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On a cold evening more than 15 years ago, Edward and I were walking towards the corner of 19th and Chestnut streets and discovered the entire area flooded with bright lights. They were not just regular lights, but Hollywood lights.
Someone shouted "quiet on the set," and I soon realized we walked right into the filming of a scene for "Philadelphia."
The movie garnered Oscar wins for Tom Hanks and Bruce Springsteen for his song "Streets of Philadelphia." At one point in the film, Hanks says he wants to go to Felicia’s for dinner. It seems director Jonathan Demme liked the South Philly Italian restaurant so much, he wanted to give it a cinematic shout-out.
For years, Edward and I dined at Felicia’s. I miss it. I miss it even more because it has been replaced by Devil’s Den. It’s all about the beer at the latter. I enjoy a glass as much as anyone, but when alcohol is more important than the bill of fare, I wince.
The bi-level at 11th and Ellsworth streets has lots of exposed brick and dark wood tables and chairs. The bar in the front room boasts many brews on tap and a pair of flatscreens. When we were there, the Phillies game was about to begin. The lighting is fair and the music nothing more than ear-shattering noise.
I read all the hoopla surrounding the opening of Devil’s Den and was itching to try it. Cousin Carl and I have been to a number of similar places and wanted to make comparisons.
We sat at a high-top table and discussed the small menu. The Bombay Sapphire martini was generous, but set us back $11.25. A pint of Spaten lager was $5.50.
"Let’s try the nachos," Carl said.
Devil’s Den Death Valley nachos ($8) was nothing more than an ugly pile of tri-color low-quality chips mixed with some type of cheese and topped with tasteless bits of ground chorizo.
Dragon dumplings ($8) fared a little better. Six small dumplings were filled with minced pork and vegetables. The filling was on the bland side and the Singapore drizzle consisted of a small round ramekin of a black viscous dipping sauce that did nothing for the dumplings.
We decided to share a pint of Steelhead ($5), which tasted better than the food, as it had a nice clean, crisp flavor.
Devil’s greens ($7) was a small mound of watercress with more stems than leaves. There were two slices of Bosc pear on the plate, along with a tiny sprinkle of slivered almonds and a bit of Roquefort. Then it hit me: Some cold, mushy, canned tomatoes, watery and sweet, were tossed in. I don’t have a clue as to why they were there.
A hefty grilled burger is the hallmark of many beer pubs and Devil’s Den offers a bison version ($10.50). This ground meat has become popular in the past five years because it is leaner than beef. Even South Philly diners have bison burgers on their menus. Unfortunately, this one lacked taste and was not properly grilled on the outside. It was topped with a smattering of cheddar, the aforementioned tomatoes and a lettuce leaf. The bun was bigger than the burger. Accompanying the sandwich was a mound of hot french fries, which were above average. All they required was a sprinkling of salt.
Service was fine. Our waitress Lauren took good care of us. She served and cleared with ease and brought side dishes and clean silverware when needed.
The big problem here is the menu. It lacks focus and originality. I know South Philly has been waiting for Devil’s Den, but the menu should be scrapped and replaced with a well-planned one that enhances all the brews available.
As we left, I thought of a famous theater quote attributed to Dorothy Parker when describing an early performance by Katharine Hepburn: "She ran the gamut of emotions from A to B."
She could have been describing the food at Devil’s Den.
One-half tip of the toque to Devil’s Den.
Devil’s Den
1148 S. 11th St. (at Ellsworth)
215-339-0855
Credit cards accepted
