I joined the Inquirer as its restaurant critic in 1998, after a stint covering the food beat for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. Having eaten about 500 restaurant meals a year here ever since, I never cease to be amazed by the diversity and sophistication of Philadelphia's kitchens. To travel from its many authentic ethnic neighborhoods to the gastronomic temples of Walnut Street to its beery gastropubs, cozy BYOBs and multitude of greasy-but-great steak joints, is to know this town delivers satisfaction at every level of the food chain. Including online dish.
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- This gastropub, like others of its ilk, has the pub part down pat. The gastro part - the food - can be a disappointment.Every great trend hits a moment of sudden saturation when the buzz of novelty wears off and expectations ratchet up to a higher level. That time has come for the gastropub, the exuberant hybrid of hipster bar and neighborhood restaurant where craft beers coexist with serious cooking.
- With a cafe, an eat-in market, a bistro and a fine-dining room, the Feury brothers' complex in Villanova delivers excellence on a grand scale.It isn't often a restaurant feels compelled to provide a map and bullet-point directory to help navigate its inner workings. Then again, it isn't often that the shell of a former supermarket is transformed into a maze of gastronomic ambition the size of Maia.
- A Kensington bar goes gastro with pub food and prices done right, and craft beers for anyone, near or far, who loves them.The beer geeks can be relied upon to travel. Put a Green Flash IPA on draft, a Rogue tripel, or a Fuller's Porter, and they will come. Thirsty.
- Chef John Mims brings Big Easy to Center City, and the good times roll with openers and desserts; entrees need some tuning up.It doesn't take much imagination to step from the Center City sidewalk into a piece of the French Quarter. Just give a little blink as you stroll down 12th Street north of Sansom, pull the door handle, and head into Les Bons Temps.
- Cans can be beautiful when they're filled with Pikeland Pils. This stellar golden brew from Sly Fox in Royersford has firmly established itself in my fridge as one of my favorite local summer beers.
- In the old Ludwig's Garden space, there are a beer bar, an updated chop house, and an absinthe lounge, all under one roof. The sum of the parts? A pretty nice threesome.With a turn of the silvery little spigot, a stream of chilled water pours down from the elegant glass "fountain" tank perched on our table at Time.
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It isn't always easy for a wine-loving Frenchman to drink within the borders of Pennsylvania's state-run wine system. True, the state's catalog of French wines is massive by most measures, with more than 2,200 retail selections covering most major regions and producers. But Amaury de Condé still couldn't get his hands on many of the quirky, artisan gems he would happen a
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Frank Sinatra, may he rest in peace, must be the patron saint of spaghetti. It's the only way to explain why every red-gravy joint on the East Coast has a shrine to the man, from the portraits of a fedora-topped young Frank to the endlessly looped soundtrack of his crooner hits that are as ubiquitous as little shakers of grated parmesan cheese.
- The vibrant Spanish white called Albariño has begun to capture the imagination of winemakers around the world, so it's little surprise that intriguing renditions have appeared on Pennsylvania shelves from California (Bonny Doon's Ca' Del Solo, $18.99) to Uruguay (Bouza, $14.99).
- The ultimate oyster turns up in Avalon, and more magically memorable morsels and meals are making it a perfect-plus summer down the Shore.Craig LaBan I never thought I'd taste a better Jersey oyster than the one I ate plain a few years ago while standing thigh-deep in the Delaware Bay. The oyster was plucked from the cold fishery waters and shucked on the spot.
The ultimate oyster turns up in Avalon, and more magically memorable morsels and meals are making it a perfect-plus summer.
Join the Inquirer's food critic for his annual review of Shore dining.
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