Craig LaBan

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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Email Craig at claban@phillynews.com

Three-way pork dumplings were well made at the second visit. Overall, there was marked improvement, and the moderate prices suit the Northern Liberties neighborhood.

Kong

Pervasive sweetness and poor cooking made a first sampling of this "Hong Kong street food" sour indeed. A second was a bit tastier.

By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic

Posted 11/20/2009

There was so much syrupy hoisin and sweet sauce streaked across my first dinner at Kong - Northern Liberties' new ode to Hong Kong street food - that it was pretty clear Michael O'Halloran's "authenticator" wasn't having the desired effect.

Drink

Posted 11/20/2009

Philadelphians have been drinking a long time over at McGillin's Olde Ale House - since the days of Abraham Lincoln, to be exact. So it's only fitting that the venerable tavern in the 1300 block of Drury Street should celebrate its forthcoming 150th birthday with an anniversary beer called 1860 I.P.A.

Drink - 11/13/2009: Malbec mavens should pay attention to this bottle of Achaval Ferrer, as Pennsylvania has snared a good discount on the 2008 vintage from one of Argentina's most consistent winemakers.
Meritage - 11/06/2009: From stuffy to the right stuff: A bold makeover, lowered prices, and a new chef cooking exciting Asian fusion signal welcome maturation.

By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic

Buying a successful business sounds like a solid idea in most realms. But in the quirky universe of Philly restaurants, where hands-on owners and chef talent often matter more than brand names, there can be unexpected baggage changing hands along with the walk-in fridge, wine glasses, and range.
Drink - 11/06/2009: I began at The Inquirer long ago covering the Pinelands, so I regard South Jersey's berry wines with both nostalgia and trepidation.
Miga - 10/30/2009: This first upscale Korean restaurant is a welcome newcomer to Center City, but more fire would definitely be nice.

By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic

Korean food is ready for its close-up - with or without its fiery funk. The pleasantly posh new Miga, which dials down the chile volume without completely losing its soul in Center City's first upscale Korean dining room, is proof of that.
Drink - 10/30/2009: Suddenly growing in popularity, tawnies are the port drinker's port. Unlike those ever-popular fresh young rubies, the intensely grapey fruit bombs that have a sweet and chocolatey charm all their own, tawnies get to spend some serious time on oak. And after the better part of a decade, the transformation is stunning.
Wine Thief deserves a reprieve - 10/23/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic

A wine thief is a glorified straw, a long glass siphon used to steal sips of wine from its aging barrel. And when Chris Simpson and his wife, Sophie, first came across such a device at a winery in Virginia, they were struck by what the samples it drew revealed about the virtues of a little time.
Drink - 10/23/2009: The only thing better than a fall jaunt to the orchard for apple picking is sitting down with a bushel of friends to drink a vintage of apples from a bottle. The kiddies, of course, can have the fruity sweetness of fresh cider. But I'll go for the dry and kicky fizz of vintage-dated hard cider from the Pays d'Auge in Normandy, a region of France that really knows its apples.
Girasole - 10/16/2009: The restaurant's second coming is glitzy and its prices high, but the homier dishes show the sure hand of the Iovino women.

By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic

If only every new restaurant were lucky enough to have a booster like the Mimosa Club, there would be no empty dining rooms on a midweek night.
Drink - 10/16/2009: The French region of Alsace is one of my favorite sources for autumn white wine drinking. Showy grapes like gewurztraminer and pinot gris take on an especially golden hue, with exotic floral aromas that border on lushness and spice, and are a fine complement to the richer flavors of cold-weather cooking.
Bolete - 10/09/2009: From the bounty of local farms comes sophisticated and superb New American fare at a colonial stagecoach tavern in Bethlehem.

By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic

When chef Lee Chizmar moved back to the Lehigh Valley from Boston with his girlfriend and partner, Erin Shea, he knew they'd need a lot to go right for their restaurant, Bolete, to succeed.

MORE STORIES

Brauhaus Schmitz - 10/02/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Drink - 10/02/2009
Swift Half - 09/25/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Drink - 09/25/2009
Oyster House - 09/18/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Drink - 09/18/2009
Firecreek - 09/04/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Drink - 09/04/2009
Bibou - 08/28/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Drink - 08/28/2009
Soul - 02/20/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Butcher & Singer - 02/13/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Little Fish - 02/06/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Alison two - 01/23/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Melograno - 01/16/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Spice Indian Thai Bistro - 01/02/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Pub & Kitchen - 12/19/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Cooper's - 12/12/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
¡Cuba! - 10/03/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Chima - 09/19/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
10 Arts - 08/29/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Memphis Taproom - 08/01/2008
Time - 07/18/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Pasta shells and more at Shore - 07/11/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Kaffa Crossing - 06/27/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Swallow - 06/20/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Pearl - 06/13/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Rouget - 06/06/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Dream Cuisine - 05/30/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Sonam - 05/23/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Marigold Kitchen - 05/14/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Jasper - 05/07/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Misso - 05/02/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
The Ugly American - 04/25/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Dumpling heaven in Chinatown - 04/18/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Javier - 04/11/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
An update of Indian cuisine, faithful to authentic flavors - 04/04/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
This versatile kitchen's flavors sing - 03/28/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Le Virtù - 03/19/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Cafe Apamate - 02/29/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Astral Plane Millenium - 02/22/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Supper's on - really on - 02/15/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Las Bugambilias - 02/08/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Ted's on Main - 02/01/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Max & David's - 01/25/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
St. Stephen's Green - 01/18/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Cochon - 01/11/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Blue Pear Bistro - 01/02/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
The Belgian Cafe - 12/21/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Shundeez - 12/14/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
City Grange - 12/06/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Silk City Diner - 11/22/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Bluefin - 11/16/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Honey - 11/09/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Coquette - 11/02/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Memdee's - 10/26/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Ida Mae's - 10/19/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
From Django to Kennett Square - 10/11/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Salento - 10/05/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Chabaa Thai Bistro - 09/28/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Teresa's Next Door - 09/20/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
A welcome homecoming - 09/14/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
707 Restaurant & Bar - 09/06/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Modo Mio - 08/31/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Cosimo - 08/19/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Rylei - 08/10/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Did its move spoil Fuji? Not a bit - 08/03/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Tiffin - 07/27/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Legal Sea Foods - 07/20/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Shore Dining | At the stove, at the table, family flavor - 07/13/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Survivor: Shore Dining - 07/06/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Craig LaBan | Onasis - 06/29/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Endless small wonders - 06/22/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Craig LaBan | Zot - 06/01/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Review: Miran - 05/25/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Craig LaBan | Osteria - 05/18/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Casino buffet or Buddakan? - 05/18/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Kitchen 233 - 02/04/2008: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
Copper Bistro - 01/21/2007: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic
GoodTaste: Vietnamese hoagies - 07/28/2009: By Craig LaBan, Inquirer Restaurant Critic

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