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Saute
Rating Details »
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhoods: Penn's Landing, Queen Village775 S Front St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 271-9300
- Hours:
Tue. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Wed-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sun. 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- None
12 reviews for Saute
I recently had a revelation, an epiphany of sorts. I like so many others have done before me have decided to use the Internet to shout it from the online mountaintop: I AM NEEDY. Not in my relationships with men, or even with friends, but with Restaurants. And no, not in the way you are thinking. I am not the type of patron that demands say 5 lemons to go with my water,crust removed from sandwiches, or even fast service. No, I am Needy in that I actually need, better yet, require, their services.
You see I am Cooking Challenged, a feral female whose sole reason for being in a kitchen is for the takeout menu du jour.This means a life full of bringing mixers & cocktail concoctions to BBQs, canned cranberry in fancy dishes at Thanksgiving, store-bought pastries placed in a monogrammed dishware giving it that "I slaved for hours over these" personal touch and never being asked to bring anything that resembles food to potlucks.I am the one that brings napkins, linens or silverware to office parties since I'm incapable of chips & dips. Yes,I am "that girl". And I can't blame them,given that the last time I made something for a company party ended in HR calling the Fire Dept after I put in, what is now kindly referred to as my Ring of Fire Dip, in the microwave. Allegedly,you can't put tinfoil in the microwave.
Not having the luxury of making an entrée,or even a gosh darn dip on my own accord,is where this Needy behavior has stemmed from. In order to survive,I am confined to whatever nearby bistro or café is cooking up,and can only cross my fingers and hope for the best.Well, I can finally get that 4-leaf clover tramp stamp tattoo permanently removed, because I no longer need luck after finding the neighborhood treasure better known as Sauté.
My fascination was first piqued after reading their menu online. My eyes widened at the words: Truffle Eggs Benedict.Could this be? My two loves together at last! Like any regular US Weekly reader,I knew I had to check my sources to see if my Eggs would in fact be canoodling with Truffle Hollandaise. Without delay I called Sauté only to find that they are not currently open for brunch,but will reopen October 3rd. So, I decided to do the next best thing and try their dinner on for size.
I make my reservations for a Saturday evening and when we arrive we were quickly seated because we were the only table.This would change if they decided to join 2009 and get a Website ASAP. The server offered a few helpful suggestions & we placed our order.I the Escargot to start and the Diver Scallops as my entrée.Don't get me wrong, the escargot was terrific, but I don't want those of you with ADD to lose focus on what's really important: the White Chocolate Parsnip Puree that in one bite started a courtship with my taste buds that could rival Romeo & Juliet,or at least Kevin Arnold & Winnie Cooper, promise ring and all.It was the perfect amount of sweetness, bringing out a melodic range of flavors that I have never discovered before this venture. It was almost like the chef had become Ponce De Leon and found a new land in my mouth.The chopped up pieces of apple & bacon were the perfect accouterment to this already flawless fodder.I didn't want it to end.I wanted to pick up my dish and lick it in order to savor every last iota but restrained myself in order to appease my date which was already a bit jealous by my reaction to the scallops.
After such a pleasing experience you can imagine how hard it was to wait to go back for more.With my codependent nature heightened,my behavior started to resemble that of a women starring in tonight's Lifetime Movie: late night drive-by to see if they were home,calling & hanging up and stalking their Myspace page til October 3rd arrived.When the day finally comes, the server says that they are no longer offering the Truffle Eggs Benny BUT he would gladly have the chefs make it for me.Wow,what a guy!
The eminent dish arrives with less fanfare as I had originally hoped for. Surely Doves could have been released at the exact moment I indulged in my first bite,or better yet a Fog Machine...but the server rubbed his eye that after a few mimosas could be taken as a wink so I move in for the kill.After just one taste,I fell so hard,In love with it,oh-oh,oh-oh.The hollandaise makes you feel like a god walking amongst mere mortals. With every bite my attachment to the dish grows,making it harder to harbor my new found weakness,so I gave in & started to do the Shake Dat Ass dance, you know the one from 1997: (_/_) (_|_) (_\_) Heck,I would have ended with the cabbage patch into its my bday dance, if my date wasn't giving me looks that I have all too often given my parents when I was mortified,so I sat back down.
Needless to say, I am now in another committed relationship, where the restaurant has the upper hand. Sauté literally has me eating out of the palm of their hand. And it has never tasted better!
Sauté is a lovely space: the ornate old bar, a leftover from the former tenant, forms one wall of the restaurant and its dark, warm wood creates a homey and relaxing atmosphere. An air of sophistication exudes from the welcoming space and extends to the very professional service. The well-priced menu offers something for everyone and the $35 prix-fix dinner of four courses is a good incentive for the more adventurous (or decision-challenged) diners to put themselves in the capable hands of chef Nicholas Cassidy.
Even though we finally opted for the set dinner (a table of four will receive two different dishes with each course), we could not pass up the oxtail empanada appetizer, an indulgence that was rewarded by a rich and very pleasurable dish.
The first course of the menu brought a small selection of homemade charcuterie. The thin slice of rabbit terrine was the clear winner of a selection that also included an equally thin slice of chicken ballotine (marred by the incomprehensible addition of truffle oil) and a house-cured pancetta that was overly salty and very hard to chew. The barley soup with carrots was good, a well-balanced broth containing nicely cooked barley. Main dishes included a tasty diver scallop with parsnip puree, a nicely cooked steak with barley (barley seemed to be very popular that evening), escargots, and a vegetarian empanada. Like barley, empanadas made three appearances during the meal, the last one as a very rich banana, chocolate, and dulce de leche filled bundle of pleasure. It was the best of four dessert choices, the other ones including an anemic crème brûlée, a pedestrian peanut butter cake, and a serviceable bread pudding. Nothing exciting.
One more thing about the prodigious use of "truffle" oil in restaurants these days: please don't! While this product of the "Flavor" industry intensely smells of white truffle, it is the lab produced 2.4-dithiapentane chemical compound that gives diners this ersatz experience, possibly ruining them for any true truffle encounter.
I went to Saute for the $35 chef's tasting menu and was completely blown away by the food and by the diversity of dishes. Being a vege/seafood-a-tarian i put in a special request for the tasting to not include any meat.
The first courses were a rice & crabmeat salad over apple slices and a vinagrette, and bibb lettuce rolls with feta, spicy shrimp & jicama with a soy glaze. Both of these dishes were delicious but the salad really stood out - i could eat this daily.
Second course was by far the best - 6 stars even. Perfectly seared scallops over creamy polenta topped with tomatoes in a tangy vinagrette. The dish was completely balanced, and the tomatoes were some of the most flavorful i've had in a long time.
Third course were two seared fish dishes - a brazilian white seared and over wild rice pilaf, and salmon over white rice & greenbeans. Both of these were delicious, but followed a tough act. Lastly, dessert was dulce de leche empanadas & peanut butter / chocolate torte - both completely delicious. Basically, Saute makes outstanding, accessible food in a warm atmosphere and I'm very happy to have it in the neighborhood.
This place is great. Service is always sharp, food comes out fast and is terrific, atmosphere is pleasant.
Been here for Chef's tasting menu and brunch-- comparable to several other center city restaurants, this place is both affordable and an excellent value. Portions are adequately sized -- not one of those restaurants where you get something good but you still end up leaving hungry. And its a BYOB, so you can't go wrong there either.
Small spot....very small. The salmon tar-tar is amazing. The diver scallops were good as well. nothing mind blowing. The service I thought was quite slow for a place that only had 4 tables of people at the time. Once the place filled up it was very loud inside. Overall just ok from start to finish.
I heard great things about this place, so I tried it last Saturday. It is a small byob on front st with very unique dishes and flavors. I got the salmon with curried lentils and it was good. The place was empty so the service was good and there was parking, but this was definitely not the place to go after my 18 mile run.. I left hungry:(
I made a reservation on Opentable. One of my friends were taking me out for my birthday. We really enjoyed Saute. My friend got the shrimp ceviche for an appetizer and I got the mixed green salad (a little vinegary-but good).
Dinner-I got the scallops-so good.
My friend got the butter fish over polenta (awesome)
We really enjoyed this byob. We also noticed they had an outdoor patio, but sat inside because of the humidity.
Third time at Saute and I still want to go back... bad.
With Zach serving and Chef Cassidy in the kitchen, you cant go wrong.
Booked for party of 8 for a birthday. Made them stay open way past their closing time and still they thanked us for coming after taking shots of Goose with us (bartender's birthday...)
I had Crispy Sweetbreads and the Lamb Chops. Both on point. Too few places offer dishes like the Sweetbreads. Even fewer do it right.
Rather small place but it makes it more intimate. Sidewalk dining and Patio dining should be available depending on weather.
Tasting Menu Sun-Wed 4 courses for $35. Think is, if you're a party of 2, each will get different dishes. It might be the same main ingredient but Chef Cassidy will not do the typical "one plate for all" tasting menu.
Certainly one of my favorite BYOs in Philly, up there with Matyson.
Seems like BYOBs are becoming a popular 'recession' restaurant trend, with some full-service establishments shedding the bottle, like Gayle. Just a few blocks from Gayle on Fronts St. you'll find Saute, a cozy Contemporary American spot on the periphery of Queen Village.
I saw this place open up back in Late Winter and eagerly awaited dropping by after the opening kinks were worked out.
We went on a busy Friday night, arriving a little after 9. The interior is quite dark, both the soft candle-lighting and the full-length mirrored wood sideboard seem to throw a warm glow over the darkness.
We were seated at a two-top in the center aisle of the restaurant. Although I'm used to typically packed-in seating with Philly dining, at least twice my elbow was bumped by passing customers and wait-staff, nearly knocking the glass out of my hand.
If the seating wasn't vexing enough, our waitress was about to take our orders, but spun around to respond to a table of four that seated about 15 minutes after us. Before taking our order, our server was rushed by the just-seated four-top, who proceeded to order their drinks, apps & mains all before the waitress even introduced herself.
The group snatched the last portions of the duck and lamb entrees we had our eyes on, so, slightly annoyed at being bumped and not really thrilled by the other entree options (there were about 3 choices remaining that evening), we passed on mains entirely and just went with two apps & a split dessert.
It was so dark in here I had trouble capturing this lobster & sepia-ravioli appetizer on camera. The dough was undercooked but the filling was decent..the one of the three that was not undercooked was delicious.
I had the sauteed sweetbread...crispy outside and soft inside, the sweetbread was perfectly cooked...I was tempted to order another.
We finished with a berry empanada & ice cream...the flaky dough and tart berries were bright and buttery.
Normally we'd write a place like this off, but the atmosphere, minus the elbow-bumps, the warm service, minus the breakdown in handling the table orders, and the food, minus the undercooked pasta, all promised that once the opening kinks were worked out, Saute could be a decent neighborhood BYOB, along the lines of Salt & Pepper or Cochon.
I mentioned Saute to another chef later that night and he agreed that they needed to work through some opening issues but that the overall outlook was promising.
We went back for brunch about two weeks later with an out-of-town friend and it was literally like night & day. The food came out perfectly, the service was still a little disjointed but warm and helpful, while the overall atmosphere was relaxing enough that we lingered over a bottle of sparkling wine.
Here's a shot of our friend's French toast, [PIC ABOVE] serve with roasted pears. He was pleased with the flavor and was a bit surprised at the soft consistency of the pears. They also had a buttermilk pancake one the menu.
Although the truffled Eggs Benedict looked good on the menu, I ordered the Croques Madam, tuna confit with a sunny egg, mainly because I wondered what a tuna confit would taste like. Mingled with the egg, the tuna had a smooth consistency, but packed plenty of flavor and did not resemble a warmed tuna salad in the least, which was my fear. There was a kalamata sauce that was drizzled across the plate that, while good, made the bread a little soggy. The accompanying salad was lightly dressed in a vinaigrette.
Elizabeth's Salmon BLT was the sandwich I was wishing I'd ordered...crunchy bacon, tomato and cool salmon, served atop a dill sauce, made for a clever twist on a classic sandwich. Again, if the sandwich had not been served atop the sauce, the bread would've been toasty good and gone great with the bacon & salmon.
I think with a earlier reservation and request for a table alongside the wall, Saute could be a BYOB option.
This was our first time here. We were seated outside, off to the side, which was a little awkward feeling because it felt like that is where the trash gets put when the restaurant is closed, yet it provided the comfort of breathing room. The music was little loud, which would be ok if the music was appealing.
We ordered the shrimp ceviche, which was not ceviche at all- it was blanched shrimp that was cut in half lengthwise, served over a heaping portion of equally blanch celery root. To taste it felt like the the shrimp was never touched by any acid, in this case lime as it was written on the menu. We also had tuna two ways- that was pretty good.The first way was carppachio, the other was tartar. It could have benefited from something crunchy added to it or served off to the side. Both ways had the same texture.
Service was dull. There was very little interaction with our server ( at least we believe it was our server...there was no introduction). One of the mangers kept pacing around outside that created an air of anxiety.
For entree, we had the brozinno grilled and the sea bass. The brozinno was on top of fontina fondue which was was quite good.It had some other tasty accompiants such as capers, pine nuts, onions, and broccoli rabe..oh and fennel. All of them though had a minor role and it would have been better if the chef had just choose two to highlight the dish in larger portions. Good portions and decent taste, but have had better. The sea bass was the better of the two entrees./ It was on top of marscapone polenta, which actually stole the show.
We were offered a choice of two desserts ...both of which did not grab our attention.
First time here and Im never going back... Sorry Roland. It was a beautiful tues. afternoon and the girlfriend and I decided to take one of our food based walks around town. We live at 21st and south so we wound up at the newly opened NOBLE kitchen around 5. Had 2 appetizers and 2 drinks. It was great for what we were looking for, as a snack. We then called Saute, and asked when the last seating was. This was at 6 o'clock. They said 10 - 10:30; We then bought wine and proceeded to walk east. Stopped at chick's, had some wine and finally made it to Saute at 9p.m. sharp. We were told before we walked in the door that they were not taking anymore tables, an hour and a half before they told us the kitchen closed. They said it was due to an emergency with the chef. The man we spoke with said " Oh, you are the people that I called. I thought about you guys and felt bad. Come back and we will buy you dessert." In your simple dreams buddy. Never will we return. Learn to run a business. We instead took our wine to cochon, where we had a lovely meal, after 9p.m.
So, this place has been open for all of two weeks, and we have been four times, twice for brunch (Sat. and Sun.) and twice for dinner. We have learned that when a kitchen kicks out such high level food like this, you go as often as possible while you can still get in. This chef's food (Chef Nick) is perfect--the flavors sing, and there is the right balance of elements and portions that you leave full and happy, but not overwhelmed. He has a full crew back there, and they take pride in their work. Highlights so far--pork, chicken entree, the braised lamb shank, perfect Fritata at brunch (light and delicious), awesome eggs benedict with a nice (but not overwhelming) truffle flavor, and, if that weren't enough, a savory bread pudding on top of chorizo sausage. All at an excellent value. Knowledgeable servers include Zack, who could probably host his own food (or wine) show, and the front of the house run by Hector, who is enthusiastic about the entire experience. This is a true gem, with the added benefit of neighborhood flair.
