Once upon a time, I waited for two hours to have dinner at a restaurant where I already made a reservation. On another occasion, during the time I was studying for the bar exam, I paid over $40 to have two items from this restaurant delivered to my doorstep. (I admit, I did this repeatedly, and without complaints or the slightest amount of remorse.) I would only do these things for food that is so out of this world amazing that they belong in a fairytale. This fairytale takes place in Philadelphia at El Vez.
In honor of restaurant week in Philadelphia, I thought I would share one of my favorite culinary experiences with you. I recommend that you run, not walk, to El Vez, which in my opinion is one of Steven Starr’s best restaurants. Those who enjoy Latin/Mexican decor and are familiar with Union Square’s Coffee Shop in NYC will enjoy the campy ambience of El Vez, which describes itself as a mix of “Mexican-American pop culture.” Part restaurant, part lounge, part bar, El Vez has a reputation for attracting a trendy crowd. But don’t let that deter you. It’s reputation and popularity are well deserved, and you will NOT be disappointed.
Designed by Chef Jose Garces (of Amada, Tinto, Distrito, etc.), the Latin menu at El Vez is creative yet reliable, quirky yet appetizing. After all, anyone who could defeat renowed chef Bobby Flay in an Iron Chef challenge must have extraordinary flare for Latin cuisine, and Chef Garces certainly does. He proves this time and time again at each one of his extraordinary restaurants.
So, let me tell you about the food at El Vez! I’ll start with the most important course: dessert. The restaurant week menu, featuring four courses for $35, includes one of my favorites from the restaurant: the Warm Mexican Chocolate Cake. This little heavenly cake is served with Madagascar vanilla creme anglaise, vanilla ice cream, and fresh blueberries and raspberries. (When you have it delivered, you do not get the ice cream and instead it is sprinkled with powdered confectioner’s sugar.) This is not the kind of chocolate cake that will remind you of that scene from the movie Matilda where the little boy is forced to consume an entire 5 layer chocolate cake. No. This cake is irresistibly fresh and light. If you’ve ever dreamed about chocolate cake, chances are, this was the cake of your dreams. The creme and berries even trick you into believing you are eating something decadent but healthy. YOU HAVE TO ORDER THIS CAKE!
Now for my other favorite fairytale dish at El Vez – an appetizer, cleverly called the “Nacho Mamma.” Let me tell you, these are not your average nachos. I can honestly say that these nachos were the best I have ever eaten in my lifetime – they were even better than the Mexican nachos I had in Mexico. I have tried to recreate them myself at home but to no avail. There is something about these nachos that just doesn’t make sense to me – there is some magical ingredient that has to be present in them to make them so mouthwatering and addicting. The menu states that they are simply tortilla chips topped with black beans, smoked chile salsa, white cheddar and monterry jack cheeses. They are served drizzled with sour cream and some kind of hot sauce and topped off with a handful of greens. But there’s something about these nachos that just makes them too good to put into words. Just one of these loaded tortilla chips will make even the strongest “dieter” forget their dreams of a Kim Kardashian bikini body, fall to their knees and begggg for more, more, more!!!Also on the restaurant week menu, the Tortilla soup, composed of your standard shredded chicken, avocado, tortilla strips. What differentiates this soup, however, is the cojta cheese. It’s a must have.
Other notable menu items:
Bazooka Limon Guacamole – smashed avocado, goat cheese, pistachios, chili flakes and roasted tomatoes.
Tijuana’s Original Ce’Sar Salad – romaine lettuce, garlic dressing, fresh grated cheese, fried croutons. An oldie but goodie. Definetly add the grilled Pasilla Shrimp to spice it up!!!
Taco Tasting Platter – 5 tacos: sea bass taco; pulled pork taco; crispy mahi mahi taco (w red cabbage and chipotle pepper remoulade; chicken chipotle taco. I absolutely recommend getting this dish because you get to have a little bit of everything.Surf and Turf Tacos – strip steak and crab taco with chipotle mashed potatoes.
Chipotle Chicken Tacos – shredded chicken, avocado, shredded lettuce, sour cream and grated queso fresco.
There are many places in Philadelphia that serve amazing food, but for my, El Vez has to be one of the best. If you’re going to go for restaurant week (Jan 17-22; 24-29), I suggest you try to make a reservation on OpenTable.com: Philadelphia Restaurants as the wait can get pretty long. So, go, go, go! And if you try the open faced shrimp quesadillas, I want details!
Note: If you can’t get into El Vez, try another one of Steven Starr’s restaurants on January 25 as 10% of all gross sales from meal proceeds will be donated directly to the Clinton Bush fund for Haiti Earthquake relief.
Enjoy!
Lucy says:
Those nachos sound amazing!!!
Christina says:
You just made me starving.
alex says:
This is really great! There are really great restaurants in Philadelphia! I really like this restaurant to be our first destination in our Philadelphia dating escapade! Thanks for posting this restaurant!