Vietnam

Vietnamese food is something that I've only been introduced to in the past couple of years. Since my knowledge of this cuisine consists mainly of its signature dish, Pho, I am always looking for opportunities to try new dishes. In these short few years, I have grown to love this 'brand' of Asian food. The dishes are light and fresh-full of bright ingredients like cilantro, hot chilies, lemongrass, and vinegar. Flavors of sweet, spicy, tangy, and mild are well balanced giving each element its own recognition but all working together harmoniously. My first chef was Vietnamese, and through his cooking and stories about Vietnam's culture and food, I have to admit that I am partial to this region.

Vietnam, is a 'classy-joint' for Chinatown. You'll know what I mean when you set one foot in the door. All the surfaces are covered in well-polished wood, the waitstaff is helpful and pleasant for the most part, and there are no ducks hanging in the window. To be honest, I don't really care about any of those things in a Chinatown restaurant. Instead, their presence, or the lack thereof, is sometimes what give a place its charm. However, I am not naive enough to think that these luxuries do not make an impression on other diners. One glance inside and you'll notice that the tables are mostly filled with (gasp!) Caucasians. I know it seems wrong to point out, but you know the old saying that if you find a restaurant filled with the people of that culture than it must be a good, or at least authentic, place.


I ordered the scorpion cocktail which was made with rum, brandy, and fruit juice. The tiki-style glass it came in was cute, right along with the paper umbrella. I know it was cheesy but I had to do it. The cocktail was a pretty generous size for the $7 price tag and I didn't need to order another drink with my meal. It was a little too sweet for my taste but there was an acceptable alcohol:filler ratio. B-. I did have to laugh at my husband though who also ordered one.

I've tried other dishes here before, but so far my favorite is really the broken rice dishes. Today I decided upon the Com Tam Thit Nuong (Pork Broken Rice) to which I added a crispy spring roll. When I crave rice, this is what I want (yes, sometimes I crave rice). The pork is thinly sliced and grilled. The flavor from the grill is just enough to enhance the flavor of the pork without overpowering it. The rice is a nice balance of sticky and fluffy. Pickled vegetables and a spicy chili sauce are served on the side-although I could always use more chili sauce. The dish is also served with a Nuoc Mam sauce which is a thin dressing with a light vinegar flavor. I like to dip the pork in it and drizzle it on the rice. It gives everything a sort of fresh and tangy flavor-kind of like a Vietnamese ketchup. Now lets talk about the spring roll. I know I said that this is what I crave when I want rice, but in reality, deep down, what I really want, and what is always my ulterior motive for coming here is the crispy spring roll. It is filled with ground pork, seasoned with Vietnamese spices, and rolled in a thick-enough-to-give-it-bite-but-not-too-thick-to-be-chewy wrapper and lightly fried. It comes out with a kind of blistered skin that gives the wrapper another dimension of crispy. This is the kind of thing I have to plan how I eat it, one bite to begin then one halfway, then one saved for my last bite. The dish as a whole gets a B+ but the spring roll deserves its own rating-A.


My husband ordered the Com Tam Dac Biet (House Special Broken Rice) which comes with grilled chicken, pork, and beef, and a slice of a kind of crab meat, egg, noodle loaf. Each item is grilled well, however he did fess-up halfway though the dish that he realizes why I ordered only the pork-its the best! Despite all my urging that he should add a crispy spring roll, he did not want to splurge the extra $2. B.

After my first visit to Vietnam, I do crave it and return. I wake up in the middle of the night grasping blindly in the darkness and whispering, "Crispy Spring Roll!" It is a nice restaurant with many options. Everything I have tried there so far has been decent at the least. Most dishes range from $8-$13 so it always an affordable option. While I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the place, I can say with confidence that you're friends who are either picky or afraid to try new things (why are you friends with them anyway?) will be able to say they like Vietnamese Food after a visit.

Overall: B

Vietnam

221 N. 11th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

http://www.eatatvietnam.com/

Mercato

My husband had bought tickets for us to see Seinfeld at the Academy of Music. I saw this as the perfect opportunity (or excuse) to try a new restaurant before the show. I mean who ever heard of a show without dinner, right? As I began looking for something near Avenue of the Arts, I realized that I never tried Mercato. I guess that with all of the new cuisines from around the world that are available, Italian-inspired doesn't really interest me anymore. I figured it was time to try this place, since people do seem to love it, so we made our decision and our game plan for the night was finalized.

We were the first diners to arrive at the restaurant (OK, so 5pm is a little early to eat on a Friday) which meant we had the luxury of picking from the many seats carefully arranged in the small space. We chose one near the completely open, or really missing, window/front wall. The decor was simple and comfortable. The open kitchen greeted us towards the back, a nice setup. It was a pleasant cool evening. The sun was shining in at just the right angle to give the restaurant a kind of angelic glow. Our wine was opened and poured, glistening in the glass. I was happy. We were served a dense slice of warm bread with a delicious olive-garlic butter. It was a nice beginning to the meal.

We started with a charcuterie/cheese plate which we were able to construct ourselves. I really liked that we could pick our quantity of and specific elements for this plate to ensure we got what we liked. We opted for the spicy chorizo with two of our favorite cheeses, the grassy and buttery Pierre Robert and Caciotta al Tartufo a harder cheese with the decadent flavor of black truffles. The three items were $15. Not bad, considering the portions of each were pretty generous. Bread was not served with the plate, but the server was quick to offer us more as soon as we had finished our initial slices. The cheeses were served with a pomegranate jelly which was sweet, thick, and crunchy. The house-made mustard was excellent. While I didn't care for it with the chorizo, I did eat it on its own. It wasn't too tangy but had a mellow mustard flavor with pieces of what I thought were mashed apples. It was like a mustard flavored apple sauce. All in all a nice plate with well done accompaniments. B.

For my entree I decided to try the Pasta of the Day which consisted of house made fettuccine, mussels, shrimp, cherry tomatoes and spinach. The plate was nicely presented with a big piece of crusty bread on top to sop up all of the drippings. As I dug into the pasta, I found it had become one big clump of mush. It had turned into an overcooked solid mass that I had to carefully pry noodles from without splashing myself with the red sauce-I was not very successful and my dress became speckled with red dots. The shrimp were incredibly tiny like you would find in a deli shrimp salad (I've had nicer shrimp for Chinese take-out). Both the mussels and the shrimp were overcooked and dry. To top it all of the dish was incredibly spicy. I do love heat, but I wasn't expecting it here. Beads of sweat began forming on my forehead and the previously angelic sun now seemed to beat down upon me mocking me for thinking everything was off to a good start. I couldn't eat the dish and was glad I had filled up on the cheese and chorizo. C.

My husband had better luck with the Pan seared Diver Scallops. Aside from a slightly burnt parmesan tuile, everything was nicely done here. The scallops were seared nicely, perfectly cooked and sweet. The wild mushroom risotto with peas was creamy and rich. I have always been a sucker for the explosion of peas in your mouth in a perfectly rich, slightly al dente, and creamy risotto. My only citicism would be that it had a touch too much parmesan in the risotto. The dish was beautiful. At least he had an edible dish that didn't attack him when he tried to eat it. B.

We ordered two cappuccinos and a selection of gelatos to finish the meal. Sugar cubes made from raw sugar were presented with the cappuccino's which I thought was really cute. The cappuccino itself was not the best, the foam lacked the indulgent thick and creamy texture that I love. As the server brought the gelatos, he quickly turned and left without telling us the flavors, and then seemed to disappear so we were on our own to discover them for ourselves.

The meal had a nice beginning, the atmosphere was pleasant and quiet when we arrived (but much more lively and crowded by the time we left). But after the pasta of the day, I was turned off and disappointed. My husband's meal was better, but for around $25 an entree, I expect all the kinks to be worked out. Especially at a place with this much interest. I can see the appeal of the open windows, the BYO atmosphere, sidewalk dining, and lively scene, but I think people get too caught up in this alone. If the food doesn't leave me anxious to go back again and again, then I think the restaurant has missed the mark. In my opinion, a little fine tuning is needed here.

Overall: B-

Mercato

1216 Spruce St.

Philadelphia, PA 19107

215-985-2962

www.mercatobyob.com

Bassetts Ice Cream: WHYY

OK, I admit that I also joked when I heard Bassetts had a flavor named WHYY (where is the PBS?) but its actually...great! I was skeptical and thought what can be so wonderful about vanilla ice cream with butterscotch and chocolate covered pretzels, right? Well, it's not only the smooth vanilla creamy goodness with touches of butterscotch oozing through it, but the real star here is the chocolate covered pretzels. They are little bursts of chocolaty crunchy perfection in your mouth. The perfect blend of salty and sweet, and to top it all off, they are light as air. They somehow resist becoming hard and waxy like so many "chips" and "chunks" in ice creams. Its truly a delicious thing. Don't wait, go get it. Now.

Overall: A
Bassetts Ice Cream
www.bassettsicecream.com

Vino

This was my first trip to the Piazza at Schmidt's since it opened about a month ago. After hearing the buzz about the restaurants there, I figured it was about time for me to check things out for myself. I was also interested to see what sort of impact this Italian-style piazza would have on Philadelphia. My husband and I took a taxi to Northern Liberties, and due to a slight miscommunication with our cab driver, we ended up walking a couple of blocks to our final destination. I am not very familiar with the scene in NoLibs, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Our arrival at the Piazza was announced loudly by the purple banners hanging from the lamp posts (if only there were trumpets and someone to announce our names as we entered). We caught a glimpse of the edgy-cute-artsy boutiques framing the square. As we entered the Piazza I was surprised at how large it was. Tables dotted the edges of the space and a giant screen showing the Phillies game stared at us from one end. It was still early for this Friday night, so I was not surprised at the lack of attendance in this huge space.

Vino is situated near one of the far points of the square. It has a large area for outdoor seating with options on the main Piazza and overlooking the 'older' restaurants on the other side of 2nd street. It was a cool and pleasant evening, so we decided to sit at a table outside. The host showed us to a table so distant from the restaurant I felt kind of excluded from the main vibe of the place. Don't get me wrong, such an abundance of space between tables is quite a luxury, but I don't want to feel like I'm stranded in the middle of the Piazza with only my glass of wine to sustain me.

Our nervous server greeted us. We mustered up smiles as he struggled to remember all of the specials. The fact that he was trying so hard to do everything right was adorable and won us over despite his shortcomings. The menu consisted of Italian-based fare served tapas-style with most dishes around $10. There was also a wide selection of wines by the glass to choose from.

Our first item was the Chianti Pizza (which came out as a wrong order the first time around). The crust of the pizza was thin and crispy-exactly what I expect of a brick oven pizza. Unfortunately, while the pizza tasted fine, It was really missing the distinct Chianti flavor that was advertised. In fact, I didn't see the Chianti balsamic reduction anywhere on the pizza. The salty Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto, and peppery arugula were all present and worked well in the pizza, but were overshadowed by the largely diced red onion sprinkled on top. I think the dish would have been slightly elevated had the reduction actually made an appearance. C+.

Next, we had the figs with blue cheese that were wrapped in prosciutto. It was served with arugula and a balsamic reduction. I actually couldn't taste much of the blue cheese-which is odd since I would have expected it to jump out a bit more. The sweet figs with their crunchy seeds were also overwhelmed by the charred prosciutto which seemed to suffocate the other elements rather than complement them. This classic combination is usually one that seems fool proof, but didn't seem to work here. The reduction was too sparse and thick to really add anything to the dish. C.

We also tried the cheese plate (the picture is after we began attacking it). This was by far the best dish, but since they only had to slice cheese to make it, I'm not sure how much credit they deserve. It was served with a rustic crusty bread that was sprinkled with salt and went well with the cheeses. The most unsettling thing about this dish was that neither the food runner nor the server seemed to know exactly which cheese was which. They each gave us conflicting stories. They agreed upon the Maytag blue and the the truffle asiago, however those were of course the most obvious. They just guessed as to which one was the cambra and the taleggio.B.

All in all Vino fell short of being the great wine bar that the name suggests. The food is fine, but by the time you receive the bill, you are left wondering what you ate that could cost that much. I for one know that I could spend $60 on a much better meal. However, I guess that's the price to pay for a nice evening sipping wine and watching the passersby in the Piazza.


Overall: C
Vino
1001 N. 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123
215-923-2014

Little Fish

My first experience at this restaurant reminded me of why I love dining out. It was New Years Eve 2008. My husband and I did not have any specific plans. We knew that we wanted to see our friends, who were in town for the holidays, and watch the fire works at Penn's Landing. Aside from that, we had no agenda. To fill our time we settled upon one of our favorite pastimes-searching Opentable.com for a hopeful last minute opening. While this hunt is usually unfruitful, on this night the stars were aligned. There was an opening at Little Fish for a party of two. They featured a special lengthy tasting menu for New Years Eve. We had always wanted to try this highly rated establishment, so we decided to give it a try. We were hooked after this night. It was my first memorable meal in a long time, and for me that is nothing to laugh at.


I love the feel of this place. First and foremost, it is small. You have to push your way through tables and people just to get to the restroom. The fact that the employees squeeze themselves into this cramped space, limited in nearly every sense of the word, and yet are still able to turn out wonderful dishes that surprise you, make you close your eyes and really say "mmm" is a remarkable feat. It shows that the proprietors really love what they do. This tiny restaurant allows chef-owner Mike Stollenwerk the freedom to create mouth watering dishes that leave us wanting more. Followers willingly wait their turn for a reservation and pack together in the restaurant, eager to try his creations. Nothing describes the Philadelphia dining scene better than grabbing a bottle of wine, walking around the corner to your favorite BYO, and dining casually in a cozy yet classy restaurant, all the while enjoying delicious food with good company. Little Fish is the epitome of what a Philadelphia restaurant is today.

Upon entering, we were greeted by one of the pleasantly eclectic servers. The handwritten menu was presented on a charming strip of cardstock (and also posted on the wall for those who prefer to gaze across the room to test their 20/20 vision). After we ordered our appetizers the journey began. We received a slice of warm bread. It was dense and chewy. Normally, I prefer my bread a bit crustier. However, the combination of the warm soft interior was the perfect vessel for sopping up the fresh and vibrant dipping sauce of parsley, garlic, lemon and olive oil. This simple start was enough to get my mouth watering.

It was time for our appetizers. I started with the Maine scallops which were beautifully centered on the plate. They had a perfectly crisp sear on the outside with a tender and sweet center that practically melted in my mouth. Crunchy and salty marcona almonds intensified the sear on the scallop while the sweet orange segments played nicely off its succulence. The mache provided a little bite of lightness to round out the dish. I think there was a drizzle of some sort of sauce, but there was so little I couldn't really tell. Although I wouldn't have minded more of a presence in a sauce, I didn't really miss it. I give it an A. Next, we had the Peekytoe crab. The crab 'salad' was wrapped like a package in a single thinly sliced cucumber. Inside, the crab mixed with the flesh of the creamy avocado, the fresh cucumber, chives, and sharp crunchy julienned radishes. The creamy avocado heightened the sweetness of the crab while the radishes gave it a nice contrast. This was a more subtle dish but still as elegant and indulgent as the first: A-.

For my entree I had the Halibut. The fish had a nice crust but unfortunately I found it to be slightly dry and over salted. I would have been disappointed, but the other elements of the dish were really the star. It was served with light as air, pillowy gnocchi, crisp yet sweet fava beans, plump and tender chanterelles and the most delicious, buttery, creamy truffle sauce I have ever tasted. The sauce with the gnocchi could have been a dish on its own. I could eat this every night and still never grow tired of it. The richness of the mushrooms, with the tantalizing crunch of the vegetable and luxury of the truffle were exquisite: A. My husband had the Suzuki, a fish neither of us had ever tried before. The fish was perfectly cooked with a crispy skin and light flesh. The flavor was similar to a striped bass. It was served on a bed of tender fingerling potatoes, spicy merguez sausage, and wild little neck clams in a red pepper sauce. This sauce was light yet carried out the spices of chili and paprika from the sausage. It added a vibrant red color to the dish that reminded me of a bouillabaisse. The heat from the sausage was a nice contrast to the light flavor of the fish and was delicate enough not to overpower it. While my dish was full of rich flavors, this one was showed another side of the chef with a spicy-light note. It is nice to see both ends of the spectrum at one meal: A.

Since I am a pastry chef, I normally do not order dessert, especially at BYOs. I find that dessert is an unfortunate after thought at many places. I generally avoid it in an attempt to save myself from the almost guaranteed disappointment at the end of a good meal. While I was not blown away by the dessert menu options (creme brulee, cake, panna cotta) or flavors (coffee, vanilla, lemon, chocolate) we did decide to share the chocolate truffle torte. I have to admit that despite any sort of innovation here, it was surprisingly satisfying. The torte was slightly warmed. The cake was moist and smothered in a rich ganache. It was served with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries. While I am not a chocoholic, it did leave me wanting to lick every last bit of gooey chocolaty-ness from the plate.

This meal, like each one that I have enjoyed here, was marvelous. And while it was not inexpensive (appetizers around $13, entrees around $27, and desserts $7) it is a BYO which saves a few bucks. The total meal with tax was around $100, which for me means it is not an everyday restaurant. However, this is still a bargain for this caliber of meal, especially when you consider that similarly rated restaurants are upwards of twice the cost. Every meal here is a memorable treat for the senses, sure to please even the most discriminating palates.

Overall: A
Little Fish
600 Catherine st.

Philadelphia, PA

215-413-3464

http://www.littlefishphilly.com/

Los Taquitos de Puebla

It was at my first restaurant job that I was introduced to authentic Mexican food. I have to admit, before this I really never cared for Mexican cuisine. It was just something that I never craved. In my defense, my repertoire at the time consisted of Taco Bell, Qdoba, and Mad4Mex-style establishments. I would leave these places feeling stuffed, heavy, greasy, and running for the bathroom. However, during family meal, where the Mexicans prepared the dishes they grew up with, is where I became familiar with what Mexican food is really like. It is not greasy or heavy, but rather comforting, fresh, spicy, and very innovative. They were always able to make delicious and satisfying meals from the most ordinary ingredients. I was always amazed at what they could do with something as common as an egg.

Since I left this restaurant, I have not had much contact with authentic Mexican food. For the first time, I find myself craving it more and more. I was able to pick up a few tricks from my amigos and can now make a few dishes on my own, but when I don't feel like cooking I'm at a loss for where to go. In my search for the real deal, this taqueria kept popping up on my radar.

I was apprehensive to try this place. I was afraid that my limited knowledge of Spanish would cause me to make a fool of myself when ordering-a stupid hesitation of mine. I called for pick-up, and luckily the woman on the other line spoke English pretty well. I decided to try three tacos: Bistec, Chorizo con Quesillo, and Tacos al Pastor. The tacos came with salsa verde and what I believe was an ancho chile salsa.
I started with the Tacos al Pastor. The tacos smelled earthy and spicy. The shaved strips of red pork looked comforting and delicious. I dug in and found that they were tender and well seasoned with chilies, cumin, adobo, and vinegar among other things. The spiciness of the seasoning did not contain much heat, so I dipped into the salsa verde (my favorite of the two) which gave the taco a fresh and light note. Surprisingly, the star of the dish was the tortilla itself and not the filling. It was pliable, a perfect balance of tender and chewy, and was slightly sweet which played nicely off of the complexity of the meat. All in all B+.

Next, I moved on to the Chorizo con Quesillo. This was truly a treat. The chorizo was plentiful in the taco, so much so that I could hardly fold it over but not so much as to be cumbersome. It was full of intense garlic and chile flavor and thankfully lacking the greasiness that often accompanies sausage. The Chihuahua cheese held everything together and added an oddly pleasing chewy texture. It reminded me of cafeteria lasagna with the slabs of cheap mozzarella layered on top in a rubbery mass. However, while it looked like that unappetizing mozzarella, it was not rubbery, but instead added a nice sort of meaty bite. The cheese had a subtle flavor and did not overpower the wonderful chorizo, but rather made it sing louder by comparison. The slightly sweet tacos were the perfect complement. I did not even find myself wanting the salsa for this one. Clearly an A.Finally, I had the bistec. Unfortunately, these were my least favorite. The steak was dry and tough. I found myself wishing for some kind of sauce to douse it in. I settled for copious amounts of the salsa verde which did not salvage the dish. I just ate the tortilla. This one was a disappointing D.

All in all, I was very pleased with my first visit to this taqueria. Aside from the bistec, everything was really good and really cheap (the tacos range from $6-$18 per order of 3 tacos with most around $10-$12). Everything was ready in 10 minutes. This is a perfect place to visit when you have a hankering for authentic Mexican food without breaking the bank.

Overall: B+

Los Taquitos de Puebla

1149 s. 9th street

Philadelphia, PA

215-334-0664

www.lostaquitosdepuebla.com