Adam Erace visits Saute and has lots of good things to say about the cooking but he’s got a gripe with the menu’s lack of seasonality. Although these potatoes sound great, no matter the month.

As a sidecar to the new American entrees, fingerling potatoes arrive with a shiny duck-fat gloss that glints under the soft hazel lights of the former La Creole. Poached at 200 degrees in Talbot’s lube of choice, the potatoes are possessed by an intensely ducklike essence. Each bite brings a slick of aromatic grease; a burst of papery, cast iron-crisped skin; a smush of creamy, slow-poached spud; a fleeting finish of concentrated wild game flavor. Topped with chives and a dollop of Daisy, these charmingly misshapen fingerlings are perfect. For December.

Simmer in the City [Philadelphia Weekly]

KYW’s Hadas Kuznits tracks down Stephen Starr and she gets him to spill some beans on Pizza Select, Starr’s brick-oven pizza restaurant planned for 2nd and Lombard.

“I’ve been wanting to do pizza for a long time because I usually do things that I want.  And I can’t get really good pizza here in Philadelphia, so I’m just doing what I want to eat!”

He says they’ll offer lunch, dinner, and may even a little Italian-style breakfast. But they will specialize in pizza:

“It’s going to be real thin-crust, Brooklyn-style pizza, which you’d think is served here but it’s not.  Here it’s just thick, doughy pizza.  We’re doing a lot of research on this.”

Stephen Starr Creating a Pizza Restaurant for Headhouse Square [KYW Newsradio 1060 via MenuPages]
Coming Soon: Another Starr Restaurant [Podcast (MP3)]

As the seasons change so do the menus at Cochon. Among the highlights is the “Cochon Plate” that groups house-made sausage, glazed ribs and roasted pork belly all on one happy plate.

Cochon is also getting in on the prix fixe craze with a 4-course pork centered menu available Tuesday through Thursday, now for just $30.

Both menus are available after the jump.
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Ansill Food + Wine wants you to be a regular. Dine at Ansill and you get a coupon good for 50% off your second entree of equal or lesser value when you return for dinner within two weeks.

Gone this spring however are Monday hours where you would often spot chefs from other restaurants enjoying their day off.

But the loss of a dependable Monday night dining spot is made up for with a new Saturday night happy hour. Like Tuesday through Thursday, happy hour is from 6 to 8pm and includes $1 oysters, $5 martinis, $5 sparkling wine and $3 draft beer.

Ansill Food + Wine [Official Site]

Trey Popp finds Saute is a new BYOB that’s already impressing behind the cooking of chef and co-owner Nicholas Cassidy.

Cassidy’s cooking is creative but not self-conscious or gimmicky. Anticipating a menu that changes every couple of weeks — and summer produce on the way — I look forward to tucking into more of his ideas. This may be the year of the blockbuster steak house, but Sauté is a reminder that nothing has the power to surpass expectations quite like a modest BYOB.

Pan Handled [City Paper]

Craig LaBan is all about the iskender kebab special at S&H Kebab House, just off of South Street.

This Turkish grill from owners Sal Kucuk (he’s the “S”) and chef Hussein Yuksel (he’s the “H”) is all about spot-on, homemade Ottoman classics, and this iskender kebab is one of my favorites. Made from well-onioned ground lamb and roasted on a gyro spit layered with veal, the meat comes sliced over a platter of butter-crisped pita chips beneath lively tomato sauce and a rich dollop of strained homemade yogurt. It’s a true taste of Istanbul street food and is a particularly hearty deal at lunch for $7.95 with a side of Turkish red lentil soup.

Good Taste [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Owner Daniel Stern is turning his Queen Village Gayle into a BYOB. This morning he sent us this message.

One of the questions we have gotten consistently is “are you a BYOB?” and we always assumed this was due to the size of our restaurant rather than the scope of what we do. About two years ago, as an accommodation to those guests who loved to open their cellars when they dined out, we began a BYO night on Thursday evenings. This has proven to be something that our guests enjoy very much. We have decided the best way to thank our loyal guests and continue to provide the best value in both price and experience, would be to extend our BYO option to every night we are open. Gayle becomes a BYOB on 3/18/09. We look forward to seeing you soon.

And yes, Gayle still offers its Food & Wine acclaimed Veal Stew Wednesdays. Three courses including salad, dessert and of course the stew goes for $35.

Update: There will be no corkage fee. The current wine and liquor inventory will be sold over the next few weeks and the license will be put on hold for a future project.

Gayle [Official Site]

Bistrot La Minette has added several warming dishes to its menu for the second half of winter.

Among the additions are a boned quail stuffed with garlic sausage and a Cassoulet de Toulouse, a classic French stew of white beans and lamb served with duck confit and house-made sausage.

Full list of additions after the jump.

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Wo! Wild boar pot pie. That’s just one of the new items on Cochon’s winter menu. Check it all out after the jump.

In October Cochon offered a 4 courses for $35 chef-tasting menu as part of their anniversary month. It was such a success they are continuing with the offer.

Read the rest of this entry »

Much like last week’s review by Trey Popp, Craig LaBan finds some missteps in the entrees at Bistrot La Minette but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t find plenty to like at the French bistro.

But there were also plenty of bright spots to overcome these hesitations, especially in the menu’s first half. A complimentary amuse-bouche is always a thoughtful start, and few morsels make me as happy as a good gougère, a little pastry puff filled with warm cheese-scented air. At my second meal, a silky dollop of salmon rillettes was equally welcoming.

We then dove into some beautifully rendered appetizers. The succulent sweetness of seared scallops played against the tangy bitterness of Belgian endive braised in orange juice. The Alsatian-style flammenküche, a crisp flatbread topped with deeply caramelized onions, chewy bacon lardons, and nutmeg-scented streaks of creme fraiche, is hands down one of the better upscale “pizzas” in town.

Two Bells – Very Good

Bistrot La Minette [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Bistrot La Minette [Official Site]