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As a restaurant critic, it would be a conflict of interest and unethical for me to engage in any part of the food business.
If restaurant criticism and food writing were not my profession, I would place my money on Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran, the talented duo behind Lolita, Bindi, Verde, Open House and now Barbuzzo, their newest shining venture on 13th Street.
These women can do no wrong. If Bindi is an Indian restaurant, Barbuzzo is its Mediterranean sister.
Fresh organic produce from local farms is the star here. Your meal can take you to France, Italy and Spain.
I visited Barbuzzo on two occasions, bringing along a book for company. I slid onto a stool at the marble-topped bar and met William, the barkeep. He took good care of me without constantly asking questions.
A piping hot bowl of ribollita ($5) warmed me up immediately. The light homemade chicken stock was redolent with white beans, uniformly diced root vegetables, small homemade pasta twists, local greens and a hint of Parmesan cheese. Several slices of fresh baguette and small dish of top quality extra-virgin olive oil topped off my first course.
I looked to France for absolutely perfect chicken liver and foie gras mousse ($7).
“This takes me right back to Paris,” I said as I spread the delectable whipped delight onto a slice of a toasted baguette.
The mousse is served in a small glass ramekin, the kind you use for cocktail sauce. A little mound of microgreens sat on the plate.
Barbuzzo features a Mediterranean buffet ($15). You mosey over to the open kitchen counter and make your selection. I told William I wanted roasted carrots, buffalo mozzarella, roasted mushroom faro, sautéed local greens and the Mediterranean olive mix.
The colorful dishes beautifully set off the white plate. Yellow and orange carrots were roasted with fresh lemon, thyme and a hint of honey for sweetness. I suspect the mozzarella is made in-house. It had a pillowy soft texture and went well with arugula pesto, toasted pignoli and a touch of balsamic vinegar.
Cooking faro properly can be tricky. Turney hit the mark. It was neither mushy nor overly toothy and was enhanced by wood-roasted mushrooms in olive oil.
The sautéed local greens were simply done and enhanced by garlic, a bit of chili pepper and bread crumbs toasted in olive oil.
The jumble of Mediterranean olives brought a smile to my face. They were of different sizes and different colors. I have adored olives ever since I tasted one for the first time at age 2 when my chubby little hand plucked the olive from my father’s martini.
I wanted to try the pizza but I was too full. So the next day, the wind blew me back to Barbuzzo. I sat on a wooden booth because Barbuzzo is relatively dark but there was a light overhead. I read my newspaper and sipped Schuylkill punch.
For starters, the roasted beet and grapefruit salad ($7) was four-star. Fresh red and yellow beets were roasted, cooled and thickly sliced. Peeking between them were the supreme of ruby red grapefruit. The plate also contained creamy goat cheese, fried Tuscan kale and was topped with pesto prepared with pistachio nuts. My server brought me a sliced baguette to enjoy with my starter.
Pizza is all the rage now. The lardo pizza ($13) was prepared with a thin crust and topped with wood-roasted mushrooms, fior di latte, pecorino for a bit of saltiness, artichokes and caramelized leeks. This is a vegetarian delight.
A mug of organic Earl Grey with lemon ($3) was soothing, but I needed something sweet. The budino ($8) is a masterpiece of slightly salty caramel, chocolate and a whipped topping all layered in a deep, round glass. If you grew up on chocolate pudding and graduated to pot de crëme after your first visit to France or a French restaurant, you will soar right out of the restaurant.
A few weeks ago I wrote Tria is a favorite Rittenhouse Square haunt. Barbuzzo has become my favorite whenever I am shopping along 13th Street. I know I will find unusual gifts at these stores and will find delicious sustenance at Barbuzzo.
Three extraordinary tips of the toque to Barbuzzo. SPR
Barbuzzo
110 S. 13th St.
215-546-9300
www.barbuzzo.com
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