Coyote Crossing- Conshohocken

 Proof positive that sometimes you have to give things a second chance, that's what Coyote Crossing was for us. The first time we went there we had not moved to West Conshohocken yet and I was apparently struggling with some stomach nonsense that required significant amounts of Zofran. We went in slightly grumpy, but hopeful. At that time we were let down quite a bit with the exception of a fabulous outdoor section and the drinks. The food was so-so and the service was less than that.

This last time was significantly better than the first. Instead of sitting outside, we sat inside. The dining room itself is well decorated, albeit could use some fixes (my seat springs were broken, making it uneven and the back was very wobbly). The bar area is active, open, and a great atmosphere. Happy hour done right.

The drinks were yet again very good. There is a nice selection of standard margaritas, specialty cocktails, and mezcals. I ordered a jalepeno margarita that was made with house made jalepeno infused tequila. Not too spicy, but a clear bite to it. Rob ordered a mezcal with lime and basil. Right amount of herbal mixed well with the agave flavors of the mezcal.

We started off dinner with the table tortilla chips and salsa which was lovely. We also ordered the queso fundido, which only lacked chorizo to be perfect (Friday during Lent meant we went sans meat). Just baked enough to have a nice toasty top followed by perfect gooey-ness, it was coupled with a simple flour tortilla. Don't bother using the tortilla chips, they don't do it justice.

I got the shrimp enchiladas for my entree that were placed in corn tortillas and topped with a chipotle sauce that was surprisingly sweet and a light spicy. Paired with refried black beans and rice, it was a large portion and very filling.

Rob's dish was a special for this particular Friday night-Mahi Mahi baked in aluminum foil.  This isn't its real name, we just couldn't collectively remember it. Frankly I thought it cooked in the dishwasher.  Once revealed it was still simmering in fresh tomatoes a a blend of Mexican cheeses.  Well balanced and well prepared the Mahi steak added a good bite to the saltiness of the cheeses and tartness of the tomatoes.  

Mahi Mahi Special

Overall, it was a much improved experience over the first time. The food has either been re-vamped or we made better choices. Either way, I don't believe my sickness the first time accounts for all of the bad things we felt about it that time. It needs to be said that the entrees are most assuredly overpriced, but this seems to be compensated by the large portions. If pressed, I will admit to preferring a smaller portion with a more reasonable price.

Another thing I need to fess up to is that we decided to give it another try mainly because we had a Groupon for the restaurant. This may have made us a little less critical of the price (but still think its too pricey). Looking forward to going back whether for happy hour or a nice girl's night out.

Dizengoff- Center City

If hummus is your thing, Dizengoff is the spot for you.  This is the grab-n-go stop on Samsom right across from Federal Donuts.  Dizengoff is the brainchild of Michal Solomonov and Steve Cook who just opened up Abe Fisher one door away.  The Cook N Solo franchise is responsible for the famous Zahav, Percy St. BBQ and now Abe Fisher.  Don't expect the fine Mediterranean of Zahav, the casual gluttony of Percy Street or the all-things-fried awesomeness of Federal Donuts.  Hummus is the name of the game at Dizengoff, and arguably the smoothest, creamiest hummus you'll ever taste; and that doesn't count the extras that change from day-to-day.

The setting is a fast-food counter but tables allow patrons to sit and eat while the pita is still warm.  The overall look of the place has a multitide of burnt and flourescent colors which gives it a late 70s British punk rock, Ramones, Sex Pistols vibe.   I especially dug "The JT experience" poster written entirely in Hebrew.

We ordered the Beef Hummus which came with all the accoutrements including a cucumber salad and pickles.  The pita was soft and warm.  The beef included sauteed peppers and onions which gave the hummus a little extra body and saltiness.  However, I'm convinced you can have just the hummus alone and enjoy it just as much.

Beef Hummus, Pickles, Salad, Pita

 Dizengoff has hours daily mostly around lunchtime but also offers a Sunday brunch special.  This is about as perfect as lunch can be;  inexpensive, healthy, and just the right amount of food to avoid "the -itis" in the afternoon. 
  

Brigantessa- East Passyunk, Philadelphia

The last 24 months have been huge in the ascension of the food scene of East Passyunk.  Brigantessa is another stop along the quarter-mile stretch that now includes Laurel, Will BYO, Townsend, Noord Eetcafe, Stateside, and Fond (to name a few).  It may be trite to say the area emerged before our eyes but this area really blossomed into the hottest food scene in Philadelphia. Combine that with the nearness of various things including the highways, the Italian Market, and Center City and you have one hell of a neighborhood.

We have been lucky enough to have already tried a few of these places and now we are adding Brigantessa to that list (Townsend coming up later this month). Bringantessa was originally brought to our attention by who else but Craig LaBan. In case you haven't noticed, our decisions to try new places are based on recommendations made by people we know or this wonderful food critic for the Inquirer and never I repeat never by Philly Mag. Just wanted to get that out there.

So this two story gem is about a block up from Stateside and Passyunk Square with a bar and the oven on the first floor and the dining room on the second. The bustling first floor has plenty of kitchen side seating (something we are huge fans of but not lucky enough to get this time). The second floor is significantly quieter (the noise from downstairs doesn't seem to penetrate due to some painstaking soundproofing done between floors and on the 2nd floor itself). The decor is mainly photographs of southern Italy, a common but not unwelcome decor choice in Italian restaurants. An excellent stroke of good sense and good decorating comes in the form of the servers countertop along the wall holding all the general necessities of dining that looks both usefully placed and well designed.

A moderate sized but well stocked and affordably priced wines make up the bulk of the drinks, but some cocktails specializing in digestivi-based mixtures give the cocktail menu some interest. The lemoncello is house-made (like many other things on the menu including the sausages), and makes up the cocktail of my choice that was mixed with another digestivi and chile powder. Being of an adventurous soul who likes spicy things, this was in no way intimidating. It was incredibly well balanced and left me wanting more.

The menu at Brigantessa is inspired by traditional southern Italian cuisine.  The menu has 5 categories:  spuntini and antipasti for appetizers, pizzas, primi (pasta) and secundi.  While the pizzas earned respectability and positive reputation the pastas are receiving a lot of social buzz. We opted to pass on the pizza to focus on various appetizers and the pastas. Prior to the meal we agreed no matter what to come back to have the pizza (spoiler alert: at some point we want to do an article comparing various pizza joints-we are talking about you, In Riva).

Our meal initiated with 3 antipasti all of which were served cold.  Roasted brussels sprouts, pancetta and chestnut agrodolce was a twist on most homemade brussels sprout recipes.  Yes, anybody could roast brussels sprouts and yes, most people will add pancetta.  However, there was a balsamic and citrus flavor that were perfectly balanced to hit your palette at the very end; not exactly a feat of weeknight sides (at least not mine).    

The pheasant terrine, cucuzza squash, crispy shallots and mosto cotto was more of an exercise in texture rather than flavor.  Even though the flavors were mild, the soft creaminess of the terrine blended well with the crunch of the cucuzza squash.  The creaminess of the terrine was also broken up with the flavors and texture of the peppers placed within it as well. Smoked duck rillette with charred bread and mustard seed was presented in a small mason jar with the look and texture of a very classy canned albacore.  The flavor was that of most any feathered creature but the duck was given away due to a slight greasiness of the rillette.  The mustard added a nice depth to the dish, although on the lighter side of things for our personal tastes. We found the appetizers to be an adequate portion to kick-start a meal.

Duck Rillette

Pheasant terrine

Although tasty and well presented our appetizers were not the selling point of our experience.  There were times during and immediately afterwards where we were actually a little nervous this place wound not live up to expectations. A recent addition to our dining list, we skipped over many other places to try this because I (Cassie) had a hunch it was worth it. When we received our entrees we were more than just relieved to be right. I will admit that it is a given that people will pick dishes that suit their palettes best when ordering. Well, sometimes that is tough for us because we like so many things and are willing to try anything. But very rarely do we ever pick dishes that so epitomize the very flavors each of us individually favors as much as we did this night. 

The true colors of Brigantessa would be presented in their pasta.  Rustichella black spaghetti is an impeccably cooked spaghetti that incorporates squid ink to give it a deep black color and a slight bitterness by itself.  Piennolo tomatoes balanced any bitterness by adding a sweet, tart flavor that latches on at the start.  The middle of the bite incorporates the saltiness and brininess of the octopus and the long hot pepper will let this dish finish with a glorious kick.  Easily one of the best pasta dishes I've had in a while and this one alone would keep me coming back. This was Rob's dish.

Rustichella black spaghetti, piennolo tomatoes, octopus, long hot

Cassie ordered the infinitely earthier (yes its a word) and meaty goodness that was the chestnut chitarra, Long Island duck ragu, sour cherries, and foie gras. The pasta was flavorful without being overpowering. The duck was done just right. The sour cherries added a nice sweetness to it. My only complaint being that there were slightly too many. The foie gras added this lovely depth to the broth that made me wish the broth came in its own soup. I would have that every day for the rest of my life.


After these absolutely to die for entrees that redeemed the entire meal back to fabulous status (it was at "pretty good" prior to that), we decided to get dessert. Although I think Rob was disappointed not to get Tiramisu, the cannolis more than made up for it. There were two to a plate, one being rosewater flavored and the other orange blossom flavored. Unique and memorable, the flavors and textures were certainly worth it. The profiterole hit the spot as well. With light lemon custard and a nice cherry on top, it was the perfect combo of donut and funnel cake without feeling as heavy as either (which to me makes it nothing short of an act of nature to combine those features in that way). I also got the blood orangcello (the name denotes what it actually is). I am not a lemoncello fan and went in skeptical. I came out still not being a huge fan but glad I tried it. The blood orange flavor was actually quite subtle but certainly died down the typical gasoline burn I feel in the back of my throat with lemoncello. Seriously, people actually voluntarily do that to themselves on a regular basis? How can that stuff possibly be considered a digestivi? I digress....

Overall great experience. Pastas were fabulous and one for the books. Appetizers were interesting but nothing to rave about. Desserts were somewhere between the other two courses on the scale. Service was good, not great. Ditto on decor. We will be going back for sure with the anticipation of a very different, although hopefully just as satisfying, experience. I already have my pizza picked out and, no, I will not be sharing.

Blue Heaven-Key West, FL

Everyone’s idea of paradise is different. For two foodies with an obsession for Key West, paradise is Blue Heaven. Blue Heaven is a run down two story house on the edge of the Key West “ghetto” (which is still nicer than any north Philly neighborhood) where most of the seating is outside under massive umbrellas and topical trees. The ground is covered in wood chips and there are chickens and chicks a plenty with one very loud rooster ruling the roost. Cats roam the porch and the house, sometimes taking chairs that patrons would prefer to sit in while waiting for their tables. The bar sits near a make-shift stage with some outdoor games situated not too far away for those people who don’t seem to appreciate the atmosphere enough to take it in. If you don’t believe me about the cat and fowl presence, check out the website. Some of the inhabitants are on the menu page of the website next to the picture of the chef.
If you are anything like us, this is how your visit to Blue Heaven will go down: You go up to the hostess table-a chicken walks by the two cats laying behind the hostess at the stand. Food floats by from the kitchen smelling amazing and looking just as well put together. This is followed by the tallest key lime pie slice you have ever seen. As odd as this scene is with what seems like so many health code violations staring you in the face, you still put your name down for a table for two. You forgot to make a reservation, its 1pm on a Tuesday and you are starving. The wait is an hour. You go to the bar and wait for a table knowing its worth the wait and order a cocktail to pass the time. This is your paradise. You will wait all day if need be.

Outdoor seating at Blue Heaven with bar in background

Rooster looking over his domain

One of the restaurant cats

From drinks and breakfast to dinner and dessert, Blue Heaven lives up to all our hopes and dreams of Key West. We have been there many times and every single time we get some form of the key lime pie (it comes in slices and cupcakes). To be completely honest, its one of the reasons we first went to Key West and is the only reason we went to Blue Heaven for the first time. With seafood arriving fresh daily and a menu focused on these dishes, seafood is a must-have for the table. Rob ordered the pan seared tuna with hearts of palm salad atop a sherry demi-glaze and rice. The tuna is sushi-grade  and covered in charred sesame seeds. The demi-glaze brings a savoriness to the dish, complimenting the natural flavors of the tuna well without taking away from the texture. Rob loves hearts of palm and doesn’t seem to be able to articulate this love into words well enough for me to translate it onto this screen. As for me and my recent dinner there, I satisfied my need for pork with the tenderloin served with sweet potatoes, mango chutney, and curry butter sauce. With flavors that beg comparison to the islands, its hard to deny the feeling of paradise after the first bite (even if I made it that long). The tenderloin is not over done, and thankfully the serving of sweet potatoes is not excessive. This is a common occurrence I have found, whether it is to make up for a smaller portion of pork or to balance out the plate for presentation I don’t know. Looking around, most other dishes all seem to be going over as well with the patrons around us. The wait staff is informative if not incredibly attentive. The cocktails are standard and well made, with a variety of specialties (the bloody mary’s are particularly good, but more on that later).

Pan seared tuna

Although the food at lunch is much less formally presented, it is still very well thought out. Much to our chagrin, we both wanted the same thing-mahi mahi fish sandwiches served with slaw. They usually offer it made baked, fried, or blackened and this seems to be standard for most places on the island. In Key West, you can guarantee the Mahi is fresh and most places will even allow you to bring your own catch of the day for them to cook up for you.  Both of us being of the spicy persuasion, Rob and I both chose blackened. We were not disappointed. The sweet of the slaw complimented the spice of the sandwich. Paired with a bloody mary made on the deep side of the tabasco bottle, it can add up if you are not careful. The bloody marys are large and made the way they were first intended to be-as a constitutional.
With a complete contrast of atmosphere and food, the dishes are quite unexpected. But with fresh food of excellent quality, these dishes could belong atop any white tablecloth restaurant on the island. And with a dinner menu about 50% gluten free, healthy dishes are plenty available. And no, the key lime pie is not gluten free, or low in calories or vegan either.  Let’s talk about this last but certainly not least part of the meal. Famous for their key lime pie, Blue Heaven dishes it out in high volume and large portion. The custard is creamy and just the right mix of lime and sugar with a graham cracker crust. The meringue is made from scratch and piled high due to its light-as-air texture. Before thinking you may find another place that makes key lime pie this good, let’s get a few things straight. Its not called key lime pie because its from Key West. Its called that because it is made with key limes-which are smaller than normal limes and have a more concentrated flavor. If you are thinking this doesn’t make a difference… well… you don’t know pie. Or limes.  We recently discovered the key lime cupcakes. This is perfect for say… the day you are leaving town and don’t have time to wait for an hour to get a seat to have a slice of the key lime pie. Because clearly that has happened to us.
I wish I could remember more of the dishes from our previous visits to Blue Heaven, but sadly my memory can’t seem to stretch that far back except for bloody mary’s and key lime pie. We have never had breakfast or brunch there, since we tend to stay in bed and breakfasts that provide that meal for us when we visit Key West (the Conch House on Truman Ave being our B and B of choice). The good news is that many more trips are to come in the next few years. Next October we are going for my 30th birthday, and that January I will be running the half marathon there. You can bet I will be celebrating crossing that finish line with some pie.
This is a must for any visitor to the Conch Republic. Be prepared to wait over an hour at peak meal times without reservation and if you are afraid of chickens or cats I wouldn’t go. Although I have to admit, if you are afraid of either of these things you should stay away from Key West all together. Fowl run amok everywhere and The Hemingway House isn’t the only place to find large populations of six-toed cats.

If you don't have time to get a table, key lime pie cupcake for the road.

Key lime pie the size of your head

Blue Heat-Vernick Food and Drink

One of my favorite all time cocktails (so far) has to be Blue Heat at Vernick Food and Drink. Simply made with tequila, lime, and cayenne pepper it has just the right amount of heat. The cayenne pepper allows the natural flavors of the tequila to come out. Last night's concoction contained hints of vanilla a slight oaked flavor. A tequila lover's drink, its also not for the faint at heart.

Lacroix-Rittenhouse Square

Lacroix at The Rittenhouse was one of the pinnacles of French-inspired fine dining in Center City along with Le Bec Fin.  The downfall of Le Bec Fin, once the crown jewel of Philadelphia fine dining, initiated a Darwinian evolution of dining in Center City.  The old concept that expensive cuisine which embraced all things truffle, caviar, and suited waiters transitioned into more progressive philosophies from local and regionally trained chefs.  Out with the Georges Perrier, in with Michael Solomonov, Marc Vetri, and Eli Kulp.   Even though recent recent years witnessed fine dining in Philadelphia broaden its horizons to all aspects of the globe (Zahav-Isreali, Mediterranean & Tashan-Indian), new French-inspired eateries are making a comeback in East Passyunk, a more modest part of town (Townsend, Le Cheri, Will BYO).  On this particular Saturday night, however, we decided to visit one of the classic stops in Center City with Lacroix.  It's been on our radar for several years so we just now decided to take the plunge.

On the second floor of The Rittenhouse, a classic elegance is donned from moment the doorman opens the front door.  Located on the second floor a great view of Rittenhouse Park is provided to the guests sitting along the window.   The wait staff and maitre d are constantly attentive, perhaps too attentive.  I understand the a part of the restaurant experience at Lacroix is to have strict aggressive service but there was a feeling of being overly coddled.  (I did not need 3 different people asking me if "I knew where I was going" when heading directly to the restroom.)  The atmosphere and decor was simple and clean with a slight Provencal style , a large perk was the space available per table (no rubbing elbows with another party) and despite the open environment the noise level was noticeably low.

Once seated we were given a drink menu and settled on some cocktails as opposed to wine. Rob's choice was the Harvest with Dewar's 12 year as well as cider, drambuie, lemon, and terragon. Simply a glass of Dewar's 12 year would have been preferable to the actual cocktail. Cassie's choice being Sage-Beefeater gin with sage, honey, lemon, and moscato. Gin is a good compliment to herbal based drinks, with this being no exception. The lemon was slightly overpowering, but otherwise a well balanced drink. A few things worth noting are the lack of hurry that occurred from the moment we sat down to the time we left. The server actually asked us if we wanted to finish our drinks prior to looking at the dinner menu. Also worth noting is the bread options as well as the butter. Both butters being house made, one cow and one goat, was a huge plus. The bread options covered something for everyone-french baguette, multigran, and sourdough.

The dinner menu provides two options:  a four-course tasting menu including dessert or the chef's tasting menu.  There are various additions included as well-truffle courses, caviar course, and wine pairings are all available. Although we did not choose any of these, the sommelier had been talking to some patrons seated near us and sounded very knowledgeable and helpful. We opted for the four-course diner option with none of the additions.   The first course included Japanese Hamachi and Golden Eye Snapper.  The snapper was sushi-grade, complemented with cranberry jus, endive, buckwheat and sea urchin (served in a rather obnoxious deep bowl).  This was only the second attempt at sea urchin which still tastes like the bottom of the ocean but considerably cleaner.  It added a brininess to dish but the cranberry was unfortunately overpowering. The Japanese hamachi was made with boiled peanuts, mango, and parsnip puree. It has to be said that the menu online shows a similar dish made with lobster. This detail is disheartening because it shows the menu is not adjusted to the fish or meats as they are available. Unadjusted menus translates to lack of creativity in a chef. The dish, however, was very pleasing with the peanuts surprisingly rounding out the flavors without overwhelming them. It should be noted there is a surprisingly large amount of dishes that use various types of nuts in them for flavoring. This was by no means displeasing to us, just something we took notice of as more common than usual.

Our second course included seared turbot, heart of palm, broccoli and miso.  The turbot was light, the sear added a little crispy saltiness.  However, the fillet was on the bone.  This is not necessarily a bad thing; I'm perfectly capable of doing a little dissection at dinner.  However, not all the bone was removed with my attempts, spurring consistent attempts to hide my mouth with a dinner napkin as I removed multiple pieces of bone.  The miso was unnecessary, it was a strong flavor that overwhelmed any flavors from one of my favorites, the heart of palm.  Unfortunately, another strikeout. The foie gras was made with candied pear, pumpkin seeds, and long pepper. This just, just like the turbot, could have certainly done without the pear. The pear completely overwhelmed the other flavors as well as the foie gras. The pairing of the brioche bread did not quite fit either. The bread was too sweet to go with the already sweet accompaniments of the foie gras. The foie gras itself was well flavored and seemed perfectly content as long as it stayed far away from that damn candied pear.

Foie Gras

Turbot

Right at the time I was expecting disappointment my third course saves the day.  Veal breast, polenta, onion, chanterelle, bone marrow.  This dish did not have a good blending of flavors, but perhaps that was not the point.  The bone marrow was fatty buttery goodness.  The veal breast melted in your mouth, a beefy flavor was prevalent but not overwhelming.  The veal was covered with a glaze that added a little surgariness and stickiness to the texture.  This was a phenomenal dish, definitely one the best I had in a while. The pork duo turned out to be a pork belly and a pork loin. The pork belly being the best I ever tasted did not need any of the other sides on the plate, which at the time seemed like utter nonsense meant only to inhibit my ability to eat more port belly. If you are going to eat fat-this pork belly is the way to do it. Perfectly layered with a crisp pan seared out layer that melds quickly into fat, the fat mingles with the white meat that slowly gives way to a small layer of fat and the dark meat. In short, the best pork belly I have had to date. Sorry Fond, your pork belly has been overthrown. The pork loin while done quite right, was not memorable and while it worked much better than the pork belly with the accompaniments, was forgettable.

Veal breast and bone marrow

Pork Du0

After this surprisingly large amount of food we were offered a break prior to dessert. One thing I most certainly will say is we were never even remotely rushed and the food was never poorly timed. All dishes came out at the exact same time and we had plenty of time between courses. For dessert we had a cheese trio and sourdough donuts. The donuts were surprisingly light and went well the the accompaniments of malt barley ice cream, parsnip, and walnuts. The cheeses consisted of a pecorino romano, a creamy french cow's milk, and a mild blue cheese. With this we each had a coffee or an herbal tea (and it was not just a cup of each, you get the whole pot of wonderful warm goodness). And after all this there were some lovely french candies that were eaten throughout the day today as well as a banana bread filled with nutella that we will be breaking into as soon as I am done with this, Thanksgiving dessert leftovers be damned.

Overall, we are both glad we finally went there. I wish Rittenhouse square was lit with Christmas lights, which would have made the view amazing. The service was polite and were were never rushed. The food was underwhelming (sadly) and lacked imagination. The setting was top notch, with the large space and minimal decorations making it feel intimate and well lit. We won't be rushing back, but we don't regret going, either.