Fond

Jess' Take

AH-MAY-ZING. Yep. That pretty much sums up my thoughts on Fond. I had been told that this was an incredible spot, and even with all of the buildup, I was not disappointed.

We arrived for an early dinner, as we have a very young diner in our group, who tends to be a little unpredictable in restaurant situations. We have discovered that if she eats with us she is much more accommodating, so she enjoyed some pureed prunes with her formula while we ate. Definitely a foodie in training.

The menu is limited, but was supplemented with several specials. I decided to start with one of the specials, which was escargot served with truffle foam. I believe this is the only time I have had escargot where it is not drowned in butter. I assumed it was always served that way because the actual taste was offensive, but it turns out that’s not the case. It actually has quite a delicate, almost earthy taste. It was unexpectedly light and delightful.


I went for a menu item for my main course, trying the octopus stew, which was served with chorizo, preserved lemon and fennel. Simply put, this was the most amazing octopus I’ve ever had. I didn’t think you could make octopus that tender. I was wrong. It almost melted in your mouth. The chorizo was an excellent compliment, giving just a kick, but not too much spice. I was sad when the dish was done.


We ended the night with two desserts. The first, dark chocolate cake served with Earl Grey ice cream. It was very good, but not as dense as I was expecting (and hoping). The Earl Grey ice cream was spot on. The second, malted milk chocolate ice cream served with peanut brittle, chocolate crumble and peanut butter ganache. This was the clear winner in the dessert category. Salty and sweet – what more could you ask for?


Despite the fact that this restaurant is WAY down in South Philly, we will definitely be back.

Four out of a possible four tender octopus tentacles.

Wade's Take:

SPEC-TACU-LARE (french accent). I'm with the Mrs. on this one. Great meals come in small packages, especially in the case of Fond.

Yes, they had sweetbreads. Yes, I have an automatic bias whenever they are on a menu.There was no doubt that I'd order them as my appetizer course. The tender morsels were evenly pan-fried, crisp and scrumptious. The succulent white thalamus goo still had its smoky rich flavors. Topping off the dish were microgreens, melted onion slivers, a red pepper confit and a fried egg. Yes, I've had many sweetbreads in my time, but Fond's are by far the best.


Since I always gravitate towards food items with action descriptors, I ordered the harpoon-caught swordfish for my entree. It was served with cucumber tzatziki, heirloom tomatoes and a saffron nage. The swordfish was seared and retained a tender center. Balanced with the zesty tzatziki and the sweeter saffron nage, this dish had great symmetry.


I'm very... what's the word?.... fond of Fond, and hope to be back for more.

4 out of 4 Fond memories.

Fish

Jess' Take:
I love this restaurant. It’s intimate, but not cramped, our server was knowledgeable and obviously had a passion for food, and the food itself was simple and delicious. Not surprisingly, the menu included little else but seafood options. If you’re looking for chicken or steak they ask that you call 24-hours ahead to put in your request. The menu isn’t extensive, but it does include a wide variety of tastes and options for the seafood lover.

While the boys went for some tasty oysters – which I’m looking forward to enjoying again post-pregnancy – I ordered the South Shore wild little neck clams served with herbs in a shallot, white wine reduction. This was a delicious way to start the meal, the best part of which was to sop up the broth with the homemade bread (which our server gladly brought seconds and then thirds of for the table). The clams were delicate and flavorful. Really enjoyable all around.

For the second course I went for the red snapper, which was served with merguez sausage, fingerling, escarole and giant beans (I have no idea what the actual name of this type of bean is). The sausage intrigued me, which is the reason that I ended up ordering the dish, but in the end the flavor didn’t mesh with the dish as much as I would have liked. The sausage was too overpowering for the light fish. On the other hand, the beans and broth were an amazing compliment. I quickly got over my disappointment with the sausage and happily enjoyed the other accompaniments.


We went for two desserts – an apple cake with cinnamon ice cream and (of course) a flourless chocolate cake with port soaked cherries. The chocolate cake was almost too decadent (if that were actually possible). It encased our spoons and was impossible to get off without having to scrape your teeth across the spoon. The port soaked cherries were rich as well, which both complimented the chocolate and almost make it too much (again, if that were possible). Despite any negative comments, both plates were sopped clean. I believe actions speak louder than words here.
I hope to find myself back at Fish again sometime soon. The atmosphere was great, the food was fantastic, and, as always, the company endlessly enjoyable. 4 out of a possible 4 fishes.

Dave's Take:
Maybe it was my mood that afternoon; maybe it was the association with Little Fish - I had a bad experience. Who knows but I was very skeptical about Fish and was coming in ready to be very critical. Walking up to the place I noticed a chalkboard announcing a happy hour. As a rule of thumb, I like happy hours. I especially like them at upscale and cozy eateries. Although I did not partake in said happy hour, the fact that drink specials accompanied a $1 selection of oysters and a few other tasty tidbits were in a hip and cozy bar atmosphere got me feeling a little better about the place.

The dining room, although small, was comfortable and relaxing. The menu is solely concentrated on seafood and lacks any specials due to the fact that the menu changes constantly based on ingredient availability and the chef's inspiration. I started off with oysters. It's been a while since I have had a good selection and Fish was kind enough to procure some tasty varieties. In a sensitive effort to not fuel the East Cost v West Coast gang rivalry, they have a great selection from both coasts. Now, although I am firmly an East Coaster, I have to side with Westside crew on oysters. The Pacific Northwest's compact and creamy oysters paired with a dry vodka martini is about as good as it gets. The selection I tasted of Hama Hama, Fanny Bay and Hog Island were all excellent but I would say the Fanny Bay was the best. I tasted Jess's little necks and was impressed with them as well. The sweet, ocean flavor of the clams were enhanced by a subtle yet outstanding herb broth and resulted in an excellent starter. Wade's short rib ravioli's in a lobster sauce were good but nothing compared to my oysters or Jess's little necks.

As we went into the second course, my feelings were changing about the place. I was really enjoying myself and when my entree arrived it got even better. I ordered Suzuki which is a Japanese Seabass and one of my favorite fish. Raw or cooked, Suzuki is amazing and Fish's preparation was outstanding- served over orzo with clam, bacon, lemon and parsley, the combination was superb. The clams added the sweet fresh taste of the sea to the delicate fish and there was just enough bacon to add hints of earthy smokiness that complimented but did not overpower. The parsley and preserved lemon flavors hit the last few of my taste buds that the others hadn't. In short, it was really, really, really good. I only had a small taste of both Jess's & Wade's dinners as I was not too interested in sharing my winner dish. Both were good but did not compare. Jess's snapper had a spicier edge that was very nice. Wade's on the other had I was not a fan of. The Vitello Tonnato was raw tuna rolled in veal then cooked. The result was an interesting combination of meat and sushi. I give the chef an A for effort and creativity, but only a C for taste. It was good but a bit bland and the textures and tastes did not blend to create the synergy I'm sure they were hoping for. I would have been happier with veal and raw tuna on their own.

I am going to give Fish a 3.5 out of 4 bivalves. It was an extremely tasty and enjoyable experience but I could not give it a 4 out of 4 for two reasons. The first was no amuse buche. A tasty amuse would have been a great way to start the meal and the prices support a differentiating offering like that. The second reason is that Fish got a little ahead of itself on the wilder dishes that Wade ordered. The short rib raviolis did not fit the theme and showed. The Vitello Tonnato was certainly creative, but again, was flat compared to the other dishes where the chef concentrated on his core competencies.

I will certainly go back to Fish and am strategically planning the next time I can get to 17th & Lombard between 5-7 on a Mon-Thurs for that happy hour.

Talula's Table

So, Dave and Jess had an unbelievable opportunity to experience Tulula's table in November. The reservations were made in January, truly a dedicated wait! Located in Kennett Square (so you know it had to be good to get us out of the city), it's a farmers market by day and a two table restaurant by night. Eight courses based on seasonal ingredients, emailed out a week before with wine suggestions (as it's a BYOB). The experience was amazing.

We're going to throw it out there right up front. The dinner we had at Tulula's Table was the best meal we've ever had. Yes, better than Vetri, LaCroix and the old DJango when they used to run it. Start to finish it was creative, complex and very tasty. At eight courses, it was difficult to fight pallet fatigue but the chef's creations made it worth it. Believe it or not, eight courses was just enough due to the small complex portions. Full but not exploding.



1st course was the only possible low point but that's really only because we were expecting so much. After all, with a year's plus waiting list, you want your first taste to be life changing. This was very good, but it was overshadowed by the other freak'n fantastic courses. Fluke "Naturel" with cauliflower puree, orchard apple and foamy pomegranate. Think fluke Ceviche. Very good, creamy and a very interesting ingredients that worked well.



Next up, Citrus-drop Ricotta Ravioli with butter poached red (king) crab and melted leeks. Now generally I am not a fan of ravioli but this was awesome. Super creamy and rich but somehow light. This was certainly not the ricotta you get the in grocery store. The hint of citrus and sweetness of the crab and leeks played well with the ravioli so much that we started to feel guilty that Wade wasn't there. Yes - we were cheating on him which we felt a extremely bad about but we're food whores and this was too tempting to pass up - and our friend's Seth & Tara were nice enough to let us crash their reservation.



3rd course was Chicken Liver and Beech Mushroom Terrine, Duck Confit, Fresh Cranberry Sauce and smoked brown sugar. Again, liver is iffy with us, but this was a fantastic dish. Imagine a tiny little square of mushroom and liver that was bursting with mushrooms and just enough liver to make it savory and meaty. The accompanying duck confit was out of control with amazing deep flavor and richness that was cut by the fresh cranberries resulting in a perfect balance. I'm sure the smoked brown sugar would have gone nicely with the other flavor but it never made it. Dave couldn't get over how cool of an idea it was to smoke sugar that he quickly ate the small dusting with a few quick swipes of his finger. He's now dreams about smoked brown suger.



4th course - Spiced Black Grouper with glazed little carrots and saffron infused swallowhill squash broth. Make no mistake, this was not a soup, the broth was a thick coating on the plate to add a depth to the flavor. It was like a thin, perfectly complimenting consumee to the wonderfully cooked and spiced grouper. The small piece of grouper had more of a stripped bass consistency and was perfectly cooked - moist and tender with a slight crisp on the outside.



OK, at this point we're feeling good and not just because of the wine Seth picked up at their suggestion for the pairings. It was because of the bad-ass meal we were enjoying and the anticipation of the next dish. If you know us, especially Dave, you will understand that he loves game meats. Wild boar, elk, bison, venison, quail, etc. Not sure why everyone doesn't. They have more flavor and most likely lived a good life out in nature. Anyway, this was our highlight. Tenderloin of Bison with a Bison sausage choucroute, spaetzle and horseradish béchamel. The chef came out to explain this dish to us, which we were told was a Bison tenderloin medallion that was poached slowly in duck fat. Our heart cholesterol increased immediately and we began to salivate. We can tell you that if you haven't had a meat poached at low temps in duck fat, you will probably live longer than us but we've experienced the finest preparation possible of tender meat. You hear melt in your mouth good often. We may never use that phrase again as this was truly the definition. Meat so tender and flavorful. It was amazing. Just seasoned enough to bring out the flavors but certainly not cover them. We almost forgot, next to that bison medallion, was a bison sausage choucroute (basically slice). That was great too. That smoky, salty favor only a cured meat can add. Together they were even better. This dish is what the filet mignon wrapped in bacon strives to be but this was exactly 423% better.



The 6th course, if served on the same plate as the bison course would be illegal in most states so Tulula's table took the safe route and separated them. The best risotto we've ever had. Amazingly creamy. You still knew it was rice based but it was so moist and creamy it could have been easy to forget. The quail flavors shined through and worked perfectly with the sweet, tart and spicy peppercorn syrah sauce. For good measure they threw in some cured meats - whcih seem to make everything taste better. Culatello is basically a super fancy small production prosciutto they make in house. If you stop by the shop and they sell it, you would be wise to purchase some.



Course 7 was a cheese plate to rival all cheese plates. This was also Jess' high point as Dave doesn't eat cheese, so Jess got double the goodness. One cheese in particular, a hard cheese that had a hint of black truffle olive oil, was the most amazing single bite all night - only to be topped by Dave's black truffle olive oil cheese. Yes, it's a spoiled life...



The last course was a dessert of bittersweet chocolate soup with brandied cherries and crunchy almond financier. This, to our surprise, was not a drunken perpetrator of the financial crises we were to carve up for their sins. It was a little almond cake/cookie-like square with some really intensely favored cherries and a chocolate "broth." We really enjoyed it but at this point had so much fat, sugar, alcohol and endorphins running through our system it was time to end this ordeal and get back to the real world.

So it's a few weeks later and we're sure we missed some of the details but the theme is spot on. This was an awesome dining experience. Our only wish was that there was an intermettzo and a stretch to take a break - and that Wade could have been with us to enjoy it.

Big props to Seth for organizing this whole ordeal and getting the wine. It's not cheap but a value for the level of food you got. We've have had more expensive meals, but never a better one. And by the way, Kennet Square is ridiculously far!

5out of 4 cardiologist bills!

Meme

Wade's Take:

Tradition was broken when we sat down at this latest spot. What’s our vow? Never to eat at a place where any of us dined before. Well, we had ALL been to 2201 Spruce Street once before, when the place had been the pretentious and tasty Melograno (see our thorough blog entry on the joint here). But truly, it wasn’t a rule breaker. It was a new restaurant we were dining at on 2201 Spruce Street… Meme.

Meme is at a corner spot with close tables of open-grain wood, awesome hipster lights and a snug, intimate feel. You feel like you’re in a neighborhood bistro from the get-go. This intimacy was even reflected in the smells of the place. As the stoves roared and crisped the foods all night, we had smell-o-vision of the whole ordeal, we were that close. Even the music made it feel like we were in a friend’s kitchen. With a great soundtrack of 80’s beats, Meme is beyond that blasted ambient/trance music that haunts most restaurants and makes you feel like you should be wearing a black turtleneck and dancing like Sprockets.

Okay, enough about the scene. The food is what matters.

Well, it was outstanding.

I began with a small plate of shrimp with etouffee and toast. Great combo, great flavor. The shrimp (head and all), were atop the orange sauce with chunks of green pepper and a slight Caribbean flair. It worked.

Then I went with my old favorite order… duck. It came out as tender sliced duck breast, with red beets, pearl onions and a port sauce… layered on spinach. Fantastic. The duck was the most perfectly done duck I’ve ever had… soft and red enough to have its savory duck-ness intact. The spinach was phenomenal… still tasting fresh, and mellowing the tart beets and intense duck. I don’t think I took breaths in between bites, I was trance-like in my enjoyment of this dish.

We topped the night off with two cheeses and a pot de crème. The pot de crème was actually that… served in a small pot. The espresso in it was superb and the creaminess of the dessert flowed over my tongue with great delight. It had a hat of a zest orange sauce… unnecessary.

The Pierre Robert was an incredible cheese until someone made me realize it may be in fact named after the WMMR DJ. Then I suddenly thought it tasted like socks for a minute, and then quickly got over it and re-realized it was in fact a tasty cheese (it’s actually a decadent, cave-aged triple-crème style cheese from France, I found out later). The Roaring 40s was a blue cheese from Australia, made with cow’s milk and aged in wax. It was definitely the best blue I’ve ever had – mild and the perfect last bite at Meme.

I can’t believe I’m doing this…. Maybe it was the flowing wine, the cozy atmosphere or the distinguished dishes, but:

Four out of four, I say!

NEWSFLASH: My two fellow PFBs have been selected to dine at Talula’s Table. Sacre bleu… this is big stuff. I implore them both to write about the experience and grace PFB with their descriptions of the sure to be tantalizing feast.

Osteria

Dave's Take:

Marc Vetri turns out incredible food. Osteria is no exception. Take the culinary perfection of Vetri restaurant and throw in a Bistro-style atmosphere and reasonably priced wine list and you get a dynamite place. Of course, like Vetri, it takes forever to get a reservation but you do have an option to eat at the bar or counter by the kitchen which is nice. Now, on to the food. My first course was the salumi plate. All were very tasty and sliced fresh in the middle of the restaurant and most were made in house. The main course was a special of roasted pig. Obviously slow roasted, it was one of the best pork dishes I've ever had. Juicy bit of meat from various cuts, favorably seasoned with a mix of rosemary and other herbs. It came with a few roasted potatoes cubes to soak up some of the juices but they were overshadowed by the tastiness of the pork. I wish it was an everyday item because it was that good and I want to have it again. Then dessert. The waiter suggested the chocolate flan which we weren't that into until he explained that it wasn't the flan we're used to. This was basically a molten chocolate tort. Now were talking. It was very tasty. Nothing too special, but a solid performer. We also got a mascarpone based custard ringed by a shortbread crust, drizzled with a balsamic-rosemary sauce and accompanied by some fresh figs. OK, so it sounds a little weird and I cannot remember the name (I think it was a special) but it was great and was a combination of flavors you might not think would work but went done right, was an adventure. It was a nice change of pace from the normal dessert selection.

I love this place and hope it turns around North Broad. It ain't cheap, but it's worth it. 4 out of 4 rosemary sprigs

Wade's Take:
The paint smells like it is still drying on the walls of Osteria, it’s that new. The menu, however, feels like it’s been around eternally. The flavors of Osteria are done right. The dishes are well-balanced. The service was smooth. If you didn’t know better, you’d think this place has been around for decades. They get it all right.

Que? Yes, that’s right, I liked the place.

I didn’t want to like it. I wanted to believe the Philadelphia hype engine had gotten its hands on this place, too (like the “raved about” Rae and “can’t be beat” Carmine’s, which were somewhat disappointing). I expected snobbery, small plates and out of bound pricing. I got none of them in Osteria. Well, maybe the prices are a tad high.

I had a starter of wood grilled octopus, cured lemon, potato, and chives. Right on. The potatoes were small cubes of soft starch with deep and nutty olive oil overtone. The octopus was grilled with precision and topped with sea salt and lemon. I soaked up every ounce of food and liquid on the plate, using the table bread to my advantage.

My entrée was the rabbit casalinga with sage, pancetta, brown butter and polenta. Word up. I liked it. The trouble with rabbit, as is common with oryctolagus cuniculus, is that it is a bony mess to eat. The pan-fried brown butter goodness made up for the difficulties in getting to the meat.

My only regret? Not ordering one of the pasta entrees. They looked magnificent. Well, I guess I’ll just stop by and give it a try the next time I’m in North Philly looking for a hipster gourmet slightly overpriced meal.

3.5 out of 4, I say.

Jess' Take:

Our anticipation was high for this restaurant – especially because it took us nearly three months to get a reservation – a pretty ridiculous amount of time considering the number of tables the restaurant has. As soon as we walked in and I saw the cured meats, I know we were in Dave and Wade’s own personal heaven. Although our waiter tried to persuade us to order a pizza to begin with, we declined, which in the end would not have been such a bad idea. Instead, we each decided to order our own apps. I began with the grilled veggie plate, which was not on the menu, but apparently something they offer every night. It was simple but tasty and a good start to a fantastic meal. For the main course I ordered the wood grilled halibut with chanterelles, mussels and scallions, which was buttery and full flavored, if not a little small for the price. I happily sopped up what was left with the ample amount of bread that was brought to the table. There was definitely nothing healthy about that course. The highlight for me came with dessert. We decided on two, the chocolate flan with pistachio gelato (of course), which turned out to be a sort of molten chocolaty goodness, and the some crazy dessert with rosemary. I was definitely skeptical about the later, but it was one of the most amazing desserts I’ve ever had. When it was all over (the saddest moment of the night) we found ourselves satisfied but not incredibly full. The waiter was right; pizza would have been a good start. I would happily go back to this restaurant any day. Although, you can bet that I won’t be just “finding” myself in that neighborhood, unless I’m headed to Osteria.

Definitely a 4 out of 4!

Tinto

Dave's Take:

Dear Tinto,
You should not feel like the inadequate sibling. Sure, you're younger and smaller than your sister Amada, but you've got a lot on your side. For one, you're not in old city, you're in Rittenhouse kiddo. No need to fight off the club crowd with stretchy pants, glitter and the sense of privilege because they just paid $12 for a well liquor cosmo at Glam. You've got a good crowd. That Tria loving, Rouge brunching folk. Another thing you should be proud of is you're sense of timing. Sure, everybody loves Tapas. Little tastes of heaven that change with every small plate. But you've identified that most people spend a lot of time saying "hey what's that, when did that come, who ordered that, damn I didn't get to taste it, what's that over there" and solved it by coordinating like-minded items into courses. Sure, I would hate to be a dishwasher there, but I'll be glad to eat. Oh yeah, and the food is awesome. I'll let my compadres expand on that.

Props to the kitchen staff. They were cramped, seriously cramped and working hard, but turning out outstanding dishes with artistic flare.

Wait for it, here it is………4 Serrano's out of 4. Going back for sure.

Wade's Take:

Tempo. Rhythm. A good meal has these things and a good wait staff sets it for you. When we landed at Tinto, we found both.

It’s rare that you can slow my chow pace. Very rare. It doesn’t matter what the cuisine is, I will eat it quickly. If foodie society dictates that I should slowly and gently caress the flavors of a rare arctic penguin pate in my palate, I don’t care. I eat it quickly and savor the flavor between bites. I know it’s not right, especially as a food lover. But I can’t help it. Blame it on our have-it-now culture, blame it on my voracious love of food highs, whatever – I still can’t stop myself. Tinto changed this aggressive gastronom-ific pace, and I loved it.

Tinto focuses on pinxtos (I think it’s pronounced “peen choes”) which is the Basque region of Spain’s delectable version of tapas. That means they bring it out as part of a well-orchestrated plan to keep your taste buds dancing and tantalized all night long. Right on, I say.

I tried three beautiful pinxtos, each quite spectacular. The De Gambas was shrimp, grape tomato, chorizo and chile. They were giant, succulent shrimp and I loved every ounce. The Kobe beef pinxtos I gobbled was called De Ternera Kobe, also recommended.

My favorite? Clearly the Oxtail, a perfectly salty and rich meat, balanced on a bed of avocado, sweet flavorful tomato and airy bread.

Chocolate bananas hit us for dessert. Specifically, Bananas Y Azafran, a chocolate cake with caramelized bananas and saffron crema. A perfect end note to a beautiful song.

Uzu

Jess' Take:

Yum… Sushi….

I think all three of us would agree, there are many places in this city to get good sushi, but not many where you can get really good sushi. Luckily, your odds just got a little better with the addition of Uzu, which just opened two weeks ago at Front and Market. The sushi is amazing. And the price isn’t bad either. The restaurant is teeny tiny, so if you’re arriving with more than three people, I’d call ahead.

The ginger dressing is perfect, with a slight peanut flavor, and the “compliments of the chef” dish was out of this world. Torched fish with hot oil… melt in your mouth good. Our cardinal mistake: not realizing that one order of sushi is actually two pieces. So we actually ordered for six people, as opposed to three. Did that stop us from eating it all? Of course not! We stopped just short of finishing every last piece (two lone pieces remained on our platter), for fear of bursting at the gills. I’m certainly putting Uzu on my “must return to list.”

4 chopsticks out of a possible 4

Dave's Take:

You can be about 75% sure how good a sushi place will be when you walk through the door. Not because of the décor or what the sushi chefs look like, but because of the smell. If it smells like fish, walk on out. If they are touting a 1/2 price menu, call a doctor. If it smells of the distinct brininess of the sea and the fresh nuttiness of good green tea, you have yourself a winner. Once you walk in you can tell you have that 75% chance that Uzu is good. Once you eat, you can tell it's great.

Jess did a great giving you the lowdown so I just want to add a few points. First, it's a BYO which is great if you plan ahead. Bring you favorite bottle of Kirin or Sake and enjoy. Second, the chef was friendly and knowledgeable. When we order a few pieces that were not available, they waitress informed us so but the chef popped in to explain the reasoning was due to the fact that the season had not yet peaked and the good fish wouldn't be in from Japan until another week or two. That hinted that it wasn't poor inventory management, they just wanted to save on printing menus and for a small place like this, I'm cool with that. It added intimacy. Oh yeah, and the fresh live scallop was the best I have ever tasted. Why do we cook those things anyway?

Go to Uzu. Go early or call ahead because it is as small as you can get. Enjoy. Just remember, they are two pieces per order.

Wade's Take:

Uzu is the best sushi I've had in town for some time. F'real. We ate like royalty (accidentally over-ordering) but ate the whole darn feast, it was that good.

Uzu is a hidden (small) treasure hidden in Olde City. The owners, and the size, will ensure you have an intimate and delectable sushified experience.