The Dandelion

The Dandelion at 18th Street and Sansom in Philadelphia is part of Stephen Starr's restaurant empire and opened in late 2010. It is unusual for an Anerican restaurant in focusing on British food. The head chef is Robert Aikens, twin brother of Tom and the emphasis of the food is on use of fresh ingredients to produce hearty dishes. The space is charming with a long bar & dining room as you first enter. Passing through an arch takes you to the concierge’s table and more dining tables with an open fire and a raw bar at the end of the room. There are then a number of additional levels with dining rooms going off in multiple directions and another bar on the top floor.

We have visited the Dandelion a number of times and there are some real positives. Wells’ Bombardier on tap is a great brew and fizzy Ribena is a popular choice with our kids. Home-baked bread is delivered to the table, usually Honey Oat Stout Bread and White Crusty Bread accompanied by salted butter. Also brought to the table is a small kiln jar full of salt & wooden serving spoon. Everyone wants to take these as a souvenir.

Our first meal there was in the evening because we were none the wiser. My starter of Sea Scallops & Black Pudding, Apple Puree, Wilted Brussels Sprouts and a Guinness Beef Jus was delicious. Really good. However, as the evening got darker we noticed that the pub was getting darker with it The photos show a comparison between what the iPhone could manage and the Nikon with a flash.

 Main course was Slow Roast Pork Belly, Carrot Cumin Puree, Cipollini Onions & Sherry Vinegar Shallot Sauce. Again the dish was lovely but the lack of lighting did the food a massive disservice. By this stage we could barely see what we were eating.

This is the problem with the Dandelion. Actually turning on the lights would make evening meal a much more pleasant experience. Why exclude one of the senses from the dining experience? Being able to look at the food adds to the appreciation. The current evening meal experience at The Dandelion once the sun goes down is akin to eating in a cave. They desperately need to sort this out. Although we love the pub, there is no way we would choose to eat there after dusk.

Back to the other food. Another scallop dish has replaced the combo with black pudding. The updated version was Roasted Sea Scallops with Smoked Salmon, Tomato, Fresh Herbs and Ginger Butter Sauce. The smoked salmon is studded into the scallop. Nice dish but I preferred the black pudding version.

My eldest also loves the pint of prawns. They are served in a pint glass with a side of lemon mayonnaise. One niggle – half the pint glass is taken up with ice so it’s not a particularly generous portion. 

Another starter that has recently moved off the menu are the crab & cheese toasties. The honey oat stout bread is used to sandwich a very rich mix of spiced Jonah crab and cheddar. These were incredibly moreish such that I went back for a Saturday beer & toastie snack after having them on the previous Friday evening.

A relatively disappointing starter was the Smoked Duck Breast with Celeriac Remoulade, Pickled Apricots, Sourdough Crouton and Honey Vinaigrette. Although it tasted fine it was a pain to eat because cutting into the bread sent shrapnel everywhere. With a little bit more thought with the bread this could be very good. 

Rabbit Pie with Cipollini Onions, Oyster Mushrooms, Smoked Bacon and Grain Mustard was served as a pot pie with a pastry lid. This was a nice pie particularly accompanied by triple-cooked chips.

Another stick to your ribs dish is the Macaroni Cheese with Braised Ham Hock and Quicke’s English Cheddar. The perfect autumn/winter dish that you crave as soon as you get home.

The food is filling so dessert tends to be forgotten. The one time I had dessert I had Semolina Custard Rolls with Lemon Lavender Syrup & Mission Figs. This actually consisted of lemon-infused semolina custard baked in phyllo pastry with sugar syrup and in this setting the lavender worked.

Overall verdict
The whole family really likes The Dandelion but they really have to get the lighting sorted to make it a really good experience.

Would I revisit The Dandelion? 
After multiple visits, I still want to go back whenever we’re in Philadelphia. Not sure if it’s the food or the Bombardier that I’m reacting to.