For Chefs Across Philly, Winter Is All About Citrus

Vincent Finazzo of Riverwards holding navel oranges. / Photograph by Mike Prince

“Citrus season is special,” says Vincent Finazzo, the founder and owner of Riverwards Produce, currently Philadelphia’s most citrus-forward local grocery store. “There’s just something really lovely about a grocery store packed with citrus in the middle of the gray Philadelphia winter.”

Every winter, Finazzo buys every citrus he can get his hands on, stocking both Riverwards locations with high-quality navels, mandarins and blood oranges, as well as less common varieties like satsumas, sumos, yuzu, pink lemons — the list goes on.

“We’ve got probably 10 types right now, and I’m hoping that we’ll get Tarocco blood oranges and Sorrento lemons in from Italy a little later in the season,” Finazzo says. “But you have to know, when they’re gone, they’re gone. The season ends quickly, which is part of what makes it special.”

While many of these citrus fruits are perfect for peeling and eating fresh, things like bergamot, Meyer lemons, and finger limes also capture the attention of cooks and bakers all over the city, as they look for that hit of freshness and acid to get through the winter. The short-lived citrus season inspires specials across the city, from cocktails to cakes, and savory dishes as well. These are the menu items we’re seeking out before citrus season runs out.

Creamsicle cupcake from Dream World Bakes, Riverwards Market locations
Philadelphia’s cake whisperer Ashley Huston is selling slices of her gorgeous, dreamy, flavorful cakes at Riverwards Market. Recently, they were selling her creamsicle cupcakes made of a brown-butter sponge with a mandarin curd filling, all topped with a not-too-sweet cream soda buttercream.

Grapefruit poppy at Machine Shop, East Passyunk
Machine Shop’s Emily Riddell utilizes fruit in a way that walks the line between sweet and savory, and the lightly charred grapefruit in the grapefruit poppy (a Danish-like pastry with a poppy-coated top that makes a striking visual impact) is no exception. Set against the sweetness of pastry cream, grapefruit’s inherent bitterness sings.

Chili-marinated shrimp at Vernick Fish, Center City
While shrimp is the natural star on the plate, the combination of mandarin, blood and navel oranges in this winter menu item really brings the dish to life. For the dish, head-on shrimp is marinated in harissa, then lightly charred. Served with an herby salsa verde and creamy caramelized fennel purée, the dish leans heavily on citrus for brightness.

Buddha’s hand / Photograph by Vincent Finazzo

Buddha’s hand lemon drop highball at Middle Child Clubhouse, Fishtown
To make the most of the short Buddha’s hand season, the bar team at Clubhouse infuses it into vodka. But they don’t stop there! To extract the most flavor, they use every part of the fruit to make a cordial, a tisane and an oleo-saccharum syrup, which, along with white wine verjus, are batched into the cocktail and carbonated on site. The result is a bright, bubbly cocktail that drinks like a highball but has incredibly complex citrus flavor.

Scallop crudo at Forsythia, Old City
Chef Christopher Kearse uses Buddha’s hand citrus on the restaurant’s scallop crudo for a hit of acidity and bitterness. To preserve the fruit, he thinly slices it, confits it in sugar, then lightly pickles it for a pop of brightness that utilizes the whole fruit.

Bergamot latte and gin & tonic at Forîn, multiple locations
Bergamot is a key ingredient in Earl Grey, so utilizing it in coffee drinks gives lattes a London Fog vibe. At Forîn, the team makes a simple syrup from fresh bergamot and stirs it into lattes and espresso tonics by day, and gin-and-tonics by night. According to co-owner Seth Kligerman, the bergamot espresso tonic is among the cafe’s most popular specials.

Grapefruit-pistachio tart at Cry Baby Pasta, Queen Village
Think lemon meringue pie, but all grown up. Curd made from fresh grapefruits walks the line between sweet and bitter, while a delicate pistachio mousse brings sweet nuttiness and a touch of richness.

Bass Crudo All ‘Acqua Pazza’ featuring “oranges from near and far” as listed on the menu. / Photograph by Kae Lani Palmisano

Bass Crudo All ‘Acqua Pazza’ at Ambra, Queen Village
Bet you never knew oranges grew in Pennsylvania. Well, they do at Green Meadow Farm in Lancaster County. Chef Chris D’Ambro makes a kosho (a Japanese condiment) with trifoliate oranges, Calabrian chiles, and citrus leaves. The tangy citrus and heat from the chiles adds immense flavor to the mild sea bass crudo. There’s also some bonus citrus at the end of the meal in the form of a grapefruit and pistachio crostata dessert.

Spicy citrus kosho at River Twice, East Passyunk
Citrus is all over the menu at River Twice right now, but nothing is more distinctive than the limequat, a hybrid lime-kumquat fruit that has more acidity than a traditional kumquat. They preserve it into a spicy citrus kosho, use the juice for cocktails, and then lactoferment the rinds for application in desserts.

Bergamot sorbet at Vetri Cucina, Midtown Village
Vetri pastry chef Michal Shelkowitz is a self-proclaimed lover of bergamot. It’s currently on the menu in the form of a palate-cleansing sorbet with tarragon oil and an olive oil cookie crumble, but recent iterations include a bergamot marmalade as an Earl Grey macaron filling and as a topping for pavlova, which she pairs with chocolate Chantilly cream.