For Pete’s Sake

My favorite restaurant trend is the upscale, moderately priced neighborhood pub. There’s Standard Tap and Abbaye in Northern Liberties, Good Dog in Center City, Grace’s near Grays Ferry, Ten Stone in the Graduate Hospital area and Royal Tavern on Passyunk Avenue.

At each of these new-wave pubs, the menu is surprisingly inviting and not one meal disappointing. I realized this as Edward and I enjoyed a delicious, well-prepared dinner at For Pete’s Sake, Front and Christian streets.

Owner Peter Quinn, who arrived here from his native Ireland 20 years ago, opened his restaurant over Fourth of July weekend in 2002 and hired chef Adam Kaplan to put together a perfect modern-pub menu.

The building must be more than 100 years old. The bar area has a long wall of original exposed brick and a handsome hand-carved mahogany bar. There’s a shiny brass tap where microbrews from Pennsylvania, Maine, Belgium and Ireland take pride of place. The original tin ceiling has been given a fresh coat of paint and ceiling fans keep the air well circulated.

The big surprise is the diversity of the menu. Specials are written – with prices – on a blackboard. When was the last time you saw wild striped bass on a pub menu for just $18? Or rack of veal for the same price?

Edward sipped a pint of well-poured Guinness while I enjoyed Allagash White, a light wheat beer brewed in the Belgian style in Portland, Maine.

We began dinner with an unusual trio of hummus with toasted fresh pita triangles ($9) and New Zealand mussels ($10). Kaplan arranged three round ramekins on a plate and filled each one with a different hummus. All were prepared with chickpeas, and two contained a delightful twist. Kaplan added puréed avocado to one and finely chopped freshly roasted red beets to the other. I’ve never tasted flavored hummus before, but these were light and delicious. This appetizer was big enough for two.

New Zealand mussels are a bit larger than their Prince Edward Island cousins. My bowl contained at least 18 squeaky-clean mussels on the half-shell, which made for easy eating. The homemade broth was prepared with white wine, fresh herbs and the mussels’ natural juices. A loaf of fresh crusty bread was in order for dipping.

We shared a fine Caesar salad ($6), which consisted of a large bowl brimming with crisp hearts of romaine bathed in a homemade dressing and a sprinkling of crispy croutons that had been made in-house. The salad was dusted with shaved Pecorino-Romano cheese.

While we enjoyed our appetizers and salad, a young man sat down next to us at the bar. He told us he is moving to South Philly from his native Syracuse, N.Y., to work at the airport and already has become a regular at For Pete’s Sake.

For our entrées, Edward ordered grilled 10-ounce hanger steak ($18) and I wanted to sample the veal special ($18). Our dining companion said he wanted to try the striped bass ($18) and offered me a taste. All three entrées were winners.

Hanger steak, sometimes called skirt steak, has become very popular within the past 10 years. Edward ordered it rare and rare it arrived. Kaplan thoughtfully sliced the steak and finished the dish with a rich red-wine mushroom demi-glace. Dinner came with piping-hot honest-to-goodness whipped potatoes and grilled fresh asparagus.

My rack of veal was a delicious bargain. I received eight medium-rare chops that were roasted in the oven. The veal was so tender, I could cut it with a butter knife. A large mound of puréed root vegetables was placed on the plate. I could detect the unmistakable flavor of rutabaga mixed with potatoes and perhaps parsnips. The sauce was reduced with wine and natural pan juices from the roasted rack of veal. Grilled asparagus also were on the plate.

I sampled our dining companion’s wild striped bass ($18), which was perfectly done. A large fillet was pan-seared, well-seasoned and served on a sauce prepared with blood oranges. A square of crispy polenta was placed on the plate, along with asparagus.

Each entrée was so carefully prepared, never once did we reach for the salt and pepper shakers our server placed before us.

I was surprised to find For Pete’s Sake serves homemade ice cream and several other homemade desserts. Edward and I dove into a warm apple cobbler topped with rich vanilla ice cream ($6). Our companion offered a taste of flourless chocolate cake with strawberry ice cream and fresh berries ($6). They were sweet endings to a delicious meal.

For Pete’s Sake joins the list of my favorite kind of restaurant. The setting is fun and casual, and dishes are prepared with top-quality ingredients. Kaplan makes every item to order and obvious care has been taken in selecting ingredients for entrées and the side dishes that enhance them.

Service was excellent. The bartenders and servers changed the silverware after each use and offered fresh paper napkins.

When Edward and I left about 8:30 p.m., every table was occupied and two people took our stools at the bar.

Three tips of the toque to For Pete’s Sake.

For Pete’s Sake
Front and Christian streets
215-462-2230
Not wheelchair-accessible
Open for lunch and dinner