Restaurant Chat: Where to eat with man's best friend?

Good afternoon, my hungry friends, and welcome to the Philly food chat that chews back! What's been on your plates this week? I've been revisiting some of the classics, as well as sampling some new flavors, as you can see from this week's Crumb Tracker quiz. Guess the three places I ate these dishes and win a signed copy of my book. (And yes, people actually do win from time to time)...

And this week's crumbs are....1) the "BP" burger - burger with foie gras, short ribs and truffled cheese; 2) crab Louis salad and Cape May salts; 3) pork loin Vindaloo... Ready, set....start crumbing!

I LOVE hot and sour soup, but it can so often disappoint. Any ideas on Philly's best?

SoupFan - I'm with you. A good hot and sour can really light a meal on fire. But it's so hard to find a bowl with that perfect balance spice and sour snap. I have a few favorites, but I'd be curious to hear from the chatters' gallery. In no particular order, I like these: Szechuan Tasty house (really spicy); Susanna Foo (super elegant, with tiger lilly blossoms); Margaret Kuo (elegant and authentic). My colleague, Rick Nichols, swears by the hot and sour made by Foo's cousins over at Hunan in Ardmore. I've had that, too, and find it to be excellent.

Hi Craig, How come the Sunday paper always says your chat is Tuesdays at 4? Tell them to get it right so people don't miss you. My question is 9 I hope you don't mind this one) What are your thoughts on the Vegeterian scene in Philly and do you have any recommendations for a good place to try? This is for my wife-I am a meat and potatoe kind of guy. Thanks

Hi Mike - welcome to the chat, and I'm glad YOU know it's 2, not 4. I will be sure to check that that time is right in future issues... As for the veggie scene, that's been discussed a good bit on this chat recently, so I'll just repeat a few of the favorites mentioned: Horizons (innovative vegan, superb meat replacement cooking that would also work for a meatlover), Royal Tavern (gastropub with great vegan fare AND good burgers), Blue Sage (excellent vegetarian for the northern 'burbs - I'd go more often if it wasn't in Southampton; has many loyal fans). Chinese vegetarian restaurants are a subset of this whole culture, and I was sorry to lose my favorite (cherry street) last year. I've heard good things, though, about the Su Xing house on the 1500 block of Sansom Street. Has anyone here been so we can hear a report?

In reference to last week's question about Jasper in Downingtown, I've been a handful of times and the place is fantastic, especially the lamb and the seared scallops. can't say how it compares to gilmore's, but it's a great BYO.

Thanks for this report on Jasper. That is pretty similar to comments I've heard from other fans. I'll be curious to try it out....

I will guess that the burger is on Brasserie Perrier's new, non-competing menu; and the vindaloo is from Bindi; and the crab salad from Oceannaire.

Pedro - You've nailed all but one of the crumbs this week! Just one to go. That pork vindaloo is one of the signature dishes on Bindi's menu - it's a contemporary interpretation of Indian cuisine, but rooted in traditional flavors. Vindaloo, I've learned, is traditionally made with pork in Goa, and this was a really good example. For more detail on my Bindi thoughts, you'll have to wait until my review appears on April 6. As for the BP burger....

Yes, that was at Brasserie Perrier. It's a clear take off the DB burger at Daniel Boulud's casual place in NYC. It is luxurious. It is extravagant. Unfortunately - at $29 - it was also overcooked, on the well side of medium rather than medium rare, which really dimmed my enthusiasm. I was significantly more excited by the brasserie's excellent new beer list - just in time for beer week, and at last the restaurant's confirmation as an actual brasserie. The draft list is not large, but the bottle list is ambitious and eclectic, ranging from a German hefeweizen (Innstadt) to a St. Somewhere Saison Athene from Florida that was just amazing. My guest, international beer writer Stephen Beaumont, had not tasted either of these two beers before, and, for someone who had previously criticized Philly's high-end restaurants for not having a serious beer presence, said he was "blown away" by the content of Brasserie's list. Should be said that the $32 3-course lunch menu was a significant bargain.

I was at Jasper's this past Saturday night and the service and food were very good. We were a party of six, and all enjoyed the food. The scallops were exceptionally good, very flavorful. Only my second visit, but will most certainly return. You should make the trip. I do not think you would be disappointed.

Ok, folks. Jaspers has received the maximum number of touts a restaurant I have yet to visit can receive in a single chat. I'm now looking forward to trying it out...

As for Hot and Sour Soup, I'm partial to Szechuan Tasty House and Lee How Fook.

Lee How Fook makes everything well, but I would say Szechuan's affinity for all things numbingly spicy ("Ma La"), which is different from just plain out hot, gives them the edge on this soup...

Hello, I checked out JAMES recently after reading your review, and really enjoyed it -- more elegant and refined than I'd expected. A friend recently told me the bar/lounge has become a hot-spot on weekends, with good music and good crowds. Accurate description? Thanks!

Henry - I'm glad you liked James. I'm a 3-bell fan of the place. Most of the folks I hear from like the food, but find the portions a little teeny. That doesn't bother me, as I've gotten in the small plate groove. But it does throw some folks expecting more of that good ole South Philly abondanza for a loop.

Darn, you mean there's someplace *besides* Oceannaire that has Crab Louis *and* Cape May salts? Unfair, that seems to me

2)McCormick & Schmick's

Sorry, ml, that isn't it, either.

2) Ted's on Main?

no, not Ted's either...

Hello Craig, I've relocated to Wash West from Nolibs and am looking for a new pizza place....(tomato pie) do you have any recommendations?? Top tomato??

MNG - pizza is problematic no matter what neighborhood you live in. But I would say there is no place in your new 'hood with pies as interesting as Rustica in NoLibs next to the St. Tap. If there is, I'm forgetting it. Top Tomato is alright, but not special my book...Chatters?

2. Is it Phillip's? the new seafood place near the sheraton?

Really, I thought this one was obvious...

Craig - With the weather starting to turn I am looking forward to many nights dinning alfresco with my wife and dog. Bleu was one of our favs, now that it's gone we're looking for some more Pet Friendly sidewalks...any ideas other than Rouge?

Seth - that's a good question I've not paid much attention to, as I only have a cat. I know I've seen dog bowls outside numerous eateries, but I'm forgetting them now... Any dog-walkers out there have a favorite place to dine with poochie?

Su Xing house is very good. Best in the city. Not every dish is great, but certainly some favorites like eggplant/tofu and stir-fried string bean.

Thanks for those details, Dave. I see Su Xing also does a lot with mock meats like seitan, tofu, etc. So many of the other Chinese veggie places just deep fry them then bury it in a pile of sticky sauce. What's the point of trying to eat healthy if this is the only way to make it taste good? Cherry Street had a much lighter hand, which is why I was a fan. I'll be curious to taste where Su Xing sits on the gloppy sauce continuum.

2) Striped Bass?

No.

NYPD Pizza is probably the standard in Wash. West, geographically speaking. However, I think Slice may be available to them, and, if so, is definitely the way to go.

Thanks for that pizza wisdom, Pedro. Neither of those, I think, is good enough to be of interest to anyone outside the immediate neighborhood.

2) Doc Magrogan's Oyster House?

No, not Doc Magrogan's, either.....though, I'm curious to hear a little bit more about this West Chester restaurant. Anyone been?

North 3rd is dog friendly...they have bowls for water ready

If you aren't too far from Queen Village, New Wave Cafe always brings out bowls of water for my dog and has a number of outside tables. Scenery probably isn't as interesting as Rittenhouse Square and Rouge, but its not a bad option.

Great suggestion, Matt. At least you'll be eating well. New Wave is an old favorite, ever since Ben McNamara (now behind the stoves at St. Stephens Green in Fairmount) put it on the map as one of the city's first good gastropubs.

Don't know if this is off-topic for this chat or not. I wondered what you think about this: we recently went to a restaurant in Chestnut Hill where we have had excellent meals many times. The server was extremely rude to us when we requested a table out of the draft from the front door, even though we have seen people seated at the table we requested on previous visits. We were so uncomfortable at the way we were spoken to that we decided to leave. When we politely and quietly told this person why we were leaving, she didn't even apologize. My question is this: why are customers expected to swallow rude and demeaning behavior by waitstaff (and occasionally owners)? I'm just not willing to put up with this anymore. Your thoughts?

Mariko - If you're uncomfortable and ask to be re-seated in a restaurant that has a table available, I see no excuse why you shouldn't be accommodated. Rudeness is unacceptable under any circumstances, and you were totally right to leave. Why bother when there are so many other choices? Of course, that could have just been an encounter with one sour employee who was having a bad day. If you've enjoyed that place before you might want to give it a try - but make sure you don't end up with the same server. Just a thought. Certainly, you should be expressing this complaint to the owner/manager so they know there's an issue.

2) Sansom Street Oyster House

Yes! At last....the right answer has only now been pouring in (CCChic and Kate also got it), but ljm was the first. Please email me your mailing info to claban@phillynews.com.... As for the crab Louis salad, I have to admit I was surprised when it arrived as the presentation was totally changed. It used to be an elegant plate of lump crab set next to a wedge of lettuce, a fan of asparagus and a thick slice of beef steak tomato. This newer version was far less appealing - a big bowl of chopped salad tossed in heavy dressing with crab mounded on the edge of the bowl. Still, it was just delicious. The lump crab was colossal and sweet. The dressing, though a bit heavy, was like a zipped-up Russian. With a bowl of superb snapper soup (lots of tender nuggets of meat in there today), and a half-dozen oysters, including some tender, cucumbery Cape May salts, it was a classic Philly lunch. Sit at the bar, and you will see a real slice of Center City culture...a great place, fyi, for solo dining

Craig: the problem is that one of the owners (not the one who does the cooking) is frequently rude herself!

Well, Mariko, I think you've already answered this conundrum. Time to find a new haunt....

Craig - you hit a chord with your "speak to the owner" response. My feeling is restaurant owners want to know the negatives since that's the only way to remedy them. Most diners just never return...and owners never know why. I think more of us should speak up...politely.

I agree, Vigg. People so rarely voice their concerns to the right person, this all tends to get dealt with after the fact and folks are rarely satisfied. Better to let the owners know there's a problem while you're there so a problem can be fixed in the moment. The big nit, though, is that this is a very awkward situation. Some people are just too intimidated to make a fuss in front of friends, family or a date. In addition, the dialogue so easily tips into a defensive, and often aggressive discussion, that it sometimes doesn't end well. I definitely believe one of the true measures of a great restaurant is how they handle complaints.

Pet-friendly outside seating, Caribou, Bar Ferdinand, Duece, 20 Manning, Audrey Claire, Loie, London Grille, Tria. These are all places I've seen dogs outside of.

Great list of places...

A restaurant owner would sooner hear about a problem then to read it on zagat the next day! Don't blame an establishment as a whole for a bad server, who may be offending without the owner's knowledge!

My points exactly. However, as Mariko said, if the rude one happens to be in charge, there's no one else to complain to. If there's a pattern of rudeness, this place probably isn't long for this world.

we went to doc magrogan's several times. it's ok but nothing special. there are many better choices in WC. Like Butterfish, the newish BYO? Have you gotten there yet?

Yes, Scott. I've been to Butterfish - it was mentioned in an Or Try These capsule alongside the Blue Pear earlier this year. I thought it was interesting, a fun, boisterous bistro with ambitious new American cooking, a real surprise for a suburban strip mall. I especially liked the smoked items - particularly the smoked butterfish, but I found many of the entrees to be cooked with a really heavy hand. The Louisiana dishes, for example, were extremely overdone with blackening spice, and the sauces weighed down a bit too much cream. Still, I found the restaurant on the whole to be enjoyable - certainly a worthy destination for those in the West Chester area.

Not to beat a dead horse, but this place has been in business for ages and has a loyal local following.

Ok, well, so much for that old pattern-of-rudeness theory. Sometimes, the places that are totally ensconced feel they have the liberty to be rude to anyone they want, which is an even more frustrating problem, because you get the feeling they really don't value you. I would say a place like that has a better chance to survive in a neighborhood - like Chestnut Hill - that doesn't have a tremendous amount of other fine options. Nothing you can do except ignore it...

Vote with your wallet theres tons of places to eat at and most want to treat you well.

Exactly.

Craig - on the mention of snapper soup. Have you tried the snapper soup at the Racquet Club? I haven't seen many mentions of the city's private clubs in your column, but the snapper soup at the Racquet Club is top shelf and I need to make a point to get over there to visit more often.

Graham - You're right, that I haven't written much (actually nothing) about the private clubs in town. The public dining scene has become so vibrant in the past 15-20 years (ironically the era of private clubs' most precipitous decline) that I've rarely found the time to pursue it, let alone snag an invite to one of these inner-sanctums of old line Philly eats. That said, I'm interested. And you're tempting me with the snapper soup mention. Traditional cooking is so on the wane in town these days, that these clubs may eventually be the last bastions to taste a bowl of sherry-splashed Philadelphiana...

On that note, I'm going to call this chat simmered to snapper perfection the week. Thanks to everyone for all the great questions, and I hope you make it back here Tuesday - at 2 p.m! Until then, may you all be well and eat something worth bragging about!