The 'Corn Supremacy

Give Peppercorns a little time to get on its grind.

by Trey Popp

Michael T. Regan PITCH A TENTACLE: Simply dressed with olive oil and charred lemon, Peppercorns' grilled calamari is a lighter take on the typical battered rendition. (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

Peppercorns don't just fall off the vine ready to eat. Black ones have to be boiled and then dried for several days before they're fit for the grinder. White ones go for a weeklong soak to separate the fruit from the seed. You don't come across many green peppercorns, but those take still more time, what with all the brining.

Something similar may be true of South Philly's Peppercorns, a restaurant that opened late last year in the Pennsport neighborhood. Its first three months haven't quite given it the shine of a finished product, but it has the raw ingredients to become a successful place. The menu could benefit from a tighter focus, the service needs improvement and the kitchen needs to iron out a few inconsistencies, but the cooking shows talent worthy of attracting a loyal customer base.

There's plenty of room to accommodate such a following. Peppercorns' casually handsome interior has tables for about 50 and can seat another 30 on bar stools. The walls are painted in a soothing olive green and a mirror-backed bar emphasizes the airy, open feel. An eclectic mix of painted canvases gives the place an unfussy vibe that suits a low-key neighborhood spot.

It's hard to know quite what to make of the menu, which takes a shotgun-spray approach to America's favorite global foods. This is especially apparent in the appetizer course, which features calamari, quesadillas, baba ganoush and Asian chicken spring rolls, to name a few. If VH1 ever decides to produce an episode of I Love the '90s focusing on happy-hour snacks, Peppercorns could cater it.

It's possible that the restaurant wanted to cover all the bases in an area that's not exactly overflowing with midrange dinner spots — though Pennsport is enjoying a modest spurt in new ones — but the radical diversity can make sharing a little awkward. I like Thai dipping sauce as much as the next guy, but not when my next bite is a Kalamata olive.

That said, some of these offerings are tasty. Grilled calamari dressed with olive oil and charred lemons made for a very pleasant departure from the usual batter-fried mound. The bacon in the Bibb salad should have been crispier, but the grilled pear slices were a nice touch.

About the Belgian onion soup, a server on one visit said, "It's made with Belgian beer — but a lot of people can't tell that it's any different from French onion soup." I couldn't tell, either. The excellent shoestring french fries, on the other hand, were more than worthy of Philly's best mussel joints.

Peppercorns' entrées ranged from impressive to just short. My favorite was a special of tandoori quail marinated in homemade yogurt with ginger and cumin, which imparted a tanginess to the naturally sweet meat. It came with a superb warm salad of northern white beans, as well as grilled scallops, whose relative plainness worked well in concert with the subtle flavors filling the rest of the plate.

Another special paired a salmon filet with a deconstructed spaghetti puttanesca. I loved the huge flavors of the olives and capers, and roasting the tomato quarters brought out flavor that's usually missing this far from summer, but the dish was oilier than it had to be.

A couple of other entrées were sweet nearly to a fault. The cherry port reduction dressing slices of pan-seared duck breast lent a welcome boost to the accompaniment of root vegetables, but got a little overwhelming. (The crisp ribbons of fried sweet potato sprinkled on top, however, were an inspired garnish.) The same was true of an apple cider-glazed pork chop, which overdid the tartness as well as the sweetness. Good for the first few bites, but by the end my tongue was tired. Mellower was a filet mignon topped with slender fried scallion and served with an excellent potato and mushroom pancake.

Healthy portions leave scant room for dessert. That suited me fine my first visit, which featured an overly sweet "cannoli cake" that had more in common with birthday-party fare. But the second time charmed with a brightly flavored lemon tart under homemade vanilla ice cream. The service was similarly uneven — friendly, but tending toward awkward interruptions one night, unsmiling and disinterested another. Peppercorns also needs a wine list. The glasses currently on offer are the stuff of a low-rent housewarming party, a major disadvantage.

Nevertheless, Peppercorns has real potential. The chefs have plans to expand from homemade yogurt and ice cream into cheese, and they're developing a brunch menu. Better wine, they say, is on the way. When all their cylinders are firing — as with that inspired quail entrée — the results are fantastic. They just need a little more time to get going at full speed.

(t_popp@citypaper.net)

Peppercorns

1401 E. Moyamensing Ave., 267-322-3000

Appetizers, $5-$10; Entrées, $15-$29

Hours: Tue.-Thu., 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5-11 p.m.; Sun., 10-8 p.m.; closed Monday.