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I often use the Zagat Survey as a guide to new restaurants. While leafing through the 2008 edition, I came across St. Stephen’s Green. I had not heard of this new place, but I am quite familiar with its location on the corner of 17th and Green streets in the Fairmount section.
Nearly 20 years ago, the site housed Mezzanote, an Upper East Side type of trattoria with individual pizzas, great salads, unusual (for its time) pastas and so forth. Years later, it morphed into Cuvée Notre Dame, a Belgian-inspired bistro with good beer and moderate prices.
Edward and I wanted to try St. Stephen’s Green because the site had been vacant for a long time. It was a cold evening and we looked forward to a warm meal at a moderate price.
The interior was gutted and now resembles an Irish pub, with lots of wood, a long bar and comfortable tables and chairs in the dining room. Jumbo martinis ($6.50) were a bargain.
There’s a pub menu as well as a dinner menu. We often like to mix and match, sampling dishes from both bills of fare.
As we sipped our drinks, I noticed a famous dish on the menu and its name gave a clue as to the man in charge of the kitchen. "Isabella salad" was created a number of years ago by chef Ben McNamara at his restaurant Isabella and later at New Wave Café in Queen Village.
We have always enjoyed his delicious dishes and looked forward to sampling a number of them that night.
Fried Brussels sprouts ($6) arrived piping hot. They were prepared with caramelized onions, which we like. The sprouts and onions were crispy, cooked in rendered duck fat, which imparted a flavor so divine we could have downed another order even though this one was generous. They were free of grease and so successful, it was a prelude of what was to come.
Next up were potato pancakes ($9), which we love even though Hanukkah is over. McNamara fashioned two good-sized latkes and fried them until they were crisp and golden brown. He topped them with heavenly smoked salmon he fashioned into a round crown. Smooth cream cheese, mixed with goat cheese and snips of fresh chives, was set inside the salmon crowns. It looked pretty and tasted just as good.
We had to share the Isabella salad ($10). A trip to any restaurant where McNamara is in charge would not be the same without savoring this creation. The chef placed a large mound of mesclun in the center of a cool plate. He topped the greens with grilled meaty portobellos and strips of roasted red pepper. A nice-size disk of tangy goat cheese topped with pine nuts sat in the center. McNamara has a light hand with the homemade vinaigrette although balsamic vinegar was used in the dressing. The contrast of cool vegetables and warm mushrooms, along with the tang of the cheese and the crunch of the nuts make this salad a favorite.
We shared a pint of La Chouffe ($7) split into two pretty, big, round glasses. This Belgian beer has an almost Champagne flavor and is light, dry and crisp.
Fish and chips ($12) was as good as any found across the pond. Thick slices of fresh cod were dipped into a batter prepared with Guinness, deep-fried and served with french fries, lemon wedges and tartar sauce. Edward and I have endured dreadful renditions of this classic in a number of places. McNamara’s was a taste sensation. The fish was so hot, I had to wait a minute before popping a piece in my mouth. The dish was cooked to perfection and the coating was tasty, not a bit greasy. Megan, our server who took good care of us and everyone else in the dining room (which was filled, by the way), brought Edward extra tartar sauce as requested.
I haven’t had spareribs since last summer. Why not have a classic cookout dish in the early days of winter? McNamara’s version ($15) consisted of meaty pork ribs slow cooked and grilled. The sauce was soy-mirin — an Asian-inspired twist on an all-American dish. The ribs were juicy and came with very thin, crisp-like-potato-chips shoestring sweet potato fries.
Megan told us all desserts are homemade. We opted for a slice of Bailey’s cheesecake ($7) that was large enough for two.
St. Stephen’s Green is a welcome addition to the Fairmount neighborhood. The place was packed when we enjoyed our meal. The waitstaff is knowledgeable, polite and friendly.
From my seat, I watched as big burgers and homemade pizzas came by. McNamara consistently sends out fine dishes. His menu is a mix of pub classics and New American bistro fare at moderate prices. I’m booking a table for Sunday brunch very soon.
Three tips of the toque to St. Stephen’s Green.
St. Stephen’s Green
17th and Green streets
215-769-5000
Credit cards accepted
