Brunch at Russet

Continuing on the theme of luxurious weekend brunches, the two of us carved a little bit of time out of the busy holiday season to have a meal together- a "twin date" as we like to call them.  We decided to stay close to home and check out the brunch scene at Russet, a new-ish farm-to-table concept on Spruce.  In the early afternoon, we had our choice of tables and grabbed a well-lit corner table by the window.

The space is on the smaller side, but with only a few tables occupied, we felt like we had our own private dining room.  The lone waitress was attentive and friendly, but seemed bored in between checking on tables. The vibe is definitely vintage chic, with a rustic holiday-themed window display (seasonally changing just like the menu!).

 Speaking of the menu, Russet's brunch is edited down to the bare minimum, but provides options for everyone regardless of sweet or savory preference.  I threw in a request for one of the house-baked pastries- the lemon raspberry scone ($4).  The pastries come with an assortment of accompaniments- creamy butter and two types of jam, peach and balsamic strawberry.  The table also hosted a little dish of salt for sprinkling on other dishes- a fancy little touch.

The scone was the perfect way to start the meal- not too sweet with a touch of tartness from both fruits.  Dense in the middle with a crumbly crust coated in a thin layer of glaze. A dab of butter and peach jam... scone heaven.

We both happened to be in the savory mood, so we decided to split the two egg dishes.  The duck confit croque madame ($16) is well-worth its higher price tag.  This is a VERY serious sandwich.  Two thick slices of brioche toast are practically coated in melted Swiss cheese, sandwiching a generous leg of slow-cooked duck.  The inclusion of the bone was an odd accessory- thankfully, it was incredibly easy to twist it right out of the sandwich.  With the addition of the croque madame signature- the over-easy egg on top- the richness of each of the elements combined to make an almost overwhelming sandwich (but who are we kidding, you better use a knife and fork to eat this one).  Some lightly dressed baby arugula helped cleanse the palate in between bites.

We were so enamored by the grits at Khyber the previous weekend, it inspired us to try another version. Russet's cheesy grits ($5) are served hot in a miniature Le Creuset.  While they definitely had a good, stone-ground texture, the grits were on the soupy side and could certainly have used more of the "cheesy."  Thanks Khyber, you've spoiled us.

The other egg dish of the morning was the chanterelle omelet ($14), also served with a side of arugula salad.  For any other Top Chef followers like myself, you may have seen a number of chefs compete in the first episode this season to make the perfect omelet.   While some of the Top Chef contestants succeeded at this task, the omelet served to us at Russet was far, far more perfect than any of those.  Seriously.. look at that thing. It's flawless!

Chewy chanterelle mushrooms and the subtle onion flavor of sauteed leeks made for a super savory (but meat-free!) combination.  The earthiness was counterbalanced by a spread of budderfass inside the egg- a creamy and pleasant "Alpine style" cheese.  And the egg itself? About as good as it looks.  Fluffy but with a little snap to give the dish some structure.

To be honest, splitting the two egg dishes ended up being a little too much savory for me- the chef was a tad heavy-handed with the salt.  The crispy chocolate crepe could have been a great antithesis to one of these dishes.  However, we really enjoyed our meal at Russet, especially the cozy and quiet atmosphere.  I'm hoping business is just slow due to the holidays, because I'd love to see this place stick around in our neighborhood.

Russet
1521 Spruce Street

Brunch at Khyber Pass Pub

I really believe that there are very few things that are better than an indulgent, delicious weekend brunch spent with great friends (or family!).  Here in Philly, there is certainly NO lack of great places to eat this lazy midday meal.  However, we admit to keeping it easy and typically close to home (Parc and, if we're really feeling bold, Lacroix are our less-than-five-minutes-away favorites).  Hopping in our friend's car this past weekend, we discussed our brunch options at our Old City destination.  As soon as I mentioned Khyber Pass Pub, the rest of the girls immediately jumped at an opportunity to try a Southern style meal.  A quick phone call revealed that there was no wait in the dining room AND that fried pickles were in fact on the menu (a requisite).

A sunny corner table was acquired and our first request was an order of those pickles, one of the daily specials.  Khyber has a distinct way of preparing them, with thin cut slivers dredged in a grainy cornmeal batter.  They almost no longer taste like pickles, but the salty, crunchy pieces were still super addictive (especially in the garlicky aioli dip).

Our other shared appetizer were the Boudin Balls ($5).  Khyber's menu has an emphasis on Creole/Cajun/Southern dishes, many of which are difficult (if not impossible) to find elsewhere in the city.  Boudin is certainly one of them.  A rich sausage made with dark strands of shredded pork, lots of Cajun spice, and a bit of rice to hold it together.  Apparently a convenience store specialty, the mix is then battered and fried- what else could make it better?

Warm, rich, and a bit smoky, it almost tastes like the stuffing you would want in a Cajun style turkey.  The mustard sauce it's served with was tangy with a bit of heat- but these balls don't need any additions.

Amongst the four of us, we managed to cover a good deal of the menus- both brunch and the regular lunch/dinner menu.  The portions at Khyber are enormous, so be prepared to take lots of leftovers home.

If you're looking for an incredibly comforting Cajun dish, you probably wouldn't look much further than jambalaya ($12).  A hearty mix of shrimp, chicken and sausage is mixed with red beans, rice, and a thick tomato based gravy- while Khyber's version might not be 100% authentic (not having been to New Orleans myself, I can't be the judge of that!), it's a darn good dish.

Did I mention hearty and comforting?  It truly is the theme of the food at Khyber-- you're not going to have a light meal or stick to any healthy diet here, but every dish calls to your soul.  Feeding that is just as important as fueling your body, right?  The Big Ass Biscuit and Gravy ($8) surely fits that bill- and yes, it is pretty darn large.  Thick, flaky, and chewy, I might just have a thing for biscuits.  Especially those that are smothered in a thick, spicy sausage gravy without becoming soggy- the biscuit has to have a certain density to avoid this.

My brunch of choice almost ALWAYS contains eggs.  And hot sauce, but that's another story.  It wasn't difficult for me to choose the Gulf Oyster, Spinach, and Bacon omelet ($14).  I've never seen oysters as an omelet filling before, and the chewy, briny animals were generously distributed along with just-wilted baby spinach and thick chunks of salty bacon.  If you're a fan of oysters, definitely consider them as a breakfast food!  The dish came with my choice of grits or hash browns, and our waitress carefully considered my question of which she recommended.  Eventually I decided on the grits, which were not a disappointment.  I wish making such thick, creamy grits was as easy to do in the microwave, because I would surely eat them more often.  With a few hits of hot sauce (yeah... I told you), it was the perfect side.

Another one of my favorite breakfast dishes is a hash, and Khyber has one that is particularly noteworthy ($12).  Even though it looks a bit of a mess, the hash consists of chunks of roasted sweet potato, lots of cooked down collard greens and large strands of beef brisket- a delicious "refrigerator" combination (you know.. all the things leftover in your fridge!).  Topped with two over-easy eggs (or your preferred style), it really gets good when those yolks run all over the base of the hash.

The hash browns proved to be semi-miraculous, as our friend who doesn't like potatoes (I know... right?) tried a burnt bit and approved.  A side order of the shredded and pan-fried potatoes is enough to split amongst a large group, and has just the right amount of crispy edges and piping hot fluffy "insides" ($3).

Just as on our previous trip to Khyber for dinner, we had a wonderful time and couldn't stop raving about the food- it's super unique for Philly which always makes it that much better.  It's a large enough space that it was never crowded while we were there, which is another plus point- no waiting in long lines or crammed into a tiny space.  Just enjoy a leisurely delicious brunch with friends- like I said, there's nothing better!

Khyber Pass Pub
56 S 2nd St

Zeppoli

If there's one thing I've learned by following Philly restaurant and food news over the past several years, it's that chefs don't often stay in once place very long.  They're constantly coming and going, moving onward and upward, typically with the goal of opening their own restaurant.  One such chef is Joey Baldino, who after getting some (probably very high quality) experince at Vetri, opened his own Sicilian-inspired Zeppoli across the river in Collingswood.

Located in a small strip of other shops and restaurants, Zeppoli's defining feature from the outside is a triskelion, a (creepy) three-legged symbol of Sicily.  The space is tiny, seating 35, and feels a little like your Italian grandmother's dining room, except darker.

Source

Zeppoli has a unique approach to service, with four waiters and waitresses working together to take care of all the tables.  One of the waitresses came over to explain the menu- split into salads, pastas, and entrees, with portion sizes appropriate for each person to take on a salad, half order of pasta, and entree.  

After we placed our orders (declining the three-course extravaganza), another server brought us a basket of bread and some olives.  A few different varieties of foccacia (topped with tomato or sauteed onions) as well as a few slices of a soft seeded bread provided more than enough for two.  I found the focaccia to be entirely too greasy, essentially pre-soaked in olive oil.  On the plus side, my boyfriend doesn't like olives (so weird) so I got to enjoy a good mix of hard green and salty semi-dried black olives.

The pasta special of the day was a spaghetti with grilled calamari and squid ink sauce.  Anything with squid ink in it is an "auto-order" for me, so we decided to split a half portion ($10).  I don't even want to know what a full portion looks like, because this was the perfect amount to share.  The spaghetti itself was terrific- Marc Vetri would be proud- with the bite of a bucatini and the propensity to soak up a significant amount of squid ink.  Why is squid ink so darn delicious?  Essence of the sea... Rounds of slightly chewy calamari helped provided some texture that matched the squid ink flavor.  My one complaint was that this was sort of messy- spaghetti is notorious for splattering and there was a significant pool of the thin black sauce hiding under the pasta.

My boyfriend ordered the Sicilian fisherman stew ($27), a great choice for someone who loves seafood.  I was impressed with the assortment of components- mussels, clams, calamari, shrimp, a crayfish head (?), and a few chunks of swordfish.  A pile of Moroccan couscous tinted with saffron rounded out the dish.  The broth was rich and aromatic- essentially a very concentrated tomato-based seafood stock- and unfortunately, incredibly salty.

The stewed rabbit ($28) also followed this theme- so salty I couldn't finish the entirely approachable portion of meat.  There was a leg and a piece of rib meat (complete with mini ribs) as well as a few other indiscernible cuts- each of which had their own tiny bones that had to be carefully picked out.  The rabbit was cooked well (similar to poultry in flavor and texture), moist and with a pleasant texture.  However, the meat was coated in a oregano-heavy marinara-type sauce that was the salty culprit.  Slices of rosemary and olive oil roasted potatoes provided little respite from the barrage of sodium.

I enjoyed visiting a new (to me) dining scene outside of the city and I thought the atmosphere and service at Zeppoli were quite enjoyable- a great little place for a date.  Thankfully, we didn't have to tolerate a ton of noise as has previously been reported- it was actually on the quieter side for a Friday night.  I also enjoyed the traditional Sicilian menu but can't overlook the fact that almost everything we ate was oversalted.  Of course, I admit we didn't even make a dent in the menu options- perhaps a salad and pasta would make a fine meal here.  And this won't keep me from continuing to explore other restaurants in South Jersey- any recommendations?

Zeppoli
Collingswood, NJ

Gingerbread Cookies

Last month's book club, though a bust book-wise, was pretty delicious in the food category.  Bite-sized gingerbread cookies were a big hit, and knowing our dad's obsession with and eternal hunt for "the best gingerbread," we knew we needed to make these as our contribution to the annual family Thanksgiving feast.

You can find the recipe in Jenna Weber's "White Jacket Required," but a few minutes of internet sleuthing can save you a few dollars.  The recipe is actually for cookie sandwiches filled with chocolate buttercream but... we like our gingerbread plain, thankyouverymuch.  The ingredients list is rather simple, with one "secret" touch- a bit of white pepper.

Making cookie dough doesn't typically require any heat (till the baking part, of course), but this recipe was a whole new experience- the dough is actually made stovetop.  It starts out with boiling brown sugar and a whole bunch of spices together- this is the crucial step for building that rich and spicy flavor base.

The real fun comes when the baking soda is added- two teaspoons of it created a rapid transition from thick and bubbly to frothy and light- I literally felt like I was stirring a pot of brown marshmallow fluff.  So weird!

Here the pot comes off the heat and two sticks (two sticks!) of butter are melted in one piece at a time.

Adding the cold butter helps cool things down, and the flour pulls everything together into a slightly sticky but workable dough.  We pulled out Mom's ancient rolling pin and rolling surface and added a bit of flour.

A took on the rolling job and used a small glass to cut perfect circles out of the 1/4 inch dough.  It would be fun to make other shapes as well, but we loved the bite-sized option.  Uncooked, the gingerbread dough is very dark and shiny.

Ready to bake! The recipe calls for 12 minutes at 325, but our book-club friend did plenty of experimenting and determined that six minutes made a perfect, chewy cookie.  If you prefer a crispy cookie (like a gingersnap!), follow the 12 minute rule.

The cookies don't expand much so you can actually place them a little closer together on the cookie sheet than we did.  Cool on the sheet for a minute and then transfer to a cooling rack, as usual.

These cookies were a huge hit with our family, especially with the padre.  The cooking process was a lot of fun and they really produce a delicious, spicy and chewy gingerbread perfect for the holidays.

Our dad did suggest we really up the ante by trying a really high quality molasses and the best quality spices we can find.  The cinnamon we used was a fancy version from Penzeys, but the rest were just generics.  I guess we'll have to try again!

These are a perfect cookie for a holiday party, your Christmas dessert table, or a cookie swap- they're fun (but very simple!) to make and doubling or tripling the recipe would produced plates and plates of cookies (good for gifting!).  We love soft, chewy, spicy gingerbread, and will be making these for years to come.

The Standard Dinner Series

Last week we were invited to a special dinner event hosted by Knob Creek, one of a dozen dinners they are holding around the country to promote their brand.  Even though the featured restaurant was Meritage (one of my favorite spots in the city!), I turned down the invitation since I have no (actually, negative) interest in bourbon.  However, the lovely PR rep persuaded me to give it a chance- and I couldn't say no to an offer of what was sure to be a delicious dinner gratis.  The dinner featured an amuse bouche and four courses, all of which used bourbon as a flavor component.  

Each course was served with a different bourbon, and an expert from Knob Creek was on hand to tell the diners about the product, as well as give lots of historical information (Knob Creek was the name of the farm Abraham Lincoln grew up on!) and some fun facts from the business.  It was an entertaining evening and the food was amazing- each course highlighting Chef Anne Coll's expertise with a variety of meats and preparation styles.  The bourbon flavor was absent in the food (thankfully?) but I'm positive it was one of those extra special components that is impossible to pick out but absolutely necessary for the final presentation.

Our amuse bouche was a lamb meatball.  A unique way to start the meal-- a higher end meat served poor man's style.  Of course, it was no ordinary meatball, with a light mint dressing and a creamy feta and pepper sauce.  The tenderness of the meat actually really lends itself to grinding (there should probably be more lamb burgers in existence).

When I first viewed the menu, I was most excited for the second course, since the words "cured salmon," "bacon," "roe," and "pickles" were all together in one dish.  I mean, really.  Does Chef Coll view my food dreams?

Candlelight is great for ambiance, terrible for pictures.

 Interestingly, bourbon played two roles in this dish.  The salmon was cured pastrami style, with a hint of rich smokiness in the flavors of the light crust.  The natural smoked essence of pastrami was really pulled out by the bourbon- I guess nine years in a burnt wood barrel does that!  The trout roe was also prepared with bacon and bourbon, balancing their saltiness with a bit of woodsy richness.  I had a hard time not putting those thin slices of salmon directly into my face, but the thin toasted baguette and the dill infused creme fraiche weren't bad companions- and by that, I mean they were perfect (the pickles DID go straight into my face).

The dinner slowly moved to heartier dishes, with the second course being the most visually appealing.  A tiny quail was served whole (although with no bones present except in each miniature leg) with a hidden sweet bread stuffing.  A bed of spinach was the lone vegetable in the dish- the two sauces were both fruit based.  A chunky chutney of persimmons and pomegranate was dressed with an apple cider gastrique.  Um... gastrique?  Caramelized sugar deglazed with vinegar- which accurately describes the flavor of the sauce.  However, bourbon again provided the balance to the flavor profile- alone, this may have been too sweet and sour.  It was a fun dish to look at, but a little odd to eat- fork and knife or finger food?

The final meat course was what everyone in the restaurant was raving about at the night's end.  Perfectly prepared venison- I had no idea game could be that tender, but this venison was as soft as filet mignon (apparently it was a particular "brand" of meat famous for this quality).  Cooked to a perfect medium rare and sliced into perfect rounds, I would like to return to Meritage for this alone.  The parsnip puree and brussels sprout accompaniments were also much enjoyed (my husband thought the parsnip was mashed potatoes it was so smooth!).

One of our table mates for the evening happened to be the one in charge of organizing and planning each of the dinners in The Standard series (and yes, she gets to eat them all!), and she made several comments that stuck with me from that night.  First, she was thrilled that the meal was not intensely heavy- the venison was prepared in such a way (and served in a reasonable portion) that even a red meat course was better than "beef cheeks or pork belly," apparently the heavier meats of choice of many of the other featured restaurants.  By the time dessert was served, I was pleasantly full but still ready for a few bites of sweetness.

A sweet potato bourbon bread pudding was coated in a walnut-maple glaze and served with a pool of salted caramel- a true Southern-inspired dessert.  Again, the flavors of the rich dessert lent itself to the smoky richness that bourbon imparts- rendering the sweetness much more palatable.  A little vanilla ice cream and a sliver of chocolate allowed this dish to cover pretty much every popular flavor of dessert without overwhelming it.

Our tablemate also praised Meritage for its excellent food- there is no doubt that Chef Coll beautifully displayed the dining scene that Philadelphia has to offer, as well as highlighting exactly what Knob Creek was looking for- a meal and a restaurant that is raising the standard of fine dining.  While Meritage doesn't get as much day to day press as some of the shinier new restaurants, it is surely holding its own as a neighborhood restaurant turning out some spectacular and inventive meals.

If you think these dishes sound good, you have the chance to try them yourself this week (December 5th-December 7th) for just $39 at Meritage.  I'm almost tempted to go back and eat them all again!