Common Wealth Old City

Located in Old City, Common Wealth brings forth the tastes of Carolina low country cuisine. Chef Joe Battista highlights seafood, heirloom grains, and fresh produce in an effort to provide flavors that you don't often find in Philly.

Sazerac [Bottom Left] | The Black Fedora [Bottom Right]

Common Wealth's interior is charming, with indoor street lights and murals creating a convivial atmosphere. In addition to a full bar featuring whiskies and craft beers, they offer a variety of specialty cocktails. The GF enjoyed a seasonal take on the Moscow Mule and I indulged in a sazerac, with the spice of the rye whiskey nicely balanced by the sweetness of the absinthe rinse and the herbal notes from the bitters. 

Fried Green Tomatoes [$12]
Pickled shrimp, remoulade, dressed greens

I loved the cornmeal crust on the fried green tomatoes - great texture and held up well to the stewed onions and the snappy pickled shrimp on top. The kick from the remoulade really made each bite. 

Pork Belly [$9]
Citrus salad, cider-jus reduction

How could I say no to the pork belly. The heft of the crispy, yet unctuous pork was balanced by  sweet peaches and a cider reduction, 

Oyster Mushroom Ravioli [$16]
Parmesan creamed leeks, field peas, Syrah-Grenache reduction

The ravioli are a sleeper hit. The al dente pasta housed an oyster mushroom filling laden with an earthy umami. The Parmesan creamed leek sauce had a great burst of flavor, with a punch of acid coming from the wine reduction. 

Shellfish & Grits [$22]
Seared shrimp and scallops, lobster etouffee, poblano-cheddar grits

I'm a sucker for shrimp and grits and I'll vouch for Common Wealth's iteration. Grits were spot on, with the poblano and cheddar really coming through. I could easily eat a pot of these alone. But with the depth of the lobster etouffee? Even better - especially with the kick from the cayenne and black pepper. Seared shrimp and scallops were simply an added bonus to round out the dish. 

So if you're in Old City, I'd definitely recommend stopping by Common Wealth. In addition to their regular weekday happy hour from 5-7PM, they have specials on Fridays and Saturdays from 9-11PM. On the weekends, they also offer up brunch - pork belly hash, croque madames, and lobster benedicts are calling your name!

FTC Disclaimer: Thanks to Common Wealth Old City for inviting us in to try their dishes. Regardless, my opinions are mine alone and, therefore, unbiased. 

Common Wealth Old City
319 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 372-7581
www.commonwealthphila.com

Khyber Pass Review [3]

Previous reviews can be found at Khyber Pass [1] and Kyber Pass [2].

One of my favorite spots to grab food in Old City is Khyber Pass. They've got a mix of BBQ and Southern-inspired dishes on the menu. So in effect, perfect foods to pair with their curated beer list.

One thing I didn't realize though. They offer bunch everyday! So while walking through Old City Festival and being fairly disappointed in the food-related offerings, the GF's family and I decided to pop into Khyber Pass for some brunch-time fare.

Founders Oatmeal Stout [$6]

I went with the nitro Founders Oatmeal Stout. Creamy with great notes of chocolate and coffee, this was easily quaffable.

Large Nachos [$11]

Jack cheese, green tomato salsa, sour cream

The large nachos were plentiful indeed, with an abundance of cheese, sour cream, and green tomato salsa interspersed throughout.

Mac n Cheese [$5]

The mac is always a must order. Buttery and cheesy with a wonderfully crisp upper crust, this is the mac that brunch dreams of.

Praline Bacon [$5]

Another must order? The praline bacon. I don't know how I've missed this goodie. Crisp, candied bacon doesn't better than this. Nutty, crunchy, sweet, salty, and savory, it's the perfect food.

Big Ass Biscuit & Sausage Gravy [$8]

I'm always drawn to Khyber Pass's "big ass biscuit." So for brunch, I got mine dumped with a whole bunch of sausage gravy on top. Buttery and creamy, this melange of savory flavors hit the spot.

So if you're in Old City, don't hesitate to pop on in to Khyber Pass. They've even got you covered for brunch!

The Fat Ham Review

I've been meaning to stop by the Fat Ham for awhile. But frankly and shamefully, I tend to stay within the corridor of Center City proper. And while the Fat Ham recently hopped on the Reserve bandwagon, the inability to reserve a table previously resulted in a few unsuccessful waits that were over an hour long. 

Granted heading over during the Happy Hour rush isn't the best strategy and it's not to say we didn't enjoy ourselves while we attempted to be seated for a table. With a fairly extensive bourbon list and with great cocktails, what's not to like? The interior is wonderfully designed, with a quaint Southern feel and a gorgeous bar wall. 

Memphis Mule [$10]
Basil & grapefruit infused vodka, citrus, ginger beer

Speaking of drinks do try their take on the mule, which features basil and grapefruit-infused vodka, ginger beer, and citrus. Subtly sweet, this was light and refreshing. 

Diamondback [$12]
Rye, apple brandy, chartreuse, sassafrass
  

The Diamondback featured Old Overholt, with the apple brandy smoothing things out. The sweetness of the chartreuse helped it along, with some spice coming through from the rye whiskey.

Pro-tip: If the weather's nice, be sure to enjoy a drink on the front porch! 

Sunday Supper [$30 pp]

The best tip though? Head over for their weekly Sunday Suppers - a steal of a deal at $30 pp for 9+ dishes from Kevin Sbraga. And with the ability to make a reservation using the Reserve app, there's no excuse now! Fair warning - the dishes come out as soon as they're executed by the kitchen so be prepared for an onslaught of food! 

Pimento Cheese
Grilled country bread

You'll likely start off with the pimento cheese along with some lightly buttered and hearty country bread. The perfect vessel for the slightly smoky, sharp, and peppery pimento cheese. It's no wonder it's a favorite bite during Happy Hour! 

Squash Dumplings
Granny smith apple, toasted pecan

The squash dumplings reminded me of spaetzle. Tender and emanating squash essence, the tart Granny Smith apples were a nice counterpoint, with the toasted pecans providing texture. 

Blackened Catfish
Comeback sauce, okra, walnuts

The catfish was moist and well-seasoned with blackened spice. The okra was expertly cooked, without much of the mucilaginous texture one usually associates with the greens. The "comeback" sauce had a nice bit of heat that played well with the components of the dish.

No. 20 [$11]
Bourbon, aperol, averna, lemon

The No. 20 was nicely citrus forward, with a great juxtaposition of Italian apertifs and digestifs. 

Skillet Cornbread
Tasso, molasses butter, fine herbs

You'll also likely receive the cornbread and for good reason. The crisp edges were where it was at, with the sweetness of the corn coming through. Slathered in the gorgeous tasso molasses butter? Let's just say it was hard not to inhale the entirety of the cornbread in a single bite. 

Baked Macaroni & Cheese
Butter bread crumbs

With Fat Ham's take on mac, there was great bite to the noodles, which were dripping in liquid gold. The buttered bread crumbs offered nice texture. 

Collard Greens
Pork shank, potlikker

A wonderful counterpoint to the richness of the supper, the vinegary collards were much needed and especially enjoyed. That's not to say that there weren't any tender pieces of pork shank topping the dish. I couldn't help but slurp some of that potlikker broth as well. Easily my choice of palate cleanser.

Smoked Pork
Sweet potato, parsnip puree, granola

The gorgeous hunk of savory, smoky and tender pork had a nice interplay with the sweet potato. The bits of granola offered some sweet balance in partnership with the parsnip puree underneath.

Hot Chicken 
Brioche, ranch dressing, dill pickles

There's a reason hot chicken is the Fat Ham's most celebrated dish and is essentially becoming the new pork belly. The chicken was moist and expertly fried with a great crisp. But the star is that cayenne-saturated heat, which will creep up on you! The dill pickles were much needed, attempting to provide some vinegary balance. I also appreciated the thin toasted brioche which had enough substance to stand up to being inundated with the ranch and spice-laden sauce. Much better than simple sandwich bread. Expect the spice sweats - that's a good thing! 

Gingersnap Tart
Eggnog cream, citrus segments, nut tuile 

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Our dessert was a gingersnap tart that featured the spice within the crust. Wonderful palate cleanser. The eggnog lightly permeated the cream, with the candied citrus elements brightening up each bite. 

Hat's off to the staff on this particular night. While the initial onslaught of dishes was a bit jarring at first, the fact that one server and manager were taking are of all the diners at a relatively relaxed and comfortable pace was commendable. And perfectly delicious execution at $30 pp? There's no fault there! Highly recommend the Fat Ham's Sunday Supper - I know I'll be back! 

Khyber Pass Review [2]

The first review  can be found at Khyber Pass [1].

When the GF and I are in Old City and get a hankering for some pub grub, it's a safe bet that we'll end up at Khyber Pass. So after a few drinks at 2nd Story Brewing Company, we decided to stop by Khyber Pass for dinner with a friend. Apologies in advance for the pics that were taken on a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge as we were out and about!

Mint Julep [$9]

Our friend decided to bring a bit of the Derby into the night. This mint julep was quite bourbon-forward, which isn't such a bad thing! The accents of mint and sugar were understated, but came through a bit on the finish.

Pimm's Cup $[7] 

It's a safe bet that the GF will always get the Pimm's. Theirs was refreshingly light, citrusy, and deceptively boozy.

Bell's Kalamazoo Stout [$6]

Regular readers know I don't regularly drink beer. But when I do, I prefer the dark stuff, especially if it's bourbon barrel aged. From Bell's Brewery, the Kalamazoo Stout is a great Michigan craft brew offering creamy chocolate, bourbon, and caramel notes. 

Fried Buttermilk Catfish [$14]
Black-eyed peas
 

Our friend went with the special of buttermilk catfish with black-eyed peas. The marinade helped to ensure the moistness of the fish, which was encrusted with a gorgeously light, yet crisp cornmeal batter. The stewed black-eyed peas came with well-seasoned and spicy collards, which really made each bite. 

Fried Green Tomato BLT [$13]
Benton's bacon, mayo, tabasco pepper remoulade, mac n cheese
 

With each of Khyber Pass' sandwiches, you get a choice of one of their spectacular sides. The GF chose the fried green tomato BLT with some of their awesome mac, much to my satisfaction! Let's start with the mac, because it's pretty spot on.

Creamy, yet al dente, the cheesy mac is well-seasoned and sharp. It's all hidden underneath a crusty layer of cheese and bread crumbs that showcases a great juxtaposition in textures and tastes. It's a pretty hefty portion for a side as well!

Their BLT is nothing to scoff at either! Especially if you've got smoky, crispy Benton's bacon on offer. And with tangy green tomatoes fried with a great cornmeal crust, you've got some extra texture there as well. Fresh tomatoes, lettuce, and a generous spread of mayo and spicy remoulade round out each bite nicely. And the bread? Fresh and grilled, it's hard to fault anything about this sandwich.

BBQ Brisket Sandwich [$12]
BBQ sauce, horseradish, "Big Ass" biscuit

Clearly I was carbo-loading fby ordering a brisket sandwich with a side of the "big ass" biscuit. It came with a pat of butter to spread on the biscuit and some fresh horseradish to top the brisket sandwich.

The sandwich was certainly hefty and savory. And while it was tasty, the brisket was a bit tough and I usually prefer less sauce, if any, on my BBQ (granted it was advertised with BBQ sauce). Regardless, it wasn't that bad because I finished it all!

And the biscuit? That was something else. Fluffy, pillowy, and buttery on its own, I couldn't help but spread some more butter on there like the glutton that I am. I was just imaging some honey, fried chicken, and cheddar in between the folds, but that would just be silly, right? (By the way, you're not imagining the extra side of fries I ordered in the background).

Clearly, Khyber Pass was the right move for pub grub after drinks. They've got the beers, the cocktails, and the food to boot. The servers are friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and not looking to rush you out while you're catching up with friends. It's a bit dive-y, but in the best sense of the word.