Russet

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A recent visit to Moore Brothers to purchase wine prompted me to think about reviewing a BYOB. Wine markups are horrendously expensive in many fine dining establishments. After looking through my columns, I realized I had never reviewed Russet.

Located in a brick townhouse built in 1877, Russet is owned and operated by Andrew and Kristin Wood, a husband and wife team with strong culinary nods given to local ingredients.

The location once housed Ernesto’s, which was always a fine choice for dinner before a play or concert. After a recent dinner, I just may return before attending a Pennsylvania Ballet performance next month.

Comfortable banquettes line one wall, lighting is soft and the music on the sound system ran the gamut from Edith Piaf to Frank Sinatra. Our server opened our wine, a dry, Italian red blend and advised there are no specials. The menu changes daily depending upon the ingredients chef Andrew Wood has purchased. Each local farm is listed on the menu.

Dinner began with spring garlic sformato ($12) and house smoked Scottish salmon ($12). A sformato is a warm savory flan that one can prepare with any number of ingredients. The garlic flavor was as light as the wiggly flan. A few leaves of baby lettuce, dressed in a slightly sweet balsamic vinaigrette along with crunchy potato gaufrettes made this starter a winning dish.

Scottish salmon, smoked in house, is always a welcoming way to begin a meal. A slice of cold toasted brioche served as the base for the cold salmon that was accompanied by some lettuce, scallions and cool in-season breakfast radishes. A poached egg was nestled under the vegetables, and when I broke it, the egg yolk oozing and running over the ingredients, I was a happy patron, until I took a bite. It was ice cold and the white had not settled enough. I have never eaten nor have been served a cold poached egg. Disappointment set it. The crispy nettles flavored with a hint of sea salt were the highlight of the dish.

From the entrees, we selected wild striped bass ($28) and smoked lamb shoulder ($30). Wood seared the small, thick slice of succulent fish to perfection. He did it with such care, the skin remained crispy. I enjoyed the mélange of vegetables he selected. They included heady woodland jewel mushrooms, which are akin to oyster mushrooms, tasty rainbow chard and roasted baby carrots. I liked the fact that this entrée was starch-free but felt the vegetables could have been a bit hotter, and the sauce was much too sweet.

Like pork shoulder, the lamb version must be properly braised to a melt-in-your mouth state of goodness. I grew up on first cut-lamb chops and shoulder so I know how it should taste. Wood’s version was tasty and very tender. It was set atop a pool of polenta, along with roasted sunchokes and fiddle head ferns. I was noshing the salted ferns as if they were popcorn or potato chips, they were that good. However, the tomato jus that was poured on top of the lamb was more like a sauce. When ingredients used in a dish are set off by commas, you are never sure how the ingredients are to be incorporated. This trend is everywhere.

Desserts at Russet are prepared by Kristin Wood, who also bakes the whole wheat honey bread for the restaurant. Almond olive oil cake ($9) is a favorite with me ever since I baked my first one years ago following Marcella Hazan’s recipe. She bakes small individual cakes in molds about half the size of a muffin tin. She added a dollop of homemade plum preserves, which emitted a marvelously tart flavor and an oval of light honey mousse. Being a sucker for ice cream with hot fudge, I ended dinner with salted caramel ice cream ($9). Salted caramel has become as popular as kale, so I wondered how the combination would taste in an ice cream. It worked fine, but I would have liked more hot fudge sauce to set off the sweet/salty ice cream.

Our competent server worked solo, so the pace of our meal was a little uneven as patrons arrived at dusk. Still, dinner at Russet was a delightful experience.

Three tips of the toque to Russet. 

Russet

1521 Spruce St.
215-546-1521
russetphilly.com

Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.

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