Redcrest Kitchen - Review - South Street - Philadelphia - The Infatuation

"Sometimes experimentation can lead to greatness. After all, a cook who accidentally cut his potatoes too thin gave us chips. Unfortunately, experimentation also gave us the movie version of Cats. Dinner at Redcrest Kitchen has those same highs and lows. To avoid a disaster of unhinged-CGI proportions over dinner, stick to a simple roadmap of cocktails and hearty mains. photo credit: GAB BONGHI Inconsistency isn’t just a menu thing. Depending on when you visit, you may be met with tables of excited friends and couples who crave a lowkey night near South Street, or a boring space that has all the energy of the waiting room at your optometrist’s office. The spacious modern American spot has a long bar, floor-to-ceiling windows that are perfect for watching dogs walk their people, and cushioned booth seating down the middle. Whether you’re listening to music from Masterpiece Classic scenes or your server telling you how much they love Philly, it’s a casual space as laidback as a lazy Sunday. photo credit: GAB BONGHI The menu rotates often (about three new dishes every few weeks) and is packed with produce from local farmers. You can always expect plenty of vegetables, pasta, and shareable mains. When they keep it simple, the meal is excellent. But when the chefs go full mad scientist, one experimental dish can throw the entire meal off. This means that in one sitting you might get a plate so memorable that you’d take loved-up prom pictures with it. But occasionally the onslaught of toppings takes away from how exceptionally the meat or veggie is prepared—like in the case of the tuna crudo, which is topped with dark chocolate for some reason. For a guaranteed successful meal, pass around the short rib, a pasta or two (the uni tagliolini is a standout), and the winter squash toast. photo credit: GAB BONGHI Where Redcrest does find harmony is in the cocktail menu. The Teaches of Peaches is a blend of white peach, rum, chartreuse, and sparkling wine, and is one of the best things we’ve sipped all year. We haven't had one bad drink while dining here, making it one of our favorite new spots for a cocktail in the city. Come for a casual night with friends or a date where the cocktails and comforting mains outshine the Xfinity hold music that’s been playing—and the dish that seems to be made from the basket ingredients on Chopped. Food Rundown photo credit: GAB BONGHI Toast Like the pasta, the bread here is made in-house. And they have it down to a beautiful, fluffy science. Their toast is also something that’s a constant on the menu. The crisp slices are topped with everything from winter squash with a peppery ‘nduja spread to marinated mussels, and we’re considering having t-shirts made stating how much we love them. photo credit: GAB BONGHI Chilled Asparagus With Charred Leeks There’s an impressive amount of vegetables on the menu. If you want to eat light or satisfy a vegetarian in your life, there are plenty of options. There's a lot at play with the textures in this dish, but it’s not a must-try. photo credit: GAB BONGHI Chestnut Agnolotti Although they shuffle the options around quite a bit, a version of this pasta has been on the menu since they opened. The mix of tender lamb, winter squash in doughy pockets of pasta, crunchy hazelnuts, and sour cherry jus is like those Sharknado movies. You really want to like it, but there’s just way too much going on. photo credit: GAB BONGHI Wild Striped Bass Have you ever had a dish so good that you’d consider doing a competitive eating contest just to have as much of it as possible? This, like every fish main at Redcrest, is one of those dishes. Served with wheat berries, creamed brussels sprouts, and pickled plums, each bite is juicy, sweet, and has just the right amount of tart. photo credit: GAB BONGHI Smoked Short Rib If the menu was listed like the Coachella lineup poster, this dish would be in bold and at the top. Ideal for two, the meat is cooked perfectly, has the right amount of smokiness, and comes with sweet potato. Plus, the comté sauce is like a creamy wave of warm and fuzzy comfort that shoots through you with each forkful. Banana Butter Cake If anybody asks you the high and low of your week, your high would be eating this dessert and your low would be having to share it with whomever you bring here. It blends warm banana cake with red miso caramel, banana crémeux, and walnuts. photo credit: GAB BONGHI Fool’s Gold Cocktail There’s not a bad drink on the menu but our go-to is the Fool’s Gold (The Teaches of Peaches is a close second). It’s a mix of reposado tequila, maraschino, and dry sherry. It’s beautifully light, refreshing, and after one sip you’ll think the bartender deserves a statue." - Candis R. McLean