrass. It made for a light, fragrant, and soothing digestif that went nicely with our dessert course.


For dessert, I was served the Paris-Brest with hazelnut cream and blueberries. A Paris-Brest is a French dessert, made of choux pastry and a praline-flavored cream (in this case, it's of hazelnut). This dessert made for a nice and light cream puff, with the cream rich with that smooth nuttiness you get from hazelnuts as well as with the bursts of blueberry in the mix. Though the choux pastry was a little thicker than I expected, it was still lovely.


Lisa had the fiadone (typically a cheesecake from Corsica) with strawberries. Loved the sweetness of the strawberries with a thin layer of chocolate on top and an interesting curdled texture from the cheese made using sheep's or goat's milk.


Dani had the chocolate polenta souffle, which also happens to be gluten-free. Just as rich and luscious as a traditional chocolate cake made using flour, this dessert had more of a pudding-like texture. And of course, the accompaniment of ice cream just made it go down that much easily.


Along with our dessert courses, we had a small plate of piccolo pasticceria consisting of petit-fours including cubes of a lemon-almond cake, a flourless chocolate cake, an opera cake, and a plum cake.


And of course, Lisa and I got our hands on Il Viaggio di Vetri signed by Chef Vetri himself!

Findings: Our dinner at Vetri was easily one of the best meals I've had this year (right next to McCrady's, Atera, and The Modern: Dining Room) -- hell, it'd be one of the best ones I've ever had, especially if I'm narrowing it down to Italian cuisine. Until coming to Vetri, I had never had a chef's tasting focused around Italian cuisine, so I was quite impressed with the odes to tradition, the inclusion of unexpected ingredients, and the execution skills exhibited in the six-course dinner through which we had the pleasure of dining. Having been around since a bit before the turn of the millenium, it was refreshing to know that even a well-established restaurant like Vetri is still putting forth not only tried-and-true dishes but ones that are outside of the box of hyper-traditional Italian fare. The marriage of tradition and innovation is nothing but harmonious in the kitchen of Chef Marc Vetri, and the patrons in his dining room each and every night are no less content to be participants in such harmony. Most importantly, I see him as a sorcerer of pasta, knowing exactly how to bring out the best in each and every shape and size and make them shine on the plate.

The progression of the meal was deliberate and at a relaxed pace -- we weren't at all rushed through, permitting a thorough enjoyment of each course at our own leisure. I also liked that most of our courses were mixed, even though the meal was done in a chef's tasting format, so we could all play musical plates and really see a fuller repertoire of Chef Vetri's menu. Another thing I wish I had done for myself was opt for the six-course wine pairing. I was undoubtedly blown away by the glasses put forth by the sommelier for each of Lisa's courses -- quite possibly in the same way, if not more, in the way that sommelier Aldo Sohm did at Le Bernardin. Never has wine and the food for which it was paired, spoken to me like that since then, so I was relieved to know my palate is still capable of experience such surreal things whilst dining out.

Along with the extraordinary food and the mind-blowing wine pairings, the service at Vetri was quite exceptional, and simply put, seamless. Our captain, John, was unbelievably helpful and patient with us, particularly with our questions and genuine curiosity about how certain dishes were prepared. I really love it when we can have such engaging conversations with the service team about what's being served to us, especially when you see how enthusiastic they are in sharing those details that others dismiss right away and may not find as exciting.

All in all, I would say that Vetri puts forth a wonderful dining experience with all key elements (i.e., quality food and cooking, unparalleled wine pairings, and exceptional service) executed well past our expectations. Vetri was quite magical and impressionable on me, so much that I'm already scheming to bring Marcus here for our anniversary next year. Until then, Lisa and I may or may not be attempting to recreate some of these masterpieces (read: spinach gnocchi and sweet onion crepe) -- will report back when I know more! :P

Congratulations again to Lisa and Dani for getting into the professional school(s) of your dreams! I'm so damn proud of you!!

Price point: $155 per person for chef's tasting menu, $90 per person for the basic wine pairing.

--July 27, 2013

Vetri
1312 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
http://www.vetriristorante.com

Brunch | brunch bunch of Summer 2012

Just like what I did last fall, I decided to do a composite yet comparative review on three brunch spots I hit up this summer -- another "brunch bunch" as summer is about to come to a close. The three weekend brunch spots I went to include: Stephen Starr's French brasserie, Parc, in Philadelphia; café-market-restaurant trifecta at Marlow & Sons in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and the truly rustic restaurant Friend of a Farmer in Gramercy.
~ ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ ~

Back in late July, I went down to Philly to meet up with Dan for a leisurely brunch at another one of restaurant Stephen Starr's spots (another one crossed off our list!). Located in Rittenhouse Square, Parc brings to life a "chic brasserie" of Paris, "serving traditional bistro fare in a charming and comfortable space." It also "pays tribute to French café culture, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week."

{1} The interior of the restaurant is a dead ringer for a brasserie you may find in Paris, especially with the ceiling lamps and crocheted curtains. {2} To start brunch off right, I sipped on a bellini with crème de pêche and sparkling wine, while Dan had mimosa lorraine with crème de griotte, crème de pêche, orange Juice, and sparkling wine -- both delicious! {3} If I could be any more French, I had the croque madame with grilled ham, fried egg, and sauce mornay over brioche. Really can't ever go wrong with ham, cheese, and bread -- plus, this had the nice bonus of a fried egg! Only complaint here is that there was too much sauce, causing the bread to get soggier than I would've liked. {4} Dan had the cheeseburger with grilled onion, raclette cheese, and pommes frites. Nice combination of a delicious cheese, caramelized onions, and a quality patty of beef.

The menu is comprised of very French fare, so be prepared for that! :)

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As Lisa had some business to attend to in Williamsburg later that day, we decided it'd be fun to grab brunch together right before, since we were already making the trip out there. Our first thoughts were to get to Maison Premiere so we could feast on its generous offering of various oysters. But alas, we were informed a little too late that the restaurant would be closed until 2 PM for a staff meeting, which meant no lunch there (little did we know it was because of the super recent arrival of a new chef and a menu rehaul). So that's when I whipped out my Immaculate Infatuation app on my iPhone to find another place that has a raw bar, which directed me to Marlow & Sons, not too far from there. A café-restaurant-in-one, Marlow & Sons has a "cozy, Mediterranean-accented identity of its own" with a communal table and a raw bar inside as well as a gourmet general store out front.

{1,4} The "store" part of Marlow & Sons filled with organic produce, artisanal goodies, and gastronomic literature. {2} Of course we started with some oysters -- the larger ones were Barcat from Virginia, while the smaller ones were Matunuck from Rhode Island. After sampling our first round with some lemon and hogwash, we decided on Matunuck, as they were sweeter and had a more favorable texture to them. A dozen more of these followed! {3} The dark wooden interior of Marlow & Sons. {5} I had the poached eggs with panzanella (of heirloom tomatoes and homemade croutons) which was pretty good overall -- just a bit over-salted. Lisa had a simple biscuit with scrambled eggs, cheese, and bacon (not pictured), which was a bit smaller than she would've liked, but still yummy. {6} For dessert, our waitress insisted we try the restaurant's homemade ice creams, including sweet cream and peach. The sweet cream was essentially vanilla ice cream without the vanilla -- a beautifully done cream. The peach was great too -- very subtle and refreshing.

The brunch menu changes up here quite frequently, so chances are, you won't be having the same thing during a subsequent visit. Must-not-misses include the ice creams and oysters!

~ ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ ~

After a grueling spin class at Soul Cycle, Jess suggested we grab brunch together at Friend of a Farmer. We arrived a little after 1 PM to be met with a pretty short wait (about 10-15 minutes) for the next available table. A "cozy country cafe made of warmth and wood," Friend of a Farmer was opened by Terry Morabito as an ode to small farming town in upstate New York, where he grew up. All ingredients are fresh (as the name indicates -- they aren't "friends with farmers" for nothing! :P) and has a no-nonsense country-style vibe to them.

{1} We couldn't pass up fresh-squeezed orange juice and fresh apple cider to start. Totally worth skipping the brunch cocktails! {2} A little peek inside the restaurant's upstairs dining area. Very country-home, indeed! {3} I ordered one of the daily specials -- the crab cake benedict, which was essentially poached eggs and crab cakes over English muffins with some hollandaise sauce. The crab cake was superb, as it was mostly lump crab meat and had a nicely seared exterior, providing textural contrast to the soft nature of the remaining ingredients. Though on the pricier side, I do recommend it if you're up for a tiny splurge for brunch! / {5} Jess had the Irving Place omelette with cheddar cheese, ham (substituted in place of bacon), and tomato. It came out soft and delicious!

If you're looking for a really good, no-nonsense country-style brunch, you'll certainly find it at Friend of a Farmer. The waiting lines outside the restaurant wouldn't be if it wasn't worth it!

Findings: I was very fortunate to have had some very positive brunching experiences this summer, wherever I happened to be. The price point was reasonable and around the same range for some simple yet delicious main course, whether it was at Parc, Marlow & Sons, or Friend of a Farmer. Each spot had a distinct genre of brunch to offer (i.e., French, Mediterranean, or straight-up country American). If I had to pick a place to go back to, however, it would be to Friend of a Farmer because its menu is more my brunching style (casual, laid-back classics) and to Marlow & Sons for its oysters and ice cream (dinner, too, so I could really see the restaurant's other culinary colors).

In any case, here are three brunch spots worth checking out in Philadelphia, Brooklyn, and Manhattan -- you'll bound to find something you'll love at each!

Price point: Parc -- $13-16 for each main course, $9-10 for each sparkling cocktail; Marlow & Sons -- $9-12 for each main course, $7 for each mimosa, $4 for each scoop of ice cream; Friend of a Farmer -- $12-22 for each main course, $3.75-4 for each juice.

--July 28, 2012; August 12, 2012; August 18, 2012

Parc

227 South 18th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

http://www.parc-restaurant.com

Marlow & Sons

81 Broadway

Brooklyn, NY 11211

http://www.marlowandsons.com

Friend of a Farmer

77 Irving Place

New York, NY 10003

http://www.friendofafarmerny.com

Brunch | Chhaya Cafe

When we were deciding where to go to brunch the next morning after a wonderful meal at Matyson, we assessed menus from an array of various choices offered to us by Dani. But I went a little further than that, and I am guilty of this with literature and bottles of wine -- my final decision rested with how clever/meaningful the restaurant/cafe's name was. Chhaya Cafe, therefore, was the clear winner, because its name is three-fold, i.e., different yet unifying meanings in three different languages.

In Sanskrit, chāyā (छाया) means shelter, shade, or shadow); in Hebrew, hāyā(חַיָה) means living or life from the word (c)hai (חַי), like in l'chaim; and in Japanese, 0-chāyā (お茶屋) means tea shop or teahouse.

With all that being said, we met up with another old high school friend, Wendy, for brunch.

On top of the regular menu, Chhaya offers daily specials written on a black clipboard in chalkboard marker.

Lisa and I both had a cup of tea -- an earl grey blend with lavender. I thought the tea bag holder was very clever.

I ordered the eggs en cocotte from the specials board -- baked eggs with wilted greens, cheese, chives, and brioche points. While the baked eggs were quite good (can't ever really go wrong with baked eggs), the brioche points were what made this dish so awesome. They were the perfect vessel on which to eat the baked eggs -- buttery, thick, and flaky.

Lisa had pancakes with strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries. Chhaya has bragging rights to arguably claim that they make the fluffiest pancakes in Philly. But don't let the fluffiness fool you -- they are very filling!

Dani had the huevos rancheros waffle from the specials board -- cornbread waffle, salsa, black beans, avocado, chorizo, a fried egg, and hollandaise. This dish ultimately combined the best breakfast options of all time -- huevos rancheros (Dani's favorite), eggs benedict (because of the hollandaise), and a Belgian waffle (only made from cornbread). Needless to say, this was the best dish we ordered that morning -- who can say no to avocado, chorizo, a fried egg, AND hollandaise all over a waffle?! Loved this refreshing twist on huevos rancheros.

Wendy had crepes with blueberry compote. The crepes themselves were super crispy -- you can tell by their browned edge, and the confectioners sugar meshed well with the thick blueberry compote, adding a sweet-and-tart taste to the warm, crisp crepe.

Me with Lisa, Dani, and Wendy at Chhaya.

Findings: Overall, the brunch menu offered at Chhaya was quite variegated and equally delicious. For such an intimate cafe as itself, it was nice to be able to choose from a relatively wide selection of things, even in a given brunch category (many types of waffles, pancakes, and crepes), along with the creative specials offered daily. The price point was also very reasonable (about $10-15 per person) along with the wait time (it wasn't too crowded, even at prime brunch hour and if all tables were full, the next available table would be ready shortly). I also liked that brunch at Chhaya isn't super pretentious and "scene-y" as it seems to be in New York City. Sometimes it's okay if you don't want to get sloshed at brunch hour, especially if you just want a nice hot beverage with some really heartily delicious brunch fare.

Price point: $6-12 for each brunch main course, $2 for each cup of tea.

--July 22, 2012

Chhaya Cafe

1823 East Passyunk Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19148

http://www.chhayacafe.com

Chhaya Cafe
1823 East Passyunk
Philadelphia
PA
Can't really go wrong with any brunch main course here, especially anything from the daily specials board.
Four Tines and a Napkin