"Sure, this East Passyunk restaurant feels upscale enough for a destination date and the kitchen uses cream sauces so religiously that we assume the cooks owe the French money, but you won't be bored to tears by the food. The Laurel Effect, a phrase we're coining, does just the opposite. The dishes are inventive and playful, always building out a savory-acid-crunch balance—like buttery crab with persimmons and pumpkin, or squash with pops of fingerlime beads and just a little licorice dust. You can order a la carte or go for the $98 tasting menu, in case you used all of your decision-making powers while choosing your outfit (corduroy was a good move, well done)." - candis mclean, alison kessler
Laurel
