Philadelphia: Hundred Dollar Baby

Homepage Setup Instructions:

45.0º F

Win $40 to Sun Worshippers Tan

1. February Food News

2. Why Men Go To Stripclubs

3. Healthy Menu Alternatives

4. At The Movies: Oscar Nominated Shorts

5. At The Movies: Fish Tank

var addthis_pub = 'aroundphilly';

Hundred Dollar Baby
April 5, 2007

By: Brian Freedman - bfreedman@aroundphilly.com

After seven months and close to 30 meals, we're bringing $100 Baby to a close. Since September, Ms. Martini and I have dined at some of the city's best restaurants on a budget that made me more than a bit nervous in the beginning. How, I wondered, would we be able to eat a decent meal when two glasses of wine could easily cost $25?

As it turned out, though, we ate well and left full. And while some of the more expensive items on the menu were clearly off-limits (no $30 supplement of shaved white truffles for me), I was still able to get a pretty good feel for even the priciest restaurants on a budget that was, to say the least, tight.

From temples of haute cuisine like Le Bar Lyonnais to brand-new hot spots like Rae, I tried dishes ranging from the best beef tartare in the city to smoked rabbit nachos that could very well have changed my life. The wine selections didn't disappoint either, now that wine-by-the-glass lists have become even more interesting and affordable around town.

With Hundred Dollar Baby coming to an end, you might be wondering what's next. Well, we're scrapping the budgets and, beginning next week, AroundPhilly.com will bring you expanded restaurant coverage unlike anything we've done before: Full, brutally honest weekly restaurant reviews.

And every restaurant is fair game, from that hidden taco spot on Washington Avenue to the legendary fine-dining establishments that line Rittenhouse Row.

I'll also be visiting the newest restaurants for a series of "first-look" pieces. These will not be reviews so much as brief rundowns of the high and low points of light meals at places that are too new to be reviewed. They'll eventually be covered in full, but until the opening-month kinks are worked out, these first-look pieces will provide a bit of guidance in terms of what to expect at the restaurant, how to approach the menu, and what to avoid.

And, as always, I'll continue to update the Ultimate BYOB Guide and provide you with columns on everything from wine to beer to cocktails and everything in between. It's all part of the new, expanded dining coverage on Aroundphilly.com. And it all begins next week.