Restaurant Chat: Bells, delis and exercising off 400 restaurant meals

Hey friends, and welcome back to my chat table, after what I hope was a great feasting week! I know I've been crowing for a few weeks now about my new Big Green Egg grill and the turkey I planned to throw down for the holidays, so I thought I'd just start today's chat with a little T-day Show-n-Tell. Note the pictures above - my BGE puffing away, and the finished bird, just waiting to be sliced. I'm biased, of course, but it was pretty darn good for a first try on the new machine, which compared to my trusty old (and rusted out Weber), is kind of like stepping up from a Jeep to a Land Rover. But that was last week. And I'm looking forward now to a whole new platter of flavors. So we can talk about your holiday triumphs (or flubs), my status report on the local wine industry that appeared on Sunday, or anything else that made you hungry but curious this week. Of course, we'll also have a Crumb Tracker Quiz, too...

Name the places I ate these three dishes in order, and win a signed copy of my book: 1) sausage Genovese; 2) veal kreplach; 3) a mess of garlic crabs in Chesapeake City, Md.......Ready, set, start crumbing!!

Craig, I noticed a trend lately. Your reviews seem stuck at "Two Bells". Is this a coincidence or are there so many "above average" restaurants here? I know its at least 50% which are above average...

You're right, LeeH, in that 2-bell reviews make up the large part of my diet - on average, about 20-24 a year. But that's not because I think half the restaurants I eat at are "very good" or better. You'd see a whole lot more 1 bell and no bell reviews if I approached the local scene more randomly. But there is a major culling process that happens, with a number of less-interesting places simply left unreviewed in favor of places I'd rather tell you about. That is not to say you won't see the occasional negative review - these things happen, bad meals happen, and some places need to be reviewed no matter what. I occasionally end up on a 3 week jag of 1 bell places in a row (this happened this summer). But in general, I'd rather focus most of my energy on telling everyone where to eat, rather than what not to. So you'll see the ratings swing that way because I'm choosing my subjects well.

Re: the egg, is it a grill or a smoker and how is it fueled?

PSM - the egg is both. You can crank it up to about 700-degrees for a thermo-nuclear sear, or keep it low and slow at 250 for half a day. The big improvement for me over the Weber is that you can do this on one load of lump charcoal, whereas the Weber needed to be opened and reloaded with fresh charcoal every hour. It made it very hard to maintain temperature - especially during the cold weather.

1.Villa Di Roma 2.Rae 3. Tap Room So many options...

Wow! Melanie has not only nailed the Crumb Tracker this week, she did it in probably record time. I received a correct answer from Adam, too, but he was a couple minutes too late - so, Melanie, please send me your mailing info so I can send you a book! As for those CT spots, I had nice meals at all. Villa was a great place to take the family from out of town for an authentic taste of South PHlly red gravy. Rae was revisited for my Year in Bells edition at the end of this year, and while I won't tell you whether it made the leap up from 2- to 3 bells, I can tell you those kreplach are awesome - they evoke just a hint of bubbie's recipe (especially the toothsomely thick dumpling dough), but the veal stuffing and sophisticated garnish/sauce were really amazingly polished. The Tap Room, meanwhile, is just a great authentic Md. bar where you can get completely covered in garlicky butter. They've got Louisiana crabs right now (not as good as real Maryland ones), but it was a tasty crab fix.

So Craig, how do you decide how long is an appropriate amount of time for a new restaurant to be open before you review. Silk City was open for months before you reviewed it while City Grange is fairly new and you already are reviewing it, seems kind of early.

George - the standard waiting period is a minimum of two months, and City Grange has definitely hit that. The only reason Silk City had so long before its review because they kept changing chefs. I literally started that review process three times. It was an unusual situation - though somewhat more frequent this year. Coquette's review was also slightly delayed by an early chef change there. What's the point of reviewing a mene and chef who's no longer there?

Craig, I am craving a really good falafel sandwich! Got an idea of where to go?

JeffP - we've come a long way in the falafel field over the past few years, with a whole slew of authentic new Israeli places. My two current favorites are the Pita Pocket, on 16th St. (though I may even like their shawarma better), and Mama's Vegetarian on 20th st., just south of Market, where they also bake their own pitas (actually I think the pocket does, too). Alternatively, for a slightly different ethnic twist on the veggie fritter, I think Christis' food cart at the northeast corner of 20th and Market also makes one of the better falafels in town (greened with lots of herbs). Aya's bistro, meanwhile, on Arch St. in Logan, makes a wonderful Egyptian version crusted in coriander seeds. Aaah, the falafel variations.

Fair enough. I'll be interested to see what you say about City Grange, I had lunch there last week and was pleasantly suprised by the quick service. Had a salad and the chicken sandwich while my dining partner had the chicken soup and chicken pot pie. We were pleasantly surprised. The space is odd though its like they tried to retrofit a "W" restaurant into an old Ritz Carlton dining room. It's a bit sterile and awkward.

George - I'm glad to hear about your good experience at City Grange. You make some interesting points about the space, which, without windows, has always been awkward. You'll have to wait until this weekend, though, to get my take on the whole experience.

What is your policy on revisiting restaurants years later? I've noticed that you've given generally poor reviews to several steakhouses shortly after they opened, but I'd imagine that they've corrected some of their problems (especially regarding consistently cooking meat to the correct temperatures) in the past few years.

Evan - I have no formal "policy" on revisits per se, simply because there are so many new restaurants, and I can't promise to go back to every restaurant I didn't like. That said, I will frequently report on those revisits in capsule reviews included in the Or Try These section of my Sunday reviews. Only occasionally has a steakhouse made a big leap forward. But I wouldn't have gone back if I wasn't hoping for improvement.

I'm new to the area and am looking for a nice Jewish deli, any thoughts?

Michael - Jewish deli in Philly is a particular subject, especially for out-of-towners, mostly because the long time local favorites, like Murray's and Hymie's on the Main Line, and even Koch's in University City, favor the Philly-style of corned beef - cold, and thin-sliced. If you're like me, and more used to the thicker, hotter NY style, you should visit one of two places right now that are still doing it well. The Famous 4th St. Deli is probably the best - they make their own corned beef, and I understand owner Russ Cowan is back behind the counter. I'd also like to mention, though, that the newish deli counter at the Reading Terminal, Hershel's, has made significant improvements since its earlier months. They make their own corned beef and pastrami, which is nice, but I didn't initially love their recipes. They have improved - the pastrami is no longer too sweet, the corned beef has just the right balance of fat and pink, flaky meat. Previously skimpy portions have been upped.

great jewish deli on 5th st Zeke's

John - thanks for mentioning Zeke's. I've hard of it, but never been. I'll have to give them a try.

Have you revisited the Sidecar recently? I know you were asking for reports after they changed chefs and tried to step things up. I had been there before the change and had the same impression of the place as you did - a boon for the neighborhood, but with boring, sub-par food. I was back recently and was really impressed by the changes on paper (house-made charcuterie, a general jump in the level of ambition throughout). This didn't completely translate to execution, as our food that night had made some steps, but not a giant leap. I think bar food may be especially unfair to judge based on one visit (lord knows who is doing the cooking on a particular night), but I think I would tentatively put the new incarnation somewhere close to the border between 1 and 2 bells. Definitely better, but still a bar where I might eat something as opposed to a destination for food.

Chris - thanks for this report on the newer edition of the Sidecar. You summarized my initial review well - a very interesting place for an emerging neighborhood, but with disappointing food. I've been hearing interesting things about the new chef, though (including a barrage of messages from the chef himself begging me to return). I have to say, with the prospect of homemade Cajun boudin hovering above the corner of 22nd and Christian, I'm intrigued. It may take a while, but they're on my revisit radar.

Craig, I agree about the RTM, when I first came down from Queens NY and had lunch there, I wasn't really impressed. I recently revisited and was impressed with their meats as well as their smoked fish!! And, if you get the right person - they make a mean NY Egg Cream, yumm!!

Glad you concur, Michael. It is a truly nice addition to the RTM's menu.

Craig, we've hired a terrific young lawyer who happens to be a devout Muslim (he is Pakistani). I'm wondering if you know of any good restaurants catering to his dietary preferences. Doesn't have to be fancy, does have to be tasty. Any insight from you or your readers would be greatly appreciated!

Welcome to the Chat Room, Puff Davey. This is a tough question, but I instantly begin thinking West Philly. I can't say these are fancy restaurants - but the West African restaurants of Southwest Philly I wrote about a few weeks ago (Memdee's, Le Baobab, Le Mandingue) are all halal (I believe). If your colleague is Pakistani, he should definitely check out Kabobeesh on Chestnut around 42d Street, which is one of the few places in town that is specifically Pakistani, and not just a variation on Indian cuisine. (They are quite similar, but a little different). As for more upscale places, I don't know of many. Anyone out there have any suggestions for Haute Halal?

Craig, I couldn't agree more with your praise of Christis' food cart at 20th & Market. While certainly expensive for a food cart, his flavors are outstanding and worth the 10 bucks you'll shell out for lunch (and what a character!) ... As far as a more modest falafel offering, what do you think of the food truck at 40th & Walnut's falafel?

I also want to note that Christis is probably the only food cart I can think of that also uses a charcoal grill (for his chicken sandwich). It makes a difference. As for the 40th St. truck, I visited it a few years ago during a W. Philly truck round up. I wasn't that impressed, really. I recall preferring the little cart (Aladdin?) on the island in front of HUP a little more.

Craig - Your comment on the 20-24 bells reminded me of a question I have always wanted to ask you. Do you have a special diet when you are not out at restaurants or a secret exercise regimen? Based on the faceless image you are known by, you look like a relatively slim person. How do you do it?

Spero - That 20-24 number referred to the average number of restaurants that receive 2 bells each year, but only a fraction of the meals I eat. This is a rough guess, but I eat at somewhere between 400 and 500 restaurant meals a year. So your health question is pertinent. Any critic has to consider this, and I do - and my only solution is to exercise as often as possible, and keep the beer columns (which I love writing) to a reasonable pace. I'm devoted, though, to my gym, and ride my bike whenever possible. But it is a losing battle either way. My appetite and enthusiasm seems to grow every year.

Hi Craig, love your column. I wanted to get my in-laws a gift certificate for a restaurant for the holidays, and my mother in law has always wanted to try La Collina, but I'm unable to find a review. Have you ever been? If so, what is your opinion?

Marie - I've never done a formal review of La Collina, but have visited it once, a couple years ago, for a meal that was mentioned in a capsule review. Obviously, the place has a great view (of the Schuylkill river - as well as the highway!) And it is a very classic, old-school Continental Italian kind of place. Black-tie waiters. Old-fashioned preparations. Generally, very good ingredients. Excellent veal chop and I had some great soft-shells there one spring. That said, I also found it quite stuffy. My wife and I were a couple decades younger than the median diner age, and we (coincidentally?) were stuck alone in a side room away from the action. Service, probably for that out-of-sight reason, was a bit spotty and cool. Think La Buca or La Veranda with a highway view.

Craig - my parents are at the Art Museum as I write this, at the Renoir exhibit. Where should I take them for dinner? We're meeting at Mughots @ 21st and Fairmount, so I thought we'd stay in that neighborhood. Don't want to get too pricey because my dad sometimes outwrestles me for the check.

Sam - Fairmount has a number of promising options: L'Oca for Northern Italian BYO (stylish, with some good game selections, but not cheap); London, the old favorite bar/restaurant with the duck spring rolls (can go fancy or cheap); Rembrandt's (very similar to London, and I'd come to prefer it by a shade over the past years; but I haven't been back since the old chef, Peter McAndrews, left to start Modo Mio); there is also Trio, the Thai-French spot up in the neighborhood (hard to park, but if they're already there....); Or, you could get wood-fired pizzas at Illuminare (handsome space for parents, but you're really only safe, in my experience, if you stick to the upscale pizzas); If you're parents are big beer people, there's always Brigid's (though I'm not a huge fan of the food), or the newish St. Stephens Green in the old Cuvee Notre Dame, which just got a great new chef in former New Wave guy, Ben McNamara (they also have a nice beer selection).

Craig - there are so many restaurant options along Main Street in Manayunk ... Winnie's, Brew Pub, Bourbon Blue, Jake's, etc. Which one along the strip do you think gives someone the most bang for their buck to go with atmosphere and quality food/course options?

Jason - Manayunk is one of those neighborhoods that appears to be much richer in restaurants than it truly is - at least from a quality perspective. Right now, there are only two places I think of as solid Main Street destinations: Jake's, which is a sophisticated place that has survived as the nabe's clear champ, and Chabaa Thai, the handsome Thai place nearby that does a nice job of combining authentic flavors (albeit a little mild) with nice ambiance. Jake's is certainly more expensive, but bang for the buck is a relative thing. Jake's has done a lot toward value in recent years with special prix fixe menus to keep the mid-week crowds coming. One M'yunk place I'd like to try - if only because I liked its Cherry Hill sibling, Onasis, earlier this year, is Cafe Zesty, which has a Greek flair for some exotic whole fish. Never been, but I'll get there someday. Also, Il Tartufo is pretty good as Italian trattorias go - stick to the fried artichokes and homemade mozzarella.

La Collina...I agree

Jakes..hands down

I love it when everyone agrees with me! Though you all know it doesn't usually happen that way. So on that note, then, I'm calling this chat perfectly done before it heads South into coat checks and bad bells! Thanks to everyone who came and submitted great questions. I didn't get to everybody, but maybe next week. Until then, may you all be well and eat something worth bragging about!