Up and At 'Em

Resurrection Ale House

by Trey Popp

Drew Lazor

If you’re going name a bar something that invokes the Passion of the Christ, I guess Resurrection Ale House is the way to go. There’s Crucifixion Club, but a beer bistro can’t survive on bicycle messengers alone. Stigmata Saloon — people will wonder about the ketchup. And Transubstantiation Tavern, well, I don’t care how divine the food is, that’s plain arrogant.

Resurrection, across Grays Ferry Avenue from Toll Brothers’ Naval Square development, is Brendan Hartranft and Leigh Maida’s third Philly place after Memphis Taproom and Local 44. The name honors what they see as the neighborhood’s resurgence. Indeed, craft ales may now outnumber pistol whippings in the 17th police district, a solace for this resident.

Resurrection’s beer list is kick-ass: 12 fairly priced drafts that have lately run from a wet-hopped American ale to a doppelbock to a geuze, plus a few dozen upmarket bottles dominated by Belgian imports. Friendly servers know enough to steer you well. But the neighborhood’s been beer-blessed since Sidecar cranked up its tap rotation a couple years ago. So what sets Resurrection apart?

Unexpectedly, I found the answer to be its vegetarian offerings. Inch-thick slices of radicchio are done up with a balsamic braise and figs, sending a wave of sweetness over the tongue before the chicory’s bitterness follows. Like much of the cooking, it’s about as subtle as pulp fiction, but you need big flavors to go up against the 90-plus IBUs in Bear Republic’s Hop Rod Rye. Vegetarian kale, rich with fiore sardo, was an against-the-odds knockout. A lentil sloppy joe was smoky, spicy and duly sloppy — but not enough to squirt out of the bun. Brunch eggs are amazingly fluffy.

Drew Lazor

Now the bad news. Aside from that bun, and a decent scone at brunch, the bread here is a disaster. Did my lamb sandwich really have a lemon-mint bean puree and pomegranate vinaigrette? The aggressively bland house-made flatbread sucked the soul out of it. Sticks of “savory biscotti” tasted like something you’d unwrap at 30,000 feet in coach. Even the toast with my kale was bad. The kitchen needs a different baker. More practice pickling, too; great bread-and-butters, but five others on a recent night were duds.

The hand-cut fries are outstanding, though, with a spiced mustard dip whose concentration brought India to mind. Pork belly with prunes and pumpkin purée (calling all senior citizens) was another winner in the dueling-flavors department, but the purée was way too pasty. A tasty almond gazpacho with skewered shrimp showed better execution.

There’s some quicksand in Resurrection’s menu, but enough solid ground to lure me back — especially on a Wednesday, fingers crossed that bartender Rich "Richie Rich" Leibensperger will queue up another stellar blues mix. Welcome to the ’hood.

(t_popp@citypaper.net)

Resurrection Ale House | 2425 Grays Ferry Ave., 215-735-2202, resurrectionalehouse.com. Food served Mon.-Fri., noon-mid; Sat.-Sun., 11 a.m.-mid. (bar till 2 a.m.); brunch served Sat.-Sun., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Soups, salads, appetizers, $5-$11; sandwiches, $9-$12; entrées, $10-$15. Wheelchair accessible.