Top 10 Morsels of 2014

Top 10 Bites of 2014

I love looking back on some of the experiences I had over the course of the year at this time every year. Year after year, Philadelphia really blows me away with its quality and incredible ability to continue improving. This year was absolutely crazy in terms of quality openings and quality meals devoured. Some of the food coming out of the kitchens in this city is on another level. Here is a quick recap of the greatest hits of the year for me. 

10. The Grilled Seitan at Vedge - simple, yet so incredibly delicious. I dare anyone that says they don’t like vegan food to go to Vedge and tell me the same thing again after they eat there. I never thought I would like it, but its almost impossible not to love everything coming out of the kitchen there. One of the standouts for me was the grilled seitan. Seitan is a meat replacement product popular in vegan food because it is made from wheat gluten. This particular seitan was charred on the grill and served over cabbage, mustard seeds, and a creamy puree. The flavor was outstanding, and you never would have known it was vegan fare because of the huge flavor.

9. The Pheasant Ravioli in Brown Butter at Le Virtu - Le Virtu gets a lot of praise for the food that they put out, and with good reason. Its incredibly focused and true to what it is, and Joe Cicala and Angela Ranalli are very sharp and accomplished at what they do. One of the tastiest pastas I have ever had came out of the kitchen at Le Virtu. It was my first experience with pheasant, and the filling was fantastic. It was incredibly tender and well put together, creamy, but not too much and the pasta was wonderfully toothsome. It had a lot of chew to it, but it a very good way. And what is there to say about brown butter sauce and some mushrooms. Italian comfort food at its finest. 

8. The Trentino Pizza at Osteria Jersey - I was very happy when the Vetri family decided to open another star in their empire across the bridge in New Jersey. I was even more excited when I found out that some of the items I had never gotten to try at the original were showing up on the menu there. One of those items, a pizza topped with speck, figs, gorgonzola dolce and mozzarella cheese, was delicious beyond reason. It had all of the elements of deliciousness you need for a perfect bite; sweet, salt, smoke, cream, chew and crunch. Each and every bite was fantastic. 

7. The Porcini Pasta with Oxtail Ragu at Amis vs. Osteria Cagematch - Some of the coolest things I did this year with food was attend the cagematches held at Alla Spina. They stated out as Vetri family restaurants against themselves and then eventually the winner of those faced off against Zahav. The very first one featured Brad Spence and Amis vs Jeff Michaud and Osteria. One of the secret ingredients was oxtail, and Brad Spence used it in a meat ragu to go with his porcini pasta. What an incredibly rich dish! The flavor was so warm and inviting, I couldn’t help myself and kept shoveling it in to my mouth. I knew how much food was coming after it, but it was so good I couldn’t stop.

6. The Whitefish Bialy at High Street on Market - While there are so many things I could have had on this list from the hands of Eli Kulp and his team at their three restaurants, the one that changed my food perspective the most was the Whitefish Bialy. I had it for the first time, mere days after they opened, and I was completely floored. First off, a savory pastry? Dope. Second, whitefish stuffed into the middle, topped with caramelized onions and pickled peppers. Finally, the bialy is super crunchy, made from squid ink, and coated in sesame seeds. Sounds weird I know, but it is one of the most fantastic things I have ever experienced. 

5. The Papas Fritas at Jamonera - Jamonera replaced what I thought was one of the best Indian restaurants I had eaten at since traveling to India in Bindi. I wasn’t sure of what to expect when we went there, but holy crap that place is delicious. It has become my favorite place for tapas in the city, and one of the reasons for that is the Papas Fritas. They are incredibly crunchy, dusted with spicy paprika, and drizzled with on eof the most delicious aiolis I have ever tasted. Chef Lindsay McClain is killing it in the kitchen, and the food speaks for itself. 

4. The Lamb Loin at the Aldine Popup at Cheu Noodle Bar - I enjoyed my entire meal at the Aldine popup at Cheu Noodle Bar. George Sabatino is one of the most talented chefs in the city with unlimited potential. His food had drawn raves at every place hes cooked at in recent memory and for food reason. His technique is flawless and and he keeps it simple but oh so interesting. The lamb loin was wrapped in sausage, boiled or sous vide, and then seared off in a pan. The flavor was incredible. It was served with green chickpeas, grains and a chenna dumpling. The dish was a fantastic success for me, and I still think about the taste of that lamb loin.

3. The Gnocchi with Pancetta at Laurel - It was the hardest reservation I have ever tried to get, but it was so incredibly worth it. Nicholas Elmi is phenomenally talented, and his first solo venture is an incredibly success. They have been booked up since before he won Top Chef, and they will continue to be so because the food is outstanding and the service is fantastic. He runs a tight ship, and still takes the time to come out and ask you how your meal was. Sometimes it the little things. When I watched Chef Elmi make the gnocchi dish on Top Chef and get so emotional when talking about how he makes it for his daughter, I knew I had to try it when I finally got to his restaurant. It was so worth the wait. The gnocchi texture was out of this world and the sauce was fantastic. It was cheesy and homey and warm and comforting. I could have eaten extremely large amounts of it, and I have been craving more ever since.  

2. The Tuna Poke at Vernick Food and Drink - I was really excited when I got to take my fiancé to Vernick for her birthday. Everything I heard about the place and food was great, so that naturally helped build the anticipation. The wood fire craze in Philly started with Vernick and continued with others. They have perfected the art form, but it wasn’t one of their wood fired items that stole the show for me. It was the Tuna Poke. Cubes of raw tuna, marinated with sweet soy, some form of chili and tossed with macadamia nuts, it was incredibly satisfying to eat. It was sweet and salty, it had a really nice textural contrast between the raw tuna and the crunchy macadamia nuts, and it was just fun to eat. When I say mmm out loud, you know the food is damn good.

1. The Chicken Liver Mousse at Abe Fisher - I had some fantastic dishes made by both the hands and the mind of Michael Solomonov this year. I honestly probably could have made an entire top 10 list of dishes I ate at his restaurants this year alone. Abe Fisher has seriously top 5 restaurants in the city for me, and I love going to eat there. It’s a great experience every time. The last time I was there, the kitchen sent us out the chicken liver mousse which we hadn’t tried yet. The texture of the mousse was about as good as I have had. The flavor was incredibly delightful and the creaminess of it was unparalleled. The rye bread itw as served on was out of this world. It was served thick cut and toasted just enough. The mousse, spread on the bread and topped with the pastrami onion jam was pure bliss. You must have this dish. You don’t want to miss it.

I would love to hear back from anyone about dishes out there that they think are top 10 worthy. Particularly I would love to hear about them so I know to try them when I head to those places! Cheers!