PhilaFoodie

Foie Gras Wars

2009-03-10T23:55:00.013-04:00

“I like geese,” film critic Roger Ebert said, “but their livers seem to bring out the worst in people….”

Truer words were never spoken. And Philadelphia knows this all too well.

Ebert’s quote appears on the back jacket of the new book “Foie Gras Wars” by Chicago Tribune reporter Mark Caro. Chicago, Ebert and Caro’s town, was at the genesis of what Caro describes as “the world’s fiercest food fight.” And in this new book, Caro provides—for lack of a better phrase—a bird’s eye view of the entire deliciously sordid controversy.

No version of the story would be complete without including Philadelphia, of course. And two full chapters of Caro's book are dedicated exclusively to the drama that unfolded here in the City of Featherly Love.

There is much to appreciate about Caro’s telling of our little slice of the story. Caro spent some time in Philly as a student at Penn, so he knows the landscape. But he's also enough of an outsider that he brings a unique perspective to our saga. Moreover, even if you followed the issue closely as it was unfolding, Caro conducted sufficient independent research for the book (including new interviews and, apparently, reading court transcripts) to make the story fresh again.

But what I enjoyed most about the Philly chapters, even more than Caro’s playfully irreverent tone, was his ability to capture the characters at play, including David Ansill (chef and owner of Ansill), Nick Cooney (head of the Humane League, f/k/a/ Hugs for Puppies), City Councilman Jack Kelly, and Terry McNally (co-owner of London Grill). Regardless of whether you hold a fork or a picket sign in this debate, it won’t take long before you’re laughing out loud. Here’s an example:

Nick Cooney has a friendly face and a demeanor that says Polite Young Man. His brown hair is parted in the middle and has a bit of fluffiness to it. His almond-shaped hazel eyes draw you in with their earnest focus, while his small mouth rests in the position of a perpetual sigh. His nose is prominent but in harmony with a long, lean face that suggests a softer Adrien Brody. He wears button-down oxford shirts that tuck easily into his slim-cut jeans or khakis. He looks like the kind of guy you’d want your college-grad daughter to bring home, though that appeal isn’t limited to the twentysomething set.

“The first time I saw Nick Cooney, I wanted to fuck him,” said Terry McNally, the late-fortysomething co-owner of the London Grill.

Cooney is not legally allowed to come within 50 feet of her restaurant or house.

To find out exactly why Cooney was enjoined, you'll have to read the book. Or you can ask Caro yourself; I understand he'll be at the Penn Book Store on April 7 promoting his book.

But I will say this: I interviewed Nick Cooney in person for a piece I wrote for City Paper. And although Caro’s description of Cooney is accurate, I cannot say that I shared McNally’s sentiments.

No offense, Nick. My wings just don’t fold that way.

The Inqy's Rick Nichols Writes About Food Blogger Potluck

2008-12-11T23:33:00.026-05:00

In today’s Inquirer, the always poignant and eloquent Rick Nichols writes about the phenomenon that has become the Philadelphia Food Blogger Potluck.

In hindsight, the idea of the Philadelphia food blogger potluck almost seemed preordained—we all write about food and drink, so why not get together and share some food and drink? But it took the organizational skills of Taylor High (Mac & Cheese), Elizabeth Halen (Foodaphilia) and Marisa McClellan (Fork You; Slashfood) to get the idea off the ground. The inaugural potluck was held last year at Marisa’s apartment (Apartment 2024).

Rick attended the most recent installment of this culinary clatch last Friday at the abode of Albert Yee and Kate Donnelly (a/k/a/ Messy and Picky). It’s fitting that the potluck got press from the Inqy at a time when Albert and Kate hosted because Messy and Picky, I believe, is Philadelphia’s longest-surviving, if not the city’s first true, food blog.

But what I love most about Rick’s article is that he was able to appreciate and convey the fact that these potlucks are truly about sharing good times with close friends.

I was disappointed that I was unable to make it to this potluck; it’s been a long time since I broke bread with many of these folks. Too long, in fact. So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that I was mentioned in the article—not once, but twice:

Blessedly, there were no name tags. But there was explaining to do: “I’m at Phoodie” - www.phoodie.info, which recently posted on the flavor of fermented black garlic at Zahav: Tastes like tamarind! - said Collin Flatt, “not PhilaFoodie,” http://philafoodie.blogspot.com.

For the record, he’s not at Foodaphilia (www.foodaphilia.com), either. That would be Elizabeth Halen: “I’m Foodaphilia, not PhilaFoodie; I’d have to get shorter, manlier and balder for that. . . .”

Folks, I may have been in denial about it for a while, though I have noticed people staring from time to time. But since it’s out there in the open, I may as well just admit it: Yes, it is true—I am manly.

Geeks Who Give Hosts Philabundance Food Drive & Tweetup

2008-12-06T13:13:00.010-05:00

Ever wonder what it’s like to be on a review with a restaurant critic? Geeks Who Give (GWG), a recently-formed community group, is offering you a chance to find out—and, more importantly, giving you an opportunity to do something good along the way.

The Philadelphia tech community is truly gifted in its ability to organize, collaborate and create, among other things. GWG mobilizes this community and channels that positive energy to people and causes that truly need it.

For its inaugural event, GWG is hosting a Food Drive & Tweetup to benefit Philabundance. The event will take place at National Mechanics in Old City from 6pm to 9pm. Admission is a minimum of 5 non-perishable food items. The food items must be packaged in boxes, cans or plastic bottles, and should not have to be refrigerated. In addition to drink specials, guests will receive 1 raffle ticket for the first 5 food items, and more tickets for additional food items. The current list of raffle prizes includes:

• Dinner for Two at Fork in Philadelphia;
• A Gift Certificate and T-shirt from Tattooed Mom’s;
• Treats courtesy of Open Source Cupcakes;
• A $75 gift certificate to the Wine School of Philadelphia; and
• More prizes are being added every day.

The prize I’ve contributed is a seat at my table while I’m out on a restaurant review for City Paper. Of course, I’ll pick up the tab. We’ll have to keep a low profile, obviously (e.g., no twittering the event). We don’t want the restaurant to know we’re on a review, for example, and we don’t want the world to know which restaurant will be the subject of an upcoming review in the City Paper. And, of course, it is important that you keep my identity secret. But you knew all of that; the whole cloak-and-dagger/behind-the-scenes experience, presumably, is part of the draw. That and a free meal, of course.

Be sure to show up at National Mechanics early. At 7pm, local food podcasters Fork You will be giving a cooking demo with non-perishable food items. Stick around afterwards for TechKaraoke at 9pm.

Kites, Masks, Roots and Duck Tongues: A City Paper Restaurant Review Round-up

2008-11-24T22:20:00.003-05:00

A number of friends have raised two issues to me: (1) content has been lacking on ye olde PhilaFoodie; and (2) they want a place they can go to find my City Paper reviews (it’s too hard to type citypaper.net, apparently).

To wit: here are links to my past thirteen (13) City Paper restaurant reviews:

Hostaria da Elio: Elio-ments of Style (8/14/08)

10Arts: Marble Giant (10/28/08)

Cantina dos Segundos: Dos Def (9/04/08)

Da Vinci Ristorante: Groan-a Lisa (9/11/08)

Distrito: Who Is That Masked Man? (9/18/08)

Kite & Key: Higher Ground (9/23/08)

Jovan’s Place: Love Slav (10/09/08)

Root: His Dark Materials (10/16/08)

Du Jour Symphony House: The Daily Show (10/23/08)

Minar Palace: On the Rebound (10/30/08)

Joe's Peking Duck Original 1984: The Lovin’ Poon-ful (11/06/08)

Q-Ba: Q-rious (11/13/08)

Wokano: Wokano Wild Side (11/20/08)

Pie of the Tiger

2008-11-04T01:22:00.003-05:00

In the November 15, 2008 issue of Wine Spectator, Sam Gugino comes to Philadelphia to profile Chef Daniel Stern. (See The Apple Pie of Mom’s Eye, subscription required.) Guigino falls in love with the apple pie Stern serves at Gayle and Rae, a recipe from his mother’s bakery that he tweaked:

The Gayle version I sampled was one of the best apple pies I’ve ever eaten. It was incredibly rich—although I should have expected that given the half-pound of butter, shortening, and two cups of sour cream in the recipe. Despite this richness, the crust was extremely tender and the taste of the apples came through nicely, even though I tasted the pie in August, before the flavorful local apples arrived. I also liked the fact that the flavors and textures of the pie—apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, butter, sour cream, and walnuts—were all in harmony. The gently herbal thyme ice cream provided the perfect foil.

Because Stern provides the recipe, you could make it at home. But if you did that, you’d miss out on the exciting wine pairings Rae’s sommelier, Ryan Davis, suggests: Leacock’s Bual Maderia 1966, Selaks Ice Wine 2005 or the Merryvale Muscat de Frontignan.

PA Direct Wine Shipping Update

2008-08-13T16:44:00.006-04:00

In April, I wrote an article for City Paper about the status of direct wine shipping in PA. The article discussed the two bills pending in the state legislature—a bill by Rep. Paul Costa (D. Allegheny County) that would allow only wineries to ship wine into PA, and a bill by Sen. Jim Ferlo (D. Allegheny County) that would also allow retailers to do so.

Costa said he planned to hold hearings this summer on his bill. According to a recent article in The Morning Call, the hearings have started. The legislature may not get to vote on the bill, however, before the end of session. If that happens, Costa will have to reintroduce his bill next year.

That doesn’t bother me—based on The Morning Call article, it appears the legislature needs a little more time to get all of the issues into focus.

The first hearing—which was held at a vineyard in Chester County—seems to have been spent discussing how much money leveling the playing field will cost in-state wineries, which Costa admitted to me in April was one of his main concerns. According to the article, the 18% Johnstown Flood Tax historically has not been levied on wine bought directly from in-state wineries. PA wineries are complaining that the proposed law—which would impose this tax on their wine, the same tax that’s long been imposed on all out-of-state wines—will give out-of-state wineries an advantage.

Even setting aside the logical absurdity that leveling the playing field results in an “advantage” here, cutting in-state wineries a break is precisely why PA’s prior direct shipping laws were declared unconstitutional. Debating whether the field should be leveled doesn’t advance the ball because continuing to have an uneven playing field is no longer an option. The focus now is supposed to be on finding a way for wine to be shipped into PA from out-of-state while still preserving the state’s ability to collect the 18% Johnstown Flood Tax and prevent underage drinking. It’s not clear from the article whether this was discussed at the first hearing.

In addition, it doesn’t appear from the article that there has been any discussion of allowing retailers to ship wine into PA. Consumers often times are not able to buy wine directly from the winery, especially if the wine is made outside the U.S. Failing to discuss retailers at the hearings would reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of how the wine market works. Practically, if the new law does not include retailers, it will be of little use to most of the folks who would take advantage of it.

Even though Ferlo’s bill is by far the better piece of legislation (it allows retailers to ship directly to your door, requires an adult signature for delivery, and accounts for the collection of PA taxes), Costa was the one who had the connections to get the hearings moving. Back in April, though, Costa told me he was open to solutions other than the ones proposed in his bill. We’ll have to wait until the next hearing to see if that’s true.

William Penn once wrote, “Governments, like clocks, go from the motion men give them….” Much like an old clock, legislative progress sometimes is slow. In terms of ironing out the direct wine shipping laws, the lack of speed is frustrating, but it can be tolerated. That is, of course, assuming the time they spend will lead to them getting it right.

Talula's Table

2008-08-06T22:29:00.004-04:00

For those who may not have heard, I got a gig at City Paper as a restaurant critic. I thought I'd start off with a bang by reviewing Talula’s Table. You can find the review here.

Because of how frequently the menu changes at Talula’s Table (not to mention how difficult it is to get in), it was not practical to send a photographer, so the pic that appears in the review is mine. You can find pics of other dishes I had there in my Talula’s Table set on Flickr.

Enjoy this last bit of food porn while you can, folks. I won’t be dragging the camera with me on restaurant reviews anymore. Leaving the camera at home, of course, will help me to remain anonymous. But, then again, I plan to be in disguise anyway—a fellow food writer warned me that I’ll gain 15 pounds, and in anticipation of this I ordered a dozen Hawaiian muu’muus. No one will recognize me in one of those.

Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes 2007

2008-07-20T14:32:00.007-04:00

In the not too distant past, a bottle of Torrontes was relatively hard to find in this part of the world. These days, however, this exotic varietal is popping up everywhere, from Philadelphia restaurants’ wine lists to PLCB stores’ shelves. But, despite its increased availability, Torrontes still remains unfamiliar to many wine drinkers.

Though it is believed to have originated in Galacia in northwestern Spain, Torrontes has earned the reputation as being the characteristic white wine grape of Argentina. There are actually three separate varieties known as Torrontes in Argentina—Torrontes Riojano, Torrontes Sanjuanino and Torrontes Mendocino. Torrontes Riojano is not only the more common of the three (and the most superior in terms of quality), it is also the most-planted white wine grape in Argentina—roughly 20,000 acres according to 2001 figures.

One reason Torrontes may have struggled to find a spot on our collective palates, in addition to its prior lack of availability, is its rich, distinctive aroma. On the nose, Torrontes typically delivers an intense perfume of roses or jasmine—much like an Avon party attended by a room full of grandmas who were on their way home from church. The wine’s all-up-in-your-grill fragrance can be bold, sometimes to the point of being downright obnoxious. And for many folks, there is no middle ground; you either love it or you hate it. However, those willing to embrace its aroma will be rewarded with lush flavors of peaches, lychee nut and exotic fruits.

The mouthfeel of this wine is also noteworthy. Torrontes has the body of a Muscat or a Gewürtztraminer. Indeed, recent DNA profiling at the University of California at Davis has confirmed that there is a high degree of probability that Torrontes Riojano and Torrontes Sanjuanino are each the progeny of a cross between Muscat of Alexandria and Criolla Chica (also known as the Mission grape in the U.S.). Yet, Torrontes is also naturally high in acidity, higher than you'd expect given its medium body (normally, a wine’s acid and body are inversely proportional). The result is a dry, crisp white that can refresh in warm weather and still keep you cozy on cool nights.

The best Torrontes on the PLCB store shelves right now—or on any store shelf, for that matter—is the Crios de Susana Balbo Torrontes 2007 (PLCB No. 29293, $12.99). Susana Balbo is best known for her premium wines, particularly her Malbec. But Balbo’s more affordable Crios line consistently delivers outstanding quality for the price. Her Torrontes is a shining star in this collection.

Here, the grape’s distinctive aroma is present, but its elegant and not overbearing. White peach, honey and tropical fruit flavors fill your mouth followed by a hint of spice. The palate is softer and rounder than in past years (presumably from going through slightly more malo), but a refreshing seam of acidity keeps this wine completely in balance. An ideal match with Thai or Mexican cuisine or perfect on its own.

Yabba-Dabba-Zoo! — Zot’s Flintstone Dinner

2008-07-07T01:15:00.007-04:00

Food means different things to different people. To some, it is a way to express political, ethical or religious beliefs. To others, it is fuel that is consumed in precision to build an athletic machine. And, indeed, there are those who see food merely as sustenance, nothing more.

But to certain people, including me and the pack with which I hunt, food is adventure in its purest form—a means of exploring the world and testing the limits that define it. Those who subscribe to this philosophy wolf through the restaurant scene in search of the exotic and devour their finds with devilish bravado.

Zot Restaurant recently hosted a dinner that seemed to be designed specifically for this crowd—the Flintstone Dinner. Though somewhat of a misnomer (after all, there were no brontosaurus burgers or gravelberry pies), Zot’s Fintstone Dinner featured an array of exotic meats that you’d be more likely to find in a zoo than at your local butcher: snapping turtle, python, black bear, yak, antelope and—the real draw—African lion. The experience, however, turned out to be more tame than game.

To be fair, Zot did a lot of things right with this dinner. First, Zot deserves credit for hosting such a dinner in the first place. We sometimes forget that restaurants are businesses with narrow profit margins, and this is not the type of dinner you host with the expectation of raking in the coin. Second, with the exception of the python & foie gras course (a miss from conception to execution), each dish, individually, was well prepared. In terms of the progression, each plate that was put in front of you became your new favorite.

If this were any other tasting menu, that probably would be sufficient. But this menu, by design, was different.

Ultimately, if you showed up for this dinner, the one thing you wanted to be able to walk away with was a clear understanding of what each particular exotic meat tasted like. But that did not happen. Instead of leveraging the unique flavor of each meat, Zot, in most instances, chose to subdue them, mostly though seasonings. The lion, for example, was prepared as a stew with carrots, pearl onions and gnocchi. This dish was tasty. But the coriander-heavy spices drowned out the meat. As a result, I still have no idea what lion really tastes like. This was true of the yak and antelope as well. The python was deep fried and, hence, virtually indistinguishable from any other fried morsel.

With the snapping turtle soup, Zot intentionally masked the flavor. Turtle has a distinctive taste (sort of a fishy chicken). Once you’ve had it, you won’t forget it. We were told this batch of turtle was particularly fishy and were reassured that the dish was prepared so as to tone down the fishiness. Indeed, the soup’s cilantro, lemongrass and sweet carrots held the fishiness in check. But, as a result, you couldn’t tell that what you were eating was turtle. Again, it begs the question: Why mask the turtle’s unique flavor if that’s what we’re here to taste?

Zot appears to have been torn between and constructing dishes that would allow the flavors of these exotic meats to roam wild and constructing dishes that would stand on their own. At a minimum, the dinner's theme called for the former. Zot chose the latter. But the truth is that the two are not mutually exclusive.

The wine pairings, however, revealed that some things are mutually exclusive. To pair wine and food successfully, you have to know what the food tastes like. There’s just no way around it. Here, the wine-industry person who paired the wines told us that they were a vegetarian. I respect that as a lifestyle choice. But when it comes to pairing wine with exotic meat dishes, being a vegetarian, unsurprisingly, is not exactly the best skill set. For example, the Black Bear Bacon in Greens course was paired with a Rosé. On its face, Rosé would appear to be a safe bet—it’s incredibly versatile and goes great with salads. But the black bear bacon (the one exotic meat you could actually taste unadulterated) was far too intense for Rosé. In fact, the dish screamed for a Cote-Rotie or, as someone else at our table brilliantly suggested, an Hermitage. A person in the wine industry who tasted the food would have known that.

Zot is one of the few restaurants around that has the mettle to host dinners like these. And it should continue to do so. Next time, though, Zot should allow itself to be a little more…wild.

For more pics, check out my Zot's Flintstone Dinner set on Flickr.

Blais of Glory

2008-06-18T08:45:00.007-04:00

If you’re into food, there’s a good chance you’re a fan of Bravo’s Top Chef. The Season Four finale aired last Thursday. It seemed as though Chef Richard Blais (pronounced “blaze”)—the faux-hawked chef from Atlanta known for his creative and whimsical dishes—was preordained to take the Top Chef prize.

That didn’t happen. The poised and talented Chef Stephanie Izzard won the title of Top Chef instead.

But the real surprise of the finale wasn’t that Chef Blais lost. It was that this normally unflappable chef confessed at the Judge's Table that he, in his words, "choked."

Chef Blais, who recently became a father for the first time, sat for a telephone interview with me the day after the finale aired to explain what happened.

Not sure if Chef Blais, or any of the other Season 4 cheftestants, will be in Philly for the Top Chef tour on July 9. However, Chef Blais revealed that he will be in Philly in September for a James Beard dinner at Tangerine.

Many thanks to my friend, Atlanta food stylist and food blogger, Tami Hardeman, for helping to set up the interview. Also thanks to Broderick Smylie for giving me permission to use his photo of Chef Blais. Photo copyright Broderick Smylie 2008.

The full interview after the jump.

PhilaFoodie: Chef Blais, thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. I really appreciate it.

Chef Richard Blais: Of course.

PF: So, I guess the first question is: which is tougher—competing on Top Chef or being a new father?

rB: Well, so far, being on Top Chef, I would say, is definitely tougher than being a new father. It’s been nothing but sheer joy so far. That’s a pretty easy question.

PF: Congratulations on the birth of your daughter.

rB: Thank you so much.

PF: Let’s talk a little bit about last night’s finale. Although Stephanie got to pick her sous-chef first, you picked Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill, who is known for helping to pioneer the same farm-to-table model you’re applying at your new restaurant called HOME in Atlanta. Were you glad to get Chef Barber?

rB: Oh, yeah. I mean, honestly, you walk into that situation and you have three tables full of amazing ingredients and you have three unbelievable chefs. So, regardless of what chef you worked with, or what table of ingredients you got, you were going to be in pretty good shape. Certainly, I picked Chef Barber essentially because of the whole farm-to-table thing and because it’s something that I’m certainly behind. And also because I think it’s a good contrast to some of the creative things that I do.

PF: On the show, you mentioned that each contestant was allowed to bring one special ingredient to the finale, and you brought a tank of liquid nitrogen. How did you get the tank to Puerto Rico?

rB: Actually, the Top Chef production company managed to get the tank to Puerto Rico. I’m doing a demonstration in Jamaica in two weeks and I’ve brought it to some other far-away places as well. You know, it wasn’t a big enough tank, to be quite honest. It was a really tiny, little, small tank of liquid nitrogen. It was like a soup thermos of nitrogen. But yeah, somehow they managed, with me giving them some contacts, to make sure that there was a little bit of nitrogen in the kitchen.

PF: Why only one special ingredient this year?

rB: Actually, it was still the same set up from Chicago where you could bring other ingredients. This was one specific, very special ingredient that pretty much no one else could use. That was just specifically for that last episode, that last challenge. So, every contestant still had a small bag of other ingredients at their disposal as well.

PF: What special ingredients did Stephanie and Lisa bring?

rB: Stephanie brought, I believe, a ricotta cheese she used for her dessert, a specialty cheese. And Lisa, I want to say that Lisa brought some specialty Asian ingredient that, to be honest with you, I can’t remember.

PF: Some fans of the show are probably still in shock this morning about the finale. Many believed you were favored to win. You’ve had some time to reflect on the finale. Looking back, what happened?

rB: I think the best way to put it was that I kind of set the bar pretty high and wasn’t capable of getting to that bar on the last show. I think one of the things that I was strongest at during the contest was conceptualizing and working within each challenge. And, I think, quite honestly I had a hard time wrestling around “cook the best meal of your life.” It sounds simple enough but it’s something that, as you saw play out last night, it’s something that I don’t think I’ll ever serve a meal and walk away from it and say, you know, that was the best meal of my life. So, I mean I think it was a little bit of, you know, you’ll probably, or maybe not, be familiar with the concept of writer’s block as well. So, I think a little of it was certainly that, coming up with a game plan. Something that most artists have is, when and where does inspiration strike? Although, eventually, the theme of the dinner did strike, it just never came together certainly for the expectations of myself, most importantly.

PF: What would you have done differently, if anything?

rB: I guess in retrospect, if you really think about it long and hard, which, of course, I have other things going on, but I guess I really didn’t want to come into that last challenge and say, hey, here are the four or five things that I’m going to do if presented with just a last challenge that has no limitations. I guess it would be easy to say, like, probably some of the other contestants, I’m pretty sure that some of the things that were prepared on their end were practiced and were things that they were a bit more familiar with. Or certainly maybe their style plays more into, hey, I’m going to be doing this and I’m going to prepare for it in a certain way. And, you know, maybe, unfortunately for me, maybe it ends up coming off as bravado, but my style is really kind of wherever the wind blows. It’s very “of the moment.” It came together for, whatever it was, fifteen episodes and seven victories prior to that and just didn’t come together that day.

PF: The show made it seem as though the pork belly was to blame. Do you think it was any one dish? What are your thoughts?

rB: No, I mean, I think, quite honestly, I think one of the issues with the pork belly that is, and again I didn’t see every second of the episode yesterday, but one of the issues with the pork belly was the fact that the episode prior I did a pork belly that pretty much was the highlight of the night or definitely, as far as the show that aired, was the dish that won it. And I think that was one of the difficulties was that this was a different piece of meat. This was from a much larger, getting into the specifics of it, this was from a very, very large pig, this belly. The belly that I used the episode prior was very lean. The pork belly that I cook everyday in my restaurant is very, very lean. And it’s a different animal. So, you know, I’ll be honest and I’m not saying this in a defensive way, all of the food that I did was very, very tasty. There were no major, major errors. I think a lot of it was comparing to a standard that I set that I unfortunately couldn’t get to that day. So, the pork belly, in particular, well I just did it, literally, you’re watching on TV, I just did it [inaudible] for them and they loved it. It was a different piece of meat. It was a different preparation. Sometimes it’s great to sous-vide a short rib, sometimes it’s great to give it a traditional braise. This belly because of its size had to be treated differently. So it yielded a different effect than the belly that I cooked the day prior. Does that make sense?

PF: One of the dishes you’re famous for in Atlanta is a foie gras milkshake, I understand. Did you consider making one of those?

rB: Famous or infamous? As far as the foie gras milkshake, it’s something I did at my namesake restaurant [Blais] in 2004 and people had a hard time wrapping their heads around it. It’s a delicious milkshake and it works really well with a cheeseburger. So, I definitely wouldn’t have brought it out unless…. It would have been more likely to show up at Soldier Field in one of the earlier episodes than it would have been last night.

PF: After reading about it, I’m dying to try it.

rB: It’s tasty. It is quite delicious. But, again, you know, one of the things that, and maybe, I hate to say I wasn’t creative enough because I’m pretty sure that, I mean, I didn’t even have bacon as an ingredient, I had to engineer bacon for that ice cream yesterday. But maybe I should have pushed it a little bit. I don’t know if it came across in the episode, but I was very much trying to tell a story about my journey as a chef, from being there in Puerto Rico to my classic French training with the second course to kind of an homage to one of my mentors at the [inaudible] and then really bringing it back to Puerto Rico and then to the creative side of things with the last so, there you go.

PF: You cut out there just for a second, you said an homage to one of your mentors at where?

rB: Be the Bacon is something that you can find in a lot of Thomas Keller references. And it’s something that, having worked with him, even though it was an apprenticeship, having walked away from the French Laundry is when I said to myself, I’m a chef. So, anytime I can play off of a Kellerism—Be the Bacon or Sleep is Cheap—these are just things you might hear in one of Keller’s kitchens. Or whether it’s a specific dish, like Oysters and Pearls, which is a dish I play on in my restaurant right now and have for years. If there’s anything I’m disappointed about was what didn’t factor into the judgment enough was that there’s no one else who could tell a story like that. There’s no one else who was looking at food that way. And, you know, it’s kind of, that was the disappointing part, to have all of these great chefs there and then…. If you read Ted Allen’s blog this morning there’s a little more insight to it. But I wish that would have factored a little bit more into the decision.

PF: At the end of Judge’s Table, Stephanie and Lisa made their case for why they should be Top Chef. But when your turn came, you candidly confessed that you choked. Why? Do you have any regrets about that?

rB: I don’t remember the question that led up to it. Certainly, at Judge’s Table where there is a chance to defend yourself or a chance to present your philosophies or the type of person that you are, to talk about what happened, to talk about what just happened in the kitchen or what happened during that meal, represents the type of person that you are. Some people find it in their best interests to lie or try to deceive the judges and hide certain things. And others go up there and present themselves in a different way. I tend to be a very self-deprecating person. I’m very hard on myself. Like I said, the toughest thing for me was, I’ll never cook the best meal of my life. That just will never happen. There were a number of challenges, all of the challenges, where, up until they say, hey, you just won, I’m up there thinking about the hundred things that weren’t perfect with that specific dish. I think it comes off on the episode as me announcing my, you know, conceding the race, but in reality what I’m doing is communicating with the judges the fact that I’m self-aware that this probably wasn’t the best meal of my life, that it’s OK to say that, and it’s OK to talk about what some of the issues were.

PF: How long were you waiting for the decision after the judge’s table?

rB: It was always hours and hours and hours. That’s the toughest part of the whole competition because there’s nothing really left to do but sit there. Certainly, when there are more contestants in the race the conversation can be a bit, you know, you can find a little bit of a social atmosphere in it because different people deal with stress in different ways. I can’t tell you off the top of my head how many hours it was. But it was not uncommon for it to be three, four, five hours, the whole process of waiting to find out what happened.

PF: What did you, Stephanie and Lisa talk about during that time?

rB: Quite honestly, from what I remember, really, the whole time in Puerto Rico, and not even relative to the last challenge, even the one prior when Spike was still there, you get down to only three, four, five people left, everyone kind of understands what’s going on. There’s really not much left to talk about. When there are more contestants, sometimes there’s bickering about dishes. If it’s a team challenge, sometimes there are things that can happen in that sort of atmosphere. But they call it the Stew Room and there’s really nothing else to do there but stew and/or drink if that’s the route you want to go, which wasn’t the one I wanted to go ever because I have to be on camera. But I don’t remember any conversation that was really relevant, if there was anything. You’re talking about hours of just kind of basically sitting there. I think we all fell asleep to be quite honest, at one point.

PF: You clearly filled the role of the molecular gastronomy guy this season. But your application of these techniques didn’t seem to be as confrontational as, say, Marcel from Season Two.

rB: Right.

PF: They seemed, to me at least, to be a little more focused and integrated into the dishes. Was that Bravo’s editing, restraint on your part, plain old maturity on your part? Or am I totally off base?

rB: Well, I love the three options you gave me there. I think that it’s definitely, there was no editing involved. If anything, Bravo probably, and this is just me speculating, so, of course, it’s good TV when someone starts squirting liquid nitrogen around the kitchen. I think that’s one of the appeals to that factor. For me, I’d like to say that it was more. I think restraint and maturity kind of blend into themselves as being the answer, really. Molecular gastronomy is a word I don’t really like to use, although it came off as [inaudible] more than I ever said it because of sound bites [inaudible]. If you can use technology, if you can use science, if you can use a new technique to make food better in general, then that’s what it’s about. And it took me a while. There was a time when, yeah, I wanted to put everything in little capsules and have people swallowing gumballs that tasted like three-course meals and that’s what I wanted to do, not because it would be a great three-course meal in a gumball but because it would be really cool to say, hey, I just made a three-course meal in a gumball. And I think that’s where the practice kind of gets away from itself. You start saying, hey, look what I can do and start getting away from the reason why we’re all chefs—to cook great, beautiful food, to make people happy and to make it tasty and delicious. Hopefully, mostly maturity and probably a little restraint.

PF: Which contestants on the show will you stay in touch with, if any?

rB: There’s a few. Me and Dale communicate from time to time. Me and Ryan have talked from time to time. Spike and myself, Antonia. There’s no one from the show, quite honestly, I mean, even Lisa sent me well wishes when my baby was born. It is also a television show and it is a competition and I think people are a lot more friendly, I think you’ll see in the reunion show that everyone understands [inaudible] what happens and everyone gets along pretty well. I’d like to stay in touch with everyone.

PF: What lessons have you learned from Top Chef and the finale in particular?

rB: The biggest lesson just from the whole effort is just to always keep challenging yourself. Never really kind of settle for being a decent sized fish in a small little tank. Or, never really, I think it’s real easy, especially right now for being in, not the biggest market in the world, being in Atlanta, to just think that you’re better than you are sometimes and to always challenge yourself. I don’t regret taking that personal challenge. Some people thought it was a risk or crazy for me to go do it. But I learned so much, whether it was from contestants or from the travels that we made or whatever. So, just continuing that effort. You always say as a chef that you always learn every day and that you’re always trying to keep learning. But, you know, quite honestly, it’s real easy to stop cooking as much because you’re the executive and to slow things down and start living a better life and, expecially once you start getting some notoriety from being on television, to really start being more of a quasi-celebrity than being a chef. But what the show brought back to me was reigniting my drive as just a cook, not as just a chef or TV chef or a popular chef. And what did the finale teach me? I mean, the finale, more than anything else, probably taught me a little bit more about when it’s very important to [inaudible] restraint in what you’re doing because there were plenty of dishes I could have done just on the moment that I had done before. None of those dishes [were ones] I have ever done before. To me, playing the game was the joy of Top Chef. Actually going into a new situation every day and just cooking something like you’ve never cooked before. Also, great chefs do the same things. Thomas Keller’s got the same dish on his menu at both restaurants, at Per Se and the French Laundry, and he’s not taking it off. And if you look at the old school great chefs there are dishes like that never get removed from their menu. So, again, what I learned was probably, even though I may be over it, even though there might be a dish or a technique that I’m just done with I’m just tired of, the fact is that, most of the world, even like the liquid nitrogen. Eric Rippert had not seen that technique before. How unbelievable was that? To me, it’s old hat. And he’s one of the best chefs in the world. Sometimes go to your bread and butter.

PF: Last question, have you ever been to any Philadelphia restaurants or do you any plans to come to Philadelphia in the future?

rB: I actually am doing an event and it will be the first time, I’ve been to Philadelphia only once in my life and it was way before I knew much about food, so I’m excited to be there. I’ll be there in September. And I think it’s a James Beard dinner and I think it’s going to be at a restaurant called Tangerine. Is that correct? A Stephen Starr restaurant? And it will be, I think it’s called Celebrity Chefs on Tour or something ridiculous like that, and I only say that because I don’t think I’m a celebrity. But I’ll be looking forward to getting some recommendations from you.

PF: You bet. Those are all the questions I have. Thanks so much for your time.

Gary Vaynerchuk Book Signing Event In Philly

2008-06-09T00:09:00.011-04:00

There are few people in the recent past who have made more of an impact on the wine world than Gary Vaynerchuk, host of the video podcast Wine Library TV.

With his refreshingly unpretentious commentary and contagiously kinetic style, Vaynerchuk appears to have done something few wine critics, if any, have been able to do—make wine accessible to people who were convinced the wine world was out of their reach. His mastery of social networking sites, including Twitter, to reach out to the public has earned him legions of fans—and, importantly, created an entirely new demographic of wine drinkers called “Vayniacs.”

And the wine world has taken notice. The Washington Post recently said Gary may be the most influential wine critic in the United States outside of Robert Parker.

Somehow, in between his appearances on TV shows like Ellen and Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Gary found time to write a book—“Gary Vaynerchuk’s 101 Wines: Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World.”

This Thursday, June 12, 2008, Gary will be hosting a meet and greet and signing his new book from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at The Wine School of Philadelphia, 2006 Fairmont Ave. It’s free and open to the public.

Photo courtesy of Stellargirl.

Working the PLCB System

2008-06-02T20:15:00.003-04:00

It’s frustrating when you know that the PLCB has an interesting wine in its system but it’s not stocked on the shelves of your local store. However, one of the benefits of having a state-wide liquor control system is that the consumer has access to every wine on the shelves of every state store in the entire state.

In other words, if, for example, the bottle of 2003 Antonelli Sagrantino di Montefalco you want is stashed away in a PLCB store in Allegheny County, there’s a surprisingly efficient way for you to get it.

Here’s how to work the system:

1. Use the PLCB Product Search database to find out which store has the wine you’re looking for.

2. Go to your local store and ask them to contact the store that has the wine and have it transferred to your store for you to pick up.

3. This is the most important step, one that the PLCB clerks don’t always remember to tell you: Make sure to say that you want to pay the extra couple of bucks for UPS shipping. If you do, you’ll have the wine in days. If you don’t, there’s no telling when (or if) you’ll get the wine.

Does it suck that on top of the state’s 30% markup, 18% Johnstown Flood Tax and 7% sales tax you will have to pay even more money to get a wine the PLCB carries? You bet it does.

Would you do this for just any wine? Probably not.

But for certain wines—wines that can be tricky to find, like the Sagrantino di Monetefalco—it’s worth a couple additional bucks to drink something a little more interesting.

Philly Wine Fest 2008 Wrap-Up

2008-06-01T18:49:00.016-04:00

Say what you want about Pennsylvania’s antiquated liquor laws; the PLCB throws one hell of a party.

The PLCB and Philadelphia Magazine teamed up again to host the Seventh Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival on May 10. By successfully addressing a few key issues that have dogged past festivals, the PLCB delivered an event this year that will be hard to beat.

In the past, tight quarters and narrow aisles turned even the most polite, well-dressed group of sophisticates into a selfish, inconsiderate, elbow-throwing mob. But this year the PLCB finally chose a space large enough to accommodate Philadelphia’s dedicated mass of wine lovers—the expansive Ballroom at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Sure, at times it felt like you were backstage at The Price is Right with the gaggle of lanky models in little black dresses attempting to cat-walk inconspicuously around the SUVs and Jaeger-le Coultre display cases in the center of the Ballroom. And yes, this spectacle would be easy to mock. But, presumably, lining up these sponsors made it possible for the PLCB to secure this venue, which is a decision that clearly paid off.

Also, at prior festivals the food always seemed to be an issue—there just never seemed to be enough to go around. This year, however, there was an endless supply of pastas. They were not the most refined dishes, with the exception of Penne Restaurant’s wonderful Mushroom Cavatelli with Goat Cheese. But they were just what you needed to soak up the high-octane Cabs you were [ahem] “tasting” for the past two hours.

Then, of course, there were the wines. This year there seemed to be a larger selection of higher-end, artisinal wines—the type of wine you expect at a wine festival.

However, having this level of depth at the festival was—you’ll pardon the expression—a bit of a cork-tease. Although all of the wines at the festival technically are available through the PLCB, many of the stand-out bottles are difficult to obtain. Some of them are available at the local PLCB specialty stores only in very limited quantities (see e.g., the Tuderi, below), while others can be purchased only through the PLCB’s Special Liquor Order (or “SLO”) process, which is pricey because it requires consumers to buy at least six bottles at a time.

Moreover, in stark contrast to the festival’s bounty, the PLCB specialty stores, in case you haven’t noticed, clearly are stocking less wine these days. Rumor has it that the wine inventory has been cut by 40%. And although the Chairman’s Selection program is not dead, as I predicted it has become a thin shadow of what it once was.

After the jump, I’ll talk about my three favorite wines at the festival. And tomorrow I’ll share my secret on how to work the PLCB system to get your hands on these and other hard to find wines.

Best Wine: Remoissenet Bienvenues Batard-Montrachet Grand Cru 2005 (PLCB No. 21214, $239.99).

Most of the folks attending the festival knew there were certain wines you had to hit, like the First Growth Bordeaux. But judging by the amount of eavesdropping my friends and I witnessed as we talked about this Grand Cru white Burgundy, not everyone, it seemed, had it on their radar.

This Batard was over the top. Subtle aromas of wildflower blossoms. Minerals, fresh citrus and stone fruits, all of which were delicate and focused. Underneath, this princess cradled a deep, layered core of secrets she was only willing to whisper to you, slowly, one at a time. Seductively complex. You could spend the rest of your life courting this wine and not a minute of your patient adoration would be wasted.

There are 12 bottles of this wine at the 12th and Chestnut store. But at $240 a bottle, I'm still waiting for my financial aid application to be approved.

Most Exciting Wine: Tenute Dettori Tuderi 2003 (PLCB No. 23590, $45.99).

Alessandro Dettori is one of the most provocative wine makers in Italy today. The reason: he kicks it old school. Aside from temperature control after bottling, Dettori uses virtually no wine making technology. His wines are natural and unmanipulated—no filtration, no clarification and no stabilization. Maceration and fermentation for most of his wines, including the Tuderi, all take place in small cement tanks. Plus, his grapes are hand-picked and the wines are hand-bottled. For Dettori, it’s clearly a labor of love. A defiant respect for tradition. And it’s as close as you can get to true Old World Italian wine making without a time machine. The result is a true wine geek’s wine.

The Tuderi is a brilliant example of this philosophy. The wine is made with 100% Cannonau (Italy’s name for Grenache). Because there’s no filtration, the pour looks as bright and as dense as a glass of V8. The sight may be a bit jarring to some, but the palate convinces you never to doubt the genius that is Alessandro Dettori: Bitter cherry, wild herbs, leather and spices tempered with refreshing, vibrant acidity. History and tradition never tasted so good.

The only problem with the wine is its availability. There are only 15 bottles in Philadelphia County, 9 of which are in Center City. The fact that that the distributor’s rep had almost as many bottles at the festival that the PLCB has for sale in the entire county is deeply disappointing.

The Grape You Should Get To Know: Antonelli’s Sagrantino di Montefalco 2003 (PLCB No. 24668, $31.99) and its Sagrantino di Montefalco Passito 2004 (PLCB No. 10057, $36.99).

Sagrantino is one of the greatest grapes you’ve probably never heard of. The reason: it’s rare. Indigenous to Umbria, there are only about 250 acres of Sagrantino vines in existence and only about a dozen producers that work with it. And it’s unlike any other Italian wine. Dense, big red brambly fruits, rich savory aromas, exotic spices and pronounced but well-integrated tannins make this wine fun to drink young.

Sagrantino’s often made passito style—drying the grapes after they’re picked to concentrate the flavors—for a lovely and unique dessert wine. It’s exciting that these two wines are available through the PLCB. Unfortunately, there are only 4 bottles of the Sagrantino di Montefalco in Philadelphia County (Germantown) and none of the passito.

Tomorrow, I’ll share my secret on how to work the PLCB system to get your hands on these and other hard to find wines.

For more pics of the festival, check out my Philly Wine Fest 2008 set on Flickr.

Local Bites

2008-05-29T22:52:00.005-04:00

• Wine Spectator listed Philly’s own Tacconelli’s (you know, the place that recommends that you call ahead to reserve your dough) as one of the leading pizza venues in the United States. Wine Spectator identified only 22 destination pizza spots, almost all of which were in California or New York. Glad Philly’s on the map. But, come on Wine Spectator, no Osteria?!

• Teikoku Restaurant in Newtown Square is hosting a winemakers dinner with Abruzzi-born Gino Razzi from Penn’s Woods Winery on Tuesday June 3, 2008 at 6:30 p.m. Click here for details. Razzi’s wines have been turning heads as of late; check out Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan’s recent write-up. Price is $95 per person (not including tax and gratuity). Razzi will be doing some interesting pours, such as a white Cabernet, a white Merlot and a 50 year old balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy.

• Stuck at Philadelphia International Airport? Want to relax with a glass of wine? You’re in luck. Vino Volo—the stylish and highly-acclaimed wine lounge and tasting bar—just opened up a spot in the B/C Connector, the heart of the airport’s Philadelphia Marketplace Food & Shops.

What Does Chicago's Repeal of the Foie Gras Ban Mean for Philly?

2008-05-15T12:15:00.009-04:00

Yesterday, by an overwhelming vote of 37-6, the Chicago City Council repealed its ban on the sale of foie gras. The ban has been a source of embarrassment for the city since it was passed in April 2006.

Philadelphia City Councilman Jack Kelly proposed a similar ban shortly after the now-repealed Chicago ban was passed. Kelly’s bill never made it out of the Committee for Licenses and Inspections. After narrowly wining re-election last fall, Kelly promised to lobby the newly-elected councilmen in January to support his bill. However, it is now halfway through May, Kelly’s bill has officially lapsed and we haven’t heard so much as a peep from Kelly.

The lack of legislative progress has not deterred Hugs for Puppies, the local activist group that has been spearheading protests in front of restaurants that serve foie gras. The group’s questionable protesting tactics essentially have resulted in a de facto foie gras ban in Philly. With the exception of Le Bec-Fin’s Georges Perrier, the Philly restaurant scene’s more vocal supporters, like Ansill's Chef David Ansill, have taken foie gras off the menu for business reasons. Even London Grill’s Terry McNally, Philly’s foie gras poster woman, appears to have caved (a recent visit revealed that only the hanger steak with foie gras butter remains).

Chicago’s repeal is important for Philly because, among other things, it undercuts an argument on which activists have strongly relied to make their case for banning foie gras: Because other legislative bodies have banned foie gras, Philly should ban it, too.

This follow-the-crowd argument has always been flawed. The implication that one need only get in line and follow what others have done without independent scrutiny is inherently troubling. The argument also assumes, of course, that none of the bans were the product of activists’ bullying. [Ironically, the activist group Farm Sanctuary is claiming that Chicago’s repeal was caused by “pressure from political bullies and special interests.”] Plus, there’s never any mention of the fact that the numerous legislative bans proposed in the U.S. since Chicago’s ban was passed have either failed (e.g., Maryland) or have been buried somewhere in the legislative process to die a slow, quiet death.

But now the follow-the-crowd argument has lost its teeth. Chicago was critically important to the activists—it was the first and only U.S. city to ban foie gras and, they maintained, it legitimized a path for other cities to follow. However, after enduring two years of ridicule and now repealing the ban in a loud, lopsided, public display, Chicago now stands for something completely different—the foie gras ban was a mistake. California passed a ban four years ago that doesn't become effective until 2012. However, after the more recent brouhaha in Chicago it’s unlikely that any U.S. city will ban foie gras now. More broadly, Chicago’s repeal also renews the debate as to whether it’s appropriate for local government to legislate what we put on our plate, at least in cases where there is no legitimate public interest to protect.

Chicago’s repeal should be the death knell for any proposed foie gras ban in Philly. Time will tell. But the real question isn’t whether Philly’s proposed ban (now lapsed) will officially be declared dead. The real question is: If it is declared dead, will the activists gracefully walk off the field and let us eat in peace?

Local Bites

2008-04-29T13:06:00.010-04:00

• The Third Annual Eight Days of Eats event kicks off tonight at Headhouse Square Market from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. Restaurants participating in the South Street Headhouse Area festival and sponsors will be offering food and refreshments. Donations go to the Historic Trust Conservancy.

• Tinto and Rae were just named to Condé Nast Traveler’s 12th Annual Hot List. From the Condé Nast Traveler’s website: “Our team of roving epicures visited 32 countries—from Chile to the Czech Republic, Thailand to Tunisia—to track down the world's most exciting new restaurants. Hundreds of meals later, 105 made the cut.” Tinto’s Jose Garces is celebrating by introducing Sunday Brunch starting this Sunday (10:00am-3:00pm). A la carte items range from $8 to $14 and include Revuelto de Hongos (shirred eggs with porcini and royal trumpet mushrooms, parmesan espuma and truffle butter) and cocktails such as the Pamplona (celery vodka, spiced tomato, citrus and beef consommé).

• On Thursday, May 1, Chef Felix S. Maietta and Theresa Fera-Maietta (The Down Town Club) will open the much anticipated Union Gourmet Market & Cafe at 1113 Locust Street on the ground floor of the Western Union Telegraph Building. Union Gourmet aims to be a quality alternative to take-out, offering fresh-made soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, house-baked pastries and breads, an antipasto bar and entrees.

• There’s still time to get tickets for the Seventh Annual Philadelphia Wine Festival being held at the PA Convention Center on Saturday, May 10. Tickets are $125 for the Grand Tasting/General Admission (6:30pm-9:00pm), and $225 for the VIP Tasting/Early Entry (5:30pm-9:00pm). Tickets can be purchased online.

Tipping Point

2008-04-19T13:15:00.003-04:00

Voltaire said we should judge others by the questions they ask rather than by the answers they give. This post illustrates why such wisdom rings true.

On Feb. 24, someone posted a comment in the restaurant section of City Paper’s website claiming that Arbol Café was confiscating the servers’ tips. This sparked a tremendous amount of outrage directed toward Arbol Café. Dozens of people chimed in on City Paper’s site, and on other local web sites, with heated opinions on the topic. Some claimed they would boycott the restaurant. Someone even posted claiming to be the owners of Arbol Café. It generated so much controversy that the Consumerist picked up the story.

My editor at City Paper, Drew Lazor, had a radical idea: he thought it would be interesting to find out whether the allegation leveled against Arbol Café was actually true. Turns out, it was not true. You can read the results of Drew’s investigation here. Briefly, Arbol Café keeps the servers’ tips only during training, which consists of three shifts. The irony of this whole thing is that Arbol Café appears to treat its servers far better than other restaurants because it pays its servers a base salary above minimum wage and then throws the tips on top of it.

Before Drew discovered the truth, he asked me to do a legal analysis as to whether the alleged practice was legal. You can read my analysis here. In short, under Federal and PA labor law, the alleged practice would be legal if there was an agreement in place between the servers and the restaurant and if the restaurant paid the servers a base salary above minimum wage. Practically speaking, though, I don’t know if any server ever would agree to surrender all of his or her tips.

Kudos to Drew for getting to the bottom of the controversy and also to FooBooz for throwing a healthy dash of skepticism on the issue.

An Update on Direct Wine Shipment in PA

2008-04-02T20:33:00.006-04:00

I wrote an article on direct wine shipment that appears in this week’s City Paper. Forgive the Madonna reference; it’s called “Over the Border Wine.”

The article explores whether it’s still illegal to have wine shipped to your door under Pennsylvania law. The reason this is an open question is because two court cases rendered Pennsylvania’s existing statutory scheme unconstitutional. And the Pennsylvania legislature has yet to clean up the mess.

Rep. Paul Costa and Sen. Jim Ferlo were kind and gracious enough to speak to me about the direct shipment bills they proposed that are currently pending in the state legislature. Tom Wark, Executive Director of the Specialty Wine Retailers Association, gave his insight on the issues raised by direct shipment legislation. Tom also writes one of the most insightful and thought-provoking wine blogs out there—Fermentation. The PLCB and the PA State Police's Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement went above and beyond in responding to my questions. Finally, special thanks to Gary Vaynerchuk, Director of Operations at Wine Library and host of Wine Library TV, for throwing in his two cents. Gary sympathizes with Pennsylvania wine drinkers. “What PA residents are going through is so sad,” Gary says. “I get over 50 emails a week from PA residents crying, including one that moved to South Jersey just because of it!”

And that’s one important piece of the puzzle that’s often overlooked—retailers. At the end of the day, what wine lovers in Pennsylvania really want is the ability to order wine from Internet retailers, not out-of-state wineries. The reason is obvious: choice. Internet retailers offer hundreds or even thousands wines from numerous wineries located all over the world. And contrary to the belief held by some well-intentioned folks in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s statutory scheme currently leaves Internet retailers out in the cold.

The case law I reference above only talks about wineries. But recently a federal court in Texas held that in-state and out-of-state retailers have to be treated equally as well. In PA, however, there is only one in-state retailer—the PLCB. And the PLCB doesn’t deliver wines to peoples’ doors. That is, at least not yet. If Rep. Costa’s bill passes as is—which would allow the PLCB to deliver wine to your door—they may have no choice but to let Gary and other Internet wine retailers do the same.

Plate Profile – Tinto’s Sopa de Castaño

2008-02-10T20:08:00.000-05:00

It’s time for another Plate Profile—a feature designed to highlight a dish being served in a Philadelphia restaurant that you need to try.

The chill of winter begs for hearty bowl of soup. And restaurants all over Philadelphia have been doing their part this season to create interesting versions of our favorite comfort classics such as butternut squash and carrot soups.

But the one soup that should not be missed this winter is Tinto’s Sopa de Castaño, a truffled chestnut soup ($12). What makes this soup so special is that it delivers intricate structure without tasting busy or out of balance.

The sweet, velvety soup is poured around a pillow of savory duck and mushroom hash that’s crowned with a fried quail egg. The hash’s chewy royal trumpet mushrooms parallel a delicate whisper of truffle oil to provide deep layers of woodsy and earthy goodness. Flecks of pistachio add texture while simultaneously echoing the soup’s nutty core. So intense, sinfully rich and satisfying on a primal level—one bowl of this soup will make even the most faithful man or woman feel like they just cheated on their spouse.

The wine you’ll want to pair with this decadent delight is the Domaine Brana Irouléguy Ohitza ($13/glass), a blend of Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Smokey with dark fruit flavors and notably round for the typically angular varietals at play, this medium-bodied wine has the weight to stand up to this powerful soup. At the same time, its woody tannins not only cut through the soup’s richness but also seemlessly blend with its earthy texture. The Ohitza also boasts a remarkable current of acidity that elevates the soup’s flavor.

Agar-a-phobia?

2008-01-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

In my latest City Paper article, Foam Over Function, I explore why Philadelphia doesn’t “get” molecular gastronomy (some chefs I spoke with prefer the term “modern” or “forward” cooking). In writing the article, I managed to score an interview with Chef Grant Achatz of Alinea in Chicago. According to Achatz, he was “the first one in the U.S. to start cooking in this style” when he was at Trio in Evanston, Illinois.

It’s tempting to ask whether a restaurant like Alinea or Wylie Dufresne’s WD-50 in New York would ever work in Philadelphia. But, in many ways, that question misses the point.

The truth is that Philadelphia chefs are already using the techniques and structural ingredients associated with forward cooking in “regular-looking” dishes right under our noses. They’re just not advertising it. One person I spoke with at a certain Philadelphia restaurant (which will remain nameless) admitted that they use one particular modern cooking technique, but the person said they "don’t want to be known for that.”

According to Shola Olunloyo of Studio Kitchen, “You can either do or talk about doing. And sometimes you just need to do. I like to be transparent and let the food speak for itself, as opposed to selling the technique before I sell the flavor.”

In some ways, there is no such thing as “molecular gastronomy.” Rather, there is only good cooking and bad cooking. These modern techniques and structural ingredients are simply additional tools in the culinary toolbox. Some may disagree, of course. But the one thing on which everyone seems to agree is that, regardless of technique, the food has to taste good. Perhaps that's all that really matters in the end.

For those Philadelphians who remain skeptical of this new cookery, Achatz has some advice: “They shouldn’t be afraid of it,” Achatz said. “Just sit back and enjoy the ride.”

There is a slideshow online that accompanies my City Paper article. For even more pics of my kitchen experience at Snackbar with Chef Jonathan McDonald check out my Snackbar Set on Flickr. And for more pics of my experience at Lacroix’s Chef’s Table with Chef Matthew Levin (not all of which was molecular), check out my Lacroix Set.

Congratulations Deborah

2008-01-12T13:16:00.000-05:00

Deborah Szajngarten, writer of the blog The Culinary Adventures of Deb Szajngarten, won the two-class gift certificate to The Wine School of Philadelphia that I donated to Menu for Hope.

Many thanks to Chez Pim for organizing the charity event, to Serious Eats for being the East Coast host, and to everyone who participated. The raffle raised $91,188 this year.

Close to home, I would like to thank April White of Philadelphia Magazine, Mac & Cheese and David McDuff of McDuff’s Food and Wine Trail for plugging my prize. David, whom I met last night at the second Philly Food Blogger Potluck, offered a spectacular prize himself—his private sommelier services and wine for the night.

Again, congratulations Deborah. Looking forward to seeing you in class.

Livin' La Vida Locavore

2008-01-09T21:50:00.000-05:00

Because “locavore” was named 2007’s word of the year by the New Oxford American Dictionary, I thought it would be fun to research and write an article about the history of Philadelphia’s local food system and how Philadelphia has become a model for other communities around the country. The article is called Cult of Seasonality and you can find it in this week’s City Paper.

Philadelphia’s local food system is more advanced than you may think. For example, in researching the article I learned about a unique business called Farm Fresh Express—which, in some ways, is a more flexible alternative to CSAs. First, there's no commitment. Second, they have a wide variety of choices each week because co-owners Mary Ann Flaherty and Pam Nelson source from many local farms and other local food purveyors. Third, they offer the flexibility to order in any quantity you choose. Fourth, they will even have the food delivered straight to your door, even in Center City, for a mere $10 delivery fee. According to Flaherty, “Some of our customers have told us that they’ve basically stopped going to the grocery store except for toilet paper.”

Photo from James's Buy Fresh Buy Local Happy Hour, July 2007.

Dock Street Brewery

2008-01-07T23:00:00.000-05:00

If you’re like most people, you believe that restaurants live or die on the merits. You believe that if a restaurant has great service and makes great food, it will succeed. And that if its service is poor and its food is mediocre, it will fail. After all, that’s how the marketplace is supposed to work, right?

But every once in a while a restaurant defies this model. Much like the creatures that lumber over the rocks of the Galápagos Islands, sometimes a restaurant is isolated from the process of natural selection that otherwise would (or should?) cause it to become extinct.

Dock Street Brewery is one of those restaurants.

Rosemarie Certo and her husband founded Dock Street Brewery in 1985. Five years later, they opened a brewpub and rode the crest of the microwbrew trend to nationwide popularity. After selling the business in 1998, they repurchased the bottling division and the brand in 2002. The brewpub, operated by other owners, closed in 2002. Last fall, Certo decided to give the brewpub another go in a former firehouse in West Philly.

The décor of the reborn brewpub aims for a hip minimalism, one that’s characteristic of the mostly post-grad crowd it tends to draw. However, the result—raw concrete floors, dim lighting, and lawn furniture mismatched with chairs from Target—is less than welcoming.

But Dock Street’s issues are more fundamental than décor. First, the service is inconsistent. On one visit the service was well-paced and efficient. On another, though, it was an obscene train wreck. Inexcusably, it took over an hour and a half for the food to arrive after ordering. Often you can tell whether blame lies with the servers or the kitchen. Here it was both. The food was hot when it finally came out, indicating that the kitchen was at fault for the delay. And we’re not talking complicated entrées here—it’s pizza. At the same time, the servers were mysteriously absent for long periods of time while dirty plates were stacked high on several adjacent tables—a makeshift SOS by stranded diners.

Second, contrary to the early hype, the pizza is nothing to crow about. The pizzas may sound compelling on the menu, but most fall short of expectations. The sweetness you expect from the layer of fig jam on the Fig Jam Pizza, for example, is virtually undetectable, overshadowed by bacon. The pizza isn't the only letdown. The signature Dock Street Beer Battered Fish & Chips also misses the mark—the batter was thin and the fish itself was bland. Not everything is disappointing. The Flammenkuche Pizza is worth repeating; its sweet caramelized onions and bacon balance nicely with its crème fraîche and gruyère. And although the leeks were overcooked, the French Fry Trio makes a half decent bar snack.

Most of last fall’s drafts tasted like beer with training wheels. Light on hops and heavy on malt, they were ideal for people who normally don’t like beer. The Imperial Stoudt, for example, made with organic fair trade espresso beans, was a fun pour. But it belonged on a breakfast table not a bar. However, Dock Street’s first brewmaster recently left, and Eric Savage, Dock Street’s original brewmaster, is now consulting. This change should be a good thing.

Despite its shortcomings, Dock Street may survive. Poor service and mediocre food would doom a restaurant in Center City. But, as they say, it’s all about location. And a built in market. West Philly needs Dock Street. The restaurant brings energy to a struggling neighborhood, and the locals show their appreciation by returning night after night. Dock Street also has a menu that caters to vegetarians and vegans, segments of the dining population that are often ignored by restaurants.

For now, Dock Street looks like a creature that isn’t supposed to exist. But given enough time, who knows, maybe it will evolve.

Dock Street Brewery
701 South 50th Street
(215) 726-2337

For more pics, check out my Dock Street Set on Flickr.

Philly Uncorked

2007-12-23T17:24:00.000-05:00

Philly.com has teamed up with The Wine School of Philadelphia to bring you Philly Uncorked—an informative and entertaining wine video program. The first episode is about Chianti. Wine School professionals Keith Wallace and Maria Valeta teach us about this region and the wine it produces, give us a range of winning picks and describe a perfect food pairing. Keith also shares a very technical term of art that’s used to describe unappealing wines. Watch the video here.

Menu for Hope 4

2007-12-10T11:49:00.000-05:00

Menu for Hope is an annual charity fundraiser organized by Pim Techamuanvivit, author of Chez Pim, the most respected food blog on the Internet. Five years ago, the devastating tsunami in Southeast Asia inspired Pim to find a way to help, and the first Menu for Hope was born. The campaign has since become a yearly affair, raising funds to support worthy causes worldwide. In 2006, Menu for Hope raised $62,925 to help the UN World Food Programme feed the hungry. This year, the money will again go to the U.N.'s World Food Programme.

For two weeks every December, food bloggers from all over the world join the campaign by offering a delectable array of food-related prizes for the Menu for Hope raffle. Anyone can buy raffle tickets to bid on these prizes. For every $10 donated, entrants earn one virtual raffle ticket to bid on a prize of their choice. At the end of the two-week campaign, the raffle tickets are drawn and the results announced on Chez Pim.

To support this cause, I have submitted “Two Class Gift Certificate” to be used at The Wine School of Philadelphia, which was generously donated by the school. Valued at $100, this certificate is enough for two seats to most wine classes offered at the school. You can take two classes yourself, or you and a friend can attend one class together. Even better, you can use this gift certificate for anything that the school offers, including custom-made crystal glassware. The Prize Code for this gift certificate is UE42.

If you’re interested in bidding on this prize or any of the other prizes being offered, here’s what you need to do:

1. Choose a prize or prizes from the Menu for Hope at http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2007/12/menu-for-hope-4.html You can also visit Serious Eats, which is acting as the host for all of the prizes being offered in the East Coast region: http://www.seriouseats.com/required_eating/2007/12/menu-for-hope-4-east-coast-prize-list.html

2. Go to the donation site at http://www.firstgiving.com/menuforhope4 and follow the instructions to make a donation. Make sure to use the Prize Code of the item on which you’re bidding. If you’re bidding on the Wine School of Philadelphia gift certificate, the Prize Code is UE42.

3. Check back on Chez Pim on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 for the results of the raffle.

Good luck and thank you for your support.

That's Professor "Wine Snob" to You, Pal

2007-12-09T22:38:00.000-05:00

In Taste, its 2007 dining guide, Philadelphia Weekly said I am “one of the biggest wine snobs you’ll ever meet, and you’ll be glad you found your way into his sommelier presence.”

Now, it will be easier for you to find your way into my “sommelier presence.” I am now an instructor at The Wine School of Philadelphia.

But those looking for snobbery will be disappointed. Much like the wine writing on my blog, the classes I’ll be teaching at the Wine School are designed to demystify wine and make it more accessible to the masses. The school offers classes at two locations: its main location at 2006 Fairmount Ave. and at its newly-opened satellite classroom at Pinot Boutique, located in Old City at 227 Market St. Sign up for a class here.

Tomorrow I’ll tell you about a special opportunity to win a gift certificate good for two classes at the Wine School.

What's Good for the Goose is Good for the Gander

2007-12-06T22:53:00.000-05:00

In his Inqlings column yesterday, Michael Klein reported that Hugs for Puppies (“HFP”) and Professionals Against Foie Gras are hosting a “No Foie Gras Gala” this Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Ethical Society on Rittenhouse Square. HFP has become infamous for protesting restaurants that serve foie gras, and its tactics have been disturbing enough to convince courts to issue two injunctions against the group.

But, as Klein reported, this time the shoe is on the other foot. In a karmic twist of fate, a group of people who support foie gras plan to protest HFP's gala.

I learned that the pro-foie gras protest is being spearheaded by Terry McNally, co-owner of the London Grill—one of the few restaurants to stand up to HFP. McNally said that, unlike some of the people who protested her restaurant, she isn’t interested in acting crazy. “I don’t actually want to ‘protest’ as much as wanting to be there [to share] correct information,” McNally said via email. According to McNally, the protest begins at 5:30 p.m.

But McNally and her supporters may not be the only ones who will be there. Turns out that a film crew from France is in the country filming a documentary about foie gras for French TV. My source tells me that the film crew may make a detour to Philly on Saturday evening to film the gala protest.

And if that wasn’t enough foie gras redux (re-ducks?) for you, check out this article in the recent issue of Esquire by John Mariani called “The Truth About Foie Gras.” Mariani visited Hudson Valley Foie Gras recently and he came to the same conclusion I did.

UPDATE: I just confirmed directly with Lacroix that Chef Matthew Levin will be serving the pro-foie gras protestors free canapés, including medallions of foie gras. Sounds like the protestors may end up eating better fare than the gala attendees.

Thanksgiving Wine Pairings in a Pinch

2007-11-21T00:44:00.000-05:00

We all celebrate Thanksgiving in different ways and with different foods. But the one thing that’s guaranteed to be on almost every table this holiday is wine.

The PLCB created a wine pairing chart to help with your wine selection.

Although the chart is helpful in identifying which varietals will work with your meal, it doesn’t recommend specific wines.

If you’re like most people, you’ve put off your Thanksgiving wine purchases until the last minute. And when you finally arrive at the PLCB store, you probably won’t have time to browse the aisles let alone decode a chart.

You need specific recommendations and you need them fast. Look no further.

The Standards: The three wines you can count on to go with your Thanksgiving meal are Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Beaujolais Nouveau. Here are some suggestions on what to pick, all of which are available at the 12th St. PLCB store:

2006 Pierre Sparr Riesling Reserve (PLCB No. 22105, $14.99). A well-balanced Riesling; not a cloyingly sweet sugar-bomb. Bone dry, as Alsatian Riesling should be. Apples, pears, steely acids and a hint of spice on the finish.

2005 Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer (PLCB No. 21762, $12.99). Low acids and glycerol give this medium-bodied wine its characteristic sweetness. Lychee, grapefruit and dried apricots on the nose. Similar flavors on the palate, and a touch of spice at the end.

2007 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau (PLCB No. 5877, $11.99) and 2007 Leonard de St.-Aubin Beaujolais Nouveau (PLCB No. 8998, $11.99). You expect Beaujolais Nouveau to be fruit forward. This year’s crop is different. The fruit is incredibly subdued, which exposes more of the wine’s acidity. And that’s not necessarily a good thing in such a light-bodied red. You’re left with unripe sour cherry, tart cranberry, somewhat bitter undertones and an almost slightly medicinal aroma. This is true of both of the Beaujolais Nouveau. I’d pass on the Beaujolais Nouveau this year. But if you have to choose between the two, go with the Duboeuf over the St.-Aubin because the Duboeuf has a little more fruit to grab onto.

Branching Out: Tired of the standards? For a little more adventure, try these:

2004 Domaine Zind-Humbrecht Zind (PLCB No. 21229, $18.99). Consider this as an alternative to Riesling and Gewurztraminer. This white from Alsace is focused and expressive. It’s made with 70% Chardonnay and 30% Auxerrois, an Alsatian varietal that adds substance and nuance. Floral and citrus flavors decorate the palate. It has a rich mouthfeel but the finish is crisp and bright. Seductive honeysuckle notes linger for minutes.

Georges Duboeuf Morgon Jean Descombes (PLCB No. 5504, $15.99). Consider this wine instead of the Beaujolais Nouveau. Although Morgon is made with same grape used in Beaujolais Nouveau, the Gamay grape, it has a little more depth. Sweet cherries and mocha with mineral undertones.

2005 Simonnet-Febvre Pinot Noir Vin de Pays des Portes de la Méditerranée (PLCB No. 18853, $8.99). Burgundy and Old World-style Pinot Noir are stellar wines to pair with a roasted turkey because they deliver earth and fruit flavors that perfectly complement your typical Thanksgiving spread. However, the problem in PA is that (a) all of the Burgundy on the PLCB stores’ shelves is pretty pricey; and (b) most of the Pinot Noir is not only pricey, but it’s New World-style. To get a drinkable Pinot (New or Old World), you normally have to shell out at least $40. Then there’s the Simonnet-Febvre Pinot Noir, which clocks in at an almost laughably low $8.99. This isn’t an elegant Pinot Noir you’ll get misty about a la Sideways. But it does have the barebones framework of an Old World-style Pinot Noir. A shocking effort for the price.

2005 Lacrimarosa Campania Rosé Mastroberardino I.G.T. (PLCB No. 25333, $12.99). Made from the Aglianico grape, this Rosé displays delicate strawberry and raspberry fruit supported by an ashy minerality that's blended with a slight creaminess. Lime and citrus notes brighten the finish.

2003 Cantina Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riserva (PLCB No. 4560, $11.99). For those who are fans of Pulp Fiction, consider this the Winston Wolfe of wines: it solves problems. This red wine is not the most intuitive match for a Thanksgiving meal, I’ll admit. But it’s versatile enough to save the day. The fruit, tannins and acidity are well balanced, and it’s guaranteed to go with something on the table. A consistent crowd pleaser, and my current house wine.

Pig-turesque

2007-11-12T15:31:00.000-05:00

It’s tempting to make certain assumptions about a restaurant named Cochon (French for pig): (1) the menu will contain pork; and (2) the food will compel you to eat to the point of gluttony. Both of these assumptions, it turns out, are true of the new Queen Village French bistro helmed by chef Gene Giuffi and his wife Amy. But when this duo was mulling over names for their BYOB, they settled on Cochon for an entirely different reason.

Cochon is the latest crusader in the city’s French restaurant revolution—a liberating development in light of Philadelphia’s time-worn allegiance to the Italian BYOB. The bistro occupies the space that formerly housed Café Sud. During renovations, Gene and Amy discovered charming fixtures almost too good to be true—a well-heeled mosaic tile floor and original pressed tin wall panels that have been sanded and painted powder blue. The warm, expanded dining room now comfortably seats 44 at humble wooden tables. The gleaming new open kitchen is nestled into the corner. A large chalkboard decorates the wall to display daily specials.

Though young, Cochon already has a clear identity, all thanks to the pig. To chef Giuffi (formerly of Davio’s, Nan, La Boheme and ¡Pasión!), the pig represents the essence of rustic, farmhouse food. And he named his bistro after the uncultured sow to remove the pretense often associated with French fare. It’s a proud, unapologetic reminder—this is peasant food. But don’t let the rural theme fool you. Cochon’s food may be simple, but it’s not without sophistication.

Clean and tender escargot and Shitake mushrooms rest in a red wine sauce. Gently kissed with garlic Pernod butter, the deep, herbaceous sauce is ambrosial, making this one of the most memorable and satisfying appetizers on the menu.

Another must have is the crispy chicken livers appetizer—a Davio’s dish Giuffi updated. Tossed with balsamic, candied walnuts and raisins, the livers are soft, rich and pleasantly sweet.

The delicate tomato-leek saffron broth in which the mussels bathe could use a touch of heat. Still, you won’t be able to resist dredging the bowl with a spent shell to rescue the last drop of broth.

Entrées, too, are smart without losing their pastoral appeal. Beautifully prepared duck breast comes with a white bean ragout that includes crisped-up bacon and confit, a creative play on refried beans. Giuffi skillfully prepares a Prime cut of Belevedere strip steak for the steak frites, and the fries conceal a faint hint of heat that warms the back of your throat.

Slow-cooked country staples receive the tender care they deserve. The pork shoulder marinates for almost 2 days and roasts for 8-10 hours. It’s a comforting prelude to winter, though the dish could use more of the roasted Brussels sprouts that are nesting in the hearty and flavorful lentils du Puy.

But the braised, free-range lamb shank steals the show. The sweet, wild meat spills off the mammoth bone with the slightest brush from a fork. And the syrupy port reduction that hosts earthy rutabaga and fingerlings balances the lamb’s richness.

Chateauneuf-du-Pape and Bordeaux are ideal for Giuffi’s cuisine, though the selection of these wines at the nearby 5th street PLCB store is thin and/or expensive. In a pinch, the 2003 Chateau Greysac will do (PLCB No. 4453, $18.95), as will the 2003 Chateau Les Fief de Lagrange (PLCB No. 7991, $18.99). But those searching for a less expensive alternative may enjoy the 2005 Crios de Susana Balbo Mendoza (PLCB No. 29021, $11.99), a Syrah/Bonarda blend (think: Merlot with a personality).

Cochon’s key strength, ironically, highlights a small weakness. Giuffi’s signature sauces are intensely addictive and beg to be soaked up with a deep, never-ending basket of sliced baguette. But the single, elegant roll you receive instead doesn’t last long (especially with the delicious butter dressed with sea salt) and even seems a little too fussy for Cochon’s humble personality.

But Cochon’s only real blemish—one that’s common in Center City eateries—is the relatively high noise level. The angular dining space and tin panels are likely more to blame than the open kitchen.

Most desserts are currently being sourced from outside vendors. But the creme brulée, made in-house, is a flawless dream that should not be missed. Its hard, caramelized shell harbors a cool, satisfying custard.

With its warm environs and rustic country cuisine, Cochon’s a bistro the everyday Frenchman would call home.

Cochon
801 E. Passyunk Ave.
215-923-7675
Prices: $8-$23; Cash Only

For more pics, check out my Cochon set on Flickr.

Taste of Philly

2007-10-23T18:00:00.000-04:00

There’s still time to get tickets for Philadelphia Weekly’s “Taste of Philly” event, which takes place this Thursday, October 25, 2007 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at The Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

A mere $15 in advance (or $30 at the door) gets you all the food and drink you can consume from over 40 participating restaurants, including Brasserie Perrier, Eulogy, Fork, Nineteen and Victory Brewing Company.

The $15 advance tickets can be purchased through Philadelphia Weekly’s website: www.philadelphiaweekly.com/taste or directly at their offices at 1500 Sansom Street, Third Floor from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. tomorrow and up to 12:00 p.m. on the day of the event.

50% of ticket sales will benefit Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

John Mariani Profiles Philadelphia's Restaurants

2007-09-30T22:28:00.000-04:00

It’s exciting when the Philadelphia restaurant scene receives national attention. National food and wine writers dine all over the globe, and so it’s always interesting to see how the depth and breadth of their palates inform their opinions of our little corner of the culinary world.

John Mariani is the latest to weigh-in on Philadelphia’s restaurant scene. He is one of the most seasoned and highly respected food and wine writers around. He is a columnist for Esquire, Wine Spectator, Diversion, Bloomberg News & Radio, and Restaurant Hospitality. He has also authored The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, The Dictionary of American Food & Drink, and with his wife Galina, the award-winning new The Dictionary of Italian Food and DrinkItalian-American Cookbook.

Mariani also publishes a free weekly newsletter on his site, JohnMariani.com (free registration required for archives). In the September 23 issue, Mariani profiles Philadelphia restaurants and reviews some of his current favorites: Rae, 707, Tinto and Susanna Foo in Radnor.

Like other outsiders, one of the things Mariani bemoans generally about Philadelphia is the high mark-ups on wine. However, despite the constraints under which our restaurants must operate, Mariani is impressed with what he sees. He calls Ryan Davis’ wine list at Rae “first-rate,” he recognizes Tinto’s 100+ bottle wine list and says that 707’s wine list “carries some of the best bargains for good regional bottling you’ll find in Philadelphia.”

In Tune With Fork

2007-09-26T23:44:00.000-04:00

Fork was the very first Center City restaurant in which I ever dined. So it’s fitting that Fork the first Center City restaurant in which I get to cook.

This year, Fork and owner Ellen Yin are celebrating a milestone few restaurants are fortunate enough to experience: a 10 year anniversary. To mark the occasion, Yin published Forklore: Recipes and Tales From an American Bistro (Temple University Press). Forklore is the history of Fork told through the recipes that have appeared over the years on Fork’s evolving Bistro-style menu.

For the City Paper article I was assigned to write, I came up with the idea of cooking one of the dishes with Yin in Fork’s kitchen. We made the Grilled Striped Bass in Grape Leaves with Vietnamese Rice-Paper Wraps and Coconut-Lime Dipping Sauce. The recipe actually calls for Red Snapper, but to find out why we used Striped Bass you’ll have to read the article, The Tines That Bind.

And for more pictures of the event, check out my Forklore set on Flickr.

Philadelphia Restaurant Week Survival Guide

2007-09-25T23:38:00.000-04:00

It’s that time again, folks—time to celebrate something about our city that continues to draw national attention.

No, I’m not taking about our escalating murder rate; that’s certainly nothing to celebrate. I’m not even talking about Mayor Street’s recent decision to crack down on property tax scofflaws…like himself. (By the way, where did Mayor Street camp out last night for Halo 3?)

I’m talking, of course, about our restaurants. And, specifically, Center City Restaurant Week. You know the drill: 3 courses, $30, over 100 participating restaurants.

If you don’t have reservations by now, you’re probably more nervous than a senator in an airport bathroom stall. But don’t fret. There’s still hope.

Here are a few tips to help you make the best of Restaurant Week, even if you didn’t make reservations two months ago like you should have done:

Aim High. Not all restaurants participating in Restaurant Week are created equal. If the goal is to eat a $30 meal at the best possible restaurant (and, let’s face it folks, that is the goal), shoot for places like Le Bar Lyonnais or Amada over, say, CoCo's (no offense). By now, of course, seasoned veterans likely have seized most, if not all, of the reservations at Philly’s latest hot spots, so be prepared to lower your expectations somewhat. However, it never hurts to call some of these places to capitalize on any last minute cancellations. You should also scour Open Table for, what else: open tables. Better yet, let FooBooz do it for you. FooBooz has promised to post updates throughout the week letting you know which participating restaurants still have tables available.

Look for Places Serving Their Regular Menu. Restaurants approach Restaurant Week in one of two ways: (1) serve slightly smaller versions of items that appear on their regular menu; or (2) create new dishes to fit the $30 price point. In my travels, I’ve had better Restaurant Week experiences at places that do the former.

Eat at the Bar. Even if you can't get any reservations, you may still be able take advantage of Restaurant Week. Look for participating restaurants that have bars or counters, such as Washington Square and The Oceanaire, and eat from the Restaurant Week menu at the bar.

Philadelphia Chefs for Choice Sponsor "Freedom Foie for Five"

2007-09-25T22:20:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia Chefs for Choice invites you to Freedom Foie for Five: a special celebration of foie gras. All next week, the week of October 1, both for lunch and dinner, you will be able to sample this deliciously controversial dish for only $5 at the 20 participating restaurants listed below.

According to the organization's press release, Philadelphia Chefs for Choice is a group of concerned chefs and restaurateurs who stand for freedom of choice—theirs and yours. They have organized as a response to the animal rights movement against foie gras, line caught fish, veal, lobster and eggs.

Here is the mission statement that these 20 chefs and restaurateurs have endorsed:

We, the chefs and restaurateurs of Philadelphia, listed below, believe in the freedom of choice, for ourselves and our clients.

As chefs, we believe in the humane and natural husbandry of animals, and are dedicated to using the highest quality ingredients. As business people, we want to be able to decide what to put on our menus.

We do not believe that a minority of animal rights zealots should determine the direction of our business. Nor do we want to be intimidated by them at our restaurants or homes. We want the City Council to know that these few do not represent the whole of Philadelphia.

In the city of Philadelphia, the birthplace of American liberty, we want to keep the right to serve foie gras.

Bistro 7—Michael H. O’Halloran
Brasserie Perrier—Chris Scarduzio
Caffé Casta Diva—Stephen Vassalluzzo
Caribou Café—Olivier de Saint Martin
Django—Ross Essner
Lacroix at the Rittenhouse—Matt Levin
Le Bec-Fin—Georges Perrier
Little Fish—Mike Stollenwerk
London Grill—Terry McNally
Matyson—Matt Spector
Osteria—Jeff Michaud
Rylei Restaurant—Jose Vargas
Salt and Pepper—Shawn Ford
Standard Tap—Paul Kimport
Studio Kitchen—Shola Olunloyo
Susanna Foo—Susanna Foo
Twenty21—Sue Mahoney
Vetri—Marc Vetri
Vintage—Jason & Delphine Evenchik
Zinc—Barbara de Saint Martin

UPDATE 9/29/07: Bistro 7, Django, Studio Kitchen and Osteria will not be participating in the Foie for Five event. And according to Food and Drinq, Stephen Vassalluzzo at Caffe Casta Diva is on the fence. But add N.3rd to the list of participating restaurants. I just confirmed directly with N. 3rd that Peter Dunmire has jumped on board and will be participating in the Foie for Five event.

More after the jump.

The list above consists of restaurants that have actually chosen a side in this debate. The list of restaurants Hugs for Puppies ("HFP") cites, by contrast, consists mostly of restaurants it bullied. In other words, pulling foie gras off the menu doesn’t necessarily mean the restaurant believes it’s cruel. Instead, it likely means that they’re just sick of the harassment. Do you seriously believe that David Ansill had some sort of epiphany and now believes foie gras is cruel? It's also interesting to note that HFP takes credit for 4 restaurants that closed, even though the closings had nothing to do with foie gras (Restaurant M, Deux Cheminées, Pif and Le Jardin) and all 11 Stephen Starr restaurants, many of which didn't even serve foie gras.

Moreover, the list of above reflects a completely different type and degree of commitment than most of the people or businesses who sign petitions opposing foie gras. The folks above have something at stake. As HFP proudly continues to prove, there is an inherent risk in serving foie gras in Philadelphia (and, apparently, there's a risk even if you don't serve it). Also, unlike many who oppose foie gras, the individuals above will be directly affected should the proposed ban be passed. Their courage, therefore, should be taken seriously.

A Turbulent Flight of Wine

2007-09-16T23:44:00.000-04:00

My wife and I decided to picnic in Fairmount Park on Labor Day. She put together some delicious chicken pesto wraps for us to eat. To celebrate the symbolic end of summer, I wanted to bring along a special bottle of wine. As soon as I opened my cellar, I knew exactly which bottle to bring—the 2006 Vermentino di Gallura Superiore Funtanaliras D.O.C.G.

A gentle swirl released the subtle fragrance of apricots and mild flowers. On the palate, the tart apple and apricot flavors that introduced this wine were supported by a clean mineral texture and a slightly briney undercurrent. As these flavors began to fade, a playful arc of bitter almond breached the finish.

But what made this wine drink so well had nothing to do with its flavor profile or the fact that it paired well with the chicken pesto wraps. It had nothing to do with the vintage, the soil in which the grapes were grown, or even the fact that it was among the six bottles of wine that US Airways took from us in Rome. Rather, what made this Vermentino so special was that I kicked US Airways' ass to get it back.

Before we left for vacation in Italy, I knew we would be bringing home Italian wine. I also knew it was legal to do so. PA’s liquor laws are notoriously antiquated. It is illegal, for example, to bring wine across the border from New Jersey. However, strangely enough, it is completely legal to bring wine into PA from a foreign country—up to a gallon (a little over 5 bottles) per person. What’s even more surprising is that you don’t have to pay any taxes on it, not even the Johnstown Flood Tax. See 47 P.S. § 4-491(2).

Knowing this, we brought with us to Italy a cardboard box that snugly held a two-piece Styrofoam container tailor made to cradle six bottles of wine (well under the PA limit for two people). This packaging is not novel. It is specifically designed to protect bottles during shipping and it’s used by wine merchants all over the world to ship wine safely to their customers.

In Rome, we befriended a wine purveyor named Massimo who owns an enoteca called L’Angolo Divino near Campo de’ Fiori. We asked him to fill the box with five bottles of wine, including some of the wine we enjoyed there the night before with relatives from Washington who were vacationing with us. The sixth slot would be used to carry the 1989 Chateau des Deux Moulins our relatives in Rome gave us.

When we arrived at the airport in Rome for our return trip, I placed the box on the counter to be checked in. When the US Airways clerk asked me what was in the box, I told the truth: wine. With that, she called over her manager, whom I’ll call “Mario” (not his real name). Mario took one look at the box and refused check it in. His initial reason for not checking the box was that the bottles would break. When I tried to explain the nature of the packaging, he cut me off and mindlessly repeated the bald conclusion that the bottles would break. Another clerk even joined in, shaking the box and mocking my explanation. It was insulting. And now I was fuming.

Mario then said two things: (1) there was a new policy prohibiting the wine from being checked unless it was in a wooden crate; and (2) FedEx would pick up our box at the airport and ship it to us in the states, which, he claimed, FedEx had done in the past for travelers like us.

Both of these statements, it turned out, were complete bullshit.

Within minutes of landing in Philadelphia, I was on the phone with US Airways. They confirmed that there was no “wooden crate” policy and that Mario had no right to prevent us from checking our wine. I also called FedEx. They don’t ship wine for consumers; you have to be a licensed distributor to enlist them to ship wine. The same is true of UPS.

Surprisingly, and to their credit, the US Airways folks I dealt with here in the states in the days that followed were sympathetic and proactive. For example, the representative at the Philly airport with whom I filed a claim report actually called Mario on the phone, told him he had no right to prevent us from checking the box and instructed him to put it on the next flight. Also, the representatives working the Central Baggage helpline sent Mario several messages telling him to ship the box. A manager from the baggage department’s corporate headquarters in Arizona kept me informed throughout the process.

But the problem wasn’t them. It was Mario. He stubbornly refused to return the wine. For example, although he told the US Airways representative at the Philly airport that he would put the wine on the next plane, he failed to do so. He then claimed that the instruction needed to come from Central Baggage. However, Central Baggage had already advised him several times to send the box.

I knew from the beginning that Mario would not budge unless one of his superiors here in the states called him on the carpet. It took ten days, but I made that happen. And we finally got our wine. Plus, as a result of this incident US Airways said they planned to have a sit down with the Rome office to make sure nothing like this ever happens again. Now, a US Airways customer should be able to check wine at Rome’s airport without any problem. That’s what happens when you mess with a lawyer’s wine.

Given the fierce campaign I waged to get the box back, you would expect that it contained expensive, extraordinary wines from legendary vintages. But it didn’t. Aside from the 1989 Chateau des Deux Moulins, all of the wines in the box were modest and inexpensive. Yet, they have more meaning to me than some of the esoteric Bordeaux and Burgundies I have in my cellar.

Wine can be more than the sum of its parts. It has the ability to capture a moment—and you along with it—even if that moment is something as simple as a meal with family or good friends. For me, those bottles are worth fighting for.

Exclusive Interview: Chef Guillermo Pernot Pours His ¡Pasión! Into Cuba Libre

2007-09-09T22:49:00.000-04:00

Chef Guillermo Pernot is credited with introducing Nuevo Latino cuisine to Philadelphia. And when he opened ¡Pasión! eight and a half years ago, the upscale establishment soon became one of the most exciting destination spots in Philadelphia, earning an impressive three bells from the Inquirer’s Craig LaBan.

But when ¡Pasión! closed suddenly this past June, Pernot was blamed.

Pernot left ¡Pasión! a year ago this September to become the Executive Concept Chef at Cuba Libre. When the Inquirer’s Michael Kline asked Michael Dombkoski, Pernot’s former partner at ¡Pasión!, why the restaurant was closing, Dombkoski partially blamed Pernot. “Everyone knew he wasn’t in his kitchen,” Dombkoski said. According to Klein’s article, Dombkoski also cited “a lack of convention business, heightened competition (including the city’s crop of BYOBs) and a burgeoning trend to more casual dining” as reasons for the closure.

Pernot has remained silent about why ¡Pasión! closed and why he joined forces with Cuba Libre. Now, Pernot finally speaks out.

Pernot acknowledges that business at ¡Pasión! was down. “There were good days, there were bad days,” Pernot recalls. “And business was very slow compared to what it should be, in previous years.”

But Pernot denies that he’s to blame for the restaurant’s demise. “I don’t think ¡Pasión! closed because I was not there,” Pernot said. “There were a lot of very talented people that I left in charge of the restaurant.” According to Pernot, Domkoski’s other explanations make more sense. “Michael also blamed the fact that restaurant closed on a lot of the BYOBs, and the fact that there were a lot less conventions coming into town,” Pernot said.

Teaming up with Cuba Libre is nothing new for Pernot. “I opened Cuba Libre six years ago,” Pernot noted. “I was a consultant chef then.” It seems only natural that Cuba Libre would turn once again to Pernot when it decided to expand the restaurant across the U.S., beyond Philadelphia and Atlantic City (Pernot was tight-lipped on the next location).

“They brought me back as the Executive Concept Chef because they needed something different,” Pernot said. “They needed somebody to take the ship by the wheel and steer them in the right direction.”

The timing was right for Pernot. “I needed to grow, to do something else,” Pernot said. Revitalizing the menu and standardizing the recipes for Cuba Libre’s future locations was just the challenge this two-time winner of The James Beard Award was looking for. “Cuba Libre gave me the opportunity to develop a new style of cooking,” Pernot said.

It’s tempting to conclude that a standardized menu would want for taste and spirit. That may be true of some menus, but not if it's one created by Pernot. When asked how he revised the menu, Pernot says he made it “more exciting” by adding “a lot more layers of flavor.”

One of the new dishes Pernot cites to demonstrate his point is the Torta de Cangrejo (which I've had several times over the past couple of months). It's a jumbo lump crab cake over avocado slices in a refreshing gazpacho vinaigrette and topped with a fresh deconstructed gazpacho salad ($15 app/$29 entrée, tasting size pictured). Though crispy from being pan-seared, the crab cake inside is surprisingly light. Much of the richness, instead, comes from the avocado. And the acidity from the gazpacho vinaigrette makes the dish very well-balanced.

Pernot also says he introduced new cooking techniques to Cuba Libre’s kitchen. For example, Pernot added the Vaca Frita, an addictive and tender short rib steak (which I've also had several times) that is braised and crisped. It’s served with “Moros y Cristianos,” grilled red onion and pepper salad, and a dense and flavorful red wine sauce ($21, tasting size pictured).

But layering flavors and introducing different cooking techniques are only a means to Pernot’s true passion—satisfying his customers. “It’s what happens that day, that the guest is happy and that you are happy with what just went out,” Pernot said. “It’s all about that, at least for me.”

Cuba Libre
2nd and Market St., Philadelphia
(215) 627-0666

For pics of more items on Cube Libre’s new menu, check out my Cuba Libre set on Flickr.

Philly Mag: Publishing LaBan's Picture Was a Mis-Steak

2007-09-01T11:43:00.000-04:00

Philadelphia Magazine made some very tasteful choices in its September 2007 issue. For example, they hired Steve Volk (former senior writer for Philadelphia Weekly whose writing I’ve enjoyed since he worked for Pittsburgh Weekly back in the day), who wrote an engrossing feature about Alex Plotkin’s defamation lawsuit against Craig LaBan. In addition, to fill in for the departing Maria Gallagher they brought in Jason Wilson (spirits columnist for the Washington Post), who wrote two engaging restaurant reviews: Beyond Sushi and Mussel-ing In. Let’s hope they keep him on.

However, there was one decision in this issue that was in bad taste: publishing a picture of Craig LaBan’s face alongside Volk’s article.

To justify this decision, Larry Platt, the editor of Philly Mag, claims that LaBan’s anonymity is a gimmick and that everyone in the restaurant community already knows what he looks like. But the main reason for running the photo, according to Platt, is because he believes the debate about LaBan’s identity smacks of self-importance. “Listen, the guy eats meals and writes about them,” Platt says. “He’s not Valerie Plame, OK?”

Let’s assume for the sake of argument that all of Platt’s assertions are true. Why out LaBan now? Platt admits that he had a long history of extending the Inquirer the courtesy of protecting LaBan’s identity. But Platt’s reasons for outing LaBan didn’t just recently become true; people have been making those same claims for years. In other words, those reasons weren’t enough to out LaBan back then. Why switch gears and end the courtesy now? What changed?

One theory is that the videotaped deposition LaBan was compelled to give in the lawsuit may have created the perception that his days of anonymity were all but over. But, in truth, LaBan’s identity was as protected as ever.

First, the videotaped deposition did not create a threat to LaBan’s anonymity that did not already exist the minute the lawsuit was filed. Plotkin’s lawyer has repeatedly said that he plans to use the video at trial, suggesting that the video is the only way the jury would ever get to see LaBan’s face. But the fact is that if the case were to go to trial, LaBan would be compelled to testify in person. Plotkin’s lawyer meant that he would use the video to impeach LaBan at trial if he says something inconsistent with his deposition. The video deposition was taken far too early in the case for it to be used as a substitute for direct or cross examination at trial.

Second, the judge ordered the videotaped deposition to be kept confidential until trial. When Plotkin noticed LaBan to appear for a videotaped deposition, LaBan moved for a protective order. Although the judge allowed the videotaped deposition to take place, he granted the most important part of LaBan’s motion: the judge ordered Plotkin to keep the videotaped deposition confidential to protect LaBan’s identity. In other words, the judge agreed that LaBan’s identity was worth protecting, despite the fact that Plotkin made arguments similar to the ones Platt is making.

Third, there is little chance that LaBan or that video will ever see the inside of a courtroom. Almost all of the defamation cases brought against restaurant critics were dismissed before trial. Of the few I know of that went to trial, they were either dismissed halfway through or the plaintiffs lost on appeal. Given those stats, if Plotkin’s case isn’t booted on summary judgment (and I predict it will be), it likely will settle before its March 2009 trial date. And if it were to go to trial a year and a half from now, LaBan’s lawyers likely would move to have the courtroom cleared the day LaBan testifies.

When you add it all up, there was no legitimate reason to out LaBan now. All of the reasons Platt gave in his editorial for publishing the picture certainly were true all the while Platt had been extending the courtesy of keeping LaBan’s identity secret. And although LaBan was compelled to give a videotaped deposition, it was clear that LaBan’s identity was as protected as ever and would remain so for the foreseeable future.

All told, though, the damage to LaBan may be minimal. Word on the street is that LaBan lost weight since that pic was taken, so it may not be much of a tell after all. Worst case scenario for LaBan is that he has to wear a disguise when he dines out a la Ruth Reichl.

And in a strange twist of fate, Platt’s transgression may actually help LaBan. In litigation, you identify your opponent’s vulnerabilities and apply pressure. LaBan’s was his anonymity. The videotaped deposition of LaBan was Plotkin’s leverage for settlement. Now that LaBan’s been outed, that leverage is gone.

LaBan knew anonymity wouldn’t last forever. But I’m sure he never thought he might lose it like this—being outed by a peer publication while in the middle of a lawsuit. Here’s hoping LaBan doesn’t hold a grudge.

Street Carts, Duck Parts and New Blog Starts

2007-08-12T18:26:00.000-04:00

My apologies that posting has been light here recently. That will change. Work has been hectic this summer and I’ve been busy writing for other publications. Here’s a rundown of what I’ve been writing about elsewhere:

Frommers: The folks at Frommers.com recently wrote an article on the World’s Best Street Food. Philadelphia was one of the featured cities. I was quoted in the article and so was my friend Albert Yee of Messy & Picky.

City Paper: A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a Pocket Sommelier column on Matyson. I paired a Sauternes with a seared foie gras dish and a Burgundy with roasted duck breast (picture above). I know I’ve written a lot about foie gras recently. But the motivation for this piece was not the foie; it was the Sauternes. The PLCB does not carry a lot of Sauternes and what they do carry can be pricey. Because the PLCB is closing out the 1999 Chateau de Rayne-Vigneau 1er Cru—which normally retails for around $44—for a mere $29.99, I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to write about this pairing. The Burgundy I paired with the duck breast is also a solid find at the Colombus Blvd. store. It’s virtually impossible to find any Old World Pinot Noir on the shelves at the PLCB stores, let alone a drinkable Pinot (Old or New World) under $30. That's why I was pleased to find the 2002 Louis Jadot Pernand-Vergelesses Clos de la Croix de Pierre ($26). It doesn’t have all of the delicate finesse of a profound Burgundy, but at least it gets all of the fingerprints right.

WineCHOW: I’ve been quite busy writing the WineCHOW column at ClassiceWines.com. Recently, I’ve written about transfat bans, tips on tipping, celebrity chefs, taking photos of food in restaurants, what it takes to be a restaurant critic, and using cell phones in restaurants. My next WineCHOW column will address how to tell if a wine is corked and what to do if a restaurant serves you one.

Farm to Philly: Mac at pesky’apostrophy decided to host a group blog about finding and eating locally grown/produced food in Philadelphia, its surrounding suburbs and South Jersey. I jumped on board. It’s called Farm to Philly. I’ll be writing mostly about restaurants that source their ingredients from local farmers. Technically, the site has not yet gone live, but we’re already posting like gangbusters. We’ll be issuing a press release when it does go live, so keep your eyes peeled for that. In an upcoming Farm to Philly post, I'll make some kick ass pesto with locally sourced basil (that's right folks: I do cook). And if you're nice, I may even share the recipe with you.

Coming up soon on PhilaFoodie: I’ll profile the new menu at Cuba Libre and Concept Chef Guillermo Pernot finally speaks out on why ¡Pasión! closed. I’ll review Philly’s newest Indian restaurant. And I’ll also address the Rick’s Steaks v. Reading Terminal Market litigation.

Philadelphia Magazine's Best of Philly 2007 - Food & Drink

2007-07-28T12:59:00.000-04:00

It’s that time of year again, folks. The time when Philadelphia Magazine dishes on the things it loves the most about Philly. "Essential" and "authoritative," Phily Mag’s “Best Of ” issue is a Philadelphia institution. Editor Larry Platt says it best: "We don’t just try to reflect your world and tell you what you like; instead, we try to influence your world, by spending all year combing the region in order to tell you what you should like.” This year, Philly Mag returns to some of the more basic categories and gives you something extra—a handy little “black book” that you can tear out and take with you anywhere you go, making the 2007 Best Of issue a must read.

Without further ado, here are a few highlights from Philadelphia Magazine’s Best of Philly 2007, Food & Drink:

Best New Restaurant, City: Osteria. Given the number of high caliber restaurants that opened this year, this choice could not have been easy for the folks at Philadelphia Magazine. Indeed, April White confesses there was “heated debate” over this category. But I could not agree more with this choice—Osteria captures the authenticity of the Italian dining experience by delivering high quality Italian food in a casual yet polished atmosphere. From the “fine handmade” pastas to the “ethereal” Polenta Budino, there is much to love about Osteria. Check out my Osteria review here.

Best Chef: Jonathan McDonald. Philly Mag likes Snackbar's Johnny Mac for the same reason I do: He’s the MacGyver of the kitchen when it comes to successfully combining seemingly incompatible ingredients. The guy is fearless. Give McDonald any three random ingredients and you can guarantee he’ll rescue your palate from boredom. You can find my Snackbar review here.

Best Entrée: The Roast Chicken at James. I know what you’re thinking. Chicken? Believe me, I, too, would be scratching my head had I not eaten Chef Burke’s Cornish game hen myself and written about it here. Burke’s secret is to select high quality meats and to cook them slow and low to concentrate the flavors.

Best Indian: Tiffin Store. I’ve taken great pleasure in introducing my friends to Tiffin Store. The downside to having done that, of course, is that it now takes me longer to get my delivery because the place is busier than ever. Quality Indian food at reasonable prices, you say? You better believe it.

Best Food Trend: The Sequel. This year, Philly took a page from Hollywood’s playbook and adapted it to the restaurant scene. Daniel Stern’s “Empire Strikes Back” with Rae. Marc Vetri, Philly’s “Godfather” of Italian cuisine, “pulls [us] back in” with Osteria. And thanks to Tinto, Jose Garces now has “Two Towers” on the Philly tapas scene. Next year’s Best Food Trend? I’m thinking it could be The Trilogy. After a diversion to Chicago to open Mercat later this year (which will feature Barcelonan-style tapas and charcuterie), Garces will come back to Philly to open Chilango, a Mexico City-inspired taqueria that (I kid you not) will pay tribute to Mexican professional wrestlers. Though it sounds more like “Nacho Libre,” if the success of Amada and Tinto are any indication, Chilango will herald the “Return of the King.” Either way, I’m getting my ticket in advance.

Want to know who won the Best Cheesesteak, City category? How about Best New BYOB? Best Pizza? Pick up your own copy of the Best of Philly 2007 edition of Philadelphia Magazine. It hits newsstands on Monday.

University City Dining Days Are Here

2007-07-26T22:33:00.000-04:00

University City Dining Days are going on right now—from July 26, 2007 to August 2, 2007.

The University City District has taken the concept of a restaurant week to the next level. Instead of all restaurants offering three courses for one price, it’s three courses and three prices. Each participating restaurant is offering a three course meal at one of the following price levels—$30, $25 and $15. Check out UCityPhila.org for participating restaurants and to find out the price level at which each one is participating.

Also, Marigold Kitchen has extended its three-course $30 Dining Days menu to August 9. (h/t to FooBooz).

Chambermaid

2007-07-24T00:11:00.001-04:00

Two of the topics that govern my life are law and food. The two don’t often intersect, but when they do, I’m in my glory.

That explains why I enjoyed Saira Rao's first book, Chaimbermaid. Rao is a lawyer who clerked for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals here in Philadelphia. After her clerkship and a stint at a large law firm in New York, she decided to risk it all to become an author. If Chaimbermaid is any indication, Rao made the right choice.

Chaimbermaid is a fictional account of a judicial clerk, Shelia Raj, and her experience at the Third Circuit Court of Appeals here in Philadelphia. A lot of the action takes place in Philadelphia restaurants, including such gems as Rouge, The Continental, Jones, Las Vegas Lounge and Ralph’s. It’s interesting to see the perspective of these restaurants from a character who is not a Philadelphia native. And Shelia’s objectivity is refreshing. For example, Shelia, who hails from New York, is annoyed by the velvet rope elitism practiced at Rouge and is not a fan of The Continental’s “Oriental Ginger Noodle Salad.” Yet, she’s grounded enough to appreciate the simple comforts of the mac-and-cheese and deviled eggs at Jones.

The book has received a lot of press due to its so-called scandalous, fly-on-the-wall perspective of what happens inside the chambers of a federal appeals court judge. This aspect of the book certainly is a draw, especially to us lawyer types, and does carry its share of the book’s humor. But the press’s reaction to all of this is a bit extreme.

Perhaps I have been around the block a few too many times or am thicker skinned than most, but—fiction or not—the colorful behind-the-scenes tales are more silly than scandalous, especially compared to the absurdity of law firm life as told by folks such as Opinionistas and Anonymous Lawyer. Moreover, Rao’s stories did not diminish my respect and reverence for the court. In the end, all judges are human beings. And Rao, in fact, demonstrates that it takes an exceptional kind of human being to be the effective judge that Judge Friedman is in Chambermaid.

In addition, there’s a lot more to Chambermaid than the gossipy goings-on behind chamber doors. For example, one of the key plot threads involves a high-profile death penalty case Shelia has been assigned. Death penalty jurisprudence can be complicated stuff (I know; I represented a death row inmate back in the day). But Rao not only manages to make death penalty jurisprudence approachable, she also makes it engaging.

Yet, Chambermaid is still an escape. Rao’s style is light, witty and entertaining. And her book is chock full of politics, love and other tumultuous happenings in the life of a young lawyer struggling for direction and identity. Chaimbermaid is the perfect beach read for anyone interested in a young professional’s perspective on law, Center City or the Philadelphia dining scene.

Join Saira Rao today (Tuesday) for a rare appearance here in Philadelphia. She will be reading exerpts from Chambermaid and signing books at Barnes & Noble (1805 Walnut St.) at 7:00 p.m. For more info, check out SairaRao.com.

Cooney Responds in the "Nick of Time"

2007-07-18T22:09:00.000-04:00

I had planned to sit down with Nick Cooney, the director of Hugs for Puppies, for my “Liver Let Die” article that was published in the July 5, 2007 issue of the City Paper. However, Cooney failed to show for the interview.

After the article went to print, Cooney contacted me to explain that he missed our meeting because he was in jail for failing to respond to a subpoena issued in a lawsuit related to animal testing protests, a charge Cooney says the judge dismissed.

I recently sat down with Cooney to get his take on London Grill co-owner Terry McNally’s characterization of Hugs for Puppies’ protesting tactics and my experience at Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Read my Q&A with Cooney called “Nick of Time” in this week’s City Paper.

Philly Represents on Wine Spectator’s 2007 Restaurant Awards List

2007-07-18T21:19:00.000-04:00

Every year Wine Spectator celebrates restaurants that “show passion and commitment when it comes to wine.” This year Wine Spectator awarded the Award of Excellence—an award recognizing lists that have a well-chosen selection of at least 100 wines by quality producers and a thematic match to the cuisine—to four additional Philadelphia restaurants: Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar (Radnor), Fogo de Chao (1337 Chestnut), Le Castagne (1920 Chestnut) and The Melting Pot (King of Prussia). A run-down of most of the past Philly winners can be found here.

But New Jersey seems to have kicked our cork. Seven additional New Jersey restaurants earned the Award of Excellence this year: Bacchus Chophouse & Wine Bar (Fairfield), Basil T’s Brewery & Italian Grill (Red Bank), Bobby Flay Steak (Borgata, Atlantic City), Buona Sera (Red Bank), Hunan Taste (Denville), and Mahogany Grille (Manasquan) and The Melting Pot (Westwood). Not only that, but two past New Jersey Award of Excellence winners—Chakra (Paramus) and Old Homestead (Borgata, Atlantic City)—were upgraded to “Best Award of Excellence,” which recognizes lists of 500 or more wines that show either vintage depth or excellent breadth spread over several winegrowing regions.

Hey, for what it's worth, at least we beat Delaware; they didn’t have any new additions or upgrades this year.

Congratulations to this year's winners.

Foie Gras - A Bird's Eye View

2007-07-05T00:09:00.000-04:00

I’ve spent a great deal of my spare time over the past year reading all of the scientific studies and articles regarding foie gras production I could get my hands on, including the studies found here, here and here. I did so because I wanted to inform myself before deciding whether the production of foie gras is inhumane.

Recently, I even toured Hudson Valley Foie Gras in New York, the largest of the three foie gras farms in the United States (pictures from the farm visit are available here). I wrote about my experience for the City Paper in an article called Liver Let Die that was published this week. I managed to snag a quote from famed restaurateur Danny Meyer for the article. I believe this is the first time he has ever taken a stance on foie gras in any publication, so this was a major scoop.

After reading all of these studies and articles and visiting the farm, the bottom line is this: the ducks are not being mistreated and the process by which they are fed (gavage) is not inhumane. Period.

Don’t take my word for it; read the studies and visit the farm yourself. And even if you still disagree, that’s ok. Just keep your opinion off my plate.

An Update on the Chops v. LaBan Lawsuit

2007-06-18T12:04:00.000-04:00

There have been two significant developments in the Chops v. LaBan lawsuit. The first is that The Philadelphia Inquirer and Craig LaBan have filed an answer, which strikes a serious blow at Plotkin’s claims. The second is that Plotkin’s attorneys took LaBan’s deposition…and videotaped it.

The Answer

The assertions in the Inquirer and LaBan’s answer—one of which Plotkin now admits is true—do not bode well for Plotkin.

LaBan denies that he was served a “steak sandwich without the bread,” as Plotkin alleged in the complaint. Rather, LaBan asserts that he was served “Steak Frites.” And LaBan has the receipt to prove it. LaBan further alleges that “[t]he waiter serving LaBan and his lunch companion described the steak served as ‘Steak Frites’ as a ‘strip steak.’” Presumably, LaBan dines with others so he can taste multiple dishes in one sitting. But the ancillary benefit of having done so here is that LaBan now has a corroborating witness, illustrating that this practice is something other food writers leery of libel suits would be wise to employ. Moreover, LaBan states that “the steak Chops served as ‘Steak Frites’ was sliced from the same piece of meat purchased by the restaurant for the strip steak it serves at dinner as strip steak.” It is not clear from the answer how LaBan knows this; however, it is important to note that this assertion does not start off with the phrase “Upon information and belief…”—a somewhat tepid predicate often used to hedge your bets when you’re not 100%.

Surprisingly, Plotkin has recanted his “steak sandwich without the bread” story and now admits that LaBan ordered and ate “Steak Frites,” a fact that probably should have been discovered before the complaint was filed given that it’s the basis of his lawsuit. Although Plotkin denies the rest of the above-mentioned assertions, this could signal the beginning of the end of his lawsuit. It appears from the pleadings that, at a minimum, LaBan believed that the meat he was eating was strip steak. And if that’s what LaBan believed, Plotkin will not be able to prove “actual malice”—the intent requirement in a libel claim asserted by a public figure, which is what Chops will most likely be held to be. Keep in mind that the “actual malice” standard is subjective, not objective. In other words, it doesn’t matter what a reasonable person would have believed; it only matters what LaBan actually believed. The hurdle for Plotkin is extremely high.

The Deposition

The second development in the case, however—which Steve Volk wrote about today online at Philadelphia Weekly—is a little more sensational. And it shows that this lawsuit may end up being less about truth than about strategy. Plotkin recently noticed LaBan’s deposition, which is a bit early in the case but not improper. But instead of seeking the more traditional type of deposition, where only the deponent’s words are stenographically recorded, Plotkin wanted the deposition to be videotaped.

The defendants sought a protective order to prevent it. “LaBan’s anonymity is important to the process by which he reviews restaurants,” the defendants argued to the court. “If a restaurant knew Mr. LaBan was in its dining room, it might put on a show for him that would not be provided to the general dining public.”

In opposing the defendants’ motion, Plotkin denied that LaBan’s identity was a secret by stating the following:

Defendant LaBan has not only appeared in public recently to promote a book he wrote on behalf of co-defendant The Philadelphia Inquirer, he even permitted another journalist on a widely-read Philadelphia restaurant review website to publicize a photograph of half his face. Anyone with an interest in the “trade secret” of his identity certainly would have attended his book signing, seen his face, listened to his voice, and studied the photo available online.

The journalist to whom Plotkin is referring is yours truly (at least I wasn’t called a “sham blogger”). The website to which he’s referring is this one. And the photograph to which he’s referring is the one LaBan allowed me to shoot at his book signing in December 2006 and post on my blog.

First, I was not happy to discover that I was referenced in a document filed in this lawsuit (though I appreciate that Plotkin and/or his attorneys extended the professional courtesy of not identifying me or my blog by name). Second, my photograph technically does not show half of LaBan’s face; it shows only his lips and his goatee. And to put it in context, my photograph shows less of LaBan’s face than you see in his recently-shot video, “Cheeseburger, I Hold,” or the screenshot accompanying his article about the making of the video (pictured above). Third, contrary to Plotkin’s assertion, the photograph actually demonstrates (as does the video) that LaBan and the Inquirer, in fact, do take great care to protect LaBan’s identity. LaBan showed up at the book signing wearing a hooded cape, a curly wig and a Zorro mask, and he wears the same wig and mask in the video. Wearing a disguise is exactly how you protect your identity, not how you reveal it.

The court technically granted the defendants’ request in part, but denied the most critical aspect of their motion. The judge’s order allows LaBan’s deposition to be videotaped. And although the video will be kept confidential until trial, the order does not prohibit the video from being played at the trial, which could threaten LaBan’s anonymity if the entire proceeding is left open to the public.

In Volk’s article, Plotkin’s attorney says that the videotaped deposition took place on June 5 and that they expect to use it at trial. Plotkin’s attorney claims that the case isn’t about LaBan’s anonymity (though it does play a key role in his complaint as LaBan’s alleged motive for his less than stellar review). Rather, Plotkin’s attorney claims their “interest is in what [LaBan] did wrong and in encouraging him not to do it again.”

However, to the trained or skeptical eye Plotkin’s insistence on videotaping LaBan’s deposition looks like a strategic move designed to leverage a settlement, especially given LaBan’s devastating answer. Videotaped depositions are not all that common, and the need for one in a case like this is questionable (there’s nothing to suggest, for example, that LaBan would be unavailable for trial). Plotkin knows that anonymity is a vulnerable spot for LaBan. So, it’s not surprising that Plotkin’s attorney is attempting to apply some pressure; it’s what lawyers do. But in light of the discussion above and Plotkin’s own admission in his complaint that he previously threatened (“jokingly,” of course) to reveal LaBan’s identity when he visited The Palm in 2002, Plotkin’s insistence on videotaping LaBan’s deposition just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Actually, all of this is good news for LaBan. Plotkin’s whole lawsuit was based on LaBan having a steak sandwich without the bread. And LaBan chopped one of his legs off with two words: Steak Frites. If the rest of the above-mentioned assertions in LaBan’s answer are verified through discovery, the game is over for Plotkin. The fact that Plotkin had to play the video deposition card shows that he’s on the ropes. And although it’s troubling that the tape is out there, it’s unlikely that it will ever see the light of day.

Photo Credit: A still from the video of Craig LaBan recording "Cheeseburger, I Hold." Video shot by Chris Jolissaint.

Neighborhoods, Chains and Outdoor Dining

2007-06-17T22:29:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday City Paper came out with its 2007 Summer Dining Guide. This year it asked its writers to take its readers “on a culinary tour through some of the city’s most appetizing neighborhoods.” I wrote the piece on my neighborhood, the booming Washington Square West. I didn’t have room to talk about all of the restaurants in the area. So, if you have something to say about the ones I left out (or even the ones I did discuss), let me know here in the comments.

Last week I also wrote a piece for my WineCHOW column on ClassicWines.com about outdoor dining called Summer in the City. Most of the piece was composed while eating the juicy pork chop at 707 Restaurant & Bar I referred to in the above-mentioned City Paper piece. Ah, the beauty of multi-tasking.

Also, don’t forget to check out last week’s WineCHOW article called Disdain for the Chain, where I ask whether there's any upside to a chain moving into your neighborhood. Regardless of your view on chains, you have to read the story about my Italian relatives at the beginning of the article. It is 100% true.

Stories From Reading Terminal Market – History In the Making

2007-06-16T20:26:00.000-04:00

When Marisa first told me about her new blog project a few months ago, Stories From Reading Terminal Market, I was blown away by the concept. Marisa spends time at Reading Terminal Market collecting “stories, memories, recipes and fond recollections from the experiences of individuals.”

The idea of blogging one of Philadelphia’s most notable institutions is fascinating enough. But what’s interesting to me about the project is that it is the perfect combination of the past and the present. It preserves the history of the Terminal while making a present-day story out of the act of cataloguing that history. Add in Marisa’s engaging storytelling and the table is set. You’ll be asking for second helpings before you’re through with the first plate.

If there was any blog out there that screamed to be turned into a book, Stories From Reading Terminal Market is it. A word of advice to the literary agents reading this: don’t wait too long to get Marisa under contract. It’s only a matter of time before she’s making herself, and some publishing company, an obscene amount of money.

Photo by Marisa McClellan

James

2007-06-10T17:13:00.000-04:00

It felt like we were intruding on a private moment. It was 5:30 p.m. on a cold February evening when we walked into James for an early dinner. There was no music playing in the restaurant. No one was even humming a tune, at least none that we could hear. But Chef Jim Burke and his wife, Kristina, were slow dancing in the restaurant’s intimate lounge. Chef Burke deftly twirled Kristina in front of the crackling fireplace. They smiled and laughed playfully. A small crowd, mostly James employees, watched silently as a well-equipped photographer snapped pictures of our two dancers. But the enchanted couple barely seemed to notice as they glided through the room to their own ballad. After one final spin and a longing gaze, it was time to get back to work. Chef Burke headed to the kitchen and Kristina returned to the elegant dining room to check on preparations for the evening’s service.

The restaurant had been open only two months when Chef Burke and Kristina danced to their silent music, but the song of James’s success was already starting to be written. The first note was the photographer that night. He was taking pictures for the June 2007 issue of Food & Wine magazine in which James’s signature dish was featured, Risotto alla Kristina—a scrumptiously soupy Venetian-style risotto made with Prosecco, orchid oil and raw oysters that are folded in at the end of the preparation to give them just a touch of warmth. Before the Food & Wine piece hit the streets, though, other influentials formed an inspirational chorus: Philadelphia Magazine, City Paper, Philadelphia Weekly, Philly Style Magazine, aroundphilly.com—each a unique voice, but all singing generally in tune. Then came Craig LaBan’s review. The deep, resonate tones of LaBan’s rarely-heard “three bells” and his lyrically penned prose made the symphony complete. Now, everyone can hear the tune that was guiding Jim and Kristina’s steps on that cold evening back in February. And the reservation book shows it; a thirty-two person wait list is not unheard of and the lounge is packed with diners clamoring to eat from the slightly abridged bar menu.

Such high accolades may seem surprising given that this is their first restaurant venture, but this couple has paid their dues. Kristina’s management stints have included the recently-closed Pasion!, Striped Bass and Miel Patisserie. And Chef Burke’s pedigree includes Vivo Enoteca in Wayne and Stephen Starr’s short-lived Italian restaurant, Angelina.

But the one restaurant on Chef Burke’s resume you could probably guess just by tasting his pasta is Vetri. Chef Marc Vetri is renowned for crafting authentic, homemade pasta. And it’s clear that Chef Vetri passed these artisan skills on to Chef Burke because the pasta at James is pitch perfect. Burke’s skills do not stop there; he’s also a virtuoso when it comes to combining flavors to strike creative culinary chords. The espresso, for example, he added to the winter menu’s savory Sweet Potato Ravioli with Oxtail Ragu gives the dish depth and allows the sweetness of both the filling and red wine sauce to emerge. Similarly, the delicate earthiness of the porcini mushrooms in this season’s Stuffed Tortelloni highlight the bright blueberry sauce. And, of course, the synergy between the mild orange and chocolate flakes shaved tableside in his popular hand-rolled Pappardelle with Duck Ragu makes this dish a masterpiece.

Burke’s meats, too, should not be overlooked. His secret is to select fresh, quality cuts of meat and not to overly prepare them. Last season’s pork loin, for example, was prepared by first gently searing it and then slowly cooking it on a low heat to concentrate the flavors and hold in the juices. This season’s Cornish Game Hen receives similar respect—delicately crisp on the outside while tender, juicy and flavorful on the inside. And the locally grown vegetables that were still in the ground only a few days earlier serve as the perfect complement to this hen.

The desserts at James trend toward the savory side, but they often incorporate citrus elements for a little sweetness and some refined contrast. The addictive Chocolate Terrine, which is made with bittersweet chocolate, sits on crisp olive oil fried bread and is topped with Fleur de Sel, is accompanied by some refreshing quince paste. Also, the rich Brown Ale Mousse, which sits on a pillowy almond cake and is topped with a crisp, toasty almond toffee, comes with sliced pears. Those with more of a sweet tooth can add a scoop of homemade gelato, which have included exciting flavors such as Cardamom and Black Walnut from Green Meadow Farms.

If there’s anything about James that could strike a challenging chord for some, it would be the portion size and price. The portions are not large; they’re elegantly sized, probably more in line with the amount of food we should be eating and not what we’ve been conditioned to believe is necessary. So, those looking for never-ending pasta bowls should eat elsewhere. That said, the meals I’ve had at James have been satisfying and I’ve never left hungry or wanting more. The prices at James are in line with what you’d expect to pay at other fine restaurants in Center City. And the stylish food and professional and attentive service at James are definitely worth the money. But the prices mirror the grace and sophistication of the couple’s creation, making James more of a special occasion destination than an everyday hangout.

Much like a poetic symphony from the Romantic era, James seems destined to become one of the classics. Center City will be singing and dancing to Jim and Kristina’s music for a long time to come.

James
824 S. 8th Street
(215) 629-4980

For more pics, check out the James set on my Flickr page.

The Status of Direct Wine Shipping in Pennsylvania

2007-05-31T03:13:00.000-04:00

In November 2005, the Pennsylvania law that allowed in-state wineries to ship wine to Pennsylvania residents but prohibited out-of-state wineries from doing so was declared unconstitutional. Last June, Governor Rendell proposed legislation that would allow Pennsylvania consumers to have wine shipped directly to their doors from out-of-state wineries (which I blogged about here). As part of Rendell’s proposal, the wineries would be required collect PA’s 18% Emergency Tax (a/k/a/ the “Johnstown Flood Tax”).

Ever wonder what happened to Rendell’s proposal? The PA legislature put it on the back burner. An article in today’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains why:

Because the buyers of Pennsylvania wines make up such a minority of overall wine consumers, and account for such a small percentage of the state’s wine and spirits business, the issue isn't on the front burner in Harrisburg.

Instead, the respective House and Senate committees -- the Liquor Control Committee in the House, and the Law and Justice Committee in the Senate -- are dealing with beer-related issues: whether Sheetz and other convenience stores and supermarkets can sell beer to go, and whether distributors can sell 18-packs.

The PA legislature is clearly a few bottles shy of a case on the direct shipping issue. This proposed law isn’t about Pennsylvania wines or those who buy them. It’s about making sure the state can collect the 18% Johnstown Flood Tax on non-Pennsylvania wine that is purchased through the Internet and shipped into PA. What’s even more bizarre is that the legislature appears to be oblivious to the fact that these Internet wine sales are happening right now. That’s right—currently, there are Internet sites out there that will sell you wine and ship it directly to your door in PA. So, while the legislators wrestle with the heady issue of whether PA’s archaic liquor laws will allow WaWa to sell a six of Bud, the state is hemorrhaging money in lost taxes as its residents take advantage of wine deals on the Internet.

Not having to pay the Johnstown Flood Tax when they order wine over the Internet sounds like great deal for PA consumers. But if getting burned on lost revenue isn’t enough to convince the legislature to move this issue to the “front burner,” perhaps they should no longer be allowed to operate the stove.

Pocket Sommelier - Mercato

2007-05-31T00:06:00.000-04:00

In today’s City Paper you’ll find the latest edition of Pocket Sommelier. I pair wine with two dishes at Mercato: the Ricotta Gnocchi in a Short Rib Ragu; and the intense, flavorful and organic Braised Jamison Farm Lamb Shank that was recently added to the menu.

Most people bring one bottle of wine to a BYOB. But more often than not, that one wine will not match every course. It may seem silly to bring two or even three bottles of wine to a restaurant, but the wrong wine could ruin a dish. For example, two of the Chiantis we brought went well with the gnocchi, but they were a complete mismatch for the lamb.

However, the Cab I alluded to at the end of my post about the Philly Wine Festival—the Alexander Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Wetzel Family Estate 2004—paired amazingly well with the lamb. What’s exciting about this wine is that it has the same type of rich, spicy profile found in some of the more celebrated California Cabs, but it’s one third the price.

Carnivores with a conscience will not want to miss the chance to savor Mercato's new lamb dish. The meat was so tender it spilled off the bone before my fork even touched it. And Jamison Farm, located in Latrobe, PA, is known far and wide for raising its lambs on a diet that is 100% natural and free of hormones, antibiotics, herbicides and insecticides. I tasted a slight hint of anise in this dish, a flavor I could not attribute to any of the ingredients. Not knowing what it was drove me mad. When I later asked Chef de Cuisine Mackenzie Hilton what it could be, she posited that it might have something to do with what the lamb had eaten. Now, that’s organic.

For more pics, check out my Mercato set on Flickr.

The 2007 Philadelphia Wine Festival Wrap-Up

2007-05-21T00:02:00.000-04:00

Belated congratulations to the PLCB and Philadelphia Magazine for successfully hosting the 2007 Philadelphia Wine Festival. This year’s festival had around 40 fewer vendors and was a little more expensive than last year. However, the festival’s central location at the Mariott Hotel in Center City, the food provided by DiBruno’s (including the quince paste covered cheese and the bruschetta with freshly-cut prosciutto) and the never-ending courtesy cups of spring water provided by Panna were all improvements that helped to make this year’s festival better than the last.

Here are some of the notable wines at the festival, with a few thoughts and surprises along the way.

The First Growth Bordeaux

This year there were three Bordeaux at the festival, all of which were First Growths: Chateau Haut Brion 2001, Chateau Margaux 2001 and Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2003. First Growths are considered to be among the best wines in the world. If you’re a wine enthusiast, it’s important to taste First Growths because they are the wines that Cabernet Sauvignon producers all around the world look to as their benchmark. Though young, these three wines drank like heaven and were not to be missed.

--Chateau Mouton Rothschild 2003 (PLCB No. 20296, $312.39): Aggressive, enamel-stripping tannins, but powerful, rich blackberry and cherry flavors lie underneath waiting to emerge; too young to be approachable now, but a treat to preview nonetheless.

--Chateau Margaux 2001 (PLCB No. 19342, $169.29): Flowery nose; softer and inviting; complex and nuanced structure of cassis, plum and dark berries systematically unfolding through a long finish.

--Chateau Haut Brion 2001 (PLCB No. 20098, $170.19): Grand and opulent; signature dark berries, cherries and spice; calculated and balanced structure with an endless finish.

The First Growths, though, highlight an important issue about the festival’s pricing structure. Like past years, this year’s festival employed a two-tiered pricing system: the VIP Tasting, which cost $225 and began at 6:00 p.m.; and the Grand Tasting, which cost $125 and began at 7:30 p.m. In addition to getting an hour and a half head start, the VIPs also got to experience special Showcase wines at most of the tables, including all of the First Growth Bordeaux. The Grand Tasters, however, did not.

The two-tiered system is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it opens the event up to more people than festivals with one-tiered pricing systems such as this year’s Wine Spectator’s festival, which charged a flat $200 for everyone. On the other hand, one of the main reasons to go a wine festival (if not the main reason) is to taste the cream of the crop, wines you normally wouldn’t buy. That means the First Growths. To be fair, there were plenty of exciting wines at Philly’s festival for the Grand Tasters to enjoy. But it’s unfortunate that these three important wines were not poured for the Grand Tasters.

The Italian Wines

Italian wine lovers flocked to the Gaja table, which featured two wines: the Gaja Barbaresco 2001; and a Super Tuscan, the Ca’ Marcanda Magari 2004. The full-bodied Barbaresco had wonderfully soft tannins with notes of lilacs, strawberry and blackberry, while the Super Tuscan presented rich black currants, spice and a silky, round finish.

Directly adjacent to the Gaja table was Pio Cesare, which featured a Barolo D.O.C.G. 2001 (PLCB No. 4958, $49.99); and a Barbaresco D.O.C.G. 2000 (PLCB No. 23912, price not available), among others. The Barolo, while still a little closed off, was rich, silky and lingered for minutes. The Barbaresco had smooth tannins and revealed dried plum, earth and spice.

The Pennsylvania Wines

The Philly Wine Festival is always a great opportunity to check in with two local wineries, Blue Mountain and Chaddsford. Each winery produces a Meritage (sounds like heritage), an American version of a Bordeaux, both of which I’ve always found to be somewhat challenging. However, Blue Mountain and Chaddsford presented wines at this year’s festival that were exciting and surprising.

The wine Blue Mountain presented that piqued my interest was its 2005 Merlot. What’s exciting about this wine is that it is varietally correct. Don’t dismiss all Merlot because of one line of dialogue in Sideways, folks. If Merlot is not overly corrupted by the winemaker, it can taste and smell similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, which includes having Cab’s signature fingerprint of green peppers on the nose and palate. And Blue Mountain’s 2005 Merlot has that classic green pepper aroma and taste. It’s refreshing to see that Blue Mountain has the courage and skill to allow Merlot to be itself. Blue Mountain’s 2005 Merlot has not yet been formally released, but if you’re interested, you may still be able to snare a bottle of it at the Blue Mountain store in Reading Terminal Market. It has an $18 dollar price point.

The two Chaddsford wines that were the most interesting were the 2004 Due Rossi and the 2005 Pinot Noir. The Due Rossi is a 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Barbera. This wine showed surprising structure and complexity with layers of wet earth, red berries, tobacco and coffee. The Due Rossi’s price point is in the $25 range. Chaddsford takes a subdued Old World approach in crafting its 2005 Pinot Noir. The nose did not have the intense fragrance of unswept barn and dried rose petals that is characteristic of Old World style Pinot Noirs, but the wine did have a welcomingly delicate and subtle palate.

The California Wines

PLCB Chairman Patrick J. Stapleton III may not have been a wine enthusiast prior to becoming Chairman earlier this year, but he apparently knows his stuff now. Shortly after arriving at the festival, Chairman Stapleton made his way to the Silver Oak table, where he enjoyed the Silver Oak Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (PLCB No. 011663, $99.99).

The nose on this wine was intense and evoked a very specific smell I experienced every August in my youth when my family and I would go camping in Bedford County—dense bramble and meadow after an early evening rain. But the palate—while full of the Silver Oak's familiar rich oak and dense, dark fruit—lacked some of the nuances of the 2001.

It’s hard to find a California Cab as plush and as fat as a Cakebread. Its 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon (PLCB No. 11705, $55.99) is no exception. A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, this soft and chewy wine was bursting with rich dark fruit, spice and caramely oak. It’s not the shyest of pours, to be sure, but that’s part of the fun.

There was another enjoyable Cab at the festival that had an impressive flavor profile for its price point. But because I have other plans for this wine, I’ll save the discussion for another day, closer to the end of the month.

Again, cheers to the PLCB and Philadelphia Magazine for hosting a successful event. For more pics, go to the 2007 Philly Wine Festival set on my Flickr page.

The Truth About Foie Gras

2007-05-15T18:18:00.000-04:00

My most recent WineCHOW column over at ClassicWines.com is called “The Truth About Foie Gras,” and it highlights the scientific studies by Dr. Daniel Guémené and others that debunk many of the claims activists use to argue for a ban on the sale and/or production of foie gras.

I expect some fallout over the column, especially from my vegan and vegetarian friends. But one of the themes of the article that even those who enjoy a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle should be able to appreciate is this: Personal beliefs are one thing, but when it comes to legislating those choices on others, the science should support the claims being made.

The part of the article that may be harder for some to swallow, though, is that many of the claims used to justify foie gras bans simply are not all they're quacked up to be.

Philly Restaurants Are Going to the Dogs

2007-05-13T21:35:00.000-04:00

I’ve been looking for an excuse to post a picture of our dog on this blog for quite some time (his name is Max and he’s a Norwegian Elkhound, in case you were wondering). And thanks to Joe Sixpack and his Daily News article about bars that allow dogs in their outside seating areas, I finally have that excuse. (h/t to FooBooz and MenuPages Blog)

Joe Sixpack found eight Philly-area restaurants with outdoor seating that allow you to enjoy a brew with Man’s best friend:

• Le Bus, 4266 Main St., Manayunk.
• London Grill, 2301 Fairmount Ave., Fairmount.
• White Dog Cafe, 3420 Sansom St., University City.
• Bliss, 224 S. Broad St., Center City.
• Caribou Cafe, 1126 Walnut St., Washington Square West.
• Newportville Inn, 4120 Lower Road, Newportville, Bucks County.
• Triumph Brewing, 400 Union Square, New Hope, Bucks County.
• Four Dogs Tavern, 1300 Strasburg Road, West Chester, Chester County.

A newly-opened restaurant in Rittenhouse Square, Tavern 17, takes it one step further. In addition to offering dog-friendly outdoor dining, Tavern 17 has unveiled a special menu of Canine Delights for your pooch.

Sadly, because our dog is a teetotaler and can be a handful when there’s food around, it’s unlikely that I’ll allow him to join us at any of these places.

However, if you know of any restaurants that allow cats, please let me know—my cat is a well-behaved lush with an affinity for Chardonnay. (Don’t worry folks. I’m just kidding; the little snob refuses to drink anything but CATeauneuf-du-Pape.)

Plate Profile – The 707 Burger at Restaurant 707

2007-05-13T13:06:00.000-04:00

It takes a lot for a burger to impress me. I’ve eaten more than my fair share of them over the years, and many of Philly’s celebrated burgers haven’t really lived up to the hype. But the 707 Burger at 707 Restaurant & Bar ($10) is one of the more distinctive burgers to come around in quite some time.

A lot of places build burgers from the top down, trying to dazzle you with toppings and treating the burger itself merely as any other ingredient. 707, on the other hand, starts from the inside out, working a little onion powder, some finely-chopped shallots and a hint of hot sauce into its hulking 10 oz patty. When cooked, these delicate flavors combine to create a stylishly upscale version of the burger your mom used to make.

707 also knows how to cook it. Ordering a burger less than well-done can be risky, but most folks roll the dice in order to get a juicy patty. So when my well-done 707 Burger arrived teeming with juicy goodness, I was pleasantly surprised. And if you opt for a side salad instead of the fries, you may not feel too guilty once you realize you just ate the entire thing.

707 Restaurant & Bar
707 Chestnut Street
(215) 922-7770

Plate Profile - A New Feature

2007-05-13T12:59:00.000-04:00

I’m adding a new feature here on PhilaFoodie called the “Plate Profile.”

In these posts I will highlight one dish from a Philadelphia restaurant. Full reviews will continue to be the stock and trade of this site. But, hopefully, with the addition of these shorter posts I’ll have greater flexibility to write more quickly about a dish that impresses me without having to visit the restaurant multiple times and craft a full, formal review.

The first Plate Profile will be posted momentarily. Any feedback you have would be greatly appreciated. Enjoy.

Bathrooms, Basque and Bistros

2007-05-03T00:38:00.000-04:00

If I told you that my posting has been sparse lately because I’ve been hanging out in women’s restrooms across Center City, would that sound weird? Well, weird or not, it’s partially true.

I wrote a Top 5 for the City Paper, which appears in this week’s issue—Top 5 Brilliant Bathrooms. There will be disagreement over the selections, no doubt. But each entry is principled. Plus, I put a lot of work into the project, and I somehow managed to do so without getting arrested.

I also worked with City Paper to come up with a semi-regular feature called Pocket Sommelier. The one thing you give up at a BYOB is the wine service. So we thought it would be cool to take some of the guesswork out of your BYOB experience by pairing a wine with a dish or two from an area BYOB. The first installment of Pocket Sommelier features two dishes from Bisto 7 and the Franciscan Chardonnay Napa Valley 2005 (PLCB No. 16506, $11.99), which is a Chairman’s Selection. For example, this Chardonnay works well with that gnocchi dish because the Royal Trumpet mushrooms are rich and delicate. Earthier mushrooms, though, may not work as well.

I also signed on to do the Wine Chow column over at ClassicWines.com. In this week’s column I talk about how the small plates phenomenon has changed how we drink wine. To illustrate this point, I discuss Tinto’s Basque cuisine and its regionally-focused wine list.

Osteria

2007-04-16T03:06:00.000-04:00

There’s something special about the food you enjoy in Italy, something different. It’s not that the restaurants are using an array of secret ingredients or employing arcane or complicated cooking techniques. It’s very much the opposite, in fact—generally the dishes have few ingredients and the preparation usually is quite simple. Yet, the meals in Italy consistently stand out among the best. It’s almost as though the ingredients themselves instinctively know what to do, or they’re charmed by the chef into combining with each other in ways that exceed the dish’s potential. As a result, the food is both humble and humbling.

It’s challenging to find an Italian restaurant here that can truly recreate that experience (though there are some that come close). But with the opening of Marc Vetri and Jeff Benjamin’s Osteria, the landscape has vastly improved.

In Italy, restaurants are identified either as a ristorante, trattoria or osteria. Today, the names don’t carry the hierarchal meanings they once did, but back in the day they acted as a classification system. If the restaurant was called a ristorante, for example, you could expect a formal dining experience—a wine list, white table cloths and, of course, a price tag to match. A trattoria was more casual, but it did serve full, hearty meals. And an osteria was the least formal of the three—it was more of a gathering place that served wine and maybe some basic food.

At Vetri and Benjamin’s Osteria, the large wooden tables and the long dinner bar—perfect for those dining solo or couples hoping to sneak in without a reservation—help to capture the warm, rustic, communal spirit of the traditional osteria. Yet, like many of the osterias and trattorias in modern-day Italy, Osteria is more upscale than its name would suggest. And although the prices of some of the dishes here are closer to what you’d expect to pay at a traditional ristorante, the food is worth it.

Osteria's take on Northern Italian cuisine is authentic enough to make you nostalgic for the Old Country even if you’ve never been there. But at the same time, Osteria makes the dishes its own, all the while somehow managing to keep it all simple. For example, pappardelle with boar meat is a classic Umbrian staple. Osteria, however, takes this dish to the next level by substituting the pappardelle with long, tubular, home-made candele and by using just enough rosemary to highlight the flavor of the boar. As a result, the Candele with Wild Boar Bolognese is a reliable winner that has become one of Osteria's most popular dishes ($16.00—only around four dollars more than you’d pay in Italy for the pasta course, given current exchange rates). Sadly, this tasty bowl of heaven does not appear on the spring menu, which debuted last week. However, the Candele should return on the fall menu and hopefully will make guest appearances in the spring from time to time. In its place, though, are some worthy substitutes.

The newly-added Gnocchi Sardi with Proscuitto and English Peas ($16 for a full portion, half serving pictured) screams spring. Some of the pasta water is mixed with a little parmesan cheese to create a light sauce, while the peas taste so fresh and crisp you’d swear you were eating them right out of the pod.

The spring menu also features the Robiola Francobolli with Bluefoot Mushrooms ($16 for a full portion, half serving pictured). The silky and transparent Francobolli are barely thick enough to last more than a few seconds in your mouth before they melt, releasing the rich and creamy goat’s milk cheese known as Robiola. Combined with the meaty Bluefoot, you’ll enjoy a dish that’s rich and satisfying, yet light and delicate enough for spring time.

The most compelling and decadent addition to the spring menu is the mouth-watering Stuffed Baby Lamb “allo Spiedo” with Soft Polenta and Rosemary ($30). The baby lamb is de-boned and filled with a stuffing made from the liver, kidneys and leg meat. It’s then all tied together, roasted on a spit with thyme and rosemary, sliced and served on a warm pillow of polenta. These stunningly fresh, rich flavors are transcendent, making this second course well worth the money.

In Italy, most osterias and trattorias offer a simple, inexpensive house wine by the carafe; it’s part of the culture. Osteria does not participate in this humble tradition. But you’ll barely miss it. Sommeliers Karina Lyons (formerly with Susanna Foo) and Brett Taylor enthusiastically guide customers through a well-crafted, all-Italian wine list that is both fun and amazingly affordable, offering wines by the bottle, glass and quartina (a mini-carafe, about two glasses). As I have said elsewhere, the one thing you give up at a BYOB in Philadelphia is the wine service—the skills of a seasoned professional who can make recommendations that will make both the wine and the meal taste better than they would alone. Osteria delivers an impressive wine service that is hard to match. I’ve watched Ms. Lyons gently and diplomatically steer customers away from unwise pairings and then suggest a more appropriate and less-expensive alternative—a rare combination of skills.

One of the more exciting reds on the list is the Tommaso Bussola “BG” Valpolicella Classico DOC 2004 ($10/glass). The nose carries a strong peaty fragrance of nutrient-rich earth, but the palate is surprisingly light and refreshing, with red berry flavors. And the wine’s virtually non-existent tannins and bright acids make it rather versatile with lighter fare.

It’s hard to go wrong with a dessert menu that features home-made gems such as gelati and chocolate flan. But the dessert here that should not be overlooked is the inventive yet unassuming Polenta Budino ($8), which is guaranteed to evoke your most carefree childhood memory. Osteria mixes sugar with the polenta instead of salt, giving it an almost cookie-dough-like flavor. A dollop of hazelnut mousse is added and topped with hazelnuts candied with peanut brittle. It’s like watching Saturday morning cartoons with your favorite bowl of cereal.

Osteria
640 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 763-0920

For more Osteria pics, go here.

City Paper Article on The Wine School of Philadelphia

2007-04-12T00:35:00.000-04:00

If you’ve read my profile recently, you know I’ve been taking classes at The Wine School of Philadelphia, which was founded by Keith Wallace.

The classes have been validating in a lot of ways; the analytical way I have been approaching and deconstructing wine is directly in line with the school’s philosophy. At the same time, though, Keith and his colleague, Brian Freedman, have taught me so many new things. As a result, the course has been profoundly empowering—I’ve learned to identify characteristics about a wine from just one sip that I never thought were possible, things that highly-paid sommeliers can’t identify. It’s scary, actually. The funny thing is that you could do it too. It’s not supernatural. In fact, it’s imminently teachable.

When the City Paper put out the call for freelance writers, I pitched a piece on The Wine School of Philadelphia and they liked it. The article I wrote appears in this week’s issue of the City Paper.

In addition to the Foundation Program I wrote about, The Wine School also offers individual classes that are rooted in the same sensory-based philosophy for as low as $37.99. In Wine 101, for example, they cover the nine basic varietals and dispel popular myths about wine, including the sulfite myth and the belief that you need a different glass for each type of wine.

Also, please check out this week's Small Bites section of City Paper. I profile the Argiolas 2005 Costamolino Vermentino. The creaminess I describe is the result of a process known as partial malolactic fermentation, which I was able to identify instinctively thanks to the skills I learned from Keith and Brian.

There and Back Again

2007-04-11T23:41:00.000-04:00

Even though I’ve been back from vacation for a couple of weeks, my blogging hiatus has been longer than I originally expected.

I’m truly sorry for that.

A few other things took priority: work, a brief bout with a bug that’s making its rounds, a couple of non-blog-related writing deadlines, and a protracted battle with USAirways over a special piece of luggage they improperly refused to allow me to check at Rome’s airport (I eventually won; being a lawyer, I usually win these battles).

I will blog about the USAirways situation in detail soon, not only because it directly relates to the subject of this blog, but more importantly, because it was a victory for consumers. I’m not exaggerating when I say that everyone who leaves Rome flying USAirways could benefit from the work I did to resolve this issue.

For those who are interested, I’m in the process of posting pics of the Italy trip (Rome, Florence and Venice) on my Flickr page—first the sights, then (of course) the food.

A restaurant review is on the way, so please check back in a day or so.

When in Rome....

2007-03-15T10:26:00.000-04:00

PhilaFoodie will be on hiatus for about two weeks because I’ll be vacationing in Italy. Please note that any comments you post may not make it onto the site until I return.

After the trip, I'll be posting reviews of some of the newest and hotest Philadelphia restaurants. In the meantime, please explore the PhilaFoodie Resources section on the right for the latest on what’s happening in the Philadelphia restaurant scene.

Ciao.

17th Annual Beer Tasting with Michael Jackson

2007-03-13T22:20:00.000-04:00

You can’t really tell from this site, but I do enjoy beer. There was a time in my life when I was a serious microbrew disciple. I spent many-a-night in the early ‘90s tilting back bottles of pumpkin beer at the Squirrel Cage in Pittsburgh. Penn Brewery’s Mai Bock was the sweet nectar that nursed me back to health after a seemingly endless and crippling bout with (believe it or not) chicken pox the summer after my first year of law school. And shortly after it made its debut, I preached the virtues of the port-like Sam Adams Triple Bock to anyone who would listen.

I did not make it to make it to the 17th Annual Beer Tasting with Michael Jackson at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology last weekend. However, a good friend and fellow food blogger Mike at TVFoodFan.com did. When he offered to write a post about the event as a guest blogger for PhilaFoodie, I couldn’t refuse.

After the jump, read Mike’s review of the event. When you're finished, check out TVFoodFan.com for the latest news and views about what’s going on in the world of culinary television.

This past weekend saw the 17th Annual Beer Tasting with Michael Jackson at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. The event featured a guided tasting with beer expert Michael Jackson, a.k.a. The Beer Hunter, followed by a two-hour general tasting that offers beer from the Philadelphia area as well as from breweries around the world. This was my second year at the event, and this year's theme, Extreme Beer, provided a stronger roster of beers than last year's collection of beers brewed from various grains.

The presence of Michael Jackson was again the double-edge sword of the event. He is undoubtedly a tremendous draw, and his introduction was smart, funny and insightful. The problem is that his presentation quickly devolves once the tasting starts and he gets into the intricacies of each of the beers. They tried to combat that this year, with the presence of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery founder and Extreme Brewing author Sam Calagione on the stage with Jackson. Calagione did an admirable job of moving the conversation along and trying to regain the crowd's attention from time to time, but it's almost a hopeless situation. The room is just too large and the sound system can't fill it enough to allow everyone to hear what is going on, and the crosstalk among attendees rises from a chatter to all-out conversation, drowning out the presentation. I was fortunate enough to be able to get a seat about twenty feet from the stage, so I got more out of it than most.

The guided tasting beers were, for the most part, very good. The Hop 15 Double IPA from Port Brewing Company in San Marcos, California, was my big winner, while the consensus of those around me was that the Allagash White from the Allagash Brewing Company in Portland, Maine, was tops. It was the first that we tasted, and I must admit that I was a bit stingy with the scoring, and the white beer with a complex spicy flavor of cloves did bring more to the table than most in its variety. Calagione's own Nodding Head's George's Fault, reminding me of a number of hit-or-miss visits to the Center City brewpub.

The roster for the general tasting was promising, and the event moved into the Chinese rotunda. My first stop was to my favorite brewpub, Triumph Brewing Company. The Princeton and New Hope brewpub will be opening a location on Chestnut Street, and their offerings of a Vienna Lager, Bengal Gold IPA and Raspberry Wheat performed well. The Raspberry, with which I was not familiar, was light and fruity without being too sweet. Cherry Hill's Flying Fish, who I don't remember being there last year, had a table and was pouring their 10th Anniversary Imperial Espresso Porter. I had already tried a four-pack of the porter, which features a welcome smokiness, and my enjoyment of it was confirmed. A number of my friends agreed.

The one thing that you can almost always bank upon is the presence of good, flavorful IPAs, a fact that I, a confessed Hop-Head, thoroughly enjoyed. Michael Jackson alluded to the quality of American IPAs (and of the quality of all American craft brewing) during his speech, and his opinion was supported by the selection during the general tasting. Legacy Brewing Company's Hoptimus Prime Double IPA, Triumph's Bengal Gold IPA, Hop Whallop from Victory Brewing Company-- home of my favorite beer, HopDevil -- and the Greer Beer IPA from Philadelphia's Home Sweet Homebrew were memorable examples of the flavorful variety first brewed to survive the trip from the British Isles to the colonials in India.

But the star of the show for my money was the Cocoa Loco Triple Chocolate Stout from Arcadia Brewing Company in Battle Creek, Michigan. Stouts are usually a little too heavy for my liking, but the smoothness and lightness of Arcadia's brew was fantastic. I crossed the crowded room two or three times for the chocolaty, understated stout. Plus, the beer is brewed in Battle Creek, so I could certainly see myself pouring a bottle over my cereal -- what better way to start your day?

Of course, the main problem with the general tasting is that you can really only taste a small portion of the beers available. Fortunately, attendees got good news about next year that will allow them to spread the tasting over a larger period of time: Philly Beer Week.

For more on that, be sure to check out a full preview over at Seen Through a Glass.

PhilaFoodie Interviewed by WHYY's Marty Moss-Coane on Radio Times

2007-03-09T21:47:00.000-05:00

I was invited to participate in a radio segment today regarding the power of restaurant reviews on WHYY’s Radio Times hosted by Marty Moss-Coane. Recently, restaurants have been making news by fighting the critics who gave them unflattering reviews: the spat between Kobe Club owner Jeffrey Chodorow and New York Times reviewer Frank Bruni, an Ireland court’s verdict against a restaurant critic for libel (apparently one of the first of its kind), and of course the t-bone of contention between Chops Restaurant and Philly’s own Craig LaBan. Marty thought it would be fun to explore with me some of the general legal issues regarding libel as they pertain to restaurant reviews, so that’s what we did.

For those interested in listening to the podcast, here are the links: MP3 and Real Player.

The first caller was a little BENT-up about a review that HAMMERED his restaurant several years ago. Marty eventually PRIED out of him the POINT the critic had made in the review that ended up being too much for his restaurant to HANDLE: believe me, it’s a NAIL-biter.

In retrospect, I think this was a prank caller. While nobody likes to be the target of such a prank, you've got to give the guy props for executing it without being caught in the act, which, presumably, is the goal. Well done, sir.

Many thanks to Marty and her wonderful and talented staff for inviting me onto the show and for being so welcoming and gracious while I was there.

The Washington Post Covers the Philadelphia BYOB Scene

2007-03-07T01:24:00.000-05:00

Jason Wilson wrote a vivid and informative article about the Philadelphia BYOB scene, which appears in today’s Washington Post. (See “Philadelphia’s BYO Revolution”) (registration required).

I'm quoted in this article as well. Jason even published my intuitive little BYOB tip in the sidebar: check the restaurant’s menu before you pick your wine and don’t be afraid to bring a variety of bottles.

The New York Times Weighs-In On Chops Restaurant's Lawsuit Against LaBan

2007-03-07T01:15:00.000-05:00

In today’s New York Times you’ll find an illuminating article by Adam Liptak about the lawsuit Chops filed against Craig LaBan. (See “Serving You Tonight Will Be Our Lawyer”) (registration required).

Liptak puts some meat on the bone by placing the Chops lawsuit in context with other cases in the U.S. that have been litigated against restaurant critics, all of which have failed. Liptak covers the international angle as well; apparently such lawsuits are more successful in Ireland. You’ll also find a quote in there from yours truly.

Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande 1979 (Pauillac)

2007-03-03T18:37:00.000-05:00

The year the grapes for this wine were harvested was an interesting year. Revolution in the Middle East led to an energy crisis, The Police’s Roxanne was making its way to No. 32 on the Billboard charts and the U.S. Mint introduced the Susan B. Anthony dollar.

It was 1979.

I was eight years old then, and all I cared about was Star Wars and pizza. A lot can change in 27 years. And wine can be a fun way to measure those changes if you have the right bottle.

A good friend of mine is an antiques dealer, and in the not-too-distant past he picked up a few lots of mixed bottles of wine at an estate auction. From what I understand, the lots included an impressive collection Bordeaux. He had drunk almost all of the Bordeaux by the time I got the chance to see the wine, including a bottle of 1982 Chateau Lynch-Bages. He was watching the TV show Alias when someone on the show mentioned the ’82 Lynch-Bages, so he uncorked it. He didn’t know that 1982 is a legendary vintage for Bordeaux. He didn’t know that Lynch-Bages is a respectable Fifth Growth chateau or that Robert Parker rated its 1982 offering an impressive 94. For him it was more of an Alias experience than a Lynch-Bages experience—he just thought it was cool that he was drinking the same wine that was mentioned on his favorite TV show.

When I met him to go through the remainder of his stash, I spied a 1979 Pichon-Lalande still left in the box, so I liberated it. You may recall the episode of the Sopranos in which Tony and Christopher heist several cases of wine. The wine they stole from the van was the ‘86 Pichon-Lalande, which Parker scored a 94 in 2003. The ‘79 Pichon-Lalande, though, was no slouch—Parker includes it among his discussion of important ancient vintages for this chateau, calling it a “top-notch” effort and scoring it a 90.

I didn’t have high hopes for this wine, to be honest. There was no information about how it was stored all these years. Plus, although Parker said it was “fully mature” and suggested it would last until the end of 2007, I had read elsewhere that it was past its prime.

I knew I was in trouble as soon as I peeled the foil off the cap. Mold. Further inspection revealed that the top of the cork was also wet.

“Damn,” I thought, “not good signs.”

It only got worse. As the cork was about half-way out of the bottle, it started to crumble and tear in half. At this point, I pretty much knew it was over. Still, I removed the rest of the cork, wiped the mold off the lip of the bottle, poured the wine and let it breathe.

While I waited, I tilted the glass and held it above the white counter-top. The wine had that signature brown hue at the edge that you only see with older clarets. It was beautiful. I soaked up as much of the color as I could, realizing that this would probably be the only rewarding part of the experience.

Eventually, I swirled the glass, drew it up to my nose and took a deep whiff. I could identify the smell immediately; it was unmistakable. But even factoring-in my low expectations, it was heartbreaking: feces and disinfectant. After a while the smell mellowed into that of a wet basement. And that’s where it stayed, even into the next day. The subtleties of lush fruit and soft tannins the wine was supposed to reveal were nowhere to be found. All that was left on the palate was vinegary acid and the feeble hint of black currant—a faded echo of what this wine perhaps once was or what it could have been.

Tainted or not, the one thing this wine delivers is perspective about how far we have come in a quarter of a century. These days, a crisis in the Middle East is affecting the cost of energy, The Police just played Roxanne at the Grammys and the U.S. Mint is trying to push a new dollar coin. Oh, how times have changed. I don’t know about you, but all of a sudden I’m the mood for Star Wars and pizza.

Chops' Beef With LaBan

2007-02-27T23:58:00.000-05:00

The Daily News reported last week that Chops and Alex Plotkin, the managing member of Chops, sued Craig LaBan and the Philadelphia Inquirer for libel. The subject of the lawsuit is this three-line review of Chops in the “Or Try These” sidebar to LaBan’s Feb. 4 review of Fleming’s in Radnor:

A serious power-lunch crowd makes this sunny room feel like “the Palm on City Line.” A recent meal, though, was expensive and disappointing, from the soggy and sour chopped salad to a miserably tough and fatty strip steak. The crabcake, though, was excellent. Revisited January 2007.

No matter how unkind, a restaurant review typically is not fertile ground for a successful libel action. Those who sue restaurant critics often don’t win for one or both of the following two reasons:

1. Restaurant Reviews Are Considered Opinions. Generally, opinions are privileged (and, therefore, not actionable), while statements of fact are not. The distinction between fact and opinion, though, is not always clear. For example, even statements of fact in restaurant reviews can be considered part of the opinion when read in context of the entire review. Of course, statements of fact are protected if they are true. But statements of fact don’t have to be 100% true to be protected; they only have to be substantially true.

2. Restaurants Are Seen As Public Figures. If you’re a public figure, you can’t win a libel suit merely by proving that what somebody wrote was false. You also have to show that the false statement was made with “actual malice.” This means you have to show that the person either knew that what he or she was writing was false or that he or she entertained serious doubts as to the truth of the statement but published it anyway. Public figures have this higher burden because they’re expected to use the public forum to which they have access to set the record straight. Restaurants are considered limited public figures for purposes of a review because they are places of public accommodation seeking public patrons.

Plotkin has a beef with two words in the review: strip steak. In his complaint (which I obtained from the court), Plotkin alleges that LaBan “ate a steak sandwich without the bread, not a strip steak . . . .” But it’s still not clear what the sandwich was made of. Although Plotkin alleges that “[t]here is a significant difference in the meat, preparation of and presentation to the customer of a steak sandwich compared to a strip steak,” he does not come out and say that the sandwich was not made with strip steak. If the sandwich was made with strip steak, or if LaBan believed it was made with strip steak, Plotkin may have a tough time proving the libel claim.

Plotkin’s complaint also contains some extraordinary allegations that are bridge-burners, to say the least. For example, Plotkin claims LaBan has a “vendetta” against him because Plotkin “jokingly” threatened to reveal his identity to a room full of Chops patrons in 2002. He also claims that LaBan’s invite to participate in his weekly Q&A forum was a “set up” during which LaBan planned to further embarrass Plotkin with the aid of (and I love this phrase) “sham ‘bloggers’.”

But perhaps the most brazen allegation is the one in which Plotkin drops the F-bomb—fraud. Plotkin does not assert a cause of action for fraud; however, he does allege that LaBan fraudulently publishes food reviews based on what he is told by others instead of his own personal experiences.

Vendetta? Sham-bloggery? Fraud? These are bold allegations. But will it all backfire?

There’s another reason you don’t often see restaurants suing critics—it’s not good for business. Restaurants need critics. Even if a review is less than stellar, it’s still press. Negative reviews certainly can sting, and it’s instinctive to want to fight back. But there is something worse than a negative review: no reviews at all. Or perhaps even worse, a positive review that no one can trust.

In other words, Plotkin’s lawsuit could have a chilling effect. Reviewers may now believe that if they say something negative about Chops, they too could get sued. How many restaurant critics do you think are going to rush out to review Chops now that it has a reputation of suing a restaurant critic? My guess is very few, if any. What critic is going to take that risk? It could be long time before you read another review of Chops, positive or negative.

But that’s only half of it. Let’s say someone does give Chops a positive review sometime in the future. Aren’t you going to wonder whether the reviewer was influenced by the fear of getting sued? Can a favorable review of Chops be trusted at this point? Possibly. But as a result of Plotkin’s lawsuit—win, lose or draw—these are questions that could dog every positive word that is written about Chops for a long time to come.

Disclaimer:

The information provided in this blog post is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to certain legal issues and the possible contents of a steak sandwich someone else ate. (Keep in mind, I write a food and wine blog. Any lawyer who has time to write a food and wine blog probably isn’t worth listening to for legal advice.) The information is not guaranteed to be correct, complete or current. PhilaFoodie makes no warranty, expressed or implied, about the accuracy or reliability of the information in this post or at any other website to which this post is linked. (Nobody really reads or links to this blog anyway, but, hey—belts and suspenders, yo.) The views and opinions expressed herein are PhilaFoodie's and are not the views or opinions of his employer.

This information is not intended to create any legal relationship between PhilaFoodie and the person reading this post. This post is not intended to create and does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and PhilaFoodie. This post is not soliciting clients and does not propose any type of transaction. You should not act or rely on any information in this post without seeking the advice of an attorney. (Again, I’m makin’ it up as I go along here, folks. Just in case that wasn’t clear by now.) The determination of whether you need legal services and your choice of a lawyer are very important matters that should not be based on blog posts, especially posts from a food and wine blog for cryin’ out loud.

Restaurant Week Wrap-Up: A Smack-down, Of Sorts

2007-02-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

Restaurant Week is not a normal Center City dining experience. Twice a year it turns the local restaurant scene into a carnival-like atmosphere. As I’ve noted before, not all restaurants do the same act during the two Restaurant Weeks that they do the other 50 weeks of the year. Yet, much like the provocative posters for the Bearded Lady or the Dog-Faced Boy, the lure of a three-course meal at a posh restaurant for a mere $30 is hard to resist. And, indeed, the seats fill up quickly as diners scramble early for reservations. But as with all carnivals, soon after you emerge from the tent you often find yourself deliberating whether the show lived up to the hype. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t.

Inspired by the likes of Barnum and his modern-day equivalents, I decided to take a different approach to Restaurant Week this time around. Instead of evaluating the restaurants in a vacuum, I though it would be fun to compare my experiences at two restaurants to see which one performed better under these carnival conditions—a sort of Restaurant Week smack-down, if you will.

First up was Bistro Romano. One of the draws of this romantic, Italian eatery in Society Hill certainly has to be its dedication to filling your belly. For example, instead of serving the standard three courses during Restaurant Week, Bistro Romano served four—the first being three delicious and remarkably fresh Bruschetta. The hearty Minestrone, too, was large enough to be an entrée.

Bistro Romano also emphasizes home-cooked style of preparation. Many restaurants in Center City masterfully execute a version of the home-style theme (e.g., Radicchio). However, Bistro Romano’s translation was not quite up to snuff. The Minestrone was uninteresting. The Veal Saltimbocca spent too much time in the broiler; the prosciutto appeared to have bonded with the veal on a molecular level, giving the dish a tough, jerky-like texture.

Similarly, the white wine sauce accompanying the Tilapia with Shrimp tasted like it was thickened with flour or cornstarch, making it heavy and reminiscent of gravy (a simple reduction or beur blanc would have been welcomed). All of this may be nostalgic of how mom used to make it; however, a restaurant should deliver a little more refinement, even if it is taking a home-cooked approach.

For dessert, we picked the Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Sauce and the White Chocolate Mousse. The torte was uncharacteristically sweet and the chocolate was less intense than the torte’s color and density would suggest. The mousse, though, was nicely balanced—not too rich or overly sweet.

The second restaurant was Mandoline, a contemporary cash-only BYO in Old City. It was refreshing to see that Mandoline’s Restaurant Week Menu appeared to be identical to their Winter Menu, which includes tempting starters such as Lobster Truffle Macaroni and Cheese and the Goat Cheese Pistachio Cake.

I opted to start with the Venison Ragout with Pappardelle Pasta and Grana Padano. The pappardelle was well-prepared and all of the all of its flavors were complementary. However, the ground venison was more subdued than expected. Although this makes the racy-sounding dish more accessible, it may be a little disappointing to those who are looking for the wild and gamey flavors often associated with venison. It may be a little too tame, in fact, to justify using something as exotic as venison.

Mandoline’s Five-Spiced Smoked Duck Breast, Citrus Sweet Potato Mash and Sweet Soy packs an array of well-chosen flavors. The smoke and glaze used to prepare the medium-rare duck impart sweet notes of apples and molasses, and the citrus enlivens the wonderfully sweet and earthy mash. Some pieces of the duck, though, were tougher than they should have been and were difficult to carve with the standard butter knife they provided.

Mandoline does not prepare desserts of their own, but they do offer gelati from Capogiro. The Chocolate Hazelnut Gelato is a guaranteed winning flavor combination (one of my personal favorites), and the hard-to-resist Olive Oil Gelato delivers the delicate essence of this cooking staple while maintaining a rich, creamy and satisfying texture.

So, who won the smack-down? This dubious honor goes to Mandoline. Both restaurants had a few issues—Bistro Romano presented overcooked veal and seemingly starch-laden sauces; Mandoline’s duck was a little tough and its ragout, while well-prepared, was somewhat different than expected. But at the end of the day, the issues with Bistro Romano’s performance were more systemic and appeared to stem from their literal interpretation and execution of the home-cooked concept throughout. Plus, as I’ve emphasized before, flavor counts, and the flavors of Mandoline’s dishes were more impressive than Bistro Romano’s.

Thanks to those who posted their recent Restaurant Week experiences here in the comments section of my prior post. Do check them out. Also, thanks to the Center City District / Central Philadelphia Development Corp. for organizing Restaurant Week. The next installment will take place September 23-28, 2007.

Snackbar

2007-01-28T22:19:00.000-05:00

Like most people, I was a picky eater when I was a kid. Food certainly wasn’t something I looked to for adventure. But when I was in junior high something happened to change that.

I stopped by to visit my friend Frank, who was cooking something for dinner. I can’t remember what he was stirring in the pan, but it certainly didn’t look or smell anything like food—at least no food I had ever seen. So, of course, when he offered it to me, I colorfully said no. Frank then said something that flipped a switch in my head, forcing me to reexamine my assumptions about food and allowing me to start thinking about food in a different way:

“Why?” he asked. “It’s not a tattoo.”

A tattoo, back then at least, was a strong symbol of commitment and was pretty close to permanent. Frank was saying that no matter how much I didn’t like the taste of his experiment, it wasn’t going to be permanent. But he was also saying something else. Like tattoos, trying unfamiliar food can be a form of expression and rebellion. And without the permanence and commitment of a tattoo, there was no good reason to refuse.

That’s when it clicked—I grabbed a plate and joined Frank for dinner. After that, rebellion started to taste pretty damn good. That rebellion has since ripened into a sense of adventure, a way to challenge my tastes and perspectives, a way to learn.

And that is part of why I find Snackbar to be such an exciting venue. Snackbar is the latest addition to Philadelphia’s small plates scene. Situated in Rittenhouse Square, its cozy digs feature comfy chairs, low tables and an elevated fireplace high enough for everyone to enjoy.

Snackbar takes a cerebral approach to the small plates format. Jonathan McDonald, Snackbar’s chef, practices a little of what some would call molecular gastronomy—a ten-dollar word that means McDonald understands the chemical and physical properties of food and exploits that knowledge by experimenting with inventive food combinations and cooking techniques. In other words, McDonald’s a bit of a culinary rebel.

As a result, Snackbar’s offerings may challenge you. Some of its dishes are ponderous and could leave you deconstructing them for days. A few may even be a little intimidating, such as the Curried Banana (yes, it’s a dessert and, strangely, it works), the Sweet Curried Popcorn (an addictive snack you’ll often find at the bar) and the infamous Adrahan Cheese (it smells like it was aged in the bowels of a wet Egyptian mummy, but it’s delicious). But if you have an open mind and take the time to unpack the flavors and think about how they work together, it could be a wonderfully rewarding experience.

One of the most approachable plates is the Chocolate Cake. Don’t let this unassuming dessert fool you, though; if you pay close attention, you’ll discover there’s a lot going on with this dish. Like many of Snackbar’s offerings, the chocolate cake is participatory and empowering in that you have the ability to construct different bites on your own from the various elements on the plate.

The cake arrives cracked open, spilling a warm pool of chocolate pudding. The cake itself is a light yet intense chocolate and is even more satisfying with a taste of the rich pudding. Hidden inside the pudding is a small treasure—a whisper of licorice. It’s subtle, delicate and once you find it you’ll be digging for more. But there’s only enough for one bite, maybe two if you’re lucky. Another surprise is that the cake is topped with a few carefully placed grains of coarse salt, taking the dish in yet another direction. Again, these bites are fleeting. Finally, you’ll scoop into the bed of light cream that cradles ground malted coffee for a more robust and hearty perspective. All told, this meticulously mapped-out morsel is one of the most compelling chocolate desserts in the city.

Other dishes that allow you to play with interesting flavor combinations are the Beef Gyoza and the Poached Foie Gras. The Beef Gyoza, for example, allows you to pair the briny cornichons or mustard seed on the dumplings with the mocha caramel sauce—both of which are stellar combinations.

The Foie Gras successfully plays with extremes—the rich, savory poached foie gras on one hand and the sweet buckwheat bun and quince paste on the other.

Coming soon to the new menu (it may already be there) is the Beef Tongue, the more intense cousin of the Beef Gyoza. Like the Gyoza, it employs mustard and cornichons, but this time they're artfully paired with coffee and high-quality, fatty beef tongue.

Snackbar also knows how to pay attention to the details. The Brussels Sprouts, for example, had just the right amount of truffle oil to enhance the earthiness of this much-maligned vegetable; too much of this potent delicacy would have overpowered the smokey, grilled flavor. Also, the sprouts are cut in half, allowing the flavors to permeate leaves—an intuitive and necessary, but time-consuming, step that is often overlooked with sprouts. The almond foam and the Marcona almonds enhanced the sprouts’ nutty flavor in this carefully constructed dish.

When you're taking risks, you expect that some of the dishes will miss the mark. But with Snackbar, ironically, some of the safer dishes were the ones I found to be the least impressive. I know the Pork Belly has received a lot of accolades. But, quite frankly, it did not live up to the hype. The technique of slow-cooking the egg with the stock is rather conventional these days. And the pork belly itself had surprisingly little taste; the egg broth seemed to drown whatever flavor it may have had. The Vanilla Financier also had some issues. The cake was a little dry, and the layer of gel that topped the cake did not add much to the dish. Also, the Barbequed Chicken, while beautifully plated and very well-prepared, was not particularly flavorful.

Some of Snackbar’s dishes are pretty cutting edge. And for that reason, not everyone will walk away with the same impression. But for those of you who are up for a little adventure, Snackbar could be a whole lot of fun. For those of you who normally play it safe, just think of it this way: It’s not a tattoo.

Restaurant Week Is Here

2007-01-28T22:06:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, start your appetites. Nary a snowflake has fallen yet here in Center City Philadelphia, but it’s already time for the winter installment of Restaurant Week.

You know the drill, folks—from January 28 to February 2, 2007 over 100 Center City restaurants will offer a minimum of 3 courses for only $30.

A list of participating restaurants and their menus can be found here (including the newly-opened Xochitl [pronounced “so-cheet”]). Many restaurants allow you to make reservations through Open Table.

If you have any particularly enjoyable (or disappointing) Restaurant Week experiences this time around, feel free to talk about them here in the comments.

Chateau Picard 2003 (Saint-Estèphe)

2007-01-27T01:22:00.000-05:00

Alright, I’ll admit it. I bought this wine to satisfy my inner geek. What can I say—resistance was futile.

Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will recall that Chateau Picard was the fictional 24th Century red wine estate in La Barre, France owned and operated by Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s brother. The wine was featured in several ST:NG episodes and movies. At the “40 Years of Star Trek: The Collection” auction held in October 2006, two empty bottles of the 2267 vintage of Chateau Picard, which were used as props in the 2002 film Star Trek: Nemesis, sold for $6,600. Talk about wine futures….

The real Chateau Picard is located in Saint-Estèphe and was classified a cru bourgeois in 1932. Mähler Besse purchased the property in 1997 and modernized the equipment. The property grows Cabernet Sauvignon (85%) and Merlot (15%).

On the nose: The nose is not all that fragrant, though you can detect light notes of graphite, spices and green peppers.

On the palate: Typical of wines from Saint-Estèphe, the acid in this medium-bodied red is fairly high, and the tannins are not too far behind. The Merlot seems to restrain some of the tannins in the mid-palate, but eventually they boomerang back to claim the finish. The cherry fruit flavors are fiercely tart and subdued. Sadly, not as elegant or as refined as you would expect from the family of a decorated Starfleet Captain (perhaps the 2267 vintage will be a little more supple). But even without the help of a Tricorder, you may be able to detect a few faint notes of chocolate and nutmeg lurking in the background.

On the wallet: I tend to enjoy acid and tannins in my wine. And I do prefer Picard over Kirk. So this wine is fun for me, at least it will be for a bottle or two. But unless you’re really into tannins, acid and/or bald Starfleet Captains, $23.99 may be a bit steep for this sharp, little gum-stretcher.

On the table: This wine screams for food. Stick with rich meats or cream-based dishes. Avoid pairing with tomato sauces and Klingon cuisine.

Pennsylvania Senate Law and Justice Committee Holds a Hearing on the Hiring of a CEO at PLCB

2007-01-23T19:42:00.000-05:00

You may recall former PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman saying that Pennsylvania Senator John Rafferty, the Chairman of the Senate Law and Justice Committee, was planning to hold a hearing at the end of January regarding the process used to hire a CEO for the PLCB. That hearing, in fact, was held today.

For all of you Pennsylvania politics geeks out there, you can find links to video of the hearing on the Pennsylvania Senate Republican News site, including:

(1) the Testimony of Former PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman (followed by Q&A) [56 minutes]; and

(2) the Testimony of PLCB Chairman Patrick J. Stapleton and PLCB Member Thomas Goldsmith (followed by Q&A) [1 hour 20 minutes].

It’s worth clicking on the testimony of PLCB Chairman P.J. Stapelton. After his response to a question hits the 8 minute mark (and cartoonishly involves several black-and-white charts), the microphone inadvertently catches the Senator who asked the question whispering to a colleague, "I’m sorry I asked the question." (See time index 23:27.) Too funny. What's funnier, though, is that Stapelton's response then goes on for another 4 minutes.

It appears that the hearing continues on Jan. 30. Following the link below, you will find the text of former Chairman Newman’s testimony.

TESTIMONY OF JONATHAN NEWMAN BEFORE
THE SENATE LAW AND JUSTICE COMMITTEE
JANUARY 23, 2007

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to testify today regarding the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and the selection of its new Chief Executive Officer.

Let me begin by saying that I thoroughly enjoyed my 7 ½ year tenure on the PLCB, having served as Board Chairman for the last 4 ½ years.

I have been appointed by three Governors and have been unanimously confirmed three times by this Senate, for which I am grateful. I take pride in the entire PLCB team and its record of accomplishment during my tenure. I believe that together we have erased much of the negative perception of the Agency from the past, and that Pennsylvania’s taxpayers and consumers believed we were making strong progress.

When Governor Rendell reappointed me as Chairman in June 2006, he stated, “[B]y incorporating innovative e-commerce practices and initiating the Chairman’s Selection Wine program, Jonathan has helped position Pennsylvania as a national leader in the growing wine industry.” The Governor also stated, “By adding new stores, expanding product selection and educating employees, he has led the Board’s efforts to improve the PLCB’s retail operation.” I appreciate the Governor’s kind words and emphasize again that the credit is shared by the entire PLCB team. For my part, I will say that I enjoyed my fulltime commitment to Pennsylvania’s consumers and worked my 60-to-70 hour weeks believing I was making a difference in people’s lives.

The PLCB has been a labor of love for me. I enjoyed it all: visiting stores; getting to know our employees; conducting tastings with our specialty wine team; improving selection, prices and the consumer experience; building morale; and developing our esprit de corps. I also believed it was important to connect with consumers and enjoyed my many evenings with them at Chairman’s Selection dinners, wine tastings, store openings and our other consumer-oriented events. While my family is happy to have me with them nights again, and I’m certainly delighted to be with them, I will miss these events and interacting with our consumers.

To my great satisfaction, the many marketing and legislative initiatives successfully implemented during my time with the PLCB seemed to resonate with consumers: Enhanced employee training; stores in supermarkets; more attractive Premium Collection stores; the Chairman’s Selection wine program; gift cards; temperature control for fine wine; an e-commerce website and wine clubs; the Philadelphia, Central Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh Wine Festivals; outlet stores; Sunday sales; new holiday openings; accessory sales and in-store samplings. Consumers voted in favor of such innovations with their hard earned dollars.

And I was certainly looking forward to the exciting new initiatives I had in the pipeline, including the Virtual Store, which would make a much greater product selection available to consumers anywhere in the state with superior web functionality.

On July 10, 2006, the PLCB issued a press release approved by the Administration’s Press Office. The release was titled “PLCB Announces Record Sales Performance: Sales Growth Exceeds 7 Percent For The Third-Consecutive Year.” It noted that for FY 05-06, the PLCB would return $80 million in profits and $315 million in taxes to the Commonwealth. It reported the PLCB would provide more than $18.5 million to the Pennsylvania State Police for enforcement, $2 million to the Department of Health for drug and alcohol programs, and $4.5 million in license fees to local municipalities. Member Goldsmith noted that “the PLCB will have contributed more than $420 million to the Commonwealth, bringing the total to more than $1.5 billion for the past four years.”

The PLCB has not achieved this kind of consecutive year-over-year growth since the end of World War II—and this while our state’s population has remained fairly stagnant. In fact, the PLCB’s Breakout Flash Report, dated just the day before the CEO was approved by the Board, shows this trend as sustained through my tenure. This December 12th report shows that sales for the present fiscal year were already up over 5.7% in units and a healthy 7.6% in dollars.

And as you will hear, our bottom line is as healthy as our top line.

A review of PLCB Comparative Operating results over the last three fiscal years shows gross sales increased to $1.38 billion in FY 03-04, $1.465 in FY 04-05, and $1.573 billion in FY 05-06, with expenses holding steady as a percent of gross sales at 20.44%, 20.59% and 20.78%, respectively. Total revenues provided have been $348 million, $369 million and $414 million , respectively for those years. For FY 06-07, the total revenue transfer is projected to be over $484 million which includes over $334 million in taxes and a $150 million PLCB profit transfer we are able to make because of sustained growth over the last few years. Thus, the revenue transfers over the last four years are expected to total $1.615 billion.

As a means of legitimatizing the CEO appointment, the Administration disingenuously points to a projected $12 million increase in what it labels “expenses” for FY 06-07. I say “disingenuously” for two reasons.

First, as the direct result of increases in compensation and benefits negotiated by the Governor’s administration itself, and an increase in the licensee discount signed by the Governor, our expenses will increase by more than $18 million in FY 06 – 07.

Second, as noted, the Agency’s contribution to the Commonwealth’s general fund is projected to increase by over $70 million in FY 06-07, over the previous year. This means that in the same year in which what the Administration terms an increase in PLCB “expenses” is projected to be $12 million, we will actually contribute more than $70 million in additional funds because of our strong, sustained business. This is an impressive performance we should all be very proud of.

Allow me to give you the specifics.

Two PLCB tax revenue streams, consisting of the Johnstown Flood Tax and the PA Sales Tax, go directly to the Commonwealth’s bottom line and rise and fall with sales volume. They are not affected by expenses. A third revenue stream, consisting of the PLCB mark-up on product sold, also rises and falls with sales volume, but is affected by costs such as wages and salaries, PSP enforcement, store and other rents, plus the cost of inventory. Therefore, when PLCB sales spike up, as they have dramatically for several years, the two tax streams grow proportionally without offset, while the third stream grows too, though offset by increased expenses.

It should be evident that what really matters to the state, fiscally, is not the PLCB’s expenses considered in a vacuum, but the revenues provided to the Commonwealth, and the expenses in relation to those revenues.

Let’s examine these expenses.

The PLCB Budget office has analyzed the additional expenses for FY 06-07. Its conclusions are most interesting. First, the increase of the licensee discount supported by the Administration took it from 7% to 10%, resulting in a $8.8 million reduction to the PLCB’s bottom line in FY 05-06. In FY 06-07, the full year discount is projected to increase by $2.4 million, for a reduction of $11.2 million to the bottom line.

Second, the compensation and benefits increases negotiated by the Administration will result in expense increases of $10.32 million and $6 million, respectively, in FY 06-07. Additionally, there is an increase in potential GAAP leave liability, outside of the PLCB’s control, of $2.3 million relating to retirements. Therefore, in total, the increase in expenses brought about directly by the Governor’s Administration totals $18.72 million at a minimum in FY 06-07.

It should also be noted that increases in sales volume drive increases in sales related expenses. For example, our increase in gross sales volume this year of over 7%—part of a total 24% increase during the last three years—has resulted in an increase of $4.7 million in real estate rents, and of $6.5 million in fees relating to credit card processing and product handling/freight.

As we have proved, upgraded stores and better locations drive increased traffic and yield greater sales, especially in border locations. These new, nicer stores do cost more to build and operate, but they generate much more revenue. And they keep our citizens’ dollars in the state, whereas lesser stores would send consumers into neighboring states.

Some have suggested that smaller stores with sub-par locations are more than adequate because the PLCB has no competition. Any Pennsylvanian who lives within driving distance of a state border knows that simply isn’t the case.

I am very proud of our financial performance and record sales and appreciate the opportunity to set the record straight.

Let me turn now to the events of the past weeks. I am very concerned that the lack of transparency and heavy handed politics resulting in the appointment of a CEO to the PLCB, may have already undermined the positive change in perception among consumers that the PLCB has accomplished in recent years. The controversy may have already begun to hurt sales and started to erode our valuable goodwill. Customers vote with their pocketbooks and they know there are out of state shopping alternatives.

I was certainly surprised and saddened by the recent rushed process to have the PLCB rubberstamp the Governor’s hand selected CEO, which I firmly believe was not consistent with transparency and good government. I believe the lack of process and heavy handed politics have now completely politicized the PLCB. I’m very concerned about a perceived return to the old bureaucratic mentality of “the consumer be damned.” I am hopeful that the Legislature will take appropriate action to restore the PLCB’s status as an independent government agency acting in the best interest of consumers and taxpayers, and not because of political dictates.

I would like to detail some of the background regarding the PLCB’s 2-to-1 approval of the Governor’s choice for a CEO of the PLCB, a position that has never existed since the agency was formed in 1933.

During August of 2005, I first heard rumblings the Administration might be considering a political appointment of a CEO to the PLCB. I next heard the political appointment might be of an Executive Director to replace the outgoing Director of Administration. Not sure what was in the works, and wanting to ensure the continued integrity of the Agency, I wrote the Governor’s Chief of Staff. In my letter, I expressed that any positions should be subject to appropriate process and set forth my concern that as Chairman I had not been consulted regarding any proposed actions.

In advance of a meeting with the Governor on October 20, 2005, I wrote him a detailed memorandum advising him of the information I was hearing and my concerns that I had never been provided any documentation regarding proposed actions at the Agency. When I met with the Governor on that date, he assured me he had no plans to appoint a CEO to the PLCB.

In the memorandum to the Governor to which I just referred, I wrote,

“As Chairman of the PLCB, I have performed as a de-facto CEO at a salary of $60,000. As you know, the salary is a non-issue for me. I thoroughly enjoy my dual role of overseeing and managing this $1.5 billion agency. As Chairman, I have worked full time at the position as required by Section 202 of the Liquor Code, which covers Qualifications of Members. ‘Board members shall devote full time to their official duties’.”

I also wrote,

“In the era of the pay raise, I think it would be difficult to launch a costly nationwide search for a highly qualified individual for a management position with the media scrutinizing the hiring of such a highly paid government official.”

I also made clear in the memorandum that I did not want a dime more to continue performing responsibilities consistent with those of a CEO/Chairman position. I noted that the continued de-facto duality of my role was important toward assuring a chairman not merely engaged in oversight, but also responsible for operations as mandated by statute.

And I stated explicitly that if there was a need for a Chief Operating Officer or similar position, a thorough national search would be needed “mindful of the limits of salary in state government.” To the very best of my recollection, I never personally discussed this topic with the Governor again until he called me on December 11, 2006.

In early 2006, Joseph Martz, the Secretary of the Office of Administration, began work at the PLCB as the Acting Director of Administration. We did discuss this topic on several occasions during his tenure, before he left the Commonwealth to work on the Governor’s re-election campaign. Secretary Martz told me he believed the PLCB should do a Request For Proposal looking at the management structure of the organization before even considering additional positions. He also believed that once a top national consulting firm reviewed management structure and identified advantageous positions, if any, we should do a national search to fill them with the best qualified individuals. He confirmed to me on several occasions that the Board would have a chance to review any such RFP and make a thorough evaluation regarding any proposed changes or positions.

This was my last interaction with the Administration on this topic until Monday, December 11, 2006 when I learned from the Governor that he was naming Joe Conti as CEO of the Agency. The Governor spoke with me at 2:30 PM that day. He informed me he was referring Joe Conti as CEO of the Agency and that he expected the Board to vote its approval the day after next at our Wednesday Board meeting.

I told the Governor on that call that I had concerns and that I needed to sit down and speak with him. I expressed concern that the appointment would render me a paper tiger as chairman, unable to continue with the kind of accomplishments we had achieved to date. He responded that he would set up a meeting and get back to me. I did not hear from him again Monday and, concerned that the Board meeting at which he expected approval was imminent, I called him that evening and e-mailed his Secretary, Ann Shriver. I said that I would be in Harrisburg all day and evening on Tuesday and would be glad to meet with him at anytime. He never responded and, to this day, I have not heard from or spoken with the Governor.

I did receive a phone call from Secretary Martz’s office. He and Senator Conti wanted to meet with me in Martz’s office at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, December 12, the day before the Board meeting. Shortly before I left for this meeting, I called the PLCB’s Director of Human Resources to see if a salary was already set for the appointee and whether a job description existed. He told me that the salary would be $150,000 and that Joe Martz would give me the job description at the meeting. I told him that I had very serious problems with the salary and lack of process.

During the meeting with Secretary Martz and Joe Conti, Mr. Martz made it quite clear that my two fellow Board members would vote the next morning to approve the CEO appointment. He said my support was expected. He informed me Kate Phillips would be calling me and that the Administration expected me to give her positive quotes for a press release. He told me that the salary was set at $150,000 and handed me a five-page job description someone had prepared.

When I suggested that a salary that high would not sit well with the public, Senator Conti explained that the Governor had wanted him to take more than $150,000 but that he had declined. I pointed out to Secretary Martz as I quickly reviewed the job description for the first time that the “Definition” and “Examples of Work” seemed to indicate the Board would be abdicating all of its statutorily mandated responsibilities to the CEO. I explained this was completely unacceptable because the Chairman’s role would be almost wholly ceremonial, and the Board’s confined to policy and regulatory matters only.

I looked at the many responsibilities delegated to the CEO, the required skills listed for the position, and noted that the Minimum Experience and Training called for, “Ten years of progressively responsible experience in directing the purchasing, distribution, marketing and sales operation for a business,…” I had never even received Mr. Conti’s resume, yet we were forced to vote on the very next morning. I asked Mr. Martz to delay the vote to allow for adequate reflection and appropriate input.

I was told that the CEO appointment would be approved the next morning with or without me—that this was what the Governor wanted.

I responded that I would vote against this action and would state the reasons for my dissent.

The following morning at 10 a.m., I was outvoted at the Board Meeting and Joe Conti was approved 2-to-1 by the Board. PJ Stapleton, who the Governor has now appointed as the new Chairman, has told the press he thinks Conti’s $150,000 salary is “peanuts.”

I do not. I am very concerned about a brand new position, the lack of transparency in creating it, the absence of appropriate process in filling it, and its improper usurpation of the Board’s statutorily mandated duties. And, yes, I’m concerned about the unprecedented high government salary to be paid for it. It is simply insensitive to the citizens of this Commonwealth who work hard for their dollars to call it “peanuts.”

I believe a hard working Board doing its job can run the PLCB, as the law requires. I hope I’ve proved that. A Board with all members fulfilling their statutory obligation to work for the agency fulltime should not require a CEO to do its work for it. If new positions are going to be created there needs to be rigorous evaluation of what additional skill sets are required, and then a real process to fill it, with an opportunity for public discussion, media scrutiny and a national search process.

And if, instead, the Board is to be circumscribed in its duties, with part time efforts acceptable and only policy and regulatory functions, then its salary should be reduced. There should, in this event, be serious consideration given to adopting the practice of commissions of control states like Oregon, and many private companies, which compensate Board members on a per diem basis for their attendance at Board meetings.

As Senator Rafferty, and Representatives Donatucci and Raymond, the Chairmen of the House Liquor Control Committee, observed of the new CEO position in their letter to the Board of December 13, 2006, “If such a position is created, we no longer understand the significance of the Board, given that their power is now subject to a chief executive officer that has not been appointed by the Governor, nor confirmed by the Senate.”

The Board is mandated by statute to run the operations of the agency. It is not a board of directors of the corporate world which provides oversight and advisory functions, leaving operations to management. It is management. Appointing a CEO for the Agency has improperly created a second, parallel management structure. Neither the Governor nor the Board itself can reduce the statutorily conferred fulltime management role of the Board. Yet the Governor has anointed a CEO to perform the very same functions.

I would propose for clarity that the title CEO be added to Chairman Stapleton’s title to underscore that the Board is the statutorily mandated fulltime management of the PLCB; and that if the Board needs assistance in areas such as finance and operations, it may conduct a national search for true expertise. I would further propose that the $150,000-plus-benefits to be paid for the redundant CEO position be returned to the taxpayers.

Of course the continued vesting of operational authority in the Board, as required by law, necessitates Board members work fulltime for the agency, as they are paid and required by law to do. Board members of talent and accomplishment willing to undertake such fulltime roles within government salary parameters are motivated by dedication to public service—by the desire to make a difference in peoples’ lives. They are out there.

If, as the Governor has proposed, the role of the Board is to be eviscerated and operational authority improperly vested in a CEO, then, as alluded to above, the salary of Board members ought certainly to be reduced to a per diem.

I believe we need to ask if the process here was appropriate. Has a good-government standard of openness, transparency and process been met?

Will this method of appointment suffice for the creation and filling of future positions on other boards and commissions throughout the Commonwealth?

I would like to thank the Senate Law and Justice Committee for their oversight hearings into the process resulting in the appointment of the CEO, and would be glad to answer your questions.

Thank You.

The Truth About the PLCB's Price Comparisons

2007-01-19T13:00:00.000-05:00

The Inquirer reported on Wednesday that there is a controversy surrounding the purported savings on some of the Chairman’s Selection wines, and former PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman is taking heat for it. Chairman’s Selections compare the actual price with the “suggested,” “quoted” or “regular” price. According to the article, such comparisons may be misleading because a few of the Chairman’s Selection wines are not sold in any other state.

The article focused on the phrase “suggested” price because that’s the one used to market the Chairman’s Selection wines that are made solely for PA consumers, such as the Whitehall Lane Chairman’s Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. But, in context, that phrase isn’t as troubling as it has been portrayed to be. Once you see that the words “Chairman’s Selection” are boldly printed directly on Whitehall’s front label and/or read on the back label that the wine was designed by Newman, the phrase “suggested price” should stand out as an admission that there isn’t any other market for this wine besides PA. In other words, just by reading the label you should be able to conclude that the price comparison for this wine is a fiction and does not hold any meaning. At a minimum, these facts should raise enough questions that you shouldn’t give the comparison too much weight (if any) in making your purchasing decision.

By contrast, the phrases “quoted price” and “regular price,” which are used to market wines picked for the Chairman’s Selection program that are also sold in other states, are a little more complicated. Given PA’s unique wine distribution system, it is difficult to gauge whether these phrases are identifying any true savings without knowing more information. For example, “quoted” to whom and by whom—the winery to its other distributors, the winery to the PLCB or the PLCB to its customers? These could all be different prices. Plus, they may not reflect any real consumer market, rendering the comparison meaningless. Do the “quoted” and “regular” prices include the 18% Johnston Flood Tax? If not, the purported savings is artificially inflated.

All of this leads to the more basic question that, so far, no one has asked: If, as a Pennsylvania consumer, I’m allowed to buy wine only through the PLCB, aren’t all of the PLCB’s price comparisons inherently illusory? Comparing PA’s price to the price in some other market does not illustrate any “savings” for me if it is illegal for me to have access to that other market. It’s a fictional choice, a choice that legally does not exist for PA consumers.

I’m repeating myself, but this is not a problem with the Chairman’s Selection program that needs to be “tweaked,” as it is being spun by the PLCB. Rather, it is problem inherent in the state’s tightly-controlled distribution system that the Chairman’s Selection program simply couldn’t escape—i.e., that, legally, there is no other market against which PA consumers can compare the PLCB’s prices.

This brings me to the most interesting part of the story, which has nothing to do with wine. It’s the story’s convenient timing. The Whitehall Lane controversy has been well-documented by the folks on eGullet since as far back as the beginning of October 2006, but you didn’t hear a peep about it in the press for 3½ months. But now, all of a sudden, shortly after Rendell takes a little heat for the CEO debacle and days after Newman resigns in protest, Newman gets scapegoated for price comparisons? Smells a little corked to me. But, conveniently, it does lay the groundwork for the PLCB to argue that it needs to “tweak” the number of wines offered through the Chairman’s Selection program, doesn’t it?

Reminds me of a line in Beckett’s Waiting for Godot: “There’s man all over for you, blaming on his boots the faults of his feet.”

Careful, fellas. Don’t tear down too many bridges Newman built. Otherwise, a lot of people may start using the one bridge that’s out of your reach—you know, the one that leads to wine stores in New Jersey.

New Year’s Eve 2006, Part II - Tangerine

2007-01-13T22:35:00.000-05:00

The year I turned 21 I had the worst New Year’s Eve of my life. Having come of age only a few days earlier, I was determined to spend New Year’s Eve in a bar somewhere—anywhere—engaging in what I knew would be a legendary degree of mayhem and debauchery. But that didn’t happen. Instead, I rang in the new year standing on a frozen pond in the bitter cold of someone’s back yard in central Pennsylvania, completely sober, watching a grown man and his eleven year-old son shoot pistols into the sky at the stroke of midnight. It was a sad moment. But as I stood there tasting the spent gunpowder carried by the crisp winter air, I realized something that I have taken great comfort in ever since—no matter what happens the rest of my days, I probably never would have a New Year’s Eve any worse than that.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, New Year’s Eve 2005 was one of the best New Year’s Eves I’ve ever had. We went to Tangerine with close friends of ours from D.C. I don’t remember many details about the meal. But I have been reminded (and am embarrassed to admit) that I was so captivated by the food that night that I was oblivious of the exotic belly dancers parading through the restaurant and undulating beside our table. That, too, was a sad moment, I suppose, but for different reasons.

I wanted to try Tangerine again this year, hoping for a repeat. The deal was similar to last year: passed hors d’oeuvres, a five course meal served family style, a Champagne toast and dessert buffet at midnight—and, of course, belly dancers—for $120 per person.

Tangerine’s meal this year had a few conceptual and execution issues. For the most part, though, these issues were easy for me to overlook because the dishes were so flavorful. For example, the second course was a Lobster Velouté with Fennel Purée and Tarragon Oil. The lobster, while rich and buttery, had a noticeably chewy texture and was a little overcooked. But, overall, the dish was so rich and flavorful (particularly the fennel purée and tarragon oil, which complemented the buttery lobster nicely) I was willing to overlook the texture of the lobster.

The third course—the Mediterranean Turbot with Crab Risotto, Olive Tomato Ragout—is another example. The Turbot, although well-prepared, did not seem to fit well with the rest of the dish. The rich risotto and the olive tomato ragout, however, were addictive together. The ragout, itself, was surprisingly rich. And, paired with the rich risotto, they were flavorful enough to carry the dish without the Turbot.

Similarly, the Potato Mushroom Gratin that accompanied the fifth course—the Moraccan Spiced Filet Mignon and Horseradish Creamed Swiss Chard—was overwhelmingly salty. But the cinnamon and all spice that were used to season the filet made the dish taste like Christmas.

Some dishes, however, struggled more than others. The first course—the American Sturgeon Caviar atop molded tabouli that included blue fin tuna alongside golden raisin crisps—was ill-conceived. The sweet and toasty caviar was delicious solo. But the onion-heavy tabouli was way too overpowering to be paired with something as delicate as caviar.

Also, the fourth course—the Harissa Grilled Lamb with Rosemary Socca, Eggplant Salad and Harissa Yogurt—was a great idea, but did not quite hit the mark. The smokiness in the creamy eggplant salad was satisfying, and I enjoyed the use of the socca. But the lamb was very dry and stole a lot of the momentum from this dish.

The dessert table, new this year, was a huge hit. The table held almost a dozen different ways to break the New Year’s resolution you made only a few moments ago. The one misstep that was inexcusable, though, was that the Champagne did not make it to our table until almost 12:20 a.m. I rang in the new year with a glass of 2003 Chateau Josephine de Boyd (Margaux), the second wine from the Second Growth Bordeaux Chateau Brane-Cantenac, which we enjoyed during dinner. Not a bad way to ring in the New Year. But for $120 a person, getting the Champagne out on time is the one part of the service you simply shouldn’t botch.

There is nothing like ringing in the new year with a great meal. And, despite the few nits discussed above, Tangerine delivered.

Tangerine
232 Market Street
(215) 627-5116

A Few Thoughts on Newman’s Resignation from the PLCB

2007-01-06T16:21:00.000-05:00

You’ve all heard by now that Jonathan Newman resigned from the PLCB. You can find the full text of his resignation letter here on the Clog. As the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Friday, wine enthusiasts are worried that Newman’s departure will affect the selection of wine we have enjoyed over the past few years. Actually, this worry existed prior to Newman’s departure, when the CEO position was created and took the statutorily-mandated day-to-day operations away from the Board. But now that Newman has resigned, the worry seems more real and the consequences more imminent.

Many people are taking a wait-and-see approach. But I'm less optimistic. There are signs already that things may get worse.

Part of it is understanding what we’ve lost. Everyone applauds Newman for making PA a more wine-friendly state. But what’s interesting is how he did it. Newman managed to take the one thing that made the selection of wines in PA abysmal—having to fill the shelves of 643 state-owned stores—and actually used it to expand the selection of wines—leveraging the state’s buying power to get great deals on quality wines. He transformed part of an antiquated bureaucracy into a sword for consumer advocacy. Such out-of-the box thinking is rare, even in the private sector. Sure, things weren’t perfect, but he made things better than they used to be.

I don’t know much about Conti. However, I do know that he has been opposed to privatizing the state-run system—not exactly the resume of an advocate for the PA wine consumer. So, I don’t have much confidence that he will pick up the baton of progress that was stripped from Newman’s grip, or run with the vigor and passion Newman displayed. I look forward to Conti proving me wrong.

Other clues that there’s a less-than-bright future ahead for wines lovers in PA can be found in statements the PLCB has made. The Chairman’s Selection program was one of Newman’s most successful innovations. Although the new chair, P.J. Stapleton, says that they “have a commitment” to the program, he said it is “hard to say at this point if there will be an increase or a decrease or if the quality will change.” The fact that Stapleton suggests that the quality could be in jeopardy and admits that the choices could decrease is not encouraging.

Also, Stapleton took a shot at the Chairman’s Selection program, saying “a lot of wineries in California and elsewhere looked at Pennsylvania as an opportunity to rid themselves of wine” they didn’t want or couldn’t sell. I’m not surprised by this and, in fact, it’s something I’ve always suspected. But, to be fair to Newman, this isn’t so much a problem with the Chairman’s Selection program as it is an inherent flaw in the state-run system that the Chairman’s Selection program simply couldn’t fix—having to fill the shelves of 643 stores across the entire state. If they only had to stock a few stores’ shelves, they would have the luxury of being more selective. Stapleton, who is not a wine lover, seems to suggest by his criticism that he believes the program should be reduced. But taking choices away from PA wine consumers, without something to counterbalance it, only seems to put us back where we started before Newman took the helm. We’ll see how it plays out, but these statements aren’t delivering the comfort or inspiration the PLCB should realize it needs to deliver right now.

I’d like to finish this post with a toast to former Chairman Newman. In honor of his innovations, I’ll raise a glass of one of his Chairman’s Selections—the 2003 Chateau Lascombes, an elegant Bordeaux from the Margaux region: Thank you for making Pennsylvania more of a wine-friendly state, and good luck with your future plans. And, hopefully, there will be a wine this enjoyable on the shelves the next time you visit a PLCB store. Cheers.

New Year’s Eve 2006, Part I — A Champagne Tasting

2007-01-01T21:46:00.000-05:00

A few years ago my wife and I hosted a Champagne tasting at our house for New Year’s Eve and it was a blast. So, we thought we’d try it again this year. This was a blind tasting—all of the wines our guests sampled were in randomly-numbered brown paper bags. Nobody knew which Champagne they were tasting when they recorded their comments. I picked five Champagnes for the tasting, most of which had received some sort of press over the past few weeks. Of the five selections, four were Champagnes and one was a California Sparkling wine. All of the wines were non-vintage. Because rosé Champagnes are all the rage this year, two of the four Champagnes we tasted were rosés. The results of the tasting were interesting.

The two rosé Champagnes were the Billecart-Salmon Brut Rosé NV ($70) and the Nicholas Feuillatte Brut Rosé NV ($34.99, PLCB No. 029573). My friend Kez, who lives in France, highly recommended the Billecart-Salmon in the comments to a previous post. Slate recently called the Billecart-Salmon “arguably the best-value nonvintage rosé on the market.” I also understand it received a 90 from Robert Parker and a 91 from Stephen Tanzer of Food and Wine Magazine. Sadly, you can’t get it here in PA; a friend of mine brought it in from New York. The color was a light, salmony pink. It displayed aromas of raspberry, strawberry and minerals and was relatively acidic. The bubbles were explosive and frothy.

Someone I trust at one of the PLCB Specialty Stores recommended the Nicholas Feuillatte. This wine received an 87 from Wine Spectator. It had the color you would expect a rosé Champagne to have. Not as acidic as the Billecart-Salmon, nor as bubbly, and many of our guests said it had a bitter finish. But it was a little fruitier, had nice berry flavors, and our guests found it to be round and soft (one even found it to be more balanced than the Billecart-Salmon).

Of the two rosés, though, most folks preferred the Billecart-Salmon. Many, in fact, picked it as their overall favorite of the evening. Although this was definitely my overall favorite as well, I was not as blown away by the Billecart-Salmon as I expected to be. These two rosés were notably different, but I don’t know whether the differences between them are great enough to justify paying twice as much for the Billecart-Salmon.

Of the three non-rosés, two were Champagnes and one was a California Sparkling wine. The very first wine we tasted was the one from California—the Roederer Estate Anderson Valley NV ($21.99, PLCB No. 007933). This wine was featured in Wall Street Journal’s December 1, 2006 Tastings column (subscription required). The WSJ’s wine critics, Gaiter and Brecher, rated it Good/Very Good but didn’t give it an amazingly glowing review (they said it had “no real depth”). Plus, as the article points out, American sparkling wines are “often less nuanced, and the bubbles sometimes seem an overlay on the wine instead of an integral part of the taste.” It was also the least expensive of the five. So, I didn’t expect this wine to leave any lasting marks. Surprisingly, though, everyone picked this American sparkling wine as their favorite non-rosé, beating out the two French offerings. Two of our guests even selected the Roederer as their overall favorite. It was light, crisp, clean and smooth, and had a nice balance between sweetness and acidity.

The wine I expected to do better than it did was the Taittinger Brut Champagne La Francaise NV ($35.99, PLCB No. 004001). Wine Spectator rated this a 91, saying it showed “elegance and finesse” and had “an understated power.” This Champagne didn’t display any flaws. It was rather effervescent and I thought it had a slightly creamy finish. But aside from that, it was rather non-descript and unimpressive.

The last wine we tasted was the Pommery Brut Royal NV ($37.99, PLCB No. 029553). Last year my wife really enjoyed the Pommery we had, and because she had been reminiscing about it, I thought I’d throw it into the mix. I read on one of the bulletin boards that Richard Juhlin, who claims to be the number one Champagne expert in the world, rated this Pommery a 75, which ain’t good. But you didn’t have to be a Champagne expert to be offended by this bottle. Our blind tasters described its odor as “rubber gloves,” “petroleum” and “awful.” One guest gave this Champagne a two-word review that pretty much said it all: “That smell!” The fact that this was the second most expensive Champagne of the evening made it all the more disappointing.

So, what did we learn? Not much, really. After all, it was New Year’s Eve and we were doing shots of Champagne for two hours straight; it was heard to learn anything after that. But we had a lot of fun and we were among friends. And that’s what ringing in the new year is all about.

Stay tuned for New Year’s Eve 2006, Part II—Tangerine.

An Exclusive Interview with Jonathan Newman, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board

2006-12-27T20:08:00.000-05:00

I scheduled this interview with Jonathan Newman, Chairman of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (“PLCB”), weeks before the controversy erupted surrounding the rushed creation of the PLCB’s CEO position and former Senator Joe Conti’s appointment to that post. I had planned to fill our half hour discussion on December 20, 2006 almost entirely with the type of in-depth questions only a wine geek would ask, but the politics of the day could not be ignored and Chairman Newman graciously obliged.

In his first-ever interview in the blogosphere, Chairman Newman talks candidly and passionately about his principled opposition to the CEO post, the shadow it casts over the continued viability of the initiatives he spearheaded, such as the Chairman’s Selection program, and whether he will remain with the PLCB in light of Conti’s appointment. Chairman Newman also shares his thoughts on the infamous Johnstown Flood Tax, whether it is still illegal to ship wine into Pennsylvania, and what the Pennsylvania legislature should do on the issue of direct shipment. And before the interview is over, he may even have a wine recommendation or two.

Chairman Newman, welcome to PhilaFoodie. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me.

It’s my pleasure.

I know that you conducted an online chat on the eGullet bulletin board back in the day, but have you ever been interviewed on any blogs?

I have a lot of respect for blogs. I think blogs have transformed the atmosphere of communications in Pennsylvania. This is actually the first such time I’ve participated in an interview in this format, so glad to do it with you for the first time.

I’m honored, Chairman. Thank you. Before we talk about wine, I’d like to talk a little about the PLCB’s newly created CEO post that made the news last week. The PLCB voted 2 to 1 to appoint former Republican State Senator Joe Conti as the CEO of the PLCB. You opposed the appointment and expressed some strong comments about it. Why?

It was a bad day for good government in Pennsylvania. I believe in public comment and a chance for media scrutiny. There was no transparency in state government. This was a decision that was a fait accompli by the time the information was given to me. I was given the name on Monday afternoon. I was given the job description and salary amount Tuesday afternoon at 3:00 o’clock and was supposed to rubber stamp it at 10:00 a.m. on a Wednesday board meeting. I felt that, given the dynamics of the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, if it was appropriate to search for a CEO, a COO, or a CFO, there should have been an RFP [request for proposal], we should have hired the best consultant to see if this was well-advised. And then if it did make sense, we should have truly done a national search and found the best individual. It was a bad day for state government, and at the end of the day integrity and character mean a lot to me and I felt very strongly that this was a bad move for the PLCB and a big negative for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. And the reason I have been at the PLCB for 7½ years, and Chairman for 4½ years, is I believe in good government, I like my job, I work hard, I feel like I’m making a difference in people’s lives. The board powers that are mandated are statutory. Board members are meant to work full-time. I put in 60, 70 hour weeks and put my heart and soul into this job and feel like I’m making a difference for Pennsylvania consumers. And I object to the process and the way this was done.

Why do you think the Governor’s office rushed this appointment?

I don’t know. I can’t guess what the intent of others would be. I certainly have read op-eds throughout Pennsylvania. Every editorial board of every newspaper in the Commonwealth is outraged. It’s been covered extensively on radio, and I know that the public is outraged by what happened. And I’m obviously disappointed that this is what it came down to. But in order to understand the Governor’s intent and what his thinking would be, you’d probably have to ask him or his administration.

Certainly, the process was not done well. The PLCB has had record profits. Our numbers are extremely impressive, and I’m proud at the kind of returns we’ve delivered for the Commonwealth. In fact, on a press release approved by the Governor’s office, dated July 10, 2006, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board announces record sales performance. Last year for our fiscal year that ended in June, for 05/06, we contributed $80 million in profits to the Commonwealth, $315 million in taxes, $18.5 million to the Pennsylvania State Police, for enforcement, $2 million to the Department of Health for drug and alcohol programs and $4.5 million in licensing fees, returning $420 million. Board member Tom Goldsmith is quoted as saying “the PLCB’s strong sales performance benefits all Pennsylvanians.” During the past fiscal year the PLCB will have contributed more than $420 million to the Commonwealth, bringing the total to more than $1.5 billion for the past four years. Expenses have been consistent. For the upcoming year, we’ve kept our expenses very consistent. The only expenses that have changed have been those negotiated by the Commonwealth, which include the licensing discount, which was legislative and signed by the Governor, and wage and other retirement benefits. So, we’ve watched our expenses very carefully. We’re opening big, beautiful Premium Collection Stores, our sales numbers have shown record growth, and I’m proud of our accomplishments. So, as far as intent, I’d be real curious as to what the answer is.

Does the PLCB really need a CEO?

Well, I wrote the Governor a memo in October of 2005 when I first heard the discussion of whether the PLCB needs a CEO, and it was right after the legislative pay raise fiasco. And I thought it would not be consistent with government to bring in a CEO at a big salary because, first of all, it’s statutorily mandated that such a position does not exist and has not existed since 1933 with the inception of the Board. And I have, for my $65,000 salary, put, as I said, my heart and soul into it. And I have been clear to the Governor and, David, I want to be clear to you. I have said to the Governor every step of the way, written it down, and said it to his administration: I do not want a dime more, I am doing the job that I love, the salary is not an issue to me, I absolutely don’t want anything more. That has been very well documented because I felt like I was doing some good and taking the PLCB to the next level, through all my marketing initiatives, because I care, because I was making a difference.

If the position was warranted, there should have been a national search firm brought in to have a competitive RFP to make sure we get the best consultant to see (a) if it’s warranted; (b) if it’s warranted, then you do a national search and you find out the best candidate who’s out there. That’s transparency in government. Not being given the name on Monday, an amount of money and a job description on Tuesday and expected to rubber-stamp it on Wednesday. So, I don’t know that it was necessarily needed, but if a professional was brought in and they made recommendations, certainly the Board should have been consulted during the course of such a process. Such a process did not occur.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Governor Rendell was surprised and saddened by your opposition, and the paper also speculated that Rendell might strip you of your chairmanship of the three-member board. Do you think that’s true and have you spoken to Rendell since then?

I have not spoken to Governor Rendell since then. When we had our conversation on Monday, I said: Governor, I have some concerns, we need to sit down and talk about this. I would become a paper tiger and not be able to get the accomplishments that I’ve done going forward. And he said: no problem, he would put it together. I had a 3 o’clock meeting with Joe Conti, and Secretary [Joseph] Martz from OA [Pennsylvania’s Office of Administration]. I expressed to them in no uncertain terms why I would oppose this and I felt uncomfortable about it. And they knew based on that meeting that I did not have a comfort level in the process that was happening.

The two ways this is being spun is that there are declining profits, and that is far from the case. I can certainly forward to you our balance sheet. We have been a cash cow for the Commonwealth. And the other [way it is being spun is] to say that I wanted this position. I was doing the job required of this and never wanted a dime more from this. It was my love of making Pennsylvania a better wine culture, of delivering value for wine customers, of making sure I looked out for the consumer in advocating direct shipping, Sunday sales, opening our stores on holidays, tastings at stores, being able to sell accessories. So, I am saddened to see the weak response due to my indignation of the process and the way this was approached. I am hoping that the process will be reversed and they will come to their senses and realize this is a bad idea.

Senator John Rafferty, Chairman of the Law and Justice Committee, is planning, so far, on conducting hearings at the end of January. Both he, Representative [Ron] Raymond and Representative [Robert] Donatucci, the Republican and Democratic Chairs of the House Liquor Control Committee, are concerned about the process. The questions are: Is it appropriate to take a Board that has statutorily-mandated responsibilities and to have the Board abrogate those responsibilities to a person, giving them day-to-day control over all the responsibilities? Is it remedied by simply saying that that person reports to the Board? If you do something like this to the Liquor Control Board, could you do it to the PUC, to the Turnpike Commission? Could you bring in people at these very high salaries, who have not been confirmed by the Senate, and give them many of these mandated responsibilities? And that’s why I’ve received so many phone calls and support from many legislators who are outraged in the process.

You mentioned a lot of the improvements you’ve made at the PLCB. Does the creation of this new CEO position or Conti’s appointment threaten to change any of that at all?

Well, I think everything is to be determined. The day-to-day responsibilities have been taken away from the Board and been given to the CEO position. So, therefore, much of my vision, like the Chairman’s Selection wine program, using Pennsylvania’s purchasing power to get great deals for our consumers, and my visions going forward, for example, I had a concept of a virtual store. A virtual store is you could go to the Internet and have access to all the products the PLCB could obtain, items typically that only restaurants could obtain, other items that we have access to. So, if you live in a neighborhood that has a small store, you would suddenly have a huge selection of products available. You could find out about varietals, ratings, wineries, regions, you could keep a library of wines you ordered, you could order those products and they would be available in your store of choice in a very short time period. I think that was something that was due and was a concept that I was working on. But given the way the Board structure sits now, I don’t know that I will have my imprimatur on the future direction. It [the CEO job description] simply says the Board will be consulted on policy and regulatory issues and that this individual would report to the Board. But there’s a five-page description of how he’s taking over all these Board responsibilities. So, I believe firmly in the things that I was doing, making Pennsylvania a more consumer-friendly state, and initiated about 20 different marketing initiatives. As it stands now, given the present structure, I think there’s a real question mark as to what the future vision of the PLCB will be. And, quite frankly, if this decision is not reversed, I will have to seriously think about what my future is going to be because I am very uncomfortable the way things were done, and if the process is not reversed, I have serious reservations going forward.

You mentioned that Senator Rafferty plans to conduct hearings at the end of January. Do you think it’s possible that a lawsuit would be filed?

I don’t know who would file that lawsuit. I haven’t seen that yet, but I know that Senator John Rafferty is somebody who stands for good government. And he wrote me a letter that he sent to the other board members, also signed by a Republican and Democratic state representative, saying: listen, there’s been no chance for dialogue; we’ve had a good relationship between the PLCB, the Administration and the legislature; consult us; let’s do this in an open process with transparency in government; we’re very uncomfortable about the process. I’ve heard from Republican and Democratic legislators equally expressing outrage. I hope the legislature follows through on this and makes good on the situation, and I certainly would encourage the media and citizens to look into this process and see if this is what they believe state government is about.

I’d like to switch gears now to talk about your recent holiday purchasing trip to California. I understand that you are calling this the most successful visit ever to California. Why?

I am really proud of the Chairman’s Selection wine program. It’s something that has dramatically changed the way Pennsylvanians purchase wine. The Chairman’s Selection program has now exceeded $70 million in sales. And, essentially, the way the Chairman’s Selection program works is wineries never want to discount their product, but sometimes, for whatever reason, market forces, there’s a ton of product in Australia right now, and when wineries have to discount their products, what they typically do is sell it to restaurants or on cruise ships where there isn’t a perception that they are discounting their product. So, if a winery wanted to selectively discount their product in a market like New York and discount it to Sherry-Lehmann, if Zachys and Morrell are already paying full freight and they see that a winery is discounting to Sherry-Lehmann, that winery has alienated themselves forever with other retailers. But since Pennsylvania is a monopoly, I found a way of using Pennsylvania’s purchasing power to deliver great deals for consumers. This has been written up nationally in publications like the San Francisco Chronicle, which said Pennsylvania’s arguably the best place in America to buy fine wine. When I went out to California, the buzz is out there right now of what the Chairman’s Selection program is doing to create excitement among consumers, so wineries see it as a marketing investment in the Pennsylvania market to get their brands well-known. They don’t feel that they are hurting their products because I am including them in a program where we prioritize those brands in the stores, our employees have tasted those products, we’re creating excitement for their brand names, and since we’re a monopoly, we are in no way harming the marketplace nationally. And now, when they have really good products, they will call me and certainly when I go out and visit, that’s the opportunity, face-to-face, to get the job done.

And the recent trip to California is really amazing. The products have all been depleted and the way Chairman’s Selection products move is it creates a treasure hunt atmosphere. And with the inventory that was purchased, between the taxes and everything the Commonwealth will collect on this, we will have made $2.5 million based on these purchases. The wine lovers respond with their pocketbooks and the Chairman’s Selection codes quickly move, so people realize that there is a lot of excitement. That’s what every retailer wants to do—is to have great products in their stores, to drive products in their stores, to move through their inventory quickly. We do not take a larger mark-up on the Chairman’s Selection products than we do on any other product, so we don’t necessarily have an incentive to just sell Chairman’s Selections as opposed to other items.

The reason I do it is I feel like I’m making a difference with people. When people sit down at the dinner table, they have a great bottle of wine. I reject over 70% of the wines that are presented to me, and the only wines that are presented to me are wines that show cost-savings, don’t have bad press, and wines that have a good taste profile. So I want to keep the integrity of the program, to work hard to deliver profits to the Commonwealth.

And, at the same time, in South Eastern Pennsylvania, we would bleed a lot of business to Delaware and New Jersey, a lot of people would go out of state to purchase product. We are winning the battle of boarder bleed. We have had, three years in a row, over 7% growth. We are on track this year for a fourth record year where we have not seen this kind of sales growth since World War II and the reason is because of the Chairman’s Selection program; because we’re reinvesting in our stores, creating big, beautiful Premium Collection Stores with a great shopping experience; having a wide selection of wine and spirits; training our wine personnel, trying to take them to the next level. A lot of excitement has been created. I’d like to keep this moving forward and that’s why the recent events concern me.

Are there any wines that stand out from the recent California trip?

Yeah, there are so many. The Freemark Abbey Sycamore, which is a wine that typically sells for $55. This is from the great 01 vintage, $19.99 [PLCB No. 011702]. The Freemark Abbey Bosche, a wine that sells for typically $65.00, $29.99 [PLCB No. 011701], and that has a 95 rating from a prominent publication. The Freemark Abbey Bosche, just a beautiful bottle of wine. When I was there, I met with the people who purchased Arrowood as well, and we have some great Arrowood Chardonnay coming in. Grand Archer Cabernet, the [01] vintage, at a crazy price point of $8.99 [PLCB No. 011551].

David, one of the things that I’m proud of is the high quality of these wines. Let me give you an example. One of my purchases was the 1995 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet, which typically sells for about $100 to $110 in the marketplace. I sold it for $59.99 through the Chairman’s Selection program. There was a recreation of the Judgment of Paris, a tasting that Steven Spurrier did in 1976. In this new tasting, there were great Bordeaux, First Growths, California cult wines, and the winner was a Chairman’s Selection—the 1995 Beringer Private Reserve. Now, while that’s sold out, I just brought in from the California trip the 1996 [PLCB No. 011302], 1997 [PLCB No. 011307], great vintage, 1999 [PLCB No. 011238] and the stellar 01 vintage [PLCB No. 011685], line priced at $59.99. What a great opportunity for Pennsylvania consumers to try four different vintages of this amazing bottle of wine at that kind of price. But you know what, I’m a value shopper, and I purchase products everywhere from $7.99 to hundred dollar bottles of wine. Just an amazing selection. So, in the past, if you went to our stores, you might see ten Chairman’s Selections at one time. Now, you’re going to see 40, 50 different Chairman’s Selections during the last two weeks of December. Just an exciting time to be a wine shopper in Pennsylvania.

How did the PLCB snare 403 cases of the 2004 Clos des Soutyères from Les Verrières? Only 1,000 cases of that were made.

You know, that’s the difference in instilling in our wine buyers the fact that we’re a monopoly, that we’re the largest purchaser of wine and spirits in the United States, the largest purchaser of California and Italian wine in the world. And using our purchasing power to drive great deals with the wineries. Because, you know what, David, it used to be business as usual. A supplier would come in and you would simply list their wine and those were the wines available at the store. I try to bring in a good team of wine buyers to get great deals on products, to have people really fighting as consumer advocates.

Listen, we still have a long way to go. The taxes are too high. The Johnstown Flood Tax is something that should be visited by the politicians to find a way to make Pennsylvania prices more competitive. I’ve looked at concepts like flexible pricing because certainly our competition in Delaware and New Jersey uses loss leaders to lure in customers and then have high mark-ups on many products. We need to be more entrepreneurial. We need to hunt down these values. That’s where you make a difference in life. Fighting for the consumer, wanting to make a difference in peoples’ lives and being fiscally responsible at the same time. And I really think that we struck that balance during my 4½ year tenure as Chairman.

I’d like to talk a little about direct shipment. Pennsylvania’s statutory and regulatory scheme used to prohibit out-of-state wineries from selling and shipping directly to consumers, hotels and restaurants, while allowing in-state wineries to do so. The Cutner v. Newman decision out of the Eastern District of PA declared Pennsylvania’s statutory and regulatory scheme unconstitutional on Equal Protection grounds. However, the decision appears to enjoin the PLCB from enforcing those laws only to the extent that they are applied differently with respect to in-state and out-of-state wineries; it does not appear to enjoin the PLCB from enforcing them altogether. So, what is the state of the law right now on direct shipment? Are all wineries prohibited from selling and shipping directly to consumers, or is it the other way around—are all wineries permitted to sell and ship directly to consumers?

David, that’s a great question. I’m going to give you a detailed answer to it. Of course, I put aside a half hour and this will be the last question, but I want to give you my very candid thoughts on the topic of direct shipping.

Let me tell you first why I support direct shipping. I think we owe it to the Pennsylvania consumer to give them as many choices as possible. And as much as we are stocking the Wine and Spirit stores, especially the Premium Collection stores, with an amazing selection, there is no retailer in the country that can stock the tens of thousands of wines that are available all over the country. And consumers, especially wine drinkers, want a wide range of products. So, if somebody wants to pay the taxes and have wine shipped to their home, I don’t have any objection to it. And let me tell you the reason. I have four children. I have an 18 year old. I am nervous about everything he does and of every vice that’s out there right now. The one concern I don’t have is that he’s going to be purchasing fine wine on the Internet. So for people to think that this is about wine getting into the hands of minors, it’s a misnomer. The concept is there truly has to be an adult signature required. If not, the shippers and the people who are sending it would suffer very strong penalties, a loss of their reputation, serious fines. And what’s happening right now? People are shipping via brown boxes and it’s being left for minors. So, since there isn’t a vehicle for tax collection, and an outlet for doing this legally, people are bootlegging it, they’re are shipping it in brown boxes and it is getting into the hands of minors, and that is the wrong thing. We work too hard at the PLCB in documenting at the stores, making sure it’s not getting into the hands of minors. And you could set up a system where you are checking to make sure that an adult signed for it and it’s not just being left on the doorstep for kids.

Second is the question of tax revenue. Since people are shipping it in brown boxes, there is zero tax collection. So, in fact, I believe this could be incremental revenue to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. If people are willing to pay the taxes, want to have it picked up at their home, God bless them. Let them pay their taxes, have the product shipped to their home.

As far as what the state of law [is] in Pennsylvania right now: there is no law on the books. And the law has been found unconstitutional. So, shortly the legislature is going to have to take up this issue and deal with it head-on because the law has been found unconstitutional. I know that wineries are very nervous shipping into Pennsylvania right now; nobody knows what the state of the law is. But clearly there has to be legislative action shortly.

Where is Rendell’s proposal?

I don’t know. I haven’t seen anything on it recently.

Chairman, I really appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk with me here today.

Thank you.

Bar Ferdinand

2006-12-23T23:29:00.000-05:00

History has hosted some classic rivalries: Mozart and Salieri, Edison and Tesla, Coke and Pepsi. Bar Ferdinand and Amada may not be rivals per se (at least nothing beyond your typical marketplace competition). But you almost can’t talk about Bar Ferdinand without comparing it to Amada. Both are Spanish tapas bars, one of the hot trends in Philly’s restaurant scene. Amada, considered by many to be the yardstick by which other tapas bars are to be measured, was at the forefront of this trend. Bar Ferdinand opened shortly thereafter. So, comparisons are inevitable. And much like the classic rivalries noted above, there are strong opinions on both sides of the aisle.

Despite all of the similarities between them, Bar Ferdinand and Amada are really two different scenes. Amada, with its sleek décor and high-profile Old City zip code, used the humble Spanish tradition of tapas to create a chic, upscale destination spot. Bar Ferdinand, a womb-like space situated in grittier Northern Liberties, delivers its unpretentious tapas with the same vibrant, frontier energy that drives the up-and-coming neighborhood in which it sits. It is possible to appreciate both restaurants for different reasons. But the more I visit Bar Ferdinand, the more drawn I am to its scene, its energy and its food. It is becoming my Spanish tapas bar of choice. Here’s why:

First, some of Bar Ferdinand’s offerings are more imaginative and exciting. Because tapas are small and are meant for sharing, you don’t order with same level of commitment you normally have when selecting an entrée. Instead, you’re naturally willing to explore more adventurous and experimental combinations, and chefs will often rise to the task. Bar Ferdinand gets this and, at the same time, it manages to keep its offerings accessible.

One dish that illustrates this is the Manchego Frito ($5.00). This dish inventively marries four core elements in the same bite—hot, cold, sweet and savory. First, the back of your tongue finds sweet walnut membrillo puree and the warmth of the fried Manchego cheese, while the front of your mouth feels the cool sweetness of the well-textured frozen apple foam. Next, bite down and the warm, savory cheese fills your mouth. And after its gone, the flavor of cool, sweet apple still lingers on your lips. It's an impressive morsel. The puree, however, may add a little too much sweetness, putting the dish slightly out of balance with its savory core. But overall the Manchego Frito is a compelling and addictively satisfying offering.

Another example of this is the Datiles Con Tocino—dates, bacon, cream cheese baked in puff pastry ($3.00). This dish combines sweet and savory elements in a well balanced bite. The outside is as sweet as a holiday. The bacon and cheese inside completes the experience, adding a rich, savory element that balances the dish nicely and always leaves me craving another.

Other dishes stand out as well. For example, the Albondigas—meatballs made of ground lamb, pork and beef in toasted Marcona almond and sherry sauce ($5.00)—display some nice layering. The dish starts off sweet, then the smokiness of the roasted almonds comes in on the finish. And the use of three different meats creates an interesting and tasty flavor.

There is room for improvement at Bar Ferdinand. For example, the Pato Confitado Con Sangria de Naranja ($7.00) is out of balance. The dish is shooting for a balance between the rich, savory duck confit and the bitterness of the orange toast. And it works—as long as the toast lasts. But there’s not enough toast to pair with the mound of rich duck, which can quickly become overwhelming.

And, of course, there’s the sangria ($4.00 per glass/$15 per pitcher). On my first visit to Bar Ferdinand, the sangria was disappointing—it was tart, thin and nowhere near potent enough. Since then, however, the sangria has vastly improved—it has been sweeter and more potent without losing its light, refreshing and natural character. Our server acknowledged that they had been fine-tuning the recipe, and it appears that they’ve found one that works.

The second reason Bar Ferdinand is becoming a comfortable haunt, of sorts, is price. Bar Ferdinand’s tapas are inexpensive, and that's the way it should be. Most tapas here are in the $3.00 to $6.00 range, giving you greater latitude to explore more of the menu. And if you try a dish you don’t like, no worries. It is only a few dollars, someone else at your table likely will enjoy it, and the menu has so many choices you’re sure to find something else that fits the bill.

Also worthy of note is Bar Ferdinand’s user-friendly wine list. Don’t know much about Spanish wine? Not a problem. For many of its wines, Bar Ferdinand identifies the American or French varietal that tastes similar to the wine you're eyeing. If you enjoy Bordeaux, for example, Bar Ferdinand will steer you toward the 2001 Raimat Cabernet Sauvignon – Costers del Segre, which has a deep flavors of dark fruit with notes of cedar and a long finish.

Bar Ferdinand is faithful to the tapas spirit, offering energetic, imaginative and accessible tapas at reasonable prices. And giving us another reason to visit Northern Liberties. So does this quell opinions as to which Spanish tapas bar is better, or stir them? That question, in many ways, misses the point. Coke and Pepsi co-exist on the same shelf. So can Amada and Bar Ferdinand.

Bar Ferdinand
1030 N.2nd Street
(215) 923-1313

Philadelphia Magazine’s 2007 Restaurant Issue Highlights Philly Food Bloggers

2006-12-22T22:28:00.000-05:00

Philadelphia Magazine surveyed Philly restaurant lovers to uncover their eating habits and dining proclivities. Then, in its annual 2007 restaurant issue, it used these statistics to categorize and recommend local eateries based on these diners’ dispositions.

Turns out that 70% of those surveyed get their restaurant recommendations by word-of-mouth. Philadelphia Magazine gets some of its recommendations by “word-of-screen,” so it thought it would direct this 70% toward its favorite Philly food bloggers: Foobooz; Messy and Picky; and, yours truly, PhilaFoodie. eGullet's Pennsylvania bulletin board also gets a shout out for hosting lively restaurant debates.

If it didn’t hit your mailbox yesterday, you should be able to find this issue of Philadelphia Magazine on store shelves today.

And, while we’re at it, an extra special congrats to Foobooz for being named Best Food Blog by Philadelphia Weekly's food critic, Kirsten Henri. (Very well deserved; Foobooz is unsaveably addictive.)

Craig LaBan Unmasked

2006-12-14T03:33:00.000-05:00

To be quite honest, I was surprised to learn that Craig LaBan—the restaurant critic for The Philadelphia Inquirer—would be appearing live and in person Tuesday evening to give a talk at the Penn Bookstore. Anonymity is a restaurant critic’s stock-in-trade. It is what gives him or her the luxury to experience a restaurant the way we do—in its normal state of affairs with all of its little imperfections on display. In LaBan’s case, if the restaurant staff discovered they were serving the only critic in town who has the power to move the market, things could get a bit awkward. LaBan maintains that he does not need anonymity to craft an effective review—after all, he says, they still have to cook the food, and ultimately that’s the focus of the review. Yet, he has gone to great lengths in the past to protect his identity. One of the most famous examples took place when LaBan won the James Beard Foundation award in 2000, food writing’s most prestigious award; he refused to attend the banquet because the industry reps in attendance would see what he looked like. And so the question became: How would LaBan pull off his appearance at the Penn Bookstore? Would he even show at all?

The purpose of this rare public appearance was for LaBan to promote his new book—The Philadelphia Inquirer Restaurant Guide. LaBan’s guide is an essential read not only for those who enjoy exploring the Philadelphia restaurant scene but also for those who appreciate good food writing. As you would expect, the book provides you with all of the utility you want in a restaurant guide, including indices that organize the restaurants by various categories. But LaBan serves up much more. The guide reads like literature. And LaBan is the consummate storyteller, treating you to a level of depth and expertise about the Philadelphia restaurant scene that only he can deliver.

LaBan feeds you detailed, eloquent reviews of his 76 favorite Philadelphia restaurants, all of which have been updated for the new book. LaBan’s prose will vividly transport you to his dinner table, his sensory details so crisp and engaging you’ll be convinced you shared the meal with him. In the margins of each of these 76 reviews, LaBan fleshes out the scene even further by delivering bullet point highlights about the menu, the wine list, the weekend noise level and even parking options, among other things. In addition to his 76 favorites, you’ll also find concise capsule reviews of over 600 more area restaurants.

But, as a guide, what sets this book apart from the others are LaBan’s essays. Peppered throughout the book are nine densely informative and richly entertaining essays about features unique to the Philadelphia restaurant scene, including the BYOB phenomenon, truck fare and (of course) cheesesteaks. Digest these and you’ll feel like you own the city.

Before LaBan emerged and took the podium at the Penn Bookstore, the buzz in the crowd was all about his identity. And when he did finally appear, he fully embraced the moment, donning a wizard’s cape and shielding his face with his signature baguettes. The crowd laughed as he distributed the bread for us to eat (we were missing dinner, after all), and before we knew it, he had opened his spell book and had already begun to mesmerize us with one of his essays. At that point, the buzz about his appearance was forgotten. All we could see was the Yue Kee truck in University City and the “soft half-moons of violet-skinned Asian eggplants” he was describing.

Afterwards, LaBan graciously posed for this picture, which he gave me permission to publish on my blog:

So, the next time you spy a man in a wizard’s cape across the room from you at your favorite trattoria enjoying a whole, grilled Branzino prepared tableside, please don’t stare or call attention to the man. Just let him eat in peace. After all, it could be Craig LaBan.

Les Verrières - Clos des Soutyères, Coteaux du Languedoc 2004 (PLCB No. 20202)

2006-12-10T15:30:00.000-05:00

The Clos des Soutyères from Les Verrières hails from within the Languedoc-Roussillon region of Southern France, a region known for producing wines at the value end of the spectrum. It is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Carignane (the varietal primarily responsible for this wine’s aggressive tannins and 14% alcohol content). This is a bold red. You’ll taste a quartet of darks—dark cherries, dark plum, dark chocolate and dark coffee. The finish is long; the chocolate seems to hang on forever. But the tannins have even greater stamina, tingling your gums long after the chocolate has disappeared.

In addition to how it tastes, though, there are two other important reasons you should try this wine. First, it’s a rare opportunity to get a highly rated wine at a very reasonable price. Most wine drinkers, including me, spend a lot of time tracking down great values. And there are some gems out there to be found, even if you do have to sift through a lot of ore sometimes to find them. This is one of those gems.

This wine from Les Verrières is not only reasonably priced at $22.99, but it is also highly rated. In August 2006, Wine Spectator rated this wine a 91. To give you some perspective on what a good deal this is, the 2001 Silver Oak, Napa Valley—a highly coveted and insanely popular cult Cab from California—is rated an 89 and the PLCB charges $99.99.

Some people dismiss wine scores for being subjective and as being nothing more than a marketing tool. Back in August, the New York Times took aim at 100-point wine rating systems because of how wine marketers have been exploiting them. For example, marketers will often trumpet a 90 but ignore an 89, implying that the scores reflect an objectivity and a precision that even respected wine critics will readily admit (and most intelligent consumers already know) just isn’t possible. Some wine merchants have even been accused of inventing high scores to push their wines, affecting the credibility of wine scoring in general.

That being said, a score can still be a useful guide if it comes from a reliable source such as Wine Spectator (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and Stephen Tanzer from Food and Wine Magazine are also in that category). And at $22.99, this is great opportunity to experience a 91 from Wine Spectator and incorporate that experience into your wine vocabulary.

The second reason you should try this wine is because it comes from a very limited production. The reason this is important, at least for PA wine consumers, is because of what it may represent—progress.

Pennsylvania’s wine distribution system has taken its lumps over the years. It has been called draconian and has often been criticized as being antagonistic to wine consumers in terms of price and selection. PLCB Chairman Jonathan Newman has done a lot over the past few years to change that. You still may not be able to buy wine at your local grocery store or escape the Johnstown Flood Tax, but things have gotten a whole lot better. The PLCB is now leveraging its buying power as the largest wine purchaser in the country to get some great deals, some of which it offers as Chairman’s Selections. The PLCB also is now offering more high-end wines, although its buying power does not always have the same muscle at this end of the spectrum (for example, the PLCB charges $135 for the 2003 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou, a widely-available Second Growth Bordeaux, but it lists elsewhere for $125).

But the one area the PLCB does not focus on is offering wine that is produced in small quantities, which are often some of the most sought-after wines in the world. You can’t blame the PLCB for not pursuing small productions; even in states that have privately run wine distribution systems, a wine merchant can have a hard time landing these desirables. Plus, buying small productions doesn’t seem to fit with the PLCB’s buying model. If you’re buying wine for the whole state (even just the specialty stores), it doesn’t make sense to buy wine produced in quantities so small that you couldn’t offer it in all of your stores. In addition, wine makers that have small productions probably aren’t seduced by the PLCB’s buying power. Even if they had enough product for the PLCB, it’s unlikely that they’d be interested in cutting any sort of deal given that small productions are usually in very high demand, especially if their wine is highly rated.

That’s what makes the Clos des Soutyères such an interesting find here in PA. Les Verrières made only 1,000 cases of this wine, which is a very small production. The PLCB not only managed to capture 403 of the 1,000 cases made, but it was able to get them at a discount (it was quoted at $30)—an amazing coup for a wine rated 91 by Wine Spectator. It is possible that the PLCB just got lucky—maybe it inked the deal with Les Verrières prior to August 2006, something Les Verrières may not have been willing to do had the Wine Spectator rating been published sooner. But even if that is true, at a minimum it shows that the PLCB recognizes the value in opening dialogues with small producers and (hopefully) building lasting relationships with them.

It is not often that you’re able to find a highly rated wine produced in small quantities at a great price. So, you should take advantage of this opportunity while you can. The Les Verrières - Clos des Soutyères (PLCB No. 20202) is available at the PLCB’s Premium Collection Stores.

Guacamole or Guaca-faux-le?

2006-12-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

According to an article in Thursday’s LA Times, a California woman filed a class action lawsuit against Kraft for misrepresentation because its guacamole dip didn’t have enough avocado in it.

Now, just hold on a minute. I know what you’re thinking—another frivolous lawsuit, right? Wrong. You should be ashamed of yourself. Read the LA Times article. Believe me, you don’t file a lawsuit like this unless you have an FDA rule tucked under your belt telling you exactly how much avocado should be in guacamole.

“[T]he Food and Drug Administration has no legal standard mandating how much avocado should be in guacamole.”

OK, so there’s no FDA rule. No worries. That doesn’t mean the package isn’t misleading. Certainly, for someone to actually file a lawsuit against Kraft for misrepresentation, the label must not list how much avocado is in the dip.

“If consumers read the fine print, they would discover that Kraft Dips Guacamole contains less than 2% avocado … All of the ingredients are listed on the label for consumers to reference.”

Alright, alright. So the package tells you exactly how much avocado is in the dip. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t been injured. You can’t sue somebody unless you’ve been injured. And I’ll bet you dollars-to-donuts that she suffered some grave and serious injury—one that will tug at the jury’s heartstrings, one that we can all relate to.

“Brenda Lifsey, the plaintiff, said she made a three-layer dip with Kraft guacamole last year only to discover that it contained almost none of the ingredient she most expected: avocado. ‘It just didn't taste avocadoey,’ said Lifsey….”

OK, so…no injury either. Hmm. Well, look, don’t judge this woman too harshly. I mean, it’s not like she’s one of those people who has made a career out of suing large corporations.

“Lifsey has been a plaintiff in other lawsuits against large corporations. A few years ago, she joined a lawsuit against Sears, claiming that the retailer misrepresented that its Craftsman tools were U.S. made. That case is still in the courts. She also was part of a suit filed last year against vehicle reporting service Carfax Inc., alleging that it did not have access to police accident reports in California and other states even though it advertised that it could provide vehicle history records. Carfax denied the claims.”

Oh well, Brenda. I tried.