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Mid-November was a difficult time for me. I attended two memorial services, two days apart. A friend and neighbor died suddenly at age 49, leaving a wife and two daughters, 13 and 17, and a mother of two died one day before her 42nd birthday.
Her service was held at the Gershman Y, 401 S. Broad St. Around 6:30 p.m., I crossed Broad for a meal I knew would lift my spirits. I urge you to book a table right away at Sbraga. Chef/owner Kevin Sbraga, the winner of “Top Chef” Washington, D.C., hails from Willingboro, N.J. He has worked in many fine establishments including Stephen Starr’s Rats and is one of the most inventive and imaginative chefs cooking in the city.
I dined at the bar. Although I savored this dinner two months ago, I remember each delicious detail.
The four-course prix-fixe dinner is $45. Wine pairings with each course are $30. I began dinner with a piping hot-from-the-oven jumbo Gruyère popover, which I slathered with soft butter.
Tender sweetbreads were served crispy with a scattering of capers. My second course consisted of a piece of immaculately fresh, seared and beautifully seasoned black cod with an Asian accent of bok choy and spicy kim chee. Next up, a rack of lamb arrived medium-rare as ordered.
For dessert, I felt transported back to Paris when I first tasted an apple mille-feuille. The sweet was prepared with buttery puff pastry and served with whipped cream and ice cream.
Late last month, my sister Sandy and I walked in the blustery cold to Sbraga for dinner. We were shown to a roomy table for two. I sat on the banquet, which afforded me a fine view of the open kitchen to watch Sbraga and his team work their culinary magic.
Tables were covered in white linen with black napkins. The lighting was soft and could have been a wee bit brighter. Multi-colored wood columns divide the restaurant into dining areas.
The $45 menu included a number of new dishes for me. Sandy sipped a glass of white Bordeaux ($11) and I opted for a martini ($10). The popovers arrived and our beautifully orchestrated meal began.
A warm terrine of not-at-all bitter eggplant was layered with hints of black garlic and a touch of jalapeno pepper. Sbraga’s brilliant touch was evident in foie gras soup, a velvety marvel of flavors and textures, which made it a most unique dish. I wiped the bowl clean with pieces of popover. I opted for the wine pairings and the course came with a sample of Domaine Francis Mure, Riesling, Alsace.
Sandy proclaimed her first taste of black cod to be perfect. She liked the bok choy’s crispness but found the kim chee too spicy.
Sbraga’s twist on clams casino was a success. I received about a dozen littleneck clams, nestled in their shells, steamed with peppers, topped with crisp bacon and napped in a sea urchin butter sauce. I can’t find the words to adequately describe this luscious creation. A sample of Cantina Terlan Pinot Blanco from Italy hit the mark.
Sandy’s sense of adventure rang true with tender meaty short ribs on a pool of creamy crema, which was outstanding. A lamb chop and portion of lamb belly was prepared rare to medium-rare and sous vide — a first for me — hit the mark.
As we waited for dessert, we received complimentary scoops of rich, homemade vanilla ice cream with a scattering of pomegranate seeds.
Apple strudel — about as fine as my grandmother’s — and a bowl of ice cream with a rich, dark and delicious hot fudge sauce ended one of the finest meals in recent memory. A taste of Quinta do Noval Black Port from Portugal warmed us up.
Service was professional and attentive. The restaurant is one of the top newcomers.
Three extraordinary tips of the toque to Sbraga. SPR
Sbraga
440 S. Broad St.
215-735-1913
sbraga.com
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
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