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In 1963, Marlon Brando delivered a bravura performance as the ambassador to a fictional Southeast Asian country on the verge of civil war in "The Ugly American," a film that foreshadowed the destruction of what was to come in Vietnam.
I recently read a restaurant called The Ugly American was to open on Front Street on the site of the long-established La Vigna. The property was gutted and turned into a delightful neighborhood place, where patrons can sip a glass of beer or wine at the bar, as well as enjoy an appetizer or meal in the dining room.
When Edward and I arrived, we were greeted by a paperback copy of "The Ugly American" by William Julius Lederer on the hostess stand. I was not sure what was in store; At first, I thought there might be a Vietnamese dish or two on the menu. We were in for a nice surprise.
The restaurant is bi-level with soft lighting and ox-blood colored walls. We settled in and Aubrey, our server, took very good care of us.
We liked the menu right away. It listed eight appetizers, 10 entrées, and, luckily, no culinary gimmicks. Chef David Gilberg, who worked at Loie and other establishments, has put together a straight-forward list of dishes prepared with top-quality ingredients. We later discovered his wife Carla is the pastry chef.
We sipped pre-dinner martinis ($8) and discussed the menu. Aubrey brought us fresh-from-the-oven homemade biscuits that were so outrageously delicious, Edward and I downed two each.
From the appetizers we selected a stuffed pepper ($10) and roasted oysters ($9). Gilberg took a spicy large poblano pepper, split it open and filled it with a dreamy mix of creamed leeks and lobster. Leeks become slightly sweet when sautéed in butter and the addition of cream was a nice touch. The lobster was fresh and added taste and texture.
I usually prefer raw oysters, but I wanted to see how Gilberg would handle them. Three immaculately fresh, good-sized oysters were nestled on their shells and topped with creamed spinach and bacon. Fresh bread crumbs were sprinkled on top before the oysters were roasted. This was a fine way to begin dinner. Three is a funny number when it comes to building appetizers. I enjoyed this dish so much I told Edward I would flip a coin to see who got the extra one.
We shared an unusual salad of Belgian endive, cauliflower, cheese and bread crumbs ($9). It arrived warm and was delightfully different and delicious. Here is the French influence at The Ugly American as the French enjoy warm salads on cold winter evenings.
The wine list is moderately priced both by the glass and bottle. There were two bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon listed. One was $21 and the other, $33. They were out of the lower-priced wine. Edward and I asked her if we could have the $33 bottle for $21. She checked with the manager, who gave our server the go-ahead. The wine we selected was a 2005 14 Hands Cabernet from Washington. It was one of the finest Cabernets Edward and I have tasted in a long time.
Three tips of the toque straightaway for this hospitable practice. Our bill reflected the lower price.
Next up was a warming, stick-to-your-ribs cassoulet ($17) and a grilled pork porterhouse ($21). The cassoulet was prepared with fresh and smoked American bacon and locally made sausages. There was just enough spice to the dish that included black-eyed peas and collard greens.
Unfortunately, my pork was overcooked. The dish would have fared better if the meat was roasted rather than grilled. Still, the sides were scrumptious. I love cheddar cheese grits and mine were piping hot. Sautéed broccoli rabe rounded out the plate.
We had to try a dessert. We selected homemade apple pie with cheddar cheese ice cream. Carla Gilberg prepared a flakey pastry and filled it with slightly tart apples. Cheddar cheese ice cream may sound slightly unappetizing, but it isn’t. Sweet and salty make a fine marriage when it comes to ice cream. Chefs around the world are playing with all sorts of ingredients that may seem to be unusual pairings, but the results speak for themselves.
The Ugly American is a fine addition to South Philadelphia. Prices are moderate, there is no long list of specials to sit through and service is excellent. The husband-and-wife team have only been in the kitchen for a few weeks, but I suspect this restaurant will become popular with locals and the Center City crowd — including me.
Two-and-a-half tips of the toque to The Ugly American.
The Ugly American
1100 S. Front St.
215-336-1100
Credit cards accepted
