Philly Fare: Day and Night

OK, Philly fans ... here's a tease on my Philadelphia column for the April issue ... I was so impressed with a couple of stops that I feel compelled to share tonight some general observations ... maybe my initial euphoria can be the side effects of that "newness" quality, since it's my first visit in years to the city. I doubt it though ...

First, let me tell you about the Loews Philadelphia Hotel ... it is an architectural marvel -- a reclaiming of a 1930's bank skyscraper and while I walked around in awe of its majestic strength, I felt like I was experiencing it from the inside a Discovery or History channel documentary. Originally built as the Philadelphia Savings Fund Society (PSFS) Building, Loews converted the first skyscraper in the U.S. to a hotel in 1999-2000. If you want the view that I was fortunate enough to capture here ... ask for 3017 (the fotos are from my room with my camera against the window) ... you can say you know someone that recommended it highly.

I had lunch in chef Thomas Harkins' SoleFood in the hotel. The Yellow Fin Tuna tartare has a delicious counterpoint flavor and texture to add to the taste quotient: a dollop of Tabiko caviar on top ... flavored with Wasabi to add pizzaz. Cucumbers and fried wontons add to the dish, but I kept going back to the crunch of the simple caviar and the pristine quality of the tuna.

After lunch, I went to the rum haven of Cuba Libre in Old City ... where Bobby G. lined the bar with his extensive rum portfolio and his defining mojitos -- the classic and the pomegranate. They make their mojitos with the juice of sugar cane that has been squeezed daily (pressed through rollers) ... the "guarapo" adds a smooth sweetness with uncommon body. Later that evening my friend had a raspberry mojito made with a Three Olives Raspberry Vodka ... she said it fit into the "best ever" category.

More in the April issue of Foodservice Monthly -- where I returned to Cuba Libre for dinner and then went on a walking tour of places to eat for my next visit -- including Amada where the chef Jose Garces is in the running for a James Beard Award with Eric Ziebold, Cathal Armstrong and Cindy Wolf. I also spent some quality mixology time with Loews bartender Christian Roberson as he made a parade of house cocktail favorites. I like this Philly thing we have working here.