Craig LaBan has been driven to haiku and song over the Good Dog so it was sure to be interesting to see what he had to say on the Swift Half, the sibling bar whose environs are almost sterile in comparison. And guess what, he likes it, finding nothing generic about the food.

Granted, there may not be any lightning bolts of bar-food brilliance on the level of that cheese-stuffed burger. But this menu is full of good ingredients and satisfying flavors, with a shade more culinary ambition and a lighter touch than the Good Dog’s comfort-food ruminations.

For starters, there is a pair of thick-cut lamb chops edged in a garlicky green marinade of mint chimichurri, fairly priced at $14. It’s easy to recall O’Donnell’s Striped Bass experience in the menu’s deft seafood items, like those gorgeous Jersey scallops with zucchini ribbons and cherry tomatoes. A simply grilled whole branzino was as plump and juicy as any I’ve had recently around town for $21. A $24 steak-frites is relatively pricey for Northern Liberties. But as meat goes, this tender strip steak glazed in jalapeño butter with good house-cut fries and a side of grilled corn was worth the cost.

Two Bells – Very Good

Swift Half [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Swift Half [Official Site]

A Full Plate is hosting their 3rd Annual Rib Cook Off this Saturday. There are both professional and amateur divisions competing.

Among the pros are El Camino Real, Bar Ferdinand, North Bowl, Darling’s Diner, Q BBQ & Tequila, Sonata and the yet to open Koo Zee Doo.

The amateur teams promise pro quality and their names are fun too; Mediocre BBQ, Ribbed for Her Pleasure and Pork Barrel Politics are among the highlights.

For $20 you get to sample the ribs from both the pro and amateur division plus the brisket and vegetarian options from the pro teams. There will also be a all-vegetarian buffet to counteract some of that meat. You also get a Stoudt’s beer and ROOT cocktail with your admission. For an additional $10 that cup turns bottomless.

The action goes down at 1pm at 2nd and Hancock, behind the Piazza at Schmidt’s.

Look for us, we’ll be judging.

A Full Plate Annual Rib Cook-Off [Official Site]

In a restaurant and a city consumed with pork, Kong’s honey-glazed Chinese bacon with spicy roasted peanuts stands out. Phoodie has the run down.

The Once-Over: Kong [Phoodie.info]

Tiffin Etc., the Indian pizza spot on Girard Avenue next to the hugely successful Tiffin has been open just about two weeks now, plenty of time for ambitious bloggers to get a chance to check it out.

Phoodie tries the savory shakes out as he waits for the Keema Mattar pizza.

I tried the Keema Mattar version, which consists of minced lamb, English peas, cilantro mint pesto, and Ricotta cheese. The crust is absurdly thin and hefty enough to hold the toppings above, yet still supremely tender and flavorful. The lamb is so juicy without being greasy, and the toothsome peas add the needed texture to the pie. The Ricotta is lightly kissed atop the meat in an organized mess, and the whole pizza itself is quite the looker. Oh yeah, the pie is only $5. Deal with that.

Indian Summer Eats And Treats at Tiffin, Etc. [Phoodie.info]

Unbreaded takes a look at the kati rolls. Wraps stuffed with chicken lamb or vegetarian offerings.

The brilliance of Nayak’s kati rolls lies in the egg-coated flat bread, which is cooked in the tandoori oven, giving it a flaky consistency that is strong enough to hold together until the last bite.

Tiffin Etc. Brings Kati Rolls to Streets of Philadelphia [Unbreaded]

Rick Nichols is at the opening of Kong, the new Hong Kong street food restaurant at 2nd and Fairmount in Northern Liberties. Nichols gives an early review of the food, salt and pepper softshell crab was missing the spice but there are other dishes that already going full bore.

[W]hen Kong is cooking, it’s just pure fun: My wife and I gobbled down a dim-sum plate of candylike deep-fried asparagus spears with hoisin dipping sauce ($5). Moments later, we demolished a bowl of stir-fried egg with crab, asparagus, lap cheong and rice ($8), which appears to be big with the staff as well.

Comfort from Kong [Philadelphia Inquirer]

It’ll be up in lights on Broadway: Kong, the Eighth Wonder of the World – King Kong (1933)

Kong in Northern Liberties may not be aiming to the 8th wonder of the world but the sophomore effort from Bistro 7’s Michael O’Halloran has been eagerly anticipated.

The former Sovalo will feature Hong Kong street food and affordable  dumplings, buns and bowls.

Read the rest of this entry »

David Snyder visits the Swift Half and finds the traditional pub fare excels as well as some of the upscale dishes.

Both the rich bacon-wrapped chicken liver/pistachio pâté (served with bright, tangy house-pickled beets) and the gamey duck prosciutto made me wish all of the bar’s charcuterie items were cured in-house. My favorite upscale dish was the lamb “lollichops.” The quarter-rack of chops were cooked to a perfect tenderness, but it was the mint chimichurri sauce – a playful take on the traditional mint/lamb combo – that gave this dish its smartest upgrade. Balancing the mint’s herbaceousness with a gentle warmth created depth and sophistication.

Prepare for swift-off [City Paper]

Also in Meal Ticket’s interview with Matthew Levin are these juicy tidbits on Masano, Matthew Levin’s “progressive bar food place” aiming for a winter opening in Northern Liberties.

• Masano is a merging of his name and that of his sons, Sam and Noah
• Located at 201 Green St
• 4,000 Sqft
• Warehouse Feel
• Prix Fixe and a la carte
• “Food forward” like his tasting menu at Lacroix
• Raw bar
• Servers in rock mechanics shirts and Chucks

Checking in with Matthew Levin: Rubb, Masano … something else? [Meal Ticket]
Photo via 201 Green

We’ve been intrigued by Indian pizza since Tiffin announced they were going to be opening the cuisine merging Tiffin Etc. next to their highly successful Indian spot on Girard Ave. And now that we’ve seen the menu, drool!

Thin crust pizza with Indian inspired toppings and homemade sauces. Murgh Makhani & Lal Mirch combines Tandoori grilled chicken, “Makhani” – home made tomato sauce, red chili flakes and fresh mozzarella.

There’s a party this weekend if you’re lucky enough to be on Tiffin’s mailing list. The pizzeria opens to all next week.

Peek Tiffin etc.’s menu [The Insider]

There was talk of a big party for Top Chef contestant Jennifer Zavala complete with a broadcast of the first episode of the Bravo series on the big outdoor screen at the Piazza at Schmidt’s, just across from her El Camino Real. But today we find out from Michael Klein that she’s out at the Northern Liberties border bar.

“Top Chef” hopeful Jennifer Zavala leaves El Camino Real [The Insider]

Update: Zavala to join Xochitl [The Insider]