Brauhaus Schmitz Review

If you're looking for Philly's most authentic German restaurant and beer hall, I'd recommend heading to South Street. There you'll find Brauhaus Schmitz, which is owned by Doug Hager. 

And at the helm of the kitchen? None other than acclaimed executive chef, Jeremy Nolan. Hager and Nolan also recently opened Whetstone Tavern, which features refined American dishes with a rustic twist. 

But back to Brauhaus Schmitz. It's got that prototypical German bierhall feel, with dark wood throughout. It's sleek though, with plenty of seating to enjoy dinner or watch a game. 

Bread Service

You meal will start with fresh, house-baked bread, which included a rye and a pumpernickel, along with a great sour cream and onion butter. 

Kasespatzle [$15]
Spirale spaetzle, caramelized onions, Emmenthaler cheese, crispy onions

I was excited for the German take on mac n cheese, especially because I love spaetzle. But frankly, my expectations were set a bit high, though I'll admit my lack of experience with the German iteration on one of my favorite comfort foods. While this had good bite from the spaetzle and the crispy onions had wonderful texture, there was a general lack of seasoning. Emmenthaler wasn't abundant either and thus, reminded me more of a buttered noodle dish. The saving grace? The caramelized onions helped to impart some savoriness. 

Chicken Wiener Art [$21]
Lemon, parsley salad

The GF went with the chicken schnitzel for her main. While there could have been a bit more seasoning (this is coming from a guy who typically doesn't need much salt), the pounded chicken was juicy and crisply fried. With each of the schnitzels and sausages came two sides. The GF went with the haussalat, which had that nice bit of tang you'd expect from a proper German potato salad. The kartoffelpuffer, or potato pancake, was great. Topped with sour cream, it was crispy and redolent with onion essence.

Wurst Platte [$17]
Bauernwurst, speckwurst 

I went with the smoked sausages and chose the bauernwurst and the speckwurst. The bauernwurst on the left was a mix of smoked pork and beef that was juicy with a wonderful garlic essence. The speckwurst was nicely smoked, with the bacon and black pepper coming through. Both sausages had great snap and came with sweet and spicy mustards. For my sides, I also had to get the potato pancake as well as the rotkohl, or sweet and sour braised cabbage. The perfect foil for all of the heft from the potatoes and sausage. 

Overall, Brauhaus Schmitz had high marks from me in terms of their house-made sausages and sides. While I didn't appreciate the kasespatzle as much as I would have liked, South Street's German Bierhall has got plenty to enjoy. Be on the lookout for all of their events, whether it's Oktoberfest or the South Street Festival! And if you're looking for some proper German sausage sandwiches, Hager and Chef Jeremy Nolan also has the spinoff sandwich shop, Wursthaus Schmitz, located in Reading Terminal Market.

Le Pain Quotidien: Callowhill Street Review

When Le Pain Quotidien opened up shop beneath the Granary Apartments, it was a nice surprise since I'm used to the bevy of LPQ's around NYC.

In addition to a soft opening provided for the residents, they brought out a sample of baked goods for us to try.

LPQ's baked goods are all organic and not overly done with butter, so they tasted fresh and were certainly filling. 

Properly enticed, the GF and I have been stopping by often for a quick snack or breakfast. An added bonus for Granary residents? We've got our own entrance!

Toasted Croissant [$6.95]
Paris ham, aged Gruyere, salad

Their toasted croissant breakfast features a crusty, buttery croissant, filled with fresh thick-sliced ham and aged Gruyere.

A nice mixed green salad with lemon vinaigrette comes on the side, replete with a few cornichon.

Croque Monsieur [$12.95]
 

Their croque monsieur was toasted a bit over, but was nicely buttery and filled with an abundance of ham and cheese. It was quite substantial, though at $13, might be a bit much. It came similarly adorned with a salad and some cornichon. 

Goat Cheese Omelette [$11.75]
 

For a goat cheese omelette, the price point was also a bit high. Still, this was perfectly cooked, with a well-seasoned pesto dressing the goat omelette.

The omelette came with fresh-baked sour dough and wheat bread, with a few pats of butter.

Prosciutto & Ricotta Tartine [$14.10]
Peach, arugula, organic olive oil, lemon

Do try the tartines for a burst of seasonal flavor. I would have preferred the bread to be toasted slightly for some texture. However, the peppery arugula balanced the salty prosciutto and the sweet peaches perfectly. The spritz of lemon helped to brighten up each bite, with a ricotta spread beneath to lend some creaminess. Nice.

So if you're in the Fairmount area (or by the Center city locations!), do stop by LPQ. You get what you pay for - organic, fresh, and delicious dishes that will give you the sustenance to get through the day.

Garces Events Wedding Showcase Review

Personally, I've always joked that I've been on the 10 year marriage plan. And without getting too sappy, it's clear that for the GF and I, the light at the end of the tunnel is closer than ever. And while it's a given that I'll defer the majority of the wedding particulars to the GF, figuring out the catering will clearly be in my wheelhouse. And if the intended nuptials are in Philly, it's a safe bet that I'd be putting my eggs in the Garces Events basket.

For any of the newly engaged couples out there, be sure to attend one of their wedding showcases in preparation for your big day. Once registered, it's complimentary for the happy couple and for any additional family members, it's an affordable $10 per ticket. I was invited to the January showcase by Corie from Gloss PR and was blown away. From the gorgeous centerpieces from Sullivan Owen to the culinary stations from Jose Garces' restaurants, the showcase was simply stunning. 

But let's focus in on the food and drink shall we? With rose champagne in hand, the GF and I sampled a bevy of offerings from Chef Garces' restaurants, including Village Whiskey, Distrito, Garces Trading Company, Tinto, and Volver. How many caterers (and I use that term loosely because we're talking about an Iron Chef here) do you know that have mozzarella hand-crafted right then and there and jamon shaved to order? And of course, His and Hers cocktails were provided and can range from the always delicious white sangria to crowd favorites like the Truffle Rush. 

Servers glided about with hor d'oeurves including luscious kobe beef tartare, refreshingly tart apple ceviche, hearty swordfish tacos, grassy lamb sliders, and delectable tartines. 

I heard more than a handful of couples say that "there wasn't one thing they didn't like." Double negatives aside, that says far more than any singular recommendation I could give. I can easily see your wedding guests indulging in palomas or shots of tequila while enjoying Distrito's pork carnitas and mahi mahi tacos. There was also plenty of snappy lime-marinated shrimp and pickled jalapenos along with tubs of some of the best guac I've ever had. If you're looking for proper finger foods, look towards Volver to provide you with hand-made paella maki rolls, corn croquettes, tartines, and tortilla espanola. 

And of course, you can't forget about dessert! In addition to showcasing the numerous combinations for your wedding cake, there was also a station highlighting a number of sweet selections. French macarons, bouchons, lime verrines, cheesecake pops, strawberry shortcake sliders, and red velvet cupcakes were just a few of the desserts on offer. A clear crowd favorite was the incredibly moist apple cider cake donuts. 

So if you're considering how to handle the food and beverage for your big day, why not look towards Garces Events to take care of your needs? There are discounts for booking early. Heck if you book your wedding of more than 150 guests at the Cira Centre on March 6th, they'll waive the site fee! You can register for that event on the Garces Events website.  If the budget allows, I'm sure your guests will thank you! And regardless, best of luck to all the couples embarking on their journeys together. 

Fine Palate Review

The GF and I love to go out for New Year's Eve dinner. Most of the time though, we're left disappointed because it's typically an overpriced prix fixe that's bereft of quality cooking. That's often due to the fact that it is indeed NYE and oftentimes, the actual chef isn't in the kitchen. So we usually turn to the menu itself over the actual restaurant and hope for the best. We continued with that strategy for 2015's last meal out and we're glad we settled upon Fine Palate.

Fairly new to the restaurant scene, Fine Palate was opened up by the folks who brought you the food at Le Bok Fin. And located in Center City proper, Fine Palate's Courtney Dow and Chef Vince Joseph bring you an array of globally inspired cuisine. 

New Year's Eve Menu [$79 Pre-Paid / $95 At the Door]

Their NYE menu was $95 pp, but an even more reasonable $79 pre-paid. A bit awkward, but makes sense to source exactly what the kitchen needs on a night when reservations are easily canceled by patrons who might have last minute changes to their plans.

Complimentary Champagne

A perfectly crisp, tart, and floral flute of champagne was graciously provided to start our meal. A nice touch, to be sure.

Sazerac [$9]
Fig-infused rye, bitters, sugar with absinthe rinse

I also decided to enjoy a well-made sazerac that was nicely citrus forward with a light anise backbone. The rye certainly came through on the finish. 

Painkiller [$9]
Amber and dark rum, orange, pineapple, coconut, nutmeg, cinnamon

The GF enjoyed the easily quaffable Painkiller, which had a nicely subtle sweetness that came through with the coconut shavings. The foundation was enjoyably tart and citrusy, with the nutmeg and cinnamon providing some balance.

Artichoke Soup with Black Truffles

As a whole, the soup could have used a bit more salt, but it was certainly light and delicate, despite the earthiness from the black truffles. I did appreciate the bitterness from the radish - almost an apertif of sorts for the rich meal that was to come. 

White Truffle Scallops

The GF's scallops were beautifully presented, nicely seasoned, and delicately seared. The fragrant white truffles perfumed each bite. Stunner. 

Smoked Foie Gras Torchon
Seeded mustard, Seckle pear

I went more rich with the smoked foie gras. A healthy portion (or two) of the torchon was provided, along with some stone ground mustard to cut through the heft of the foie and a nice counterpoint of sweet pear and honey. Some crusty crostini was the perfect vessel to assemble each delicious bite.

White Truffle Risotto 

The GF and I each went with the risotto, though with white and black truffle, respectively. Each grain of rice had nice bite, but the risotto was still wonderfully creamy overall. And who could say no to a rain of white truffles? Could easily eat a pot of this. 

Black Truffle Risotto 

My black truffle risotto was more earthy, but just as delicious and even heartier. 

Mediterranean Blue Lobster
Butter poached lobster, celery root puree, porcini

For her main, the GF received a gorgeous butter-poached lobster. Sweet, snappy, and succulent, the lobster was accompanied by other elements that were spot on from the light celery root puree to the well-seasoned porcini.

Buffalo Filet Mignon
Potato puree, roasted mushrooms, black truffle jus

My buffalo filet was tender, moist, and surprisingly light. Better yet, it had a well-seasoned crust that wasn't overbearing, with the mushrooms and black truffle jus adding some earthiness to each bite. The baby radish was a nice countervailing element to provide some bitter balance. 

Creme Brulee

For dessert, we each received a small pat of creme brulee - sweet, redolent of vanilla, and with that expected crust of just-burnt sugar. Simple, but enjoyable.

Overall, Fine Palate exceeded my expectations for a NYE dinner. Usually when you see truffle on a prix fixe menu for the holidays, we're talking about truffle oil. Chef Joseph and staff clearly know what they're doing in terms of execution and balance. I'd highly recommend stopping by - I know I'll be back in 2016!

Shady Maple Smorgasbord Breakfast Review [2]

Back to Shady Maple Smorgasbord again! If you don't already know about this "down-home" Pennsylvania Dutch buffet, the short of it is this. It's cheap, yet deliciously comforting. Less than $10 for breakfast, it's a steal of a deal if you can make it an hour west of Center City.

My first brunch plate featured to-order eggs benedict, a Philly cheese steak omelette, and plenty of crisp bacon. While the eggs aren't poached for the eggs benny, they came over-easy and the yolk dribbled all over the Canadian bacon and English muffin. The omelette was surprisingly excellent - nicely creamy and savory, with plenty of steak, American cheese, mushrooms, and onions. 

When it comes to breakfast, there's always bacon on my plate, so obviously I got more of that, along with a sausage link. A huge buttery and surprisingly sweet biscuit was also in order, topped with hearty sausage gravy. There was also a sausage-egg-and-cheese latke as well as crisp and chivey potato pancakes. 

I did say that bacon was on most of my breakfast plates right? Needless to say, in my mind, the crisp and salty bacon was a wonderful pairing to the sweet blueberry fritter, cream-filled doughnuts, and light whoopie pies offered at Shady Maple Smorgasbord. 

So if you're in the area or are willing to travel about an hour outside of Center City, consider plopping your butts down in Amish country to enjoy a taste of home cooking Pennsylvania Dutch style. 

Fairmount Pizza & Grille Review

Being new to the Fairmount area last year, I knew I had to try other pizza joints besides Pizzeria Vetri. So venturing a bit north by ESP, I stumbled upon Fairmount Pizza & Grill.

During the lunch rush, it was extremely busy, which means the offerings are pretty fresh and the pizza isn't going to be sitting out for days. 

Plain Slice ($2.17)
 

Had to try the standard, which had good flavor that was reminiscent of proper NY takeaway slice. The crust was nicely buttery, but was almost too chewy. The cheese to sauce ratio was nice though.

Buffalo Chicken Slice ($3.19)

The buffalo chicken slice was pretty good - great flavor and tender chunks of chicken. There was a bit of slight heat on the tip of the tongue from the hot sauce as well and the cheese sauce was creamy.

Special Calzone ($9.50)
Red sauce, mozzarella, steak, pepperoni, mushrooms. meatball 
 

I also ordered the special calzone which came with a mix of plenty of meats, including sliced steak, pepperoni, and meatballs, along with some mushrooms and onions.

There was a decent amount of cheese and sauce mixed in to create a satisfying bite. 

So if you're looking for a cheap slice on the go or need a pie for the game, I would definitely check Fairmount Pizza out. We can't have artisanal pizza every day right?