You’ve Come A Long Way Baby

Chick’s Cafe & Wine Bar shows just how far Philadelphia dining and this Bella Vista bar have come over recent decades.

Jim Piano’s kitchen emphasizes conventional small-plate arrangements, turning out dishes that are up to date, if not quite adventurous. In my experience, the best ones were the simplest. There’s nothing complicated about a pear salad with soft goat cheese and sliced almonds, but it certainly helps to have butterhead lettuce as fresh and unblemished as what was plated on a recent visit. The shoestring fries fall into the same category. Fried along with garlic and rosemary to a perfect crisp and served with a lemony aioli, they could easily be among Philadelphia’s best, even without the brittle leaves and garlic nuggets that collect in the bottom of the basket as a final treat.

Through the Great Vine [City Paper]
Chick’s Cafe [My Space]