South Philly Review

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The 100 block of South 18th Street is one of my favorite dining destinations. If I want top pub fare or afternoon tea, I head to The Dandelion. I’ve eaten lunch at Tria many times and have never been disappointed. Last winter, I discovered Numa, a good go-to for sushi and other Japanese dishes. Juicy burgers at Rouge keep me happy while the French cuisine at Parc transports me to my beloved Paris.

I now add a.kitchen to my list of favorable restaurants. Under the direction of executive chef Bryan Sikora, a.kitchen offers something for everyone. It is open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner. Sikora has organized a tasty menu using top quality, local, seasonal ingredients. Although the service was a bit spotty on both my visits, the food did not disappoint.

I lunched alone on a warm summer afternoon and brought along a book for company. The space is cozy complete with an open kitchen where you can sit at the bar and watch Sikora and his team work their special brand of culinary magic. Simple blond wood serves as the banquettes and tabletops while homey dishcloths serve as napkins.

I began lunch with a salad of baby lettuce hearts ($10) with delightful trimmings including cool, crisp, thinly-sliced radishes and bits of Point Reyes blue cheese. Each ingredient sang on the plate. It was a cool refreshing way to segue to France for an intriguing sandwich.

I love gougère. These are small, round and savory rolls from Burgundy made with Gruyère. Sikora bakes them into a sandwich-size bun. I ordered the country ham ($13), topped with a bit of Dijon. My lunch came with homemade pickled vegetables that were so good I could have eaten another order of them.

A few weeks later, my friend Margaret joined me for an early dinner. The music was a bit loud and annoying even at 5:30 p.m. I wish jazz would be on the sound system at a.kitchen. It would top off the atmosphere.

Margaret sipped her first Negroni ($12) made with Compari, Carpano Antica, Cava and orange juice while I nursed a Beefeater martini ($11) because the restaurant does not offer Bombay Sapphire.

We began dinner with an asparagus appetizer ($11) enhanced by grilled baby artichokes, the last of the warm weather ramps and topped with a creamy Pecorino-Romano dressing. The vegetables complemented each other in a tasty fashion and the slightly salty cheese hit the mark.

Next up was a salad of dressed crab ($15), which made me think of all of the times I savored this starter in London. Sikora uses blue crab from the Chesapeake Bay. It was sweet, meaty and paired well with faro and topped in a light, not-a-bit-overpowering pesto. Using pesto on the crab was creative and inspiring.

A true test of a chef’s skill is how he or she treats octopus. It can be bland and chewy. This version ($14) was another winner. The perfectly-cooked mollusk that retained a bit of bite was placed on the plate along with sweet, cold bites of juicy watermelon. With this in life, nothing is bad. Another fine example of how a simple dish brings smiles all around.

Wines at a.kitchen are offered in 3- and 5-ounce portions. This is a fine idea, especially if someone wants a taste of a white and a taste of a red with dinner. Margaret and I shared the 3-ounce portions, including a cool, crisp, tinny 2010 Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Domaine de la Pepiere ($8) and Anes Corbiere ($7).

We completed dinner sharing a good-sized portion of tagliatelle with veal ragu ($16). By this time, a.kitchen was almost bursting at the seams. Unfortunately, it arrived cold. A fresh order arrived within minutes and it was downright delicious. An authentic ragu is a true peasant dish. The veal was nicely seasoned, simmered slowly in stock, vegetables and its own juice. It was fork tender and clung to the pasta as a perfect ragu must. I did not create this quote. Marcella Hazan did.

Three tips of the toque to a.kitchen. SPR

a.kitchen

135 S. 18th St.
215-825-7030
www.akitchenphilly.com

Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.