Feeding Frenzy

Restaurants opening, closing and pending

by Drew Lazor

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Published: Dec 4, 2007

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Open for going on two months, the Hernandez family's Ninth Street eatery serves up hearty lunches and dinner choices that range from the familiar (tacos, huaraches, flautas) to the harder-to-find (their seafood selection is far more expansive than most Mexis). You might be wondering what sets these guys apart from the cabal of Mexican eateries holding down that area. In a word: servicio. The staffers are among the warmest and most accommodating we've come across in our taqueria travels. Bite This: The Poblano a la Ranchera house special is a meat lover's dream: a pounded piece of steak, a pork chop, chorizo and chicken all claim a spot on the platter. There's a tasty strip of fried cactus on the plate, too, which is weird, because cactus is not an animal.

Owner Kevin Kelly's red/white/blue/delish restaurant officially opened for business last night. Head chef David Gilberg, late of Loie Brasserie, says he's excited about "Americanizing" some classic French fare — take his hearty cassoulet, made with tons of bacon, Martin's sausages, black-eyed peas and greens. But some of the menu's most intriguing dishes are regional items Philadelphians might not be so familiar with. Case in point: the Roc City Garbage Plate, a specialty of Gilberg's hometown of Rochester, N.Y. It's two beef patties, macaroni salad, fries, raw onions and a mustard pan sauce all tossed on a single plate. To eat, chop up the meat, apply tons of ketchup, hot sauce, salt and pepper, mix it all together like you're a rambunctious little kid, and enjoy. "The garbage plate is [an example] of what people think about when they think of negative stereotypes about American food," says Gilberg. "We thought we would claim it as our own. It's one item we're not trying to gussy up at all."

In June, we told you that Joseph Poon was close to purchasing a space at 230 Market St. for a restaurant. We've now confirmed that the deal, sadly, went cold at the last minute. Luckily, you can still get your Poon fix, at least for a bit — he's temporarily reopening his Chef Kitchen (1010 Cherry St., 2nd Floor) for prix fixe dinners (beginning Dec. 23) and a Chinese New Year banquet in January. He'll also participate in the upcoming Center City Restaurant Week. Visit josephpoon.com for all the details.

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