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Ever since I was a child, I have loved word games. I enjoy crossword puzzles and cryptograms. In a crossword puzzle just the other day there was a five-letter name for a baseball player named Jeter. Derek, of course, was the answer.
I immediately thought of chef Derek Davis. I first met him more than 20 years ago when he was cooking at Apropos on South Broad Street and then at the Warwick Hotel. He soon made a name for himself when he led the culinary development of Manayunk with Sonoma. He also ran Kansas City Prime, a high-end steakhouse of Southwestern fare, which did not fare well and morphed into family-style Italian.
I found Davis still owns his Manayunk flagship, but changed the name to Derek’s. I wanted to see if the trends of the past five years (Spanish tapas, small plates, Mediterranean fare) had an effect on Davis’ style. He was famous for marrying Philadelphia restaurant renaissance dishes with the California cuisine championed by chef Alice Waters.
Derek’s has bars on two floors and seating for meals. Mom, Edward and I slipped into a comfortable booth near the large, first-floor open bar so we could take in the Phillies game.
There is a café, dinner and three-course $30.99 fixed-priced menu. Since Davis has a large wine cellar, he lowers the price of several bottles.
I noticed the bill of fare is much smaller than the list of beers and wines available. We ordered a bottle of Banfi Collepino ($19), which was a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot.
Our server brought us a basket of hot-from-the-oven homemade flat breads along with softened butter. They were uncommonly delicious.
I opted for the fixed-price offering, while Edward and Mom ordered a la carte. From the small plates, we sampled a California chopped salad ($11.99), spring rolls ($5), which were a special appetizer of the day, and my first course of beet and goat cheese Napoleon.
The salad was not as advertised. It was nothing more than bits of dry roasted chicken, tiny shrimp, bacon, Gorgonzola, avocado, kernels of white corn, cucumbers and sliced grape tomatoes topped with thousand island dressing. It looked like the classic Little Pete’s salad. The dish was not eye-appealing and the ingredients were not chopped nor tossed. They were composed around the plate in small mounds. I found it overpriced.
The spring rolls were soggy and greasy. They were filled with a minced mixture of crab and shrimp that lacked flavor. The dipping sauces were OK. One was a creamy wasabi with ginger; the other, a spicy Thai chili.
The beet and goat cheese stack looked pretty, but lacked flavor. The deep red rounds of beets were not roasted long enough so they were on the hard side. Some combination of olive oil and acid along with herbs would have given the dish flavor and texture.
The spinach gnocchi ($12.99) were inedible. They arrived cool in a gummy sauce. We told our server the dumplings were cold and she whisked them away. They were removed from the bill.
Edward’s secret recipe chicken ($19.99) looked horrible. It consisted of a charred, overcooked half chicken. The breast meat, which should have been tender and moist, was dry. The hand-cut fries, however, arrived piping hot. A mound of fresh sautéed spinach came as a side.
My short ribs, on the other hand, were superb. I received a good-sized portion of tender, juicy, meaty ribs that were boneless for easy enjoyment. I particularly liked the balance of sweet and sour. My dinner came with a large mound of hot shoestring fries. All they required was a sprinkling of salt.
A homemade apple cobbler with rich creamy ice cream was for dessert. The short ribs, dessert and wine were the best parts of our meal.
I was disappointed to see Davis’ menu. It contained the usual mussels, Caesar salad, fried calamari, spring rolls, sushi tuna and the like — common dishes found in so many restaurants.
Davis was once a trailblazer when it came to dining and fine food. Today, it seems, he is playing it close to the vest.
One tip of the toque to Derek’s.
Derek’s
4411 Main St., Manayunk
215-483-9400
