Recommendations: The katsaki alone is worth the trip, a hearty mélange of braised goat, orzo, eggplant, yogurt and salty kefalotyri cheese.
http://www.kanellarestaurant.com/
David's Thoughts: Mediterranean food (Greek, in particular) is one of my absolute favorites, and while I'm not convinced that Philadelphia has a "go-to" Mediterranean restaurant, there are definitely a few standouts. Living in Fitler Square, I am a big fan of Dmitri's; a glass of white wine and a heaping plate of grilled octopus (at the bar) is one of my favorite Philly meals. Zorba's on Fairmount certainly deserves a shout-out, as does Effie's on Pine. When I saw Kanella on our agenda, I was very excited to add another dynamite option to the list.
Before arriving at Kanella, I stopped by Jose Garces' Trading Company (JGTC- my favorite destination for good wine) and picked up a bottle of Spanish white wine. What's that you say- a Mediterranean BYO??? Indeed. This was particularly appealing to me, as eating my way through the Top 50 has become financially strenuous, and I'm always happy to avoid bar charges. For once, I was the early bird for our meal, so I grabbed a table and absorbed the ambiance for a few minutes. The restaurant itself is pleasant: small, with lots of tall windows looking onto the street. Our hostess was delightful- smiling, polite, and friendly. Our timing was perfect; we arrived early, and the restaurant filled around us. The decor is indeed sparse, and the tables are tightly-packed (at one point, I had to stand up while the waiter moved our table about 4" to the left, to accompany other guests).
Kanella's menu is ideal for the "small plate" approach. We started with the Saganaki- which is one of my favorite Greek dishes- and I found it tasty but not necessarily memorable. I was excited that the option was on the menu; I hadn't found another Philly locale that served flaming cheese. Sadly, our order was not ignited at the table- this was disappointing. (Note: I'm pleased to share that the new Dmitri's in NoLibs has added Saganaki to their menu, and they, too, are a BYO).
In addition, we ordered the Flatbread- which featured a tapenade spread, zucchini, eggplant, apricot, goat cheese, and yogurt. Sounds tasty, but I can't say that I was impressed. We rounded out the evening with the Grilled Octopus- another of my all-time favorites- and it was indeed tasty. The meat was sweet, rich, and delicately-grilled- though the texture was not as crisp as I would prefer. Also, there was only 1 piece on the plate- not nearly enough to satisfy.
I suppose it is only fair that I let Beth provide some food feedback, so I will leave our entree for her. Overall, I have to say that Kanella did not leave much of an impression on me. The food was perfectly tasty, but portions were modest and flavors were... not memorable. Frankly, if I were headed out for an evening and craved Mediterranean, this wouldn't be my top choice. It might not make my top 3. I feel bad saying that, but it was my genuine response. Nothing here stood out; no mouth-watering, no jaw-dropping, and nothing that made me want to come back.
Beth's Thoughts: Anytime I have the opportunity order goat, I do. For our main dish, we selected Katsaki, as recommended by Philly Mag.
But let me back up a bit.
The Flatbread was largely forgettable. The Grilled Octopus was grilled octopus. It fell somewhere between the gummy octopus at Standard Tap and the melt-in-your-mouth octopus at Stella. Now, the Saganaki, on the other hand, I thought was very good. It had flavor, was not too salty, and I particularly enjoyed that pan-fried cheese texture common in Middle Eastern dishes. My heritage is partially Lebanese, so many Greek favorites are dishes that I grew up with but called different things.
(That, and I may have worked as a server in a Greek restaurant while I was in high school....yes, that could have been me taking your order...)
But back to the goat.
I really wanted to love the goat. I wanted Kanella to be my new "go-to" place for all of my goat-eating needs. It is not.
I enjoyed the dish more than David because I enjoy goat. I liked the flavor, but I wished that there was more to it. It was like "goat for beginners," mildly flavored and cooked thoroughly. The preparation and presentation were nothing noteworthy or memorable. If I have a yen for goat, you are more likely to find me at the good ol' Jamaican Jerk Hut.
If I were in the neighborhood, I would return to Kanella. It is not a "destination" restaurant, in my opinion, and it is not my first choice for Greek, but the service was very good and it had a nice little vibe going on.
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