Strangelove’s Gets Some Love


Leigh Maida, Brendan Hartranft, and Brendan Kelly are the gastropub virtuosos of this city, and their transformation of the almost-cursed location is really quite impressive. Brian Freedman had some high praise for the Southern-esque beer bar in Washington Square West:

This is where Strangelove’s finds its greatest success: in its rendering of classics, often with a twist. To that end, fried catfish bites, all creamy and tender inside their crackly carapace, were lovely on their own and even better when dragged through a spicy-tart remoulade. Mushroom torta, constructed on a base of Mexican-style flatbread, proved to be a clever reworking of the more familiar ones that have grown so tired lately. And its topping, like the best of the dishes here, managed to be both restrained and rewarding: arugula, lemon, a truffle vinaigrette and a spread of butter-cooked corn pureed with honey. Even the fried green tomatoes, if their crown of crabmeat ravigote, tomatoes and cucumber was a touch too wet, ultimately won me over with the sheer pleasure of its flavors.

 

Strangelove’s takes bar food to a whole new, exciting level  [Philadelphia Weekly]
Strangelove’s [Official]