Garces Trading Company, Philadelphia PA

My travels brought me to Philadelphia, where it is said to be the "Best Restaurant City!" according to the Loews Hotel welcome book. After a walk around the Liberty Bell and Washington Square, I found myself a few blocks west at Garces Trading Company, founded by the newer Iron Chef America, Chef Jose Garces.

Vichyssoise Chaude

There's a bit of a disconnect between what Garces intends as "a casual sit-down meal" and the $50 pp you'd have to drop for an appetizer/soup/salad, an entree and a glass of wine.

That being said, the food was amazing and worth the $50 I dropped. The ambiance is mixed as part of the place is a deli style market, with a sit down cafe portion. This food is certainly worthy of a classier dining experience.

Pappardelle With Lamb Ragu

I started with the Vichyssoise Chaude which was served table side. A shallow bowl with potato, leek, scallop, bacon, and truffle shavings, and then the server poured the hot chowder into the bowl. It was rich, complex, and amazing (though I still contend that using truffles is culinary cheating).


I also had the Pappardelle With Lamb Ragu—long and wide pasta with slow cooked lamb with sunchoke puree, peas, and piave vechio (which is Italian for fancy parmesan). Lots of great flavors if you like lamb, but not too heavy. Each bite dances a little in your mouth with layers of flavors playing off each other.


Honorable mention that I almost got, was the Sunday night special of ox-tail and braised short rib lasagna.

Check out my blog on Chef Garces' other restaurant, CHIFA, Peruvian-Cantonese cuisine.

B Restaurant in Old Town Oakland

I've got a new favorite restaurant in Oakland -- it's B Restaurant. Tracy and I have been there a few times now, and it hits the spot every time. The ambiance is great, and its situated in Old Town Oakland (9th Street between Clay and Broadway), which is urban without being ghetto.

What we usually order:

• Truffle Fries    $6
• Perfectly fried potatoes tossed with parsley and truffle oil.
• P.E.I. Mussels - bacon, smoked gouda broth, rosemary foccacia   $14
• The idea of a smoked gouda broth sounds odd, but is super tasty without being heavy.
• Lamb Sugo - braised lamb, mostaccioli pasta, carrots, onions, tomatoes, ricotta salata   $12 small/ $19 large
• I love saucy braised meats, and this hits the spot every time. The thick chewy pasta complements the texture of the chunks of lamb.

They also have some pretty good wood-fired pizzas which we've had a couple times. The host, bartender and wait staff are all very professional, personal, and inviting. So come check it out for dinner some time soon. They're only open for dinner.

UPDATE: I just bought three $40 gift certificates on Living Social, for only $20 each, so we'll be going there several more times for sure.