*I want to know where you ate this year: Did you love the salad bar at Chima? Hated the takeout from Ekta? Do you think Jose Garces is overrated (in which case, I’d really like to swap emails with you.) Send me your comments and we’ll consider them for an upcoming story.
The year 2008 was one of change, and not just when it came to political sloganeering. From the humblest, most easily overlooked neighborhood successes to the kind of big, splashy temples of taste that are impossible to ignore, this past year was one that required not just a lot more attention than is normally demanded of our admittedly pampered palates, but also a wide-open eye: The moving, the shimmying and the quick-draw changes that shaped our city’s dining scene this year were enough to distract even the most stoic phoodnatic. (Sorry…)
Early successes that never quite found their following suffered a familiar fate, though not without a collective sigh from their fans. Sonam, the wildly adventurous "global tapas" emporium on South Street, just couldn’t pack the dining room like it needed to. Still, the logically sound if in-reality-a-touch-perplexing chocolate gelato with shaved pork rinds lingers on in my memory as one of the most clever desserts of the year, and certainly the one that showed the most respect for our city’s collective ability to think outside the box of received dessert-course wisdom.
2008 was also a year of second-act restaurants that didn’t quite plumb the depths of profundity (or at least tastiness and reliability) that their predecessors did. Cantina Dos Segundos, from the same folks who brought us Cantina Los Caballitos and the pitch-perfect Royal Tavern, has fallen notably short, unless you’re focusing more on the drinks than the food. But if it’s a margarita pitcher and a bowl of nachos you’re after, this is your place, especially when the weather finally warms up and those front windows let in the unexpectedly pleasant air of a NoLibs night.
And then, of course, there was Chima, my most commented-on review of the year, and the mere thought of which (the food, not the review) brings a tear to my eye and a burn to my heart. Let this be a lesson: An infinite range of items dotting the salad bar landscape (oh, the magisterial awfulness of the blue-cheese mousse, jiggling in the dinnertime light!) and never-ending plates of meat, no matter how, uh, never-ending they may be, are just no substitute for old-fashioned good cooking. And seasoning. And, you know, ingredient quality.
Last year ended with the damn-near-tragic closing of Lakeside Chinese Garden, a loss that I’m still mourning. (Sundays just haven’t been the same since that glorious tripe with black bean sauce has been taken away.) But a yearlong search for an heir apparent revealed a real competitor for the dumpling-king title: Ocean City. Sure, the rolling carts might kill you (if all that fried goodness doesn’t do the trick first), but the rewards are more than worth the risks. The tripe and bean curd, as well as the clams in black bean sauce, start a weekend morning off right…and are perfect preparation for a mid-afternoon nap.
While we’re talking about China, Wokano, at 11th and Washington, definitely deserves a nod not only for its uber-authentic menu, but also for the willingness of the waiters to give it to you upon request without the still-too-common hemming and hawing. My orders of goose foot and fish maw hot pot and sautéed duck tongue were not met with doubt but rather with a simple nod, a respectful glance, and, a couple of minutes later, steaming dishes of exotic, intellectually demanding good eats.
Staying on the continent (or, depending on how you want to look at it, heading down to the sub-continent), Ekta was one of the year’s most pleasant surprises. The spices are toasted on-premises, the aromas are clear and true, and the layering of finely filigreed flavors present in nearly every dish I’ve tasted are nothing short of miraculous. And while the two tables and mug-shot-bright light inside may lack in atmospherics, they provide the best venue for experiencing this astounding food at its freshest. Delivery may be easier, but visiting Ekta in person is far more rewarding.
Splashier openings also dotted the 2008 culinary landscape: Parc, Stephen Starr’s mammoth, convivial paean to Parisian cafes; Michael Solomonov’s Zahav, which has made the city completely rethink what it knew about Israeli food; Distrito, the delicious, thoroughly lovable Mexican destination (and latest unabashed winner) by the wildly and deservingly successful Jose Garces; 10 Arts, Eric Ripert’s fabulous first Philly foray and even further proof that this is a town in the major leagues of dining; Table 31, which made staying in the business district much more palatable than it ever was before; Pub & Kitchen, Jonathan MacDonald’s much anticipated (and thoroughly excellent) venture; and, down the shore, Izakaya, Michael Schulson’s sexy, fabulously flavorful addition to the Borgata’s already stellar lineup of destination restaurants.
Keep your eyes (or, rather, mouth) open for tasty things in ’09 from the understated corner of 10th and Spruce, where both Kanella and Azul set up shop this past year, and seem poised to keep on filling their tables; South Philly hit Le Virtu; and Café Estelle, the bruncherie on North Fifth Street: Their prices are fair and their menus are filled with exactly the kind of well-executed comfort-eats we all crave these days.
Also look for new chefs making their presence (and flavors) felt in kitchens throughout the city. In the middle of January, Rafael Gonzalez will become executive chef at the gorgeously redone Swann Lounge and the always magnificent Fountain at The Four Seasons. Matthew Levin, the trailblazer who recently left Lacroix, should also be making a splash when he opens up his own place next year. Daniel Stern, who cooks some of the most lusty, downright delicious food in the city, will be moving Rae closer to Center City in 2009. Jose Garces has two spots on the way—Village Whiskey and Chifa, the much-talked-about Peruvian-Cantonese restaurant at 707 Chestnut. A recent sneak-peak at some of the dishes that will appear there was spectacular. And former Le Bec-Fin chef de cuisine Pierre Calmels will be opening up a homey spot in the former (and terribly missed) Pif space.
For all the changes we faced in 2008 and all of the developments to look forward to in ‘09, the most significant one, though, was perhaps the most unexpected: Change itself. Philadelphia, after all, is a city with no shortage of creative, talented chefs and restaurateurs and an eating public that, true to our reputation, always seems to have an appetite for more. And that, in the end, is a recipe for success. Or, at the very least, some very tasty meals.
AroundPhilly Staff
