Coffee Talk: La Citadelle

La Citadelle at 16th and Pine is such a friendly place, with the help of Said ("sah-eed"), the cafe's gregarious owner from Algeria.  In the blink of an eye, he learned how much fun people have making fun of me (that's how little time it takes for me to do something foolish or silly or nonsensical).  He also peppered the exchange of money for coffee with things like, "merci, merci mademoiselle!" and teased me about the price of the (AMAZING) almond shortbread cookies.  As I was leaving, he called after me, "Nice meeting you!"  La Citadelle feels like the Cheers of corner cafes.  Also, if you need some quiet time, the hidden gem of the place is the back room.  I can't wait to go again for another yummy almond shortbread cookie and random conversation with Said.

Lunch Suggestions

Pictured Above (Sweet Chicken Skewers)

Ingredients (Sweet Chicken Skewers)

3 Chicken Breasts (cut into cubes)

6 Crimini Mushrooms De stemmed

8 Seedless Green/Red Grapes Cut in Half

Dill Havarti

Salt, Pepper and Garlic Salt to Taste

Red Cooking Wine (bottom of lid)

Small amount of Olive Oil

Tablespoon Brown Mustard

Tablespoon Apple Butter

Tablespoon Bone Sucking Sauce (hot sauce, vinegar, tomato paste, apple cider and honey mixed)

1. Mix Mustard, Apple Butter and Bone Sucking Sauce in a bowl.

2. Add Chicken.

3. Let Marinade 4 hours.

4. Heat pan (w/ lid) on low with Red Cooking Wine and Olive Oil (5 min)

5. Add Mushrooms and Grapes and season with pepper and garlic salt.

6. Heat other pan w/ Olive Oil on high.

7. Add Chicken and cook until you get sear on outside.

8. Return pan to medium and cook until done.

9. Cut squares of Dill Havarti.

9. Take skewer or toothpick and add grape, mushroom, cheese and chicken to each one.

10. Eat.

Restaurant Review: 10 Arts

First Impressions:

10 Arts is situated off to the side of the magnificent lobby of the Ritz.  Although romantically lit and swanky, people wore a wide range of attire.  This is a good thing.  There are a handful of areas to sit, but we were seated in what is likely the least-preferred area: the section of tables that are pretty much in the lobby of the hotel.  A woman walked from the tables on the other side of the columns (the more-preferred side) over to our side talking on her cell phone, without even caring that she was interrupting the dining experiences of several tables.  Were we invisible?  Did I not raise my pinky in the air enough while drinking my Berries and Bubbles?

Don't listen to a thing Ripert says on the restaurant's website, gushing with his adorable French face and luring you in with his accent, about choosing this location for his restaurant.  I am sure his statement was crafted by an attorney with a sense of humor because I can't think of anyone who wants to shell out 10 Arts money to feel like they are eating in a train station.  If I wanted that, I would have taken my food to go, hopped on the blue line for a stop, and dined in 30th Street Station.  Or less dramatically, I would have taken my fancy doggie bag and walked a couple blocks to Suburban Station.

Beverages: 
I already alluded to my Berries and Bubbles.  Pretty delicious.  Second drink for me was a glass of malbec.

Food:

Despite my diatribe above, this is one of the best meals I have ever had in the city, food-wise.  Hands-down.  First of all, the bread was perfect in freshness and density.  I never thought I would ever have that much to say about bread, but that was some excellent bread.  I officially started with the heirloom corn chowder.  This was pure genius.  I want some more of that now please.  Then I had the striped bass.  I don't think I have ever ordered bass at a restaurant, and I won't anywhere else because I know that here it's something special.  Everything about it was just right.  Note: I am intentionally editing out the rabbit I sampled.  It was good, but not truly special like the striped bass.  Speaking of that striped bass, was it gauche to have licked my bowl?  Don't worry; I exercised restraint even though I was slumming it in the almost-lobby.

Dessert was seasonal (read: no longer on the menu), and mine was pretty wunderbar.  Although it seems a little unfair to tell you about something so delicious since you can't order it, I am going to write about it anyway.  My wunderbar dessert was a carmelly-apply bread pudding.  As you might know, the best bread pudding in the WORLD is from Commander's Palace in New Orleans, but this bread pudding was different enough that there's enough room in my heart to love both.  Omitted from this review is also the seasonal marzipan-like dessert because I don't like marzipan because it tastes like marzipan.  

Service:

Excellent.  There's nothing to say here, which is a very, very good thing.  Thanks.

Food     mmmmm

Service     mmmmm

Decor     mmmm

Je ne sais quoi     mmmm

Overall     mmmmm

http://www.10arts.com

10 Avenue of the Arts

Philadelphia, PA 19102

About the ratings:

mmmmm        would eat there again tomorrow

mmmm           looking forward to eating there again

mmm              not in a hurry to eat there again

mm                 likely not going to eat there again

m                    would try my best never to eat there again. ever.

I reserve the right to grade on a curve for the overall score, despite the average.

Lunch Suggestions

Pictured Above (Pistachio Grilled Cheese and Kielbasa Antipasta)

Ingredients (Pistachio Grilled Cheese)
4 Slices of Potato Bread
12 Cubes [about in. long/cm. thick] Muenster Cheese
Teaspoon Olive Oil
Teaspon Vinegar
Butter
8-12 Pistachios Crushed
Half a Handful Fresh Cilantro Chopped

1. Toast 4 slices of bread [crusts off] very lightly.
2. In a bowl, mix olive oil, vinegar, cilantro, crushed pistachios and cubes of cheese until cilantro and pistachios coat the outside of the cheese.
3. Heat pan with butter. Place bread on pan.
4. Put 6 cubes of cheese on each half sandwich.
5. Take off when slightly melted and cut each sandwich in half.
6. Eat.


Ingredients (Kielbasa Antipasta)
3 White Mushrooms Chopped
8 thin slices of Kielbasa cut into 8 pieces each
Half Red Pepper Chopped (cubes)
Half Red Onion Chopped
Handful Scallions Chopped
4 Slices of Jalapeno Finely Chopped
3 Thin Slices of Lemon (cut into 1/8 pieces w/o peel)
Pinch of Black Pepper
3 Teaspoons Hoisin Sauce
2 Teaspoons Soy Sauce
2 Teaspoons Hot Sauce
Pinch of Garlic Salt
Sesame Seeds
Butter

1. In a bowl, mix red pepper, red onion, scallions, lemon, soy sauce, hot sauce, sesame seeds and garlic salt.
2. Place in refrigerator.
3. In a bowl, mix kielbasa, mushrooms, pepper, and hoisin sauce. 
4. Heat a pan on med/low with butter and jalapenos.
5. Add ingredients in bowl and heat for 5-10 minutes.
6. Strain, place back in bowl and add to refrigerator.
7. After about 15 minutes combine red pepper bowl with kielbasa bowl and mix until evenly distributed.
8. Eat.

Restaurant Review: Chifa (lunch)

Setting:

Chifa for casual lunch on a cold winter day.


First Impressions:

The front room of this Peruvian-Cantonese restaurant is simply decorated, with the bar lining the left and quasi-booths along the right.  There are shiny Peruvian pots scaling a portion of the wall before the bar. The back room is filled with charming booths, separated by carved wooden dividers.

Food:

First I had perfect crab empanadas.  Order them.  I also sampled the ribs, and they were tasty.  Order those, too.  My entree was the shrimp noodle bowl.  This was very good.  I kind of wonder, in hindsight, why I ordered what is essentially described as fettucine alfredo at a Peruvian-Cantonese restaurant.  I guess the words shrimp and noodles distracted me, and I wasn't thinking when I read bacon, parmesan, creme, and peas.  Next time, I am going to get the red curry or the chowder.


They messed up our order (more on that later), so they gave us both desserts.  One was for the fruit-lover person who is fussy enough to need a "palate cleanser" and one was made just for me.  The passionfruit and coconut option was really refreshing, but everyone knows when there are two dessert choices you reach for the one that says hazlenut mocha every time.  Every time.

Service:

So, the mess up was that they brought out our full first course twice.  In other words, we completely ate our first course, were waiting for our second, and then it was Groundhog's Day.  So they gave us an extra order of ribs for the wait.  Other than that, our service was good.

Beverage Note: Their specialty cocktail is a Chicha Morada, which is a purple and super sweet rum drink.  I tried a sip.  It's okay - the cocktail on my list to try next time is their caipirinha.  This time around I had a glass of malbec.

Definitely go.


Food     mmmm
Service     mmm
Decor     mmmm
Je ne sais quoi     mmm
Overall     mmmm

http://www.chifarestaurant.com/

707 Chestnut Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

About the ratings:

mmmmm        would eat there again tomorrow

mmmm           looking forward to eating there again

mmm              not in a hurry to eat there again

mm                 likely not going to eat there again

m                    would try my best never to eat there again. ever.

I reserve the right to grade on a curve for the overall score, despite the average.

Spicy Pork Sandwich

2 Slices of Wheat Bread
4 Slices of Pastrami
2 Slices of Ham
2 Slices of Swiss

IN A SEPARATE BOWL
Pinch Red Pepper Chopped into Tiny Cubes
Pinch of Chopped Scallions
Half a Jalapeno Finely Chopped
1/16 Red Onion Chopped into Tiny Cubes
Half a Handful of Chopped Romaine Lettuce
2 Teaspoons of Newman's Own Olive Oil and Vinegar Dressing

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with the dressing.

IN A SEPARATE BOWL
Mayonnaise
Hot Sauce
Goya Recaito

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until evenly distributed.

THE SANDWICH
1. Spread the Mayonnaise mix on both sides of the bread.
2. Place the Swiss Cheese on one side first.
3. Place the vegetables on the other side.
4. Cover the vegetables with the meat.
5. Toast sandwich slightly.
6. Enjoy.

Your Mom's Lazy Cassoulet

These fancy baked beans can be served by themselves or as a side.

Ingredients:
1 lb polish sausage, cut into diagonal pieces
15 oz can black beans
15 oz can navy beans
15 oz can kidney beans
15 oz can tomato sauce
2 yellow onions, sliced in rings and separated
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves minced or chopped garlic
2 T brown sugar (you can add a little more if you feel so compelled)
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 T fresh thyme
1/2 C red wine or dark and dry cider or something similarly alcoholic

First, heat oven to 375.
Then, combine all the ingredients together in a 3Q casserole dish.  Cover and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Next, drink the rest of the bottle of cider or wine alone or with friends.
Remove the casserole from the oven.  Let cool a little and then EAT!

So good.    mmmmm
note: although there are brussel sprouts in the photo, I don't recommend adding them!