I’ll second this one. We dined there recently. Pure BYOB and I don’t think we were even charged a corkage fee. I posted a review on my blog for anybody interested.
As of the end of September both were still BYOB allow both might be seeking a license:
Garces Trading Company
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Fond
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I don’t believe we were charged corkage at either place.
Finally got to KZD
Wife, Father in law and twin 1 years olds so we went right went it opened @ 5:30
incredible meal
the portions are huge and meant to be shared
fresh baked still warm bread
my boys split the vegetable shepard pie
the 3 adults split the chicken gizzards and potato/salt cod croquettes for apps
and the seafood stew and steak/potatos for main course
we took home leftovers of both main course
we also got the special desert to go (kids were tired) and it was great as well
the wine we brought, a duoro and a cali cab was secondary to the meal
can’t wait to go back
John, next time you go think about the pork & clams and the baked duck rice. The first is a very tasty rendition of a traditional Portuguese combination, and the 2nd dish is also excellent.
BTW, a little off topic, but I think you mentioned Modo Mio when the thread first opened - I stopped by for a couple sandwiches at Paesano’s the other day, and the Gustaio is off the hook - roast lamb sausage, cherry mostarda, etc!
will definitely be going back to KZD
as for Paesono’s - off the hook …we had friends over last week and I ordered 15 sammys and they cut them up into 4 and had them on a platter for us …addicting
Gents,
Planning a birthday weekend getaway to Philly in two weeks. Just the wife and I. Already made reservations at Matyson for Friday. Looking for a recommendation for Saturday night. Not looking for anything too fancy or $$$$. Thoughts on Cochon or Koozeedo? Something else entirely? Wife’s not crazy about Asian in general. Since Matyson is “American” was interested in comfort French or something along that rustic, stick to your ribs style fare. We’re staying near the convention center on Race St. We are driving, but would rather not have to go too too far.
Also, could any of you recommend a good place for cheesesteaks? Wife loves them.
Thanks in advance.
Update:
Koozeeda is out. She saw the portion sizes and the lack of seafood options (apparently she likes Portuguese for fish, not meat).
One last question, since my birthday is on Saturday, should I change Matyson for then or are other options a “nicer” night out?
Jorge, if you can get into Bibou, to me that is the quintessential example of “comfort food” French cooking - I will be dining there once again this Sunday, and am definitely looking forward to foie gras, bone marrow, snails and whatever else the chef might throw our way.
But my primary reason for posting is your inquiry regarding cheesesteaks - my boss and I have been on a mission over the last year or so to savor some of the best Philly has to offer, and we both remain convinced that the cheesesteak served at John’s Roast Pork in south Philly is at the apex of the Philly cheesesteak pyramid. Deciding who is in 2nd place would be a tougher debate, but John’s was singularly good, IMO.
BTW, Jorge, I don’t know what kind of Portuguese seafood your wife was looking for, but the grilled sardines are excellent, and both the bacalhau in cream sauce and the bacalhau salad are also quite tasty.
On the BYO front, I’d follow Bibou on Twitter or keep calling (if not on Twitter) if they are booked. There are occasional cancellations they post. On the low key, but non-BYO front, Adsum is getting a good amount of buzz. I enjoyed it but I was surprised with the absolutely glowing review by the local critic of record. Nice wine selections on the low key side. I enjoy Meme a lot, in the Fitler Sq. area. Used to be a BYO, but is not anymore. High quality but low key wine selection and small corkage. Hoof & Fin, an Argentinian BYO off of Bainbridge is getting some good attention but I’ve never been there.
If you can do Matyson and then either Bibou or Cochon, in that order, that would be a nice duo.
There are tons of great destination cheesesteak shops, but I’d suggest hitting South Street for the street vibe/shops in the afternoon and popping into Jim’s at 4th and South.
Went to Blackbird in Collingswood, NJ Sat. night. Not in Philly, but since only 5 miles from Ben F Bridge thought it should be posted here. Suffering from BYOB boredom recently with not many places that I want to return to. This is an exception. Really pleasant atmosphere (except for the noisy pigs at the table of 10 sitting nearby), great service, nice stems and very interesting and tasty menu. Surprised me since they extended S. Jersey restaurant week beyond Friday so limited menu in place. Nonetheless, plenty for me to choose from. Enjoyed by all and will certainly return.
I don’t get to south Jersey too often as I’m in the western burbs, but one place I’ve always felt was worth the trip is also in Collingswood, Nunzio’s!
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BTW, Sunday I made my second trip to Bibou for another chef’s tasting menu paired up with '85 Bordeaux - and if anybody goes and sees that double mag of '83 Gruaud Larose now turned into a cool looking lamp on the bar, that’s my bottle ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
.
At any rate, Pierre Calmels can certainly cook ![[welldone.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/f/fc9709a841aa9379fd892a9cf0b535b05f473b86.gif "[welldone.gif]"){kind=small}
. Can’t wait to get back again.
Better than Peter Gilmore/Jason Curtis and Francis Trzeciack?
RT
Should we try for an offline in Philly at Bibou? We could go on a night they are open or try to get enough interest so that we reserve the whole place on a Monday or Tuesday (when they are usually closed).
Tried Trax in Ambler Sat. Night, a new BYOB for me, although I understand it has been there for quite a while. Decent American fare (not ultra modern cooking , but I enjoyed my half roast duck with pear/mango compote) and pleasant atmosphere. Service pleasant and very good, table ready on time, nice stems and good sized portions. Plenty to choose from with several off the menu specials. My only complaint was the noise level (a common byob issue) which might be normal or due to the loud table of 4 seated nearby. Restaurant was full, a good sign, but it was Sat. night
Went to Chef Alex Capasso’s (Blackbird) “second label” on Saturday night, West Side Gravy, next door to Nunzio’s in Collingswood. It’s comfort food, nicely done and nicely presented but ,for some reason, it has not been well received as evidenced by the slew of empty tables. Just wondering if any of you have been there and have any explanation of why it’s not drawing more diners.
Full review on my blog listed below.
Joshua, if you DO get an offline for Bibou, I’d certainly be interested in adding four people to your total.
SOUTH JERSEY WINE & DINE
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I was at Trax also Saturday and thought the food quality was very good – better than I had expected or had before there.
Rich, just saw your question - I’ve only been to Bibou twice, so I would want more exposure to his cooking before I ranked him in terms of where he stands within the Philly BYOB hierarchy. Nothing IMO tops Birchrunville, but I have eaten Francis’ cooking so many times I will easily confess to not being overly objective anymore. I would put places like Blackfish and the Sovana Bistro right behind Birchrunville, and off my two meals at Bibou, he cetainly has the potential to run in that kind of company.
Gilmore’s, at least IMO, does not rise to the level of the restaurants I’ve already mentioned, but he certainly has his fans as well.