Provenance

"There’s no other restaurant in Philly quite like Provenance, the Society Hill spot serving a $225 tasting menu that shows off 25-ish pristine French-Korean dishes. This is food in HD—you can taste every element of the lineup, which includes velvety uni with buttercup squash and ruby red bluefin tuna topped with foie gras and black truffle. An 11-seat soapstone counter where chefs hand out three-bite portions could easily feel serious. But Provenance gets loud and lively, thanks to Motown music, an open kitchen, and couples polishing off their wine pairings with fermented satsuma plums. If you’re a French mother sauce aficionado, the food alone warrants an immediate visit. But If you aren’t, you should still go. Provenance is the best dining experience you’re going to have in a town that's full of them." - candis mclean, alison kessler

"Philly's best restaurant is also one of it's most surprising. The Society Hill spot serves a $225 tasting menu that shows off 25-ish pristine, often whimsical French-Korean dishes. This is food in HD—you can taste every element of the lineup, which includes velvety uni with buttercup squash, ruby red bluefin tuna topped with foie gras and black truffle, and duck confit and unforgettable fresh corn polenta with pops of trout roe mixed in. It's definitely one to save for your most special, special occasion, but dinner will never be stiff or be boring. Provenance gets loud and lively thanks to Motown music, an open kitchen, and couples polishing off their wine pairings with fermented satsuma plums." - candis mclean, alison kessler

"There’s nothing else in Philly quite like Provenance, a Society Hill restaurant that serves a procession of 20-plus modern French dishes. The $225 tasting menu wanders from caviar-topped or gold-dusted seafood snacks to more substantial—but no less intricate—helpings of scallop and seared pork belly in a kimchi beurre fondue. It’s the kind of place where a single dish has three duck preparations, somehow packaged in just two bites, and desserts are almost too stunning to eat. But for all the unbroken sauces, savory sabayon, and utensil-swapping between courses, Provenance doesn’t feel so serious. It just feels f*cking great. An 11-seat soapstone counter anchors the main dining room, which is unrecognizable as an old rowhouse. Guests face the open kitchen, watching a collection of quiet chefs buzzing around an oven that costs about as much as sophomore year at Harvard. Everything is a bit austere, which makes the small, thoughtful details necessary: fresh flowers from the Headhouse farmers market, custom artwork by Sunkoo Yuh in the private dining rooms, and much-appreciated floss sticks in the restroom. photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: Gab Bonghi It’s really the service that gives Provenance its warmth, though. Servers will ask if you live in the neighborhood, and talk shop about where to find the best coffee. If you say you’re looking for a bottle of red for under $100, they won’t look at you like you’re Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman hoping to try on the couture dress. They’ll just help you choose a light-bodied red. But the best restaurant in the city—and that’s what Provenance is—can’t wear the crown based on fantastic service alone. Provenance serves food in HD. You can taste every element of the refined, occasionally whimsical lineup, whether that’s the kanpachi in a bright kobosu jus against a backdrop of savory mussel vinaigrette, the farmers cheese stuffed into dainty handmade casoncelli, or the crispy bone marrow breadcrumbs sprinkled across mackerel tartare. Many of the courses have a Korean influence—we’re still thinking about the tangy, spicy chojang shrimp “cocktail” in a gold coat. And the best dishes, like the buttery steelhead trout wrapped in flaky pastry, taste so good that you’ll want several more servings, even if you’re already 17 dishes down. photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: Gab Bonghi photo credit: Gab Bonghi As fancy as Provenance is, it doesn’t expect you to be. That's what makes the restaurant distinctly Philadelphian, even while it executes this level of fine dining. If you’re a French mother sauce aficionado, the food alone warrants an immediate visit. But if you aren’t, you should still go. Provenance is the best dining experience you’re going to have in a town that's full of them. Food Rundown The menu here changes weekly, but here are a few examples of things you might see. photo credit: Gab Bonghi Amuse Bouche Littleneck clam with 'nduja oil and basil; oyster with sweet potato mousseline and golden osetra caviar; mussel with a coriander condiment and almond. Every meal starts with these fancy, fun snacks. They're a good preview of what's to come. Trout Steelhead trout en croute with beurre cancalaise. The textures are all working: gorgeous, golden-brown pastry crisps around soft trout, while salty roe and diced radish snap. Try to keep some of the bread course to dip into this. But if you don't, there's always a spoon. photo credit: Gab Bonghi Duck Aged duck breast with brown butter carrot and sauce salmis. There's duck prosciutto around the duck breast, accompanied by a sauce made from the duck drippings. Lest you think that's not enough duck on one plate, have no fear—that nicely cohesive scotch egg is also made of duck. In important, non-bird news, the luscious carrot brown butter sauce ties it all together. photo credit: Gab Bonghi Mille-Feuille Mille-feuille with confit apple, apple diplomat, and caramel. Somehow, even with all those buttery layers, this tart and creamy dessert remains light. You're going to want to eat all of it, despite the fact that this is just one of four desserts. Not counting the homemade Mallomar that comes with the check, and biscuits they send you home with." - Alison B. Kessler

"Provenance is Society Hill's buzzy new French restaurant. It offers a four-course tasting menu for $195 to $225 per person, depending on which room of the bi-level restaurant you want to dine in (plus optional beverage pairings to tack on). You can plan on 20 to 25 individual dishes of things like bluefin tuna with foie gras torchon and black truffle. Make a reservation and come hungry. We checked out Provenance and added it to our Hit List." - candis mclean, alison kessler

"There’s no other restaurant in Philly quite like Provenance, the new Society Hill spot serving a $225 tasting menu that shows off 25-ish pristine French-Korean dishes. This is food in HD—you can taste every element of the lineup, which includes velvety uni with buttercup squash, ruby red bluefin tuna topped with foie gras and black truffle, and duck confit and unforgettable fresh corn polenta with pops of trout roe mixed in. An 11-seat soapstone counter where chefs hand out three-bite portions could easily feel serious. But Provenance gets loud and lively thanks to Motown music, an open kitchen, and couples polishing off their wine pairings with fermented satsuma plums. If you're into food that's as surprising as it is delicious, Provenance is well worth the price tag." - candis mclean, alison kessler