The Ugly American Review: Red, White and Bleu

Smoked turkey soup, based on a sparkling consommé, also shows good French technique. Gilberg clarifies the broth with whipped egg whites, which attract any fat or meat particles floating in the liquid. It’s a fussy and time-consuming process that’s virtually never done outside of culinary school, but the refinement transforms a bowl of simple soup into an elegant first course. Delicate handmade dumplings and trumpet mushrooms don’t hurt, either.

Not every recipe in the American canon is equally ripe for a Gallic redo. The Ugly American’s stuffed pepper, inspired by the simple bell-pepper and beef casserole served at family tables nationwide, is filled with lobster and leeks bound by a mornay sauce — essentially a thick white sauce enriched with cheese. The resulting dish is a runny heap of mismatched tastes and textures.

Countries and influences collide again in the American cassoulet. One of France’s most iconic dishes gets supersized into a heaping crock of sausage, pork belly, smoked bacon, black-eyed peas and collard greens. The beans are simmered for hours with ham hocks, absorbing flavor as they become tender. The greens are cooked separately with garlic, herbs, and a ham hock of their own. These two ingredients are eventually combined with the bacon, topped with bread crumbs, and broiled until crusty. Slices of Martin’s sausage are piled high on top of the bowl. It takes an adult with a healthy appetite approximately three days to polish off the dish — what could be more American than that?

This hodgepodge cuisine — along with an easy-to-­pronounce, all-American wine and beer list — establishes a relaxed, pretense-free zone inside the restaurant. At the bar, regulars include a Mummer fresh from string-band rehearsal, a city judge loosening his tie, and a just-21 neighborhood kid wavering between a glass of chardonnay and a Long Island iced tea. In the shadow of I-95, across from Rizzo Rink, where South Philly teens decamp nightly for hockey practice, this stretch of Front is among the city’s least glamorous blocks. But Gilberg’s food (not to mention ample free parking) has brought some excitement and a much-needed gathering place to Pennsport.

 

Email: jmanning@phillymag.com