South Philly Review

In the world of Philadelphia restaurants, there are the trailblazers and places that are humdrum and never take culinary risks. This fact is particularly noted in BYOBs.

About four years ago, a spot opened on South 19th Street at the site of a former deli/butcher shop. It was called Matyson. I thought it a strange name.

I reviewed this gem when chef Matthew Spector and wife Sonjia opened this BYOB trailblazer. I found the food creative, bursting with flavor and the staff friendly yet professional. When I heard the Spectors left our city for California, I had to make a return visit.

I am glad I did.

Three people with the Spectors on opening night are now in charge. The manager is Michael Wightman. The chefs orchestrating the kitchen are Ben Puchowitz and Brian Lofink. My recent dinner was exactly what I would expect from chefs who use fresh seasonal ingredients and allow them to speak for themselves.

Cousin Carl and I arrived for an early dinner with a bottle of Prosecco. We eased into a table for two and had a hard time deciding what to order. I immediately got big eyes: There were a number of dishes I wanted to sample.

Fresh bread from Baker Street Bread Co. arrived with soft butter. Carl adores escargot, as do I. They are usually prepared in a garlic butter sauce with a hint of Pernod. Matyson's ($13) had a tasty twist. We received homemade potato gnocchi garnished with a scattering of escargot with in-season, slightly toothy English peas, heady morsels bathed in a balanced mint butter with the right touch of Pernod. These were melt-in-your-mouth little pillows enhanced by all of the ingredients. I only wish English peas had a longer season.

Octopus is a staple in Greek restaurants and some Mediterranean places. It is usually chewy and sopping with red vinegar. This version ($12) was a generous portion that had been tenderized and grilled. The light lemony sauce allowed the mollusk to speak for itself. It wasn't masked in too much vinegar or olive oil. The fingerling potatoes were a nice touch.

From the entrées, we headed straight for duck ($25) and halibut ($26). There are a number of ways you can prepare boneless breast of duck, but Puchowitz and Lofink looked to Asia for inspiration. Duck is a mainstay of Chinese restaurants, so I wanted to see how these gentlemen would fair. They marinated a boneless breast in miso, which formed a glaze when cooked. Small dumplings filled with Hudson Valley foie gras and mushrooms came alongside with a still slightly crisp bok choy and pickled daikon added for texture and a contrast of flavors. The dish was served in a light broth. The flavors melded beautifully.

There's a famous dish at New York's Le Cirque saved for regular customers. It is sea bass wrapped in very thinly sliced potatoes, seared and served in a light sauce with leeks. When word got out about this meal several years ago, area chefs scurried to duplicated it.

Matyson seems to be no exception with a version all their own ($26). The chefs used fillet of halibut, shredded potatoes like those for latkes and put fresh horseradish in the mixture. The potatoes formed a golden brown, crispy crust. They added grilled asparagus, braised juicy cipollini and crowned the fish with crème fraiche laced with dill. I have forgotten how fine crème fraiche is as a sauce for fish; So few places use it or beurre blanc anymore.

As with its appetizers and entrées, Matyson shines when it comes to sweets. It has created some buzz for its coconut cream pie ($8), which is hands down my favorite new restaurant dessert. The crust is prepared with crunchy macadamia nuts and the coconut cream filling set off a flavor explosion after one small taste. Chocolate ganache and homemade dots of caramel finished off the plate. The pie is topped with toasted shreds of coconut and slightly sweetened whipped cream. Swimsuit season can wait, this original confection is not to be missed.

The chocolate Bundt cake ($8) was good but not as outstanding as the pie. It was served with a scoop of dulce de leche ice cream and a scattering of walnuts and ripe bananas.

Service was first rate, even though the restaurant was filled during our dinner. The staff watches the tables, fills water glasses and changes the flatware for each course.

You might think Matyson pricey for a BYOB, but when you consider the craft, care and use of fresh, seasonal ingredients in every dish, it is a delicious bargain.

Three tips of the toque to Matyson.