• At Tapestry, Brian Freedman says “you really can’t go wrong with a brew and almost anything fried.” The “salty, dizzyingly crispy, thick-crusted plateful” of fried chicken, which he writes is “among the better versions in the city right now,” is as good a place to start as any. In the non-fried category, he also recommends the burger, “though nothing unique,” the octopus salad, and the “leopard-spotted” pizzas. Desserts like the pot de creme and bread pudding though are “underachieved.” [PW]
• David “PhiaFoodie” Snyder returns to Citypaper to fill in for Adam Erace, and assesses East Passyunk Ave.’s Stateside. What he likes most about chef George Sabatino’s cooking is the “playful ideas.” Crispy maple-glazed pork belly, he writes, is “the best breakfast dishes you’ll eat for dinner,” “creamy kohlrabi” provides a “bass note” to seared Maine day-boat scallops, and cranberry mustard “lends a spark to housemade duck sausage.” The only real drawback is consistency in execution. [Citypaper]
• After settling in at one-month-old La Calaca Feliz with a Rob Roy and a martini, Phyllis Stein-Novack, sister Sandy and Edward enjoy the Mexican restaurant’s “nice-sized spiced meatball” appetizer, which all enjoyed. The same can’t be said for the “disappointing” octopus that she writes “lacked flavor and was a bit chewy.” In the entrees department, the enchiladas were “disappointing,” Sandy’s mushroom tacos were “Ok,” and the duck confit “barely resembled its always first-rate French cousin.” [South Philly Review]
