Do You Serve Espresso?

I've been wanting to check-out Audrey Claire for a while.  Living in Philly for over 7 years now, and being the big foodie that I am, it's almost sacrilege that it took me this long to visit!  As we know, I am such a big fan of Twenty Manning, that my expectations for Audrey Claire were already set pretty high; perhaps they were set a little too high...

The restaurant is your classic Philadelphia rowhome with a long/narrow/open floor plan converted into a dining area filled with two-tops and a small open kitchen.  Like most smaller restaurants in the city, Audrey Claire is a BYOB, and like a lot of BYOBs the menu had many diverse offerings created for sharing.  My comrade for the evening and I tried our fair share of the menu starting with the Pumpkin Risotto, which was highly recommended by our waiter but fell very flat and lacked the richness I was desiring.  Next up was the Bosc Pear and Goat Cheese Flatbread, which was far better than the Risotto but still not the delightful treat I had hoped for.  For the entrees, the rack of lamb certainly pleased my taste buds; it was quite delicious.  However, the Paparelle with mushrooms was completely boring and tasteless.  And, lastly in the hopes of ending things well, for dessert we shared the lavender creme brulee which was so rich in lavender it tasted like I was literally eating a  bar of soap or a candle.  Tres mauvais!

Overall, the food was a big disappointment, but we made up for it by poking fun at our waiter (he deserved it) and amusing ourselves one way or another as best we could since our taste buds certainly were not.  Oh, and one more point of negativity to note were the wine glasses, which were actually shot glasses and had no shape whatsoever.  We spent more time refilling our glasses than we did lifting our forks.  Oh, one more, hence the title...they do not serve espresso.  Not my favorite Audrey of all time.

Manning it Up

20 manning, fka Twenty Manning, has been a favorite of mine ever since I tried it a few years back.  I revisited this somewhat transformed goody just recently and it still has yet to let me down.  The new dandelion  yellow banquet seating that has been splashed around the dining area adds great function/flexibility/color to the space that I could easily see it transforming to a chic lounge in the later hours.  Besides some new pendant fixtures and artwork though, the restaurant has pretty much remained unchanged.  And, that's a good thing!  It's simple/quaint/cozy and has the perfect level of intimate lighting that I easily find myself not wanting to leave.  The menu has also altered slightly (both dinner and drink) but still no complaints are to be made.  The cocktails are just as good as ever; TMG Old Fashioned is sensational.  And, the food is so very fun/creative/scrumptious! that trying everything on the menu would not be a problem for me.  The butternut squash ravioli and Ahi tuna, either served as an app. or entree, are a must order.  It's always packed during the week and weekend so reservations are a must.  And, with 20 Manning's excellent location in Rittenhouse, it's a superb way to start off an evening of fun in the city.

What's Going On?

Restaurant Week is back!  Don't forget to make your reservations for lunch and dinner during the weeks of January 16th - 21st and January 23rd - 28th.  I will be making repeat appearances at 20 Manning, Amada, and Barbuzzo, as well as checking out Stephen Starr's new spot The Dandelion for a bday celebration with the boyfriend.  What new spots or favorite places to dine will you be checking out?

Also, this Saturday The Soup Nazi himself will be serving behind the counter at Doc's Gourmet Soup on Girard in Nolibs.  I have never tried the soup, but this seems like a great time to check it out and hear that all too familiar line, "No soup for you"!