September 2- 8, 2004

food

offthemenu

by Juliet Fletcher

"Tabula Rasa is an intensely personal venture for me," confesses Marie Bontigao, of the enthusiastic opening of her neighborhood cafe with a particularly apt name. It represents a career shift for her, with her background in real estate (working for two brokerage firms) and a few past retail enterprises. But she was brought to Northern Liberties, she says laughingly, on account of her being a "frustrated Iron Chef." She continues, "We're trying to do what an Iron Chef does, in a way — just look at what's available and see what you can do with it."

Tabula Rasa, which opened last weekend on the corner of Second and Laurel streets, draws on every type of local resource: Neighborhood artists will hang their artwork on the red, brick "blank wall," and local musicians will be invited in many nights of the week. And when it comes to the menu, Tabula Rasa relies on its customers to make what they want from the fresh ingredients available at their salad and sandwich bar, with their "Clean Plate" option ($7).

As if that weren't enough, Bontigao plans to hold neighborhood tastings every month, where residents and staff can bring in new recipes and, by informal vote, the crowd can select what will end up on the menu. (One recent idea from a staff member was a smoked salmon, strawberry hummus and basil sandwich — which she says in road test was "delicious.") "It's all because Northern Liberties has a real sort of community," she believes. "It's got nothing to do with Center City in that way."

Turning away from standard definitions is all part of the Tabula Rasa way: Their small, medium and large coffees are tagged Baby, Mama and Papa Rasa, and while they sell Illy coffee as their house blend, Bontigao has established a connection with a family in Mexico, whose farmland produces only organic coffee beans. The cafe is one of only two businesses in the U.S. that serve this rare blend. "It's an incredibly interactive way of doing things," Bontigao says proudly. "People are always looking for something different, so why not target them and go after their tastes?"

Tabula Rasa,

944 N. Second St., 215-923-2535, www.tabularasacafe.com.

In Short: The much-heralded expansion of Fork has been further explained: Ellen Yin, Roberto Sella and their team will be moving into the once vacant next-door space at 308 Market St. in late October, they say. A large dining room for parties will be opening, decorated by an "abstract sunrise mural" designed by local artist Kevin O'Brien. And in a renovated elevator shaft will appear Fork, etc., a retail spot selling house-made foods and other products. There, Sella himself will be offering the total haul of olive oil from his grove in southern Tuscany, amounting to about 500 bottles a year.