20 Manning - Philadelphia, PA

When my good friend John from Chicago said that he was going to be in Philly tonight, and heading to 20 Manning Grill for dinner, I couldn't resist not meeting up with him.  First, he is an old pal, and second, I have heard great things about 20 Manning Grill.

That said, I arrived around 9PM and loved the vibe of this restaurant.  I ordered a glass of Bila Haut - Grenache Blanc from Languedoc, France.  I absolutely LOVE Grenache Blanc, but I will say that at $12 this didn't do a whole lot for me. 

By the time I finished my glass, John had arrived around 10PM, and we sat for dinner.  I was absolutely starving, and we both ended up ordering the Steak Frites.

Before our dinner arrived I ordered a glass of cabernet off the wine list, and it was a Trefethan from the Napa Valley.  This showed a lot better than the French Grenache Blanc, with typical Napa Valley nuances, and paired pefectly with the steak frites.

The steak frites was a thin sliced 14 ounce rib eye, and they listed the name of the farm it came from on the menu.  Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the farm, but at $25, this was a nice piece of meat, cooked to a perfect medium, and served over a bed of fries.  The fries were golden and crispy, and worked just fine for what I was looking for.  There was also a side of aus jus, but to be honest with ya, I didn't even taste it, and put it off to the side as the rib eye was delicious and flavorful.

Overall, I LOVE the vibe and 20 Manning, and if you happen to be hungry and wandering Rittenhouse Square, I highly recommend it!  It's also a great place to grab a late dinner just in case you get hungry.  The kitchen stay open until 11PM.  Check it out!  Cheers!

20 Manning Grill
261 S 20th St
Philadelphia, PA  19103
Phone:  (215) 731-0900

West Side Gravy - Collingswood, NJ

It's been way to long since we've made the trip down to West Side Gravy, so why not on a rainy Friday night?  We parked out back as the streets were packed, and as we walked up, we could see that Blackbird was absolutely packed.  For those that don't know, Blackbird is Chef Alex Capasso's first restaurant, that moved to this location earlier in the year.  Now, Chef Capasso has both great restaurants under the same roof, working out of the same kitchen.  It just doesn't get any better than that!  Pretty awesome!

As we walked past West Side Gravy, I was super disappointed to only see one other table seated in the restaurant.  Maybe it was the rain ad weather, maybe it is the nasty construction in Haddonfield.  I don't know, but for the quality of fare you get here for the price, I just don't get why this restaurant isn't packed every night of the week, especially the weekends!

Our server came over and opened our wine, and we started off with some apps.  Zelda ordered the lentil soup, and not being a fan of lentils, I actually really liked te flavors and texture of this.  The flavors in the soup were great, and for once, the texture of the lentils didn't bother me in the least.

We also had the ahi tuna tacos, which we have had on many ocassions here, and these were delicious. Awesome sushi grade ahi, piled onto a mini flour tortilla, and topped with avocado, a rice noodle of sorts, and a sweet chili sauce. What can I say other than the fact that we love these. The tuna is always fresh, and the flavors are just so nice.

Zelda opted for the mac and cheese tonight, which again, is always a treat!  This is made with shell shaped pasta, and made with cheddar, gruyere, fontina cheeses, fresh herbs, and toasted breadcrumbs.  Again, this is another favorite, and some of the best mac and cheese around.  Add some fresh lobster, and this is mac and cheese at it's best!

I opted for the steak frites tonight, and this was absolutely delicious!  This is a nice, thin rib eye, cooked to a perfect medium, and packed with flavor.  The flavors from the seasoning on here were perfect, and guessing it was just a little salt and pepper.  The flavor from the grill however are what makes this dish a thing of beauty.  The grill is nicely seasoned, and busting with flavors.  The fried onions added a tasty element, and I opted for the truffle oil upgrade for the fries.  Awesome!

We ended up skipping dessert tonight as we were both stuffed, and I have to say, that for under $50, this is one of the best bargains in New Jersey.  Where else can you go and get great entrees for under $20?  From a kitchen with this much talent nonetheless?

There has been a lot of criticism as of late from friends who's restaurants we've supported as of late, but when you have bargains like this, it is hard to support restaurants where entree's are $25-$40.  If only there were more restaurants like West Side Gravy!  Keep up the good work Chef Capasso!