Winter 2019/20 Issue
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
CELEBRATION SEASON
I TRY TO AVOID REPETITION in Edible Philly, but sometimes there’s just something in air. This season, it seems to be Mission Taqueria’s ...
No Plates Like Home: Why Philly's Food Scene is the Best
It took eating hundreds of meals in dozens of other cities over a decade for one hospitality pro to appreciate that Philly’s food scene is the best.
The best meals I’ve had are the ones I think about time and time again, even years after my last bites. And most of the time, they are the meals I’ve enjoyed at home in Philly.
I STARTED TRAVELING THE COUNTRY IN THE SUMMER OF 2009, and since then I’ve spent more time on planes, trains and automobiles than in my own living room. Working in hospitality—first in national sales for airports, restaurants and stadiums for eight years and then starting my own consulting firm two years ago—I get paid to eat and drink for a living. Thanks to this eating resume, I’m the friend you call when you need a restaurant recommendation, whether you’re in Philly or any other major city in the United States.
When someone asks me for a recommendation for Philly, my first response is always: “What are you in the mood for?” I don’t have a favorite restaurant in Philly, and I hope I never do. Over the years, as I’ve traveled to other cities, I’ve grown to appreciate the options we have in Philly, and that we’re so much more than cheesesteaks and Wawa. Dining experiences in Philly often exceed my expectations without an exceedingly high price point. And, even better, our restaurants are unusually unpretentious. Some of the best meals I’ve had here cost $8.
All over this city, chefs are putting out dishes they personally care about. Sometimes the food reflects a chef’s traditional cuisine. Eating crab curry with thin noodles, sweet crab, spicy chile and crunchy long bean at Kalaya, I feel transported to Thailand. Other chefs draw inspiration from beyond their own backgrounds with great results. The first time I slurped the brisket ramen at Cheu, I was blown away. The kimchi reminded me of a favorite bite I had in LA’s Koreatown; the matzoh ball was reminiscent of my Bubbie’s soup growing up.
I noticed that in multiple cities acclaimed for their restaurant scenes, dishes were overcomplicated and badly described. I recall sitting with a colleague at a popular spot in Tampa where she ordered what sounded like a basic tomato omelet. We were surprised to learn the tomato listed in the dish was not the fresh tomato we expected, but a smoked tomato jam. This affected the texture, taste and appeal of the dish. Why not call it what it is? A jam omelet. Possibly because no one would order that.
In Seattle, I was served a dish with “seafood essence.” To this day, I couldn’t describe it to you, because I couldn’t see it or taste it. You know how I like my seafood? Visible.
Let me know what ingredients I’m eating, cook them properly and serve them with purpose. Don’t just put ingredients on the plate or words on the menu. I don’t want to leave a meal confused. The best meals I’ve had are the ones I think about time and time again, even years after my last bites. And most of the time, they are the meals I’ve enjoyed at home in Philly.
My first time dining at Vernick Food and Drink in Rittenhouse Square, I saw a roast chicken in a cast-iron skillet go by and thought, who orders chicken at a restaurant? I don’t usually order the chicken, because I can make that at home, but I couldn’t get the image of the cast iron out of my mind. It was like a designer dress on the runway I couldn’t wait to try on. It landed on our table and I was struck by a perfectly roasted bird, skin glistening with fat and salt, a lemon on the side. I took one bite and could taste that I was home. It was incredibly comforting, and a dish I knew I would order again. This was the simplicity I had been craving while out of town.
As a longtime Philadelphian, I took our BYOB restaurants for granted until I began traveling nonstop. The entire concept of a BYOB, especially one that doesn’t charge corkage fees, is uncommon in many other major cities across the US. In Philly, several of our BYOBs are recognized as the best restaurants in the city. These affordable restaurants make the best of our food scene more accessible to more people. In Philly, fine dining isn’t just for the moneyed few.
The variety of cuisines served at our BYOBs is staggering. In South Philly, you can get exemplary beef rendang, a Malaysian classic, at Sate Kampar. Just over the bridge in Collingswood, NJ, Zeppoli’s namesake fried doughnuts and spaghetti alle vongole celebrate Italian eats. We’ve got Cambodian, Dutch, French and dozens of other BYOBs with menus inspired by cultures all around the world.
In New York, it feels like chefs compete with one another nonstop. Here, it’s not about one person being the best, it’s about supporting each other. One striking example of this spirit of cooperation over competition is Mission Taqueria’s monthly TACOLAB. It’s a guest chef series, and one of my favorite collabs was when sandwich specialist Middle Child created an homage to Taco Bell.
The chefs came up with their take on Taco Bell’s Crunch Wrap Supreme, only prepared with corned beef. I still wake up in the middle of the night sometimes thinking about that meal. Was it a sandwich? Was it a dream? It was so smart, and so much fun.
It’s one of those plates that’s the perfect expression of the people, the place and the moment it comes from. It’s the flavor you find in Philly and nowhere else.
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