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What’s the deal with the fries? What made them special? Did they have that amazing puffy airiness inside like really good Belgian frites or was it something else? Dude (and Dudette) – please tell me you have visited Spruce Street coffee and said hello to Aaron – he’s expecting you to drop in when you’re in town
Hey, Owen! Well, given that we’re on vacation and so are our brains (in the city of Rocky, who said, “I’ve got a relaxed brain”), we’ve been doing the city by the neighborhoods we happen to stumble into rather than by destinations. And oddly enough, we didn’t get into the Spruce-and-11th part of town until a couple nights ago, many hours after we can safely ingest coffee without risking being up and irked all night. But we did pass by it and will definitely be returning, bright and early (like around 11:00 a.m.) some morning. Soon!
Hey O,
Yo, Adrienne!!!! What were the fries like? The pinnacle of flavor: exactly like McDonald’s. Oh, sorry, my relaxed brain just remembered… you actually probably have more international fry experience than I do, but I would say, yes, they were soft inside and crispy outside with just the right mouth feel, and the key thing that kicked them up was the savory sauce – not precisely positive what its components were, unfortunately, may have been a relative of the aioli sauce… just totally moan-inducing.
We are still planning to go there for the tasting menu, tapas to the nines, and may even do a prix-fixe lunch at Tinto, his other place – that deal sounds nearly comparable to the NY best deal in town, Jean-George’s 3-course-amaze-o lunch. If so, reports will follow!
Coffee? We had La Colombe, actually our first taste of it was at Amada, pretty tasty, and we’re making it at home with an espresso pot, no grinder, so we bought it ground – horrors!!??!!! I figure we’ll also try Old City coffee, and there are some others around, like Torreo and so on.
Those fries do sound reminiscent of truly great frites (the secret is really good fresh cut potatoes that are fried, drained, baked and then fried again). I’ve had “good” frites at L’Adour in Syracuse and ones fo about the same quality at the eponymous Steak Frites on West. 16th in NYC but Dijon Bistro in Ithaca blows them both away and has that same sort of ailoi dipping sauce that rocks.
For a moka pot (I assume that’s what you mean by espresso port) getting coffee that’s ground at the store wh8ile you wait is not bad at all. Much better choice than buying Illy or Lavazza pre-ground in a can.
Speaking of coffee…. here’s a Philly Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant (actually two locations) that might do the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony which you really really REALLY must do sooner than later.
http://www.dahlakrestaurant.com/
Coo… Dahlak is right down the street from us, and I’ve been eyeing it, so that’s very feasible! We’re also considering Abyssinia (sic), also in our neighborhood here. This neighborhood has lots of Ethiopean and Senegalese restaurants. Not something you see just anywhere.
Steak/frites is an interesting concept… when they’re great, they’re really great, otherwise, at some places it’s just beef and French fries. The place where Anthony Bourdain used to be head chef, Les Halles in NY, the frites are purportedly very good. When I was there, I opted for steak tartare, first time having it, and it was excellent!