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

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

Chhaya

There seemed to be some skepticism in the air when Chhaya opened a few months ago on Passyunk Ave. A cafe that was a coffee house specializing in sweet and savory waffles during the morning and day, then, on weekend evenings, a cafe serving small plates?

It's really not as complicated and schizophrenic as it sounds. Chhaya is simply a cafe that serves up better than average food than most coffee houses.On the surface, Chhaya's small and bright cafe looks like any neighborhood coffee shop, with people dropping by the counter for a latte to go, and people settling in at a table with a cuppa and their computer. If you're a coffee snob, know that Chhaya prepares coffee to order using the siphon method.If you'd like a little more sustenance, Chhaya offers the likes of bagels, muffins, vegan cupcakes, scones, yogurt parfait, pancakes, eggs, home fries, salads, wraps, and paninis. Most baked goods are made in house, with the exception of baguettes (sources up the road from Artisan Boulanger), and bagels.

Of course, don't miss out on Chhaya's specialty — waffles!
If you have a sweet tooth, order the whipped cream-topped, thick Belgian-style waffle with either fresh fruit or chocolate chips. Classic, sweet, and simple.Feeling savory? The chili, cheese, and fried egg- topped waffle is in order. The mildly spiced vegetarian chili is studded with black and kidney beans, carrots, tomatoes, onions, and celery. Would love to see a corn meal-based waffle paired with the chili, but the not-too-sweet standard waffle batter works here.

An Eggs Benedict waffle topped with a poached egg, ham, and Hollandaise sauce is also on the menu. There is also a waffle of the day. On our visit, the waffle of the day was chicken curry. Yum!

Chhaya is a BYOB, so bring your champagne for brunch mimosas, or a bottle of wine for Friday and Saturday evenings when the menu changes over to small plates.

Weekend evening small plates feature dishes like olives, roasted eggplant relish, tomato salad, white bean hummus, charcuterie plate, warm figs with blue cheese and prosciutto, marinated white anchovies, and Tuscan style meatballs with white wine sauce.

See, it really is a coffee shop with better food. Just look at this spread of food! Must return for dinner soon.

Chhaya
1823 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19148
215-365-1100
Mon-Thus: 7am-7pm
Fri: 7am-10pm
Sat: 8am-10pm
Sun: 8am-3pm
BYOB

Koo Zee Doo

All the good things you've heard about Koo Zee Doo, the cozy BYOB in Northern Liberties serving up rustic, family-style plates of Portuguese food is true.

And Koo Zee Doo even has three vegetarian entrees on their small menu, which is exactly three more vegetarian entrees than I encountered on my trip to Portugal a few years ago (not even exaggerating), so, as a vegetarian, if you've ever wondered what Portuguese food tastes like (I was still wondering after my time in Portugal), get yourself over to Koo Zee Doo pronto.

The interior of Koo Zee Doo is small and warm, with exposed brick, flickering candles, and diners cozying up to a bottle of wine at tables, or at a the small bar overlooking an open kitchen. Out back is a charming, small patio with vines growing up the walls and twinkle lights strung over head.
Complimentary bread and butter, along with a small dish of pickled lupini beans are brought to the table. Broa is a Portuguese peasant corn bread that tastes nothing like the Southern cornbread you're familiar with, but more like a rustic, chewy roll with barely detectable flavors of corn. You are instructed to pierce the skin of the briney beans and slip the bean out, but I found the bean's outer shell to be tender enough to eat.

Since plates are on the larger side and intended for sharing, it's recommended that each person order an appetizer and split an entree with another person.The boy ordered pan-seared shrimp with piri piri sauce, a spicy Portuguese sauce made from peppers. These shrimp were massive, yet still tender and cooked perfectly. The evenly balanced spicy and briney piri piri sauce flavored with juices from the shrimp was perfect for mopping up with the rustic rolls.

We had a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic server, so I let him choose for me what he thought was the best vegetarian appetizer and entree. He did not steer me wrong, but even from the small sampling of the menu we had that evening, I don't think he could have done any wrong no matter what he chose.The heirloom tomato salad with Mozzarella, red onions, and olives dressed in oil, vinegar, and the tomatoes own juices was simple, and highlighted the glory of Summer tomatoes.
Our server's favorite vegetarian entree, Milho Frito, a fried corn porridge, was already gone for the evening (a great reason to visit again!), so the tomato bread pudding slid from second place into first.

The flat pancake of tomato-soaked bread had a nice crispy outer shell that contrasted nicely with the moist middle, but I thought the dish was on the verge of being overly salty. The flavors of the roasted fennel and fava bean puree underneath the savory bread pudding lent intrigue to the somewhat plain tomato bread pudding.The chocolate plate comes with slices of fudge-like dark chocolate "salami" studded with crushed cookies; perfectly textured, dark chocolate mousse with an almond and dark chocolate brittle; and a sensuous, dark chocolate-covered fig stuffed with chestnut paste that is so good it should be boxed and sold at the door as diners are leaving. Varied, rich, and not too sweet, this plate is a chocolate lover's dream.Wine poached apricots, passion fruit puree, raspberry puree and Port-soaked cherries all came together in bowl of tart fruity heaven with layered and complex flavors. Fruit for dessert, really, has never tasted as good as at Koo Zee Doo.

Remember those bomb-diggity biscuits at Ugly American when they first opened? Well, Carla Conçalvez, the wife in the husband and wife team that makes up Koo Zee Doo, did those biscuits, and is now doing the breads and desserts at Koo Zee Doo. Carla was also nominated for James Beard's 2010 Outstanding Pastry Chef. David Gilberg, the husband part of the team was nominated for James Beard 2010 Rising Star Chef, and Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic. Something is going right over at Koo Zee Doo!

So, yes, it is true! The food at Koo Zee Doo is generous and rustic, with simple flavors from quality ingredients coming together beautifully and harmoniously. Even the desserts are phenomenal, which might be the bigger restaurant feat.

Koo Zee Doo
614 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, PA, 19123
215-923-8080
Thurs, Sun, Mon: 5:30-10pm
Fri-Sat: 5:30-10pm
Tues, Wed: closed
BYOB

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

More Café con Chocolate Love

I've already expressed my love for Café con Chocolate, the sunny-hued corner restaurant in South Philly serving up reasonably priced, vegetarian-friendly Mexican and Japanese food, in a write up from almost a year ago. Then I named Café con Chocolate's mole sauce in one of my yearly roundups as the "Best Thing From A Restaurant That I Put In My Mouth." And, a few weeks ago, when the Food Blogger's Brunch panel I sat on was asked what memorable food item from a Philly restaurant they recently ate, I chimed in with Café con Chocolate's mole sauce. So, yeah, I like Café con Chocolate.

Above is a picture of the awesomely delicious and huge vegetarian torta, a Mexican sandwich stuffed with spicy scrambled tofu, mushrooms, cheese, onions, avocado, beans, lettuce, and tomato. I ate half, and, too full to finish it all, had the other half boxed up to go.That bittersweet (but not too bitter) mole sauce I like so much can be ordered as a side from the menu. Thinking I'd receive a little ramekin of mole when I asked for a side, I had to pop my eyes back into my head cartoon-style when a large soup bowl of mole arrived. But, for $4, I guess a side of mole should be generous. This was also wrapped up to go and got me through many happy meals at home.
Cheese and scrambled egg enchiladas with mole, crema, queso fresco, and a side of corn-studded rice are damn good...and more food than you should really eat for breakfast.

Café con Chocolate
2100 S. Norwood St., Philadelphia, PA, 19145
267-639-4506
Thurs-Sat: 10 am - 8 pm
Sun: 10 am - 3 pm
Mon-Wed: closed
BYOB

Mi Lah

I feel like a really bad vegetarian for not patronizing Mi Lah, an all vegan restaurant in Center City that opened October 2008, sooner than now, but, you know, Philly has lots of great eats to tick off my list. What's a girl to do? Complimentary bread and herbed butter started us out.
Then we received a huge plate of fried coconut crusted King mushrooms garnished with lime and cilantro. We really enjoyed the sweet coconut crust and meaty mushroom starter. This dish would be perfectly suited as a fried bar food, and we were wishing for a special dipping sauce. We behaved and ate the appetizer with a fork, since we weren't at a bar.
Going with the server's suggestion of their favorite dishes, we ordered the cauliflower au poivre with fried sweet potatoes, and spinach salad in cream sauce. This dish is a whimsical take on steak, fries, and salad, with the cauliflower slab being the steak, the fried sweet potatoes being the fries, and the spinach, obviously, the salad.

A longer roasting, or maybe a dunk in the fryer, would have taken some of the rawness and crunch from the cauliflower and imparted a sweeter caramelized flavor. The fat sweet potato fries are not visible, but are underneath the pile of spinach with sweet, creamy dressing. Perhaps due to the thickness of the fries, or the soaking in dressing, the sweet potatoes were not as crunchy as they could have been. This dish, unfortunately, is a victim of poor plating. By simply not piling all the components of the dish atop each other, Mi Lah could have maybe avoided soggy sweet potatoes, and even added a little color from the orange sweet potato fries to the presentation.
Pistachio gratin with roasted butternut squash and brussels sprouts in a lemon beurre blanc was comforting and warm, with the vegetables being cooked to the perfect tenderness and the peppery sauce plate-licking good. Little crunchy bits of pistachio added a nice textural contrast to the layers of potatoes.
Who here loves Pepperige Farm 3-Layer Cakes? I do! (Even if that Cake Fart girl did ruin my associations with the dessert. Yeah, go back and check the video. That's a Pepperidge Farm 3-Layer Cake.) Mi Lah's vegan chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting tastes like a vegan version of Pepperidge Farm cakes, so while it tastes kind of boxed, I absolutely loved it. The chocolate sauce was a little thin, though.

Mi Lah frequently gets compared to Philly's other fine dining, and highly lauded, all-vegan restaurant, Horizons, but I'm not ready to compare the two. My meal at Mi Lah was good enough to return and sample some more, especially since my partner has had two positive experiences at Mi Lah during lunch.

The dinner entree prices were a buck or two higher than I felt they should have been, but the fact that Mi Lah is BYOB more than evens out the bill. Next time, I will probably return to Mi Lah for the cheaper lunch menu featuring sandwiches and flat breads not available on the dinner menu.

And, if you're a fan of the huge weekend brunch, Mi Lah has a $20 prix fixe Sunday brunch that includes a cup of tea or coffee, a plate of fruit with muffins and scones, a pitcher of one of their fruit juices or mimosa mix (remember to bring your own champagne), plus a choice of a brunch main from the menu. Sounds like a lot of food (and a bargain) to me!

And, try to get get seated upstairs, if you can. While similarly decorated as the downstairs, the upstairs dining room is larger and airier with a more pleasant feeling.

Mi Lah
218 S. 16th St., Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-732-8888
Lunch: Mon-Sat, 11am-3pm
Dinner: Mon-Sat, 5pm-10pm
Brunch: Sun, 11am-3pm
BYOB

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

Teri's: Day & Night

While I've walked past Teri's, the Italian Market diner just south of Washington St., a million times, it wasn't until word got around that Teri's pulled out the linens and candles at night to become a fine dining BYOB destination that I actually took notice.
During the daytime, Teri's serves a very reasonably priced breakfast and lunch (nothing over $8.50). Go on a weekend, like we did, and you can call it brunch!

Inside you'll find a long, narrow diner with aqua booths and green walls, and an open kitchen. Very casual; very diner-ish.

On the menu: eggs, omelettes, pancakes, french toast, sausage, and other breakfast standards; plus burgers, crab cakes, pulled pork sandwiches, and spare ribs.
I went with the French toast with sauteed bananas and cashews (pecans were what actually arrived). I was immediately transported back to Mom's French toast on Saturday mornings, and this is a good thing.

The banana French toast at $6 is Teri's fancy French toast, and it's a more reasonable and sane breakfast than some of the massive dessert-like French toasts out there. But, you know, I think I'll hit up the $3.75 plain ol' French toast next time, 'cause Mom didn't do bananas or nuts.

Oh, and I'll hit up the roasted corn pancakes with chive butter (minus side of glazed ham) next time, too. Knew about these beauties from watching this video, but spaced it when ordering.
My partner had the three egg cheese omelette with spinach, side of home fries, and toast. This omelette was large, perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, and stuffed generously, but not overstuffed, with perfectly garlicky sauteed spinach. I'm not an omelette person (too much egg), but this was one of the better omelettes I've tasted.

Home fries are thinly sliced potatoes that are of the kind not cooked to a crisp, and are also perfectly seasoned. I know there are crispy and non-crispy camps when it comes to home fries, but even crispy-boy got behind these taters!
Interested in what goes on in Teri's at night, we hit it up again, this time bringing a bottle of wine to take advantage of their BYOB/no-corkage-fee policy. Teri's also offers a $30, three-course, prix fixe deal in the evening.
Ooh, table cloths and candles are laid out, the server is dressed all in black, and jazz is playing in an attempt to make the diner classy!

No, you won't confuse Teri's at night with other fine dining establishments, but the combo of diner kitch and linen class is so charming and honest, it feels like home -- or your friend trying to spiff up his apartment for that special dinner. So cute!

Our server at night, John, was the same server we had during the day, and whether he's wearing jeans and a t-shirt for the day shift, or all black for the night shift, he is the perfectly attentive and appointed server.
Warm, toasted Italian bread with sesame seeds accompanied by butter was complimentary.We started with eggplant rolatini, an off-the-menu appetizer special of baked, sliced eggplant rolled around herbed Ricotta, topped with melted Mozarella, tomato sauce, and basil chiffonade. With the first bite of this dish, I knew the rest of the night was going to be good. I breathlessly exclaimed, "Excellent," when our server asked how everything was, and I never say that.

Eggplant is a difficult vegetable to prepare because of it's potential bitterness, but the thinly sliced eggplant had no bitterness. And the scant tomato sauce was in perfect proportion, avoiding drowning the delicate eggplant rolls.

Seriously, these eggplant rolatini might be one of the best Italian dishes I've eaten in a long time.
The boy went with the tilefish with white beans and sauteed spinach. Again, everything was perfectly seasoned.
I was happy to see the butternut squash ravioli came with roasted corn and an herbed cream sauce instead of the greasy, butter sage sauce that usually accompanies butternut squash ravioli. At first, it was a little weird biting into chewy, roasted corn kernels with a forkful of ravioli, but it was a happy marriage. The butternut squash filling was sweet and plentiful inside the large pasta pockets.

Service was perfect at Teri's. No rushing from our server, comfortable breaks between courses, and the food was pipin' hot out of the kitchen. We were genuinely encouraged to stay and finish our bottle of wine after the check arrived, and the chef even thanked us on the way out.

Because of the quality of the food (grub's great), more than reasonable prices (a bargain), excellent service (John is awesome), and honest atmosphere (no salvaged European fixtures, or saucy plate flourishes), I don't think I've had a more pleasant dining experience in a long time. I cannot recommend Teri's enough, for brunch or for dinner.

But what worries me is that we were one of only two tables dining in during our brunch visit, and during our dinner visit. Show Teri's some love and get on down there. Don't sleep on this gem!

Teri's
1127 S. 9th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147
267-761-9154
Breakfast/Lunch: 7am-3pm, 7 days a week
Fine Dining: 5pm-9:30pm, Wed-Sun
BYOB