Sycamore. Can you Suckamore?

Sometimes you stumble upon a place due to friend's recommendation, advertising, desperation, or in this case.... I saw it on Groupon. If I had taken advantage of the Groupon this review might be more positive. But here goes.

During a week of non stop rain in mid August I found myself in need of new places to nosh at and ended up at Sycamore with my dining companion KrustyBlini. Sycamore is located in Lansdowne, PA. KrustyBlini has an opinion of Lansdowne that is loathsome at best. His opinion was further punctuated by us being seated at the front window with a view of Lansdowne Ave. However he's a cranky pants and I personally enjoyed the seating placement. The seating space, however, was cramped. This is definition of "tiny BYOB". The interior is stylish. Decorated with leaves, tree themed light fixtures and dark chocolate brown walls. The interior decorations are honestly very lovely visually. Which is good. Because for a portion of the evening this was the view out of the window:



Clearly this is not Sycamore's fault. However mood-killa.

However the following things were Sycamore's fault. We waited a fairly long time to be greeted by our waitress. We had some quick questions about the menu which were answered efficiently. I say efficiently because both times we asked how something on the menu was she answered with "amazing" as her stock and trade answer. She later revealed, when we asked why there were no sweetbreads on the menu that night despite their presence on the website, that their menu changes daily. Makes me think that perhaps she had not actually tried the dishes we asked about. Which is fine, but cop to it. Explain them dishes, how they're prepared, etc. After our server first came to our table she quickly returned with an amuse-bouche.



Scallop mousse with a slice of carrot that smelled like it was pickled. I honestly forgot the description due to what happened next. What you can't see in the photo but I discovered when I lifted the amuse-bouche to smell was a hair attached to the mousse. Not off to a great start. Worse was that it took nearly thirty minutes for the waitress to come back to the table for me to tell her this. At one point she stopped off at the tables to the right and the left of us, the only three tables in that room, and skipped over us. She was apologetic and the hairy bouche was removed and quickly replaced by another however, perhaps flustered the complaint, she failed to explain the new amuse-bouche. Judging by the taste I assume it was the same.



It was a delicious little bite. It had a slice of some vegetable, turnip perhaps, that had a tang to it. Reminded me of a bite of a seafood chowder with sherry. That was the first step towards redemption. We ordered the Farmer's Plate $19. We had our selection of three cheese options and three charcuterie options with all of the accouterments offered with cheese and charcuterie plates.


Left to right, top to bottom:

Porcini dusted truffle steak, Prosciutto Di Parma, Chorizo, bread and croutes, sweet mustard, cornichon, olives, grain mustard, cipollini onions, Boucheron cheese, Idiazabal cheese, mostarda, and drunken raisins.

This was a delightful plate. I'm a known hater of pickles but the cornichon was excellent. I'd sit down to a small bowl of them. The meats were both excellent. The Prosciutto was on point for what I expected. The Procini dusted truffle steak was less than stellar on the first time I tried it but it was outstanding on my second try. The restaurant is BYOB and I recommend you take advantage of that because we found that our wine was an excellent pallet cleanser. The combination of the Boucheron cheese with the mostarda or the drunken raisins was fantastic although the combination of goat cheese with a sweet fruit component isn't something new. However it still works and all of the elements offered in the Farmer's Plate worked both alone and coupled in their various pairings. As fantastic as this was the fact of the matter is that this offering isn't a great culinary jump. It's good, high quality meats and cheeses with varying accouterments put together to enjoy. Anyone can do that.

On to the entrees.



KrustyBlini's Roasted Duck Breasts $24. Creamed Escarole, Garlic Confit, aged Pedro Ximenez Sherry Vinegar.

The duck was excellently prepared. Soft, tender, flavorful, and lean. The accouterments (its the word of the day) were under impressive. I'm not a huge fan of escarole so that might be my fault. However I felt with that they took away from the near perfect execution of the duck breast.

On to my meal. The Green Meadows Farm Pork Chop $26




Garlic, Sircha & Orange Brined, Coconut Lemongrass Jasmine Rice with Baby Local Swuat & Sweet Chinese Sausage, Basil Mecerated Plums.


I really enjoyed my entree. The porkchop itself was very large. However the pork-to-rice pilaf was off. I think that sliced pork tenderloin would have been a better medium for this dish. However it was all delicious and very well prepared. I made a point to get an element off all of the flavors (plums, chop, sausage, and rice) as my last bite for the entree portion of the meal. This marks one of the few times I had a dish that I thought out shined one of KrustyBlini's choices.

We saved room for dessert. To the elderly dinner across the way from me: Thanks for taking the last Dark Chocolate Pot de Creme. Damnit.

We decided on the Rum Butterscotch Budino and the Local Honey & Hazlenut Pie with macerated fresh peaches. Both $7.



I'll start with the bad: The Hazlenut pie was a flop in my opinion. KrustyBlini enjoyed it after giving it a second chance. My first bite was way too thick, too heavy, and got stuck in every corner of my mouth. My take is that this is just a matter of personal opinion. To me this needed more peaches and less thick pastey cap. We did both agree that the Rum Butterscotch Budino was far and away the best dessert. This was a nice combination of salty, sweet, smooth, creamy, crunchy, and all pulled together near perfectly. My only suggestion would be to include crispy bacon bits in the Budino aka "pudding" for flavor/texture compare/contrast.


All and all I'll revisit Sycamore but only if they up their service game and revamp their menu a bit to cater their clientele.

Bar Ferdinand - Setting the bar for Tapas. No bull.

I've dined at Bar Ferdinand several times over the last two years. I've always enjoyed myself so be prepared for a blog that is mostly going to be me singing the praises of this five year old tapas restaurant in NoLibs. My most recent trip was encouraged by my new boyfriend the KrustyBlini, who also names Ferdinand as one of his favorite restaurants in the city.

Before I get started I've read other reviews with common gripes. It's expensive. The portions are small. It's busy on the weekends.

So before I get started let me address this:
-It's tapas. They're supposed to be small.
-It's high quality ingredients meticulously prepared. That means they're expensive.
-It's a popular restaurant in a popular section of town.

This means if you want plenty of elbow room and a cheap but filling eat you should go to TGIFriday's mid afternoon during the week and shut up.


This place is usually bustling so reservations are recommended. They do have Prix Fix menus for $40, $50, and $60. Thursdays are a special Chef's tasting menu for $45. Wine pairings are also available. The Chef's menu has been hit or miss for me. The first time I loved it and it was one of my favorite meals of all time. The second time I was disappointed but my dining companion raved. This particular night we made our own selections off of the menu. For the record we selected entirely too much and I feel the need to pop an alka seltzer just thinking about it. Unfortunately my notebook had a mishap with my water so I'm relying on memory and the restaurants menu.



First off we had the Surtido de Carnes. Sliced Serrano ham, chorizo, chorizo blanco, lomo. The artisian meats each have their own particular flavor. Some better than others. The Lomo had an earthy mineral taste to it that was so overwhelming it tasted like dirt in my humble blogging opinion. KrustyBlini noted the earthy taste but stopped short of sharing my dirt opinion. This is where the beauty of Tapas comes into play. They're meant to be shared. Or in this case shovel off what you don't like onto your dining companion while you can eat the portion you like.

Next up was Manchego Frita.



Fried Manchego, frozen apple foam, walnut membrillo purée. These three tiny skewers pack a dynomite punch. The fried Manchego is crunchy and warm. The warmth and crunch of the savory Manchego contrasts with the chill and slight tartness of the apple foam. Then the walnut puree comes in at the end with a sweet wash of flavor. The differing flavors, temperatures, textures, and sweet vs. savory bounces around your mouth like you're gargling salty pop-rocks and cola.


The most kitschy dish we sampled was the Pato Ahumado.





Duck sliders. Now I know the concept of high brow burgers is over done. Sliders are so worn out Denny's is offering them. All of this means naddda when faced with these three delightful little duck burgers on fresh miniature rolls. The almond jam is a sweet compliment to the succulent duck. The concept of small high brow sliders may be consider passé but my mouth doesn't care.

Next up... the Jamon.



Charred Scallion. Not a word pairing that inspires great confidence. However the delicious salty, smokey ham contrasts delightfully with the creamy mixture inside. It's a delightful combination that honestly comes off as a fancy drunk food. If they could mass produce them and sell them in baggies at Acme they would be the hit of Ivy League campuses.


Queso de Cabra Cocindado
Goat cheese, honey, spices, pinenuts, garlic... I don't think you can't go wrong. I'm also completely correct. Wowza. This was a fabulous dish. Again the contrast of sweet and savory, smooth and crunchy where brought to the forefront. Like the duck sliders this overwhelming dish would not be well received in a large dish offering. But in Tapas version it left me at odds with my dining companion fighting it out for the final bite.



Pixin Con Panceta.

Meaty fish? Indeed. These skewers were excellently prepared with mild seasoning that allowed the texture and taste of the fish to stand on its own. Complimenting, not over powering. The Monkfish had the thick meaty texture of a well prepared tender steak. This was my first experience eating Monkfish and I am converted.


As I said, Bar Ferdinand - I'd fight a lazy bull for dinner here.

Honey's Sit and Eat - Southern Fried Noshes

After a long hiatus and fueled by the wonders of a smart phone, a borrowed laptop and the company of new foodie friend I'm back with a few new blogs.

I'm starting it off with Honey's Sit and Eat. Honey's is a small shabby chic establishment in Northern Liberties. On the weekend the wait for breakfast can easily reach two hours. I personally can't wait for two hours for breakfast. I would either pass out from hunger or eat another patron. That said I have waited over an hour for breakfast there. I may, or may not, have longingly eyed a small child's chunky arm during that wait while wondering how it would taste with a bit of Queso but I refuse to comment on that subject any further. The concept of Honey's to think of the best down home southern cooking made by your Jewish Grandmother after she returned from a visit with your Aunt Edie in New Mexico. Vegetable Latkes sit next to Fried Green Tomatoes on Honey's menu right across from Mahi Mahi Tacos. If you can't find anything to eat on the menu you're either not really hungry... or a picky vegan.

My first couple of trips to Honey's was for their breakfast. On this particular trip I had Nutella and Pear stuffed Challah french toast topped with whipped cream and crème anglaise.



Challah bread is a traditional bread served on the Sabbath as well as anytime a good Jew wants to indulge in delicious braided carb goodness. It's very versatile for use in recipes and has become a popular choice for french bread due to its ability to soak up the wet ingredients without turning into mush. It's also very damned delicious. When topped with the nutella and pear combination it is a decidedly delicious diabetes inducing dish. Since it was late in the day, my dining companion ChopStixx and I shared a plate of Guacamole and Chips. Slightly blurry photo below.



This was impeccable smooth and creamy. The guacamole had a consistency less like a mashed vegetable and more like whipped cream. The triangles of tortilla chips were served spiked into the Guacamole like a culinary hedgehog. Not that I think a hedgehog is appetizing. Although it might be if served with this Guacamole. Sorry, Sonic. I failed to get a picture of the Enfrijoladas with Chorizo but I have to say I've gone to Honey's three times for breakfast at this point and I always order this dish. I may have to wrap it up and take it home but I always have to order the combination of eggs, beans, salsa verde, queso fresco, and fresh fresh fresh micro greens. My only defense for not getting a picture is that I'm usually halfway through the dish before I remember I'm supposed to be blogging.


Originally they were only a breakfast and lunch joint. They have since expanded to include dinner, appear on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and are soon opening a second location. My most recent trip was my first for dinner. I took along my Mom, MommaFox, visiting from California. During what seemed to be the Down Pour Of The Apocalypse I took MommaFox into Northern Libs for a bite at Honey's. After waiting in the car for twenty minutes for the rain to either let up or Noah's Arc to appear on the horizon we finally braved the rain to dash inside. We were quickly greeted by one of the most upbeat servers I've even encountered. I'll forgive him for wearing those hideous tiger print wayfarer sunglasses on the top of his head. We decided on sliced heirloom tomatoes.



The tomatoes although not visually the most appealing dish were full of bright perky flavor that was in stark contrast to the doomsday happening outside the windows. Simple but delicious. For dinner we both decided on Bubby's Brisket Platter. MommaFox is watching her carbs and they were happy to substitute her Red Bliss Mashed potatoes for another choice of side from their list of over twentyoptions. I stuck with the mashed potatoes.



The portions was huge. This was my dinner, lunch and snack. The mashed potatoes were super creamy, smooth, and a perfect comfort food for a rainy day. The brisket was fall-apart-tender. The root vegetables were super fresh and had soaked up the au jus from the brisket. It was honestly nostalgic to share this with meal MommaFox because it reminded me of something that would have come out of her kitchen during my childhood. It was a cozy warm meal served with great friendliness. Our server even managed to convince me to take home an pecan apple tart. I wish I'd had the room to stay and have it at Honey's where they serve it warm and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream from the legendary Basset's. MommaFox confessed that when she first walked into Honey's small dining room and spied the ultra hipster waitstaff she was more than just a little doubtful. Not that I can blame her. Bicycle shorts should never be worn by a man working in a kitchen. That much un-netted hair can't be sanitary. However the food at Honey's shines even when the sun refuses to.


Honey's Sit and Eat: Fox tested, MommaFox approved.