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Jose Garces Tinto
Jose Garces, 35-year-old master of the small plate, whet our appetites this year with food and wine from the Basque regions of France and Spain. Read More
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Originally published on March 16, 2007
The Tinto Commandments
Tinto Opens
The restaurant gods spoke these words, saying …
1. Thou shalt eat at chef Jose Garces’s new hotspot, Tinto, which opens today.
2. Thou shalt enjoy small plates, called pintxos, from the Basque regions of France and Spain.
3. Honor thy craving for wine by choosing from more than 100 varietals.
4. Thou shalt not eat in vain when offerings are brochettes de gambas (skewered shrimp and grape tomato with a sherry chili glaze) and roasted lamb with truffled artichoke puree and lemon zest.
5. Thou shalt bear witness to floor-to-ceiling windows in the front and a 22-foot burnt orange-stained bar.
6. Thou shalt covet a seat; there’s room for just 68, bar included.
7. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s dessert. There’s enough chocolate salami and cardamom cake for everyone.
8. Honor thy father and mother: Take them there on their respective days.
9. Remember to make a reservation and keep it holy.
10. Thou shalt not steal the silverware.
Tinto, 114 South 20th Street (215-665-9150). -
Daniel Stern Rae
Self-taught chef Daniel Stern added a catering business to his list of successful enterprises this year. His premade gourmet coolers are perfect for weekend escapes. Read More
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Originally published on June 11, 2007
You Can Take It with You
Weekend Coolers from Rae
You’re enjoying a day at the shore when hunger strikes. When you enter the dimly lit tavern, shifty locals stare you up and down, unable to contain their disdain for the gentle Philadelphian. Could the cold blade of a shiv be far off?
Don’t let this happen to you: Stay safe in your beach house and sate your hunger with a prepacked cooler from Rae.
Chef Daniel Stern will whip up a personalized feast for your weekend retreat. Just drop off your cooler by Wednesday, and it will be ready for pickup as you head out of town.
Choose from the Barbeque (pulled pork, flank steak, tomato salad, apple pie), the Meat Lovers (tenderloin, chicken salad, cheesecake), or the Seafood (shrimp cocktail, crab salad, seafood stew). Want to piece together your own cooler? A menu of a la carte items, cheeses, dips, meats, and seafood will give you more than enough to work with.
So the only thing getting stabbed this weekend is your steak.
Available at Rae, 2929 Arch Street (215-922-3839 or raerestaurant.com). -
Jim and Kristina Burke James
Chef Jim Burke honed his culinary skills at Philly's top restaurants before opening his own Italian-inspired place with wife, Kristina, in Bella Vista this year. Read More
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Originally published on February 2, 2007
Recipe for Success
James Restaurant
They say there are no recipes for perfection.
But Jim and Kristina Burke, the husband-wife team behind new restaurant James, have managed to whip up more than a few.
For starters: the mushroom cappuccino, a thick soup with a frothy top and roasted chestnut shavings. For seconds: Creamy egg sauce adds an updated spin to classic gnocchi.
Enjoy it all in a space that’s pleasing to the eye without being stuffy or overly designy. Light blue walls accent shiny hardwood floors. The exposed whitewashed brick behind the bar complements industrial-style beer taps. Curved banquettes allow for inconspicuous people watching, so settle in with the Brown ale mousse.
A way to consume beer and dessert simultaneously?
If that’s not perfection, nothing is.
James, 824 South Eighth Street (215-629-4980 or jameson8th.com).