The Four Seasons

The lobster bisque

Classic food is classic for a reason.  While perhaps less intriguing, it can be reliably sublime.  Add giant endless tall sprays of flowers amidst wood paneling and banquettes, and a server who kisses your hand when you leave, you could only have the Four Seasons, which has been delivering such classics  for fifty years here in Philadelphia.

I received the invitation through the Four Seasons' email list -- $50 for three courses (and what turned out to be several amuse bouche's) and a champagne toast, in celebration of their fifty years.  I stayed on the wait list for several weeks, before receiving a kind call from the maitre d'hotel that I had made it into the dinner.  Was I excited?  Having never had Beef Wellington or Baked Alaska, why yes, yes I was.

I am tempted to say that the tarragon, purple potato and plenty of lump lobster meat made the bisque, but in reality, it was the servers' gently pouring the bisque into our bowls, on top of the solid ingredients, that made it special.  Similarly, the tenderloin of Beef Wellington did melt in my mouth, aided by the strong but nuanced red wine sauce.  But what stood out was how the tiny vegetables were each delicately carved.  The grouper, pictured at left, was topped with a medley of spinach, golden raisins, carrots and, of course, preserved kumquat.

I probably don't need to tell you that my Sidecar, served with the classic sugar rim, was amazing.  It's precisely this kind of place that can make a perfect Sidecar.

But the Baked Alaska -- several hosts were carrying around the larger flaming volcanic version -- was classically fun.  A meringue exterior insulates ice cream from melting.  The textures are appealing and the ice cream refreshing.

Was the food great?  Of course it was.  But what makes the Four Seasons special is its consistent priority on service and reliability.  Whether it's the maitre d' personally introducing himself to me, or how, when I used to walk to work every day past it, the door man would go out of his way to say hello, the Four Seasons remembers what great manners and service mean.  The excellent food is superfluous.

The Four Seasons is located at 18th and the Parkway, Philadelphia, http://www.fourseasons.com/philadelphia/.

Zama

Over a year has passed since this Rittenhouse sushi spot opened to much fanfare.  Although I'm arriving late to the scene, I'm pleased to report that Hiroyuki "Zama" Tanaka, formerly of Pod, Morimoto, and Genji, is still delivering fun, high-end sushi in a sleek-but-social atmosphere.

Slightly less publicized, but equally pleasing as the sushi, is Zama's extensive drink menu.  I started with a yuzu gimlet, which featured yuzu juice, citrus vodka, and simple syrup, a great blend that highlighted the yuzu flavor (one of my favorites).  Of course, warm house sake hits the spot on a cold night.  But interestingly, Zama offers warm sake after-dinner drinks.  I indulged in the ginger version -- warm sake with ginger liqueur.

After starting with the seaweed salad, which featured an unusual mix of the "usual" seaweed with more lettuce- and radish-like varieties, we moved onto the roll menu.  I opted for the "Bronzizzle," Zama's "cucumber and avocado inside out roll with Bronzino finished with yuzu-soy sauce and hot sesame oil."  Surprisingly refreshing, the roll hit the high notes of a crispness mixed with a sharper flavor.  I was most interested, however, in trying the "super crunchy" maki, pictured below.

I was expecting tempura flakes, but instead got this interested rice puff exterior, which was indeed crunchy.  Unfortunately, it was also spicy, which I was hoping to avoid as Zama offers both spicy and crunchy, but the rice puffs balanced out the spice.  Certainly a change of pace.

Zama picks up on the dessert sampler scene (a favorite of mine at Continental, which offers $3 dessert "bites"), where you can choose three desserts for $10.  The hazelnut bread pudding was warm and heavenly, as was the sake soaked pear upside down cake.  Combined with the warm ginger liqueur sake, the experience was a perfect antidote to a cold winter night.

Zama is located at 128 S. 19th Street, Philadelphia, http://www.zamarestaurant.com/.  First photo with thanks to http://www.opentable.com/. 

R2L

A surprisingly sophisticated newcomer to the Philadelphia restaurant scene, R2L may be getting overlooked in its hidden perch above the city. Maybe it was a Monday night, maybe it was the negative side to the LaBan Inquirer review, but R2L deserves more of a crowd than it's getting. It raises the bar in Philadelphia and most importantly of course, it made my birthday just a little bit better.

Located on the 32nd floor of Two Liberty, R2L offers no guarantees in getting one of the leopard print banquettes that face out on the cityscape. Here was my view. (If you look carefully, you can see me, my father and stepmother).
Later, there were fireworks over the zoo that seemed magically arranged.

Speaking of extraordinary, our server was both professional and personable, setting the tone for feeling like we were getting VIP treatment. The food followed suit. I was foregoing the lobster as an entree, so I indulged with the lobster roll appetizer. A buttery fresh roll cradled lump lobster meat lightly dressed in a lavender-infused dressing. I confess I didn't detect the lavender, nor did I miss it, I was too busy scooping up lobster. The fish and chips hit the right note of moist crisp fish and fries. On our server's recommendation, we ordered the grilled truffle flatbread, with parmesan and arugula over a thin crusted bread. Glad we took his advice, the dish was lusciously balanced between ingredients.

Without fail, I like appetizers more than entrees. While I appreciate the effort of R2L into my striped bass dish, the separate portions of scallop, bacon, and bass were not unified, but instead offered three standalone tastes on the plate. The scallops were amazing, but the other tastes were a bit dry and further inconsistent with the citrus salad in the middle of the three. My father's veal signature dish featured three small dishes again, this time more melded -- tenderloin, brisket and meatloaf. Forming a loose stew, it rated highly in terms of done-ness and flavor. The shitake mushroom fries, while interested (pureed mushrooms deep fried into fry shapes), were almost too rich to eat.

Because I view desserts as almost effortlessly good, I rarely judge a restaurant more favorably based on its desserts. After all, how hard is it to make sugar, flour, and fat taste good? Yet R2L surprised me with its donut ice cream. Apparently, dozens of glazed donuts are sacrificed for this concoction; more importantly, you can taste every one of them, blended to perfection into a rich ice cream. This is one that I will crave in the future. Also worth mentioning is the warm vanilla cake, a vanilla version of the popular molten chocolate. Very good, but don't miss the donut ice cream. Topping it off were fun complementary root beer macaroons and decadent bergamot truffles.

Ushered back down into the exclusive elevator and bid goodbye by the friendly hostess on the ground floor, I began thinking of future special occasions or even my next available happy hour that would allow a return trip. While I love how down to earth the Philadelphia restaurant scene can be, I hope more restaurants follow R2L's lead take on fine dining.

R2L is located in Two Liberty, 37th floor, with an entrance on 50 S. 16th Street. http://www.r2lrestaurant.com/