Beau Monde

624 S 6th St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 592-0656
Website

Let me start by saying I am not a crepe person. I have nothing against them, but I never developed the passion for thin pancakes with food folded inside – I just couldn’t see the allure. That said, my foray into “all things crepe” came as a bit of an immaculate inception, so I did my best to keep an open mind and an empty stomach.

Beau Monde is a pillar of the stretch of Bainbridge Street (one block south of South) that houses a variety of eclectic shops and people, including the infamous club L’Etage (meaning the level above in French), which shares the same address.

The restaurant and venue are owned and operated by Francophiles Jim Caiola and David Salama, who made the jump from working in the arts to the restaurant world in 1998, with the grand opening of their creperie on the first floor at the corner of Sixth.

The inspiration for the crepe-heavy menu came from Jim (on the right, below), who cut his teeth working summers at his French uncle’s creperie in Chicago, rising through the ranks from bus boy to head waiter in his early teens. Given the uncle’s roots in Brittany (the home of the crepe), this traditional French pancake served as the perfect canvas for many variations, and allowed for a broad range of creativity in their menu.

Given the duo’s passion for art and design, it’s no surprise that the kitchen’s offerings are visually stunning, as well as incredibly delicious. We started with a couple of cocktails from their modern classic list, including the “horse’s neck” an amber drink containing Makers Mark bourbon, aromatic bitters, and spicy ginger beer, and the “Coquette Punch” sporting Beef Eater Gin, Grand Marnier, lemon, and a splash of club soda.

Both were delicious in their own way, with the prior evoking a smoky, writer's drink-of-choice, while the latter brought to mind sitting on the porch (or stoop if you will) during a hot summer night.

There was no way to begin this meal without trying their rendition of the classic French onion soup. Always a sucker for this cheesy, beefy indulgence, the-soul soothing broth was the perfect way to kick off an extravagant meal on a chilly winter night.

Based upon recommendations by both owners and staff, the crepe choices were whittled down to just two: the grilled chicken breast with leeks, olives, goat cheese, and lemon butter and the the scallop, tomato, and herb butter varietal.

Before I go into details, I want to mention the size of their portions. They were large, even by my fat-kid standards. Each selection came with a little sample of the contents on top, a convenient way to remember which is which.

The “grilled chicken with leeks, olives, goat cheese and lemon butter” combination was packed with tender chicken breast and plentiful, delicious leeks. The tangy goat cheese played well with the briny olives, and the lemon butter added some richness and acidity that really brightened the dish.

The “scallops with tomato and herb butter” crepe had a generous smattering of the nicely seared shellfish throughout and the well-seasoned tomato sauce was bolstered, again, by a generous application of compound butter.

Both were a hit, and the ability to taste the full spectrum of the menu, from citrusy chicken, to savory seafood provided a delicious adventure for my taste buds.

When dinner was finished, there was no room left at the inn for dessert. Or so I thought. Given my commitment to journalistic excellence and penchant for culinary gluttony, ordering a sweet crepe was a given.

The “apples, toasted almonds, brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla ice cream” crepe came highly recommended. It contained apples, which means it was not even bad for me… It was like a deconstructed apple pie, with the requisite melting vanilla ice cream on top. It wasn’t overly sweet, and was just impossible to stop eating.

There was a special, parfait-type layered desert (non-crepe) that the waitress brought out, complimentarily. It was prepared Neopolitan style, with layers of fresh berries and cream served with a side of cabernet sorbet, a decidedly French (and delicious) twist. Before I knew what was happening, both plates were empty.

God I love this place.

Beau Monde offers a an impeccable eye for quality finishes - both in their food, and in their decor. It's a fantastic establishment and a welcome breath of fresh air when you're stuck in the dingy filth of the South Street district.

Look for David and Jim in the news this year, future plans for the successful couple include reopening the landmark NYC eatery/sculpture garden The Tavern on the Green.

Brauhaus Schmitz

718 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 909-8814
Website

Just in time for the end of our Oktoberfest contest with CityEats comes a review of Brauhaus Schmitz.

Brauhaus is an anchor of the South Street community, a welcome reprieve for thirsty (and hungry) folks venturing down to the touristy, yet somewhat gritty section of the city. At least one of those sections. So if you aren't looking to buy a pipe, get your hair cut or braided, buy diamond jewelry that is Looney Toons character-studded, this may be just the place for you.

The interior is fantastic, with a strong German beer hall influence (obviously).

The draft list is extensive, heavy in the lagers, hefeweizens, and pilsners.

You can get various sizes, from 12oz., to half liter, full liter, to das boot!

The menu is reasonably priced, and has a wide variety of German fare. I love the ability to sample a number of items for $3 a piece. One of these offerings is the rollmops & sour cream on rye. Rollmops are technically pickled herring filets that are rolled around some sort of filling like pickled vegetables and/or green olives, but in this case, their interpretation is more like a whitefish salad.

There's definitely a briny undertone here, a tasty one. A combination of creamy texture and chopped pickled fish makes for a surprisingly good snack - and a "must try" at this price point.

The landjager, or in this case, pickled smoked sausages, were certainly another surprise. A recommendation from the fabulous bartender, they were (dare I say it) another steal at $3 for four. They had a deliciously addictive, briny flavor, with a touch of smoke, and a nice (un)healthy balance of fat to meat. Delicious.

The gravy fries were more than plentiful. Smothered in brown mushroom and beef gravy, with a blanket of Emmenthaler, this was a maximum value at $7. The portion was seriously ridiculous. The fries were extra crispy, and the gravy was so deeply condensed, had it been taken any further I am sure it would have been burned. This is one hell of an order of gravy fries, and a delicious German nod to poutine.

Every platter is served with a side or two, and as I went with a double wurst, I had to try the sauerkraut in addition to my two other (included) sides. The tart, tangy cabbage was no slouch, though the encased meats were so delicious they really didn't need any help.

The main event.

On the outside is the Bauernwurst, pork & beef, hickory smoked, with garlic, pepper, and mustard seed. This was by far my favorite of the sausages that day. The rich smokey flavor really permeated throughout, and the addictive snap of the casing was exactly how it should be. On the inside was the Käsewurst, pork-based with emmenthaler cheese, hickory smoked, and some garlic thrown into the mix. Surprisingly, the cheese didn't add much that wasn't already there. Don't get me wrong, this was a delicious tube steak as well, but I would highly recommend the Bauernwurst as top dog.

Now opposite sides, you can see a pocket of cheese on the left.

A side of pickled cucumber and red onion salad was another highlight, with the fresh crispy cukes contrasting with the inordinate amount of meat products I was consuming.

In addition, the spätzle, buttery rich, crispy fried egg noodles, were a big hit.

There were two types of mustard brought to the table, and both were delicious, but the stone ground really won my heart (which was struggling to beat at this point).

While there may be another German beer hall in Philadelphia with a slightly nicer atmosphere, this one takes the food category and runs away with it. I absolutely loved this place, and I can't wait for the winner of our contest to get a chance to eat, drink, and be merry. One word of advice, I learned the hard way, DO NOT play in a hockey game after consuming this much sausage and beer. It was seriously the wurst.

Baklava Cafe

627 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(267) 702-3623
Website

This place opened a couple of months ago on South Street, and I wanted to check it out. I always have a soft spot for Mediterranean food. After reading about it on Midtown Lunch, I was somewhat less enthusiastic about it. However, I was in the neighborhood, and Hot Diggity was jam packed, so i walked across the street for a falafel.

They have a large selection of pastries, and they all looked really good.

I settled on a falafel sandwich (spicy).

The wrap was fine, as was the falafel. However, it was not spicy, and it was awfully dry.

I guess the sandwich was made spicy by the banana peppers disbursed throughout. I was looking for something that was, well, actually spicy. Hot sauce, or some approximation would have helped with the dryness as well.

Oh wait, THERE WAS tahini on it. It was just ALL on the last inch of the wrap.

What's worse is that the sauce was pretty delicious. It had a great peppery kick to it, something a bit unusual.

I also tried the grape leaves. These were also just eh. They were a bit too dense for my liking, and were kind of bland. Especially when compared with my favorite version at Quince. They are also a bit more expensive than I would have liked at $4 for 6.

Hoping the third times a charm, I also snagged a chicken pie. This was like a mini stromboli, or some kind of savory meat pie.

It was stuffed with peppers, onions, and shredded chicken. It was probably the best deal of the day at $4, but again, it was just okay, and probably should be called "pepper and onion pie."

Overall, its not bad, but it is not really great either. I would forgo their falafel next time, instead opting for one of the other options further down South Street.