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There's no such thing as a remote-control four-bell restaurant, even with legendary New York chef Alfred Portale pushing the buttons from Gotham Bar & Grill.
Portale was much more than a figurehead in Stephen Starr's relaunch of the soaring seafood palace that defined the '90s glitz of Walnut Street's Restaurant Row. But it would take the emergence of his Philly-based protege, Christopher Lee, to finally brand Striped Bass with the distinctive personality it deserves.
Lee, a young New Yorker brimming with cutting-edge ideas who won last year's James Beard Award as the nation's rising star, combines the polish of Manhattan's best kitchens (Jean Georges, Oceana) with a rare sense of wit and daring.
This was obvious early on with his creation of an instant classic, the "Philadelphia cheeseskate," a braised short rib-wild mushroom-skate wing sandwich fantasy (over Parmesan cream and hot sauce) that easily ranks among the city's best haute cheesesteaks.
Since Lee officially ascended to the executive chef throne in October (Portale is no longer involved), he continues to produce more clever creations that balance complexity, technical prowess and pristine seafood. A luscious salad of crab, for example, becomes transcendent beneath a glistening green layer of apple "caviar" - tiny beads of sour apple essence jelled with an experimental Spanish technique.
Another starter called "shrimp toast" encrusts buttery Alaskan spot prawns with thin squares of grilled toast dabbed with exotic poufs of lemongrass foam. Succulent lobster is bronzed with Moroccan spice over tiny vegetables in a crustacean broth that rings with ginger, orange and sour tamarind.
I've gotten used to the decor changes that made Neil Stein's sexier original Bass a little more corporate. But the service, a bit stiff at the 2004 re-opening, is better than ever, a smooth ballet of detailed presentation. The substantial wine cellar, now at more than 520 bottle selections (and a wide variety by the glass), even has a superb ambassador in sommelier Lauren Bernardini, whose elegant consultations recall the grace that brought former Bass sommelier Marnie Old to fame.
And Lee's cooking is worthy of a great bottle. An exotic Austrian gruner veltliner was perfect for the seared hiramasa, a rare wild yellowtail that took on Asian tones with pickled turnips and a yuzu edamame coulis.
Crispy Thai snapper came with a saffron-chorizo broth that had enough Mediterranean spice to match a red tempranillo. A porcini orecchiette was my lone disappointment, and only because the shaved white truffles were too dull for the steep $50 supplement. Usually, though, Striped Bass' entrees merited their high-$30s prices.
Pastry chef Carrie Chavenson follows Lee with equally impressive desserts: a triple caramel tasting; a luscious tatin of caramelized peaches; and a layered chocolate peanut butter indulgence that comes with concord grape sorbet and an adorable miniature vanilla shake. Sip it until the straw slurps empty. The latest Striped Bass is worth savoring until the last drop.
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