"Reengaging... and reviewing."
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Review votes:
172 Useful, 109 Funny, and 176 Cool
Philadelphia, PA
Yelping SinceJanuary 2007
Things I LovePixies, pho, running, cooking, wine, charcuterie, cheese, gardening, seasons, boating, salty skin, ordnung.
My HometownExton, PA
When I'm Not Yelping...I'm working, running, cooking, eating or sleeping.
Why You Should Read My ReviewsI only Yelp what matters.
My Second Favorite Website The Last Great Book I ReadHarold McGee's "On Food"
My First ConcertThe "Wipeout" era Beach Boys
My Favorite MovieThe Royal Tennenbaums
My Last Meal On EarthPho (and maybe some fois gras on the side... and lobster... and...)
Don't Tell Anyone Else But...I believe that children are the future...
Most Recent DiscoveryTuna livers with balls of cream cheese. Like a salty delicious foie gras...
Current CrushMixed cases of bock
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 222-2337
Local 44
Categories: Bars, American (New)
Neighborhoods: University City, Spruce Hill
I'm looking forward to playing Honeybrook again soon...
The setting was picture perfect, the staff was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful, and the food was outstanding. We especially liked the pate platter. The homemade country pate and the truffled chicken liver pate were the stars of the meal.
My rack of lamb was perfectly prepared, and my wife's duck was amazing, right down to the crisped skin.
Unfortunately we didn't have time for dessert, but after an outstanding first experience, I expect we'll be back very soon...
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 238-1818
Prohibition Taproom
Categories: American (Traditional), Bars
Neighborhoods: Callowhill, Spring Garden
Great beer list, very cool decor, awesome drinks including a dee-lish punch served in a glass boot.
I took off a star for the bland (though very high-quality) ale mussels. The broth was lame, and the bread they served it with had that gas broiled taste... Given how good everything else was, I think this was an outlier...
Ardmore, PA 19003
(610) 896-7560
Ardmore Farmers Market
Categories: Shopping Centers, Farmers Market
Pass.
Philadelphia, PA 19176
City Hall
Category: Public Services & Government
Neighborhoods: Logan Square, Penn Center
... City Hall is 100% drama.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 922-6888
Trocadero Theatre
Categories: Music Venues, Cinema
Neighborhood: Chinatown
The Troc is a beautiful old venue that is absolutely falling apart.
Please please please reach out to Penn's Historic Preservation program to get some guidance on applying for preservation dollars lest we lose another great old theater. You'll also be saving yourself some lawsuit dollars since it is only a matter of time until some plaster slips through that net on the ceiling and impales a reveler or two...
Bottom-line: Sola's chef uses top-quality ingredients to put together innovative dishes that taste every bit as good as they look.
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First-off, any restaurant that surprises me with an amuse bouche is going to put a smile on my face. Sola served a smoked mussel that a friend of mine described as "covered with goodness, with a little more goodness on top." It woke up my mouth and provided an interesting contrast to the syrah we were drinking.
I started with the oyster sampler (four oysters paired with complimentary flavors-- a Cape May Salt with a fresh diced tomatoes and salsa, a Oregon Kumamoto with sweet uni and blood orange juice, a Connecticut oyster with caviar and a foie gras reduction, and one more that escapes me). While the pairings somewhat overpowered the oysters' individual characters, the flavor experiment was a lot of fun and each preparation came together nicely. The oysters were each presented on a bed of seaweed salad-- nice touch.
My entree was roast New Zealand rack of lamb served over pureed, stewed fennel (mashed potato-like) edged with a diced tomato salsa. The cut was generous with the extraneous fat trimmed so only the moist, tender medallions remained. There was a bed of what appeared to be an apricot preparation that served as an occasionally sweet change from the comfort-food paring of lamb and fennel.
For dessert we shared a mini homemade pumpkin cheesecake that was creamy and perfectly spiced.
Entrees at Sola are priced from the low $20s to the mid $30s, but the quality merits or exceeds the price. Corkage is $2 per bottle and is justified by the restaurant's nice stemware.
Having already over-indulged in my description, I might as well mention the tableware-- it is all beautiful. Whoever is buying the utensils (the butter knives!), the dishware, the wine glasses and even the sugar vessels is spending a lot of money to establish Sola's ambiance. They've done a great job and it really adds to the experience.
I've taken a star away because my wife's duck entree-- which was, again, a great cut beautifully presented-- was far, far too rare. I would have sent it back, but my wife chose not to. That aside, our weekend house-guests really enjoy their meals, and Sola left us all with full bellies and big smiles on our faces.
We'll be back!
Really? $7 for a cup of soup, a heaping plate of food, tea and dessert?
The food isn't remotely authentic, but it hits the spot when you're really hungry, don't feel like cooking, don't feel like changing into nicer clothes, and don't want to pay much.
I enjoy the Chinese diner kitsch and like being close enough to the other tables to eaves-drop, so watch out-- I might just be sitting over your shoulder.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 568-9565
Rachael's Nosheri
Category: Delis
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Penn Center
I've had better whitefish salad at Noah's Bagels; Rachael's is a big disappointment.
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I'd add another two stars if they'd just put something on their walls or ceiling-- ANYTHING to dampen the noise. It'll shatter your head on a busy night.