Recommendations: Scallops in lobster “pho” broth. Chocolate brownie bread pudding.
http://www.matyson.com/
David's Thoughts: Matyson is a tiny restaurant situated on the northern limits of Rittenhouse, about a block from the square itself. It is tucked away amidst a variety of boutiques, shops, and more prominent restaurants. Frankly, when Matyson first popped-up on our list, my initial thought was "Why don't I know where that place is???"
I suppose one of the nicer qualities of Matyson is its relative anonymity. There are few places in the city more trendy than Rittenhouse Square (just ask anyone dining outdoors at Parc), and it is a pleasant change of pace to step away from the masses and into Matyson's coziness. Beth and I met up after work, and as I'm always eager to make the most of a BYO, I arrived with a bottle of wine under my arm. (Actually, it was tucked away in my gym bag... but that sounds gross, so I changed the details. These are the little things that make blog-writers feel powerful).
Before arriving at Matyson, we decided to grab a pre-dinner drink. On a whim, I suggested the Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co., a bar I'd only known through whispers. Simply put, Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. is a great way to erase the benefits of a BYO. At $13 per drink, I almost couldn't bring myself to order. I ordered something with whiskey in it. I can't remember what; I think I am suffering from uber-trendy prohibition-style PTSD. My brain has blocked out the details. I'm sure it tasted like alcohol- I don't really care to remember- it may as well have been Chloroform (that way, they could strip the money from my collapsed corpse; it would have been less offensive).
I hate you, pretentious subterranean bar.
We arrived at Matyson, which was not overly crowded (although the tables are squeezed close together- this would be a challenging destination on a Friday/Saturday or anytime with a large group). The service is friendly; the decor is simple and clean. We ordered from the fixed price menu, which sounded affordable ($40/person) and sophisticated. The menu was as follows:
Course 1: Beet Infused Matzo Ball Soup
Not a bad way to start the meal. The soup itself was a horseradish/potato puree. There was not much of a distinct "beet" flavor- which is a criticism I learned on Iron Chef. "Why make the balls beet? Just so they're purple?" Fair enough. Next!
Course 2:Seared Foie Gras
Sounds delicious, right? Not really. It was OK- nothing spectacular. I'm slowly learning that, oftentimes, I'll order the Prix Fixe menu for one or two exciting components (Foie makes that list). If they aren't all that good- or if they're good but insubstantial- I'm usually left wanting, and that is a pretty good description of how I felt after Matyson's Foie experience.
Course 3: Matzo Crusted Skate Wing
I'm not much of a "fish man", but Matyson's seafood course was quite nice. The fish was delicious, exhibiting a variety of textures and subtle flavor contrasts. Served on a bed of fava beans and peppers, I would recommend this above most of the dishes we tried. However- one challenge I always have with fish- I didn't feel particularly "full" at this point in the meal. (Stomach to Brain: "Uh Oh. This might not go so well. We're gonna need ice cream afterward.").
Course 4: Brisket
Here it was, the most-anticipated course of the evening. I love brisket, but almost never have it at a restaurant. I was excited: this could be my last, best chance at a full stomach and a successful dining experience. And it was good. Really- it was tasty. It was small, but savory and successful. (man thought: maybe this is the conundrum women face- with the undersized baby carrots served as a metaphor.)
Final Course: Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp
By this point in the meal, I'd given up all hope of fulfillment. I felt like I'd just had a really great appetizer sampling; 4 relatively dynamite tastings and a sweet little something to follow. Now, as soon as the entree gets here... shit. No entree. I'm gonna be hungry later. (The crisp was fine. Uneventful, but fine. The ice cream was good, too.)
David's Conclusive Haiku:
We went to dinner
At Matyson Restaurant
It was pretty dull
Beth's thoughts: The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co sucks. Now, I'm not just saying this because it replaced my favorite 18th St. bar of times past. For those of you who can remember, when I was a Rittenhouse resident, I pratically lived at Bar Noir. I even had a short-lived campaign to have a small plaque with my name on it drilled onto my favorite barstool in the corner. Unfortunately, no one could pronounce -let alone spell - my last name, so the idea was lost.
Franklin Mortgage. I picked two overly complicated drinks from the menu and asked our trendy little boy server which was less sweet. He said, quite condescendingly, "Sweet isn't a word I would use to describe either of those drinks." I did a double take and looked at the ingredients again. Both included some combination of sweet vermouth or maraschino cherry by-product. I looked at our child server again and he decided he wanted to continue the conversation. He said, "It's like asking, which is less sweet-bourbon or rye?" I looked at him in disbelief and, instead of schooling him on the fact that bourbon, distilled from at least 51% corn, is, in fact, fuller-bodied and sweeter than rye, which is distilled from 51%- you guessed it- rye.. I said, "Bourbon," looked at David, who I knew wanted to deck the kid, and ordered my drink. David knew.
Dear readers, I do not believe that I am an alcoholic. I am merely a person who likes to drink and likes to know about what she drinks. (I don't particularly like to get drunk, but it is a byproduct of recreational drinking.) Having said that, I have no qualms about paying well above premium prices for food or beverage, but I expect the server and the establishment to care and know more about the product than I do. Please don't hide a bar or overplay the exclusivity of a bar where the drinks are overpriced and mediocre at best and the condescending little shit server doesn't know what he is talking about. Maybe this is more a review of the server than of the establishment, but your servers are the faces of your establishments.
Quick analogy for you: Server = Fail : Establishment = Fail.
But back to Matyson.
I enjoyed the foie. The end.
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