It's pretty impossible to avoid eating at a Stephen Starr restaurant considering his empire is scattered all-throughout Philly. Although his restaurants span a multitude of cuisines, most of them make it to the top best places to eat in Philadelphia. Recently, he opened up Serpico, headed by veteran chef Peter Serpico himself--David Chang's former right-hand-man in the Momofuku empire and opening chef/partner of Momofuku Ko.
OBVIOUSLY, this was a big deal for me. And for C, who has been waiting patiently to be featured here and, alas, is finally getting his first mention (HI!!!!) -- I don't know why it took so long.
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| Raw diver scallops - buttermilk, poppy seed, green chili paste, white soy, chive |
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| Cope's corn ravioli - chorizo, white cheese, pickled and roasted onions, sour cream, lime |
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| Deep fried duck leg - hoisin, scallion, pickles, martin's potato roll |
These three dishes were all great but also kept us wondering what exactly we were eating. C agreed and stated there was a theme going on. It was as if Serpico's goal was to mystify you with what he places in front of you because you expect it to taste just like any other order of scallops, duck or corn pasta you've had--because after all, how many different ways can one thing taste like--but instead, his dishes deliver an unconventional and new-ish taste. Everything was still so tasty and worked well together though, and that's all that mattered.
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| Elysian farms lamb ribs for 2 - cumin, japanese eggplant, spring garlic, mint, yogurt, black olive oil |
The lamb ribs were literally fall-off-the-bone tender and so delicious. It was cooked until crunchy (like good barbecue should be on the outside) but magically soft towards the middle. C and I just kind of stared at each other in delight and nodded our heads in approval after taking the first bite. It was a mutual pat-in-the-back moment. The lamb was accompanied by a simple eggplant and yogurt sauce/dressing on the side that worked really well with the sweet ribs. It was perfect.
So, we obviously pulled out all the stops when it came to ordering. I think we ordered half the menu, which is fit for a celebratory meal but was also just right considering the appetizer servings weren't too overwhelming in size.
After debating for a few minutes (but really -- every meal out needs dessert) we decided to cap off our feast with something sweet. Considering the dessert menu only featured four items, C and I decided we wanted to select one conventional and one unconventional dish.
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| Toasted apple cake - burnt apple sauce, brown butter, vanilla ice cream, caramel |
Our conventional dessert was the apple cake. Although most would want to try something new and intriguing, I figured that a restaurant as good as Serpico or just any high-end restaurant could make something so ordinary REALLY good. The toasted apple cake was our favorite. It was mind-blowingly moist, dense, and perfectly burnt so that the caramel flavor really came through.
We also liked the goat-cheese sorbet because the taste of the goat cheese was subtle and complimented the shortbread crumbs perfectly. It was almost like a very, very light cheesecake and from jumping between spoonfuls of sorbet and then cake, we learned that you definitely have to work your way up and eat the sorbet BEFORE the apple cake. C was trying to explain it in terms of the "first stimuli" lol, you get the point.
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| Goat cheese sorbet - asian pear, almond, shortbread cookie, mint |
Overall, this was an extremely memorable meal. The space was cool and intimate, the servers seemed hip and, in C's words, "part of a band"--quite a mismatch with what you'd expect from a restaurant like Serpico. The walls were lined with chalkboards and lists of specials, drinks, and doodles. The menu was filled with food that was, as aforementioned, interesting and innovative without seeming contrived or forced. If Serpico is trying to channel an 'unexpected' vibe that keeps you intrigued and wondering, then it definitely worked.
Serpico
604 South St
Philadelphia, PA
