The New York Times’ Randy Kennedy comes to Philadelphia to take in some art from Fluxspace to the Mural Arts Program. He also gets some good eats along the way.

For the rest of my dining, in the spirit of the trip, I decided to stick exclusively to restaurants in Philadelphia’s unusual bring-your-own-bottle scene, a huge number of no-wine-list establishments that have sprung up partly because of Pennsylvania’s state-controlled alcohol sales system, which means smaller profits and expensive licensing costs for restaurant owners. Many of the B.Y.O.B. restaurants are tiny, run by chefs who, maybe because of the absence of a bar, put the focus intensely on the food, which can be fantastic.

Among the spots he visited:

• Hibernia Deli Coffee Shop
• Matyson
• Little Fish
• Old City Coffee
• Paesano’s

Art to Make You Laugh (and Cry) [New York Times]

Matyson doesn’t participate in Restaurant Week but the BYOB usually has interesting counter-programming. Often it is lobster madness but this week they’re doing a clever “recession menu” with fancy takes on the grilled cheese, tuna salad, spaghetti and more. In true recession form, they’re even knocking $10 off the normal tasting menu and offering it for $35.

Check out the menu after the jump.

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If Sirens tried to lure the SS Foobooz, we’re pretty sure they would recite this week’s ”The Best of Matyson” menu to entice us into the rocks.

As part of Matyson’s five year anniversary they’re unveiling a particularly enticing $45 6-course tasting menu. Check it out after the jump.

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We here at Foobooz headquarters are very finicky about our tomatoes. We try not to be but about 11 months out of the year we find ourselves pulling them off sandwiches or completely ignoring them like a culinary wallflower. But this time of year we open our heart to the tomato. It’s local tomato season and a couple local restaurants are capitalizing with special menus.

Tonight’s barbecue menu at Lolita’s is chock full of tomatoes from the garden shot of gazpacho, to lamb, chorizo and shrimp skewers.

And at Matyson it’s all about the “fruit of the vine” with their 5 course tasting menu this week. Say hello to heirloom tomato Napoleon and pan roasted filet mignon with bacon, green onion grits and smoked tomato coulis.

UPDATE: Bindi has gotten in on the tomato craze with their Farmers’ Market menu for the week. There’s heirloom tomatoes in every course.

Full menus after the jump.

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This week The Bite takes you around town, highlighting great tastes at good prices from tasting menus at the likes of Matyson, Lacroix, Little Fish and Modo Mio.

The Bite: Tasting menus mean rare treats at bargain prices [Metro Philadelphia]

Matyson’s original owners, Matt and Sonja Spector headed west to California last October where they planned to open a restaurant in wine country and now it’s just about open. Much like Matyson was a combination of Matt and Sonja, JoLe is formed by combining the names of their two sons. The restaurant is located in Calistoga, a town in the Napa Valley about 55 miles north of San Francisco.

In other Matyson news, next week’s tasting menu has been posted and has a “Crab Crazy” theme.

Menu after the jump.

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As we are wont to do we checked out Matyson’s tasting menu this week and in their menu named “Spring is Here!” we were thrilled to see soft-shell crabs were on the menu. Matyson is offering one of our favorite dishes in a corn meal crust with watercress, cherry tomatoes, corn and black pepper vinaigrette. Spring is indeed here!

Matyson’s tasting menu is served this week through Wednesday and consists of five courses for $45.

Matyson [Official Site]

Matyson’s original owners, Matt and Sonjia Spector may have left for California but they’ve left their Rittenhouse BYOB in the young but experienced hands of co-executive chefs Brian Lofink and Ben Puchowitz.

These culinary young guns are 26 and 24, respectively, and their youth informs a menu that’s playful but not capricious, bold but not cocky, and current without bowing to trends. Don’t tell Matt, but I think the cooking is better now than it was before.

Matyson [Philadelphia Weekly]
Matyson [Official Site]

Craig LaBan visits the new sheriffs at Matyson and has a “spectacular” dinner featuring a creative scallop sandwich.

A recent shellfish menu produced this stunner: a huge seared scallop sliced through the middle and stuffed with a chip of bacon and a ribbon of pineapple. The smoky crunch and tart fruit set off the sweet succulence of the pristine shellfish, like an exotic BLT, with a roasted scallion mayo adding a silky note of green. I liked it so much, Matyson agreed to put a two-scallop appetizer on the regular menu for $11.

Good Taste [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Matyson [Official Site]

Last Saturday night, we were driving by Matyson and saw a huddle of people clustered outside. Not waiting for a table, but chanting at tables. These were the infamous foie-gras-fighting Hugs for Puppies folks.

Their website lists an event planned for tonight, meeting up in Rittenhouse Square, with the ultimate destination TBD. Where will they go? Where will they march? Who will they protest against?

An interesting tidbit. Councilman Jack Kelly, the force behind the proposed ban on foie gras voted against the smoking ban back in the day. His official website says

Councilman Jack Kelly’s been fighting to make conditions at the city’s animal shelters more humane, both for the pets and the workers.

But the workers in bars that allowed smoking? Not so much.

Matyson [Official Site]
Hugs for Puppies [Official Site]
Councilman Jack Kelly [Official Site]