Epic Fail -- and Win!

It is January 29, and I think I have broken all but one of my New Year's resolutions.  Which one am I keeping?  Well, I am trying to become a tea connoisseur (because of my brother and sister-in-law, thanks you two!), and I think that, so far, I am doing a bang-up job.

One of the resolutions I have failed at already is posting more regularly to my blog.  I imagine this is a common problem for neophyte bloggers, but I still feel bad about it.  But here I am now, blogging for the first time in 2011, and guess what my subject is?  The Philly food scene, of course, and one of the reasons why I am failing some of my other resolutions...

Since 2011 started, I have eaten at JG Domestic (Jose Garces's newest joint), Estia, and Tinto.  The visits to Estia and Tinto were part of Philadelphia Restaurant Week, while JG Domestic was before that.  JG Domestic was fantastic -- the theme of JG Domestic seems to be American-sourced ingredients of the highest quality, and my dad and definitely took advantage.  Highlights included Hudson Valley duck rillette, Texas wild boar, and California squab.  Like almost all of Jose Garces's establishments, JG Domestic features small plates, so there are so many more dishes that I need to try.

My dad and I also visited Estia, which is an upscale Greek restaurant.  Their signature dish is whole fish, cooked simply but superbly.  My dad had loup de mer, while I had dorade, and they were both exceptional (the nod goes to the loup de mer, I think).  They have more exotic fish on the menu, and the octopus appetizer was also a standout -- grilled to perfection, tender instead of the often chewy texture that octopus can suffer from.

Tinto is one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia, and yet another Joses Garces standout.  The small plates here are inspired by Basque cuisine, and just like the first time I was there, Tinto did not disappoint.  This time around, I particularly enjoyed the duck, the saucisson sec, and the idiazabal cheese.

While Restaurant Week is over, I was telling a friend that, for me, every week in Philadelphia is Restaurant Week.  I still have a long list of restaurants to visit -- led by Amada, Bibou, and Fork -- and I can't wait to keep breaking those New Year's resolutions...