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What are the odds when two people meet for the first time, they discover they are reading the same book at the same time? This revelation gave me the willies when my friend Ben and I chatted about “A Natural History of the Senses” by Diane Ackerman. We met a while ago and discovered we have much in common.
Ben recently moved to Rittenhouse Square after living in Manhattan for three years. It made sense to talk about it over dinner after enjoying a riveting performance of Pennsylvania Ballet. I chose El Rey, Stephen Starr’s newest addition to his culinary empire.
Starr turned the former Midtown IV diner into a cheerful Mexican-inspired space kitted out in green and gold. Colorful artwork dresses up the walls including an accordion.
“Can we have a booth?,” I asked the hostess as she showed us to a booth in the back of the dining room.
The menu is moderately priced and I wanted to order nearly everything. Ben savors Mexican fare as much as I do. I sipped a Margarita straight up ($7.50) and Ben had a Jarritos pineapple ($3.50).
We ordered our meal in three shifts so the food would stay hot.
Want to take delight in the finest guacamole in town? Order it at El Rey ($10). A big bowl was filled with cool, fresh, smooth avocado along with bits of ripe chunks. I prefer guacamole this way. A Mexican cheese, similar to feta, was crumbled on top. The tortilla chips were slightly salty and perhaps baked on site. The portion easily serves four, so Ben toted some of it home.
Although they are South American in origin, ceviches are served here. We selected the salpicon dejaiba ($12), which consisted of an almost baseball-sized mound of fresh, finely chopped blue crab, coriander and tomatoes bathed in lime juice. One taste and I knew it required more acid. We squeezed on some lime juice and it pepped the ceviche up a bit, but the tomatoes emitted a watery puddle that did little for the dish.
I am still dreaming of the sopa de hongos ($5). I never tasted anything like this. The wild mushroom soup was simmered with fresh herbs and loaded with heady sliced portobellos. The rich broth was a dark orange-red. Ben and I kept sniffing and tasting. “Maybe there is some chocolate in the soup,” Ben said. I vowed to get the recipe.
Beer and Mexican food is a fine culinary marriage. Five beers are on tap. I ordered a mug of Breckenridge Agave Wheat from Colorado ($6). It sipped well with dinner.
Another first for me were the gorditas ($6) made with pork pibil and slices of hard-boiled egg served on corn masa buns. The meat reminded me of barbecued pulled pork. I liked the almost savory shortbread-like texture of the buns but did not care for the hard-boiled yolk. I only eat egg yolk mixed with mayonnaise or in a vinaigrette. The pork, however, was tender and juicy.
There are five tacos listed on the menu. I am a chorizo aficionado and often cook with this spicy sausage. The chorizo ($8), which was bright red in color, should have been better seared before it was chopped into bits. Three came with the order. They were served on soft corn tortillas made at El Rey. I prefer the crisp variety, but Ben told me they are not authentic.
We had room for one more dish before dessert. Camarones ($17) was a triumph of taste and texture. Five or six whole prawns, with their heads intact, were simply grilled with garlic and fresh lime juice. I sucked the meat and juice from their heads. It was succulent and redolent with the smoky aroma of a charcoal grill.
For me, ice cream is a food group. We sampled the mango and chocolate ($4 each).
“The mango tastes like a Creamsicle,” Ben said. The dark chocolate was pure bliss. It was rich and creamy and packed a bit of peppers.
Service was excellent. El Rey was filling up by the time we left. Several servers took fine care of Ben and me.
And who is the man making magic in El Rey’s kitchen? He is executive chef Dionicio Jimenez. Starr poached him from Xochitl, Steven Cook and Michael Solomonov’s Mexican restaurant in Head House Square. This proves all is fair in love and restaurant wars.
Two-and-a-half tips of the toque to El Rey.
El Rey
2013 Chestnut St.
215-563-3330
35248044
35248039
