Having not been in Philly since 2006, I returned this past weekend for some work and also to eat!
Night 1: Tinto. GREAT tapas place. Very very busy, call days ahead for a reservation. Worth the wait. Top dish was the scallops with benton’s bacon, cider emulsion and green apple. WOW WOW WOW. Then the wild mushrooms, roasted potato, shallot and parsley recommended by my server, as they had white truffle oil in them. Very knowledgeable staff as well. Ask them about the dishes as the descriptions don’t even cover all the ingredients in the dish so they can really turn you onto something that looks “ordinary” but is exceptional due to the chef’s preparation which doesn’t always shine through in the menu prose. True, thinly thinly thinly sliced bellota. I’ve had bellota but more of a “country cut”, the really thin stuff is the way to go. Also not on the menu, only for people who ask. That is one way to make sure it is not sold willy nilly.
Wine list was small but well chosen. Several by the glass and they actually opened a bottle to serve me by the glass as no Albarinos were by the glass that night and I wanted a white before I moved to the bottle of the 1996 Faustino I Gran Reserva for $100. Nice stemware too.
Night 2: Django BYOB. Sort of a rough country place feel. Table cloths with holes, very rustic. Food ok, stemware poor although when asked you can get a better glass. Unfortunately nothing very memorable. Great staff though. Food, and ok food, not too pricy, so if you’re on a budget, fine. But I was looking for something to rock me, and following Tinto didn’t help. Martinelli Reserve Pinot from my cellar.
Night 3: Matyson. One of my favorites. Tasting menu was watermelon, but as that is not something I tend to enjoy. Did the duck which they are famous for, and the foie gras. WOW. The duck continues to rock at Matyson. Always a pleasure and always a must do. 2002 Kistler RRV Pinot. Then, went BACK to Tinto for bellota for dessert.
Lunches: Alma de Cuba. The Ecuadorian ceviche was interesting, with a red sauce. Not exactly my thing as I like ceviche with more of a citrus note. The pork is always outstanding. Huge portion, so was the ceviche. Great QPR, super food. Mojitos the whole time.
Pre-tinto: I had flown in, tried to get a reservation, they said they could not seat me until 9:30PM. I was a bit hungry so went in next door to Rum Bar for a quick ceviche before I passed out. nothing special, got some rum by the glass (they have maybe 100 selections). If you want to explore rums, go. The ceviche I had was only fair,but for bar food I expected not much. It kept me from passing out before I spent 3 hours at Tinto.
I’m sad to see Striped Bass is gone, so is Pasion. Oh well, time moves on.