La Cabra Brewing

642 Lancaster Ave.
Berwyn, PA 19312
(610) 240-7908
Website

La Cabra has gotten some recent publicity, so I figured it was about time that I gave it a write up myself. I love the Berwyn Tavern and this place is literally across the street. Damn Berwyn, who would have thought you would have two of the best bars in the burbs?

The bar itself has an old industrial vibe inside, with high ceilings, complemented with brick and wood accents. Also the upstairs has all kinds of games like darts, Bimini Ring Toss and the recent addition of fooseball (:-O). I loved it at first sight. The beers are delicious and they are constantly unveiling new releases. I went from hoppy to malty and back, and was pleased with every choice. Not to mention the bar food.

The garlic truffle Parmesan wings were fantastic. Sous vide cooked and then fried to a perfect crispiness, they were some of my favorites I have had in a while. Seven wings for $9 is a bit spendy, but given the size and prep that went into them, I had no complaints.

Look at that rendered out skin, fried to a crackling crisp.

The micro greens made it so I was basically eating a salad, which was nice for those counting calories.

Another guilt-free snack was the frisee salad served with crispy pork belly, chipotle honey, goat cheese, jalapeño bacon and a citrus aioli. Not a typo, the pork belly comes with bacon lardons. The belly was sous vide until tender as well, and then crisped up, notice a trend? This was sweet, salty, crispy, fatty and the frisee really did help cut the heaviness.

Basically the healthiest thing I have eaten in 2017.

Finally, the brisket tacos. These are accompanied by potato plantain hash, cilantro, and mole BBQ. Well at least I think they are. I didn't get any hash or cilantro. I DID get a hell of a lot of brisket though. So no complaints. The brisket was tender, and the mole sauce was sweet and smokey. The tortillas were quite good, with a nice toast to them. Thick salty chips with some salsas were the perfect accompaniment.

Perhaps the most amazing part is the crowler. I am easily amused, to be sure, but the ability to get a 32oz can of beer from the tap sealed on the spot to take home is a godsend. Who the hell ever remembers a growler. I have at least a half dozen at home I neglect to bring with me, despite the fact that I visit some type of brewery or place that fills them at least once a week.

You might drive past La Cabra (the goat) without knowing it. But you would be doing your palate a disservice.

Common Wealth

319 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 372-7581
Website

I was asked to check out a tasting of the menu at Common Wealth in Old City, a "Lowcountry" style bar/restaurant I had not heard of before. As I LOVE Lowcountry food (and living), it did not take much coaxing.

I was offered a drink ticket for myself and a guest. Which was a little strange. Usually if you are invited to review a joint, they at least get you a couple of drinks. Get ya nice an liquored so the food tastes better, right?

Well, unexpectedly, this event took almost three hours and one drink ticket didn't cut it. So I ran up a healthy bar tab drinking some beers after trying some signature cocktails that were recommended. The Queen Anne’s Revenge is on the left – Bulleit Rye, sugar cube, squeezed citrus and bitters and the Travelers Passage on the right – house infused pineapple vodka. I was a bigger fan of the Queen Anne, because I love bourbon and don't particularly enjoy sweet cocktails.

The pork belly with citrus salad and hoisin glaze was first up. It was probably one of my favorites of the night. Although when isn't pork belly? It was crispy on the outside and succulent in the middle. Plenty of fat, though maybe a bit under salted. All in all, not a bad pork belly.

The hush puppies were likely my favorite of the evening, though I am not sure they are still on the menu. The tender interior was contrasted by the crusty fried shell, and the creole style sauce was delicious.

Next up, chicken and waffles. Usually one of my go-to's, can you tell what my complaint was with these? Yo waffles, where's the chicken? They should have been open faced, and served with a spicy/sweet side sauce. It was DRY. But the chicken was delicious. The honey-sriacha aioli was good, but those waffles needed a drizzle!

Open faced was more realistic, but I was left wanting for sauce.

You can see in the cut-away shot the chicken to waffle ratio is way off.

The oysters "Bienville" were next, in a roasted shrimp sauce with Creole butter. I thought these were okay, but they were so rich, they needed some acidity to cut the fat. Also, an oyster on the half shell, which gave me the zing I was missing with their heavier counterparts.

The oysters were fresh and the sauce tasty.

A lot of care went into these, but they were a bit heavy.

The shrimp gumbo was a disappointment. The roux was under developed for my taste, and lacked heat (and flavor).

I mean, almost every course had shrimp in it.

Fried green tomatoes with pickled shrimp were another highlight. The "pimento" was a sauce rather than a cheese spread (as I had hoped when I squealed with delight when I saw it on the menu), but the dish worked.

Crispy, well fried green tomatoes, and tart shrimp, with enough greens to cut the grease. But the tomatoes themselves were not great. Mealy. not even worth showing you that photograph.

Seared scallops on hoecakes with collards and a bacon cream sauce were, again, okay (who doesn't love scallops), but not all that memorable. This could be that I already ate about eight courses (doubles and triples of some), but it was just scallops.

Definitely cooked the right way, but under-seasoned.

Least favorite of the night (and biggest disappointment) was the shellfish and grits. The shellfish sauce lacked a discernible direction, and the subtleties of the lobster etouffee were not enough to save it. The texture of the Anson Mill Grits were great, think pastina but needed some more salt and punch to carry the dish.

The fried bread pudding dessert was well executed, but it was a lot of filler to eat after a meal.

All in all, this was a pretty okay spot, but I don't know that I would be rushing back. It was filling but lacking that lowcountry depth of flavor all around.

Nom Nom Ramen

20 S. 18th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 988-0898
Website

After the abject failure of Ramen Boy to produce a decent bowl of this soul-soother with a cult-like following, it was time to see what the west side of Broad had to offer. Nom Nom Ramen (hate the name) is in a close proximity to many office workers, and offers a no frills bowl of noodle soup that is pretty damn delicious.

Just note that it's cash only. Though somewhat unfortunate for the quick business-lunchers, it's worth a trip to the ATM on your way.

The interior is a standard "order at the counter and wait to be called" operation. They have a somewhat limited menu, which is a plus. Focus on your strong points. People are not at the Ramen shop for California rolls. Or at least they shouldn’t be. Seating is first come, first served.

The small but effective kitchen pumps out orders quite quickly. As they should, because they are mostly serving soup. There were a couple of interesting side items like soft shell crab dumplings and pork belly buns, and a half dozen or so soups to choose from.

From the left, clockwise, I ordered Shio, extra noodles, Karai miso (spicy), and the pork buns.

The pork buns were solid, light, fluffy vessels wrapped around a variety of ingredients such as Chashu pork, daikon, carrots, lettuce, scallions, and spicy bun sauce which tasted like a slightly spicy hoisin.

The pork was extremely tender, and the toppings were fresh and crunchy. The sauce had a rich, pungent, kick to it. Altogether, it was a great side to go with some soup. Even if everything I ordered already had pork belly in it.

Below is the Shio (seasoned with salt and white soy sauce) tonkotsu (pork bone) broth served with chashu, kikurage mushrooms, naruto, bamboo, scallions, and pickled ginger. This one was killer. The broth had a fragrent, yet delicate odor, and the flavor was so soothing I was wishing I had a head cold to nurse. The tender pork belly is a welcome treat when slurping up noodles, and the richness makes a couple of slices last the entire bowl. I loved this Ramen.

Karai miso, a spicy version of their miso soup is another winner. Although it lacked the finesse of the shio, it scored big in the spice department. I got it extra spicy, and it had a great kick. The rich broth was tempered by the springy noodles, and fatty pork. This was a real “sweat it out” type dish, and I couldn’t have been happier.

The extra noodles were not entirely necessary, and when I started the meal, I thought they were overkill, but by the end, I was evenly dividing them between bowls, happy to slurp up every last drop of delicious broth.

I highly recommend this ramen bar, and I think you will find it to be just what the doctor ordered on a blustery winter day. For once, soup really is a meal.