Chops Restaurant and Bar

On the first day of Christmas blogging...  Well, actually several days ago, DCWB said to me, why not a nice meal.  Despite vows to eat in moderation this week (not forever, of course), I couldn't resist such an invitation.  We landed at Chops on City Line, a place described as "the Palm West for main line power brokers."  No power was broken (?), but decadent appetizers, steaks and drinks were consumed, which was enough for me.

The meal started with a Sidecar, straight up, sugar rim.  Why am I not drinking this more often?  A blend of cointreau, cognac and lemon juice, Chops' take on the drink was a little on the frou-frou/sweet side, but packed a great punch and seemed celebratory for the holiday.  The Chesapeake Bay oysters hit the spot, although for once I eschewed the mignonette in favor of DCWB's preference of splashing vodka, tabasco and horseradish on top.  Although I skipped the horseradish, the effect was still, well, awesome.  A somewhat typical wedge salad was next that could have been improved through the addition of bacon but then again, I'd be hard pressed to say when that's not the case.  My NY strip was done well (for medium rare, of course) and the Bearnaise sauce was the perfect addition.  DCWB's veal chop was tender and flavorful.  Somehow, we managed to resist the molten chocolate cake, but I'm confident it would have delivered the goods.  Our maitre d' was attentive and friendly and our server accommodated our requests and was never far away.  Although we were seated near the bar, the atmosphere was a bit bright for my clubby steakhouse preferences and yet I still managed to feel as decadent as the food suggested.  I'll embrace moderation tomorrow.

Chops is located on 401 City Line Avenue, Bala Cynwyd, Pa, http://www.chops.us/. 

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House

Walking into Del Frisco's, which occupies the Packard Grande Building at 15th and Chestnut, felt a little like when Indiana Jones first shines his torch up at the Well of Souls. It's impressive and feels like a discovery of some lost treasure. The ceiling height stretches up for forty feet and a thirty-four foot wine tower occupies the focal point. The walls themselves are ornately carved and swaths of red fabric adorn them, directing your eye upward. Apparently, some of the major scenes of Jamie Foxx's new movie were filmed here. I took a detailed photo of one of the carvings, below right.

Back at eye level, however, we were greeted by not less than four women who eagerly took our names and directed us to the coat room, also staffed by roughly three women. As it turns out, the uniform at Del Frisco's, a chain restaurant, is a very short, ruffly black dress, fishnet stockings and stiletto heels, the effect of which transforms this lost architectural treasure into a high end Hooters. I was getting the feeling that I am not part of Del Frisco's target audience.

Nevertheless, I was part of the "press" invited to a steak and wine tasting that evening. Arriving a bit early, the maitre d' ushered us into the bar, where we sampled the drinks. Del Frisco's makes an excellent "juniper blossom" martini, with Bombay gin, lillet, Cointreau and fresh lime. Although a bit summer-y, I enjoyed it.

The tasting took place in the vault which was, of course, a literal vault, but nicely carpeted and surrounded by wine cellars. Executive Chef John Stritzinger told us about the cuts of steak, breaking them into three categories: the filet mignon, the New York Strip and the rib-eye. The spectrum of the three ranges from tender but flavorless (the filet) to more tough but flavorful (the rib-eye) due in part to the fat content and marbling. Cuts of steak with the bone tend to have more marbling than without. Apparently, you can order a bone-in filet off the menu, as you can with many cuts.

The steak itself was very good, with appropriate accompanying wines. In a strange twist, the filet was a bit overdone, and our fishnet stocking-clad server responded that it was to offer a compromise to the entire room. Serving medium-well steak to those that write about food, and presumably know enough to order steak medium rare, was strange. As predicted by Stritzinger, however, the rib-eye was the most flavorful. It was also the most rare, which could also explain the flavor.

Del Frisco's seasons its steaks with only clarified butter, salt and pepper, as we were told, but the seasoning almost forms another layer, it is so generously applied. This is not to my taste, as I do not always want to taste pepper with some of the better cuts of beef. We were told that it was more of a Southern style (where the Del Frisco's chain originates). Steaks were rumored to be over $60 each, although the online menu does not list prices.

The dessert was a scrumptious lemon cupcake with a lemon curd center and part of a project with Project H.O.M.E, which works to combat homelessness in Philadelphia. Del Frisco's will supply these desserts to the Project H.O.M.E. cafe and continue to work to employ the homeless recommended by Project H.O.M.E.

A noble goal for a restaurant that otherwise appears to value things like the mini-skirt and the $15 cocktail.

Del Frisco's is located at 1426 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, http://www.delfriscos.com/. Thanks to FFE and fellow bloggers at www.foodaphilia.com and frieswiththatshake.net for adding to the fun.

Chima Brazilian Steakhouse

It's no Fogo. When a restaurant with an identical concept opens seven blocks away from the first, comparisons are inevitable. When Chima (pronounced SHEE-ma), another Brazilian steakhouse chain, opened in late May, those of us who enjoy Fogo de Chao (admittedly, another chain), were intrigued -- was the town big enough for both of them? I think the black button sums up my answer.

Having made reservations, printed out two-for-one coupons (something you can do by registering as a preferred customer on Chima's website), we presented ourselves at the front door. On the way to being seated, we noticed the din and, as my one friend put it, the "mess hall" feel. Carpets were vacuumed immediately as diners vacated, something I remember seeing last at ... Denny's.

Then came the service. Or the realization that there may never be service. After ten or so minutes of waiting without anyone presenting themselves, including just to give us water, I asked a man in a suit (who, luckily, worked there) for help. He took our drink orders, promised us water, and told us we could go to the salad bar if we wanted. He also explained the Brazilian steakhouse system, where diners put the orange side of the coaster/button up to have "gauchos" bring you meat on long skewers, and black side up to stop the gauchos from serving.

After we had made it to the salad bar, and ate most of what we got, we had still not received drinks or water or, most interestingly of all, seen our waiter. We began to think that maybe people don't get waiters here. After our drinks were delivered, we asked once again for water and got that. The salad bar itself was okay, with several unusual options like blue cheese mousse and corn mousse, neither of which were particularly good, tending to be less rich but bland. The carpaccio tasted more like a rare cut of roast beef, but wasn't too bad.

Onto the skewered meat. The meat was good, but what I would expect. There was one garlic sirloin offering that was unexpectedly flavorful. No filet mignon was ever offered. The prime rib though, was delicious. Lamb chops, sirloin, ribeye, marinated chicken, and chicken wrapped in bacon all made their way onto our plates. The side dishes -- mashed potatoes, polenta fries, and fried bananas -- left a lot to be desired. The mashed potatoes had been pureed to a thick, gluey consistency and the fries, although once very hot, I'm sure, were no longer resembling anything warm.

At several points, a man who looked like he was a waiter nodded approvingly toward our table. Later, this same man surfaced to ask us if we wanted more food or desserts. Our waiter! At long last! He kindly brought more fried bananas, one of the complimentary side dishes, as a dessert. I should have stuck with that, but ordered the cream caramel, which was oddly firm and not very tasty. I should have known better.

Even with two-for-one coupons, Chima failed to deliver value for the experience. Thanks to the service, the meal amounted to a two and a half hour experience, which was about two hours and ten minutes too long for my tastes.

Chima is located at 20th and JFK Streets, Philadelphia.

Smith & Wollensky

Remember how I've temporarily sworn off carbohydrates? Lest you think this has hampered my ability to eat out, think again. That's half the charm of the diet. The all-meat, all-the-time diet, really the brainchild of TPB this fall, led us to Smith & Wollensky.

Located in the posh Rittenhouse Hotel, this particular branch of the New York-based steakhouse offers spectacular views. Speaking of which, thanks to TPB's charming forethought, we were seated overlooking Rittenhouse Square. This time of year, the square is lit up with a multitude of white ball-shaped lights. Debate whether the multi-color variety are better all you want, having the lights there is purely magical. The view also allowed us to ogle the fancy cars, undoubtedly belonging to the many celebrities who choose to stay at the Rittenhouse when in Philadelphia.

Also magical is the service offered at a high-end steakhouse, which Smith & Wollensky executed well. Our bottled water was wheeled to us on a cart with lemon and lime, causing TPB to quip that this was done so the water wouldn't get tired out with the journey to our table. This younger server must have overheard our comments regarding the low-carb diet because our main waiter made reference to it and helpfully steered us away from certain items, suggesting others. After we remarked that the menus were extraordinarily heavy (framed and backed in hardwood), our waiter affably remarked that it makes the place seem more manly.

And it did. Even my caprese salad was served with a steak knife, which was appropriate to tackle the napoleon style of the dish, which I enjoyed. TPB's crabmeat cocktail was chunk full of the good stuff. I chose a dry aged sirloin for my entree, after the explanation that all of the meats except the filet were dry aged on site. Sadly, the crust on the steak was seared a bit too much, rendering it chewy, even though the interior was done to a perfect medium rare. Perhaps this added to the "manliness" quotient required to cut through the steak. Thankfully, however, all steaks are served with Bearnaise and Hollandaises sauces on the side, which renders any dish delicious, really. And, for the record, Bearnaise is better than Hollandaise on steaks. TPB's filet, prepared Oscar style, with crabmeat, Bearnaise, and asparagus, was perfect. As was the accompaniment of our Oberon Cabernet, which our waiter suggested among the cabernets offered. The creamed spinach bore no comparison to the congealed dish of the same name served at so many other restaurants; instead, this was more souffle, with a whipped airy texture that still allowed the spinach flavor to come through.

Although non-judgmentally offered the dessert menu by our seasoned waiter, we managed to decline. Overall, Smith & Wollensky offered a nice balance between a testosterone-laden steakhouse and a romantic setting overlooking Rittenhouse Square. In some ways, the best of many worlds.

Smith & Wollensky is located at 210 W. Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia, PA, (215) 545-1700.