16. Barclay Prime
We are a steakhouse-loving city. Well, more accurately, we are a city that steakhouses love. In the past five years, they’ve sprouted up all over the region. The question is: How do you set your steakhouse apart from the rest? The answer, of course, comes from the king of reinvention, Stephen Starr, in this Rittenhouse restaurant. The finest cuts of meats, cooked to perfection — a salty, crust-like exterior and a just-warmed center — are a given. It’s everything else that makes us love Barclay Prime: the potato menu (featuring house-made oniony tots and enormous, plump skins), the updated veggies like broccolini, the Kobe sliders, the raw bar, the seasonal desserts. And what completes this over-the-top experience is the setting. You get to enjoy that steak while lounging in a leather chair in the sleek library you’ll never have.
Make a reservation now17. Ansill
Ansill unfairly gained a reputation for being the place with the Fear Factor food, serving up organ meats and other offal. And it’s true you’ll often find lamb’s tongue, bone marrow and sweetbreads on the menu. But such ingredients have always been a small percentage of the total offerings, there to provide some gustatory glam. In fact, it’s perfectly easy to put together an exciting meal that won’t scare the squeamish. An osso buco sandwich, braised veal breast, and bronzino with escargots are among the many comforting plates. If you play it safe, however, you’re missing out on Ansill’s best options, like duck eggs baked until just barely set and studded with truffles, and grilled shrimp garnished with lobster roe butter. Constructing a meal from the restaurant’s disparate menu of small plates can occasionally cause flavor clashes, but with a little care put into the selection and sequencing of plates, you can build a gratifying meal that’s as familiar or exotic as you please. Trust us, try the crispy lamb’s tongue.
For more information18. Positano Coast
Kitchen Nightmare chef Gordon Ramsay would no doubt have his off-color criticisms about some of this Old City restaurant’s elements. The over-the-top Amalfi Coast decor — while fun to look at and pleasant on a warm summer night — is slightly tacky. So is the actual menu, full of superfluous kitschy catchphrases and designs. But Ramsay couldn’t say anything negative about the food. Restaurateur Aldo Lamberti was wise to put young son Pippo in charge of the Positano Coast kitchen; his love for fresh fish and his delicate hand are evident. Any one of the daily-changing crudos is a solid bet, and a welcome change to the city’s overplayed tartares and ceviches. But the surprises don’t stop there; Pippo can’t help but put his own subtle twists on even the more straightforward dishes, elevating Italian classics we thought we knew: sweet and light eggplant parm napoleon, lemony branzino acqua pazza, and the sautéed rapini and ricotta side dish.
Make a reservation now19. Melograno
In the flood of Center City Italian BYOBs, it’s hard for one to set itself apart. But Melograno does, eschewing the red-gravy standards for authentic Roman and Tuscan flavors, courtesy of chef Gianluca Demontis. Decor is minimal, with the room dominated by an open kitchen and large windows. Those hard surfaces make the noise from the tightly packed crowd fairly oppressive, but it’s a happy din, as diners dig into dishes like bisteca alla fiorentina, and pappardelle with mushrooms, truffles and walnuts. In a city awash with noodles, the pappardelle is stand-out, the firm texture of the wide pasta the perfect conduit for the earthy flavors. There are, of course, routinely long waits on weekends, and weekdays aren’t much better. But Demontis’s wife, Rosemarie Tran, handles the masses admirably, taking cell-phone numbers and sending customers off for a drink at a nearby bar while they wait. A reservation system for the weekends would be a relief, and the smallish menu, usually expanded by a special or two, could use an update — as long as they don’t mess with the pappardelle.
For more information20. Xochitl
The kitchen at this Headhouse Square spot doesn’t rely on the standard tricks to make great Mexican food. You won’t find salsas, cheeses, cilantro or sour cream loaded on tortillas or doused on meats. Don’t fret, you’ll get your Mexican fix at Xochitl, but it comes through slow cooking, deep spices and layered flavors. Lamb, braised until it falls apart, is balanced with sweet roasted scallions and pickled chilies. Seared duck breast is bathed in an intense mole poblano sauce with a surprise of a duck leg tamale on the side. And the mini-menu of ceviches and the guacamole made tableside are shining examples of chef Dionicio Jiménez’s simple approach — the ingredients speak for themselves. The bar works just as hard, with a menu that’s much more than margaritas (though we love those, too). In the “Señor Barriga,” woodsy thyme leaves, spicy jalapeños, lime and sugar are muddled with tequila; “My Frozen Beer” is an ice-cold brew mixed with lime and spicy tomato juice.
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