Temper, Temper

Prohibition Taproom brings great food and drink to an under-the-radar neighborhood.

by David Snyder

Michael T. Regan STRING THING: ProTap's fried green beans, dipped in a cayenne pepper-laced beer batter, make for a seriously addictive bar snack.

The so-called "Noble Experiment" of Prohibition ended 75 years ago. Today, as long as you're 21 and not already pie-eyed, you're free to belly up to any bar. But despite this privilege, it's still harder to get your drink on in some of Philly's neighborhoods — namely the Loft District — than in others.

Michael Pasquarello and his wife, Jeniphur Whitleigh, have set out to change that. To some, this warehouse-heavy area, where the couple has lived for almost eight years, looks like it's still waiting for transition. "It's a weird little neighborhood," Pasquarello said in an interview. A chef by trade, he and Whitleigh decided to conduct a noble experiment of their own in the area by opening Café Lift (428 N. 13th St.). "I knew [the neighborhood] needed a café and a bar," Pasquarello recalled. "I knew people would use these places." 

He was right. Though Root, a nearby bistro, recently closed after only four months, Lift is still going strong after five and a half years. The neighborhood now boasts a recently opened bar called The Institute, as well as Pasquarello and Whitleigh's own new pub, Prohibition Taproom.

The 13th and Buttonwood building (most recently Maker's Local and Canavan's Pub) has long provided locals with a place to wet their whistles. After doing some research, Pasquarello discovered that a woman operated the bar in the 1920s as a speakeasy. ("A lot of cops were drinking here," he posited.) To capture that vibe, he outfitted the space with damask wall paper and Edison-style light bulbs dangling from wires. Studded, high-back leather stools surround the cherry wood bar, which features two perpendicular peninsulas crafted by the previous owners.

Outside, the arrow in Prohibition's towering, neon-red one-word sign ("BAR"), which was built by local craftsman Gibbs Connor, points locals to a rotating selection of eight U.S. brews on tap (with another on hand pump) and 50 international bottles. But is this blazing beacon bright enough to draw a citywide crowd? Yes — much of the food here deserves a neon sign, too.

The strength of the ProTap's menu is that it's not over-thought, allowing chef James Henry (Café Apamate, Caribou Cafe, Zot) and sous chef Jennifer Sherman to focus on quality while throwing in the occasional twist.

Take the addictive fried green beans. If these things had been around at the time of Prohibition, Congress probably would've banned them, too. The kitchen skips blanching, dipping fresh raw veggies into a pasty cayenne-spiked beer batter before frying. Served with a garlic aioli, the beans are cocooned in a savory shell, but the crisp, garden-fresh bite is persuasive at convincing you that you're eating healthy.

Other dishes also show personality. The pub burger, cooked to a textbook medium, sat next to a heaping mound of perfectly cooked thin-cut fries, a refreshing change from the fossilized spuds that are so often the norm in the city. The real star of this plate, though, was the cowboy onion, a thick Vidalia slice that had been wrapped in bacon while roasting. The Sly Fox O'Reilly's Stout added to Henry's French onion soup struck chords in a deeper register, giving this sweet bowl a dry, soulful finish. I liked the balance the hoisin barbecue sauce delivered to the mammoth wings. By design, roasted beets with baby arugula, goat cheese and slivered almonds was also a winner. 

With some dishes, though, the kitchen could do better. Thanks in part to cumin, coriander and pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika), I noted a savory subtlety in the pulled pork sandwich. But its too-sweet ale-infused barbecue slather lacked the finesse achieved elsewhere. In addition to being slightly overcooked, the steamed PEI mussels needed more flavor. Though I appreciated the idea of mixing cheddar, gruyere and mozzarella, the mac 'n' cheese was too salty. And while the pots de crème's creamy coffee flavor was approachable, the dish lacked the density you expect from this traditional custard.

Whether or not the ProTap can draw in non-locals may already be a moot issue, as it was packed during my last visit. (Aren't speakeasies supposed to be secret?) But I selfishly hope the debate continues — while others bicker, I'm going to sneak off for more of those green beans. That is, while they're still legal.

(david.snyder@citypaper.net)

Prohibition Taproom | 501 N. 13th St.215-238-1818

Hours: Kitchen open Sun.-Thu., 4 p.m.-mid; Fri.-Sat., 4 p.m.-1 a.m.; bar daily till 2 a.m.

Sandwiches and small plates, $5-$13 Large plates, $11-$16