3025 Walnut Street
Spinach and Artichoke Dip...$8
If you've never been to the World Café in West Philly, you are missing out on one of the best venues for live music in the city-nay, in the nation. Between Live at the World Café concerts and the Free at Noon series on Fridays at...uh, you can figure it out, World Café is a world famous music establishment. I was there in July for Origivation's first show in its revived monthly concert series. It was a full house, but after a short wait at the bar, my boyfriend and I were able to snag a table down in front. After a few drinks, I thought it best to put something in my gullet and was pleasantly surprised at what Starters they offered. There were the usual suspects like Chicken Wings, Spinach and Artichoke Dip, and Fries, but there was also Hummus, Edamame, Mussels, and Eggplant Fries. Though the Eggplant Fries did catch my eye, I wasn't feeling particularly adventurous, so I opted for the Spinach and Artichoke Dip. Granted, every suburban restaurant chain from TGIFriday's to Red Robin has a variation of the Spinach and Artichoke Dip, and most are indistinguishable from each other. Upstairs Live's dip was better than most but nothing too memorable. Because it was a full-house the waiter was busy, so there was a bit of a wait.
By the time it arrived, I was pretty hungry but the dip was too hot to eat right away. Once it cooled somewhat, I found that it wasn't too salty, which has been the case with similar products at other restaurants. It tasted like it was made from fresh ingredients and hadn't arrived frozen in a plastic bag to be heated in a vat of boiling water (yeah, places do that; gross!) With discernable chunks of artichoke and the homemade tortilla chips, for a mere $8, it was a satisfying dish.
1201 N. Frankford Avenue
Grilled Octopus...$11
I should start by saying that I love Johnny Brenda's. Along with the North Star, it's one of my favorite live music venues in the city. The reasonably-priced selection of local beers on tap, the digital jukebox that resembles a giant iPod, the lone pool table, and the steady line up of big name acts have not only put Johnny Brenda's on the map but made it a mainstay in the Philly music scene. Since moving to Philly three years ago, I've been to dozens of shows and have hung out at the downstairs bar countless times. On most of these occasions, I typically had imbibed more than a few drinks and never paid much attention to the food that would magically appear before me at some point in the evening. So, when I knew I was going to review Johnny Brenda's for this month's Venu Menu, I took the task at hand very seriously.
My boyfriend and I took advantage of the break in the oppressive summer heat to walk over to Fishtown for a bite to eat. Before heading to Johnny Brenda's on this culinary mission, I took a look at their web site, which lists the show schedule, food menus and "favorite breweries."
The owners of Johnny Brenda's boast that "a hallmark of both restaurants [they also own Standard Tap on 2nd Street in Northern Liberties] is the focus on fresh, seasonal food, with much of it coming from local sources - whether its pork or vegetables, coffee or beer, we strive to bring you the best that our region has to offer." What that translates to is an inventive and eclectic menu that changes to reflect what's in season.
If Spinach and Artichoke Dip is a staple on most appetizer menus, the selection I sampled at Johnny Brenda's was far from ordinary. Though I'm betting that the grilled Octopus wasn't from the Delaware, it was delicious. The dish is lightly doused with lemon, garlic and other seasonings and served on a bed of greens, cabbage, and red onion. Here's a line I never thought I'd be writing: The three six-to-eight-inch tentacles were char-grilled to perfection - not slimy and a bit tough. The thing I realized I like most about octopus, even compared to something like calamari, is how meaty it really is. This ropey meat was thick and muscley, almost like a white, chewy steak, without that overbearing fish stench that plagues so many dishes out of the sea. The blackened, crunchy suction-cups were awesome, too, as weird as that may sound. This is definitely not your average appetizer - and definitely not how I'm used to eating cephalopod. If you're a seafood lover, you won't be disappointed.
