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.

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.