21. Gayle
It’s hard to believe that Daniel Stern is the driving force behind both Gayle and Rae. This petite Queen Village restaurant doesn’t aspire to be all things to all people. It aspires only to be all things to Stern, and the menu is a testament to his quirky style. Expect “#15 Combination: Scallops and Sweetbreads/Potatoes, Peas, Lemon Cream.” It’s an experiment in the trust between a chef and his diner, and Stern has earned ours.
Make a reservation now22. Tinto
The dining room of this Amada spin-off lacks the elegance and energy of the mother ship, but we’re hopeful that an upcoming expansion will create better seating and traffic flow. Meanwhile, we’re squeezing into tiny Tinto to graze on its Basque tapas, known as pintxos. There is some overlap with Amada’s menu (not that we’re complaining), but the regionally specific items, like mussels Basquaise and skewers of bacon-wrapped lamb and eggplant plunged into shot glasses of sherry jus, are unique thrills. A glass of fizzy Txakolina is all you need to imagine that you’re in Bilbao.
Make a reservation now23. Bistro 7
Among the slew of BYOBs that overflow the New American/modern Italian/local ingredients niche, this Old City spot stands out. What’s on the Bistro 7 menu isn’t revolutionary, but chef/owner Michael O’Halloran’s gentle coaxing of those flavors, his attention to detail, and the ever-changing dishes are: A creamy garlic dressing on crisp greens is impossibly sweet and mild; shoestring potatoes accompanying a rib-eye steak frites are fried in duck fat.
Make a reservation now24. Le Castagne
Homemade pasta. It’s the reason we frequent this modern Italian Center City restaurant. You won’t find the requisite pappardelle here; Le Castagne goes above and beyond what other homemade pasta menus do by painstakingly hand-rolling shell-like cavatelli, sauce-grabbing rigatoni and corkscrewed fusilli, then draping them in equally impressive sauces, like chestnut cream with cocoa, or warming lamb ragout. Overlook the often-cold service, and dive into the homemade bread and desserts, too.
Make a reservation now25. Alison at Blue Bell
Alison at Blue Bell is Alison Barshak’s attempt at a quiet little restaurant, but Barshak has a big following to pack into that little dining room, and her cooking is anything but quiet, earning our praise for seamlessly incorporating ingredients from her wide-ranging travels in Europe, Asia and the American South into otherwise familiar dishes without ever venturing into outdated “fusion” cooking.
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