Caresses at Caribou Café

It was Mama’s birthday on Sunday and the family decided to go to Caribou Café to celebrate her

A homemade treat, the pate had a rough texture and was not overpowering.

XXth birthday (After a certain age, women of a certain status remain ageless. They do however, still expect elegant gifts).

The suggestion was made by my brother and I have always admired the Parisian style café on the corner of 12 and Walnut for its warm lighting, colorful art décor posters and simple furnishings that was easy on the eyes. Our reservation was promptly confirmed at the door and we were seated shortly upstairs in a corner table.

My eyes lustfully wandered over the menu, so many choices, so little stomach space. I had already regretted eating that horrible spinach and cheese crepe at IKEA earlier. I really need to learn how to say no.

An aperitif to simulate my appetite, I order the Doubonnet fortified wine ($8), its light sweet taste reminding me of a good port and got me pondering whether to start with the cheese plate ($16 for 4 cheese) or the pâté du jour ($9.50). In the end, the choice was obvious. I got both. Stop giving me that you-are-a-fatty-look. I was going to share anyways.

The cheese plate was simple and to the point with a selection of cheeses that allowed us to sample a range of taste from sharp to creamy. The homemade pâté was a compliment and had a rough unprocessed texture which was nice because it differed from the usually smooth paste of the store bought version. The taste of the pâté was not overpowering and went well with the balsamic side salad that it was served with.

Onglet a l’echalote. Fancy name, not so fancy taste.

As lovely as the pâté was, what I really should have ordered was the rillettes de saumon ($10). The fresh salmon terrine along with the translucent thin cool cucumber slices was a joy to the palate. The dish’s elegant presentation coupled with its slight savory flavor set off my meal to an amazing start.

Sadly, our smooth flavorful journey stumbled on a rock with our main course the onglet a l’echalote ($22). The sliced beef fillet served medium, at the suggestion of the server, with shallot sauce was bland at best, even though I did enjoy the crispy fries it was served with. Ah well, cest la vie, you can’t win them all.

As I finished off my last mouthful of beef, I rushed to look at the menu again because what French meal is complete without dessert. I contemplated/struggled between the chocolate mousse ($7) and crepe bretonne ($6.50) before settling on the lighter of the two. The thin salty-sweet sugary treat really hit the spot and slowly sent me off into a blissful satisfied food coma.

Dear Caribou Café,

I know your waitress can’t really pronounce anything on the menu but I was really like her to at least try.

Xoxo

MOAF

Overall rating: 4.5/5

A Parisian Experience at Miel Patisserie

Although I wasn’t too impressed with Miel Patisserie’s bourgeois French inspired service the first time round, the sandwiches kept me coming back. When it is a frigid winter’s day and all you want is a hot crispy sandwich, this is a place to be.

Crispy tender heaven!

Hidden near Rittenhouse square at 204 South 17^th Street, this cozy café was packed at 1pm and I barely managed to snag a seat near the window. It was also clearly a hit with the ladies, I mean I was the only guy there, I kid you not. Well, I in drag I could pass of as a girl too.

If it is your first time to the corner café I absolutely must recommend the Le Miel sandwich ($7.95). This freshly prepared crispy pippin hot chicken fillet sandwich is served with delicious dripping melted brie and asparagus. Each crunchy bite is chocked full of tender flavor and sends me back to the chic sidewalks of the Champ Elysees.

Petite Sweets!

No meal at Miel Patisserie is complete without at least trying one of their many decadence pastries. Their chocolate cakes can be a little heavy at lunch and can put you into a food coma at that after lunch staff meeting (By the way, I think staff meetings after lunch should be outlawed in favor of an afternoon nap, productivity would soar.) I recommend the fruit tart, light, petite, and with just the right amount of custard sweetness, it is the perfect way to get your daily dose of vitamin C!

Dear Miel Patisserie,

Je vous adore.

Xoxo

MOAF

Overall rating: 4/5

Safe Dishes at Sawatdee

Pad Ka Prao Talay. It was a cuddle fest.

Being born and raised on the island of Singapore, Thailand is just hop, skip and a jump away and is one of my favorite places to visit for its rich history, vibrant cities and of course its spicy and flavorful dishes. And so when I arrived at Sawatdee, on the corner of 15^th and South, for my usual Friday get together dinner with the gurls, I was ready to be blown, away.  By the spices of course.

I order the standard Thai iced tea ($2.95) for starters, which is a strong black sweet tea served condensed milk but like most of the Thai ice teas that I have sampled in Philadelphia it is missing the combination of Thai spices, such as ground tamarind and star anise mixed in with the drink, that gives it its extra oomph.

My main dish was the Pad Ka Prao Talay ($13.95) which is seafood served in a chili garlic sauce and it was more garlic than chili. I ordered it with the expectation of having the flavors of a Falcon Studio orgy in my mouth but what I really got a cuddle fest with a good chick flick for two. It’s not that the dish was bad or that it was bland, but it was just missing that bang.

Thai custard with sticky rice. Sweet creamy Thai heaven

Dessert made up for it as the end with their Thai custard with sticky rice ($5). The sweet smooth coconut custard mixed with creamy sticky rice brought tears of nostalgia to my eyes and scenes of the sun kissed beaches and tall elegant waving coconut trees. I think that is the true magic of food, it is not something that you not only enjoy but also have an experience with.

Dear Sawatdee,

ขอบคุณ! แต่ครั้งต่อไปที่คุณจะกรุณาให้ฉันอาหารจานเผ็ดมากขึ้น?

Xoxo

MOAF

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Secret Sexy Salads at Tabu.

Its 9pm on a Monday and I had just finished a long day of pouring over press theories in authoritarian governments and tutoring the football team. My brain was shot and I was suppose to meet a friend for a well needed vodka tonic at Tabu, the local gay sports bars on 12^th and Locust.

The place was pretty crowded for a Monday night with people lining the bars watching football/basketball/baseball/I don’t know pick one, if it was up to me they be playing Family Guy on the big screen. I walked up to the bar about to crabbily demand some liquid sustenance when a tiny rumble escaped my belly. I thought to myself, I probably don’t need the empty calories anyways and asked if the kitchen was still opened.

Lo and behold, the kitchen was opened till 10pm and it was 930pm. I took a seat at the back and eyed a list of burger, nachos and chicken fingers. Urgh, maybe that vodka tonic was a better caloric option. Then, I look down at their salad list. Now normally I am not very excited about salads (balsamic= boring) but if I ate a hoagie right now I would go to bed feeling like a pageant cow so I opt for the Tabu salad with grilled chicken instead($6.95 + $3 for the chicken(Got to have that protein)).

Thank God, I managed to complete that thought before the server came because when he did I must have slurred like a stroke victim for a few seconds as he took my order. (Read: OMFG! If there was God’s signature on a face it would be this man) I will not dribble on any further because I can easily fill in two pages about the beauty of this fine specimen and that’s for another blog.

The salad came in a good size portion and originally called for pomegranate vinaigrette but I opt for the   light Thai vinaigrette instead and it blended seamlessly with the mixed greens grilled chicken and cashew nuts. The chicken was juicy and tender and the hidden julienne green apples that I found gave the salad that wonderful sour crunch. Each bite resurrected the brain cells I had lost during my star struck coma and I feel full and not stuffed at the end of the meal. Although I would have like some stuffing… Ok I have to stop.

Dear Tabu,

Is your server single?

Xoxo

MOAF

Rating: 4.5/5

10/5 for the server

Meatball Madness at Marabella’s Meatballs

$7 for three meatballs?! What are you smoking Marabella?! Puff, puff, and pass please! I thought

I can't decide whether it should oink or moo.

that maybe it was a joke but sure enough the guy in front of me was handed a sad looking little white plastic bowl with sure enough three meatballs and some sauce. This was going to be challenging. I had wandered into the new addition to Walnut Street because it was not too far away from Café Twelve where I do most of my work and wanted something quick, there was barely anyone there at 1pm, and filling which was the challenge because it looked like it was going to be expensive. (read: broke college student) The standard bowl was three meatballs for $7 and it you wanted pasta or a side it was going to cost you an extra $4, each. Hell, no.

So in the end, I opted for the compromise which was the pasta dinner for $9 which came with 2 meatballs and a choice of sauce and pasta. The lady behind the counter listed what I thought would be my choice of meatballs, chicken, beef, pork and veal but instead told me the meal came with a blend of all four meats. Interesting.

My bowl came flanked by two pieces of what I assumed to be garlic toast but really was toast, dry and brittle, with the thought of garlic. The generous serving of sauce on the other hand/spoon was fantastic, rich and savory; the deep red color stood out against the brown whole wheat penne and left a definite garlic tomato taste in my mouth that was accented by the sharp taste of locatelli cheese, a hard salty Italian cheese.

The meatballs on the other hand were rather confusing and the blend of the meats did not sit well with me as they left me guessing as to what they should taste like. As they say too many chefs spoil the broth and it was unfortunate that the highlight of Marabella’s Meatballs were not her meatballs.

Dear Marabella,

I’ll get my people to call your people?

Xoxo

MOAF

Diving Into Audrey Claire

First impressions are kind of important, and at Audrey Claire their first impression matched the unseasonably lukewarm November weather. Reservations are a must for dinner, reminded with a confirmatory call at 4pm in the midst of my Thanksgiving hangover recovery nap, and we arrived early at 650pm for our 7pm reservation. However by 710pm we were still not yet seated, waiting on another table to order and finish their desserts. Thankfully, Food & Friends across the street on 20th and Spruce offered some relief from the bustling full house corner restaurant and I picked up two bottles of Kriek, a Belgium cherry beer, for the table.

By 720pm, we were seated comfortably near the back of the restaurant and left to ponder over the menu. Service was prompt and the restaurant was dressed in straw snowflakes and painted in pleasant pastel colors. However, the open kitchen in addition to a small packed space made conversation and the discussion of the menu difficult.

I had spied a beet salad on several tables on my way in and started with the popular choice. The beets came accompanied with mashed pumpkin and warm goat cheese ($8).  The sweet crimson beets stood out against the creamy amber pumpkin and blend well with the topping of white goat cheese. The dish was a visual feast and got approving nods from my sister across the table. I also tried some of her grilled tiger shrimp and roasted sweet potatoes with baby arugula ($13) and although the shrimp was fresh it was disappointingly lackluster in flavor.

The main course was crispy shallot crusted lemon sole with crispy sage and caper butter ($21). The nicely browned shallots were accented by a sharp zesty lemon flavor that really highlighted the fish. My only complaint would be that they overdid it with the olive oil. The fish was practically swimming in it and sat rather heavily in my stomach by the end of the meal.

This however did not deter me from dessert. I contemplated between a classic, a warm chocolate cake, and a more unusual choice, a lemon olive oil cake. Curiosity won out and the petite dish came dressed with fresh strawberries and cream. The moment my spoon hit the cake, the first thing I noticed was how thick it was and its light green texture reminded me of the rich coconut based pastries of my hometown Singapore.  The olive oil was evident but I wished the lemon would have come further into the foreground instead of playing a faint supporting role that barely registered on my tongue. By the time I was done, it just added to the already heavy sinking feeling in my stomach. At least with all the olive oil I have eaten tonight my hair will be shiner.

Dear Audrey,

I was not impressed but let’s still remain friends.

Xoxox

MOAF

Rating: 3.5/5