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THE GOOD WORD Vol. 16: Phyllis Stein-Novack of the South Philly Review
The Good Word is a weekly Meal Ticket feature where we ask Philadelphia food people questions. We�re going to start by highlighting the city�s many excellent food writers and bloggers, with eventual plans to extend beyond the scribeosphere. The questions will be different every week unless we come across a really sweet one we want to reuse. Want to nominate a future Good Word candidate (yes, you can nominate yourself), or submit ideas for questions? E-mail drew.lazor@citypaper.net.
THE GOOD WORD Vol. 16: Phyllis Stein-Novack of the South Philly Review
The Good Word is a weekly Meal Ticket feature where we ask Philadelphia food people questions. We�re going to start by highlighting the city�s many excellent food writers and bloggers, with eventual plans to extend beyond the scribeosphere. The questions will be different every week unless we come across a really sweet one we want to reuse. Want to nominate a future Good Word candidate (yes, you can nominate yourself), or submit ideas for questions? E-mail drew.lazor@citypaper.net.
In this installment of The Good Word, we�re chatting with Phyllis Stein-Novack, longtime restaurant critic for the South Philly Review. Phyllis has been grading area restaurants on her signature "tips of the toque" scale since the mid-'90s.
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How did you get your start in food writing?
My life in food began with my grandmother, who was born in Vienna and was a modern accomplished cook and baker. She would have been the first on her block to own a Cuisinart. I think Austrian and Hungarian Jews are the best cooks. When I was in graduate school, I shared two floors of a Victorian house near Penn with three other women. I made them an offer they couldn't refuse: "I'll cook, you clean up."
A love of cooking led me to the Daily News. In 1982, I called the food editor with a story idea. It was about a Mother's Day breakfast in bed that children could cook with adult supervision. I wrote many food stories for the paper, often including my own recipes. I've been the restaurant critic and food columnist for the South Philly Review for 14 years. I am the author of The Best of the Book and the Cook cookbook and am now adding spit and polish to a proposal for a cookbook. I don't want to give myself any "kine-ahoras" and will tell all about it when it's a firm go.
Your husband Edward and your cousin Carl are featured frequently in your reviews. What makes them the ideal dining companions for restaurant meals?
Neither are picky eaters. Edward has a very dry wit and likes to kibitz with the wait staff. I enjoy Carl's ideas and conversation immensely. My readers feel like they know them. I've also included my sister Sandy, who is a picky eater, my computer techie Kevin, who runs marathons, and my friend Richard, a young talented painter and photographer. My mother, who passed away in July at age 94, often went to restaurants with Edward and me.
Are there certain ingredients you find chefs overusing these days? From your reviews, it appears you're not so keen on brioche.
I do not necessarilly think chefs misuse ingredients, although no one should serve a big, juicy burger on a sweet brioche roll. Most fine chefs respect fresh ingredients. I like my beef rare, lamb medium rare and cooked vegetables with a bit of crunch. Ingredients come in waves. Remember when crab cakes were on everyone's menu? I don't want to see crab cakes anymore because they are rarely well-prepared. Right now, halibut, pork belly, line-caught striped bass, sweetbreads and microgreens are popping up on restaurant menus.
It's no secret that your favorite drink is a gin martini. What makes a great martini? And who does it best?
According to my sister, I developed a taste for gin and vermouth when I was about 2 or 3 years old, when my chubby little hand would pluck the olives from my father's martini. I prefer Bombay Sapphire and Bluecoat, which is made here. The formula for a fine martini is simple: The glass should be chilled. Gin and a touch of vermouth go into a stainless steel cocktail shaker filled with ice. The cocktail is then vigorously stirred, not shaken. It is strained into the cold glass and topped with two olives. There is nothing worse than warm gin. I strongly believe $14 or $15 for a martini is ridiculous. One of the best barkeeps around was Murray the bartender when he worked at the original Ritz-Carlton, now the Westin. I recently enjoyed a perfect martini at XIX. Edward makes a good one, and I do too.
Describe your ideal meal. Do you think you would find it in a restaurant, or would it be something you'd make at home?
Describing an ideal meal is difficult. I am reminded of the words of M.F.K. Fisher, who wrote: "There is a communion of more than our bodies when bread is broken and wine drunk. Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly." Conversation is important. A meal is not just about the food. I adore caviar, lobster, foie gras ... but I also adore a good roast chicken or capon, especially when I am preparing one at home. The aroma is heavenly. In a way, I think an ideal meal is one I cook myself. Although we have a dining room table, I prefer eating in our kitchen. It is warm and cozy. People can let their guard down and laugh out loud, which would be rude to do so in a restaurant. I have savored many memorable meals in restaurants throughout the country and abroad, but inviting friends and family to our home, especially during autumn and winter, when my creative juices are flowing and I work with rich, lusty, gutsy ingredients and serve family-style.
What, in your opinion, is missing from Philadelphia's dining scene?
I wish we had a Hungarian restaurant. Cousin Carl's sister's mother-in-law is an amazing Hungarian Jewish cook. I've been to Hungarian restaurants in New York and lament the fact we have none.
More importantly, what is missing in many is what bugs me about dining in restaurants. Service-oriented issues and food issues, as well. "Hello, I'm so and so and I'll be your server ... what kind of water do you want?" The spiel about water drives me nuts. A "hello" or "good evening, would you like a drink?" begins a good meal. I really admire professional staff. Those men and women who know how to orchestrate a meal, serve and clear with ease and watch the tables make for a memorable meal. Overly chatty wait staff, those who are constantly asking "is everything all right?" especially when I have food in my mouth and cannot answer, interrupts conversation.
What is also missing in many places is adequate lighting. The Italians say, "first you eat with your eyes." I want to see the chef's creations on the plate without the aid of a flashlight, which I have used in the past, espcially in order to read the menu. What is often missing is soft background music. Loud screaming on the sound system coupled with loud noise in a room makes it difficult to speak with dining companions.
As for missing food issues ... some are elementary. A hot soup should be hot with steam rising from the bowl. Hot food should be served hot, not lukewarm or cool. A friend of mine who is a chef told me he would send back to the kitchen a dish which was not hot enough or prepared the way he ordered it.
I feel compelled to defend brioche. It is a French sweet yeast egg bread which is the second cousin to challah, the ancient Hebrew egg yeast bread. It makes delicious French toast, summer pudding with ripe juicy berries or simply toasted, slathered with sweet butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon. The brioche bun should never serve as the "house" to a big juicy rare burger. It is too sweet. It is too much bread for a burger. Too thick. Even Daniel Boulud, who loves burgers, said to Top Chef that this roll is "too much bread to me." I agree. I love a burger on an untoasted bun. Preferably with sesame seeds.
I agree on the hot soup thing. I get soup that is just a notch about lukewarm surprisingly often, though I don't usually send it back. Places that NEVER do this: the Asian spots in Chinatown, Washington Ave, and S. 7th St. Aww yea.
So glad I have the right taste in gin martinis! Bluecoat, & when not available, Sapphire. So eloquent throughout.
I'm so excited, I never really thought this would happen! First of all, I would like to thank God, who makes all good things happen. Second, I would like to thank my parents for teaching me how to read. Third, Meal Ticket for making this Q & A possible. Finally, I would like to thank Phyllis Stein-Novack for being, well, her brioche-hating self. Best Good Word EVER-good luck topping this one! Sincerely, Poncho
What Philly and most cities need is a Ukrainian resturant! Close to Hungarian but different. You can find perogi and cabbage rolls in the Reading Terminal Market along with sweet breads, beet salads, and other Eastern European foods. Delisious! Try vodka frozen in freezer with lemon peel straight up if you like your gin cold!
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