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

Bibou

Occasionally swayed by the trends of popular culture, I saw Julie and Julia, renewed my interest in Julia Child, and planned a trip to France. I think it would be safe to declare that this fall, French food is back.

Bibou seems to be leading the pack of this renewed interest, thanks to favorable press (including New York Times coverage) and an outstanding pedigree. Housed in Pif's former digs (where I did, on one night long ago, enjoy frog's legs prepared by David Ansill), Bibou's Chef Pierre Calmels, formerly of Le Bec Fin, and his wife Charlotte preside over the tiny dining room and kitchen.

By preside, I should clarify that the clientele Bibou draws is, for lack of a better descriptor, my parents. It seemed that everyone else in the tiny space were repeat visitors, all in their mid-60s, all very interested in the food, being there, and talking to the Chef and his wife. I confess I felt out of place.

Which is not to say the food wasn't delicious. It did make me think twice, however, when the service felt rather rushed with one dish brought on the heels of another, we were chided for not bringing wine, and not offered the tasting menu as the party next to us was. Chef Calmels did greet us, though, prompting my fame-induced shyness, speaking French and English in a charming, genuine way. I stuck with the more classical French dishes, ordering the pig's head terrine, which the Chef explained to me was fresh. He had purchased it yesterday, cooked the head overnight and then made the terrine that morning. Its flavors were indeed fresh, rich and exquisite, as was the accompanying fresh mayonnaise. I was obligated to try the foie gras, served that evening with peaches (or was it pears...) and a sweet ginger bread that was as fantastic as you can imagine, with a silky smooth rich texture and sweet offset.MCRF ordered the mahi mahi, happily perched on a bed of sauteed vegetables garnished with a rich unobstrusive foam.The desserts were lovely, once our server sorted through that the apple pie was actually the tarte aux pommes and the pie of the day was a separate offering (again making us wonder how we got this server, over others that appeared more competent). The limoncello ice cream was amazing, however, served with said tarte aux pommes, as was the chocolate cake. Most touching, however, were the tiny madelines, served hot.They helped make up for a wrinkle at the end of the meal when our server seemed inconvenienced to bring us ones as part of our change, making me feel awkward despite my leaving a 20% tip.

In short, Bibou offers delicious food in a cozy 32-seat rowhouse patronized by a very specific clientele, to whom they appear to devote much attention. If you can get past the second point, the first presents a great dinner.

Bibou is located at 1009 S. 8th Street, Philadelphia, adjacent to a parking lot, www.biboubyob.com.

Zento

In preparation for my upcoming trip to Japan, I have tried to immerse myself in all things Japanese (especially food, of course). I should not have waited for such an excuse to try Zento, however. I might blame its unassuming exterior, which unfortunately blends with the row of other restaurants on the 100 block of Chestnut. In any case, it's well worth adding to your list of best sushi restaurants in Philadelphia. It is a little pricey, but offers unique combinations of exquisitely fresh fish.

Speaking of combinations, we decided to forgo Zento's extensive other options (including a bento box) in favor of its rolls. Its list of rolls is extensive but not overwhelming, offering appealing, fish-centered options. I chose the Green River Roll, which included toro, eel, avocado, and plum paste with dried seaweed outside. The plum paste was a nice compliment to the fresh fish and richness of the roll without being overpowering, offering a peaceful sweetness. I also tried the Love Roll, with salmon, tuna, eel, asparagus, and yellowtail wrapped with soy paper. The soy paper was reminiscent of the doughy coating to mochi, although more subtle. Check out the presentation of two of the pieces, which managed to be both lovely and tasty. Again, the flavors worked well together and were quite fresh. My dining companion ordered the Center City Roll, with broiled yellowtail, tuna, salmon, white fish with crab, asparagus, scallion, and spicy sauce and Zento Square Sushi, with eel, avocado and plum paste inside, tuna or salmon on the top glazed with sweet and spicy sauce. Or at least I think that's what was ordered. Darn my inability to take notes while dining. In any case, rave reviews all around. Although at $15/roll, we had limited ourselves and both ended up a bit hungry. At our waiter's suggestion, we ordered the highly recommended black sesame mochi, which was delicious. The green tea was equally good and provided a nice accompaniment to the meal.

Zento's chef/owner, Gunawan Wibisono, worked his way through sushi restaurants, including Kisso, before becoming a sushi chef at Morimoto. His talent is readily apparent. I would highly recommend Zento; hopefully its BYO status will offset the high prices of its sushi.

Zento is located at 138 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa, (215) 925-9998.

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/.

La Viola

When anyone asks me where they should go to eat in Philadelphia, I send them to La Viola. It embodies the Philadelphia restaurant scene -- it's a BYO, it offers delicious, homemade Italian food, its servers have larger-than-life personalities and, best of all, it's cheap. I hadn't been in a while and this outbreak of decent weather prompted a visit.

Signage to the contrary, the La Viola outpost I've always enjoyed was closed. So I crossed 16th Street to its new "wing." Lucky I knew that they had expanded; there were no signs directing diners here, nor were there signs across the street naming the place. "La Viola Ovest," or La Viola West, beckons diners solely with a buttery glow and thick velvet curtains. Our hostess explained that the original location is closed on Mondays. Offering slightly more room than La Viola, the west location offers more seating as well.

The menu was interesting. A slight mirror to La Viola, the entrees are slightly more expensive, inexplicably so. My favorite grilled calamari dish was offered with shrimp at this location, albeit a measly addition with two smallish shrimp and none of the delicious grilled jus that I had enjoyed with bread across the street. Resisting my two standbys, the steak of the day (always delicious) and the lobster ravioli, I opted instead for the tagliatelle al salmone. I should tell you that the pasta is homemade, and this should prompt you to eat there, very soon. The pasta tastes homemade in that way that, after boxes of pasta, you forgot how much you love it. The dish was served in a pink cognac sauce, filled with a light creaminess and a hint of tomato that complimented the tender salmon. My friend ordered the caesar salad, which I both love and hate for its generous portion of garlic and dousing of dressing, perfectly contrasted against the crisp romaine and shaved parmesan. A vegetarian, she got the Penne Alla Caruso, featuring pencil point pasta in a vodka tomato sauce with peas and pancetta (minus the pancetta). Needless to say, we cleared our plates. Tiramisu is another favorite of mine here, but we managed to forego it, lingering instead over the bottle of wine and good conversation.

The price? $20 for each of us, for a sizable appetizer and entree. We got to bring the wine of our choice. The room was simple and cozy. It's what makes the Philadelphia restaurant scene truly great.

La Viola is located at 253 S. 16th Street, Philadelphia, Pa.; La Viola Ovest is located at 252 S. 16th Street. Photo thanks to http://www.philadelphia.citysearch.com/.

Trio

Trio plays to its strengths. It's a cute BYO with neighborhood appeal. The decor and service are cozy and professional and its menu has remained largely unchanged allowing one to develop favorite items for which to later crave. The food is not cutting edge or expensive, nor would I be up to returning to a cutting edge restaurant multiple times. And I've certainly visited Trio multiple times, since it's located in my own backyard (practically). Which is how I arrived there this week, with a neighbor friend in tow, both of us looking for something fulfilling but casual.

Opened almost two years ago by Tom Jamavan, Michael Poole, and Van Chau (hence, "Trio"), the restaurant offers Pan Asian cuisine out of corner brownstone in the heart of the art museum neighborhood. Its consistent menu is supplemented by daily specials, all of which seem fresh and, in fact, "special." Its recent expansion to its successful take-out business is delivery and for this, I will always be grateful.

But the atmosphere still remains a draw to the restaurant, with one of the owners usually present to greet you and remember repeat customers. I am one of them, I admit. I have the appetizer menu down -- am I in the mood for the scrumptious, delicately fried Beggars' Pouches filled with shrimp and crabmeat, swimming in a light dumpling sauce, or should I stick with my standard chicken satay with slightly spicy peanut sauce and a cool and tangy cucumber relish? I have gone crazy with the sweet corn fritters (a Pan Asian take on comfort food) or the innocuous but pleasing steamed seafood dumplings. I've also heard good things about the Lemongrass soup, but have steered clear due to its spiciness.

Last night, I succumbed to my favorite entree, the Tamarind Lacquered Pork Chop. Lightly basted in the tangy "tamarind lacquer" and topped with green onion, the chop fits the bill on a cold night. Often, I order the Pad Thai, which also offers a reliably tasty, fresh preparation. I tasted my friend's Basil Chicken last night, which she cautioned to order "not spicy" so the chef does not over-pepper the chicken, and found its basil flavor fresh but not overpowering.

Trio has recently added a dessert cooler, filled with tempting options that we somehow managed to resist last night. The meal ended on a perfect note -- the owner asking if we would add ourselves to an invitation list for an upcoming event for neighbors. I couldn't be more pleased Trio's lasted these two years.

Trio is located at 2624 Brown Street, Philadelphia, PA. Photo of Beggars' Pouches by Philadelphia Weekly.