For an establishment that hosts live music and has a decent reputation as a great neighborhood watering hole, it turns out the food menu is actually the rock star at MilkBoy, 1100 Chestnut St.
Seeing as how the bar is open until 2 a.m., and opens back up at 7 a.m. (we’re guessing to cater to Jefferson University Hospital workers across the street getting off the graveyard shift), it’s no surprise the menu is chock full of comfort food geared toward those of us who keep odd hours. And there are some comfort-food masterpieces here.
On the nutritionally responsible side, MilkBoy makes some damned-good soups. The roasted tomato and pepper bisque ($5) is hearty with a spicy kick that pleasantly creeps up on your palette. The soup special of our evening, potato, ale and cheese soup (MP), was silky and comforting as well.
Veering into territory that might not be nutritionally sound, the bacon bowl ($7) is ridiculously good. It’s exactly what the title promised: a bowl of bacon, glazed with spiced honey with buttermilk dipping sauce. If you can resist licking the bottom of the bowl once the bacon has been thoroughly devoured, you are a better person than most.
MilkBoy also has menu items that change from day to day, depending on the chef’s whim. The egg roll ($9) on our visit gave a nod to Oktoberfest as it was stuffed with sausage and sauerkraut. The result was addictively tangy and crispy.
The flatbread pizza ($9) is another daily chef’s choice menu item, and was the best thing we had that night. This incarnation was topped with lamb sausage, potatoes, fried eggs and cheddar cheese. On the perfectly crispy crust, this pizza screamed breakfast as it seamlessly synthesized and deconstructed the experience of an omelet with toast and hash browns.
A favorite at MilkBoy is the brisket cheesesteak ($14) and we can see why. Compared to what the rest of the city is used to, this version of the sandwich is meatier and far less greasy than the standard version. It also swaps out the familiar Cheez Whiz and chopped onions with a beer-cheese sauce and red-wine onions. Is it a coincidence that we find the alcohol-infused version of the sandwich more intriguing than the textbook version? Probably not.
MilkBoy has a great menu for those who want to party like/with a rock star or decompress and unwind like a busy professional.