It's always the season of The Witch, a bistro that scares up fine offerings from steak to shellfish and even has a four-course, Tuesday-night dinner for $20. Staff photo by Greg Bezanis
Americans love lists. Each night, David Letterman reads off his Top 10 to sometimes riotous laughter, while The American Film Institute has issued its Top 100 in a number of categories for the past few years.
If I were to write a Top 10 for neighborhood restaurants, The Witch American Bistro would be on it. The ambience is congenial, the staff well-trained, the prices moderate and the food nicely presented and full of flavor.
Edward and I arrived at about 6:30 p.m. on a recent Tuesday. A man led us to a roomy table and we settled in.
"Do you know about our four-course $20 Tuesday dinner?," Jeremy, our waiter, asked.
We didn't. I was impressed he did not hide that the restaurant offers this downright cheap meal with choices. We decided on the prix fixe and sample two appetizers from the a la carte menu.
The room, which is done up in neutrals, has a bar and pretty hanging lights. The small votive on our table did not afford much light, so I think the room should be a bit brighter.
From the wine list, we selected a bottle of 2007 Blackstone cabernet ($24). Its rich flavor complimented our dinner that began with fried oysters ($10) and pork belly ($8) from the a la carte list.
Three plump, meaty, blue points were dipped in a tasty batter and fried until golden brown. The coating had a terrific crunch I really liked. A tasty remoulade sauce was placed on the plate.
The Witch's pork belly was about the best I've tried -- perfectly done, moist, meaty and possessing a certain softness that melted in my mouth. A perfectly poached egg was nestled next to a small mound of lightly dressed greens.
The lentil soup arrived hot and filled with bits of fresh vegetables. The house pate consisted of a heaping tablespoon of duck liver mousse with a portion of grainy Dijon, some mesclun and a few cornichons. Three slices of thin, toasted baguette were included. With this in life, nothing is bad.
The chopped salad was not akin to the ones served in Israel and throughout the Eastern Mediterranean. Some culinary license was taken as the bits of lettuce, tomato and cucumber were cut into small dice rather than chopped. It was cool, fresh and dressed in a homemade, creamy garlic vinaigrette. Even the house salad Edward tucked into was well-made with bagged mesclun and appropriate dressing.
From the entrees, we selected steak and chicken cordon bleu. I always order beef very rare and, although the sliced meat was tender, it was cold. It was whisked away with no questions asked. The fresh steak grilled for me was juicy, rare and topped with Roquefort. The vegetable of the evening was fresh green beans.
Goodness, let's get retro: Chicken cordon bleu flies back 50 years or so. A boneless breast of chicken is pounded thin. Some ham and cheese, usually Swiss or Gruyere, are placed on top. The poultry is rolled jelly-roll style, coated in seasoned bread crumbs and fried or baked. The Witch's version is similar, but was topped with a rich, creamy cheese sauce Edward really enjoyed. I found it tasty as well.
Desserts included homemade peach cobbler and pumpkin bread pudding. Fresh whipped cream complimented these delights wonderfully.
The service was perfect. Our silverware was changed for each offering and we did not wait long between our five courses. I noticed the manager was helping to serve as the establishment filled up.
I tip my toque and give a round of applause because Jeremy did not go into the "What kind of water would you like?" spiel. This practice simply is getting on my nerves. Complimentary glasses of liqueur were brought to our table, a nice touch for a new restaurant building clientele.
I found one fault, however. The bread tasted like pre-fab dough with its spongy texture. With so much fine bread in town, its inclusion would be another plus for this already-fine neighborhood restaurant.
Three tips of the toque to The Witch American Bistro.
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1. fastfoodie said... on Apr 2, 2009 at 01:53PM
“I really can't stand reading Phylis Stein-Novack's writing anymore....it really is the worst journalism and food review. I refuse to read this column, and quite frankly, the rest of the paper. South Philly can do better than this.”
2. Nancy said... on Apr 3, 2009 at 06:16AM
“We agree with The Review totally! We had such a wonderful dinner there the other night. My favorite is the salmon but my husband is partial to the pork chop. It was such a comfortable atmosphere. Can't wait until we can go again.”
3. Kathy said... on Apr 3, 2009 at 06:29AM
“I love this place. I was there last Tuesday. Everything I had was delightful. I disagree with Phyllis' assessment about the bread and can not find one area to critize. I can't wait until I go back there. I only wished I lived closer.”
4. Mike said... on Apr 3, 2009 at 06:39AM
“The pork belly is out of this world and I would espcicially recommend the filet mignon. It was an enjoyable evening and I plan to go again.”
5. Art Bucher said... on Apr 3, 2009 at 06:51AM
“This restaurant is so good. I'm a huge fan of Sous chef Bobby Saritsoglou's culinary creations. Delicious in every way. ”
6. Pat said... on Apr 3, 2009 at 07:06AM
“I have been there a couple of times since they first opened (its helps to live close-by). I have seen some changes since, which suggests to me the owner is very receptive to his patrons. Service has always been fantastic there as well. For me, they serve a grilled pork-chop which is think is excellent.”
7. Eileen said... on Apr 3, 2009 at 08:53AM
“I love the comfortable atmosphere, the delicious food and easy parking. I have been there several times and it just keeps getting better and better. It is also so reasonable. ”
8. Joseph Myers said... on Apr 4, 2009 at 06:33AM
“Ouch. Could you elaborate on your displeasure with the paper? It certainly aims to represent South Philly admirably. ”
9. Pennsport resident said... on May 4, 2009 at 08:40AM
“I was attending for my second time this weekend. Our group waited over 45min for our food. Then when we got it the scallops were still cold in the middle and the food was tasteless. The meals are quite overpriced for the small portions they give. The rolls are just awful.”
10. Deb said... on May 13, 2009 at 06:55AM
“We visited "The Witch" yesterday, for the $20.00 prefix. I would have preferred the price be higher and the portions larger. The rolls they serve could be better, there are plenty of places in Philly to get good bread. I had the Corn Chowder, no taste, the Mussle Salad, no taste, the Seabass, tasty but very small portion. The best part the dinner was the dessert, the banana bread pudding, great. This being said, the ambiance was great and I will try it again, but using the regular menu. The brunch menu looks great, so I would give that a try as well.”
11. D said... on Jun 15, 2009 at 11:57AM
“Great place, totally recommend!”
12. funfoodie said... on Oct 26, 2009 at 10:46AM
“The Witch was extremely disappointing for Sunday brunch. Although we had a reservation, we had to wait nearly 30 minutes to be seated. The service was terrible and slow and our waitress couldn’t have been more disinterested in us. We had to ask for certain things several times (silverware, syrup for the pancakes, refills on water/coffee) before acutally getting them. The food was okay — not the worst but certainly not the best, although the potatoes were so burnt that they were black. There was literally soot on the serving plate. Maybe dinner is better, but sadly, we won’t be going back to find out. ”
13. Jim said... on Nov 3, 2009 at 08:24AM
“I have been going to the Witch for almost a year and I greatly enjoy the Sunday Brunch menu. I usually get one of their omelets (I especially enjoy the "South of the Border" version). I find the place to be very clean and very a pleasant atmosphere to enjoy my breakfast. It’s true sometimes when it’s busy, you might have to wait for a table, but I never found it to be more than 8 minutes. I usually work in the evenings which is why I haven't had the chance to eat dinner there, but I plan to go to one of their "All you can eat Seafood dinners", when I have the opportunity. I really enjoy going there and I hope other people will give this place a chance as well.”
14. Micah said... on Nov 5, 2009 at 08:24AM
“I love going there for dinner. I would recommend this place to anyone.”
15. Al J said... on Feb 7, 2010 at 01:55PM
“We live in Florida now but every time we come north its off to the Witch at least once. What more could you want? Great service, great atmosphere and excellant food!”