CONTACT:

Cara Schneider

GPTMC

(215) 599-0789

 cara@gptmc.com

 

WHAT’S New AND Notable IN PHILADELPHIA’s Dining SCENE?
Fall 2004 and Beyond

Innovations in the Kitchen
 
Wonderful? Weird? Whatever the following dishes are being called, there’s no denying they’re downright delicious.
 
Philly’s most famous sandwich has undergone quite the makeover, courtesy of a trio of ingenious four-star chefs. At the Swann Lounge in the Four Seasons Philadelphia Hotel, executive chef Martin Hamann adds foie gras to the traditional steak and cheese combination, and substitutes crispy salsify twists and sherry vinegar dip for the standard French fries and ketchup. At the new Barclay Prime, executive chef Todd Mark Miller has raised the bar even further, smothering Kobe beef in rich Taleggio cheese, shaved truffles and foie gras — and adding a $100 price tag. Not to be outdone, Christopher Lee, chef de cuisine at the formerly seafood-only Striped Bass, has placed braised short ribs, caramelized yellow onions and porcini, chanterelle and hen of the woods mushrooms between breadcrumb-crusted folds of skate, calling it a “cheese skate.” (Talk about clever!)
 
At the (much) more casual end of the spectrum, the new Continental Mid-Town offers desserts such as homemade cotton candy, complete with white cone and plastic wrap and peanut-butter cookies sandwiching grape ice cream. South Street’s Maoz is the first state-side outpost of the Dutch falafel fast-foodery, where folks line up for freshly squeezed carrot juice, French fries and amazingly affordable fresh pita sandwiches that customers stuff themselves at the ample buffet. Just down the way the brand-new Vespa South Street sells vintage Italian scooters with innovative artisanal gelati.
 
Starr of the Show
 
Prolific restaurateur Stephen Starr, CEO of Starr Restaurant Organization, has become synonymous with Philadelphia’s amazingly buoyant, thoroughly thrilling dining scene. Starr currently operates a whopping 13 restaurants in Philadelphia—and not just any 13 restaurants, but 13 of the most successful restaurants in town. Here’s how he made Philadelphia history:
Up-and-Coming Chefs

Keep your eye on Lolita chef and co-owner Marcie Turney, creator of marvelously contemporary Mexican fare in a marvelously contemporary, bring-your-own-Tequila establishment — where she presides over the city’s only all-female kitchen. In the fast-developing East Falls neighborhood, audacious chef Shawn Dolan is making quite a name for himself at modern Verge, where he dishes up daring hot pots, crepes, steaks and confits. Django’s Bryan Sikora continues to win over palates with his fail-proof combination of cutting-edge rustic cuisine and the coziest of all BYOB atmospheres.
 
Even well-established chefs are reinventing themselves. Restaurant renaissance forerunner Georges Perrier recently reworked his posh Main Line getaway into the very finest of family-friendly brasseries, renamed as simply, Georges’. Former White Dog Cafe executive chef Kevin Klause has teamed up with Metropolitan Bakery owners Wendy Born and James Barrett to open Farmicia, a pharmacy-style bistro in Old City, committed to using locally raised ingredients in its dishes. The much-loved Francesco Martorello took the Avenue of the Arts by storm with his daring Italian-International eatery Bliss. And, back on the Main Line, Dominique Filoni, the youngest French master chef in the United States, has recently opened his next adventure, Bianca Restaurant, featuring contemporary American fare with a French accent.
 
The BYOB Boom
 
A Philadelphia diner’s favorite four letters: BYOB. That’s short for “bring-your-own-bottle,” a craze that continues to run strong throughout the region. The BYOB landscape includes cozy mom-and-pop places, authentic ethnic eateries and four-star caliber finds. Although long established spots like Old City’s La Locanda del Ghiottone and the ever-popular Dmitri’s remain prototypes for this simple dining genre, newcomers are demonstrating delicious staying power. The new-American menu changes daily at the pint-sized Pumpkin, a contemporary cash-only bistro on South Street. Passyunk Avenue’s Karina’s creatively combines Ecuadorian and Italian fare in its simple setting. A Wharton grad and French Culinary Institute alum Steven Cook has resurrected West Philadelphia’s prim and proper Marigold Kitchen. Out in the ‘burbs, New American newcomers include Fayette Street Grill in Conshohocken, Kennett Square’s The Orchard and Alison at Blue Bell, owned by Striped Bass alum Alison Barshak. 
 
Restaurant Week: The Price Is Right
 
Excellent meals at reasonable prices is the mission of Philadelphia’s popular Restaurant Week. Twice a year, thousands of Philadelphia diners enjoy three courses for $30 at 80 restaurants. Since its inception in the fall of 2003, the week-long dining fest has grown in leaps and bounds. Among the acclaimed spots serving the bargain-priced, prix-fixe dinners: Restaurant Row’s celebrated Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine, Old City’s fine-dining soul-foodery Bluezette, hip neighborhood favorites Twenty Manning and Friday Saturday Sunday and tried-and-true brasseries like Brasserie Perrier and La Bohème — in other words, some of the hottest restaurants in town. Those “in the know” know to reserve early. The next Restaurant Week takes place in January 2005. www.centercityphila.org

For more recommendations, visit the Dining section of gophila.com. 
 

ADDRESS BOOK
New And Notable In Philadelphia’s Restaurant Scene

Innovations in the Kitchen

Starr of the Show

Up-and-Coming Chefs

BYOBs

Restaurant Week

 

Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine, 1512 Walnut Street, (215) 545-2666, www.susannafoo.com
Bluezette, 246 Market Street, (215) 627-3866, www.bluezette.com
Twenty Manning, 261 S. 20th Street, (215) 731-0900, www.twentymanning.com
Friday Saturday Sunday, 261 S. 21st Street, (215) 546-4232, www.frisatsun.com
Brasserie Perrier, 1619 Walnut Street, (215) 568-3000, www.brasserieperrier.com
La Bohème, 246 S. 11th Street, (215) 351-9901

# # #

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Philadelphia's regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building the region's economy and positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, click on the CultureFiles link.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit the photo gallery of www.gophila.com/pressroom

 March 2004

Back Back to News Release List