Audrey Claire

After yearssss of wanting to try Audrey Claire--doesn't the restaurant name sound so classy?--I was finally able to try it for dinner. I always thought it served contemporary american food (maybe because of its name), but it turns out this charming little (and by little I mean LITTLE -- the space resembles one huge hallway) BYOB serves comforting, homey, and delicious, DELICIOUS Mediterranean food. I had the most perfect birthday dinner with the most perfect lineage (and extended family members, haha!) who planned it all for me. 

My Big and I share a love for moscato and wine

If there's one tip I can give you about dining in Audrey Claire, it' s that you should family-style everything! We were looking around at the tables nearby and everyone had dishes to themselves. When it was our turn to order, we picked an array of plates that everyone agreed upon--which was not difficult seeing as the people I ate with all love food and have bottomless appetites. The server was so impressed with our selection and our decision to share all the dishes that he told us we obviously knew our thing. He was probably so happy we ordered tons and proceeded to pay for our dessert. Bottom line, order like your appetite is insatiable (some servings are actually small). You can never lose.

Mediterranean spreads. choice of three: spicy hummus. tzatziki. white bean puree. pumpkin hummus. sun-dried tomato and basil

We all loved this starter -- the dips were all so unique and flavorful. My favorite had to be the sun-dried tomato and the pumpkin hummus, which tasted more sweet than salty but was such a tasty dip that I kept returning to it.

Cuties

Grilled flat bread - braised short rib, portobello, melted fontina cheese, truffle oil 

Antipasti for two: a little of everything

 I loved all the vegetables that were in this dish -- the asparagus was grilled to perfection and the acidity from the pickles and olives complimented the perfectly but more subtle-tasting beets and portobello mushrooms. The brussel sprouts--albeit plainly cooked--were so delicious, too.

Grilled octopus with feta, EVOO, lemon over greens

Anything with octopus in it-especially as a key ingredient--appeals to me immediately. This was definitely not an exception.

Seared haloumi with candied dates and sesame fig compote

The fried and salty haloumi went really well with the sweet candied dates and fig. I love anything that plays with the combination of cheese, figs, dates, and berries and this was a winner in my books.

Hudson valley duck breast with lentil and pancetta ragout, cauliflower mousse, rosemary balsamic

Chef's special: leek risotto, asparagus, sea bass, balsamic glaze

The chef's special was probably one of my favorites that night!

Potato crusted ahí tuna with crispy beets and black truffle vinaigrette 

Look how huge those chunks of perfectly-seared tuna are! They were indeed juicy and the crispy beets intensified the flavor of the dish even more.

Chocolate lava cake

I was actually caught off-guard when the server presented me with this cake and a candle (that I already blew out) no matter how many times I've witnessed this/requested this for my friends.

Of course we still ordered a second dessert--even if the server had already put our check down on the table. He was glad and quick to take it back when we asked if we could add one more dessert to our bill.

Banana, white chocolate, berry bread pudding

Overall, a fantastic meal with great food, great wine, and even greater company. Audrey Claire has definitely made it as one of my favorite BYOB places, and I can't wait to return to try the rest of the food.

Audrey Claire

BYOB/Cash only

20th & Spruce

Philadelphia, PA