Chinatown's Shiao Lan Kung

Although I think it's a cool neighborhood, I rarely stop in Chinatown for meals. On Saturday my good friend Callen and I were wondering around Philadelphia, and walked through Chinatown. The mid-autumn festival was in full swing, with street blocked off, traditional dances, and people everywhere. We figured now was as good of a time as any to grab dinner. I didn't have a single recommendation; I didn't even have an idea of what might be good. Luckily, we stumbled upon Shiao Lan Kung.

The front windows of this small eatery are almost completely obscured by reviews and awards. Philadelphia magazine, Craig LeBan, and Citysearch, among others, have been giving this spot props for over fifteen years. Despite the positive press, I was a bit skeptical. One inside, the interior has about as much atmosphere as a roadside diner.

Shiao only tries to impress with their food. We were quickly seated and offered hot tea. A quick look over the extensive menu and Callen and I were ready to order. We split orders of rice, hunan chicken, and the Phoenix and Dragon's nest. The pork fried rice was excellent; a great base for our other dishes. The Phoenix and Dragon dish was a mix of chicken and shrimp with snow peas, broccoli and carrots tossed in a light butter sauce. It was served in a hardened bowl of crunchy noodles (the nest) although they weren't really edible. The hunan chicken was the real hit of the meal. This dish was perfectly prepared and the hunan sauce was excellent.

Between the two of us, we couldn't finish our food. This is surprising, especially considering the bill was $20 each, after tip and tax. And, the food tasted great reheated. At the end of the meal, we were full and satisfied, but didn't feel gross. This is a hard feeling to find after a Chinese meal.

Bottom Line: Shiao Lan in a small operation, a bit shabby and quant, with friendly faces serving up delicious food. Callen and I really enjoyed ourselves, and want to make this a regular stop when he has the chance to visit Philadelphia. Most impressively, Craig LeBan gave it three bells. But I wanted to give my spin first. If you're not a vegetarian and you are looking for great Chinese food, Shiao Lan Kung is definitely worth a try. We didn't BYOB, but you can, making this small place even more versatile, and a great cheap and delicious option.

Essentials:

930 Race St

(215) 928-0282

Avg Ent: 7-13

Cash only: No

Reservations: No

BYOB: Yes

Zahav

This is part four of my four part restaurant week/birthday celebration. Delicious.

Rachel and I went out for a final restaurant week visit. Zahav is incredibly popular; I made the reservations about five weeks in advance, and even then I had to pick a few dates before I could get a reasonable time. Oddly enough, there were empty seats the whole time that we were eating.

The atmosphere is really nice; they have really focused on it and crafted it. The lighting, ambiance, music, layout all works really well. Zahav has an open kitchen that pushes out the dish to a small staging area with heat lamps. Not only does this look cool, but it's an efficient and effective way to serve up their food.

The service was great. Zahav has a nice team of severs and food runners; we were well taken care of, water was always filled, dishes were quickly cleared. The service was on par with the rest of the dining experience. Everything that we ordered was part of the $35 restaurant week menu. It was an amazing (and I really use that word sparingly) deal.

There was so much food! To start off, we were offered pita bread and hummus and eight different salads. The salad portions were really small, just enough to get a taste of each one, but it was really nice to be able to try so many different styles. The pita bread was probably the best I've ever had; warm, fluffy and doughy.

We had four appetizers between us. Grilled sheep's milk cheese was great, as were the fried cauliflower. These two were excellent, and the next two the low points of the evening. The cured wild sturgeon was salty, but interesting. The stuffed baby peppers were filled with cold rice, walnuts and feta, but tasted somewhat bland. That being said, there is plenty on the appetizer menu to please everyone.

By this point in the meal, we were getting pretty full. It was nice that the entrees were manageable portions, only slightly bigger than the appetizers. Rachel went with a dish a beef and lamb, which came out looking like two meatballs. Poor presentation. She said they tasted okay. I was far to busy raving over my dish; swordfish over lentils and green beans. This dish blew me away. It was probably the best tasting food I've had this year. So, so good.

My dessert was the best way to finish, right on par with the rest of the food. I had a chocolate semifreddo, which is somewhere between mousse and ice cream. It was served with a caramel sesame glaze. It was so rich, but so tasty, that I couldn't stop eating it. Phenomenal.

This was my favorite restaurant I've been to in a very long time. I recently went to Marrakesh, and I really enjoyed that spot. But Zahav makes it look like McDonald's of Middle Eastern food.

The biggest downside is the beer. There are a few good, carefully selected brews like 90 IPA, Yard's saison and Prima Pils, amoung others. But these are all bottle offerings, and don't seem to be worth the price. Go with the wine, or save some money and stick with water. There's enough flavor coming at you from all of the different foods.

Bottom Line: Zahav was completely delicious. It far surpassed my expectations and redefinied what I expect of the best restaurants. The menu for restaurant week was phenomenal, but it's absolute worth a visit at anytime.

Essentials:

237 St James Pl (2nd and Walnut)

(215) 625-8800

Avg Ent: 36-42

Cash only: No

Reservations: Yes

Moriarty's - Best Wings in Philly?

Somewhere along the line, I heard that Moriarty's had the best wings in Philly. A quick Google search will put it near the top of a few lists, but will also provides mixed results.

Because I was only interested in the wings, I'll start there. An order costs $9 and give you 8 to 10 full wings, which isn't a bad deal. I like full wings. These were well cooked, had a flavorful, tangy buffalo sauce, and came with a side of average tasting blue cheese. I wouldn't call them the best in town, but it was really nice to have a change from the tiny little wings found most places. The wings definitely get a thumbs up in my book.

Aside from the wings, this place has an great beer selection. It has 30 taps, and I had 90 minute IPA while I was there. They have quite a few Belgians, including La Chouffe with the big guys: Leffe, Chimay, and others. There's some decent happy hour specials as well.

The atmosphere brings this place down a few notches. First of all, I'm not a fan of "Irish pubs." They seem to be generic and homogenized to a point of cultural blandness. Here, Moriarty's is

on par with mediocrity. Further, it's definitely a bro spot. Seriously, there were a bunch of guys wearing Guinness hats. I was offered a free Guinness, and when I turned it down, the incredulous promo guy gave me a hard time. Seriously?

The menu has a serious identity crisis. Moriarty's offers an extensive selection Scotch, but doesn't even advertise their Irish whiskey. With a load Mexican offerings, it leaves one wondering what this joint is trying to accomplish. Lastly, the menu prices that all end in $*.99 (ie, wings are $8.99), and it leaves you feeling like you're in nothing more than a Irish branded Applebees. And I hate Applebees.

Bottom Line: The wings here are good, and there's some decent beer too. Even the fries were likeable. But this place is too frustrating to really enjoy oneself. If you must try the wings, get in and get out.

Essentials:

1116 Walnut St

(215) 627-7676

Avg Ent: 8.99-12.99 (because one penny makes a difference)

Cash only: No

Reservations: Not a bad idea

Spasso Italian Grill

This is part three of my four part restaurant week/birthday celebration. Delicious.

Italian food is not my jam. I'm almost never going to pick out an Italian spot. That's why it was great when Quinn and I went out last week, and she insisted upon this spot. I would have never picked it on my own.

I have to get the atmosphere out of the way. This place is big and open, with booths and tables. The layout is weird. It feels a bit corporate. There were large groups of Italian families inside. Loud children were right next to us, too. It definitely doesn't feel like a nicer restaurant. This distracted from the meal a bit. Our server was clearly Italian. I like it when my server is an expert in the food being served. We had good service throughout the meal.

Spasso had an awesome special going for restaurant week. $35 brought four courses to the table. Quinn and I ate so much food, I honestly don't think my appetite came back for 24 hours. To start off, I went with the fried calamari. I love this dish, and this was an average rendition. I wasn't impressed, but it wasn't bad either. Quinn went with a fried crab cake. It was a large crab cake that was seasoned interestingly. I can't put my finger on what it was, but it was a nice experiment with a dish that can easily be bland.

Our next course was the house pasta dish. It was offered as part of the special, and they picked the pasta and sauce. We were served penne with a simple red sauce. It was nice, but in reality, I probably didn't need it before the main course.

For my main, I ordered gnocchi with asiago and asparagus. Quinn went with spinach ravioli stuff with four different cheeses. The presentation on both of our dishes was good, and my portions were great too. I though that Quinn's was a bit small, with five large ravioli's making up the whole dish. The gnocchi was great; perfectly cooked. The white wine sauce was well balanced. The asiago and asparagus additions completed the dish well.

For dessert, Quinn took the chocolate mousse cake. It was awesome. It was so rich, that we didn't finish it between the two of us. It was a great piece of cake. When our server told us that profiterole was available, I had to jump at the chance (because of "Look Around You." If you

haven't seen this video, you really need to take 2 minutes and check it out). Unfortunately, my dessert was simply a dollop of ice cream between two hard, bland biscuits.

Bottom Line: Spasso's tag line is "comfort food from Italy," and I think they success in this department. I may not ht up this spot again, but especially considering their restaurant week offering, I think this is a nice spot. If you want simple, good Italian food, this is a viable option.

Essentials:

34 S Front St (Front and Chestnut)

215) 592-7661

Avg Ent: 15-22

Cash only: No

Reservations: Yes

BYOB: No

Lolita

This is part two of my four part restaurant week/birthday celebration. Delicious.

Last night, I went out with my man J Rashid for dinner. I ate outside again, which was nice, but it was a bit cooler than the it was at Audrey Claire. Lolita is a fancy Mexican inspired spot right in the Gayborhood. I've been wanting to check out this restaurant; it came high recommended. For some reason, my camera was freaking out, so I didn't get any good pictures of the food.

We ordered a tall pitcher of mint blood orange margarita. Our server mixed and poured the drink for us, and we added a little more tequila after she left. The margirita was great, and it lasted us the whole meal. Lime and Watermelon were also available. With the BYOT (Tequila) option, this is basically a must when dining here.

There were about six options for each course, and three desserts. Jonny had some salmon tostadas, while I had jack cheese filled corn cakes topped with brazed short ribs and guacamole. The meat on my was really fantastic, and overall my dish was well prepared, in presentation and taste. My appetizer was easily the apex of the meal.

Jonny main course was mahi-mahi with cumin chorizo. Again, he loved this. I went with pork short rib with sweet Mexican BBQ glaze and cornbread stuffing. The meat and glaze were good, but really, it was just BBQ pork. I could get this a million places. On top of that, the corn side dish was bland. Overall, the was a good dish, but my standards change depending on the quality I expect (and the price).

Overall, Jonny loved his meal. I'm sure he'll rave about this place. I make a note of that because I want to give contrast to my experience. I thought everything was good; nothing more. My dessert was a really nice tiramisu, and Jonny had some kind of milk biscuit/cookie concoction.

For service, Jonny had a really hard time with our server. She was a bit scattered, maybe overly friendly, but it didn't bother me. I probably wouldn't have even noticed if he hadn't commented. As for atmosphere, we were outside, so we didn't experience it much. Looking inside, it seemed like a normal spot, but a bit too packed and loud for my liking.

Bottom Line: Looking back over my review, I just keep saying things are "nice" and "good." Clearly, I'm not raving. There are so many people who will give Lolita high praise. I'm not one of them. Still, at the same time, it's in the upper echelon of food and Mexican spots in the city.

Essentials:

106 S 13th St (13th and Sansom)

(215) 546-7100

Avg Ent: 18-24

Cash Only: Yes

Reservations: Needed

BYOB: Yes

Max's Taphouse - Baltimore, MD

Max's Taphouse is amazing. There is not a spot like this in Philly, the so claimed best beer drinking city in America. Max's features sixty taps, and from what I've tasted and read online, keeps the lines fresh. That's a feat in and of itself.

I had a few beers when I passed through Baltimore last weekend. Flying Dog Double Dog (Imperial IPA) on a nitro tap? It was creamy and delicious. I stayed heavy with the Southern Teir Unearthly, another fantastic imperial IPA.

These were great beers, but the scope of the list is the most impressive part. Three italian beers on tap, including Del Ducato Verdi, an Italian Imperial Stout brewed with chili's. Allagash Confluence, Old Horizontal, a few Dogfish Head I hadn't seen before (Burton Baton, Theobroma, and Chateau Jaihu) also round out the list. Max's continues to keep it international with options from Norway, Finland, Switzerland, and others.

To top it off, there were several plasma screens scatter around the bar. The best beer selection, and the ability to watch my teams? Philly, listen up! This place was great. I'm sure I'll visit again.

Essentials:

737 S. Broadway

Baltimore, MD 21231

(410) 675-6297

Cash Only: No

Tap List

Audrey Claire

This is part one of my four part restaurant week/birthday celebration. Delicious.

Last night I had the pleasure of dining out with Rachel and the Kolodzieys for my birthday. Rachel picked Audrey Claire; we had to postpone my first choice because the reservations didn't work out. I hadn't heard a single thing about this spot before last night, and I'm really surprised about that.

The restaurant menu was the only thing offered, which I really appreciate. I've been to spots that offer a paltry restaurant week menu that seems weak next to the regular menu. There were about eight options for each the first and second courses. Because there were so many good choices, we all split the first course. I shared the flatbread and brussel sprouts. I'm not sure how brussel sprouts got a bad rap, because I think anyone who would have tried some of mine from last night would agree that they're delicious. The flatbread was topped with sliced bosc pear, gorgonzola, and sunflower seeds. This was also excellent. Perfectly cook, thin, crispy flatbread.

I was floored by the second course. I ordered potato crushed ahi tuna topped with crispy beet shavings. While the potato crust didn't provide a whole lot of flavor, the tuna was perfectly cooked. Seriously, seared on the outside, pink on the inside, and warm throughout. From my experience, most places can't pull off seared tuna to my satisfaction. Audrey Claire made me flip over a dish I generally don't love. A+. Rachel had sole with lemon and capers. I tried this, and this was also great; it had a better crust than my tuna. John went with a pork loin that he enjoyed, and Alli also had the tuna.

There were about six choices for dessert. Three of us opted for the warm chocolate lava cake, while Alli went with cinnamon raison rice pudding. The cake was served with fresh strawberries and house made whipped cream; it was a perfect way to end the meal. I'm not a rice pudding guy, so I can't comment on it.

This was a great pick for restaurant week, I'd highly recommend it. I took a look at the regular menu, and the prices aren't outrageous otherwise. The portion sizes were perfect; I've found this can be another disappointing "trick" pulled by restaurants during the promotional week. Each course was the perfect size and I was satisfied at the end of the meal.

Last night was probably the nicest day of the year, and we decided to eat outside. Audrey Claire has a nice indoor dining area with an open kitchen, although I've heard complaints that it can get quite loud inside. The service here is on par with what you'd expect from fine dining. I noticed several time our server checking our plates from down the sidewalk; he knew just when to clear the plates and put in the other orders. This was the best service I've had in quite some time.

Bottom Line: This spot is great. It's a perfect nice-but-not-too-expensive spot. It's a BYOB, which always wins points in my book. At the very least, consider this spot for a future restaurant week pick.

Essentials:

276 S. 20th Street (20th and Spruce)

(215) 731-1222

Avg three course meal: 32-46

Cash only: Yes

Reservations: Yes

BYOB: Yes - No Cork Fee

Fitzwater Cafe

I'm glad that Yelp has arisen as an alternative to CitySearch. I used CitySearch a lot but hated the bloated and clunky website. Still, the article on CitySearch about the best brunch places turned me onto my all time fav, Carmen's, so it can't be all bad. Fitzwater Cafe was one of the last spots on the list I had never visited.

I finally made it out here last weekend. The cafe in tucked in on the corner of 7th and Fitzwater, and has a long bar with a small dining area. The decor in this place is cute and quaint; it really looks like a cozy neighborhood spot. Rachel and I took a seat at the bar and looked over the menu.

Overall, the menu is pretty limited. It contains a few different omelets, some sweet breakfast options like pancakes and waffles, and other small items like granola and yogurt. Despite the limited menu, I ordered a veg omlet that sounded right up my alley. Rachel ordered an omelet made with pesto, and it was served up looking the part; totally green. The food came out really quickly, and we were drinking the cafe's excellent coffee while we were waiting.

The service was below average. We had empty coffee cups half the time while we were there, and I had to walk over to the waitress to pay the check. She was just talking to another customer for a long time while we were waiting. The servers seem nice, but that doesn't make up for poor service. On the up side, the food was good. The omelets come with toast and great home fries.

Bottom Line: Within a few days, I forgot that I ever stopped in here. It's nice that this place is open at 7am on the weekdays, and it would be a great place to grab a quick cheap meal during the week. But I don't live close and I won't be doing that. It's a lot like a South Philly version of Ida Mae's.

Essentials:

728 S 7th St (7th and Fitzwater)

(215) 629-0428

Avg Ent: 8-11

Cash only: Yes

Reservations: No

Hours: 7am to 2pm daily

PYT - Burgers at the Piazza

PYT has definitely been generating a lot of press. After a lack luster review last week in the City Paper, owner Tommy Up offered a free burger to anyone who brought in a copy of the review. In my opinion, this is a genius move: Up is taking anyone who might be swayed by the review and giving them a chance to taste for themselves. This especially works out if you serve excellent food.

I've read a lot about PYT, and it's been all over the place. A few things keep coming up: the location brings out the bros, and the onion rings are fantastic. I went with my friend Quinn and we worked through the full treatment of the menu: burger, rings and shakes.

The alcoholic shakes are a gimmick. That being said, I'm sure a lot of people love these. These shakes are $10 a pop and come mixed with different ice creams and liquors; there are quite a few different ones for different tastes. Mine was a simple mix of vanilla and Maker's Mark, while Quinn ordered one with vodka and kalua. She seemed to like her's more than I enjoyed mine. We both came to the same conclusion: these are made with a heavy hand and aren't really akin milkshakes at all. They're more like mixed drinks that happen to use ice cream as an ingredient. I'm sure that was the goal for PYT, but next time, I'll just go with the regular shake.

The onion rings are different than any you've ever had. The breading is lighter and sweeter than anything else I've ever had. It evokes memories of funnel cake batter. These were good, but I am in the same boat as the shake; I'd rather have a good version of what I'm expecting.

Finally, the burger. It was cooked to order and overall, well made. It wasn't the "fist of meat" that far too many pubs serve up. Still, Sketch burger has become the gold standard to which I compare all other burgers. PYT just doesn't hold up. I ate my burger quickly, and enjoyed it, but there wasn't anything memorable about it. There were a few vegetarian options that looked appetizing; I'd go for one of these if I found myself here again.

Bottom Line: PYT will thrive on location alone. It has a few cool tricks up its sleeve, but in the end, none of them "wow" me. There are people who will hate this place, other who will rave over it. I fall squarely in the middle. It's definitely worth checking out to find out which person you are. Of if you absolutely need a good burger, head a few blocks over to Sketch. PYT also has a full bar if you're trying to avoid Swift Half.

Essentials:

1050 N Hancock St (Piazza at Schmidt's)

(215) 268-7825

Burgers: 7-12

Cash Only: No

Marrakesh

Before I visited on Saturday night, I had heard great things about Marrakesh. In reality, all I knew was that i's a nice Moroccan place with generous portions. I had reservations with Rachel and the Kolodzieys. We were seated in a fully decorated, dark room with rugs and great ambiance. The atmosphere at Marrakesh is definitely one of the highlights. We were sitting in a corner couch huddled around one table. Sharing is also definitely a theme here, so make sure you like the people with which you are dining. Ideally, I'd like to revisit this spot when we could have a whole room to ourselves (12 to 16 people). I think this would be the best way to enjoy the food and service here.

When we were seated, we were offered a menu, but it only included the drink choices. The beer offerings here are a joke, but $12 bottles of house wine are an excellent choice. The server then came over and explained the seven course meal, which was really the only food option. There are a few choices in the main courses, and you can have vegetarian courses as well, but Marrakesh is sticking with what they know best, which means limited options.

Before the first course, we all washed our hand in rose water. This was a nice touch, especially because we were all about to eat the whole meal without utensils. We started the meal with three salads: eggplant, cucumber, and carrot. We scooped them up with pita bread. They were all good, but the eggplant was the clear champion of this course.

Next, we had phyllo pastry filled with unknown meat and topped with powdered sugar. This was good, but not my favorite course. It was definitely interesting to contrast the meat with the sugar. The third course was a whole, slow cooked chicken. The sauce was cumin based, a bit spicy but not over the top. I thought this course was great. The chicken was well cooked and marinaded.

The fourth course is probably the apex of the meal, in terms of portion and taste. We opted for lamb with an almond honey glaze. It was excellent. At this point I was getting pretty full and knew that I needed to pace myself for the rest of the meal. The other option for this course was beef shish kebabs.

The fifth course continued to impress. It was a couscous dish with chicken, raisins, and vegetables mixed in. The raisins were the best addition here. I generally do not enjoy couscous, so the fact that I was digging in here is a testament to the dish.

The last two courses are dessert. We were served a fruit bowl with grapes, apples, bananas and oranges and finished with baklava and tea. By the end of the meal I was full and happy. The 7 course menu is only $25 a person, which I think is awesome considering all that you get.

As I already mentioned, the atmosphere here is great. During our meal, we were also treated to a belly dancing show, which added to the evening. The same CD played on repeat the whole night, so we heard songs about four times; it was a bit annoying. My one complaint for the evening would be the service. After our meal was finished, we waited more than twenty minutes for the bill to arrive. Our server was not attentive during the evening. Water refills never came when asked for, and other small problems made me feel like our table was being neglected. Our gratuity was added to the bill, so maybe the server though it was an off night for him as well.

Bottom Line: Dining at Marrakesh is an experience. We were there for just over three hours. Go with people you like, enjoy the conversation, don't rush through the courses, and soak in the authentic experience.

Essentials:

517 S Leithgow St (5th and South)

(215) 925-5929

7 course meal: $25

Cash only: Yes

Reservations: Yes