N. 3rd

In some ways, I’m your typical Philadelphia foodie. I will follow a fine chef from restaurant to restaurant because I’ve never been disappointed with his or her cuisine. I recently read that Peter Dunmire, one of my favorite chefs and a onetime South Philly resident, took over the kitchen at N. 3rd.

Dunmire studied at La Varenne in France and was the opening chef at Rouge. His seared fish, big pots of mussels and clams, and steak with fries were as fine as his big juicy burgers. In 1999, he was the opening chef at the now-shuttered Blue Angel, which I named the best new restaurant of that year. The cuisine was distinctly delicious and trés French. Then Dunmire disappeared.

He resurfaced behind the bar at Bar Noir on South 18th Street and, three years ago, opened Magazine on Walnut Street, where he turned out silky, light-as-a-feather gnocchi. Then he disappeared again.

Now Dunmire is at N. 3rd, at the corner of Third and Brown. He brings his talent, his insistence on fresh ingredients and love of multiethnic dishes to this friendly, funky restaurant in ever-expanding Northern Liberties.

The décor is a kitschy blend of dark wood and various lights and decorations, including for Halloween and Christmas, and a string of chili peppers. An assortment of masks brings a bit more color and style to this moderately priced neighborhood spot. On any given night, you’ll find regulars dining al fresco with their dogs.

Two servers and an assistant took good care of Edward and me on a recent evening when nearly every table in the multi-room restaurant was filled. I immediately saw Dunmire’s influence. When I reviewed N. 3rd two years ago, much of the bill of fare was based on burgers, wings, ribs, fish and chips. I found the food pretty tasty. This time around, we received a sheet listing the nightly specials, with prices. Three tips of the toque for this rare practice.

From the specials, I selected "Old School Salad" ($8.50) and Edward ordered roasted beet and arugula salad ($7). Both were big enough to share. The first dish consisted of a large head of crisp, cool iceberg cut into two wedges. Dunmire topped it with good-sized bits of crispy applewood-smoked bacon, thin slices of sweet red onion, fresh red ripe tomatoes and homemade chunky blue-cheese dressing. The dressing was uncommonly good, rich with the tang of blue cheese. It was a knife-and-fork salad so big, Edward helped me finish it.

I wanted to try the arugula salad because the menu stated it came with a crispy goat-cheese brick. Edward received a mound of spicy baby arugula leaves intertwined with homemade sweet roasted baby red beets. The dressing was a creamy vinaigrette laced with goat cheese. The brick is a savory Moroccan treat, which is sometimes filled with a fried egg. It looks like a blintze but instead of being made with cr�pe batter, it is made with phyllo. Layers of thin crispy phyllo were filled with creamy goat cheese and quickly fried. One bite and Edward and I were in culinary heaven.

Another Dunmire-influenced offering was the steamed clams ($11). He looked to Portugal for inspiration in preparing the classic pork and clams dish. There must have been about 18 littlenecks nestled in a large white bowl. Not one of these was chewy. Slices of chorizo, the famous spicy sausage from Iberia, were added to the bowl. The sauce was a silky blend of natural juices, white wine, sautéed garlic, chopped fresh tomatoes and the right touch of jalapeños. Our server brought us extra plates and a fresh loaf of warm bread for dunking into the sauce.

Most new American taverns salute international beers on tap, along with the latest microbrews. At N. 3rd, you can order any glass of wine for $6 and any bottle of the same wine for $19.95. When was the last time you could enjoy wines at these prices? I selected a glass of Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon from France while Edward looked to America for a glass of frontier red from Fess Parker’s vineyard. All of you baby boomers fondly remember Parker as Davy Crockett on glorious black-and-white TV. He traded in his coonskin cap for grapevines in California. Both wines drank well with my seared tuna ($17), which was very moderately priced, and Edward dove into an authentic rib-eye steak ($16), another bargain.

I rarely order tuna because it usually comes to the table overcooked and rubbery. Dunmire crushed peppercorns and rubbed them along the outside rim of two big top-quality ahi tuna steaks. They were grilled rare, nice and red in the center, a little pinker on the outside. The tuna was tender, juicy and enhanced by the pool of Asian-inspired vegetables that accompanied it. The sauce was akin to a ragu or ratatouille, and was prepared with Chinese eggplant, baby bok choy, black beans and garlic. I liked the combination of textures in the vegetables and the eggplant was not a bit overcooked.

The rib-eye steak was the size a cowboy wants for dinner after he’s rounded up his ponies. It was grilled rare and topped with a robust red-wine sauce laced with shallots. Shallots have a marvelous flavor when they are cooked – a combination of garlic and onion. A pile of piping-hot french fries came with the steak.

Service was excellent throughout dinner. The assistant waiter filled our water glasses and changed our silverware. The only desserts of the night were chocolate and vanilla ice cream. I have a feeling Dunmire will have an influence on sweet endings to his delicious fare.

Three tips of the toque to N. 3rd.

N. 3rd
801 N. Third St. at Brown
215-413-3666
Credit cards accepted
Not wheelchair-accessible
Dinner seven days, Sunday brunch