27016652
Rx
45th and Spruce streets
215-222-9590
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Wheelchair-accessible, but tables are close together
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Reservations an absolute must
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In the restaurant world, a handful of proprietors are real pioneers. These men and women take a chance on an off-the-beaten-path location and hope a loyal following will develop.
This is exactly what Georges Perrier did 30 years ago when he opened Le Bec-Fin in a tiny townhouse at 13th and Spruce streets. Liberties in Northern Liberties was in business for about 15 years before the recent neighborhood additions of Aden and Standard Tap.
Judy Wicks, owner of White Dog Cafe, is celebrating 20 years in University City. She set the standard for all the new places popping up on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania.
Several years ago, Greg Salisbury took a chance on a corner property at 45th and Spruce streets, away from the bustle of Penn’s campus, and named it Rx.
This delightful neighborhood BYOB is housed in a former pharmacy, hence the name. The menu tells us that Rx is the Latin abbreviation for "recipe," a throwback to olden times when pharmacists mixed medications with a mortar and pestle. I rarely review a restaurant on a Saturday night, but am happy I did so because our dinner was delicious and service first-rate.
Rx was nearly filled to capacity. Salisbury greets patrons at the door, shows them to their table, opens their wine and has a chat. My husband Edward and I have met Salisbury because we have mutual friends. I do not believe he knew I was going to review the restaurant, however, because we were treated in the same manner as every other patron dining at Rx.
The owner kept some of the old wooden pharmacy shelves that once housed beakers, bandages, aspirin, etc., and uses them for dishes and glassware. Our delightful server brought us a basket of Metropolitan bread and extra-virgin olive oil, which was poured into a small beaker.
The menu changes daily and the majority of the ingredients are organic and purchased from local farmers. The emphasis is on fresh seafood with Asian/French/Mediterranean accents.
The kitchen is under the orchestration of executive chef Greg Ling. He and his staff keep a fine rhythm to a meal, as each dish arrived with little waiting.
Duck confit with chevre spring roll ($8) was a good-sized portion of poultry prepared in the classic confit manner. It marinates in its own fat for a few days before it is ready to be roasted in the oven. Don’t be fooled by the mention of fat; this confit was not a bit greasy. The texture reminded me of pulled pork. The spring roll wrapper was crispy and obviously homemade.
Grilled calamari ($8) took on a Mediterranean flair and every ingredient on the plate was there for a tasty reason. Rings and tiny tentacles of immaculately fresh calamari were quickly grilled and cooled. The squid was not a bit overcooked and did not resemble the texture of a garden hose. It was bathed in a light vinaigrette. The plate also contained a small mound of chopped eggplant without tahini, which is the way I prefer it; a mound of fresh aromatic tzatziki, the Greek dip made with fresh yogurt; chopped cucumber, a bit of garlic, olive oil and fresh herbs. A scattering of kalamata olives topped it off. The contrast of tastes and textures in this dish was inspiring.
Edward and I wanted to share a salad and there were three from which to choose. There is an Italian saying that goes: "First you eat with your eyes." As soon as our server placed our salad ($7) before us, my eyes twinkled and my mouth watered. This was a round, stacked-up Napoleon of sliced, ripe hothouse tomatoes, and cool red and yellow beets layered with creamy goat cheese. The colors were so pretty but the ingredients were the star. The tomatoes retained a bit of acid; the bits were barely sweet and had a bit of crunch. The goat cheese was slightly tangy and had the texture of marscarpone. As with the calamari, much care was taken in the creation of this dish, which was big enough for two.
The selection of fresh fish is dazzling. Waluu ($19) is a meaty light fish that can be enhanced by any number of sauces, herbs and vegetables. The fish was simply seared and topped with a red wine reduction. It was not oversauced, however. Tiny green French lentils and a simple saut� of snow peas came with the fish.
Grouper ($18) was pan-seared and arrived in a light mussel broth that contained leeks, sliced shiitake mushrooms and a bit of roasted tomatoes. I found the fish salty to my taste, although each ingredient was perfectly cooked. I advised our server that the fish was salty and she apologized and asked me if I would like to order another dish. Patrons on either side of us were enjoying big bowls of mussels and the aroma wafting over to our table helped me make my selection.
Ling uses meaty, farm-raised Prince Edward Island mussels ($8). The shells glistened, and the mollusks inside were steamed to perfection and placed in their natural broth with the right touch of jalape�o peppers, garlic and fresh minced parsley. There must have been about 18 mussels in the bowl.
It is clear Salisbury has developed a loyal following, as patrons come from all over the area to dine at Rx. Prices are moderate, and service is excellent even when the room is filled. Edward and I were stuffed, but Salisbury wanted us to try some dessert. Without telling us, he sent over a complimentary sampler that included homemade, not-at-all-sweet baklava, a small wedge of pecan pie, an individual small chocolate bundt cake and a fudgy nutty brownie-like confection.
RX offers a special $25 three-course prix fixe Tuesday through Thursday with a $5 supplement for whole fish, crab cake and ribeye and a $2 supplement for cheesecake.
Two-and-a-half tips of the toque to Rx.
