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Also this issue: OfftheMenu |
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July 5-11, 2002
food
 South, West: The old-fashioned bar at the Saloon in South Philadelphia has seated 35 yearsâ worth of patrons. : Michael T. Regan |
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Saloon750 S. Seventh St., 215-627-1811
Lunch, Tue.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Dinner, Mon.-Thu., 5-10 p.m., Fri.-Sat., 5-11 p.m.
Not wheelchair accessible. Smoking permitted. Reservations recommended. American Express accepted.A monthly feature from the City Paper staff. This review: Howard Altman, michele greenberg, david warner & jessica weber
This month’s Lunch Bunch took on the Saloon, a South Philadelphia heavyweight currently celebrating its 35th anniversary by cutting the prices on its lunch menu in half (though specials remain “special” and do not appear on the half-price menu). The decor is reminiscent of a comfortable, old-fashioned den with wood-paneled walls, etched glass, the occasional animal head (not leftovers from the kitchen, we hope) and various other knickknacks (think TGI Friday’s meets the Union League). Our server was professional, friendly and knowledgeable, and, impressively, all appetizers and entrees were brought out quickly and at the same time.
For starters we ordered the signature Saloon salad ($3.50, usually $7) with salami, hard-boiled eggs, cheese, celery (a tasty surprise) and tomato wedges over shredded mixed greens and generously dressed with a homemade Caesar dressing. Not lacking in flavor by any means, it was a heavy salad. The poached pear and gorgonzola salad ($5, usually $10) came out with a small pile of mixed greens, a small cluster of pear slices, and a small cylinder of gorgonzola encrusted in nuts that seemed to share the plate but not each other’s flavors. (Those allergic to nuts, beware: They are not specified on the menu.) The stuffed hot peppers special ($8) had a nice bite, though they could have been served hotter.
The steamer appetizer special ($13), which consisted of more than two dozen littlenecks in a tangy, buttery broth, was filling if not totally satisfying. “As a butter lover, I would have preferred more butter and less tang, but that is a personal preference,” remarked Howard Altman. The Caesar salad ($3.50/$7) was a simple ode to the magnificence of romaine -- a hearty helping of crisp leaves and fresh, crunchy croutons slathered with a house dressing that is heavy on the lemon, light on the egg and, mysteriously, tastes more Caesar-y on the Saloon salad. Fresh iced tea ($2.50) was adorably served on a saucer with sprig of fresh mint and a doily.
It is when the entrees arrive that we become truly aware of what it takes to be in business in this city for 35 years and counting. With the exception of the pescatore ($9.50/$19), which tasted like spaghetti and canned seafood bits in tomato soup, our meal was perfection (albeit expensive perfection!). Sea scallops and risotto, in what appeared to be a veal reduction ($8.50/$17), included large lumps of sweet meat, perfectly seared and warm throughout. The mushroom risotto, too, was perfectly cooked, tender, creamy and accented with lots of fresh thyme. The langostino ($16/$32), a house specialty, was a healthy portion grilled to perfection, the meat jumping out of its shell without a hint of chewiness, although at what would usually be “32 bucks à la carte, this should have been transcendent,” noted David Warner.
No visit to the Saloon would be complete without a large hunk o’ meat, and today’s big winner was the sirloin -- a thick, juicy cut (in the same sauce as the scallops) with just enough fat to give it superb flavor and texture; ordered medium rare, it was fired to perfection. At a price of $12 (normally $24), this lunch special alone is worth the trip to South Philly. The biggest budget buster, the lobster Francais lunch special ($45), consisted of a pound and a half of succulent South African lobster tail coated in egg and sautéed, then served swimming in a traditional Francais sauce, creamy and slightly tart with a hint of sherry. The flavorful sauce seemed to overwhelm the delicate crustacean; this dish fared well with the ladies, but the gents were unimpressed.
Desserts, prepared at the nearby and co-owned Fitzwater Cafe, were fabulous, though also pricey. We chose warm, fresh mixed-berry cobbler served with white chocolate gelato ($12), a lemon cream cake ($8), a fresh fruit tart ($9) and a banana puff ($8). All were very good, but David found the transcendence he’d been looking for in the lemon cake. Layers of sponge cake, lemon curd and a meringue-type filling seemed to disappear in a puff of flavor in your mouth -- the perfect treat for a hot summer afternoon, aptly described as “lemon air” by Jessica Weber.
The cobbler, our next favorite, had just the right amount of sweet and tart, with a brown sugar and cinnamon strudel topping that remained crunchy (though the dish arrived a little past its warm stage), the white chocolate gelato the exact complement. The banana puff, layers of puff pastry and pastry cream topped with bananas, was served chilled and also did not disappoint. The fruit tart, with a generous heaping of fresh berries, was quite tasty but, once again, an extravagant treat. Desserts were accented with a round of cappuccinos ($4) and espressos ($3) that took us back to the old country with their outstanding taste and aroma.
Overall, minus the $200 tab for four people (plus tip), and an isolated miss or two, this restaurant knows how to serve a dish worthy of its powerful clientele. And at these prices, which run through the summer, get there for the half-priced lunch special while the gettin’s good!
