Avenida

On the fourth day of Christmas blogging ... my vegetarian friend suggested to me that we go to Avenida, the cute Latin restaurant in Mt. Airy.

Avenida is very cute, under its colonial stone exterior, with its separate red rooms and seating that manage to retain the charm of a home. I understand that you can reserve one of the separate rooms upstairs where, on the night I ate there, unbeknownst to me, MCRF's mother was meeting with her book club. Not a bad book club place.

Avenida has received much hype and I confess expectations were high for me. Which is why when service was slow and fairly unresponsive, I was disappointed. Avenida did pass the guacamole test, offering chunky, freshly made, flavorful avocadoes with a hint of citrus. It comes with "dos salsas," one of which that night included the "enchilada sauce," a cheesy looking sauce that was cold and slightly bland although, in the style of all vaguely cheesy sauces, had a comfort food appeal.

I elected to get the Pork Pibil, with green mole and zucchini cheese pastel. After assurances that it could be made to be less spicy (yes, I like mild food, no, it's not a reflection on my personality), it was, in fact, pretty spicy. This lent itself to my really wanting those tortillas that our server promised many minutes ago. Finally they arrived and with the tortillas cutting some of the spice, I enjoyed the pork's intense flavor but was not blown away. The zucchini cheese pastel was as good as it sounds, a fluffy baked mix of cheese and zucchini, without being too heavy.
My vegetarian friend got, appropriately, the chef's vegetarian plate, a fully loaded plate that included the zucchini cheese pastel, along with fresh sauteed vegetables, greens, a fried potato or corn something-or-another, and asparagus topping. Although reported as tasty, it lacked a certain thematic coherence to me that spelled "side dishes on same plate," but then again, side dishes can be pretty tasty.

All in all, worth a return trip for the ambience, armed with lower expectations around service and a willingness to branch out on menu choices.

Avenida is located at 7402 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, Pa, 19119, http://www.avenidarestaurant.com/.

Distrito

When it comes bidding farewell to summer, a margarita certainly makes for a nice toast. And so it was I found myself at Distrito, never having been there before, scared away by the primarily pink decor. As it turns out, the pink actually works. The space is cavernous and cool and the pink, plaids, and billboard decor actually provide interesting distractions without being overwhelming. And what's there not to like about a VW bug booth?

After being led upstairs and seated in the perfect wicker booth-for-two (Distrito follows the lead of the Starr restaurants, featuring plenty of booths built for parties of 6 and 8), the margaritas arrived and were perfect. Lime, on the rocks, refreshing. Our server was knowledgeable and cool, the kind of person you're sure you'd be friends with, based on all of the 20 seconds you've spoken with her.

The food? It did the job. Echoing others, I would rate it as similar to El Vez, but better. The guacamole hit the spot, with large chunks of avocado and a spicy kick that even spice-phobic me enjoyed. My choice to order the Hamachi tacos was heartily reinforced by the server, but I confess I was disappointed to find a fishstick-style taco (no mention of deep fried on the menu) with my happy avocado and pickled-onion toppings. Tasty, yes, but firmly in a fishstick genre.

Distrito is also a member of the small plate club, and while our server suggests 2-3 plates, stick with 2, especially if you get things like guacamole. I elected to order the short rib special, whose smoky taste was wonderful, highlighted against small, homemade corn tortillas.My dining companion went with some reliable favorites -- tongue tacos and the jicama salad, both of which did look scrumptious. We split a side order of plantains, which were grilled and caramelized to perfection.

After the second round of margaritas, I was ready for fall. Or at least September. And a return to Distrito, whose menu changes seasonally.

Distrito is located at 3945 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, www.distritorestaurant.com.

El Camino Real

I can't tell if my take on El Camino Real is about really digging what's going on in Northern Liberties right now or about the restaurant. Because I have to tell you, the service was bad. Like hipster-slacker-mean bad. Yet somehow, I remained perfectly content there, looking out the window, taking in the scene, and even enjoying some of the dishes.

Having to pay for chips and salsa was enough of a deterrent to keep us away. Actually, the appetizer options are interesting enough that it didn't even occur to me to order them. The "barbecue mixer" app, which allows for a choice of three barbecue tastes was good; we went with brisket, short rib and seitan. Pretty tasty.

The menu is divided into "Mexico" and "Texas," ripe for some tough decision making. A plain old margarita (rocks, no salt) made the process a lot easier. As did an option of a "mixed tasting" platter of half of three burritos (yes it was a lot and yes the leftovers tasted good the next day). Of my carnitas, fish, and shrimp choices, the fish stood out as the surprise winner, the others being predictable bordering on bland. The fish was delicious and will be my choice as a stand-alone option, served with cilantro and lime.

MCRF, who has recently gone mostly vegetarian, had a lot of options from which to choose. El Camino offers many faux meat barbecue items, like wings, and plenty of grilled seitan - even in chiles rellenos. Bowing to a craving for onion rings, El Camino Real offered these delicious ones. Although it doesn't make a huge amount of sense to me for these to be on the menu, I didn't complain.

We managed to resist dessert, thanks to the call of a lovely candy and ice cream store just down the walk. And I managed to forget the rudeness of our servers and the unnecessary 45 minutes we waited from the time we were seated to when we actually received any food. If you go prepared to tolerate the debacle that passes as service there, the food actually isn't half bad. And really, you just can't beat the scene that Northern Liberties has become.

El Camino Real is located at 1040 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia, Pa, www.bbqburritobar.com.

Chifa

Chifa, the latest offering from Jose Garces in Restaurant 707's old space, is, in a word, amazing. It's the type of place, much like Amada but a lot more quirky, that you happily can come in for a snack and pisco sour or, just as happily, do what we did, and go all out.

It's hard to resist going all out here, since the menu all sounds fairly wonderful. The combination of Peruvian and Cantonese is less novel than you might think; there's a large Chinese population in Peru (with my thanks to my immigration attorney friend in L.A. knowledgeable on these matters).

I am also a fan of the decor. With dark wood paneling and blue overtones, one wall is occupied by large Ming-like vases stacked neatly in alcoves spaced over two stories. The style is embodied the restaurant -- combinations that are unusual but somehow work extraordinarily well, due in part to the surprise factor.

Take for example, the ceviche offerings. At our knowledgeable server's recommendation, we began with the Hiramasa, a white fish with ginger, charred pineapple, orange and a light mustard emulsion:
Another fun option was the Desayuno, an arepa with braised oxtail, egg, bacon and panca emulsion, although I thought a little less successful in its novelty, still a basic tasty treat thanks to the perfectly done oxtail:
Two of the slightly disappointing dishes included the salt baked shrimp (huge, but I've had better in Chinatown) and what I think are the pork belly buns (forgive this memory lapse for a meal consumed two months ago, I remember the meat being delicious but the "bun" part only so-so):

I preferred Chifa's take on Peruvian fare over Chinese fare and share others' sentiment that the its scallion pancake is not as wonderful as you'd hope.

Desserts were fun. Although the green tea cake and with honeydew gelee offering was oddly dense, I enjoyed the hazelnut mocha ganache and granita. This rice krispie treat, however, came gratis and was fun and aesthetically pleasing, much like the restaurant.

I recommend Chifa with the tiny caveat to lean toward the Peruvian and not Chinese dishes. Overall, Chifa fills a void of novel, interesting, filling food - and offers a cool and cohesive atmosphere that rivals any Stephen Starr restaurant.

Chifa is located at 707 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa, www.chifarestaurant.com.

Guacamole

Have you heard of the card game Pinochle? Well, apparently, it's back "in." Or knowing myself, it's been in for a while and this is the first I'd heard of it. As it turns out, however, thanks to my grandparents, I was raised playing it. I was taught when my hands were too small to hold all of the cards (there's a whopping 12 dealt) and my family allowed me to spread everything out under the table. I was told what was played and I would throw up the right card to play on the trick. In any case, now that the game has managed to surface again, I am one of the few people out there among my friends that knows how to play. Cards on the table, this time. Of course, I had to turn this into an evening where I can cook for everyone, too.

I decided to make guacamole. I began with a Martha Stewart recipe that my chiles rellenos friend whipped up while we were at the beach. Then, after doing that and realizing that I had about a bazillion leftover avocados (her recipe calls for ... one), I started to riff on her theme. The one idea I borrowed, and will borrow again, goshdarnit, is her use of mortar and pestle. To be honest, I lack these things in my kitchen (why must they be so heavy?) so I improvised with a mint muddler (hello mojitos!) and a pyrex bowl. I think it worked out well:

Ingredients

avocados... let's say 3, peeled and chopped
5 tbsp chopped cilantro, more to taste
1 small - medium white onion, finely chopped
3 large juicy tomatoes, seeded (or substitute salsa fresca and use a little less onion), chopped
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp. finely chopped, seeded jalapeno pepper
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp kosher salt

Trick to cutting avocado: take your knife and cut the avocado in half length-wise, avoiding cutting the pit. Twist the two halves apart and chuck out the pit (you can attempt to do this with your knife, but your thumb is a little safer). Holding one of the halves in one hand, take your knife and cut into the avocado flesh through to the skin (but not through the skin) in a checkerboard pattern. Scoop out the chunks with your thumb or a spoon.

Combine 2/3 of the cilantro, the onion, the garlic, the jalapeno and the salt into a bowl. Combine with the mint muddler until (these are Martha's words) "smooth and juicy." Blend in the avocado chunks with the muddler, but keep it fairly chunky. Blend in the remaining cilantro, tomato or salsa and top with lemon juice.

I'm a blue corn chip fan myself, but pretty much anything will work with this. I'm multi-tasking with the guac tonight for make-your-own-burritos. And enjoying the spring!

Dining In - Amada

There are many reasons I love living in the city. Among the top of them, however, is Dining In. A service that delivers food from restaurants throughout the city to your door, Dining In allows you to enjoy both a quiet evening at home and good restaurant food. Sometimes, it's perfect. Other times, you realize that waiting an hour and a half for slightly cold and now overcooked food was maybe not the best choice. Or you wonder whether Genji is giving its Dining In patrons the less-than-fresh sushi. Or maybe, as in my experiment with Amada, you're grateful for the food, but you realize a larger portion of the true experience is being there.

Which brings me to the next and most obvious point. See picture. That's Amada's wonderful "mixto" plate of meats. Certainly quite pretty for a "prepared food," it is infinitely more fun to receive this at the restaurant, accompanied by a server explaining each meat. Amada, like many of the Stephen Starr restaurants recently added to the Dining In roster (Pod, Jones, El Vez) offers much more than food as part of your dining experience. As I mentioned in my review of Pod, I know that the atmosphere often enhances the food and certainly the experience.

Nevertheless, Amada's food is amazing, something we already knew, but now we also know it travels well. The relatively simply beef brochettes, with garlic lemon and parsley, retained their medium rare interior and tasty subtle topping. The Entrecote a la Catalana, sirloin with spinach, membrillo and goat cheese, was topped with pine nuts. The membrillo had melted with the spinach, providing a rich sweetness against the tart cheese. Feeling as though I needed something traditional, I also ordered the Gambas al Ajillo, or garlic shrimp. I didn't need it. It offered shrimp, garlic and butter, a less exciting dish from a more creative kitchen. My favorite perhaps, was the Albondigas, lamb meatballs with shaved manchego. These meatballs, perfectly seasoned, were swathed in a velvet gravy that offered the richness and flavor of foie gras.

Even with my reservations (excuse the pun) that I wasn't seated at an expansive wood table set with minimal candles against white curtains, being treated well by a waiter, watching celebrities go by, I have to confess that my favorite part of eating this wonderful dinner was that I was in pajamas watching some ridiculous reality television show. Sometimes, it's nice to set your own atmosphere.

Dining In is available online at www.diningin.com.

Mission Grill

Mission Grill achieves the rare accomplishment of being within a block of my job and offering good food. In the "corporate district" consisting of the four to five blocks radiating north from 18th and Market Streets, there are little to no exciting options for dinner, aside from the Four Seasons. Mission Grill has remained largely undiscovered, however, which is a shame. Having eaten there several times for lunch, I tried dinner and was pleasantly surprised.

Nicely lit, offering more booths than tables, Mission Grill is inviting and warm, albeit a bit corporate still. The wait staff managed to be simultaneously kind and cool. Featuring tequila, wine and mixed drinks, the bar list was extensive. The lime margarita I ordered, although served somewhat strangely in a water glass, was quite delicious.

Armed with a margarita, we settled into the happy booth, far from the miserable cold, and dug into the "special," which has been offered each time I've visited: the guacamole/salsa appetizer. Mission Grill's guacamole, a dish often hard to find fresh, was perfect. Big chunks of avocado with the right mix of tomatoes and spices provided the right accompaniment to what tasted like fresh nachos.

Despite our being among the few diners there, the kitchen delivered the goods for dinner. The center cut pork chop with chipotle sweet potatoes and summer vegetables was done to perfection, offering a hearty portion. The sweet potatoes, mashed to fluffiness, contained a mild, pleasing kick. The summer vegetables, a throwback to the seemingly unseasonal menu (which offered a summer gazpacho as well), were done well. My friend ordered the salmon and easily substituted a side, which is always a nice option. Having ordered it well done, however, it arrived medium rare, a dicey trick for salmon.

My lunches there have ranged from boring to quite good, once I learned to avoid such items like the chicken caesar wrap (rather predictably boring) and lean instead toward the Totopos Seafood Salad, filled with crabmeat, shrimp, avocado, and jicama. I could also see lingering over drinks at Mission Grill's long wood bar. All in all, I remain hopeful that Mission Grill catches on just enough to stick around, but not too much that I would be denied a booth.

Mission Grill is located at 1835 Arch Street, Philadelphia, PA, (215) 636-9550.

Alma de Cuba

Oh, Alma. You've been such a standby for me. With your soothing candles and white sofas, black and white projected photographs, you meet my Friday happy hour needs. Which are, to be clear, a place that you can hear and participate in conversation, lean forward or back against something comfortable, order delicious food -- or not -- with no pressure. And a place that offers a pleasing array of cocktails, naturally.

I went with a friend who names Alma as her favorite restaurant. Her rules for going are clear: go anytime of night, but sit in the bar area, toward the back, exclusively. Which rules out the main dining area. And perhaps she's right, for the people watching alone. On this visit, we were instructed on the system: red candles signal that the table/area is available for patrons who are not eating dinner; white candles signal tables in which the patrons must eat dinner. Since we were in the bar area, these two types of tables are close together and, let's face it, who really inherently knows what each color candle means. As a result, many a hostess had to correct an errant diner. Probably not the smoothest system. But now you know.

In any case, I enjoy the "suave" mojito, which, I am assured, is the sweeter version of the mojito. Caipirinhas are featured prominently as well. However, as wordly as I enjoy pretending to be, I am unable to pronounce this drink's name and therefore sometimes avoid ordering it. The times I've mustered up the courage, I've been suitably impressed, but the suave mojito usually quenches my thirst here. Alma offers a "caipiroska" as well, which is a caipirinha with vodka. Alma keeps the drink menu relatively short and sweet, offering a good but small variety of signature drinks.

Which sets the stage for the next best thing there: the tiny rolls. Clearly coated with crack, I mean, a blend of spices, they melt in your mouth with the perfect density of molten dough combined with a sturdier texture. The oil and herb dipping sauce, with its tangy sweetness, compliments the spice. They may even contain carbohydrates, I'm not quite as certain after my mojito.

The menu changes at least seasonally. The current menu appears to be almost entirely brand new, except for certain favorites like ceviche. I recommend the ceviche sampler on spectacle alone, grandly served in a large bowl with lots of ice. I had the hamachi tonight, but I found the overpowering red pepper flakes to be too spicy for the fish, or at least for me. I ordered the beef tenderloin as an entree, topped with a creamy lump crabmeat sauce and accompanied by asparagus and a horseradish chimi churra. The wonderfully prepared meat went well with the delicately spiced crab meat sauce. The crab meat, sadly like many restaurants, did not taste fresh, but was still very good. Not a fan of horseradish, I had it on the side and found it nevertheless to be mild but spiced well. I resisted getting my usual side dish of fried plantains, which never fail to please.

Like many Stephen Starr restaurants, Alma is as much about mood, spectacle, and hipness as food. I am not, however, complaining.

Alma de Cuba is located at 1623 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, (215) 988-1799.

Reliable Restaurant Recommendation (RRR): Tequila's

Los Catrines Tequila's longevity alone has made it an important fixture on the Philadelphia restaurant scene. It offers several features that others don't, including: 1) large amounts of seating; 2) great atmosphere, thanks in large part to the authentic Mexican murals, good lighting, and good noise control; 3) reliable menu, including crave-worthy margaritas and nachos; and 4) excellent staff.

I remember it when it was "across the street," which, in actuality, was on the next block up. A tiny first floor operation with a strange and equally cramped loft space, the wait for tables was always long. But I had a friend who would crave the Chiles Rellenos and I, a sucker for the nachos and margaritas, would dutifully wait with her. It was invariably worth it. If not for the food, for the menu descriptions alone. For example, the entry for the Sopes del Rancho reads, "During the Mexican Revolution, women were a vital factor in the survival of the campesino. Through battlefields and wide-open country, they set up makeshift kitchens. These courageous ladies provided a basic nutritional element. Hand made corn masa rounded into flat shallow cups and filled with refried beans, chorizo, ground meat or chicken topped with tomato, lettuce, fresh cream and grated cheese." Lured in by the prospect of reliving that moment, that feeling, I could never help but feel a little transported when I ate there.

If anything, the new space increases the feeling of other-worldliness. Occupying the former Magnolia Cafe with its big windows and cavernous space, Tequila's can offer its patrons more tables with a little less of a wait than its former location. Tequila's made the space its own with artwork and decorations that never overpower, only add to the dining experience.

David Suro, ever present at both locations, greets his customers with a knowing, welcoming smile. Devoid of pretension, he conveys a sense of genuine enjoyment, both of what he's doing and others' appreciation. Most staff have also been there for some time. The experience is revealed in the way margaritas are delivered to your table -- with one balanced on a server's head and the other balanced on the server's fingertips. Simultaneously provoking child-like awe and subdued respect, the spectacle is worth the margarita.

Speaking of which, Suro's new foray into tequila has brought the restaurant his own brand - Siembra Azul, which, in my limited tequila palate, works quite well in a margarita. The extensive tequila list is unparalled for the more experienced drinker, although the staff is always happy to supply recommendations. The bar is wonderful as well, with comfortable seating and the right mix of television and people watching.

It's no mistake that my focus is on the service, atmosphere, and reliability -- Tequila's strong suits. The menu, while offering some reliably good choices, has occasional pitfalls and items that I wished were altered in some small ways. The guacamole, for example, at last bite was overly seasoned and a bit watered down; I was more aware of the acid than the chunks of avocado. Many of the meat dishes offer thin cuts of meat awash in sauce, which is often admittedly good, but leave me wanting more. For dessert, the Crepas (crepes with caramel and ice cream) deliver the right taste, but soon turn into an unmanageable soup. On the other hand, another friend urged me to try the Queso Fundido, which I found to be an excellent alternative comfort food, wedged into a tortilla. My personal standby is the Carne Aguacate because of the avocado cilantro sauce, a mild but flavorful sauce that enhances the meat. The ceviche is also quite good, lacking the flash of trendier restaurants, but still deftly handling a more straight-forward preparation.

Because they are so amazing and often overlooked, the murals deserve a quick word -- they were created by Clemente Orozco Farias, grandson of Jose Guadalupe Posada, a Mexican mural artist whose traditions and teachings heavily influenced the work of Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco, the leaders of the Mexican Mural Renaissance. The lobby features large skeletal figures, Catrines, which Farias modeled after his grandfather's works. Tequila's website explains that "'Catrin' Is A Mexican Term To Mock Pretentious Elegance." It goes on to describes the murals with same florid, passionate tone that it describes its food, "Posada's Catrines symbolize a rebellion against the evil dictatorship embodied in the elegant, pretentious, and arrogant characters devoid of souls." Sign me up.

Part spectacle, part gallery, part family, Tequila's delivers a reliably good time.

Tequila's is located at 1602 Locust Street.