The Corner

102 S 13th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 735-7500
Website

I was alerted to a special offer at The Corner a couple of weeks ago, as advertised by Foobooz, and after checking out the deal, it completely slipped my mind to share my experience. My bad. If you are looking for The Corner, you will probably be able to figure out precisely where it is, if you can remember the last time you went to McGillin's, which often times people cannot. Anyway, at the corner of Drury and 13th, you will find The Corner. Honestly, I only went because I wanted to try it out and that reasonable special was the perfect opportunity.

This place is pretty sleek inside, and I was certainly the only person (besides the waitstaff) wearing a tee-shirt and jeans. I wasn't too worried about it. When the server came to take the drink order, I asked if they had the special I had heard about on Foobooz. She replied that she thought they might still be doing it. Which was incredibly annoying. That being said, I asked for an order of the tots, and an order of the wings, shamelessly.

The masa tots were first to arrive, made with jalapenos and onions, and served with chipotle clam dip. I was pleasantly surprised by the masa interior. It was relatively light, and complexly flavorful. I got mostly a scallion or perhaps cilantro taste out of them, but either way, they were addictive. The smoky clam dip was an interesting accompaniment, and it worked well with the crispy little cylinders.

The sweet and spicy chicken wings were also a hit. The outside was nicely crispy, while the interior was juicy and succulent. The sauce itself was also delicious. It hit the sweet, spicy and salty notes that I crave in fried wings right on the money.

I also ordered the fried calamari, over hot and sweet peppers and tomato sauce. This was the best dish of the night. The calamari was excellent, perfectly fried, yet tender. But the sauce was where it really made the money. The tomato sauce was so light, slightly chunky and fresh tasting, with sweet and spicy notes from the peppers. The presentation left the squid resting on top, crispy, until ready to be dipped into it's delicious partner. Some of the best traditional style calamri I have had in the city.

All in all, I would definitely go back to The Corner. There are some main dishes on the menu that looked awfully tempting (I'm looking at you, cider-brined fried chicken), and its swank atmosphere belied the reasonable prices.