Varga Off To A Good Start
Posted by Foobooz on July 9th, 2009
David Snyder visits Varga Bar and finds the beer and starters to be the best stuff on the menu.
Indeed, the dishes that seem at home beside beer – apps, bar eats – are where Varga Bar is at its best. I loved the crunch of the lightly broiled panko crust on the truffled mac and cheese, a deceptively light layering of gruyere, mascarpone, fontina and Parmesan. Turney’s wings, slow-cooked in duck fat, are the most tender rendition I’ve had, gifted with a slowly unfolding finish from the pomegranate molasses bourbon chili sauce.
A deep, smoky flavor in the onion ring batter meant the fried snacks were the perfect partner for applewood-smoked-bacon Kobe beef sliders. A fragrant chorizo-spiked fennel herb broth made for an inviting bowl of cockles and mussels. I almost wished the jumbo lump cheese fries featured less crab so I wouldn’t feel so guilty dunking them in Turney’s house-made ketchup.
Strike a Pose [City Paper]
Varga Bar [Official Site]
941 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA
Related Tags: Center-City-East, David Snyder, gastropub, Reviewed, Varga Bar, Washington-Square-West
