Monday, January 26, 2015

Barclay Prime Review

This is for a series of posts for Stephen Starr restaurants including:

A few weeks back, the GF and I were in the mood for steak and more importantly, we were looking to celebrate our 4th anniversary together. So, we thought it was high time that we finally tried Barclay Prime. So we hopped in an Uber and rode over to the Rittenhouse area.


Starr restaurants are always spot on in terms of vibe and design. Expect no less from Barclay Prime, which is highly emblematic of the Mad Men era. Power lunches and expense account meals are to be enjoyed here.


Seating is extremely comfortable - you feel as though you're lounging and that's not a bad thing!

Ophelia's Fizz [$15]
Ketel One orange vodka, prosecco, muddled strawberry & basil 
  

We had some bubbly back at home and considering the markups, we opted for a few cocktails for dinner in lieu of a bottle of vino. The GF went with the effervescent vodka sparkler, which was perfect for her. Not cloyingly sweet with the muddled strawberry, the herbaceousness of the basil really shined through each sip. 

The Stamford Bridge [$16]
Woodford Reserve, Bodegas Toro Albala PX Gran Reserva, black licorice & orange-tea infused dolin blanc vermouth


I enjoyed the bourbon-based tipple, which featured an everyday drinking favorite - Woodford Reserve. A Spanish desert wine backed up the bourbon with deep aromas of caramel and toffee. Very nice. 

Popover 
Gruyere 
  

Who doesn't love a popover to start your meal a la BLT Steak or Sbraga? This was one of the best I've had - crispy exterior studded with gruyere, with an inside that was light and fluffy. Perfectly paired with a pat of room-temp butter (thank the heavens!) topped with fleur de sel.

Alaskan King Crab Cocktail [$29]
Cocktail sauce
  

While this is a hefty $13.50 a leg, the king crab was cooked perfectly and was delicious. No seasoning or cocktail sauce needed here - just a small spritz of lemon to enjoy the sweet meat.

Maine Diver Scallops [$18]
Cauliflower couscous, marcona almond, romesco  


The GF had the scallops, which were seared properly and were tender within. The accoutrements took an interesting Middle Eastern turn with some cumin interspersed within the cauliflower couscous, which had great texture. The romesco added some brightness and the marcona almonds provided richness and additional texture to each bite. 

Foie Gras [$25]
Quince terrine, mustard greens, sherry sauce 


Unsurprisingly, I went with the foie, which featured a small, but perfectly seared lobe of lusciousness. The quince terrine was great, featuring interesting texture and a subtly sweet countervailing element to the heft of the foie. The mustard greens provided some contrast as well. 


And from there, it was on to the steaks! You know it's time when the knives are presented, each with its own back story. The GF and I opted to go with the Samurai and Porsche design, respectively.

12 oz. Prime Filet Mignon [$53]
 

With her weapon firmly secured, the GF had the right tools to enjoy her prime beef filet. While there wasn't much seasoning here, the steak was properly charred and came as requested - medium. A pickled red onion and watercress salad appears to come with your steak.

18 oz. 28-Day Dry-Aged Prime Ribeye [$51]


I almost went with the 50 oz tomahawk, but decided to take it down a notch and opted for the dry-aged ribeye. Ordered medium-rare, this had great beefiness, with enough marbling throughout.


I could have used a bit more seasoning, but the quality of the beef was undeniable.
Tater Tots [$11]


The tater tots had to be ordered - they were crispy on the outside with a creamy texture that had great chive flavor within. Easy to enjoy.

Truffle Mac & Cheese [$18]
 

The truffle mac and cheese was a no-brainer as well. Barclay Prime might very well offer my favorite version of mac and cheese. Bonus? They did not overdo it with the truffle oil. The secret to their cheese sauce? According to our wonderful server Nicole, it's literally the MAC - mascarpone, asiago, and cheddar. The sweetness of the mascarpone was understated, but definitely provided a contrasting element to the sharp cheddar and salty asiago. In addition to al dente cavatappi nestling the cheese sauce perfectly, there was a nice crunchy crumble on top that almost popped in your mouth with each bite. Tiny broccoli florets were sparingly studded in the dish as well A must order. 

Champagne 
 

And as we moved on to dessert, Nicole came out with some champagne to toast our special night, compliments of the house. Much appreciated! 

Toasted Chocolate S'Mores [$10]
 

Back in 2013, I saw Pastry Chef Christina Diekewicz create the toasted chocolate s'mores at the Rittenhouse Row Festival . So naturally, we opted for this dessert. The ice cream was the true star for me, studded with graham cracker crumbles and had a lusciousness that complemented the molten chocolate cake topped with s'mores marshmallow. Delicious.

Chocolate Shortbread Cookies 


The pastry chef also sent out some star-shaped chocolate short-bread cookies.And ...

Cake 
 

A tiny chocolate cake to enjoy at home. What a nice touch!  


When you're at a Starr restaurant - you expect great service and an informed staff. Our server Nicole, and certainly the kitchen, far exceeded our expectations. And while those of you who expect the high-stakes seasoning and butter-basted beef may be somewhat disappointed, keep in mind it's more about showcasing the quality of beef here. And I can't think of another mac and cheese that I've enjoyed as much as I did. So if you're looking to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a steak-night out - do stop by Barclay Prime - you won't be disappointed!

Friday, January 23, 2015

Smith's Restaurant & Bar Review

Located a block away from work is Smith's, which gained some notoriety back in 2012 over the jokes that they had on display. The jokes remain, but luckily, they're now a tad less "abusive."


So recently after work, the GF and I got together for happy hour. 

Happy Hour Nachos [$5 $4.50]
 

The menu listed these nachos for $5, but we were charged only $4.50 - who can complain about that? Better yet - this showcased a bed of house-fried tortilla chips and a nice melange of cilantro, onions, and peppers. This was all interspersed with shredded chicken and spicy nacho cheese. Do get these.

Signature Salad [$11]
Tomato, warm bacon, cucumber, red onion, signature dressing, goat cheese medallion


The GF went with the signature salad, which was huge and provided a healthy helping of greens, onions, cucumbers, and tomato. Some bacon and a huge goat cheese medallion brought this over the top with salty and tangy flavors. The accompanying pita was a bit salty and a tad dry, but for $11, this wasn't bad at all.

Signature Burger [$12]
8 oz. Angus beef, avocado, smoked bacon, cheddar, grilled brioche, signature aioli 


I had previously had the burger here with some coworkers and wasn't disappointed. So, I went with it again. I requested it medium-rare and though it came out medium, it was still juicy and nicely salt-crusted. The fresh avocado, thick-cut bacon, cheddar, and fried onions helped to create one savory bite. The potato brioche held together well despite the sheer heft.


The burger came with the choice of a salad or fries and since I'm not a rabbit, I went with the crispy, salty fries, which were served in a cute pail. 

So if you're in the Rittenhouse area looking for bar eats, don't hesitate to check out Smith's. They've got good eats, decent HH prices, and there's plenty of seating as well. 

Smiths Restaurant & Bar on Urbanspoon
www.smiths-restaurant.com 

Monday, January 19, 2015

Amuse Review

As Restaurant Week approaches, consider Amuse for your next dining adventure with your friends. Frankly, I was surprised at the quality of food from a restaurant housed within a hotel, regardless of whether it's Le Meridien.


So with a friend in tow, the GF and I stopped by. Spacious and well-designed, there's plenty of comfortable tables at Amuse


Rock Dove ($10)
Patron, grapefruit cordial, lime, soda
\

The GF and our friend went with the tequila-based tipple (go figure!). Smooth, with some subtle sweetness from the grapefruit cordial and some nice tartness from the lime, this was easy drinking.

Liberty Bell ($12)
Woodford Reserve, merlot, simple syrup, fresh lemon juice
 

I went with the bourbon-based drink, which was mellowed out by the merlot and the freshness of the lemon juice. 

Amuse Bouche
Pomegranate, apple, mint 


An amuse of pomegranates, apple, and mint offered a fresh bite to whet our palates for the meal.

Bread Service
 

Bread service featured a fresh baguette that was pre-cut, along with some perfectly room-temp Vermont butter with fleur de sel. Nice.

Foie Gras Torchon ($12)
Gingered apple puree, preserved pear, cranberry walnut bread


I had to order the foie a la carte, which was deliciously rich and creamy. The gingered apple puree and preserved pears helped to provide that countervailing element you're looking for. The cranberry walnut bread added texture and heft to withstand the richness of the foie.

 Harvest Greens 
Tea poached squash, etorki, fig vinaigrette 


To start off the RW meal, the GF and our friend went with the well-dressed harvest greens salad. The tea-poached squash was light and fragrant, with the Etorki cheese really coming through with each bite.

Sweetbreads ($6 supplement)
Chicken fried, frisee, salsify puree, marrow jus, horseradish froth
  

As a supplement, I opted for sweetbreads for my first course. These were executed nicely, with the chicken-fry offering great texture, reminiscent of cracklins. The sweetbreads themselves were tender within and the horseradish foam was surprisingly light, yet cut through some of the richness. The marrow jus had good essence as well.

Striped Bass 
Organic spelt, harvest squash, cider carrots
  

For the GF's main, she opted for the bass. The farro was a bit dry (to me, it always is), but the meaty fish was well-cooked and moist. The sweet cider carrots had nice acidity to brighten up each bite.

Steak Frites
Marinated black angus hanger, pommes frites, bernaise aioli, bordelaise sauce
  

I went with a medium-rare steak frites. Unfortunately, the steak must have been on the pass for awhile since it was served a bit cold, but the beef itself had decent marbling and was well-seasoned. The fries were crisp and also well-seasoned.

Strawberry Tart
Whipped sweet creme fraiche, compote, mint crystals 
 

To start off our desserts, we had the strawberry tart which was beautifully baked and had an abundance of macerated strawberries on top. The sweet creme fraiche had a light texture and the mint crystals offered some brightness. 

Illy Mocha Espresso Mousse 
Macaroons
  

The macaroons were fluffy, light, and pliant. It was paired well with a dark chocolate espresso mousse.

Mignardises
 

Our meal ended with mignardises - dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and a truffle mousse as well.


Our server Megan was friendly and informed. And for the most part, our meal was on point.  If you're a Starwoods Preferred Guest, you get 10% off as well, which makes the RW meal an even better deal! So while Amuse may not be on the tip of everyone's tongues for Philly's dining scene (likely because it's a hotel restaurant), I would definitely check it out and book a table on OpenTable.

Amuse on Urbanspoon
www.amusephiladelphia.com

Friday, January 16, 2015

Makiman Sushi Review

Makiman Sushi holds it down near the Kimmel Center on Spruce Street. They also have a location in Northeast Philly as well. On Mondays, they have an all-you-can-eat sushi special (you know what that means - but a deal is a deal). Pro tip? It's a BYO!



So with a bottle of Beringer Sauvignon Blanc in tow, the GF and I stopped for by dinner.

Salad


We got one of the larger party boat specials, which came with salad to start. This came dressed with standard ginger dressing that was slightly watery, atop field greens, carrots, and cucumber. Some of the pieces of lettuce were a bit wilted, but other than that - fairly standard.

Spicy Tuna Tartare [$9.95]


The tuna tartare had good flavor, but was a bit too finely 'chopped' for my liking. There was nice texture from the crispy tempura chunks throughout and tobiko helped to provide nice bursts of flavor as well. 

Vegetable Tempura [$6.95]
 

While the tempura was a bit over-battered and could have been crisper, the veggies were well-seasoned and fresh.

Rock Shrimp [$9.50]
 

The rock shrimp's batter was better - crisp and well-seasoned. The juicy shrimp was tossed in a sauce that nicely balanced between sweet and spicy.

Miso Soup
 

The miso soup was pretty standard with small cubes of tofu. The broth wasn't overly saline, which I appreciated. 

Party Boat 1 [$34.95]


The Party Boat 1 was plenty of sushi for 1. A bounty was on offer, including maguro (tuna),  kurodai (black sea bream), sake (salmon), hirame (fluke), hamachi (yellowtail) with scallion/yuzu, suzuki (striped bass), sweet ebi (cooked shrimp), and saba (mackerel) with jalapeno to temper the mackerel's intensity. Overall, the sushi was fresh. We also received "white tuna," which was really escolar (which I love due to the high fat content). The tobiko and pickled ginger helped to offset the fattiness.

California Roll 
 

We also received a California roll, which was standard, but the GF loves its simplicity.

Uni / Sea Urchin [$6.50]
 

I had to order the uni, which had decent butteriness, though didn't taste especially fresh.

Sweet Potato Roll [$5.50]


The GF always craves the sweet potato roll (won't lie - I love it too). This particular order was especially starchy and wasn't crisp - a let down. 


The service was friendly, though wasn't completely knowledgeable. Perhaps we came on an off-night, but the sushi rice was a bit too cold and seemed over-cooked and overpowered some of the sushi. Makiman Sushi offers an affordable option for sushi in the city, but there are definitely better BYO options out there.

Makiman Sushi on Urbanspoon
http://www.makimanonline.com/