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! :)

~ ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ ~

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

Dinner | Barclay Prime

After brunching with Dani and checking out the Philadelphia Science Festival (yes, we are those kind of geeks :P), Marcus and I finally made it to Barclay Prime in Rittenhouse Square to celebrate our two-year anniversary.

There's a little anecdote to this restaurant choice. Two years and a week from the date of this dinner, I dined at Barclay Prime for the first time with Dan during one of our "Starr Restaurant Tour" stints (hitting up a record of four Starr restaurants that weekend!). We had an amazing time because the ambiance, attentive service, and the food were stellar and dressed up to the nines. The most noteworthy part of the experience was that the steak knives given to the diners upon serving their desired cut of steak were not the usual serrated blades with tri-riveted wooden scales as the handle. Instead, the diners were presented with a square platter from which to choose one of many unique steak knives (more on this later), including one created by a samurai sword manufacturer and another one by the grandson of Ferninand Porsche (yes, the carmaker founder).

Anyway, when I returned back to New York that Sunday, I finally gave into my curiosity and signed up for eHarmony as a little three-month experiment. No less than a couple hours later, I was paired with my "first match" -- "Mr. Marcus" himself :P -- and from there we embarked on our first conversations: about food, our personalities, what we like to do, the usual. He went to school in Philadelphia, so the natural thing was to talk about my most recent trip (that very yesterday), mentioning in passing about Stephen Starr restaurants and the impressive collection of steak knives at Barclay Prime. That initial conversation stuck with us all the way until the present (I think I had Marcus at "samurai sword" hehe), where and when we decided that perhaps it'd be poetic for us to return together to celebrate this joyous milestone in our relationship -- plus I really wanted see what Marcus's final assessment would be. It's just crazy to think I was sitting in this very dining room a little over two years ago, just a day before my life would change into one where I'd be sharing it with my other half, only to be sitting there two years later, toasting.

Don't be fooled by the restaurant's unassuming exterior -- it is swanky and posh without having diners feel out of place. Barclay Prime is located on the first floor of the historic Barclay Building (formerly a luxury hotel built in 1929, now residential condominiums) and "takes its cues from the exquisite tradition of the building."

Best described as a "luxury boutique steakhouse" (could not put it into better words myself), Barclay Prime is "the ideal contemporary destination for a space so steeped in glamorous old-world tradition." I love the juxtaposition of modern and retro design that playfully dance with each other in the main dining room. The bold choice of green for its multi-faceted banquette seating (both leather and suede, too!) against the warm and organic ribbons of wood that surround the space as well as against the marbled, white tables and modular, ivory-upholstered chairs makes for a vivid and lively atmosphere for guests to savor and adore.

Another view of the dining room, from where we were seated. Something to note is that this was the first time that I spoke up after having the maître d' attempt to seat us in the very back left corner (see above photograph) where the lighting was nonexistent or would be once the light faded from the windows into dusk. I nicely asked her if she could possibly seat us near the windows, and she gladly said it would be her pleasure, once she made sure with the general manager that no previous arrangements had been made with other patrons. Thankfully it was no problem at all, and we got a table right next to the window, where the fading afternoon light (still a lot left to my amazement) bled right into that side of the dining room with the alabaster marble tops glistening. I was beaming with excitement, as my visit with Dan, however memorably delicious it was, yielded photographs that were dark and indistinguishable due to extremely low lighting of the back corner. With that in mind, I'm really glad I spoke up!

Love the chandeliers -- a fun throwback to the Roaring 20s (when the Barclay Hotel was operating) in a room filled with more contemporary furnishings.

The offerings of the menu is pretty standard for any steakhouse -- e.g., starters (soups/salads), crudo, steak cuts, other main course alternatives (non-steak), and sides (a la carte). However, the layout and design of the menu made it a little less boring and more fun.

There was an infamous item that I noticed sprawled at the center of the menu -- the wagyu ribeeye and foie gras cheese steak served with a 1/2 bottle of Perrier-Jouêt "Grand Brut" champagne. Imagine that -- an ode to the city's iconic Philly cheesesteak while maintaining its unabashed guise as a luxury boutique steakhouse (doesn't get more decadent than adding foie gras to a gratifyingly greasy cheesesteak!). So I admit I got a little sidetracked, but I pulled myself together and focused back on what cut of steak I wanted for that evening. :P

A tastier alternative to the traditional bread rolls, Barclay Prime served Gruyère and scallion popovers. Hollow at its center and airy in the pastry, this flaky and crusty orb of savory goodness was a harbinger of what a promising meal and unforgettable experience the restaurant had in store for us. If we hadn't already ordered two sides, we would have happily asked for seconds. Now that I think about it, I should have sneaked some into my purse for the road! :P Recipe please!

I almost wasn't going to have an appetizer -- I wanted to be able to savor and enjoy my steak down to its last cut of meat and drop of au jus. But whenever there's peekytoe crab on the menu (pardon my inexplicable penchant for cute sounding foods), I have to check it out. Our captain described what the peekytoe crab salad entailed, and I was sold. It had chunky peekytoe crab meat mixed in with a light aioli and herbs, and it was served with a refreshing vinaigrette over a bed of baby spinach, green beans, and sliced radish. There was also a side of Texas toast on which to eat the peekytoe crab salad. Both salads were delightful, even better when eaten on the toast.The chunky crab meat went so well with the aioli, bright with flavor and lush in texture. It was a lightly refreshing treat before the hearty steak course ahead.

Marcus was still feeling under the weather, so he decided to have the lobster bisque, hoping the warmth from the soup could help clear his sinuses. It was creamy with that floating undertone of evaporated cognac on the palate. I liked that it wasn't salty like most bisques are, and the consistency of the soup was very robust -- not at all watery.

Next came my favorite thing about Barclay Prime. One thing was for sure -- when it came to steak knives, Barclay Prime certainly did not mess around. I've already preluded to this earlier, but I want to explain a little more. Right before the steak course, the service team will present you with an platter of uniquely designed steak knives. During this particular dinner, Marcus and I were presented with four distinct knives, from which Marcus chose the Kershaw Shun (second from the left) and I the Global (first from the left).

Thanks to John Polizzi, the general manager of Barclay Prime, I was able to acquire some more background on each of these knives:

{1} GLOBAL: This knife is made in Japan and is entirely stainless steel -- the first of its kind. I had this knife during my first visit, and though I didn't know about the brand at the time, I chose it because of the dots on the handle because it was so hard to choose! :P I remember liking the way it cut through my steak that I wanted to opt for it once more.

{2} Kershaw Shun: This knife is also of Japanese origin, made from sixteen layers of Japanese steel with a Bakkawood handle. The way this knife is made is the same way samurai swords are made. Needless to say, they had Marcus at samurai, as I had in our first conversations! :P

{3} Wüsthof: This one is from Germany and is laser-sharpened.

{4} J. A. Henckels: Also from Germany, this knife has a curved blade. I remember Dan using this one when we went together. He had a little difficulty using it with his cut of steak, so we ended up switching midway through.

Barclay Prime also have two other steak knives currently which were not offered to us that evening (not sure why) but that I remembered from my first visit:

{5} Laguiole: From France, this knife manufacturer prides itself on being the oldest knife maker in the world.

{6} Chroma: This knife was designed by the grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, the founder and creator of the well-renowned performance car brand. Such a shame this wasn't offered during Marcus and I's dinner -- I would be curious to try this one next time. Its uncustomary shape has me very curious.

It also seems that the Wüsthof knife that I came across during this dinner replaced the Fuji/Fujitechnics knife that the restaurant had two years ago -- just a random tidbit I wanted to share!

Close up of our steak knife selections! Pretty badass if you ask me! :P

It was finally time for us to chow down on our hunks of steak. I went with the 18-ounce Gachot & Gachot prime dry-aged ribeye, mainly because I normally like prime rib and ribeye steaks tend to be marbled in fat. With some dry-aging in there, the marbling only intensified. I could even tell before slicing into it that the glossy finish of the steak would be an auspicious tell of its glorious taste. Normally I like to have my steaks cooked to medium rare as leeway so that if it is slightly overcooked, it bleeds into the medium region -- I find that when I do that at most restaurants, I get the temperature of steak that I desire. However, when it comes to steakhouses, I have to be a little more careful because medium rare is quite red at the center. After discussing it with our captain, he recommended that I have the ribeye to be cooked to medium, as the cut itself tends to become tastier as it is cooked more (i.e. , advancing of the marbleization). I'm so glad I went with his suggestion because this steak was arguably the best steak I've ever had. Each bite was so juicy and tender, as the marbling of the steak washed over and enriched every square inch, which left me in a content daze. My steak knife choice did wonders as well, as I had no problem slicing through the thick steak.

Marcus took the ambitious route and had the 24-ounce dry-aged porterhouse, which is part tenderloin (right of the bone above) and part filet steak (left of the bone). The mixed nature of this cute results in different levels of tenderness throughout the steak. The tenderloin tends to be more concentrated flavor, while the filet is much more tender. Marcus opted for the porterhouse so he could get a taste of both, cooked medium rare. He really enjoyed the porterhouse very much, even saying that it's up there in the hall of "the best steaks he's ever had" which already included the 49-day dry-aged beef he had at The French Laundry. Exploring the porterhouse also helped Marcus narrow down what his preferred cut of steak actually is -- until this meal, he was struggling a bit with which cut better suits his palate, and the filet part of the porterhouse pretty much sealed the deal. While he enjoyed the tenderloin part of the porterhouse for its rich flavor, Marcus, at the end of the day, concluded that he will always prefer tenderness over intense flavor. Additionally, the Kershaw Shun steak knife made conquering this massive cut of steak a lot easier!

We each also requested a sauce to go with our steaks -- Marcus had the horseradish crème fraîche, while I had the béarnaise sauce. The horseradish crème fraîche satisfied Marcus's penchant for mustard condiments, while the béarnaise added a rich, creaminess to my already amazingly marbled steak. Ordering sauces to go with your steak at Barclay Prime certainly adds another dimension to the experience, so be sure to do so! :)

As sides, I ordered the marbled potatoes (i.e., differently colored creamer potatoes cooked in white wine with herbs), while Marcus had the whipped potatoes. I enjoyed the different shades of flavor from the medley of multi-colored potatoes -- very different than any side of roast potatoes that I've ever had. Marcus's whipped potatoes were clouds of dense buttery and creamy flavor -- the starchiness of the potatoes went really well with the hearty flavors and juices from the steak.

The maître d' knew that Marcus and I came to Barclay Prime to celebrate our anniversary, so our dessert was presented to us with a candle and "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate. Such a lovely touch!

The dessert we decided to share was the Barclay bar -- a layered hazelnut chocolate crunch with chocolate ganache, peanut butter praline, peanut brittle, and peanut butter ice cream. For those of you who do not like nuts, this dessert is probably not for you. But for those of you who do, it is quite an awesomely sweet overdose of peanuts and hazelnuts! Essentially, the layered "crunch" tasted like what would happen if you married a Kit Kat bar with a Reese's peanut butter cup -- while it was really good, it was really rich, and that's where the ice cream and crushed peanuts came in to save the day. It would have been difficult to eat the dessert without some ice cream to match each bite, which helped to temper down the sweetness of the chocolate and peanut butter praline.

Right before we departing the restaurant, Mr. Polizzi gave us a little note, thanking us for choosing to come to Barclay Prime for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. It was so thoughtful of them to take time out of the restaurant's busy schedule to write such a gracious note!

Findings: Simply put, our dining experience at Barclay Prime was extraordinary. It was better than I had already remembered from my first visit. The attentive and considerate service that night is not something I come across every day at fine dining establishments, so it's nice to know that there are still places out there that take hospitality so serious to heart. Plus, the little note given to us at the end of our meal just says it all -- the restaurant is thankful for your choice to dine at Barclay Prime. Essentially, they're happy for you to be there, while you're happy to be enjoying luxurious cuts of steak, dry-aged and marbled to astound and melt onto palates.

I haven't been able to write such an effortless dining review in a while (last one was for Kajitsu and the times before that were for Eleven Madison Park and Le Bernardin), so it's nice to have another one in for 2012. I don't normally prefer going to steakhouses (I usually end up being disappointed in service and cuisine or overwhelmed by the portions), but it's nice to know that there is a niche at Barclay Prime that satisfies my unusual palate. The luxury boutique steakhouse perhaps is what I've been searching for all along when it comes to finding the perfect steak. I mean, besides having delicious cuts of quality beef, how many steakhouses offer you the option to choose your steak knife for the evening?! I think that aspect is just so striking and differentiating, again appealing to the customer's dining experience.

I cannot thank the team at Barclay Prime enough for making our anniversary celebration so memorable. Barclay Prime now holds a special place in our hearts, as the anecdote I told at the beginning of this post shows how full circle our relationship has come in the last two years in relation to my last visit here. I'm hopeful to return to Philly for my next hankering for a nice juicy, marbled steak, which from my speculations, will be very soon.

Price point: $12-16 for each starter, $48-58 for each main course steak, $10 for each side, $3 for each sauce, $10 for dessert.

--April 21, 2012

Barclay Prime

237 South 18th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

http://www.barclayprime.com

Dinner | Il Pittore

During a brief visit to Philadelphia a couple weekends ago, Marcus, Dan, and I hit up another Stephen Starr restaurant (another to cross off the "Starr Restaurant Tour" list!), Il Pittore, which, at that point in time, had been only open a mere ten days!


Located on the edge of Rittenhouse Square, Il Pittore, an Italian self-moniker dedicated to its executive chef, Chris Painter, and of course, its focus on Italian cuisine. Notice the restaurant's hanging banner/sign evokes the texture of a European fresco, aptly fitting Il Pittore's painterly theme.


Same with the decal of a "P" on the restaurant's entrance door.


Mr. Starr wanted to capture the "romantic spirit" of Italy and bring it to Il Pittore here in Philadelphia. "Its quaint ambiance, created by rich woods, hand-painted murals, black-and-white images of Italian culture, and a rooftop garden," aims to recreate the "cozy feeling of a villa in the Italian countryside." As you see here, the first floor has a dining counter for ten guests and a communal table for eight -- both bringing people "together in a vibrant social setting" to share wine over a meal of pasta.


The second floor houses the main dining room which allows guests to have "a more traditional a la carte" dining experience.


Another view of the upstairs dining room.


We really admired the industrial/vintage-looking incandescent lightbulbs with the glowing filament visible through its clear glass.


Probably my most favorite detail behind Mr. Starr's interior at Il Pittore -- wine list made from canvas board with harsh brushstrokes of black paint.


Same style goes for the one-page dinner menus.

Chef Painter draws his influences from Emilia Romagna, Piedmont, Tuscany, and Sicily. The chef's "culinary artistry" paired with the "fresh flavors of Italian ingredients" hopes to convery a "truly modern menu" at Il Pittore. Before he ended up at Il Pittore, Chef Painter had worked in Portland in 1998 as well as staged at The French Laundry and Lespinasse. A year later, he joined STARR Restaurants to become the executive chef at the now-closed Tangerine, which focused on the diversity of Mediterranean flavors. Then in 2003, he served as executive chef of Angelina, another now-closed Starr creation followed by a consulting stint with the PJW Restaurant Group, which lead to an executive chef position at Izakaya in Atlantic City. Chef Painter returned to STARR Restaurants in 2008 as culinary director, where he served in an advisory capacity in collaborating with the chefs at each of Mr. Starr's restaurants to assure that each restaurant upheld top-quality standards. Now with Il Pittore open, Chef Painter has another challenge on his hands.


Bread basket filled withe breadsticks, foccacia, and ciabatta.


To start, I had the polpo brasato -- braised octopus with pickled sweet peppers, potatoes, and arugula. The octopus was braised well with a nicely charred exterior. It had some great flavors overall with the octopus's texture a little bit chewy but still soft. The pickled sweet peppers were slightly briny, adding a nice salty and vinegary taste to the dish. Pretty good, I'd say, if you enjoy octopus.


Marcus and Dan each both had the salsiccia d'agnello -- spiced lamb sausage with lentils, sundried tomato, and fennel. Though this was fewer in pieces, the spices and flavors pervaded throughout the dish -- bold and hearty from the autumnal game of lamb and other ingredients. Dan and Marcus raved about how great this was, so I snagged a small bite from Marcus, and they were right. Great starter dish for the fall season!


Pasta was calling my name for the main course, as I decided to go with the ravioli di ricotta e verza -- swiss chard and ricotta-filled ravioli with chanterelle mushrooms and truffle butter. I absolutely loved this dish --the truffle butter carried throughout the packets of ricotta-filled pasta, fragrantly complementing the ricotta and chanterelles. The sauce was lovely as well, perfectly drizzled to add a little moisture to the pasta dish. Only complaint here is that I asked for the main course portion, as the menu version is strictly appetizer-sized, and I still felt like the portion was very small. I could've eaten double what was served! Nevertheless, the ravioli was awesome!


Marcus had the agnolotti d'anatra -- duck-filled pasta pillows with juniper cured duck prosciutto. The agnolotti was hearty dish to have during the fall season, as it was very sweet, salty, and savory inside the softly made pasta pillows. Marcus gobbled this all up with the same complaint I had -- portion definitely could have been larger for the main-course size.


Dan had the cacio e pepe -- spaghetti with pecorino romano and black pepper. Don't let the simplicity of this pasta dish deceive you -- it was the simplicity here that really brought out the fresh flavor of the handmade pasta, only to be enhanced by the pecorino romano and black pepper.


I love how the menus (dessert, above) have the subtle paint theme throughout its layout.


I decided to go with a nice glass of moscato d'asti as my "dessert" -- something that always is reminiscent of biting into a freshly ripened stone fruit. I thought that would be a nice way to end our meal.


For dessert, Marcus couldn't resist ordering the chocolate bomboloni with nutella filling and vanilla dipping sauce. I stole a bite of these, and it was very much like ebelskivers, i.e., sphere-shaped, Danish pancakes. The nutella center was nice and creamy with the bamboloni exterior slightly burnt, as warmed against the vanilla dipping sauce.


Dan had the mocha cheesecake with a chocolate graham crust and espresso sorbet. This was very interesting as well -- almost like a mochaccino paired with chocolate biscotti, only in cheesecake/crust/sorbet form! If you're a coffee-lover, this dessert should be very appealing to you! What I also like about the presentation here is that the chocolate sauce on the bottom appears like a harsh brushstroke, reiterating the restaurant's ode to "The Painter" -- very awesome!


Even its check holder/postcard is stylish and painterly!

Findings: I would say that Marcus, Dan, and I had an overall lovely experience at Il Pittore. We were very content with flavors and presentation the antipasti as well as the primi/pasta dishes we selected. The restaurant's detailed interior design was very impressive -- nothing short of what Stephen Starr has demonstrated with his current repertoire of establishments all throughout Philadelphia. The painterly theme was executed very well, from the frescos to the canvas board menus with harsh brushstrokes. The two things, however, that we were not crazy about were the small "main course-sized" pasta portions as well as the service. While portioning is up to the kitchen's discretion, I felt that the service could have used a little work. In my experience, all the waitstaff that I've encountered on my many food adventures have usually been quite informed on the restaurant's many menu offerings, and if they were unsure, they would typically admit that, apologetically, say they would find out from the kitchen for me. Perhaps it's just part of the kinks of the first opening weeks, but I felt a little unwelcome to ask questions about Il Pittore's menu when I had asked about a few of the menu items. The response we received from our primary server was confused, impatient, and slightly dismissive. Maybe it was just nerves of working at a new restaurant, but if a server doesn't know the answer to a patron's question, he or she say that they're unsure, that they will direct the question to the kitchen or to someone who may know, and that they will get back to you on it. I'm going ot attribute this confusion to the recent opening of Il Pittore -- I would definitely go back to reassess more accurately at a later date.

Nevertheless, minus the initial mishap I had here when we were contemplating our dinner orders, the service we received was very good and attentive. The quality of the food was great, and the company even better.

Price point: $13-14 for each antipasti, $13-16 for each primi/pasta, $8 for each dolce.

--November 5, 2011

Il Pittore2025 Sansom Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
http://www.ilpittore.com/

Dinner | El Vez

Marcus and I went to Philly last weekend to visit Dan, one of my best friends from college. Krystal had given me a Starr Restaurant gift card for my birthday back in 2009, basically catalyzing my initial interest in Stephen Starr-designed restaurants when I was trying to decide which restaurant I wanted to try with her. Stephen Starr began his career in Philadelphia in night club design and in the entertainment business. He continued down this path, promoting live entertainment, which lead him to start his own company, The Concert Company, bringing in large-acts including Madonna, U2, and Bruce Springsteen to the Greater Philadelphia area. In 1990, when Electric Factory Concerts bought him out, he used the profit to open several new venues, both clubs and restaurants alike. Five years later, he founded STARR Restaurants, his multi-concept restaurant enterprise, now currently with an existing operating portfolio of 19 restaurants spanning along the East Coast from New York City, Philadelphia, Atlantic City, and Fort Lauderdale.

During March 2009, after reviewing Mr. Starr's restaurant portfolio (and much, much contemplation), I decided on Tangerine, Starr's Morroccan-themed enterprise, now closed. As restaurant-design fanatics, Dan and I had unofficially started what we called our "Starr Restaurant Tour" of NYC, Philly, and beyond. Since then, we've made it to (mostly in Philly): Alma de Cuba, Buddakan (NYC), Pizzeria Stella, Butcher & Singer, Barclay Prime, Continental Midtown, Jones (post to follow this one), Square Burger (still contemplating whether it will be worth blogging about), and related to this post, El Vez.


Marcus, Dan, and I met up with John, Marcus's college friend, for dinner at El Vez this past weekend. Dan and I had long discussed how we wanted this to be our next "Starr stop", so this was something we definitely wanted to hit up during my next (subsequently, this) visit to Philly, so here there we went. We knew Philadelphia Restaurant Week was coming up, so we thought we'd score a prix fixe deal at El Vez, but it turns out it started the next day. Not a loss though--I figured we would've gotten the "watered-down" version of El Vez if we had the Restaurant Week offerings, causing us to not have the full "El Vez" experience, so I'm glad we were able to order a la carte from the regular menu.


Entrance to El Vez.


Inside El Vez and its bar scene--really liking the kitschy use of colors, adding to the authenticity of Mexican cuisine.


More tables inside El Vez.


I've never had a bad experience with the bar/drink menus offered at any of Mr. Starr's restaurants, so ordering a cocktail was a must. I ordered (seen in front) the guava mojito with 10 Cane rum, Cruzan guava rum, pink guava purée, and lime. I asked for no mint, which made me wonder if, at that point, is it was still a mojito sans the mint. Ever since my recent trip to Hawaii this summer, I've been missing the fresh guava juice offered so casually in island-wide supermarkets as well as in select drinks at Hawaiian Jamba Juice stores! Now whenever I see guava on a drink menu, I immediately have to order it (see mimosa flight I mistakenly ordered at Jones in upcoming post).

The guys ordered a pitcher (seen behind my mojito) of the frozen blood orange margarita with silver tequila, triple sec, and fresh blood orange purée. Very strong tequila-wise, but flavor was still intact.


John ordered El Vez enchiladas mixtas, a tasting of all three enchiladas offered on the El Vez menu, with traditional garnishes. From left to right: shrimp enchilada with sweet corn, Oaxacan cheese, and roasted red pepper and almond sauce; classic red chile and chicken enchilada with crema fresca, radish, and cotija cheese; and black bean enchilada with caramelized onions, chihuahua cheese, and smoked yellow tomato sauce. A little too cheesy for my lactose tendencies, but from what John reported, they were delicious--from what I recall, he said he enjoyed the chicken enchilada the most!


Dan and Marcus had the crispy mahi-mahi tacos with red cabbage and chipotle pepper remoulade. It was probably one of the best tacos I've ever had--lightly breaded and fried mahi-mahi filets wrapped in toasted flour tortillas with some avocado and red cabbage, complemented with the remoulade, which was basically a spicy tartar sauce. Great content-tortilla ratio, which makes for a very solid fish taco! Definitely a highly recommended dish for anyone who's planning to make a stop at El Vez!


I went with the Ahí tuna tacos with mango and jicama salsa, cascabel chile and agave vinaigrette, and black bean puree, as they were dairy-free! Very refreshing summer ingredients. However, my only complaint was that there either wasn't enough vinaigrette or flavor in the vinaigrette to bring out the tastes of the tuna and salsa. This would be a better dish if the flavors were slightly stronger. The best part of this dish was probably the physical dish itself--love the unusual design!


We all shared an order of churros (fried-dough pastries or "Spanish doughnuts") with dark and Mexican chocolate sauce. They had a nice crunch and had just the right amount of dusted makara cinnamon. The chocolate sauce resembled the consistency of hot chocolate, which I found to be different from the chocolate sauce I'm used to on ice cream sundaes, and was very raw yet rich in flavor. Great way to end a filling meal.


El Vez's neon sign at dusk.

Findings: The decor and ambience of El Vez, along with most of the other Starr restaurants I've been to, largely contribute to, if not define, the overall dining experience. Mr. Starr has the flair for creating very mesmerizing and provocative restaurant concepts with a particularly meticulous design execution. Sometimes I feel the design overpowers the respective menu offerings in many instances, where the food doesn't even stand a chance. Luckily, the mahi-mahi tacos (as well as drinks we had) were worth making the trip to El Vez! All in all, I would recommend going for tapas sharing, some guacamole (which I would love to try sometime), and pitchers of frozen margaritas!

Price point: $9 for guava mojito, $33 for pitcher of frozen blood orange margaritas; $11-18 for each entrée; $7 for an order of churros (5 total).

--September 18, 2010

El Vez
121 South 13th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
http://www.elvezrestaurant.com/