Sbraga

Another trip to Philadelphia, this time at short notice, meant that all the places that were on my shortlist were fully booked. Looking beyond the places I really wanted to try, Sbraga was a place that was well rated locally, had a good sounding menu and most importantly had open dining spots.

Sbraga is in the ground floor of 440 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia and acquires its name from Kevin Sbraga, the head chef. He is a New Jersey native who trained in kitchens in Philadelphia and Atlanta, before linking up with Jose Garces and then moving into the role of culinary director of the Garces group. He worked with Stephen Starr, heading the kitchen at Rat’s restaurant in New Jersey, before joining the cast of Top Chef Series 7 in 2010. He won that that competition and that gave him the opportunity to open his own place in October 2011. I loved earlier series of Top Chef but this was one I missed so I really have no idea of his culinary style.

It’s an April Friday night in Philadelphia and the temperature is mild although the threat of torrential rain is looming. The stroll down Broad Street is relaxed and a good preparation for a mellow evening in a restaurant. Settling down at the table, the presented menu is a four course listing with four introductory choices, five second course choices, five third course choices and five desserts.

When the order is taken, the first of two preliminary bites turn up. Gruyere popovers sound fantastic but reality falls well short. The popover I’m given is rock hard and it being overcooked meant that the cheese flavour is next to non-existent. My neighbouring table complain about theirs and are given steaming hot replacements but I persist with my Gruyere rock and find that one of my subsequent courses actually redeems it (slightly).

The foie gras soup with rose petal relish and pumpernickel croutons is so much better. Strong curry accents on top of the soup’s creaminess make everything sing and the relish adds a fresh floral crunch. It all add up to a wonderful taster that says you’ve found a great place to eat. Despite the popover I was feeling pretty good about what the menu had in store.

When I read a menu I tend to visualise what the dish will look like. It seems that the various tartares I’ve eaten have spoiled me because the beef tartare with Worcestershire, mirepoix & country bread definitely runs against type. The tartare has been prepared well ahead of time in a glass jar then capped with a thick layer of Worcester Sauce jelly. Dear oh dear. Worcester sauce is one of my favourite things to use to pep up dishes but here it trampled everything in its path. The beef tartare barely stands a chance even though it tastes great on the odd occasion it peeps through. The crusty bread is good but more is needed so I start combining the tartare with the Gruyere popover. Hey presto, the small amount of Worcester sauce is sufficient to bring out the Gruyere and the disappointing popover becomes something that is quite lovely. The Worcester sauce can’t address the fact that it’s rock hard though.

The next course, a hot appetiser of barley risotto with crispy rabbit, fava beans and charred onions is a really lovely dish and the highlight of the night. The hint of lemon works wonder in bringing out the flavours of the dish. The cheesy risotto is a delight with the texture of the barley just perfect. The onion is sweet and juicy while the charring adds a bit more bite to its flavour. The rabbit is delicious too although the dish would happily work without it.

The main course should be Spanish mackerel with aubergine marmalade, marinated artichoke and tomatoes. However, the chef is unhappy with the quality of the Spanish mackerel and decides to replace it with black bass. Maybe I should have called the menu back but I decide to go ahead with the substitution. The fish has good flavour with a delightful crispy skin. The aubergine purée with its hints of mint and spice is a great accompaniment. The sweet cherry tomatoes are juicy gems but the marinated artichoke is an isolated bystander. On balance, I’m not sure the substitution works. The wonderful eggplant marmalade needs a strong partner and the black bass isn’t it. For me, this dish is only a partial success.

Moving on to dessert, dinner just fizzles out. The chocolate macaroon with beetroot ice cream, sable Breton, raspberries and chocolate ganache never really gets over the leadenness of the chocolate macaroon base. The beetroot ice cream is superb though, with the earthiness of the beetroot downplayed nicely. But if you’re serving a dessert I’m not sure that you want the star to be the fruit garnish.  The raspberries are wonderful.

So all in all Sbraga is something of a mixed bag but, foodwise, the elements that work well just about balance those that don’t. The restaurant experience isn’t just about food though and on the overall feel Sbraga lets itself down badly.  Service is brusque throughout and as I pay my bill I realise that the whole process from being seated to eating 2 amuses bouches and four courses to this moment has taken an hour and a quarter. This is not a consequence of being a lone diner because my neighbours take no longer. It seems the focus is on turning tables rather than letting people relax and have a leisurely dinner. On top of the hit and miss food this is the last touch that has me thinking I won’t be adding Sbraga to my list of restaurants I have to return to.

Overall Rating – 3/5