Missed the Bus...

Le Bus

129 South 18th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

lebusbakery.com/ 

My fiancé and I were running around in the city one afternoon when we needed to stop and get something to eat. We decided to stop into Le Bus' store in the Rittenhouse area and grab something to share. I had experienced their bread before on various sandwiches, but I had never bought anything directly from their store.

I love the bread from Le Bus. It is really fantastic. I hadnt ever really been inside, but I had seen the bread at other restaurants before. We grabbed a container of the beef and barley soup and we split the curry chicken salad sandwich.

The soup was very tasty. It was a nice, hearty meal on a cold winter's day, exactly the thing you need to warm you up. The sandwich on the other hand didn't really work for me. I love the idea of it being a sweet/salty contrast with the raisin bread, but the chicken salad itself was overly sweet. The curry was a nice touch, but it would have been made existentially better by some salt or acid, or both. 

One and a half pints for Le Bus  It is definitely good for a quick bite, but there isn't much seating in the back to sit down and enjoy your lunch. Definitely better for takeout than for eating in. The sandwich we had was really not very good, but the soup was tasty. There is better places around the area for lunch, so give one of them a try instead. Grab some bread to go for sure. Cheers!

A Taste of Home For the Lady...

Cheu Noodle Bar

255 South 10th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

cheunoodlebar.com/ 

Cheu had a ton of hype around it since it opened, and after dining there I have to say its for good reason. The space is incredibly unique, as is the fare coming out of its kitchen. The staff is super friendly and laid back. The first time I dined there, I went in alone on a Saturday and sat at the counter. I ordered one of the beer specials that had that day, a Sixpoint Global Warmer. It turned out to be a really nice beer for a very affordable price. It went well with pork belly bun I ordered. The pork belly bun had amazing taste and textures. The bun was crunchy on the outside and fluffy inside, the pork belly was soft and packed with Asian flavors, and the pickled vegetables added a nice bit of acid.

Not to be outdone, the brisket noodles that I ordered were surprisingly delicious. Not that I expected them not be, but more so the fact that the brisket and matzo ball worked so well with the kimchi and the spicy Asian broth. And it was a better matzo ball than I have had at Jewish delis in the past. It was so light and fluffy. 

Dude, wow. Took my fiance here on a Saturday night for my second visit because she was feeling pretty down and wanted a taste of home. She grew up in Asia, so I knew Cheu would be just what the doctor ordered. The wait can be a little daunting, but they take your name and call you when your table is ready, so you can go get a drink at bars nearby, and they even recommend some for you!

We sat at the counter and ordered the dumpling special of beef & ginger to start, followed by hand torn noodles with lamb neck and the miso ramen noodles with pork shoulder.

The dumplings were small, but tasty little bite sized bits of joy. They were doused in chili oil, but not so much so that it overwhelmed the dumplings, and the ginger flavor really packed a punch.

The hand torn noodles were amazing. I liken them to a version of Asian papardelle. The sauce was slightly sweet, so I spiced it up with some sriracha. The lamb neck pieces were mondo tender and super flavorful. The best part may have been the pickled mustard greens. They were super crunchy and had quite a kick from the vinegar that really cut through the richness of the noodles and sauce. I added a soft cooked egg to mine, and the runny yolk meshed well with the noodles as well.

The miso ramen may even have been better than the hand torn noodles. The broth was very tasty. The depth of flavor was insane. It hit on all levels, and definitely provided that umami euphoria. The pork shoulder was very flavorful and tender as well, and an egg always finishes off the noodle bowl nicely.

4 pints for Cheu Noodle Bar. I really enjoy watching the chefs work here and I love the atmosphere. Cheu does its own thing, and I love them for that. The restaurant really is a treat and well worth the wait. They have awesome food to warm you up during the cold. The place is so cool, I can't wait to come back for more! Cheers!

Bistro Feel...

Garces Trading Company

1111 Locust Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

www.garcestradingcompany.com/ 

My cousin had raved about Garces Trading Company for quite some time, so I was pretty excited to head there for brunch. I had been really ill leading up to our trip here, so it was my first real meal in over a week. It was one of the few Garces places I had not yet tried. I was excited to see the new bar that they had put in. I had been inside once before to get coffee so I knew what the old layout was like.

 

While the seats we had were a little cramped, I enjoyed the atmosphere of the place. It definitely felt like a European bistro of some sort. The menu choices were great, and we wound up going with bloody maries, the charcuterie plate, the pumpkin pancakes and the steak and eggs. 

Our waitress sold us on the charcuterie plate. She informed us that it would include jamon iberico, some of the finest quality ham in the world, so we jumped at the chance to have it for a reasonable price. Both types of jamon came served with a delicious whole grain mustard and cornichons and some other pickles. They were served beautifully on a piece of slate. The bloody maries were pretty good as well. They were definitely not the best I have had, but they were pretty good. For me, they didn’t have enough seasoning and horseradish, two of my favorite things in a bloody mary, however it was pretty good nonetheless. 

I really loved the presentation of the steak and eggs in the cast iron skillet. I actually really enjoyed the entire dish. I could definitely taste the truffle in the bernaise sauce and the steak was super tender and flavorful. It had a nice sear to it, and it was cooked perfectly to medium rare temperature. I only wish the potato rosti had more seasoning. It was pretty bland. It could have simply used salt and pepper to make it that much better.The pumpkin pancakes were awesome. The subtle flavor of the pumpkin and maple was warm and iniviting. The whipped cream topping was perfect on top. 

Three and a half pints for Garces Trading Company. They really nailed the concept and the feel of the European Bistro atmosphere. The visible wine cellar is a pretty attractive aspect as well. We are definitely looking forward to a return visit. I want to try that deep dish pizza! Give it a try if you want a European feeling in the heart of the city! Cheers!

Something so Familiar...

Raddicchio Café

402 Wood Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

www.radicchio-cafe.com/ 

My fiancé and I invited my aunt and uncle in to the city to see the church and venue we are going to get married at. After seeing both places, we drove over to a little BYOB we wanted to try. We know the owner, and frequent his restaurant in New Jersey, but we had never ventured to his little BYOB in the city called Radicchio Café. We were seated right away, although extremely close to the door, which is never exactly fun. However, from the moment we were seated, we had a familiar feeling that we were used to at his restaurant in Jersey. We were welcomed with open arms and made to feel right at home. We had our wine opened, and we looked over the menu with gusto.

The gentleman that took care of us had a very thick Italian accent, which made us feel right at home as most of the servers and workers in his other restaurant are all Italian as well. The service was great. We ordered the grilled octopus and sausage with broccoli rabe to share for the table and then we each ordered our entrees. The grilled octopus is some of the best I have had anywhere. Ive had it numerous times at La Locanda in Jersey, and it was just as good here and prepared the same way. Crispy, tender and delicious with a simple seasoning of olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. The sausage and broccoli rabe is one of my favorite things on his menus. The rabe is spicy and incredibly flavorful and pairs with the rustic flavors of the sausage so well. 

My main course was a little something different for me. It was gnocchi with thin slices of beef and a deliciously rich sauce. The gnocchi was light, but still had some density and texture to it. The beef was very tender and it had a nice sear to it. All in all it was a well balanced and tasty dish. For dessert, we went with the pumpkin and hazelnut cheesecakes. The pumpkin cheesecake is one of my favorite cheesecakes anywhere. It’s a ricotta based cheesecake with just enough pumpkin flavor to keep you coming back for more. I was pleasantly surprised that the hazelnut cheesecake was just as good as the pumpkin. It tasted like a nutella cheesecake because of the hazelnuts, and come on, who doesn’t love nutella. 

Three pints for Radicchio Café. I have been to the owner's place in Jersey, and while I think that Luigi's restaurant there is better than Radicchio, the food at both locations is fantastic. You always get great service and a really good value for money. The food is authentic and very well prepared. Give it a try and let me know what you think! Cheers!