You’d be nuts not to order the coffee.  It’s Peregrine – a local roaster that’s strong and just as good as local fave La Colombe.  It brews strong but not too acidic – just how I like it.  As for food, it’s a real dilemma.  Despite my pronunciation, I don’t think the pain au chocolat is the best around, so stick with the plain croissant if you’re on the pastry path.  But, I recommend branching out.  The crepes are terrific – both sweet and savory (the ham, egg, and cheese crepe is an excellent weekend breakfast).  The Brussels waffles are also good, although I prefer to chocolate them up as a treat rather than make it a breakfast option.  But the unexpected star of the menu is the Croque Madame.  It’s not overdone, the flavors are balanced perfectly, and it’s a mystery how it comes out of the little countertop kitchen just right.

Novita Bistro

Just about every review of this restaurant has talked about the Galletto al Mattone, a boneless Cornish hen, butterflied and pan-roasted, and served with escarole and white beans.  There’s no doubt it’s good. The real problem is nothing else on Novita’s menu has quite measured up.  We’ve had the starter of shrimp and white beans (no better than I make at home), a salad (nothing special), and the scallops sauteed with balsamic vinegar (the tastiest of the bunch but visually unappealing due to the brown hue and squashed appearance).  Further, the pastas are the weak point. We’ve had the vongole, the spaghetti with crabmeat, and the gnocchi.  All were mediocre.  Due to a serious tagine overload during a trip to Morocco a few years back, neither of us has been compelled to try this rotating special, so I suppose that could be the hidden gem.

In my opinion, the chef here is trying to be too many things at once. There’s obviously a base of technique and simple flavors, but the restaurant seems confused.  Is it Italian (see the pasta dishes) or continental (see the starters) or moroccan-influenced (see the daily tagine special and little tagines used to hold spices in which to dip your bread)?  My advice, as an observer with a real interest in a restaurant in this space: lose the Italian influence, and focus on fresh, modern French-Moroccan tastes.  I’ll go back during the winter for the galletto, but I hope a spring menu brings change.

Apamate

Apamate is one of our neighborhood favorites.  It’s a bit unrefined in decor and service (friendly, but often delayed), but so convenient and the food is truly good.  It is a tapas restaurant by way of a female Venezuelan chef, which strikes me as cool for not entirely clear reasons.  (Okay, technically the restaurant serves pintxos not tapas, but I will admit that the difference between the two eludes me no matter how many times I read an explanation on a menu).   They’ll turn your wine into sangria or mimosas for brunch or Kalimotxo (red wine and coke – it’s a Basque thing), so that’s plus one from the start.  And they have a little, urban-chic back patio (said with tongue partially in cheek, note early comment re empty lot) for warm evenings – so plus two to start. 

The menu is varied enough to entertain us on repeated visits.  For dinner, our favorites are the Caramelos de Morcilla – sausage candies (what’s not to love?), Carne con Patatas al Cabrales (ribeye, potato, blue cheese, check), and the stuffed calamari.  Plus they have a killer charcuterie platter.  (Definitely order whatever “special” meats they may have).  The key is to remember not to stuff yourselves with so many little savory treats that you don’t have room for the churros filled with dulce de leche.  Ridiculous. 

To throw the whole thing over the top, they will do takeout for most of their items and they serve a killer brunch late into the afternoon on the weekends.  It’s true we got a little worn down by this menu after frequenting the place a bit too much (the menu shifts a bit seasonally, but mostly stays the same), but it’s still a great place to have 3 minutes from our front door.

Once upon a time, years ago, we happened on a little BYOB gem of a restaurant called Pumpkin (1713 South).  In fact, it was so long ago, that this crazy kid hadn’t even moved to London yet when we dined there the first time.  Anyway, everyone jumped on the bandwagon, with good reason.  In a terrific move, they still hold my attention by offering a five course Sunday night tasting menu for $35.  Five courses, $35, completely delicious, bring your own wine.  It’s the perfect storm of Philadelphia restaurant wonderfulness.

Then the Pumpkin folks opened what is now Pumpkin Cafe (1609 South), conveniently located for weekend breakfasts.  I will admit to compulsively eating both the breakfast burrito and the green pork chile.  The cuban sandwich and smoothies run a close second.  Plus, the other day, I absentmindedly picked up a little mini pecan pie.  We had it as a special dinner treat, warmed up, with Capogiro apple mascarpone gelato on top.  Ridiculously delicious.

Then, officially making themselves an empire, a few months ago, they opened Pumpkin Market (1610 South) across the street.  I was initially skeptical, but having now given the place a thorough once over, I’m a believer.  Sure, it’s pricey yuppie organic food, all locally grown.  But it’s good and so convenient (and the Delicious Bites market across the street can fill your non-organic last minute needs).  The baguettes are good, the veggies are good, the yogurt is good, the meat is good.  And, on this week’s trip, I noticed they stock a small selection of Capogiro gelato, reducing the distance I must travel for the best thing ever by 2 blocks.  Genius.  The one thing they need to add: Green Meadow Farm salted butter (which I currently buy at the Reading Terminal Market Fair Food Farmstand).  It’s extraordinary.

Le Sirenuse, Positano, Italy

Locanda dell’Amorosa, Sinalunga, Italy

Auberge du Soleil, Napa, California

Chobe Tented Camp, Botswana

Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India

Amankora, Bhutan

Necker Island, Caribbean

Mandarin Oriental, New York

Pavillon de la Reine, Paris, France

Taprobane Island, Sri Lanka

Four Seasons Sultanahmet, Istanbul

Ponta dos Ganchos, Brazil

Explora Lodge, Patagonia, Chile

Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California

This private island in the Philippines

InterContinental, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It was the Regent when I first stayed there, but even with the name change, you just can’t beat the view. Sure, your room’s window looks like a movie at night with all the buildings of Hong Kong lit up, but take it up a notch by heading to the pool level. A nighttime dip in the infinity hot tub overlooking the harbor is out of this world.

Oriental, Bangkok, Thailand. Totally old school, totally great. Having a personal butler isn’t too bad, nor is the wonderful terrace and pool on the river. What cracked me up was, each time we asked for information on a site or activity, we received elaborate instructions about what to wear, right down to footwear.

Governor’s Residence, Yangon, Myanmar. Truly another world. A teak mansion reeking of the colonial world with all its relaxed luxury, smack in the middle of the (former) capital of the most bizarre and tragic place I’ve been.

Kasbah Toubkal, Imlil, Morocco. A former noble’s house/fort up in the mountains, now tricked out with comfortable rooms, gorgeous gardens, and staff to take you hiking.

Domaine Pallus, Cravant les Croteaux, France. As I’ve mentioned before, ownership seems to have changed. When I think of gracious inns and innkeepers, this is the paradigm.

Villa Trotta, Perdifumo, Italy. Our own Italian villa, complete with views of the Amalfi coast, figs growing in the yard, and a pizza oven. When do I get to go back?

Fukiya international villa, Okayama, Japan. One of those spots of zen in madcap Japan. A traditional soy sauce factory tricked out with a traditional bath in the mountains.

Kitty’s Place, Placencia, Belize.  Our hut on the Caribbean Sea. (unfortunately no more, but reincarnated as Saks at Placencia)

Second Home Peru, Lima, Peru.  An artist’s mansion in Barranco, perched on the cliff over the Pacific.  Huge rooms and just as huge bathrooms, with french doors and sea breezes.  Breakfast in the kitchen with the family and a yard full of sculpture to wander around.  A true find.

L’Astrance, Paris, France.

French Laundry, Yountville, California.

Ubuntu, Napa, California

Momofuko Ssam, New York

El Bulli, Roses, Spain

Don Alfonso 1890, Sant’Agata Sui Due Golfi, Italy

Agata e Romeo, Rome, Italy

Alinea, Chicago, Illinois

Anthos, New York

Araki, Tokyo, Japan

O Ya, Boston, Massachusetts

Cochon, New Orleans, Louisiana

Le Cinq, Paris, France – Haute French cuisine with all of its idiosyncrasies and decadence, and absolutely flawless and effortless service.  Example A: despite closing the restaurant down with our 3 hour tasting course, the host sneaks behind Mike at the end of the meal, whispers in his ear, and slips him a three foot rose (seriously, it was enormous) to give me.  Not requested, completely smooth, and utterly beyond the call of duty.

Les Trente Annees, Chinon, France – Homey but refined French country food in a great Loire Valley town.  Although my experience was years ago, I’ve sent more than one friend there and everyone leaves pleased.

Butcher, Perdifumo, Italy – So not a restaurant, but the best sausage ever.  Full stop.

I Sette Consoli, Orvieto, Italy – A gorgeous setting in a converted abbey.  The incredibly romantic  yard is set with white fabric draped canopies.  An exquisite tasting menu with unusual but not overdone food that still tastes Italian. 

Osteria Acquacheta, Montepulciano, Italy – One of those osterias that is all character.  Old wood table, charismatic host, local patrons, shared tables.  Simple, fresh, insanely delicious food.   

Trattoria San Giacomo, Bellagio, Italy – I suspect this is a controversial one, as in the height of the season, this place might be insufferably stuffed with British tourists.  But, we were there in porcini season and I had the most spectacular 5 course all porcini meal.  Plus, they give you cushions and glasses of prosecco to sit on the stairs out front to wait for your table.  Can’t beat that.

Redd, Yountville, California – A modern place in a town full of bistros in quaint flower-filled buildings.  Terrific bartenders.  Amazing wine list.  Food smashed expectations.  Sure, we didn’t eat at French Laundry, but this place won the Napa award for us.

Nobu Next Door, New York – I know, it’s a huge chain and a cliché these days, but when we lived in Manhattan, we loved showing up at this no-reservations little brother of Nobu and sitting at the sushi bar.  Lychee martini was groundbreaking at first and comfortably familiar now.  Rock shrimp tempura with spicy creamy sauce is like crack.  New style sashimi is flawlessly executed.  Plus you get that only-in-NYC type celebrity sighting pretty regularly.

Komi, Washington D.C. – So this wasn’t a restaurant from travels, as we used to live up the street, but I think this place is a complete gem.  Maybe ten tables, limited hours, tasting menu changes constantly.  A chef with a point of view that’s fresh and evolving.  Just terrific. 

Oran Mor, Nantucket, Massachusetts – Around the corner from the ferry and up the copper steps is this terrific restaurant.  The décor is simple but lovely, including a welcome, generously sized bar.  The food is unexpected (what, not all seafood?), seasonal, and has never disappointed.  The spot for a decadent but not formal evening out.

Cabbages and condoms, Bangkok, Thailand – This place is all over the guidebooks these days, but I think it’s great.  Good cause and good food.  Non-threatening enough for those who don’t want to wander up to a random street stall but authentic enough to give you those amazing Thai flavors.

First things first.  It’s on a street in Queen Village with that just-right Philly vibe.  There was something about the sign that put me off but we’ll give them a pass for that.  (Truthfully, the green and brown toile-ish sign reminded me of a lot of the eight million wedding invitation/stationery sets I’ve seen of late so I figure we can blame that one on wedding planning overexposure).

We started with a cocktail in the bar.  A quiet spot on the early side of a Thursday evening but a spot I’d return to.  In addition to a few clusters of seats, the bar is nice and long with lots of space around it – the kind of place you can have a civilized drink free of elbows flying in your ear.  I had a lovely elderflower & prosecco cocktail (love that St. Germain elderflower liqueur) and M. had the James-hattan which was a bit too cinnamon and autumnal for me (and that’s speaking as someone who’s generally fixated on infused whiskeys).

Then it was on to dinner in a small dining room, but one with well-spaced seats that didn’t get loud even when completely full.  The shtick here is a four course Italian-style meal which we of course embraced.  As a general matter, the portions are sized about right for this although we were pretty full by dessert.  After a lovely amuse, we opened with sunchoke soup and sweetbreads – both of which were big hits.  The sweetbreads were expertly cooked with the right soft and crunchy contrast and the sunchoke soup was bright and springy. 

For pasta, I had the most ridiculously good nettle ravioli that had that wonderful handmade imperfection to them and were cooked just right.  M. had one of their signatures – a tagliatelle with duck ragu, orange and shaved chocolate.  The idea was appreciated, but in its execution, there was something a bit short.  I think perhaps they made the ragu a little dry to work with the other ingredients and if I’m going to have a tagliatelle with ragu, I want it super-saucy.  But a minor quibble.

For our meat, we had a lamb with morels (predictably delicious) and their signature item – the poularde.  This was a roll of chicken, spinach and porcini where the skin was removed and then wrapped around the roll so the inside was super tender and the outside was crispy.  Topped with apple pan sauce.  I don’t usually go for chicken, but this was surprisingly good. 

Dessert, which I am often skeptical of in Philadelphia restaurants for one reason or another, was a hit.  The highlight was a concoction of chocolate mousse on top of a rosemary flavored crust with fleur de sel on top.  Perfect salty and sweet.  And they have vin santo by the glass with biscotti.  Sold.

We did wines by the glass with our meal, which yielded a discovery of an inexpensive vineyard out of Australia called First Drop.  Their First Love white – a blend of Semillon, Riesling and Viognier – was a total hit. 

As a final note, James is owned by that Philadelphia phenomenon: the husband-and-wife restaurant team.  In this case: chef Jim Burke and Kristina Burke, a chef but the front-of-house part of the team.  We saw both of them while we were dining – JIm made an appearance in the dining room and Kristina was running the floor and checked in with us several times.  In a nice touch, there was an older couple there celebrating a birthday and the Burkes had put together a special tasting menu for them.  Kristina clearly knew them and spent a fair amount of time at their table, but made a point twice to come to our nearby table to make sure we weren’t feeling neglected.  That kind of personality is one of the best things about homegrown restaurants in this town.