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It’s been a big year for ethnic restaurants. I wondered for years why this city lacked places featuring Spanish fare. Finally, two fine tapas eateries, Bar Ferdinand and Isla Ibiza, have opened their doors. Both are moderately priced, including the drinks and wine.
Divan Turkish Kitchen impressed me with its fine Mediterranean cuisine, while Cantina Los Caballitos satisfied my craving for homestyle Mexican food.
Bar Ferdinand and Isla Ibiza are in Northern Liberties, while Divan and Cantina Los Caballitos are in South Philly, but new restaurants have opened up all over town.
Another favorite was The Oceanaire, where South Philly-born chef Anthony Bonett made magic with fresh seafood served in a glorious Art-Deco dining room. In addition to dinner, the Center City restaurant is open for lunch.
My favorite new American spot is Copper Bistro in Northern Liberties, where a fine blend of Italian, Asian and French styles are successfully turned into a cuisine now called New American. Fresh, in-season ingredients are exclusively used at this BYOB.
The biggest disappointment on the restaurant scene was the boring, mediocre cucina offered in the ever-increasing Italian BYOB boom. Run-of-the-mill reigns here and many places offer the same fare: fried calamari, Caesar salad, mussels, veal and crabcakes. I wish these places would research recipes and realize fresh ingredients prepared in a simple way makes for the best Italian food. Which brings me to LaScala’s, a place to enjoy a tasty meal with good-size portions and a bottle of drinkable Italian wine (the latter for only $21).
Although it has been around for years, I finally made it to Sabrina’s for Sunday brunch and a delicious weekday lunch. This charming BYOB just off of the Italian Market also is open for dinner.
Dmitri Chimes wowed us 10 years ago when he opened his Queen Village eatery, showing how delicious octopus is when done just right. A few years later, he opened another branch on Fitler Square, where the octopus is just as perfect, the beets as fine as always and the grilled whole fish with fresh vegetables is still a bargain.
Alfa, another 2006 winner, is a friendly bar/restaurant/lounge on Walnut Street where one can find a complete meal, sandwich or salad. The potatoes latkes were superb, too.
Of all the restaurants I reviewed this year, one stands out as truly kid-friendly: Ruby Buffet on Columbus Boulevard is an inexpensive fixed-price casual place where families can enjoy a soup-to-nuts Asian experience. And don’t forget the snow crab legs — they’re the number-one dish at this spot.
Looking ahead to the new year:
Italian BYOB L’oca just opened in Fairmount. Its namesake means "goose" in Italian and offers a homemade goose ragout over fresh egg pappardelle, which has to be a first for this city. The menu looks unique and impressive, even offering "bagna cauda," the warm anchovy, garlic, butter, olive-oil dish served with grilled vegetables, cheeses and cured meats.
For the past few years, I have enjoyed trips to New York and dined at Churrascaria Plataforma, a Brazilian steakhouse with a beautifully presented buffet and waiters that bring out course after course of skewered grilled beef, lamb, chicken and pork. Each diner gets a small pair of tongs to pull off the prepared dishes. Now I do not have to travel to The Big Apple to enjoy this experience: Fogo de Chao just opened on Chestnut Street. The 25-year-old parent company is based in Brazil, where it has four locations.
In the past few years, dining out has become more expensive. I noted the average dinner for two, with wine or a drink, runs from $85 to $125. Entr�es hover in the $22 to $30 range, which is still better than New York City.
