Make It: Tavern 17

I’m going on sheer dollarstretchability with this pick. After breaking the bank all week, you need some wallet respite, so here’s a mind-boggling $35 for three courses and 3 glasses of wine. Granted, the quality of food will not be that of earlier pics Le Castagne, Twenty Manning, or Tinto, but there’s something to be said for being fed 3 courses and 3 drinks for pittance.

The menu includes New York Strip, Pork Shank and other vanilla options, but I like the Pan Seared Sable here for its use of fennel, which needs more play if you ask me.

Your wines will be forgettable, but cheap. We’re all broke, let’s drink to forget.

Honorable mention: XIX

I wanted to pick XIX as my thumbs up for today, but the shackles of only one choice per course with a $60 tab was hard to swallow (but it does include wine, so it’s not all bad). They did choose wines from Central Coast Cali (the Chard is the best of the three) and are only pushing it at $6 a glass, which is a value. I say if you’re just drinking, go to XIX tonight. The vibe is very old school and classy, the architecture sensuality is untouchable, and it’s got penache out the ying yang. Mediocre dates turn into goodnight kisses, and good dates turn into breakfast…if you play your cards right. 

Forget It: Susanna Foo

It’s hard enough to pair wine with Chinese food, let alone the same cheap stuff you’re getting at Tavern 17. But let’s look at the prices of the King Estate Pinot Gris in comparison. $7 at Tavern 17, $12 at Susanna Foo for the same glass. Your tab will be $59 WITHOUT WINE for 3 courses where you get 1, count it, 1 choice for each with Salmon being the Main Course. Yeesh. Flight of three crappy wines at 2.5 oz pours is $17.50. Susanna, you’re out of your *$#%ing dome.

BYOB Pick: Cochon

You’ve got about a week until Cochon stops doing their 4-course Pork Menu for $35, so take advantage now. This spot is my favorite BYOB in the city, hands down, and enough good praise cannot be spoken about the Pig on Passyunk. The pork menu changes weekly, and they even have pork desserts.

I love the French. I love their wine. I am not about to saddle you with some cheap crap to take, so let’s respect the swine with Real Frog. A Potel Vosne-Romanee Les Malconsorts 1er Cru. Get your Burgundy on, and let’s ride.

Make It: Tinto

The space is boss, the crowd is cool, and Jose drives the bus. Garces’ most wine-focused outpost is a natural fit for the festivities.

Tinto is handling wine week a little differently. They are offering their usual $55 tasting which includes 9 tapas plates, but reducing their featured wines to $6 per glass, or $18 for all three. I don’t need to go over how deep and ingenious Garces’ tasting menus are, so lets move on to the potables.

Bar manager Paul Rodriguez is responsible for designing many of Philly’s best wine lists, including Amada and Fork, which gives him enough vinocred to last a lifetime. He made some calls and got some very interesting stuff to celebrate wine week, and we’re all quite lucky. Even if you don’t do the food tasting, drink the flights and take a weird journey. He’s spilling a white Rueda, soft and full bodied juice that is often blended with Macabeo or Sauv Blanc to add a little acidity to the finished product. A Distinto is also making the list, which directly translates to ‘different’. Most Spanish wines spend a good amount of time in oak, but Distinto only spends about 4 months swimming in the woodiness which brings a much more powerful and concentrated experience. Lastly, a Terra Alta blend rounds out the trio, bringing the versatility of Garnacha and the power of Tempranillo together as a team. Big price break for very unique wines you won’t find anywhere else, and you know Paul likes a full pour.  

Forget It: The Prime Rib

$75 would be alright if the wine/menu was a little more creative and the place wasn’t crawling with schmucks who can’t afford The Palm. I’m staring down the barrel of more Cutrer Chard, lowball Sonoma Cab, and ‘Organically grown Syrah‘ which is almost as useless as putting ‘Reserve’ on a bottle of Yellowtail. It don’t mean Jack Shiat. Menu consists of Feta Salad, Prime Rib, Chicken, and Crab. $75 bucks this ain’t.

BYOB Pick: Chloe

Another superfly spot that time forgot. A longtime favorite nestled into Old City’s Suburb (also known as 2nd and Arch St.) has a few stunning dishes I get weak-kneed for. The Edamame and Mascapone Ravioli and Moroccan Lamb Skewers are faves that will go really well with the Chairman’s current selection of Chateauneuf Du Pape, the Perrin et Fils Les Sinards ’04. Give this one some time to breathe before you drink, or it will be a mouthful of iron. The PLCB code is 19544.

Make It: Le Castagne

The Sena family is known for their white tablecloth institution, La Famiglia, a fine dining Italian experience that’s unmatched in town. They opened Le Castagne a few years back in Rittenhouse to great acclaim and more affordable pricing, sans Jacket Needed In The Dining Room. They are my pick because of a very tempting ’3-Course Tasting Menu Tailored To Each Guest’ at a price point of $65. This includes the libations. You can’t go wrong with anything they serve, but make sure you get at least one dish featuring their homemade pasta. It’s some of the best in the city.

Le Castagne is a winner of Wine Spectator’s prestigious Wine Award this year, and what they’re spilling out is no joke. Producer Pio Cesare has great penetration in the PLCB, and Le Castagne is featuring a bevy of their beverages. The highlight is a 2000 Barolo, one of the most prized wines in Italy. Made from Nebbiolo grapes, this juice is often referred to as the ‘Wine of Kings and King of Wines’. Also on the list is one of my stalwarts, the Dolcetto D’Alba, and 2 sparklers: a Prosecco, and a Moscato D’ Asti. Often thought of as a dessert wine, the Moscato is actually a great expression of Northern Italian wine prior to the advent of modern winemaking techniques. Excellent choices and a great representation of Italy’s varied varietals and styles.  

Forget It: Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse

$100 PER PERSON. Need I say more? Nope, but I will. The menu is the most vanilla of all participating restaurants, so naturally they must also charge the most. Wait, what? Highlights include Bufala Mozzarella, a Paperdelle dish, and another Petit Filet.

Highlighting the ‘Wines of Northeast Italy’ I see a Pinot Noir (which retails at $12 a bottle), a Merlot, and a Friuliano. Not exactly a good respresentation of the region. No Prosecco, no Soave, and no Amarone? $100. Really? For that price I will need some Dal Forno Romano Amarone della Valpolicella poured out by none other than the exhumed corpse of Luciano Pavarotti.

BYOB Pick: Little Fish

I know it’s not in Rittenhouse, but too many have forgotten how great this place is, or that it even exists, quietly on the corner of 6th and Catherine St. A recent winner of Philly Mag’s ‘Dish Of The Year’ , Chef Mike Stollenwerk has one of the best open kitchens in the city and plates great seafood. Menu highlights are the Diver Scallops (best scallops I’ve eaten this year), the Vichysiose, and of course my love for Monkfish.

Grab a bottle of Luna Freakout for $10 to wrangle all of the fish in your tummy with a proper invitation. The PLCB code is 18065.

Of note: I would be remiss to not give big ups to Brian McMahon, Sommelier extraordinaire at Le Bec-Fin. I stopped by yesterday to discuss Le Bec-Fingate, and he explained about the mix-up with Philly Mag and what they were actually offering. Never fear, the price is still in place, and well worth it. Not cut from the same cloth as most stuck-up wine pushers, McMahon is a wine geek at heart and a truly nice dude. He has changed Le Bec’s monstrous wine list from top heavy expensive untouchables to moderately priced drinkable juice. Not a small feat. There were many ‘Wine Week’ diners at the establishment along with regular patrons, and all were offered the same exemplary personal wine service at a joint known for its self-importance, stuffiness, and intense snobbery. McMahon believes in wine more than elitist behavior, and Le Bec is lucky to have him.

Make It: Twenty Manning

Twenty Manning is the younger sister of Phoodiefave Audrey Claire, but tonight she’s not getting sloppy seconds. $100 per couple (make a date, get gussied up) for a really great menu selection without the skimpiness many foodjoints suffer during promotional weeks. I’m sweating the Escargot Fondue, Butter-Roasted Skate (Philly has been on a roll lately with quality skate plates), and the denser-than-hell Chocolate Fondant.

Really smart move on the wine, too. We’re going to Spain tonight.  A critical darling right now, Spain produces big powerful red beasts and sensuous whites. Again, we’re talking VALUE here. My fave on the list, hands down, is the Codax Albarino. Albarino is a lot like Viognier on the spiciness tip with peach flavors and good acid. Also along for the ride are a bottle of Garnacha, and Sushi Wine. Sushi Wine is made from Muscat, Macabeo, and Airen in a blend that pairs with…sushi. All three choices are perfect during a celebration of wine for their uniqueness, if nothing more.

Forget It: Devon Seafood Grill

A $69 romp through the Devon and the world famous Crab Cakes aren’t even an option? For shame. Other plates include Lobster Bisque, Filet Medallions, Tuna Salad (really, now?), and Swordfish. YAWN. Uninspired wine choices abound with Frei Brothers Cab Sauv and Sauv Blanc, MacMurray Pinot (which they’re serving with the Filet?), and some Cutrer Chard.

BYOB Pick: Salento

The Italian BYO at 22nd and Walnut doesn’t get near enough pub or patrons. Really inventive dishes from the Puglia region are what these folks do best. Our favorites are Ciceri e Tria, a semolina pasta with chickpea garnish, and Grigliata mista di carne, a veal/beef shoulder/lamb loin meat fest. Pick up a bottle of Pio Cesare Dolcetto D’ Alba from the state store for $16. The PLCB code is 06351.

As we mentioned yesterday, perennial Five-Star winner Le Bec-Fin had published a $65 dollar Wine Week menu that was supposed to include wine. As people were making reservations, the ugly realization that they were, in fact, NOT including wine with dinner made for some unhappy foodies.  Today, we have been informed that they are honoring the $65 menu after all (including wine).

Thanks to all who threw fits. We were proud to lead the charge, along with our friends at Foobooz. Le Bec is a culinary landmark in Philly whether we like it or not, so good on them for making right with their customers.

Make It: Le Bec-Fin

Update: Le Bec has decided to NOT include WINE during WINE WEEK with their price, even though they published as such in the Philly Mag piece. They win the Bait and Switch of the week, which also gets them thumbs up for scummy behavior.  Your doorbell sucks, by the way.

New Make It: Parc

$40 (yes, with wine during wine week, novel concept!) for 3 courses and 3 wines and some of my favorite dishes in the city. If you haven’t eaten there yet, the bread alone is worth the trip. Trout Almondine, Beet Salad, and Profiteroles, yes awesome Profiteroles are my picks here. An insane value as Resto Week prices usually hover at $35, you’re getting 3 glasses of wine for $5 extra. I dig.

The featured juices are from Southern France, the new hotbed for collectors. Good thing here is that there’s still value pricing abound, and we get to enjoy it. My fave selection on the list is the Domaine Fondreche Cotes du Ventoux Rose which might be a little light for this time of year, but always a great pair with food. The Languedoc offering from Saint-Eugenie is spicy with a decent backbone. Your starter wine will be a Muscadet, the dry sweetheart from the Loire.

Forget It: Barclay Prime, and now Le Bec-Fin

$90?! Go across the street to to The Bistro That Needs No Name and it’s only $40. I look at the wine list to justify the high price tag and find a bunch of Aussie swill that retails between $12 and $16 per bottle. How can Emperor Starr misprice this terribly, when he makes the effort at Parc? For the other loser, we’ve already established the sound business practices at Le Bec-Fin.

BYOB Pick: Mercato

The oft-forgotten, but once critical darling on 12th and Spruce still turns out awesome dish after awesome dish. Get the Short Rib Ragu Pasta and buy some good Aussie Shiraz. Chapel Hill single Vineyard, The Prophet, will do very nicely here. The PLCB code is 27512 and the bottle is a value at $19. That’s less than $3 a glass for a bottle that should be $40 retail.