2008 Woodie Awards
Video related to this article is available below.Issue date: 2/19/08 Section: Dining Guide
A Forking good meal down on Market Street
Brandon Moyse
When I made my reservations at Fork, I was a little wary. While I had heard only good things about the downtown eatery, all of that positive press came from my female friends.
Fear gripped me on the cab ride. Could the chefs there serve up a man's meal? Would I be surrounded by roundtables of 30-something-year-old single women? Was a Big Mac combo soon to follow my dinner?
Needless to say, my questions were answered by the sumptuous food and warm yet serious ambiance.
After walking through the velvet-curtained entrance, I immediately felt at home. The space is kept appropriately dim, but not dark. Both the slick, square bar area in front and tables in the back are bathed in soft yellow light from the chandeliers on the 18-foot ceilings.
When seating us and bringing our menus, the hostess and waitress both managed to pull off the difficult trick of being professional and knowledgeable while maintaining a comforting level of familiarity.
The owner, Ellen Yin, is a Penn alumna. As we were looking over the menu, she came over to greet us, and was friendly without being overbearing.
So far, so good.
But what about the food?
Appetizers dazzled in their simplicity.
Truffled country pate, seared chicken livers, duck confit, and cove oysters all beckoned me. Wracked by worry that we may regret choosing any of those over another, both my date and I settled on tapas plates where we could sample a few items.
The spiced meatballs - firm and flavorful, with a homemade crumble to the meat - were tinged with curry and an absolute delight.
Marinated olives were plentiful, came in all sizes and ran the gamut from black to queen to kalamata. The balance of salt, oil, and spices was perfect.
The sole disappointment of the starters was the shrimp ceviche. Two small shrimp in a bed of julienned carrots and cucumber is not nearly a ceviche in my opinion.
On to the main courses. My hanger steak was cooked to perfection - or should I say, uncooked to perfection. Rare, just as I ordered. Yes, I like to hear my steak go "moo" before I eat it. Sides of hot mustard and shoestring fries served as perfect complements.
Fear gripped me on the cab ride. Could the chefs there serve up a man's meal? Would I be surrounded by roundtables of 30-something-year-old single women? Was a Big Mac combo soon to follow my dinner?
Needless to say, my questions were answered by the sumptuous food and warm yet serious ambiance.
After walking through the velvet-curtained entrance, I immediately felt at home. The space is kept appropriately dim, but not dark. Both the slick, square bar area in front and tables in the back are bathed in soft yellow light from the chandeliers on the 18-foot ceilings.
When seating us and bringing our menus, the hostess and waitress both managed to pull off the difficult trick of being professional and knowledgeable while maintaining a comforting level of familiarity.
The owner, Ellen Yin, is a Penn alumna. As we were looking over the menu, she came over to greet us, and was friendly without being overbearing.
So far, so good.
But what about the food?
Appetizers dazzled in their simplicity.
Truffled country pate, seared chicken livers, duck confit, and cove oysters all beckoned me. Wracked by worry that we may regret choosing any of those over another, both my date and I settled on tapas plates where we could sample a few items.
The spiced meatballs - firm and flavorful, with a homemade crumble to the meat - were tinged with curry and an absolute delight.
Marinated olives were plentiful, came in all sizes and ran the gamut from black to queen to kalamata. The balance of salt, oil, and spices was perfect.
The sole disappointment of the starters was the shrimp ceviche. Two small shrimp in a bed of julienned carrots and cucumber is not nearly a ceviche in my opinion.
On to the main courses. My hanger steak was cooked to perfection - or should I say, uncooked to perfection. Rare, just as I ordered. Yes, I like to hear my steak go "moo" before I eat it. Sides of hot mustard and shoestring fries served as perfect complements.
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