Sushi Planet

Not sure exactly when Sushi Planet opened on 3rd St. just off South St., but it's been well over two years, maybe even close to three years. I gave this tiny sushi restaurant about six months before they closed, namely because of the cheesy name and the fickle South St. area.

Sushi Planet has proved me wrong each night I walk past and peer through the front windows to see the dining room full. Who eats here, I wondered? Never have I heard anyone mention Sushi Planet. Then a friend of the boy's mentioned that Sushi Planet was their favorite sushi place. Word of mouth is a powerful thing, so we decided to check out this tiny BYOB sushi restaurant.

With maybe 30 or so seats in the narrow, casual restaurant we were lucky to grab a two top on an early weekend evening without a reservation, as Sushi Planet were turning people away as prime dining time rolled around. Sushi Planet also was doing a brisk takeout business, no doubt encouraged by their website set up for online ordering.Complimentary housemade cucumber pickles brined in seasoned rice vinegar were crisp and refreshing, and certainly a nice touch. Sort of sorry I let our server whisk them away at the end of our meal, instead of asking to take them home.
All of the food we saw come out of the kitchen and from the sushi bar was beautifully plated, as was my fried tofu salad, which could have fed two easily. Mixed greens are topped with fried tofu strips, orange slices, thin strips of pears, and candied walnuts, then dressed with a citrus vinaigrette studded with little black hijiki seaweed. Other than being slightly overdressed for my tastes, this salad was awesome. Tried and true, and maybe cliche — at least the citrus, pear and candied walnuts — these salad toppings are just great together.The Japanese eggplant presented atop a sweet miso sauce is one of the best eggplant dishes I've ever had. I'm not sure how they did it, but these thick-cut eggplant coins were so soft, they simply melted in your mouth. Eggplant marshmallows!
The fish eater across from me was genuinely jealous of my veggie sushi sampler when our server, describing the dish as "the fun platter," dropped off the 8-piece sushi with cucumber avocado roll plate. Yes! Variety is how you impress a vegetarian sushi lover.

Starting from the left: avocado and cucumber maki-sushi; skinless, roasted yellow pepper nigiri -sushi; radish sprout nigiri-sushi; inari-sushi ; pickled daikon nigiri-sushi; seaweed salad chirashi-sushi; cubed tofu chirashi-sushi; pickled burdock nigiri-sushi, and carrot nigiri-sushi.

Each bite of sushi was flavorful and different from the next — from the sweet tofu skin inari, the peppery radish sprouts, to the soft and mellow yellow pepper. I was particularly fond of the cubed tofu chirashi-sushi which was topped with thinly sliced scallion and a little dab of flavor-packed, savory sauce (miso? soy? garlic? black pepper?).

I can't speak to the fish sushi, but the boy was also very pleased with his sushi, which he claimed to be fresh and generously portioned.

Who knew!!! And why didn't you tell me! Sushi Planet, you are officially our newfound neighborhood sushi bar. Sorry I doubted you.

Sushi Planet
624 S. 3rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-922-5000
Mon-Sun: 11am-10pm
delivery available 5-10pm
BYOB

Kennett

It doesn't matter how lauded a chef is, or how loud the hype is surrounding the opening of a new restaurant, the way I decide if I'm going to check out a new restaurant is to look at the menu — and it better be available online!

So often it's the case that restaurants have one vegetarian appetizer and one vegetarian entree on their small and concentrated menus. Upon seeing that my dining choices are not a choice at all, I click the menu closed, and never think of the restaurant again.

Kennett, the new restaurant and bar that opened this past Saturday on 2nd St. in the previous home of Lyons Den in the Queen Village neighborhood, had me excitedly waiting for their opening because of their menu alone. The fact that the beautifully dark and casual upscale Kennett is a hop, skip, and jump from my home is also a perk.

Sure Kennett's vegetarian entree offerings of a veggie burger, risotto, and wood fired pizzas (pizzas aren't available just yet, but should be up and running in about two weeks) are pretty standard, but at least there are a few choices.

What really got me excited were their small plates.

With the exception of Brussels sprout and sunchoke with bacon, all of the small plates are vegetarian. The addition of pork to vegetables is a too-easy, flavor cop-out for uncreative chefs, in my opinion, and I hope Kennett continues showcasing vegetables' glory without the help of meat.

Kennett's small plates also show a bit of creativity, too. Roasted chickpeas in a yogurt sauce, braised butter beans on toast, red wine braised lentil salad, and roasted parsnips are a welcome sight to these arugula salad and french fry tired eyes.We were so happy to see a salad of kale chiffonade with candy-striped chioggia beets, roasted squash, and feta dressed in vinaigrette that we ordered two for the table. A perfect winter salad. We just love beets, so ordered the marinated beet and feta salad with dill, mint, chives, and parsley. Tangy vinegar and dill made these beets irresistible.Our server said to think of the roasted parsnips with Parmesan as french fries, but I need no convincing of this pale root's sweet roasted flavors. So simple, and so good.
A warm plate of roasted chickpeas in a mildly spiced paprika and citrus yogurt sauce was perfectly hardy and satisfying on a cold winter evening, and the sauce was plate-licking good. The house-made veggie burger of wheat berries, red beans, walnuts, and sunflower seeds has just enough spice to be interesting. The hefty patty is served on a toasted brioche bun with Thousand Island dressing, lettuce and thick-cut roasted red onions. A pickle and collards are included.

Those collards were the only thing I ate at Kennett that I did not like. Though they were cooked perfectly, they were braised with Bourbon, I believe, which added an additional bitterness to a green that can sometimes be bitter on it's own.A bit of a sticky toffee pudding fiend, I was not going to leave Kennett without their version of the British date cake covered with toffee sauce. Kennett's rendition gets a thumbs up and will be ordered again, but would get two thumbs up if they could make the by-no-means-dry cake even moister. I just like my sticky toffee pudding to be ooey-gooey.

I'll take this moment to comment on the professional, ever-smiling, and eager-to-please staff and front of the house at Kennett, because that's what they were, even on opening day.* All of our questions were answered, and our special requests were accommodated. And, in an overly generous gesture, we were offered on-the-house the other two desserts on the menu and a round of drinks when we waited a bit too long for the sticky toffee pudding, which was also comped.

I'll also take this moment to comment on the drinks at Kennett. They have 16 taps of mostly local and craft beers, and about an equal number of small and large bottle craft beers, as well as a thoughtful list of 25 wines by the glass. As a non-beer drinker, I'm always thrilled to see a good cocktail list, and Kennett has a great one — prohibition-themed cocktails developed by local bartender phenoms Phoebe Esmon and Christian Gaal. If you like ice cream, go for Kennett's bourbon and vanilla ice cream topped with dark chocolate almond bark. Although, I could not taste the bourbon, the vanilla ice cream was thick and rich.And if you like fruit or rich puddings, go for Kennett's honey drizzled parfait of raspberry jam with semolina and mascarpone pudding.

I am so, so, so happy to have Kennett as a new addition to my neighborhood. They blew me away with their simple yet creative vegetable small dishes, a great cocktail list, friendly staff, and comfortable but mature atmosphere. Except for the fact that I don't like collards that are bitter, there was not a single dish that did not impress me. And this was achieved on their opening night! Bravo.

*Did I mention that the staff of Kennett is friendly and eager to please? After I wrote up this post, I went back to take a picture of the outside of Kennett, and Kennett's managing partner, Johnny Della Polla (the same guy who stopped by our table at the beginning of the meal to make sure we were happy, and the same guy who comped us desserts and drinks), ran outside to introduce himself when he saw me taking pictures, even though he did not recognize me from the night before since I was bundled up in my coat and hat. Johnny then invited me inside Kennett for a little history lesson, where he proudly showed me the black and white photos of the Kennett family hanging on the barroom wall. I learned that the Kennett family ran the Kennett Cafe as a bar and restaurant from 1924-1986 — and even made moonshine in the basement in Prohibition days — at the same location that has once again been christened Kennett.

Kennett
848 S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
267-687-1426

Gnocchi

During my (slow) exploration of Italian restaurants in Philly, I decided to drop into Gnocchi, a familiar but long-since visited byob just off South Street. I thought I remembered hearing something about an old chef returning to Gnocchi, but, at this moment, can not dig up that rumor. Perhaps I am confused.

Warm and chatty Italian servers at Gnocchi greet newcomers with open arms, while giving hugs and kisses to regulars ducking into the charming, dimly lit and narrow eatery accented by walls painted with Italian images. Gnocchi may not be a new, up-and-comer in the dining scene with innovative food, but it is clear that Gnocchi is a loved comfort spot in the Queen Village neighborhood.
A basket of complimentary Italian bread starts the evening.
A salad of baby greens and goat cheese is unexciting, but will fulfill your healthy green requirement and keep you busy until pasta, the main attraction of the evening, hits the table.Slightly more interesting is the watermelon and mozzarella salad drizzled with sweet balsamic vinegar, a salad special of the day enjoyed back when watermelon was in season.I am terrified of ordering gnocchi at restaurants, for fear of receiving little leaden, tough potato balls. Since the restaurant's moniker is Gnocchi, I figured it was safe to order the gnocchi. And it is. Three different kinds of gnocchi are on the menu — gnocchi in aurora sauce, gnocchi in three cheese alfredo sauce, and spinach gnocchi in Parmesan alfredo sauce — along with a gnocchi special of the day.

The gnocchi in creamy three cheese Alfredo sauce studded with shiitake mushrooms, radicchio, and roasted peppers is inherently heavy, but if you eat a normal portion (less than what's on the plate), you can leave Gnocchi without the remorse of an overfull belly.
Besides gnocchi, other classic Italian pasta and meat dishes are on the menu. The boy opted for a hefty portion of the seafood-heavy linguine fra diavolo with shrimp and crab in a spicy tomato sauce.

If you're in the neighborhood and want a warm and inviting, traditional Philly Italian byob experience, Gnocchi fits the bill.

Gnocchi
613 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-592-8300

Hoof + Fin

Update: no longer open.

The main draw of Hoof + Fin for us is it's near-to-us Queen Village location, not the fact that we're huge meat (hoof) or fish (fin) eaters. But we frequently pass the Argentinian inspired eatery that opened this past February in the space previously occupied by Gayle, and I scope Hoof + Fin's menu every time I stand outside of neighboring South Street Philly Bagels waiting for our dozen bagels to go. So...we decided to go in Hoof + Fin one evening.

Hoof + Fin is a tight, tiny and dark rowhouse cave. The table candle had to be held to the menu and our food to get a good gander, as the Edison-style light bulbs just don't kick out enough light. Volume levels are not dim, though. Dinner can be a shouting match on a packed evening. When the weather's nice, perhaps you'll be fortunate to snag a seat in their outdoor patio.

Argentinian food, a cuisine that's heavily influenced by Europe, is heavy on the beef, but there are still a few main dishes on the menu that a vegetarian can order, like a pasta, risotto, and even a tofu dish.A complimentary mason jar of long, thin, crispy cracker sticks accompanied by a roasted red pepper aioli starts the table off. The aioli was a bit tart for maybe most people, though I love vinegar, so found the aioli addictive.
A large freshly fried and crispy corn and cheese empanada was like a sweet creamed corn hand pie, worth every bite. The accompanying salad of mixed greens and micro-thinly sliced radishes, sweet peppers, red onion, and carrots was dressed perfectly in a well balanced vinaigrette.I had to see what Hood + Fin would do with tofu, so ordered the grilled tofu entree. A large, thick slab of firm tofu either briefly seared was the centerpiece of the plate. The lemon and soy sauce covering the tofu was pleasant and familiar, as were the grilled squash, onions and peppers. All things that I have prepared at home and love, but done well and elegantly at Hoof + Fin.

My one quibble is that I would love to have had the tofu cut into thinner slabs to enjoy more seared and flavorful surface areas (the center of such a large piece of tofu never absorbs sauces, and tofu by itself is flavorless).

The salad on the entree plate was the same as the salad with the empanada, with the exception of an addition of a little quinoa, but I did not mind the duplication because the salad here, and previously, was good and not a slapdash afterthought like so many side salads can be.

I particularly like the From the Grill section of the menu that allows a choice of fish or meat from the grill and one starch and one vegetable side. It's a make-your-own entree option. Tofu is not listed, but perhaps they'd allow the substitution of grilled tofu for the meat or fish.

From my first look at Hoof + Fin, I'll conclude that the flavors are simple but balanced, and the Argentinian inspired food is well executed. If you're in the neighborhood, be sure to bring a bottle of wine to the tiny BYOB and enjoy an evening (or weekend brunch) close to home.

Hoof + Fin
617 South 3rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-925-3070
Dinner: Wed-Sun, 5pm
Brunch: Sat and Sun, 11am-3pm

Dmitri's

The original Dmitri's (a second location is at 23rd and Pine, and a third location is in the works for Northern Liberties) is a tiny Greek BYOB on a corner in Queen Village, and is consistently on lists of top recommendations for anyone dining in Philly. Now, with a few visits under my belt, I'm scratching my head as to why.

But before you beat me over the head with comments, it's not that Dmitri's doesn't serve up some good food, it's just that I think the food and atmosphere are not flashing-lights-wow worthy of a visit from out-of-towners.

As an early forerunner in Philly's BYOB game, and with a quaint neighborhood location (if not tight and with a long wait), I will warn anyone with Dmitri's on their must-do-while-in-Philly list that Dmitri's is more of a beloved neighborhood institution, and not a destination restaurant. Although, devotees will surely disagree.

The one thing Dimitri's is renowned for is their grilled octopus, and while I don't eat octopus, on a recent visit three others at our table did. The unanimous sentiment was that the octopus was tough and over charred, with some bits burned to a crisp. Bad night for octopus at Dmitri's?
Dmitri's loves their grill, and they seem to grill things a bit too long, giving food an almost unpalatable char. The grilled pita bead was almost inedible. Thankfully there was also French bread. The baba ganoush also suffered from many charred bits, but not enough to make the roasted eggplant dish unpalatable.
Cucumber and dill soup was a special of the evening, and this huge bowl of what was more like a thick yogurt tzatziki sauce came out. Delicious, but not soup. We used it as a dip for the bread.
My favorite at Dmitri's are the beets with onions and vinaigrette. Simple, tangy, yet balanced...and huge! This 'little dish' was enough to feed our entire table, and then take some home. All of Dmitri's plates are on the large side. No small plates here, or going out for a late snack after eating at Dmitri's.
Dmitri's spinach pie is excellent, with flaky crust and ample spinach filling. Again, the portion is huge.

Back to the fish and meat eaters at our table, two of whom ordered the fried scallops and the seared scallops: both scallop dishes were cooked perfectly, with the fried scallops winning the taste contest (who doesn't like fried better?).

The seafood combination, an impossibly large bowl of garlicky broth containing shrimp, clams, mussels, fish, and scallops, was also ordered, and was declared winner of the entire evening not only for taste and variety (the whole ocean's in there!), but for value. Seriously huge!

So, Dmitri's serves up some good Mediterranean grub with simple flavors and ingredients at reasonable prices and large portions, and does a bang-up job with the seafood (octopus? meh). I can see why the place gets recommendations, but, still, if I had only a weekend in Philly I'd be miffed as to why I was sent here. Dmitri's really is a local love affair.

Dmitri's
795 S. 3rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-625-0556
BYOB

Signs: Bangin' Bagel Hole

The first sign I'm giving you is my most favoritest food sign in Philly. This bagel beacon is hanging outside of South Street Philly Bagels just a few doors south of South St. on 3rd St. (confused yet?).

I love this sign because of the mesmerizing hole in the middle of the bagel. I could look at it forever (also, the crack in my bedroom ceiling). If the hole were perfectly round, I would not be so smitten with the sign. But it's not, and I am.

We are also smitten with the real bagels. And when I say "we", I mean my boyfriend. I also think South Street Philly Bagels' dough wheels are bangin', but the boy is the one that has been buying a baker's dozen every other week from the joint ever since he moved to Philly four years ago. That's over 1000 bagels!

Famous Fourth Street Deli

Philly's Famous Fourth Street Deli, a New York-style Jewish deli just off of South Street, is famous for their large portions, not necessarily the quality of their food. Americans love large portions, so the monstrous sandwiches and other sides fit for the famished at Famous Fourth tend to make the masses happy and greedy-eyed.

This is not my first trip to Famous Fourth; I seem to find myself there about once a year. These yearly visits happen mostly out of laziness and lack of inspiration of where to go. Philly digs were once a block from Famous Fourth, and are currently about seven blocks south of the deli, so it's not uncommon that I find myself wandering the neighborhood.

This last visit occurred after being awake for 24 hours, which caused me to be cranky (lunch inspiration was not flowing) and perpetually hungry (a huge sandwich would solve that problem).

Sandwiches can be ordered regular or zaftig. Regular is large. Zaftig is a joke. If you can tackle a sandwich that is six or more inches tall, go ahead and order the zaftig.

Sandwiches aren't the only thing large at the deli. The salad is large enough to be set on a Thanksgiving buffet table, and a single serving of kugel will sink a ship. Large is Famous Fourth's schtick.
I ordered the regular egg salad sandwich with a side of cucumber and onion salad. I pushed half of the faintly dill spiced, but otherwise bland egg salad along with all but one tomato slice and one leaf of lettuce out of the sandwich so that I could wrap my lips around that mother. I then adorned the sandwich with the slightly sweet and tangy cucumber salad for flavor. The rye bread the sandwich came on was very good - soft and not too heavy on rye.My partner ordered the cheese omelet, which came with potato pancake, and a bagel with cream cheese. The omelet was huge; fine, but the bland cheese inside was nothing special. The potato pancakes are much crispier than latkes I'm used too. The potato pancakes sort of remind me of smooshed, overcooked Tater Tots. He's a bagel snob, and liked the bagels just fine. He also ordered the lox.

Half of his brunch went home with him. I passed on the doggie bag of bland egg salad sandwich innards left on my plate.

I admit, I like large portions when I'm famished. And when I'm not, I don't mind taking home leftovers. But a half pound of leftover cold cuts, or in my case egg salad, does not make the most anticipated leftovers the next morning. I'd be better served with a smaller sandwich at a cheaper price (most regular-size sandwiches will run you about $12).
With your check you get two small chocolate chip cookies. Don't ask me how they were, because I was too stuffed to eat them. For those strongly in one camp or the other on cookie texture, they felt like crunchy cookies, not soft.

Famous Fourth Deli did the trick of stuffing my indifferent, hungover, cranky stomach, but it was not entirely pleasurable. I'm sure I'll see the inside of the deli next year under a similar uninspired situation.


Famous Fourth Street Deli
700 S. 4th St., Philadelphia, PA, 19147
215-922-3274

For Pete's Sake

Royal Tavern is our neighborhood go-to bar, but we thought we’d try out nearby For Pete’s Sake on the corner of Front and Christian on recommendation of a friend. I’ve been driving by the corner bar and eatery for years, and the sidewalk tables are always filled.

With our first (poorly lit) visit we sampled the mixed tomato and mozzarella salad with basil, pesto, and balsamic drizzle. The tomatoes were fresh and flavorful, as were the pesto and balsamic drizzle.

Next up is the only vegetarian entrée, the grilled veggie wrap with portabello, asparagus, caramelized onions, spinach, tomato, mozzarella, and balsamic in a tortilla accompanied by hand cut fries. Visually, I happily mistook the caramelized onions for a healthy portion of sauerkraut. Unfortunately the onions were not sauerkraut, but limp and tasted like they had had the flavor boiled out of them. I’m not sure what For Pete’s Sake definition of caramelized is. The wrap also suffered from a lack of “special sauce” to bring any flavor to the medley of vegetables. We ended up spreading the pesto from the tomato and mozzarella salad on the wrap and dipping the wrap in the drizzle.

Sometimes I cannot choose dessert, so ask for the server’s recommendation. (The server we had both times is very nice.) She recommended the chai cheesecake, and I cringed since cheese cake is one of my least favorite desserts. The cheese cake was good. Yay, team!

The second visit kicked off with a key lime martini recommended by the server, which was phenomenal. It was like drinking key lime pie, coconut crust and all.

I did not want to revisit any foods from the first visit, so was pretty much left with a house salad or hummus to choose from. That day they were featuring a trio of basil, eggplant, and beet hummus with grilled pita. The basil hummus was like a mashup of pesto and hummus, the eggplant hummus was like a mashup of baba ganoush and hummus, and the beet hummus was like a mashup of Pretty in Pink and hummus. While the beet hummus was the most compelling visually, it was the least distinctive. A few vegetables would be nice, as bread and dip get tiring after a while. I realize this dish is usually meant to be a shared appetizer, but you don’t know how many times the hummus appetizer is the only item I can eat at bars. Hummus gets boring.

The boy had the fish and chips. No real complaints on his part. I did stick my fork in the carrot and raisin salad. I think the salad may have been old, as it tasted like Elmer’s glue and the raisins looked a little pruney.

With limited offerings for vegetarians and hit and miss food, I think I’m sticking with my normal joint. If I could get a table outside, For Pete’s Sake would be a nice spot for drinks.

For Pete's Sake, 900 S. Front St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-462-2230
Mon.-Sat., 11:30-Midnight; Sun.,12PM-10PM

Gayle

Update: no longer open

For my birthday, I was treated to a “fancy” dinner – right after we finished watching the NCAA basketball game between UCLA and KU that ended exactly at our reservation time, and was playing at a bar conveniently located around the corner from my birthday destination. (Hmm, funny how things worked out so perfectly.) The end of March is no longer about the advent of Spring and my birthday, but about KU basketball and their quest to win the tournament. (I'm actually a NCAA basketball convert now, so I was into it.) Their quest was painfully ended on my birthday. Sorry boys. Better luck next year, but it’s off to my birthday dinner at Gayle.

Gayle is a tiny restaurant in Queen Village that serves up creative American dishes by Daniel Stern, the former executive chef of Le Bec-Fin. Crisp, white tablecloths and well mannered wait staff give Gayle a feel of elegance, while the narrow, 35-seat interior with soothing green walls give Gayle a feel of coziness.

Gayle does not take reservations, and serves an ala carte menu Monday through Wednesday. Reservations are required , and a 3- or 5-course menu is served Thursday through Saturday. There is not much to offer on Gayle’s menu for vegetarians, but we called ahead to make sure accommodations could be made for one strict vegetarian, and one vegetarian that eats fish, but no shell fish. They were happy to accommodate.

En route to a sidewalk sale the next day, I stopped in front of Gayle for a shot with light. The interior of was rearranged for a large party.

I do wish I had pictures of the food, if only because I rarely eat at restaurants that serve multiple courses of artfully presented food, but the restaurant was too dim for photography without a flash, and too intimate to annoyingly take out a camera with every presentation of a plate.

We were served a complimentary plate of the tiniest, pinky finger-sized fig and ricotta spring rolls, mushroom spring rolls, and quail eggs. The spring rolls were excellent, but I questioned the quail eggs. Eggs can freak me out, especially if they are not cooked hard, or are wet in any way. The speckled quail eggs were too tiny to dip a spoon in, so I cracked one open in my confusion as to how to eat this thing. Expecting a cooked solid, liquid horrifyingly gushed out over my plate. What was it? Was I supposed daintily pick up the egg and drink from it as if it were a tiny tea cup? Ignorant, unrefined, and a little repulsed, I let the egg juice remain untouched on my plate. Complimentary rolls then came, which I desperately tried to keep from touching the quail egg juice.

My partner and I both started with the Gayle salad of mixed greens listed on the menu. Finely chopped parsley was the dominant flavor of the salad.

For the second course, my partner was able to order the tuna from the menu. I was presented with a vegetarian substitution of a mushroom tasting consisting of sautéed enoki mushrooms, a tiny ramekin of mushroom soufflé, and a mushroom truffle (not “the” truffle mushroom). I enjoy the concept of eating an ingredient in different incarnations, so the mushroom tasting was my favorite course.

Vegetarian substitutions at restaurants invariably mean pasta tossed in a cream sauce and whatever vegetables are on the menu. The third course, eaten by both my partner and myself, was just this concoction – a lovely little twist of fettuccine in a light cream sauce with artichokes.

The forth course was a tasting of three cheeses. Forgive me, for I did not bring a pen and paper to write down the names of the cheeses. My favorite sampling was a soft cheese on a bed of pickled red cabbage and mustard. The second cheese was the driest cheese I’ve ever had. I really wish I had caught the name, so I could do research on its intended moisture content. I wanted to believe it had sat unwrapped in the cooler, but seriously doubted a restaurant of Gayle’s caliber would do such a thing. I wonder what it was? The dry cheese sat on a bed of tart cherry sauce. The third cheese was a blue cheese accompanied by candied pecans.

None of the desserts on the menu called to me. I thought the endive parfait looked intriguing, but I did not bite that hook. Instead, I ordered the ice cream sandwich with pistachio, and rosewater. I was hoping for pistachios in the ice cream, but only three or four nuts sat beside my scoops of cream or vanilla flavored ice cream wedged between crisp cookie triangles. I’m not sure where the rose water was (maybe the squiggle of sauce?), but did not shed a tear, as I find rosewater overpowering. My partner ordered breakfast, a small puck of French toast with a thin white chocolate sauce. He enjoyed the dessert; I thought nothing of it.

I might add that all of our diminutive dishes came with decorative squirts of vegetable purees, reductions, and sauces. Unfortunately, I cannot remember what any of them were or tasted like. I really wanted to be wowed by the little squirts of sauces that food reviewers ooh and aah about, but these were unmemorable. While we found Gayle’s food to be consistently good and “top notch”, the flavors and dishes were mostly unmemorable. (The explanation as to why my descriptions are lacking.) I enjoyed every dish presented to me (with the exception of the quail egg), but there was not a single dish that we fell in love with or gushed over. The neighboring table raved and gushed endlessly, so who knows?

I did feel special eating a five course meal of expertly prepared food on my birthday, but Gayle is not a place that I would regularly frequent. For everyday dining, Gayle is a little expensive for the average person, or, at least, someone like myself. (The two of us left with a bill slightly over $200 after tip and minimal drinks.) I would recommend the ala carte menu for those of us who are cash-strapped, and want to see what Gayle has to offer. The good news is that Gayle will be making the warm weather menu that comes out in a few weeks a la carte all week long. They'll also be opening up an outdoor dining area.

Gayle, 617 S 3rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19147, (215)922-3850
Open House: Tues.-Thurs., 5:30-10pm; Dining Out: Fri.-Sat., 5:30-10pm

Breakfast of Champions

Photo by hundrednorth

Update: No longer open

I remember exactly what I did for my last birthday. I woke up and indulged in an entire Boston creme cake from Pink Rose Pastry Shop for breakfast, and then went and worked the ropes for an arborist for nine hours.

The Boston cream cake at Pink Rose is my favorite. I’m a sucker for creamy middles and chocolate, and this has both. The cake is individually sized, maybe a little larger than an index card, but best if shared with someone. The chocolate ganache covering the cake makes this Boston cream cake truly rich and the reason why is should be shared.

It was my birthday and I wasn’t sharing, though. Feeling guilty, and a little ill from my huge sugar breakfast, I was ready for work.

I'm also in love the Pink Rose's éclairs. Again, I’m a sucker for creamy middles and chocolate. The larger ones are huge. I know myself, and I would eat the large ones in one sitting, so I get the small ones. Other sweets in my mouth include the lemon bars, raspberry bars, black and white cookies, carrot cakes, and various cookies from their gift tins.

Not in my mouth, but on my mind, is their banana cream pie. I’ll quote their description: “A piled high dome of banana cream covered with fresh banana slices in our delicious fresh crust with a baked banana filling. You just won't believe how good it looks and tastes.” I just want to tie some ribbon to the pie, strap it on my head and wear it as a hat. It looks that good.

I always go to the counter and order my sugar package to go, but the Pink Rose has tables where you can sit and have tea or coffee and dessert. I’ve seen people forgoing dessert after dinner at nearby restaurants to grab dessert at the Pink Rose. They’re open most nights until 10:30 or later.

They also serve breakfast until 4 p.m. I’ve never been, but a friend has taken her mother there and said she thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s definitely a “mom” place with tea, cute curtains and sugar in the air. I’m just not sure I could eat eggs when the Boston cream cake was staring at me.

The Pink Rose is fortunately/unfortunately located around the corner from my boyfriend's house. I found myself stopping by on the way to clubs, before he got home from work, or after dinner. I found myself there a little too often.

In college, I used to stop by a restaurant and get a huge chocolate chip cookie almost every day. I put a stop to that when I realized that everyone knew exactly what I was going to order. Coming out of denial about the fact that a huge cookie every day is fattening was the other reason I stopped.

Well, I had to put a stop to ducking into the Pink Rose whenever I walked past it. Now I walk past their air vent on Bainbridge St. and breathe deeply, exclaiming dreamily, ”Mmm, butter and sugar.” They really do push the best smelling air in Philly, and it’s low cal.

This year I’m eating my Wheaties for my birthday breakfast and going to work to cut back 15-foot tall grass in a gully. Yes, I am a champion!

Pink Rose Pastry Shop, 630 S. 4^th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
1-800-ROSE-383

Ansill

Update: no longer open

After sampling wines at our wine class Friday, my companion and I decided to continue sampling - but with food. We dropped into the newly opened Ansill on the corner of Bainbridge and Third in Philly.

Ansill occupies the space where Judy’s used to sit for 30 years.Judy’s closed last year to the sorrow of die-hard, neighborhood regulars. I’ve been waiting to see what would take its place. Ansill opened a couple of weeks ago, but we waited a while to let them get the kinks out.

Ansill reworked the interior into a warm and elegant space with a mahogany bar, soft lighting, and warm earthy walls - the perfect atmosphere to continue our wine drinking. They offer wine by the glass, bottle, or carafe. You may also bring your own bottle, but a $15 corking charge applies. The wine list was broken down into red and white, with fruiter and lighter wines at the top and heavier wines at the bottom.

Ansill serves small plates with most ranging from $3 to $10. The most expensive plate is Venison Loin ($17). The menu’s offerings are broken down into: Raw and Cured, Eggs and Roe, Meat and Fish, Hot and Cold Vegetables, Cheeses and Charcuterie, and Breads and Sandwiches.

The descriptions of the dishes are minimal, with only one or two ingredients listed. I needed the help of our waitress to determine what was vegetarian. She was very helpful, as were the cooks who deleted ingredients from dishes to accommodate me.

We also had wonderful, warm fingerling potatoes with onions ($6). The potatoes were cooked without the veal stock for me, but they still had complex flavors. I was excited about the spaetzle with spinach and mustard ($5), but found it a little oily and the mustard bitter.

My fish-eating companion tried the Spanish mackerel ceviche with radish and mint ($6). He said it was good, but craved the more traditional cilantro and a power-punch of lime, which this dish was lacking.

All of the cheese plates looked good, so we let our waitress decide for us. She rightly chose the taleggio cheese plate with sour cherry compote ($5). Taleggio is a soft, stinky, Italian cheese and went well with the sour and sweet cherries. There could have been a few more slices of bread, as we ran out of bread and still had cheese and compote left. In general, we found most of their plates on the small side. I know the food is served in the tapas style, but these plates were tiny.

The owner’s wife makes all the desserts. My companion had the rice pudding ($6), which he cleaned right up. I had the chocolate cake with a mouse-like top layer ($6). The cake was topped with lime wedges and surrounded by a lime sauce. I took a bite, closed my eyes, pushed all thoughts away and had a little orgasm. The chocolate was bitter, yet sweet, and the tangy lime made my mouth water. Perfecto. I am always torn between chocolate and key lime on dessert menus, and this combined my two favorite dessert loves.

I will definitely go back to Ansill, even though the plates were a little small. “Small plates” vary from one place to the next, so it’s hard to know how many to order. Be sure to order many plates when you go to Ansill. You’ll sample many flavors and find a favorite. With sampling, you can have it all. I’m currently into sampling.

Ansill, 627 S. Third St., Philadelphia, 19147