Meritage

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It recently occurred to me I never reviewed Meritage, a charming New American neighborhood bistro at 20th and Lombard streets. When it opened, it was mighty upscale with wines priced almost as high as the Comcast Center.

I was intrigued to discover new owners had taken over, brought the wine prices down and now featured a bar menu along with dinner selections and a four-course meal for $55 (wine pairings are extra). Chef Jason Goodman’s menus reflect the cuisines of France, Italy and America with classic duck confit, fresh salads, filet mignon and burgers on offer.

Edward and I walked over to Meritage on a chilly, wind-free evening and decided to eat in the bar area. It is a small space with an amicable barkeep who also is one of the owners. Irene took good care of us and several others dining "sur le zinc." We discovered the elegant, white-haired woman sitting next to Edward was Irene’s mother, while the mother-daughter team next to me recently moved to Philly from San Francisco.

Big, icy-cold, perfectly stirred martinis kept us happy as we perused both menus. Meritage gets its bread from Le Brea Bakery, a well-known entity in California owned by pastry chef extraordinaire Nancy Silverton. It was warm from the oven and we slathered it with softened butter.

Marinated beets with Bulgarian feta ($7) was pretty to look at, but Edward and I felt there was too much vinegar. Yet, the beets were sweet and nicely cooked and the feta added the right touch of salty flavor.

My salad ($12) featured a pine nut-encrusted disk of goat cheese that was slightly warm and quite tasty. The greens were a mix of radicchio and red leaf lettuce with julienned slices of sweet Anjou pears. I liked the sherry vinaigrette because it was not overwhelming. It enhanced the delicate greens with a sparkling flavor.

One of the best dishes of the evening was the pan-seared scallops ($13), a staple of New American bistros for a number of years. At Meritage, they are seasoned, quickly seared until a bit translucent and nestled atop toothy risotto, which was stellar; creamy but not soupy. There was a hint of truffle used in the preparation. A small mound of fresh microgreens played off nicely against the scallops and risotto.

Duck confit ($13) was a little on the salty side. Still, the duck leg was free of fat, filled with flavor with a crisp skin and juicy meat. It sat on a mix of white beans and bits of chorizo. We liked the addition of sausages in this dish, which could have easily morphed into a cassoulet had the duck been prepared differently.

Edward and I talked with Irene about which wine to order. She is knowledgeable and gave tastes of a Zinfandel and a Malbac we each thought were a little on the light side to stand up to the duck. We finally settled on a glass of ruby-red, rich Cabernet ($8).

Unfortunately for me, the braised beef short rib ($24) just did not make it. Its accompanying truffled mac and cheese was cold and salty. Frankly, I do not care for braised beef oozing with natural juices to interfere with the flavor of mac and cheese. I don’t understand why a chef would put anything on top of this creamy, classic side. It should be served on its own. The beef also was salty and on the cool side. The dish was removed from our bill.

There are times when homemade ice cream ($6) is the perfect choice for a sweet ending. There were several flavors on offer including cinnamon and chocolate. This is a culinary marriage made in heaven. We received several small scoops that brought smiles all around.

It is obvious Goodman is talented. He needs to go a bit easier on the salt, but the freshness of the ingredients he selects for his fare speaks volumes.

One-and-a-half tips of the toque to Meritage.

Meritage
20th and Lombard streets
215-985-1922
www.meritagephiladelphia.com
Credit cards accepted