James
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Phone: (215) 629-4980
- Cross Street:
- Christian Street
- Best of Citysearch:
- Romantic Date Spot 2008
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 5pm-10pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm
Editorial Review for James – by James Zeleniak
In Short
Here's yet another hip storefront eatery manned by a fab foodie couple deciding to go out on their own and do their own thing. Does the place work? The proof is in the pudding--or caramelized scallop carpaccio, as it is. While chocolate velvet drapes and glam chandeliers set a stylish scene, James stays grounded, offering humanely raised meats, an organic emphasis, and nod to local and seasonal ingredients. Another worthwhile neighborhood spot only makes the city a more vibrant place.
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Insider Tips
Where to SitSlide into a seat next to the pane-glass window for added atmosphere.
What to DrinkAsk about James' well-selected wine pairings.
User Reviews for James
04/09/2008 Posted by melaniejearle
This reastaurant is over-priced, pretentious and just not that good. The portion size is laughable relative to their prices and the menu is anemic. I would not recommend this place to anyone. The food itself was good enough but for what you pay, there are far too many other restaurants in the city to waste your time on James.
Cons: price, portion size, arrogant staff
04/07/2008 Posted by phillyguy10
Was taken there by my gf for my birthday March 29th having read the reviews. As we concluded our meal we commented on what a pleasant surprise it was and how the portions were NOT puny. We did find that the two of us were very far away when dining due to the "long" table. It made it difficult to feel any spacial intimacy with the person who was taking me out. The people next to us were incredibly loud to the point that sometime I could only hear my gf's lips move and not hear what she said. She was nice enough to deliver a cake to the restaurant earlier in the day to be given to me at the end of the meal and they charged a 14 dollar cutting fee. I found that a bit steep. We lucked out and found street parking That being said let's get to the strengths. We decided to have two appetizers, share a pasta and then two entrees and did not drink alcohol that night.The Sunchoke soup was a light cream soup which was a nice start as we passed it back and forth. the Sea Scallop was just that ONE sea scallop but easy to cut into two and delicious. the Tagliatelle with Duck Ragu was a wonderful combination of flavors and perhaps the highlight of the night. My gf had the Red Curry Snapper and she with he distinguishing palate was very impressed that it was made just right. She commented that the fact that a mussel had sand in it suggested that the Mullusk was dead before it was cooked based on the sand which should have not been there. I had the Poularde and if you just consider it a fattened chicken...it was truly and surpisingly amazing. The portion was more than ample! It was really a big surprise. I found the pace to be perfect, the manager and waiter very interested in us having a good time. I expected to find a snooty place with microscopic sized dishes, but in fact had a great birthday dinner. It was hard to be mad at the 14 dollar cake cutting fee given the whirlwind of tastes we had just cherished.
Pros: quality of food, service
Cons: difficult street parking, not cheap
