Summer Food 2005: BYOBs
Still Hot
CARMINE’S CREOLE CAFE
232 Woodbine Avenue, Narberth, 610-660-0160; carminescreole.com
Worth noting: No reservations; outdoor tables.
Dinner for two: About $90.
Is John Mims crazy? In March, he moved from a space in Havertown with more than 70 seats to one with only 44, a simple room that looks bigger than it is, with the aid of several decorative mirrors. He did gain a bigger kitchen, and he has hired a sous-chef to help prepare the lusty, labor-intensive cuisine of New Orleans, his hometown. A seat at the dining counter lets you watch Mims dunk cornmeal-dipped Gulf Coast oysters into the fryer, then dish up a belt-busting plate of chicken-andouille fricassee, or an almost elegant blackened cod with a Pernod-accented cream sauce. For meat, head straight for last year’s Best of Philly entrée, duck breast rubbed with Cajun seasonings and seared until its skin crackles, served with duck confit jambalaya and collards. Share the sticky-bun bread pudding if you can’t go it alone. Service can be slow.
LOLITA
106 South 13th Street; 215-546-7100
Worth noting: No credit cards; no reservations on Friday or Saturday.
Dinner for two: About $95.
Customers supply the tequila, and Lolita supplies the group-size pitchers of margarita mix — puckery classic lime, strawberry with purple basil, or refreshing watermelon-mint — that fuel the party atmosphere. With its red tilework and exposed brick walls, this casa isn’t as overtly flashy as El Vez, but it does have a gleaming stainless steel open kitchen that lets chef Marcie Turney work before an audience. Her attention-grabbing Nuevo Mexican plates, fashioned from local farm products when possible, lend themselves to passing and sharing. Do just that with the creamy guacamole, served with sweet potato chips, corn chips and plantain chips, and with the carnitas appetizer, orange-glazed shredded pork ready to be tucked into warm corn tortillas. Arrive early to secure a table; even Sunday nights are busy here.
CHLOE
232 Arch Street, 215-629-2337; chloebyob.com
Worth noting: No credit cards; no
reservations.
Dinner for two: About $95.
Dan Grimes and Mary Ann Ferrie, another husband-wife BYOB team, have an obvious fondness for hot peppers. They’re in the orange-chipotle vinaigrette that jazzes the mixed greens on the house salad, topped with baked goat cheese; they’re in the bourbon-chipotle glaze on the barbecued pork ribs; they heat up the coconut cilantro sauce that surrounds grilled shrimp and little corn cakes; and they’re in the sour cream drizzle on the pan-seared scallops, paired with a crisp potato pancake. The fire can be pronounced or subtle — let your server be your guide. Dinner here is candlelit and cozy.
PIF
1009 South 8th Street; 215-625-2923
Worth noting: Free parking in city lot next to the restaurant; tasting menu available with 24-hour notice.
Dinner for two: About $115.
Prime territory for wine peepers: You’re more likely to spot Château la Louvière bordeaux here than Ecco Domani pinot grigio, though I saw both on my last visit. The swirl-and-sniff crowd embraced David Ansill and Catherine Gilbert-Ansill’s wee French bistro from the start. Now in its fourth year, Pif continues to evolve and delight. Try the tête de porc appetizer — not a whole pig’s head, just the meat, seasoned and cooked until it separates from the bone. It’s pressed into a patty, seared, and served as a crisp counterpoint to a refreshing parsley salad. Take a chance on the oddly delicious braised rabbit leg resting on smooth brandade, surrounded by saffron broth. Finish with a strawberry-filled crêpe and potent coffee. The best seats in the house are the two at the counter, which allow you to chat with the chef. The Ansills plan to open a non-BYOB restaurant at 3rd and Bainbridge later this year or early next; Pif will stay put.
