The ‘LM’ Panel Reviews Tria

Clean, sleek, trendy, aromatic, and busy on a Tuesday night – Tria prides itself on the celebration and combination of beer, wine and cheese ‘the tasty threesome of fermentation’. The LM Panel was pleasantly impressed with almost every aspect of our dining experience at Philadelphia Magazine’s 2008 choice for best wine bar in Philadelphia.

The first page of the menu consists of almost tapas like dishes so you can easily find yourself ordering 6 or 7 dishes and going back for more. The mixed marinated olives were highlighted by thin slices of fresh garlic and intermingled nicely with the sliced Italian meats and slender slices of baggett. Our two bruchetta choices, a goat’s cheese, roasted garlic with Pesto and truffled mushroom with fontina, were simple, crunchy and savory. The roasted butternut squash with apple goat cheese, pumpkin seed oil and maple walnuts looked intriguing on the menu but its dimensions fell short when the well done squash and goat’s cheese blended into a mushy muddle in your mouth.

Why is the cheese hidden on the 3rd page of the menu? The first page is full of delicious morsels and the second page is packed with a fantastic selection of wines – who ever reaches the 3rd page of a menu? The Panel enjoyed a fine selection of cheeses and surprising accompaniments – chocolate and cheese!

The full meal was accompanied by a ‘delightful expression’ of a pinot noir, a 2001 Allen McCorkindale from New Zealand – Don’t be afraid to let the knowledge staff make a recommendation from their extensive selection.

Also check out Tria’s Sunday School and Fermentation School if you are looking for a date idea or just want to become more educated about wine, beer, cheese and how they all can work together on the pallet.
The LM Panel gives Tria high ratings (ΩΩΩΩ) for their comfortable settings, appetizing menu, and erudite staff.

http://www.triacafe.com/

The 'LM' Panel Reviews Meritage

The view from the cozy bar was pleasant. The bartender your typical South Philly girl with an edge. You could tell the clientele was mostly regulars by the way the interacted with the staff and a few reservations for the back room intermittently graced our presence. The wine list was nice but not what you would expect from a place that considers itself a wine bar and restaurant. One member of the Panel has enjoyed many fines meals at Meritage so maybe we caught them on an off night.....

To start we ordered the pan seared scallops over a truffle risotto and micro greens. The medium sized scallops scallops were sweet and well seared but the risotto was at times tough and the truffle oil was average in taste.

The reviews of the main courses were mixed. The filet mignon with okinawa sweet potato puree, hericot vert and port veal jus was cooked to perfection and bold with flavor. On the other hand the braised beef short rib with smoked cheddar and truffle mac and cheese, roasted plum tomatoes and natural beef jus was an abomination - it wasn't even a short rib. Whatever graced the center of this main course was closer to a poorly cooked brisket or pot roast than a tender beef short rib. They even have it on the bar menu as a braised short rib sandwich - two items to stay away from!

Desert ended the meal nicely with a timely take on a seasonal favorite, a pumpkin pie with pumpkin seed brittle and dark beer sabayon. The pie was smooth, flavorful and the brittle added a change of texture and taste that separated this desert from the pumpkin pie you would get at the supermarket - good but we were not blown away.

I guess if you had to order your Last Meal at Meritage we would recommend the scallops to start, the filet mignon with a nice red wine accompianment, and maybe the sorbet for desert... better yet maybe a cup of coffee or an after dinner drink instead. The LM Panel gives Meritage an average rating at best (ΩΩ) with plenty of room for improvement.

http://www.meritagephiladelphia.com/page2.php

The 'LM' Panel Reviews Bluefin

One of the best sushi restaurants in the Philadelphia area is in a strip mall in Plymouth Meeting!? Bluefin Japanese Restaurant is well recognized, Zagat rated, and has a cult following that dines often and habitually sings its praises http://www.sushibluefin.com/.

The tables are crowded, plates filled with the wonders of the sea swirl around the room and the quaint space is buzzing with anticipation and hunger. The first thing to know about Bluefin (or any other top notch restaurant) is that reservations made well in advance are a necessity. The LM Panel called a week in advance and a follow up call from the restaurant the day before our meal was a pleasant reminder things to come. Bluefin's decor is minimal and bland but it should not allow you to think that the meal will turn out likewise - the chefs let their creations do the talking, not the walls.

Chef Yong Kim has something on the menu for every stage of the sushi palate from the beginners California roll to the Spicy Tuna Sundae. Served neatly in a martini glass, the sundae offers small pieces of tuna sashimi mixed avocado and spicy sauce to create a balanced explosion of taste and texture. The LM Panel also sampled the some of the chef's sashimi specials of the evening: the delectable and extremely fresh Hamachi (yellow tail), Hirame (Fluke) and scallop. To finish we enjoyed some of the traditional rolls: the Unagi Roll (eel with cucumber), Bluefin Roll (grilled eel on top of a California roll), Dragon Roll (avocado on top of an unagi roll), and the Marlee Roll (tuna on top of a crunchy spicy yellow tail roll with roe).

For your Last Meal at Bluefin you should order whatever the chef suggests and/or one of everything on the menu. Offer the chef a glass of wine or whatever you are having with your meal to make instant friends, bring out his contagious smile, and maybe a couple tasty complimentary snacks. Bring friends, bring a lot of wine or Sapporo, and most importantly bring your appetite because you will find yourself ordering more and more appetizing treats. (ΩΩΩΩΩ)

The 'LM' Panel Reviews Tacconelli's Pizzeria

In 1918 Giovanni Tacconelli came to Philadelphia from Italy and began the arduous task of baking bread. He found the baking to be too time consuming, so he took a recipe his mother taught him and began to make tomato pies in his 20x20 brick oven. Those same pies are still skillfully crafted by the same family, in the same brick oven, in the same neighborhood that they have fed for over 80 years (www.tacconellispizzeria.com)


The 'LM' Panel and a group of 16 close confidants, enjoyed a fabulous evening of 12 masterfully constructed pizzas, a case of Yuengling Beer (Another fine Pennsylvania Tradition www.yuengling.com) and 12 bottles wine. We were seated at a long table with paper plates, plastic cups, a jukebox with Dean Martin playing in the background, and an at-home feeling that only enhansed the meal. After a few minutes of gut wrenching anticipation, each pizza comes to the table steaming hot, crispy not only at the crust but on the bottom each slice, and bursting with taste and history. You get the sense that nothing has changed in the recipe for 80 years and nothing will ever change to the best pizza Philadelphia has to offer.

Just like any fine food it takes time to truly craft even the simplest of meals. That time line starts that day before you even step foot in the restaurant. This establishment is so popular that you have to order you 'doughs' at least a day ahead of time and 'walk up' business can scarcely find an unclaimed pizza. It is recommended that no more than two toppings are added to the pie because the extra weight only causes the slice to droop instead of crunch. The sauce is tasty and not overpowering, the toppings are fresh and accompany the pie superbly, and the service isknowledgeable and friendly.

Tacconelli's has received the highest rating possible (ΩΩΩΩΩ) from The Panel and recommends this historic pizza place to anyone with a passion for pizza made to perfection. For your Last Meal at Tacconelli's Pizzeria you should order a Margarita Pizza with bloches of fresh mozzarella cheese spread out in a sea of tasty red sauce.