The best things we ate this week: Musette, Eataly, and famously good fried scallops
Our reporters got to the new Eataly, Center City's coolest new coffee shop, a new date-night haunt in Mount Airy, and down the Shore.
Fried scallops at Mayer’s Tavern
On a day trip to Cape May, I had the delight of sitting at the busy bar at (Craig LaBan-recommended) Mayer’s Tavern, known for their outrageous seafood specials. Nosh included a yellowfin tuna tartare with Jimmy Nardello peppers and a delectable smoked bluefish spread with onion jam, both served with Mighty Bread toast. But the absolute star of the show were the fried local scallops, which are perfectly cooked and lightly fried in a golden batter so thin, you can still see the plump bivalves’ muscle fibers. Intoxicatingly sweet and savory, the dozen or so scallops are plated alongside a citrus slaw and fries for $30. Mayer’s Tavern, 894 Third Ave., Cape May, N.J., 609-435-5078; mayerstavern.com
— Emily Bloch
Pomegranate lamb shank at Doho
Doho, in its early weeks in the front of Catering by Design’s kitchen, gives West Mount Airy a chic date-night option with an ambitious menu and a stylish bar. My favorite entree: the pomegranate lamb shank ($36), served with steamed sourdough buns. Chef Roth Perelman confits the lamb with pomegranate and jus made from lamb stock, chars it, and serves it with pickled Jimmy Nardello peppers, scallion, and toasted sesame seeds. Get a fork, shred the lamb, pick up a bun, and make your own sandwiches. Doho, 18 W. Hortter St., 267-785-0001, dohorestaurant.com
— Michael Klein
Pear and mascarpone tartine from Musette
There’s something magical about sitting outside Musette — an all-day French-lite café near Rittenhouse Square — on the last warm Sunday of the year with an oversized slice of sourdough slathered with mascarpone. The seasonal tartine is simple, just a slab of bread smeared with cheese and heaped with slices of pears, fig jam, and a dusting of crushed pistachios. But the flavors were the perfect mix of sweet and slightly salty, making it feel something I could never quite achieve in my home kitchen with bread from Acme. Plus, with the birds chirping over the hubbub of Open Streets, it kind of felt like trying to take one final bite out of summer. Musette, 238 S. 20th S., 215-315-8340, musettephiladelphia.com
— Beatrice Forman
Beef and pork ragu arancini at Eataly King of Prussia
In between tall glasses of dry Chianti at Eataly King of Prussia’s grand opening, I popped a golden arancini in my mouth. Within seconds I’d lost my train of thought, completely distracted by the savory mix of cheese, beef, and pork ragu blanketing my taste buds. I chewed. I swallowed. I smiled. I flagged the server down for another. Arancini is a deep-fried rice ball popular on the streets of Sicily. This one is not only stuffed with succulent meat for warmth, the Grana Padano cheese gives the crunchy confections a nice bite. I could have easily knocked out a dozen. Eataly King of Prussia, 160 N. Gulph Rd., King of Prussia, 484-806-2990, eataly.com/us_en/stores/king-prussia
— Elizabeth Wellington