25598747
Loie
128 S. 19th St.
215-568-0808
Credit cards accepted
A step up into the restaurant
Open for lunch Monday-Friday; dinner served daily
Reservations a good idea
With the threat of war and then war, I’ve been venturing out on Wednesday nights — a traditional night out — to see if the restaurant business has been affected. Except for Fork and The Continental, Old City was eerily quiet one night. No one was even enjoying a drink at the bar in several restaurants.
A week later I visited Restaurant Row on Walnut Street. My husband Edward and I, along with another couple, were the only customers having dinner at a well-established restaurant. For the few hours we were there, no one even came in for a drink.
These are the times that try men and women’s souls. They are hard economic times that also try our wallets. I don’t know why anyone would open a restaurant today — not just in light of the difficult and uncertain era we live in, but also the fierce competition for the dining dollar. Within the past decade, the number of Center City restaurants jumped from approximately 65 to about 185.
Like most of us, I needed cheering up in the past week. I needed to report to my readers about a fine meal at moderate prices, because for the past few months I’ve been served forgettable food.
Many years ago, I enjoyed good Jewish fare at the R & W Deli on South 19th Street. It changed hands many times and finally closed. Enter Loie, Rittenhouse Square’s newest establishment — an authentic brasserie with fine food and drink. The kitchen is under the direction of executive chef Jeremy Duclut, a Frenchman with high culinary standards who spent several years as a sous-chef at Le Bec-Fin. The time he spent there is evident in the menu and the proper preparation of each ingredient we sampled.
My morose mood vanished as soon as I stepped into this charming spot. The place was alive and filled with people enjoying a drink, a snack, a two-fisted burger with a pile of pommes frites or a meal.
Loie is named in honor of Loie Fuller, born Mary Louise Fuller in 1862 in a saloon outside of Chicago. Fuller was a pioneer modern dancer who made her Serpentine Dance quite famous at the Follies-Bergere. Large color posters of her grace the walls opposite a highly polished wood bar and comfortable booths. There is a back dining room as well. The place was well-lit and, even though it was packed, the acoustics were perfect.
Service was the best I’ve had in a long time. Edward and I nibbled on crusty olive bread and baguettes with sweet butter and sipped a fine glass of California Cabernet Sauvignon ($6). Our waiter, Stephen, took extremely good care of us. I discovered his name on our check; he didn’t rattle, "Hello, my name is," etc. He was polite and professional, never hovered and served and cleared with ease.
There were three specials and we were told each price: Three tips of the toque to Loie straightaway. Cream of cauliflower soup ($6) was a piping-hot confection served in a piping-hot bowl. It was made with vegetable stock and a bit of cream, and topped with crisp bacon and snipped chives. Vegetarians can enjoy it without the bacon.
Everyone is doing beet salads these days, but Loie’s was a little different. Chef Duclut roasted deep orange beets, each the size of a large cherry tomato, along with larger ruby-red ones and cooled them. He fashioned a bed of baby spinach and placed the beets, some warm goat cheese and walnut halves on top. It was dressed in a light vinaigrette and needed no further seasoning.
We shared an appetizer of mussels and chorizo ($8), which was very generous. The mussels were perfectly steamed in a heady saffron broth. Cubes of chorizo, the spicy sausage beloved of Spaniards and Portuguese, imparted a tasty contrast. The sauce was so divine I could not help dipping my bread in it.
Duck confit ($18), that masterpiece of southwest France, arrived hot and was downright delicious. The duck marinates for several days in its own fat before it is roasted. White beans are traditional and they did not disappoint. The tasty duck sausage alongside it did not disappoint, either. I thought the portion too small in contrast to the other platters, all good-sized.
My half rotisserie chicken ($15) came cool to the table. Unlike the majority of staff who would say, "I’ll warm it up for you" (read: zap in the microwave), I was told the chef was preparing a completely new dinner. It was piping hot, the chicken properly roasted and nicely seasoned. Edward helped me with the leg and thigh as I dove into the breast meat. My entrée came with freshly made creamy whipped potatoes and tender asparagus.
As we finished our dinner, the manager — clad in a suit and tie, and helping to serve and clear since Loie was doing brisk business — came to our table and apologized for the cool chicken.
Loie is much like the bistros and brasseries that dot Paris. There are plats du jour ranging from coq au vin ($18) on Monday to crispy sweetbreads with braised cabbage ($20) on Sunday. The daily lunchtime plats come with a salad and choice of non-alcoholic beverage. Sandwiches at lunch and dinner come with a choice of green salad or pommes frites.
I have a feeling that, unlike a number of new restaurants, Loie is going to be a big hit in the neighborhood. I particularly want to go on a Sunday, when sweetbreads are on offer. It’s the type of place in which to enjoy a fairly priced glass of wine or beer and a delicious dinner at prices that won’t make a large dent in the wallet.
Three tips of the toque to Loie.
