Nectar of the Gods

My Main Line excursions continue to expand...


On the recommendation of a colleague, whose food and dining opinions I greatly respect, I made a short trek eastward along Route 30 to the tony enclave of Berwyn, home to one of the increasing number of upscale, progressive restos in the area, Nectar (http://www.tastenectar.com/).


The food is decidedly Pan-Asian/Fusion, with the decor to match. Very impressive, from the outside-in. Contemporary furnishings, soaring ceilings, and ample seating at the bar, sushi bar, booths, tables, upstairs, and back deck. Almost ultra-mod, but the lighting and ambiance still gave it a welcoming vibe.


I arrived at 6:30 and the joint was jumpin already -- always a good sign.


Couldn't resist a sushi roll for starters, and I went with one of my faves: eel and avo. It arrived exactly the way I like it: warm from the toasty eel inside, with a healthy drizzle of eel sauce on top. Sweet, a tad salty, a bit sticky, a touch starchy... this is what I would take a picture of to describe that elusive Asian taste sense UMAMI (Editor's Note: Umami has been pretty widely popularized as "Savory," juxtaposed with the traditional other 4 tastes: Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter)...

I ordered a fish dish for my main course, always cognizant of the fact that I still don't prepare as much fish at home as I should. My choice was the favorite of my waitress, who offered that endorsement only after I placed my order (she seemed genuine about it -- another good sign!).
Pan-seared wild striped bass, surrounded my a melange of oyster and shiitake mushrooms and asparagus, all delicately but generously coated in a French black truffle sauce. The fish was served skin-side up, and it was crisp and crunchy, a stark and welcome contrast to the moist, flaky flesh. My only issue was how to dive in. I would normally forsake the knife altogether with a fish dish, but the thickness of the skin made it a necessity, and when I did cut in, it reminded me of the classic slapstick routine of a rake to the face after stepping on its tines, a la Joe Pesci in "Home Alone." Picture it: I press down with my fork; the back end of the fish stands up at attention! Small price to sacrifice for the payoff: the presentation was beautiful, and was bested by the taste. So many flavor profiles at work here, what with the fish, the skin, the veggies, and the sauce. It was all put together in a very refined manner, yet the result was borderline decadent... atypical praise for a fish entree...

Another quality dining experience in this neck of the woods. Nectar is most definitely sophisticated, in style and in substance...

Always Sunny in Philadelphia

I've been coming up to QVC for almost a year now, and this weekend marks the first time I've ventured off the Main Line for a meal... met an old friend for dinner in Manayuk, a Philly suburb on the banks of the Schuykill River. Great locale; really vibrant with lots of foot traffic. Outside of the nightmare that is finding a parking spot, this a really cool neighborhood...

Our destination was Derek's on Main Street (http://www.dereksrestaurant.com/), smack dab in the midst of the hustle and flow of a springtime Friday night. My childhood friend, Nancy, arrived in advance, as did the crispy, fried calamari she ordered while waiting for me to ditch my rental car. Bonus for me! The calamari was nicely seasoned, with the just the right amount of lemon, to give it a nice spicy/citrusy zing. The remoulade sauce for dipping was creamy and rich, and a good balance of flavor...

I started with a special that night, not on the menu: Sweet Potato Soup. I was impressed when the waiter served it out of a small procelain urn. Already in the bowl anticipating the pour was a toasted wedge of French bread with a generous dollop of soft, creamy goat cheese. The soup was pureed and rich; The toast, just slightly submerged in a semi-thick sea of deep orange lushness. Not sure if the intent was to be served at room temperature as it was, but I wasn't offended, given my alfresco seating and the time of year.

For my meal, I went with an entree that was highlighted on the menu as an award-winner: Pork shoulder with a Pinot Noir sauce. It arrived pulled, much like the way you'd be served at a BBQ joint, and it was pleasantly crunchy on top, but really tender and moist. Not sure if that was the result of the pork being finished off under the broiler, or just the crust it obtained from searing it before shredding it. Either way, it was a surprise and a delight. The pork shoulder was the star of the plate, but a Best Supporting nod goes to the the bed of mushroom and corn polenta that was underneath. A nice compromise of fluffy and dense textures; not too creamy or mushy. It held up to each forkful of meat, complimenting it, not overwhelming it.

For the record, Nancy ordered the baby spinach, goat cheese, and bacon pizza. It was excellent, as well. I loved this derivation of the Holy Trinity of pizza toppings: cheese, meat, and veggie. The spinach was sauteed; the bacon, substaintial; the goat cheese, slightly tart. Just the right parsing of all three. Derek makes his pizzas in a wood burning oven, and the crust was crisp with just the right amount of chewiness. It had a light, tomato sauce base, with mozzarella, and hint of roasted garlic. One bite and you can tell all of the ingredients were fresh and bright...

All in all, a terrific meal with an equally satisfying setting and company...

New York Taste of Mind

Spent last weekend in NYC (good timing -- stayed 9 blocks from the Car Bomb scare!)... 2 very nice meals (and one amazing snack) to speak of...

Red Eye Grill was the choice Friday night.

Great location -- across from Carnegie Hall in midtown. Pretty funky, garish decor on the inside, what with it's gi-normous, rotating shrimp sculptures, but there's certainly a lot to look at. The roasted halibut was prepared perfectly with a nice crust on the outside, yet still moist and flaky inside. And couldn't resist the siren call of their Banana Cream Pie for dessert. Lots of chunks of banana in the filling and a generous heaping of cream on top set it apart from a more traditional pie of it's ilk, and the graham cracker crust was a nice touch, too. In line with it's slightly eccentric vibe, the waiters come around to deliver a big, pink swirl of cotton candy as a surprise! Also spotted waiters delivering fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies right on the baking sheet for the choosing...

Next night was Abbocatto, an Italian eatery from the Livanos family, whose specialty and success has been more in the seafood realm (see: Oceana Restaurant).

This was not an overwhelmingly sensational meal, but the Veal Scallopini was a winner for me. Crispy breading, thin-sliced prosciutto, piomentese cheese melted inside, along with marsala sauce, wild mushrooms, and arugula gave it a different twist than the mere traditional version, and it didn't go unnoticed. Unfortunately, the rest of my dining partners' choices were about average...

Now, this may sound a bit lame for those NYC denizens who have been completely berated by the (almost Shark-jumping) cupcake frenzy, but the food highlight of my weekend was my unexpected jaunt to Crumbs in the Theater District. Their motto is "Delivering Happiness," and man, did they make me happy! I went for the Elvis, which had banana filling inside the cupcake, and a whipped swirl of peanut butter and banana frosting on top. Outrageous! Perfect texture and flavor combinations: dense, fluffy, sweet, creamy... YUM!

The "former New Yorker" in me got a kick out of the fact that there were cupcakes named after Baba Booey and Artie Lange, and they had such a mouth-watering selection of creative confections. Bought the Caramel Apple for my niece -- excellent choice, too. I must go back to try (in no specific order): the Red Velvet, Coffee Toffee, Fluffernutter, Half Baked, and Vanilla Coconut)...

It's these experiences that really makes me miss New York. But I know I will be back for another visit soon....