Good Taste

Sean Magee, recently promoted to executive chef at Time, says bone marrow has always sold well at the restaurant, performance space, and whiskey bar, but his clever Chinese-takeout spin on the brasserie standard has enthusiasts as jazzed up as the musicians who jam here every night. Magee originally wanted to do a marrow stir-fry dish, but later decided to play it to the bone, taking sliced-lengthwise veal "canoe cuts" and drizzling them with a from-scratch kung pao sauce spiced with dried Chinese chiles and black and Szechuan peppercorns. After roasting in a 450-degree oven, each bone is topped with chopped peanuts, candied ginger and scallions, then plated with toast, sea salt, and sweet-and-sour turnips. The preparation is attracting both seasoned marrow enthusiasts and curious first-timers. "It's a primal-looking thing," Magee says of the starter. "And that's why I like it." - Drew Lazor
Kung pao bone marrow, $11, Time, 1315 Sansom St., 215-985-4800.