Blackfish

Lately, there seems to be an outcropping of what I like to call ambitious restaurants.  You know the type -- they feature sometimes unidentifiable, exotic ingredients with at least one foam or gelee and manage to cram 10 of these type of ingredients into a 2" x 2" section on a 12" plate.  Don't get me wrong, I fancy myself ambitious, too, and I'm all for fresh, unique taste combinations.  But if Mica and Noble are any indication, Philly doesn't always pull off the ambitious restaurant, leaving my disappointment in its wake.

Blackfish restores my faith.  It delivered the goods, pleasantly surprised my palate and remained down-to-earth but professional in its service.  Best of all, it is BYO and usually offers Tuesday night tastings.  After enduring a number of $65 Jose Garces email offers for Chifa empanadas with Dogfish head tastings (yeah... but for $65?), TFRB and I jumped at the "Lobster Tasting Menu" email when it arrived. 

 And here's what we got:  5 courses of lobster based dining (dessert was not lobster based, thankfully) for $45.  The first of which was this lovely amuse bouche of lobster broth that did what it was designed to do -- whet our appetite for more lobster (as if we needed prompting). 

The lobster salad with celery and tarragon also delivered its objective -- highlight the lobster itself with just enough background flavor to enhance the meat and make the salad cohesive.  

The next course, lobster tortelli with english peas and beurre fondue, offered a nice pop of lobster flavor, but the fresh peas in cheesy butter was close to tempting me to lick the plate. The crowning achievement was of course the roasted lobster tail, pictured above, with "'creamed' corn" and saffron-vanilla. Not sure exactly how the heavenly cloud on which the perfect piece of lobster was perched had been formed, but I didn't care, I just enjoyed.

The caramel beignets with english cream were a pleasant, albeit unnecessary end to the meal.  TFRB, a bit of a beignet connoisseur, placed them somewhere between "very good" and "New Orleans." Despite my seeming indifference, I managed to eat ... every bite. 

What can I say?  Thank you, Chef Chip Roman for living up to the hype of the restaurant and offering such awesome deals that would lure a city dweller to Conshy and exceed her expectations.  And as for you, faithful readers who are not my parents, get on the email list to get the Tuesday tasting announcements when they happen.  Oh heck, my parents should, too.

Blackfish is located at 119 Fayette Street, Conshohocken, PA, www.blackfishrestaurant.com

Mica

Smugly nestled among the shops in urban-idyllic Chestnut Hill, Mica offers cozy restaurant eye candy.  Its walls are simply adorned in a grey/taupe; its fireplace features lit pillar candles.  Its servers are dressed in black and sported exotic accents.  It's also a BYO and does things like offer 4-course tasting menus on Wednesday for $45 (this night, featuring lobster).  I wanted to like it.  And yet, Mica managed to take its concept past feeling transported from the mundane, past interesting and tasty new cuisine, and landed in the area of pretentious discomfort and odd flavor combinations.

A note on the seating.  Mica features one main dining room, with a gorgeous fireplace and bay window.  Upon arrival, I noticed all of the seats were occupied by older folks, that is, at least one generation up from me.  Fine.  However, we were then led to the back room, equally cozy and nice in a darker, nearer to the open kitchen and beverage set-up, sort of way.  Four tables occupy this space, which does have windows, and were taken by younger folks.  This reminded me of the Parisian habit of sitting all foreigners together.  But if the food is worth it, I'm game.  As MCRF pointed out, it's worth taking the youth compliment.

The amuse bouche had promise.  A lobster panna cotta, it was a rich, buttery blend with a subtle lobster flavor that did indeed whet one's appetite for more lobster (as if I need a nudge toward wanting lobster).

Service was a bit slow between courses, and the bread offering shifted from a freshly baked baguette to something more hastily purchased to satiate waiting diners, which was an interesting and obvious flub.  It was $45 lobster night, though, so perhaps understandable if not excusable.

Our first course was a lobster carpaccio with a salad and peanuts.  Reported in the announcement to be a thai apple salad with truffle, I detected no truffle here, although the menu may have changed.

The salad was crisp and enjoyable, but the peanuts overpowered the lobster, which was best enjoyed separately.  The next course was equally ambitious -- tempura lobster claw, coddled egg, asparagus, black trumpet and a "shmear" of a banana-garlic paste.  I enjoyed the latter ingredient for its similarity to foie gras without the overpowering richness (I have no idea how you get foie gras flavor out of that combination, but you do).  The tempura claw, however, was strangely difficult to cut.  The overall dish ended up being an oddly textured combination, descending into a liquid at the end suitable more for an english muffin than a lobster claw with asparagus.  Next up was lobster crepe (pronounced by our server as "crepée," a term with which I am not familiar), with peas, mushrooms and a sauce separately poured that I couldn't identify.  Perhaps the least successful of the course, the crepée was more of an eggroll, fried with some strange wasabi-like aftertaste that was imminently forgettable.

Dessert featured a white chocolate panna cotta with a banana caramel topping with black pepper streusel.  Believe me when I tell you the "black pepper streusel" (sadly too dark to photograph) was unfortunately reminiscent of fried chicken batter pieces.  Perhaps avant-garde, but the flavor palate failed to appeal to me.

Mica has been only been open since March 18 of this year.  Even with an allowance for early stage hiccups, however, Mica's over-promising on concept still under-delivered on taste and atmosphere for me. 

Mica is located at 8609 Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, http://www.micarestaurant.com/. 

Noble

Amidst a movie theater, comedy club, dance studio, and comic book store, sits Noble, a two story bar restaurant. Like the block, Noble is filled with interesting possibilities, a lot of which don't actually work well together. 

Much of the menu presented a conundrum -- the winter vegetable soup sounded wonderful, but with pancetta-granola?  A roasted beet salad is always a crowd pleaser, but with black olives?  Even the cocktail menu, a happy place for me generally, offered mixes with bourbon, which would then be topped off with ... sparkling wine. 

Our server, who was pleasant and seemingly smart, when asked about "what was good here," directed us to the most frequently ordered options.  Well, okay, we'll sign up for the lemming plan.  As it turns out, the gnocchi parisienne, which can be ordered as a starter or main dish, was pretty amazing.

We are told that "parisienne" means the gnocchi is prepared almost as a pate au choux, so a lighter, flakier gnocchi.  After such a highbrow description, our server added, "they're sort of like Combos."  Again, with the odd mixes.  Their taste appeal was anything but highbrow; it was straightforward floury, cheesy, fried goodness.  MCRF wisely ordered the dish without the pancetta; nothing about the dish needed the bacon.  Rather, it might have benefited from something a little less heavy and salty.

MCRF opted for the most-ordered-dish as an entree, the grilled spanish octopus, which was reportedly "very good."  I went with the duck breast, as I am unable to turn down anything served with "sweet potato bread and persimmon."

So yeah, there's a lot going on here.  The sweet potato bread was good, but didn't quite work with the duck (it's that tiny loaf sitting on top).  The duck breast, executed well, worked with the braised cabbage but the other three elements seemed a bit out of place.

Intrigued by the cardamom coffee pot de creme (say that three times fast), we ended up with dessert.  The pot de creme was served with a brittle/rice krispy-ish topping that made it hard to eat, frankly, and the pumpkin ice cream, while tasty, seemingly belonged to another dessert.  MCRF's mexican chocolate pate was good and very dense, with a spiced sauce rubbed on the plate. 

A small amount of controversy surrounds Noble, which was founded on offering local and sustainable foods only, but has since departed pursuing that endeavor 100% (so yes, a little less "noble").  Also incongruent was the downstairs offering a bar menu, including what looked like a great burger, while the upstairs does not, although a table next to us did without our realizing it was an option.

From its hand drawn sign contrasted against its stark white and dark wood interior, its young male bar crowd against its more staid professional crowd, and all of the other strange combinations here, I am at a loss to understand Noble's identity and hesitant to recommend.

Noble is located at 2025 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, www.noblecookery.com.    

Thirteen

On the 8th day of Christmas blogging... I am reminded that a public relations firm invited me to a fun meal at Thirteen, the restaurant in the convention center Marriott downtown. Thirteen had distinguished itself to me in the past by providing refuge from more crowded bars in order to watch some crucial Phillies game. It is a serviceable hotel restaurant, with modern, earth-tone decor and plenty of space to accommodate convention center guests and private parties alike. This past November, I found myself in their semi-posh private dining room enjoying a multi-course meal.

Chef Judson Branch's food choices were a bit ambitious and occasionally delivered. The scallops were done well, but lacked a flavor punch. Thirteen's take on the beet-goat cheese salad was mildly engaging, but I had hoped for more of a flavor variety on this common combination.

The entrees arrived, and with them a risotto that was at best comforting, at worst, a thick mass. Heavy and seemingly overcooked, I was able to, for once, resist its cheesy rice appeal. The meat was done well, however, flavored with a tangy sauce accompaniment that highlighted both it and the risotto well. Desserts were well prepared, with a chocolate raspberry sauce in a lovely presentation. The dessert proved to be fairly delicious, a decadent combination. 

All in all, although the food was hit or miss, I would recommend Thirteen's private dining room for an office party or a good mixing space during the convention and remain loyal to their expansive bar for the key sports events. 

Thirteen is located in the Philadelphia Marriott, 1201 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

10 Arts Lunch Special

When Rick Nichols panned the "5 bites" lunch special in the Philadelphia Inquirer, MCRF and I were only strengthened in our resolve to try it. (See link to article at end of this post). After all, what lunch special involving sliders, beer, and a cupcake could be bad? As it turns out, the food was fine, the service, however, was not.

The Five Bites consists of warm pretzel bites with mustard, jalapeno jam, and creamy cheddar sauce dips, your choice of two sliders (I went with lobster roll and cheeseburger, opting against fish burger or hot dog), a shot of signature corn chowder, a mini cupcake, and your choice of Victory beer. For $22, including the beer. Nichols panned this amount and mix of food for lunch and while I agree it's on the heavier side, the portions were small and overall manageable.

So here's how it played out -- delicious warm small pretzel bites were served. MCRF and I proceed to start dipping away. Not being a mustard fan and finding the jalapeno jam to just be sweet, my pick was the cheddar cheese sauce, which tasted a lot like ... butter. About 30 seconds into these, our sliders arrived. Hmmm. Soup's good, but what to let get cold next? Also, the burger comes pre-topped with ketchup, mustard, pickles. Did I mention I didn't like mustard? I haven't had this happen since McDonald's. Strange. Oh wait! Several minutes into that course, we're being asked if we're ready for our cupcake. The moment I finished, my plate was whisked away, even though MCRF was far from done. That didn't stop every server who passed us by from continually trying to clear her plate, despite her still not being done. And serving me a cupcake before her. I look around; plenty of tables, no need for a quick turnaround. Looking further into the lobby, I find we're still at the Ritz, where I expect far better service. The cupcake was, in fact, delicious, easily the highlight of the meal. And Victory beers never fail to deliver.

Our server asked us about the Nichols article. We shared that we had read it and were not deterred, since his main gripe was about the 5 Bites menu. Had I known about the service, however, I might have stayed away. Top Chef contest and 10 Arts chef Jennifer Carroll was reportedly out of town for August, so I'm trying not to associate this experience with her.

10 Arts is located at the Ritz Carlton, Broad and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia. Mr. Nichols' article can be viewed at http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/rick_nichols/20100829_Cobb_salad_at_Ritz-Carlton_s_10_Arts_a_thing_of_beauty.html.

Audrey Claire

When it opened over ten years ago, Audrey Claire ushered in Philadelphia's wave of excellent, cozy BYO restaurants. Proud to be living a few blocks away at the time, I dined there frequently, when I could get a table. Although I hadn't been there in several years, I was looking to show off some of the true gems of Philly this past weekend and it came to mind as an affordable, beautiful restaurant, in a great location. While I am pleased to report that Audrey Claire is still those things, the food suffered a few missteps.

We began with a dish I remembered enjoying, the spicy hummus with house-cured salmon and herb-vinaigrette mesclun flat bread. Just as I remembered, it was amazing. The salmon was delectable, with a fresh, rich finish to the taste and nicely balanced against the remaining ingredients. The flat bread was exquisitely fresh and thin, providing the right backdrop to the ingredients.

For appetizers, I ordered an item off the antipasta menu, the beets with truffle oil and caramelized shallots. All of those ingredients sounded pretty good to me, but together, the earthiness of both the beets and truffles was too much. The caramelized shallots didn't cut those flavors enough for balance or contrast. I found it disappointing.

MOR's octopus salad was better, in that the octopus itself was fairly tasty, with a hint of balsamic that nicely offset the grilled flavor of the meat. It was a bit overdone, though, for my taste.

In keeping with my sense that appetizers are always better, our entrees, or "bigger dishes," as the menu names them, were less appealing. Pictured below, MOR's crab cake reportedly tasted like it was once frozen and failed to deliver on the delicious crab cake front he was craving. (This, I should add, supports my theory that Philadelphians don't know how to make crabcakes, although that could be my snobbish Marylander background talking.) My rainbow trout crab florentine was better, but not spectacular. The fish was unevenly cooked and the flavors, while good, weren't extraordinary enough that I wanted to finish the dish.

I still love certain things about Audrey Claire that have not changed: the hipster clientele that remind me how urban and wonderful a city Philly can be, the bustle of the place, even though the din can be overwhelming (and somewhat typical of the BYO scene), and the open kitchen and prep areas. The setting is amazing; the restaurant embodies beautiful weather with its green windows, open to the expanse of the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood corner. Next time, however, I might just stick to admiring it from a distance.

Audrey Claire is located at 20th and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia, http://www.audreyclaire.com/.

10 Arts

For foodies, and perhaps anyone who has watched Top Chef, Eric Ripert's name goes a long way. Pal of Anthony Bourdain, Ripert's quietly stylish reputation as a successful chef precedes him. Given the branded full name of 10 Arts "by Eric Ripert," the restaurant is clearly banking on this reputation. And reputation alone -- as my friend eagerly asked when we were seated, "is the chef here tonight?" she was firmly told, "yes, Chef Jennifer Carroll is in tonight." Which is of course not suprising, but nonetheless disappointing. Although the hostess, in response to my friend's smooth save, "oh good, I'm glad she's here," suggested that she might visit us, Chef Carroll instead made the rounds to other tables, patiently answering questions but looking very, very young and a bit awkward.

Equally suggestive of a restaurant banking on name alone, 10 Arts' menu is missing from any website or public forum. Perhaps given its recent opening, the restaurant hopes to continue to tweak the menu, but again, I found this disappointing. Also disappointing were the "Perfect 10" drinks, named after famous Philadelphia sites and people. My Eakins Elixer mix of blood orange juice, orange vodka and a third ingredient with a sugar rim tasted disappointingly like orange juice. The "Perfect 10" drink was a rather imperfect $12.
Onto better things. My tuna carpaccio, recommended by our server, was delicious, served with olive oil, chives, shallot and lemon. It was thin to the point of translucence with a delicate, fresh flavor. Less successful was the salmon rillette, a fairly bland taste of salmon and cream. The grilled shrimp with quinoa and herb salad featured three large shrimp and was described as "very good" by VBF.

My salmon entree was helpfully described as "wild," a fairly important distinction these days. Served with "savoy cabbage, red wine bearnaise," it was fairly raw and tasty. I missed any "bearnaise" part of the red wine sauce, which was a thin, salty, vaguely wine-like topping for my cabbage. The effect was a bit strong for the delicate salmon. Similarly, VBF's "Striped Bass 'Grand Mere,'" served with pearl onions, fingerling potatoes and wild mushrooms was done well, but included an overpowering savory sauce that I normally associate with red meats that became too much. The mini-hamburgers were good, served with a spicy mustard and ketchup on a brioche bun.

The desserts were excellent, however. All trendily named with flavors, I ordered "Chocolate Peanut Butter," and was treated to a chocolate peanut butter tart with a malted chocolate "Tastycake" ice cream. I have no idea where the ambiguous "Tastycake" flavor entered, however.

The decor remains that of a hotel lobby, albeit a fashionable one. This might explain the Philadelphia names sprinkled through the menu. We also perused the bar lounge menu, which may be superior to the restaurant offerings and included warm soft pretzel bites and other appetizer-size plates.

Perhaps I've grown too spoiled by the multitude of excellent options in Philadelphia for a bargain, but I found this straightforward, American eclectic menu to be overpriced. With a single drink, our bill came to $90/person, reinforcing my idea that 10 Arts is more about the brand. That being said, the tuna carpaccio was transcendant and the service extraordinary. On a return visit, I might stick with the lounge area.

10 Arts is located in the Ritz Carlton Hotel, at Broad and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, www.10arts.com.

Supper

Supper comes close to perfection. It has many of the makings -- accessible but elegant staff and decor, different dishes that are interesting without being trendy, and a menu that takes advantage of seasonal ingredients. But a few dishes miss the mark. And at these prices, I expected better.

Those misses are easy to forget, however, in reflecting on the pleasing introduction we received. Seated at the corner table in the picture, I was treated to a view of the passers-by, always a favorite backdrop of mine. We ordered cocktails; I opted for the blood orange cosmopolitan, which somehow updates my now cliched penchant for the drink into something I'm not entirely ashamed to order. At our request, our server brought the gougeres featured at the bar, small and perfect cheese puffs. Despite not being warm, they nonetheless melted in our mouths.

The menu directs readers to order three plates per person and was divided into hors d'oeuvres, tartines and plates, with one large plate offering. I continue to be a little stymied when confronted with "plate" options. Especially at these prices, which ranged from $7 to $28. Should I aim to hit $50? Or pick the best three? Tough call. A tasting menu would be appropriate here, with this variety of options. Ultimately, unlike a tapas bar where plates are served as they are prepared, Supper serves in the more traditional way, from appetizers to entrees, although all are portioned in small plates.

First came the hits. Arriving first were the beets a la Grecque with orange, a dish I adored for its seemingly simple ingredients that enhanced the beets, providing a tangy tartness to their sweetness. Jealous of another table's selection, we ordered the artichoke and cauliflower fritters, done in a light batter that accented the vegetables perfectly. Next to arrive were Hama Hama oysters, cooked in the shell with pumpkin butter and wasabi, described to me as "amazing." I went for the foie gras special, which was served a bit underdone with a slightly runny center, served with a cornbread cake, amidst a sweet carrot puree. My salad of autumn vegetables, which featured the most amazing brussel sprouts I have ever tasted, along with pearl onions and turnips, was served with a slightly superfluous poached egg, lemon and truffle, the latter of which was a bit difficult to detect. Nonetheless, the flavors were fresh and interesting.

Then the misses. The seared paves of hamachi, with grains of paradise, blood orange and arugula, were a bit flavorless and overdone. Perhaps due to the thin slices (three were served), any "searing" essentially cooked the fish. One piece was handled more delicately and while the rich, raw flavor shown through, the seasoning itself failed to enhance the fish. The "grains of paradise" was served in a gelatinous, seared block that tasted burnt. Interestingly, when asked by the hostess about the meal, I mentioned my lack of enthusiasm for the hamachi, which she agreed got mixed reviews. Unfortunately, my server had recommended it. The ocean trout with brussel sprouts, parsnip and cider miso was promised to taste like salmon, which it did, but was otherwise bland. The sweetness of the cider miso failed to bring the punch of flavor that the underseasoned trout deserved.

The dessert menu was more limited than I expected. I ordered the chocolate souffle with chile pineapple soup, the latter being served in a shotglass, with a miniature shortbread cookie and vanilla ice cream on the side. The souffle was mostly liquid inside, although not entirely unpleasant, the tiny scoop of vanilla ice cream was insufficient to balance the over-rich taste. And the chile-pineapple soup? Tasted like a glass of pineapple juice, an extremely sweet taste that neither complimented nor stood up to the souffle. The rice pudding with Meyer lemon and blueberries was reported to be very good, however.

I wonder if my mixed review of Supper would be quite so mixed if it wasn't for the value/price ratio. Although called "plates," the entrees were served like entrees, priced as entrees, but offered in small portions. A more successful experience would be had by sticking with the lower priced plates, which offered interesting taste combinations and more successful preparations. The bar looked inviting, and although it was full as early as 6:00 p.m., it might be worth a visit.

Supper is located at 926 South Street, Philadelphia, Pa., (215) 592-8180.

Solaris Grille

Lately, TPB and I have seemed to miss the "morning" part of our weekend and find that it's mid-afternoon before we finally venture out, thus whittling our restaurant options to those happy places that accommodate such non-conforming folks who want a good meal between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Solaris Grille is just such a place, one of the few places in Chestnut Hill that seats you at 3:00 p.m. Foregoing our initial sushi preference, I was pleased to find that Solaris's sunny icon appropriately conveyed its restaurant sense -- a light-filled, refreshing cafe. A nice antidote for a wintry afternoon.

Our server was wonderful, nicely attentive and helpful with choices and options. The menu itself offered a good selection of cafe food, and although we strayed from the heavier items, all seemed appealing.

We started with the mussels, served in a buttery wine and garlic sauce. The sauce, which tasted mostly like butter, was of course delicious, especially with bread, butter's natural companion. (I have to add that the bread, while fine dipped in melted butter, tasted a bit like Wonder Bread's take on the dinner roll). The mussels, however, tasted less than delicious and were quite salty. Nevertheless, we managed to finish them off.

Continuing with our appetizer strategy, we had ordered the boneless chicken wings (hot) and the scallops wrapped in bacon. Honestly, I'm not sure I need my chicken wings to have bones. Having famously refused to finger paint as a child, the less I get my hands dirty, the better. The wings had a great mix of spice, sauce and breading and, best of all, my hands remained free to sample other foods. Which included the succulent scallops wrapped in bacon, done to perfection in a way that was surprising and satisfying. Served with a generous helping of salad, this would be the perfect appetizer to share at dinner.


We finished the meal with what sounded like a winner -- the Lobster, Crab Claw and Avocado Salad. (While the picture appears to be taken ... in heaven, the lens was likely a little buttery). In any case, the half lobster came stocked with tail meat, and a small tower of crab and avocado salad (prepared with lemon aioli) was served alongside. This dish fell a little short for me. The lobster, while still being lobster and therefore good, was a bit rubbery in its coldness and the salad, offering perhaps the biggest portion I've ever seen for such ingredients, missed the mark. Perhaps it was the crabmeat (I'm from Maryland and many crab preparations here miss the mark), but the taste felt less than fresh and the strong lemon flavored enhanced, rather than contradicted, my suspicion. Although tasty, the "lemon aioli" binding was too generously applied.

Would I go here again? Absolutely. It's the perfect place to take a visiting mother, get a soup and sandwich combination, or grab something light that's not boring. It also fits nicely on a lazy afternoon while strolling through Chestnut Hill. Speaking of which, while you're there, please try Chestnut Hill Coffee Co., across from Borders (and skip Starbucks!). The espresso is magical.

Solaris Grille is located at 8201 Germantown Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, 215-242-4200 (and is open generally from 11 am to 10 pm except on Friday and Saturday, when it's open until 11:30 pm). Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. is located at 8620 Germantown Avenue.

Matyson

Opened for nearly four years, Matyson has held its own on Philadelphia’s BYO scene for two main reasons -- its interesting take on seasonal preparations and, perhaps more importantly, its charm. And so far, the sale of the restaurant by Matt and Sonjia Spector (the combination of names that supplied the restaurant’s name) hasn’t hindered its personality.

After dutifully calling when it was clear traffic would prevent our timely arrival, I gave up on subsequent calls advising of our progressive tardiness. When we walked through the door, and offered our excuse, the host chidingly accepted it and seated us, with a comedic aplomb that struck the perfect note of appropriately grudging accommodation. Charming.

As for the take on seasonal preparations, the pan seared Hudson Valley foie gras garnished with pumpkin and pumpkin seed emulsion appetizer offered superb ingredients perfect for the pre-thanksgiving season. The sweetness, stopping short of cloying, was the right counterbalance to the savory succulence of the foie gras. Having recently been served “foie gras” out of can that bordered on tasting like nothing at all, I realized my gratitude for this preparation. The seared tuna, served with broccoli rabe and anchovy almond sauce, was done to perfection. The tuna floated atop the sauce and although I couldn’t pick apart the elements, the synthesis of the saltiness of anchovy and the smooth savory almond worked well together.

Did I mention our waitress? She was someone I would want to befriend, although she rather professionally withheld true personality details, trust me, I could tell she was a good person. Really.

The grilled pork chop, served with herb spaetzle, caramelized apples, bacon and cider demi glaze, offered a strong smoky flavor cooked to a perfect tenderness, a tough order for a three inch chop. The smoky flavor threatened overpower, but was offset with the sweet apples and glaze. TPB ordered the steak frittes, a grilled new york strip , wilted greens and parmesean truffle fries. The steak was a generous cut, with an excellent flavor. Matyson avoided the common mistake a dressing a good cut of meat in a “sauce,” and instead wisely opted to let the flavor of the meat stand on its own. The truffle fries had the most pronounced taste I’ve experienced in a dish claiming to be flavored with truffle. Paired with a sprinkling of good parmesean cheese, the fries invited much more than the “do you want a taste” first helping I got.

Having ogled them being passed by in the small space, desserts were high on our list of things to try. Disappointingly, however, the chocolate hazelnut truffle tart, served with brown sugar ice cream and caramelized bananas, fell short of the promise of its description. Its most major flaw was the overpowering chocolate density of the tart, which was a bit bitter and quite thick. The small scoop of ice cream and bananas did little to balance the bitter taste. I should add that I like dark chocolate, and more complex chocolate flavors, but this particular combination didn’t work. Nor did the brown sugar ice cream stand on its own; the brown sugar flavor simply was not articulated enough to detect. The caramelized bananas were a bit over-torched, leaving it hard (literally) to combine the banana with the rest of the dish. TPB’s coconut cream pie with chocolate ganache and macademia crust fared far better in terms of subtlety of flavor and good combination.

Upon retrieving my checked coat, our host assisted me with my coat. After several glasses of wine, I commented on his kindness, to which he dryly responded, yes, it’s quite classy. Prompting giggles on my part, to which he rejoined, “classy with a K.” I left laughing, happy and full.

Matyson is located on 37 S. 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103, (215) 564-2925. Although BYO, it does accept credit cards.