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Sometimes a chef finds himself a bit over his culinary head. An ambitious menu is planned, using fresh, top-quality ingredients, but in the execution, a few components fail to impress.
These thoughts went through my mind during dinner at Little Fish. Edward and I dined here years ago when it first opened at the corner of Sixth and Catharine streets. A new chef is helming the tiny, open kitchen in this shoebox-size 20-seat restaurant. Michael Stollenwerk, a quiet, unassuming man, grills and pan-sears with the help of one sous chef.
We tried to go to Sunday dinner, where patrons enjoy a five-course meal for $28, but both seatings were booked.
When we went the following Wednesday, we settled in at about 5:30 p.m. and our knowledgeable server opened our wine and placed the white in an ice bucket. The bill of fare hangs over an air conditioner, which made it difficult for Edward and Mom to see since their backs were to it. Our server brought a hand-written version so we could read what Chef Stollenwerk had planned for the evening. There were no prices on the printed version, but the average entr�e runs between $24 and $26.
Immaculately fresh Italian bread arrived with a delicious olive-oil dipping sauce, rich dark green in color. Fresh herbs were used and I could not get enough of it.
From the appetizers, we selected diver scallops ($11), crab cake ($10) and octopus carpaccio ($9.50). Three fresh scallops were seasoned with salt and quickly pan-seared. They were translucent inside and not a bit overcooked. The dollop of cauliflower gratin that accompanied the scallops was tasty but cold.
Crab cakes usually bore me. Still, Stollenwerk’s were creamy inside but could have used more of a pan-sear on the outside. I liked the addition of shaved fennel because the licorice flavor played off nicely against the crab’s sweetness. A light cr�me fraiche, mixed with a bit of American caviar, was placed around the cake though I could not detect a caviar flavor.
Neither Edward nor I have ever tasted octopus carpaccio. The mollusk was marinated in blood orange tapenade. A tapenade is a rich dip from Provence made with olives, garlic, tuna, anchovies and herbs. This was a light citrus sauce, which was fine with the fish. Some baby arugula was included.
Striped bass ($26) has become popular in Philadelphia restaurants. Stollenwerk gave the fish a quick sear and added Brussels sprout leaves and some rounds of fingerling potatoes. The fish needed seasoning, but it arrived hot. The vegetables were cold, and I did not think the black trumpet mushrooms did anything to enhance the flavor.
Mom’s mahi mahi ($25) was salty, but hot. The celeriac pur�e was whipped smooth, but arrived cold. The menu states a lobster Bordelaise sauce is used in the dish, but I could not detect the shellfish’s flavor. Some baby greens were served with the mahi mahi.
Unfortunately, my monkfish ($24) was inedible. Our server told us the fish is done "sous-vide," a cooking method where a protein is placed in an airtight plastic bag and slow cooked in water under its boiling point. It is to keep the integrity and flavor of the protein intact. Unless a chef is using something as rich as foie gras, butter is added. The monkfish had no buttery richness and was coated in crushed pistachios that tasted more like bread crumbs. The fish sat on a pool of roasted beet risotto. I told our server it was cold, but a return trip to the kitchen did nothing more than dry it out.
A cr�me brulee done bananas-Foster style ($7) was gummy inside, lacked flavor and was not cool enough.
Service, however, was excellent. It is always fine to know one woman can take care of everyone dining in a restaurant without waiting too long between courses.
One-and-a-half tips of the toque to Little Fish.
Little Fish
600 Catharine St.
215-413-3464
www.littlefishphilly.com
Visa and MasterCard accepted
Reservations a must
