Mann-handled: Dining under the Starr

"Wow, that's an amazing mural," proclaimed one of my guests.

What we were viewing was the skyline of the city from a tent at the peak of the Mann Center and its Crescendo restaurant.

And, so, the joke was that at this Stephen Starr venue the ambience was for real rather than a studied theme.

Other than a stellar view, what will you find at this dining experience by Stephen Starr events?

The Antipasto Table has a selection of 14 Mediterranean dishes. One of our favorites was the Lentil, Local Corn, and Cotechino Sausage Salad. This is a classic Northern Italian dish.

The flavors and textures here married well, but I would have preferred that the sausage was in the classic tradition of slices rather than diced.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but I also wonder how local the local corn was at the end of June, and the tomatoes with the mozzarella and aged balsamic also seemed less than local - although that shouldn't continue to be an issue.

Another salad we enjoyed was the Slow-Roasted Fennel with Organic Honey and Thyme. The baby artichokes were ever-so-slightly browned on the edges and the honey added to the caramelization.

Although the Fried Cauliflower Milanese style is said to be a favorite, my tasters and I found that it lacked any texture and was greasy. The tomato-based sauce did nothing to enhance it.

The Buffet Table offers a carved entree, as well as two salads and a chicken and fish option, with vegetable sides.

The Herbed Lemon Chicken was slightly on the dry side, but the wilted spinach with garlic was perfectly garlicky.

The Pan Seared Salmon ranked high with one of my tasters. The fish was cooked well done, but retained juiciness. The accompanying Summer Bean Cassoulet and Tomato Coriander Jus was OK, but one of my tasters paired it with the simpler spinach and garlic from the chicken instead.

The Rack of Lamb Dijonaise Style was my favorite of the evening. The accompanying minted-mango chutney had enough tangy-sweetness to stand up to the lamb. And it was nice to have a choice of very rare to well-done meat.

Dessert is a platter to share, except that we found it difficult to share. The key lime cheesecake lollipops don't do well in warm weather and fell apart the second we picked them up. The other offerings were two small tarts that were such small morsels that you couldn't divide them, and the chocolate cream and blueberry mousse were also hard to divvy up.

Our server was cordial, but as the season progresses we hope that details such as dirty dishes left on the table next to ours long after the guest had departed will get attention from more than the flies.

For an additional $8 you can partake of a made-to-order sushi and sashimi station. It looked good, but I personally don't like raw fish when I'm eating a large meal, nor when I am coping with middle-of-summer heat. So, my tasters and I saved the eight bucks in a meal that otherwise is still quite pricey.

And that is my biggest complaint about the buffet at Crescendo. Convenient for concert-goers, yes. Stellar view, goes without saying. The food offerings are good, but none of this takes away the "ouch" you feel when the evening's bill arrives.

On the other hand, I don't like the prices for a hotdog and beer at Citizens Bank Park, either. Paying through the nose seems part and parcel of a venue concession.

As a less-expensive alternative, you can order from a bar menu, and there is a small lounge area in the tent. Here, you'll find some of the signature items from Starr restaurants such as the Guacamole and Salsa ($10) or Pulled Pork on brioche with celery root slaw and house-made kettle chips ($12.) There's a serviceable wine list, and the house wines by the glass are passable at $9 a glass.

And, to the guys who were dragged to the orchestra by their wives and think that they can hang out in the bar catching Phillies scores on their iPhones - sorry, service ends at the start of the concert.

In addition to the lounge at Crescendo, there are several Starr concessions located throughout the Mann featuring signature dishes from Starr Center City restaurants.

There are also an assortment of picnic-boxed dinners that include an entree, two sides and a dessert. Prices here range from antipasto for two ($15.95) to chicken and fish ($25.95) to beef tenderloin ($33.95), but, on the downside, you have to order 48 hours in advance and the phone line closes at 3 p.m. Hardly convenient.

Which also leads me to this consternation - with all these Starr catering venues, aren't we getting dangerously close to being a one constellation city? Will a tourist go from the Philadelphia Museum of Art lunch buffet, now managed by Starr Catering Group, to yet more Starr fare at the Mann?

Patrons of the Mann Orchestra concerts can still picnic on the lawn and bring their own food basket and bottle of wine. That is the way it was done 75 years ago and, when all is said and done, in my estimation, still the best way to go.

For information on what you can bring to Mann Center events: http://www.manncenter.org/plan-your-visit/venue-policies-what-can-i-bring