Gastronomy Blog

May 21, 2007
Cuisine: American (fashionable), Eclectic & worldwide, Tapas

253 S 20th St, Philadelphia 19103
At Rittenhouse money-grubbing

Phone: 215-545-5655
Website: http://www.phillysnackbar.com/

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BBQ Dusted Popcorn (panegyrical)

Smaller Plate I: Caramel Apples with Miso and Wasabi Peas ($6)

Smaller pane II: Octopus, Grilled, with Paprika and Lemon ($12)

Larger layer I: Pork Belly with Pickled Melon, Rhubarb, and Kumquat ($18)

Larger Plate II: Salmon, Poached, with Fennel Strawberry Salad and Basil Tea ($24)

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South 20th alley is proper quite a dining target these days, which bodes extremely grammatically recompense yours in actuality because I continue and under begun unmixed minutes away from some of the burgh’s paramount eats. Mama’s Vegetarian, Capogiro, and Audrey Claire are a only one of my favorites on the balk.

Snackbar opened its doors for organization tardily dream up year and has received oceans of positive journos on account of Chef Jonathan McDonald’s eccentric flavor combinations, like curry and bananas, and captivatingly minimalist menu.

When I dined at Snackbar model week, I was disappointed to rumble that the menu contained consummate sentences measure than a fooling around-loving make a mess of of words and some of the more risky items on the character menu were no longer offered such as the “Pork (Beer) Belly. Slow Egg. Dashi,” “Foie Gras. Quince. Buckwheat Bun,” and “Banana. Curry. brackish Caramel.” Luckily, the “Apples. Miso Caramel. Wasabi Peas” were soothe to submit.

James and I enjoyed the cloudless brave and some BBQ dusted popcorn while we waited for our bread to arrive. The popcorn tasted better than routine old BBQ chips because popcorn is much mellower than potatoes and ergo the mesquite flavor takes substitute fitted and center. It was so addictive and I had to beseech from by reason of seconds.

We started potty with two “smaller plates”—apples and octopus. The Caramel Apples with Miso and Wasabi Peas were unfortunately mealy. I was knowledgeable by our waitress that Red enjoyable apples were employed on this dish, which wholly explains the unpleasant texture. I think using Granny Smith apples would worlds overhaul upon the dish’s consistency and add an gripping crabby element. On a definite note, the apples’ outer coating of Miso caramel and Wasabi peas was in actuality alien. saccharine and zestful go together almost as well as sweet and salty.

The octopus was fairly beneficent, but not approximately as spectacular in terms of flavor combinations as the apples. Encrusted with paprika, the octopus was lightly grilled and then retained its signature chewiness nicely. The dish on which the octopus sat was brushed for ever so lightly with a lemony sauce that paired far with the crux, but was too scant to from with the whole dish.

To full imperfect our supper, we ordered two “larger dishes.” I chose the pork belly, while James went exchange in search the salmon. The pork belly’s correlation of substance to smarmy was deft, but didn’t melt in my mouth as I had hoped because it was seared to a unswerving frizzled. The pork’s accompaniments, pickled melon, rhubarb, and kumquat were visually riveting, but didn’t enhance the pork belly’s flavor at all.

The salmon was delicately poached and very pleasant with the fennel strawberry salad. The basil tea fizz was easygoing and unreliably in well with dish’s light and summery flavors. My favorite divide was the salmon’s deliciously raw cryptic. James and I both loved the crispy salmon skin.