05/07/09

wanted to stop to eat after dinner

by suydamstreet

We dined here with my friend and his wife for his birthday . I expected a fine dining experience and I agree that I did receive a fine dining experience but the portions were absurdly and ridiculously small (I put this in quick in case you're just skimming reviews, please read on for the rest of the experience - some of it good). Our drinks were very overpriced - $12 for a Hendricks gin martini ( this restaurant is not in NY, not even downtown Philly - and I'm sure the lease doesn't justify the cost) that tasted good served at the right temp with small shavings of ice floating on top that quickly melted. The style of the menu is designed such that one needs to order 3 courses. This is not an issue in itself . However, the main course cost is not adjusted for this fact but the course size is, creating the main problem with this eatery.

I skipped the first course (these would be very small appetizers, and had I added one to my meal it would not have impacted the amazingly small amount of food we received) due to sticker shock and chose the stinging nettle tortelli as a first course ( at their suggestion this should be a 2nd course), this was fantastic and I would like to have it again though they did something strange to the texture of the garbanzo beans (maybe roasted) that made them very hard.

The pasta was al dente and the nettle stuffing was very tender with a soft spinach flavor, the bagna cauda (fish roe) added a nice dimension to the nettle and left me wanting more.

I ordered the lamb dish as the main course, it was cooked a proper medium rare but I only received 3 small medallions placed over a few drab uninteresting small greenish beans. It looked very lonely on the plate next to approximately 5 matchsticks (the size of actual matchsticks) of zucchini. For $34, it was truly disappointing, it did not taste bad but there was nothing extra ordinary about this lamb, and to compensate for the lack of original flavor I think at least another medallion was in order, and maybe a more substantial side. I've honestly grilled up better tasting lamb on my back grill!

My wife had the poached halibut and it was fantastic- paired with the hearts of palm but again the portion was very small----my wife is a very small person and does not eat very much, she never finishes her meals at restaurants. She finished this one, and after leaving the restaurant stated she was still hungry, after dropping our friends off we ended up stopping for food on the drive home.

The desert was very good, we ordered and shared the rhubarb parfait----worth trying and beautifully presented.

All in all, the place was worth being disappointed about. I am sure that I've had better fine dining experiences with more more realistic prices and more sufficient portion sizes, and I'm sure the chef has too which leaves me all the more bewildered. One of our party actually joked about getting cheese steaks on the way home.

Restaurants however, are like gambling - you win some, you lose some, and in this case I lost $200 (my share of the tab) and remained hungry throughout the remainder of the evening. Had I or my wife walked away satiated for a few hours this review would have been quite different.

So go ahead ,if you want to, try it. --Go for it but maybe eat something before you go. You won't have that expectation/desire to be less hungry after you eat , if you're not hungry when you start. By all means, eating before going here will not spoil the dinner, this restaurant is more like a place to experience tastes, it's not really a place to eat for nourishment. Food has truly entered the realm of art at James on 8th, it is just unfortunate that if we were looking at a venn diagram of art and practicality, this restaurant would not be part of the set of restaurants that were both artful and practical.

• Pros: nice people and decor, comfortable seat
• Cons: not enough food -- way too expensive

12/31/08

Great space, good food, SMALL portions

by TwentySomethingFoody

Let me start by saying that I was a bit skeptical of going here after reading other reviews, but went due to a birthday dinner. Upon entering we were greated by a warm environment which was very inviting. The staff were friendly and I noticed no snootiness, as others have mentioned. When we got our menus our waiter literally went over every dish, including specific ingredients in each. Now I know some people may enjoy this however I dont. I can read and if I have a question I'll ask. So their menu says Tues are 1/2 off cocktails, I asked which drinks this included I was told its only in the lounge. Hm, ok but perhaps you should put that on there. I got a "blue and green" martini which was belevedere with blue cheese stuffed olives. Ok lets get this straight, no martini should cost $14, especially in South Philly, this is not Manhattan! We were encouraged to have a 3 course meal but that certaintly was not going to happen for me simply due to their prices. After seeing other guests plates and upon receiving my own it was clear the prices were way off when compared to the portions. I started with the duck tagliatelle which I was told was their only dish that hadnt been changed since they opened. Ok now I have really high expectations and unfortunately it just didnt live up. The menu stated it had orange and chocolate however you couldnt taste either. The dish was so rich and it craved citrus badly. It wasnt bad by all means, in fact it was quite good but the orange and chocolate were more of a garnish than anything. I moved onto my entre which was poached halibut with an apple scented sauce ($26) Ok the fish was good, but not great and very small. There was a potato on the plate which was as big as a childs fist and was hard. Luckily me and my party all shared so let me just tell you whats worth getting. The raviolo, sweetbreads, the chicken (its amazing). Overall good exp, the food was good, just not great for a bill of $400.

• Pros: Great space, friendly staff
• Cons: Small portions, over priced

10/21/08

Best romantic date spot by far!

by outandaboutphilly

Walked in and from the beginning the decor was Super Chic! The food was AMAZING, there was a great wine selection, and the staff was superb. Although the only draw back was that the appetizers were small in portion, so be aware.

I cant be 100% about the bill, as I was on a date, but I know from what I seen on the menu, the prices are a bit higher than the average place.

• Pros: Ultra hip place
• Cons: portion size is very Euro