The Blind Pig

702 N 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(267) 639-4565
Website

The Blind Pig is a relatively new(ish)-comer to the Northern Liberties area, tucked away on 2nd street right next to the infamous The 700. Although I had known about The Blind Pig since it's inception, I wanted to give them time to get things in order before stopping in. Last weekend a couple of happy hour beers and some food were in order, so in I went.

Forgive the grainyness of some of the photos, it is bad lighting for pictures, but good lighting for atmosphere.

The menu presents a mix of regional comfort foods, and although they don't have an overall "theme" (besides comfort), there is a strong mix of food you (I) would want to eat.

After talking to the co-owner/bartender/wife of the chef, and hearing that people "follow her husband for his lamb," I decided to try the lamb sliders. I also decided that the poutine needed to be had, as I have a soft spot in my heart for poutine. Luckily, the bar tender asked if I would like to sub out the fries that came with my sliders for a side salad. I was going to ask for that, but I didn't know the policy on substitutions. Believe me, an extra order of fries is not needed with the boatload of gravy cheese fries that their poutine entails.

The french fries are crispy, fresh and delicious. The curds are sourced from Wholesome Dairy Farms out in Douglassville, Pa. The curds had apparently been delivered fresh that afternoon, and were fantastic. The gravy, oh that gravy, came from a mother stock of veal parts that is developed over a week of braising. It's one part gravy, one part au jus, and one part magic.

Look at the beefy goodness below.

The lamb sliders were another big winner, even though I am opposed to sliders for the most part. These worked out well, because of consistency and share-ability. Well-seasoned lamb patties cooked to a perfect medium rare, topped with a pickle slice, diced onion and smoked paprika aioli. Usually served with a side of fries, as mentioned above, I got mine with a side salad, which is served with a chocolate stout vinaigrette.

The sliders were delicious, just the right mix and number of ingredients, and to repeat myself, they were very well cooked (to a nice medium). The stout vinaigrette was totally addicting. I believe it was the blend of salt, sugar, black pepper, shallot and choco-stout that had me shoveling this generous portion of mixed greens in as fast as I could.

 

Overall, The Blind Pig is a great addition to the No Libs corridor, and I will certainly return, if for nothing other than to order a pint glass of that gravy. That being said, I will also be back to try the fried oyster sandwich as well as the highly acclaimed "blue balls," a fried chicken and blue cheese concoction that sounds mighty delicious, physical discomfort aside.

Kennett

848 S 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 687-1426
Website

I heard through the grapevine that Kennett may have the best new burger in town, and so I headed to what used to be the Lyon's Den to see if that was really the case.

The interior is sleek yet rustic, and makes you feel hip yet not too over the top so as to come off as pretentious. For a starter we went with the roasted parsnips. Although this is something I would usually never order, I was really impressed with how good they were. They came out as beautiful heirloom parsnips which they roasted until perfectly tender, finished with pepper, herbs, and some shaved parm. They were almost like roasted fries. Absolutely delicious. They also had some fennel fronds in there which added an interesting twist. I would definitely order this one again.

Everyone at the table was in the mood for a burger, which was good because the pizza oven is not yet operational, and so we ordered two lamb burgers and two hamburgers.

The hamburger consists of bone marrow, salt & pepper, pickled onion, lettuce, and anchovy mayonnaise. Its simplicity is what makes it so magical. Earthy, rich ingredients, and most importantly, a perfectly cooked medium rare burger makes this one of the most delicious I have had anywhere. When I first dove in, the anchovy mayo was a bit overwhelming, but when it was given just a minute more to heat up and slightly dissolve into the warm meat and soak into the bun, it was sublime. I had to consciously stop for a minute or I would have eaten this little piece of heaven far too quickly, which was good, because I then had the opportunity to seize my next victim, the lamb burger.

Look at the perfect pink interior. The puffy brioche was a perfect complement for this exceptionally well thought out offering. The bone marrow lent itself to keeping the meat quite juicy.

The lamb burger might have even been better than its beefy counterpart. Seriously. Once again, they saved the burger from traditional overcrowding and let the quality of the components shine. The smoked paprika, cucumber and yogurt slaw with capers, shaved onion, purple cabbage, and toasted cumin was the perfect accompaniment for the rich lamb, and once again, the roll saved the day by keeping everything together. Hearty enough to stand up to the natural juices, yet not so much so that you were just chewing roll, it was perfect. Like the hamburger, the lamb was cooked to a perfect medium rare. This is probably the most amazing part of the meal. It's been quite some time since a place has gotten medium rare perfect, much less gone four-for-four on the temperature scale. Both burgers are served simply with a side of braised collards and a pickle. Nothing more needed. Cheers to you, Kennett. You certainly have my heart and my stomach for the moment.