2024 Philadelphia Kitchen Notebook
An in-depth look at some of our favorite dishes and cocktails from our time on the ground in Philadelphia.
Bubble and Squeak
Ember & Ash in Philadelphia’s East Passyunk was originally a nose-to-tail concept highlighting off-cuts and peasant dishes, according to Chef-Owner Scott Calhoun. Over time, however, the menu shifted to something more approachable for the family-heavy clientele. But when then-partner Chef David Feola suggested adding a bubble and squeak to the menu, they just couldn't resist the classic U.K. dish. “It was a way for us to still have fun with those types of dishes, but also do something slightly more refined.” Instead of sticking with the traditional potato pancake, Calhoun reinvents the meal in the form of a chou farci. He starts by salt-curing Saku Saku cabbage and charring it over an open flame before folding it into French-style mashed potatoes. “The cabbage has this sweet, mild Honeycrisp apple flavor.” The mash is seasoned with a “pastrami-esque” mixture of caraway, dill, black pepper, and celery seed, and is then molded into disks and wrapped in Savoy cabbage leaves. With live fire as a driving force behind the menu, the patty is seared on pick-up. To add another layer of texture, Calhoun whips up a mussel velouté. The mussels are opened over the fire, puréed with a wine reduction, and mounted with butter. The charred patty is then hit with lemon juice and smoked salt, and finished with a drizzle of paprika oil. “The smoke from the hearth, the char from the cabbage, and the richness of the velouté just round everything out. It’s homey and comforting.”
That Nicolas Cage
Like the real Nicolas Cage, Beverage Director Scott Rodrigue’s cocktail, That Nicolas Cage, is unpredictable, divisive, and thrilling, which is no surprise given Rodrigue's past in experimental theater. He first started working on the cocktail while bartending at Volvér. The drink drew inspiration from Jose Garces’ much-loved truffle lavender honey, T J Siegal’s Gold Rush, and Cage’s performance in the 2021 film Pig ( “Where’s my truffle pig!? ” ). The cocktail starts with an emulsified truffle honey, which Rodrigue makes by blending hot water and honey and slowly streaming in cold pressed white truffle oil. The emulsification gives the drink “a creamy texture without the dairy” and “changes the mouthfeel more than fat washing,” says Rodrigue. But bringing together the flavors of truffles, honey, and lemon proved to be a challenge. “ Truffle and citrus are such a culinary no -no…how can I make this work? ” The answer: house -made lavender bit t er s. The bitter s, along with lemon juice and Old Grand Dad Bonded Bourbon, bring a “ three -dimensional balance” to the cocktail. No longer officially on the menu at Grace & Proper (though available off-menu for those who ask), That Nicolas Cage started as “a puzzle that didn’t have a destination. The final product wasn’t the original goal. I learned about balance through the process of making it.”
Mussels and Turnips
While developing recipes for his future brick-and-mortar, Chef- Owner Aaron Randi was searching for his signature dish. A long time fan of cold seafood dishes, it felt natural for him to create his own, showcasing a favorite meal of his: mussels. He begins by steaming mussels in garlic and oil, letting the mussels’ natural juices come through. "I didn't want to add wine and interfere with the mussel flavor." The mussels are then picked from their shells and marinated in the cooking liquid for four hours. To make use of the less plump mussels, Randi creates a mussel emulsion by blending them with canola oil to “reinforce the mussel flavor, with the added bonus of limiting waste.” For an extra textural component, Randi roasts hakurei turnips and seasons them in lemon juice and olive oil. And for an added punch of flavor and heat, he whips up a chile oil with toasted garlic and ginger, miso, gochugaru, fish sauce, hondashi, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. “If you take a quick glance at it, it looks like there isn't a ton going on. But as you start to eat it, you're getting all these different flavors and textures.” One of the first dishes to hit the menu at Illata, Randi’s marinated mussel dish is a restaurant staple. “ It’s cool to see people unsure about a cold seafood dish, order it and love it.”
Bulgogi Birria Tacos
Chefs Rene Lopez and Alexander Sherack opened Korea Taqueria out of a food cart in early 2022 with a minimal menu of tacos with various Korean-style proteins. They immediately found a loyal following hungry for a fresh concept, but it wasn’t until they secured a brick-and-mortar in February 2023 that they could really go all-in on marrying Mexican dishes with Korean flavors. “With equipment and a larger kitchen we were able to realize the full potential of the menu,” says Sherack. “It's limitless. A lot of the sauces and flavors are such great vehicles for new ideas.” The menu now includes dishes like kimchi nachos and Korean fried chicken, and one item that quickly became a sensation: bulgogi beef birria tacos served with kimchi consommé. The tacos bank on tender beef, roasted for 12 hours and dressed in a bulgogi-inspired marinade with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame, and green apple. The rendered tallow and juices from the beef jumpstart the consommé, which the chefs infuse with guajillo, ancho, chiles de árbol, gochujang, and kimchi. And in classic birria taco fashion, the tallow skimmed from the consommé is used to coat the corn tortillas, giving them a vibrant red hue and an added layer of flavor. The shredded beef goes into two dipped tortillas with mozzarella which are griddled until crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside. The tacos are served with a bright salsa verde, onion, cilantro, and lime, with the kimchi consommé on the side for dunking. “They were a hit right away,” says Sherack, “and have since become our signature.”
Pumpkin Bonet
“I like to make sure my desserts have some classic Italian component,” says Pastry Chef Michal Shelkowitz, “and then let my own personal style shine.” At Vetri Cucina, Shelkowit z highlight s Italian ingredient s and French techniques, but isn’t afraid to break away from tradition and pay homage to the classics in her own way. Looking to add a custard dessert to the menu, she learned about the bonet from Chef Jacob Rozenberg and set out to reinterpret the original. Inspired by the flavors of fall, Shelkowit z incorporates a honeynut squash purée into her custard base, which leans heavily on egg whites. The custard is then poured into ramekins lined with caramel and baked in a water bath. To add textural contrast to the dish, Shelkowit z was drawn to cake croutons, which she first discovered in Francisco Migoya’s Frozen Desserts. The gingerbread cake croutons “add a fun textural element,” says Shelkowit z, and have a “softer crunch than a cookie, while inserting more flavor than a bread crouton!” The dish is topped with amaretto whipped cream as “a nod to the traditional use of amaretti cookies in a bonet ” without abandoning that familiar almond flavor. The dessert is garnished with poached huckleberries, complementing the savory notes and adding a kick of acidity to Shelkowit z’s reimagined fall dessert.
Hot Chocolate Milk Punch
When the winter season rolls around at Palizzi Social Club, Bar Manager Jorgen Eriksen goes all-out with festive cocktail specials. This year, joining the ranks of tried-and-true favorites like his aged eggnog and hot buttered rum with crème anglaise, is his newest seasonal sipper: hot chocolate milk punch. “I have a hot chocolate recipe that I make every year,” says Eriksen. “Then a couple years ago, I did an event and we decided to try it as a hot milk punch. I had never seen a milk punch reheated.” For the base of the punch, Eriksen went with a combination of white rum, Fernet, and Becherovka for a mint-forward bitter richness. He combines the base blend with lemon and grapefruit juices, Angostura and Aztec bitters, and a cinnamon-vanilla syrup infused with chile de árbol for a touch of heat. He washes the batch with chocolate milk (enhanced with cocoa powder) and let s the mix meld for 24 hours before clarification. For service, the punch resides on the backbar in a candle-fueled antique glass coffee carafe, keeping the cocktail warm and ready to pour. All Eriksen has to do is add a clove-studded lemon wheel to-order.
