Does it get any better than getting to sit in a street-level restaurant near Rittenhouse Square in the summertime, sipping a glass of wine? Yes is does. Especially when the restaurant you happen to be sitting in is a.kitchen + bar.
Chef Eli Kulp knows how to put together a sexy plate, whether it be small or entrée-sized.
The small plates on the menu are especially exciting. The fried oyster tartine comes across like an elevated open-face po’ boy with crispy fried oysters, creamed collard greens and shallots resting on a hearty piece of grilled sourdough bread, which is also available in a small loaf ($5). Hot sauce comes on the side and the tartine works great with or without it (but the sauce does add something special to the dish). The bread by itself is hearty and full of character thanks to the vegetable ash baked into it.
Yeah, you heard us: Vegetable ash. It works. We don’t know — and frankly don’t care — how they figured out why vegetables reduced to ash make some of their dishes taste amazing. It just does.
The grass-fed beef tartare sets itself apart from similar dishes in the city by presenting the tender, flavorful dish slightly seared and with perfectly crisp potato skins taking over as a vehicle instead of some kind of bread or chips. The Hamachi crudo ($13), served on a rice cake, was bright, fresh and dressed with a spicy bite that married the fish and rice nicely. The smoked beets ($13) were colorful, bursting with herby flavor and substantial enough to give any steak some serious competition.
The side dishes don’t slouch, either.
The ramps and spring onions ($11) were a nice surprise, giving the feeling of eating your way out of a hot, seductive garden. Healthy, yes, but it felt sinful. Similarly, the baked and grilled potatoes ($8) exceeded expectations with a kettle-chip-like crunch on the outside and a warm, baked texture on the inside.
The main courses had a lot going on as well. The duck breast ($26) had a juicy, smoky flavor and very little of the rich fattiness one expects with duck. The cedar scallops ($23) came seared to perfection and surrounded by a supporting cast of roasted turnips, fennel and hen of the woods, giving the dish a refreshingly different, earthy overtone that most scallops don’t have.
a.kitchen definitely has a desirable location — and thankfully an immense amount of creativity on the menu and in the kitchen to keep Rittenhouse Square buzzing about it for the foreseeable future.