"In a town rife with outstanding hummus, grilled kebabs, and salatim platters, it takes nerve to open a restaurant with much of the same menu—especially when you’re serving it all with dry, cardboard-like pita. But that’s exactly what Dear Daphni in Rittenhouse is doing. The sceney Mediterranean restaurant is the newest from The Schulson Collective, and like Double Knot and Harp & Crown, the massive, untz-untzing dining room is showstopping, from the peach-pink walls and turquoise lamp shades to gold-plated everything else. But the aforementioned offensive pita is served with an oversalted mezze platter, alongside forgettable mains, like mealy prawns and tough kebabs (the chicken thigh is the standout though). If you do find yourself dining here, go for the punchy hamachi crudo and underseasoned but very tender Tunisian lamb shank. But if good Mediterranean food is what you’re after, you can do better." - Alison B. Kessler
