Eggplant katsu at Vernick Fish
Most people go to Vernick Fish for the seafood, and, well, that makes sense. I’ve long admired how chef Greg Vernick’s power lunch magnet on the ground floor of the Comcast Tech Center has offered a stylish global update to the Philly fish house tradition, from sublime crudos (try the yellowtail with brown butter emulsion) to the tuna rice bowl, lobster tagliatelle and whole turbot cooked meuniere-style and filleted tableside at dinner. But it turns out Vernick Fish is also really good at vegetables. Two of the most memorable dishes from a recent meal came from the produce section: a chopped broccolini-fennel Caesar salad molded into a pillar topped with a generous layer of pine nut bread crumbs, but also, especially, the eggplant katsu.
This dish takes a whole roasted Graffiti eggplant, which gets carefully peeled then flattened with the stem on into a broom-shaped pancake that gets fries it to a delicate rice flour-panko crisp. The composition, through, is what takes it to the next level. A topping of furikake spice, soy glaze, scallions and micro-shiso greens add extra crunch and aroma as you lean in for a bite, while a brilliant yellow pool of Japanese curry sauce provides the depth of flavor. The sauce, made from pureed eggplants, curry powder and chiles, is noticeably more delicate in texture than most of the thicker Japanese curries I’ve tasted, but it’s absolutely packed with flavor that shimmers with warm spice and shines like sunshine on a plate. —Craig LaBan
Miami Vice at R&D
Despite being a known advocate for tiki drinks—the many layers, the novelty glassware—I had never gone into R&D Philly in Fishtown. My friend Rachel and I had dinner at a newish and mediocre-ish place, and were in search of an after dinner drink to recover from the airless vibes of the restaurant we had just exited. Lo, as we walked down the street, R&D Philly appeared, like a cartoon carrot above a hungry Bugs Bunny. We dropped onto the plush stools in front of the bar, unrolled the menu which was fashioned like a treasure map, and basked in the thrill of a complicated rum drink executed by a cheerful bearded man in a Hawaiian shirt. If you’ve never had a Miami Vice, the concept is simple: A atrawberry daiquiri mixed with a pina colada. It’s an all-inclusive resort in a glass, and the one at R&D is both particularly tasty, not overwhelmingly sweet or too coconut creamy, and made for up to four people. We had one made for two, since it was still Monday. But I’ll be back. You can’t keep me from a drink served in a trophy glass for long. —Margaret Eby
Girardina at Paesano’s
Just about anytime I have a friend visiting from out of town, I take them to Paesano’s — the BYOB sandwich kingdom in the Italian Market. The chef, Peter McAndrews, has some classics (a perfect Italian hoagie in the Daddy Wad, for example) and shines in the off-the-wall combos. But, I come here so often that I try to occasionally get something less meat-forward. Thankfully, the vegetarian options are just as creative and delicious. So last weekend I got, again, the Girardina — roasted eggplant, pesto, mozz, Roman artichokes, and on and on. Everything works, nothing is wasted. I recommend sitting down at Paesano’s or eating your sandwich quickly so the bread doesn’t lose its crunch. —Evan Weiss
Sultat sayfia at Suraya
Suraya’s sultat sayfia, a hyper-seasonal dish of long hot peppers, heirloom tomatoes, onion, and mint atop a smoked labneh, ended up being the crowd favorite at a dinner on the patio to say goodbye to summer. —Emily Bloch
Uni Cream Pasta at Royal Izakaya
It should be illegal for a spaghetti dish to constantly be my favorite plate at a star Japanese restaurant but here we are. Royal Izakaya’s uni cream pasta — a housemade spaghetti topped with corn, tobiko, and kinpaku — is a decadent golden showstopper. Its rich flavor but delicate balance left me wanting to lick the bowl (again) —Emily Bloch
Shawarma at Toomi’s Shawarma
Beirut-born Wissam Chatila and family, who’ve run West Philly’s popular Manakeesh Cafe for nearly 15 years, have branched out into fast food at Toomi’s Shawarma, their bold storefront that opened last spring in Upper Darby. The star is the chicken shawarma, created by a chef named Kasim from a Turkish family who previously owned a shawarma shop in Ukraine. This also explains the presence of a less-spicy chicken doner kebab on the menu. The shawarma comes on a long roll or made up into a rice-and-salad bowl (there’s hummus on the Lebanese version and pickled onions on the Turkish version). And because this is Delco, you can enjoy it with a canned soda by Day’s, based in Newtown Square. – Michael Klein
Red shakshuka khachapuri at Saami Somi
This week I finally stopped by Saami Somi, the small Georgian eatery in the back of Reading Terminal Market that I’ve been eyeing up for years. I was about to order the traditional khachapuri – a “cheese boat” of Georgian sourdough bread filled with melted cheese, an egg yolk, and butter — until I saw their red shakshuka variety. Shakshuka is not only one of my favorite dishes, it is one of my favorite words to say. I had to wait about 10 minutes for the boat to be made, but it was worth it. The mix of Bulgarian feta and suluguni cheese in the center was perfectly gooey, a pad of butter was still melting on the top when it was served, and the shakshuka made with red adjika, tomato, fresh garlic, coriander, and dill was savory and slightly spicy. The dish was so good I found myself dancing on my stool as I ate it at Saami Somi’s small counter (it’s always a plus when you don’t have to hunt for seating at RTM). My biggest complaint is that the single napkin and small set of flimsy plastic silverware they gave me to eat it with was no match for the cheese boat and I ended up tearing it apart with my hands, like the lady I am. — Stephanie Farr
Dining and Cooking