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Reviewing a restaurant during Passover is no easy feat. It presents a number of dilemmas. For eight days, no bread passes my lips.
I have to veer away from Italian fare should pasta and pizza tempt me. Although Sephardic Jews eat rice during Passover, I usually do not. That nixes any type of Asian fare.
The solution: A steakhouse. I will feel most comfortable dining in a restaurant where beef takes pride of place on the bill of fare. Center City is bursting with this most traditional type of restaurant. I’ve said numerous times that The Prime Rib is my favorite steakhouse. Garth Weldon knows how to put together a menu and the atmosphere is reminiscent of a 1940s supper club.
Reserve is the city’s newest steakhouse. Sandy and I happened upon it by accident strolling through Old City several weeks ago. I made a mental note to review the restaurant.
After seeing “Jeff, Who Lives at Home,” at the Ritz East, we decided to dine at Reserve.
The place is drop-dead gorgeous with looming ceilings, carved Corinthian columns over the bar that has been kitted out with several televisions. There’s lots of wood trim, along with deep burgundy leather banquettes and booths.
A gentleman greeted us at the door and advised there was a wine tasting going on in the back of the main dining room. I took this as an invitation, but we were hungry and settled into a roomy, highly-polished wood table set with cloth napkins.
The menu featured no surprises. It was standard steakhouse fare with soups, salads, beef, a chicken dish, a few fish dishes and sides.
Our stoic-faced waiter began with the bottled water spiel but Schuylkill punch is always our water of choice.
We had a few questions about the specials. It listed prices from $10 to $15, which was strange because I do not think a steakhouse serves a $10 steak.
Sandy and I discussed the menu and after a few minutes he returned with “are you girls ready to order?” This was extremely off-putting but at least he didn’t say “you guys.”
Dinner began with crispy polenta ($9), which consisted of a few batons of baked bland cornmeal batons topped with a few sautéed mushrooms, shards of Parmesan and a dressed lettuce leaf or two. The whole appetizer lacked flavor.
The kitchen was most thoughtful because Sandy and I wanted to share the wedge salad ($9) as this appetizer is always big enough for two. It was split in the kitchen.
The salad consisted of one-half of a head of cool, crisp iceberg lettuce, drizzled with blue cheese dressing, topped with four pieces of walnut and surrounded by cherry tomato halves. The star of the wedge salad must be the dressing. It must be thick, rich and studded with small chunks of cheese. This was thin and lacked any bites of blue cheese. The walnuts added nothing. This salad cried out for slightly salty pieces of crisp bacon.
A good, dry-aged rib-eye ($36) is my steak of choice. Sandy and I ordered it medium-rare. The 12-ounce steak was coated in salt and pepper and grilled as ordered. It was split in the kitchen and served on very hot plates, which was a big plus with me. Hot food should be served on hot plates. The beef was tender, but I found the coating a bit too salty.
We had been eating potatoes almost every night during Passover. No potatoes au gratin tonight. We selected creamed spinach ($5) and cauliflower au gratin ($6). The spinach was obviously fresh because although it was finely chopped, it retained a bit of toothiness, which I like. I found it had a funny sour-tinny flavor. The cauliflower on the other hand was tops although it was a bit on the salty side. Both sides arrived piping hot in white oval French ramekins.
From time to time a manager made his way through the dining room, helping his staff serve and clear. This was a nice touch.
One tip of the toque to Reserve. SPR
Reserve
123 Chestnut St.
215-964-6262
reservephilly.com
Contact the South Philly Review at editor@southphillyreview.com.
Old City’s Reserve embraces the traditional steakhouse atmosphere while utilizing local ingredients and offering a selection of more than 100 aged bourbons. Staff Photo by Greg Bezanis
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