Trey Popp visits Paul, the Pine Street BYOB from sisters Effie Bouikidis-Schweich and Christina Jimenez. The restaurant is named for their late father, Paul Bouikidis. Popp finds that the cooking of chef Joshua Noh would make the daughters’ father proud.

There’s a lot to like about Noh’s cooking, in particular his willingness to impart some chili heat to dishes where you might not expect it. The biggest surprise was a perfectly cooked entrée of seared skate. The fish got a speckling of fennel seeds to go with the standard browned-butter-and-caper treatment, but the revelation was in the flanking potato hash. Noh touched it with just enough habanero “to open up the tastebuds,” as he told me later on the phone. It was like a master class in walking the line between assertion and nuance with capsaicin. Within a European-American menu, I can’t think of anyone who does it better.

And don’t forget there’s a three-course tasting for $20 on Tuesdays, $30 Wednesday through Sunday.

Father’s Day [City Paper]
Paul [Official Site]

Speaking of banh mi, Flying Monkey on Locust Street is offering barbecue pork and chicken banh mi for $5.50. The Vietnamese hoagies come from O Sandwiches on 9th Street and cost $5.50. And to make things cooler, today we learn that if you purchase a banh mi or sumer roll you can get a cupcake for just $1. Sold!

Flying Monkey Cupcakes and O Sandwiches [Fressa Girl]
Flying Monkey Deuce Offering $1 Cupcake Deal, with Banh Mi [Grub Street]

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]

Terra opens tonight below the historic Tavern on Camac. The 40-seat BYOB is being run by Chef Eric Paraskevas, formerly of Slate and Lolita.

The menu promises to twists of popular favorites. Highlights include:

• Seared black cod with rosemary almond puree, olive oil, and red shiso
• Hoe cake flat bread, served with spinach, roasted red pepper, and fried egg
• Acorn squash hotpot, accompanied by udon noodles, shaved duck breast, and bean sprouts
• Pan seared pork chop, glazed salsify, pear salsa, topped with fresh horseradish jus

Terra Palin [Thrillist]
Opening menu for Eric Paraskevas’ terra [Meal Ticket]
Terra [Official Blog]

David Snyder checks out the boastful claims of Leila Cafe’s Mohamad Kammoun and finds he’s backing them up.

Turns out it’s Leila’s meat that’s worthy of exaggerated praise. Each preparation is mixed in-house and seasoned with secret blends of between nine and 16 authentic Mediterranean spices. Thick, tender slices of shawarma (a lamb and beef mix here) are carved off a vertical spit and placed in a veggie-stuffed pita coated with homemade hummus. The beef gyro pita (also a lamb/beef mix) comes slathered with a refreshing scratch-made tzatziki. The couscous mixed in with the 100-percent-beef kibbie makes for a wonderfully textured patty.

Feed My Worried Mind [City Paper]
Leila Cafe [Official Site]

If we asked you what the most happening corner was east of Rittenhouse Square and west of Old City what would you answer? A year ago we know you wouldn’t have said 10th and Spruce. But on a recent evening with the bustle of Kanella on one side and the buzz of Varga Bar on the other, we were convinced. Adam Erace noticed the same thing in his review of Varga Bar. He also noticed the sliders on R. Evan Turney’s almost All-American menu.

The memory of those sliders is still vivid. Turney added Boursin, bacon, caramelized shallots and tomato and packaged them neatly in fluffy LeBus brioche. All good, but the beef … damn. Each patty came with cores the color of bubblegum, perfectly medium-rare, surrounded by a trim brown seal. The attending bangle bracelet onion rings also happen to rock.

Varga Bar [Philadelphia Weekly]
Varga Bar [Official Site]

Stephen Starr’s SquareBurger is taking center stage at Franklin Square today. The anticipated burger will sell for under $5 and will not be square but will be served on a Martin’s potato roll.

Also among the menu highlights are the Philly Dog, a kosher hot dog wrapped in salami and topped with pickle, onion, cherry peppers, plum tomatoes and mustard. Philadelphia’s Tastykakes serve as the inspiration for a couple of treats. The Cake Shake is made with a variety of Tastykakes and vanilla ice cream. The  butterscotch sundae features Butterscotch Krimpet and Heath Bar crumbles.

Hours are 11 to 8pm through Labor Day with shorter hours to Halloween.

First Bite of Starr’s SquareBurger, Opening Today [Grub Street]
Menu for Stephen Starr’s SquareBurger [Meal Ticket]

Restaurant M returns today at the Morris House on S 8th Street. The restaurant will use a small dining room in the Morris House Hotel and the wonderful outdoor space of the garden. The menu will feature simple plates from Pascual Cancelliere who is is also working to open his own place, 943 in the Italian Market.

The hours are a bit odd, Sundays through Thursdays as the garden is often used for weddings.

M is to open Monday [The Insider]

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]

We get a trio of early reports from Varga Bar with talk of food, heavenly bodies and a “battleship row” of beers.

CE Phood was there opening night and enjoyed the crab and cheese fries. [CE Phood]

Femme Fermental details the beer list and enjoys a pint of Damnation. [Femme Fermental]

Phoodie is excited for the “honest” food of Varga’s clam bake. [Phoodie.info]

Varga Bar [Official Site]

We’ve got the details on Varga Bar. The new American bar from the team that has brought us Valanni and Mercato. The bar is aiming to open the week of May 18th.

Read the rest of this entry »