On Tuesdays, Paul, the neighborhood BYOB between 11th and 12th on Pine is offering a neighborhood appreciation day with their 3-course tasting menu being just $20.

A three course meal features soup, salad or crepe to start plus a main course that last week offered a smoked pork chop, tagliatelle, waluu or chicken breast and of course dessert to finish.

Wow, Tuesdays at the Paul BYOB sound pretty good! [twitpic via bhiladelphia]
Paul [Official Site]

We haven’t done a blind item for awhile now but they’re always fun.

Care to take a guess as to what “charming BYOB restaurant” is for sale for $160,000?

Charming BYOB restaurant for sale in the University City area of Philadelphia. 7 Years established, LOW DOWNPAYMENT with Seller Financing to a Qualified Buyer! Needs to sell due to personal reasons. This is a great opportunity for a new owner operator to break into a turnkey establishment with minimal out of pocket expense. Established 7 years ago with rave reviews for food quality, preparation, freshness, and atmosphere. Great location in the burgeoning area of University City. Long term lease available, starting at only 2k per month. Employees willing to stay on. Seller willing to train. Currently seats 40 in and up to 40 people outside during warmer months. Owner not the chef, who should stay. However, some minor changes and a new owner can put their stamp on the restaurant.

Rick Nichols visits Clark Gilbert’s Gemelli and hopes the Italian “with a nod to French” BYOB in Narberth puts down some deep roots.

He is a seasoned chef, under his belt stints at the Four Seasons, Tony Clark’s short-lived Square Bar on Rittenhouse Square, Avalon in West Chester, and the elegant, now-departed Taquet in Wayne.

But he is the first to point out that the menu here, his first truly solo venture, is not the wheel reinvented: He offers a proper Caesar salad (add $2 for white anchovies), and the braised-veal-cheek-and-tuna-tartare classic called vitello tonnato. The salmon rests on ratatouille and puttanesca sauce.

Back home, with a bistro [Philadelphia Inquirer]

David Snyder checks out the latest incarnation of Marigold Kitchen and enjoys what is coming out of chef Robert Halpern’s kitchen.

Halpern proves his mettle with his strong, vivid flavors. Despite that unsettling spinach side, I was blown away by the seared squab. Braised shiitakes delivered a welcomed bass note to the light but gamey bird, and Halpern took things even deeper by combining foie gras and chocolate for an insane ragout.

The kitchen fine-chops cauliflower to mimic rice in its generously portioned New World paella. Though it could use more heat, four individual stocks combined with the smokiness of Spanish chorizo made this dish a sure thing. Elsewhere, poaching Atlantic cod gently on low heat ensured that the fish was moist and tender.

More than words [City Paper]

Koo Zee Doo has opened on 2nd Street between Spring Garden and Fairmount. The BYOB is named for the phonetic spelling of cozida a Portuguesa, a traditional Portuguese stew. The menu will of course be Portuguese and feature small bites, soups, salads, family style specialties and a section dedicated to grilled meats.
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Bibou recognizes the turn of the calendar and updates their menu. This weather has the hot mushroom cream, cured venison soup calling to us.

Complete menu after the jump.

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Trey Popp raves about East Passyunk’s Fond, heaping all sorts of praise on  the French BYOB.

It began with a teasing glance backward at summer: a shot-glass of cold watermelon soup spiced with chilies whose finish reverberated in waves of heat and sweetness for a full 10 seconds on my tongue. It ended with snow-crunch bites of lemon-poppy seed meringues. In between, Styer and Prawlucki composed a three-course ode to autumn that was nearly flawless in execution and design. Their tonal palette ranged from the watery crunch of Asian pear to the molten spill of butternut squash purée encased in ravioli, and from the intense fruitiness of passionfruit-stuffed crêpes to the revelatory bourbon backbone in a full-flavored frozen coffee-liqueur soufflé. Yet at no point did the broad span of their short menu lapse into braggadocio. The spirit invigorating this simply decorated place showed through in the adorable delight with which Prawlucki fielded praise for her desserts — as if she were almost startled by the enthusiasm they’d inspired.

Remembered Fondly [City Paper]
Fond [Official Site]

Jennifer Carroll isn’t the only guest chef for Blackfish Conshohocken. The first of the monthly events will be on Monday, November 2nd with Alex Talbot and Aki Kamozawa from Ideas in Food.

The dinners are seven courses and $85 per person.

Check out the November menu including fluffernutter, after the jump.

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Meal Ticket has the latest menu from Peter McAndrews’ Modo Mio.Among the items we’ll be considering the next time we hit up the Girard Avenue BYOB are:

• cannellono — crispy crab-stuffed prosciutto di Parma, asparagus & almonds
• gnoccho — crispy fried potato dumpling stuffed with foie gras and chicken liver, orange-fennel mostarda, shaved gorgonzola
• tortelloni — butternut squash-stuffed large navels, sage butter, amaretti
• anatra “all’apicio”— roasted duck leg, chestnut honey, spices, cunja
• guancia — braised beef cheek, salsa passito, crispy polenta, golden raisin gremolata

The menu turista , which features an antipasto, pasta, secondo and dolce for $33 is still available and one of the best deals in town.

Seasonal menu changes at Modo Mio [Meal Ticket]
Modo Mio [Official Site]

The change in season has brought a change in the menu at the new Marigold Kitchen. Among the new items are:

• Champagne Braised Escargot over crispy polenta with wild mushrooms.
• Butternut Squash Bisque, garnished with banana bubbles, autumn spiced crema, freeze dried raisins and fried sage leaves.
• Monkfish “Picatta”, served with preserved lemon mash, black olive emulsion, broccoli rabe and crispy fried capers.

Still on the menu is the intriguing pork, beans and beer (pork tenderloin, white bean puree and Guinness foam). Check out the full menu here.

We really need to get to West Philadelphia to check this place out.

Marigold Kitchen [Official Site]