The Best Dishes Eater Philly Ate in November

With our Eater editor dining out several times a week, there’s lots of standout dishes, and we don’t want to keep any secrets. For this recurring feature, we highlight the best things that Eater Philly editor Ernest Owens ate. Check back monthly!

Justin Kalan

Citywide

Supper clubs are undoubtedly on the rise in Philly. But easing one’s way into such experimental cuisine and hospitality can be a challenge. Fortunately, the collaboration between Modern Trail Supper Club and Ocho Supper Club became an unexpected solution as their reasonably priced 6-course experience was well-executed and most importantly, joyful. For under $80 per diner, Chef Ja’mir Wimberly-Cole of Modern Trail and Chef RJ Smith of Ocho, served an impressive tasting menu that was inspired by the Caribbean. I enjoyed their generous portions of seasoned snapper topped with chili coconut, plantains with yellow curry, slices of New York strip steak flavored alongside a rich mole, a malva waffle with apricots and white chocolate mousse, and more. Both of these supper clubs are individually a movement by themselves, but a force when they’re together.

La Chinesca

41036 Spring Garden Street, Spring Garden

La Chinesca is one of the most imaginary fusion restaurants in the city. The level of genius found throughout their diverse array of Mexican and Chinese dishes is unmatched. A definitive example of this is their grilled duck quesadillas, a new entrée that’s a part of their taco menu revamp. Served with a memorable chili hoisin sauce, queso mixto, chili crisp, and scallion sticks – I found it to be a smart balance of savory and spicy flavors that compliment the tender richness of the duck and flaky tortilla. It’s the best new option for $17 that you can spend at a restaurant right now – and for good reason, clearly.

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar

10 S 2nd Street, Old City

Cuba Libre Restaurant & Rum Bar is one of Old City’s most indisputable culinary gems. Reliable, festive, and flavorful – it gets the job done for any diner looking for a night out without much fuss. In maintaining this stellar reputation, they’ve released a new “Taste of Havana” chef’s tasting menu that features some of their most beloved Cuban dishes. For under $50 per diner, I enjoyed everything from their spicy beef empanadas, creamy chicken croquetas, plantain chips with several seasonal salsas, rum-pineapple glazed shrimp skewers, tres leches cake, and so much more. It was the ideal meal for catching up with one of my best friends on a weekday night, and I’m already envisioning other ways to return for a larger dinner party of sorts.

Ernest Owens

1401 E Susquehanna Avenue, Fishtown

There’s always a point at the end of a great dinner where you want to do something else, but nothing necessarily too loud (or wild). Not a nightclub, or even a chatty dive bar — something chill, but not boring. Meet Caletta, the ultra smooth piano bar that’s wisely adjacent to the equally-impressive new restaurant Bastia at Hotel Anna & Bel, serving as either the beginning of a fine meal or a grand finale to one. This emerging Fishtown hotspot follows the coastal culinary vibes of Chef-Partner Tyler Akin’s Bastia in its eclectic snack menu (grilled fresh sardines, salmon spiedini, and polpette) and the fruity, bold, and spirited cocktail flare (aperitifs, ranch waters, appletinis, spritz) of their beverage program director Benjamin Kirk. Everything on Caletta’s menu has a reasonable rhyme and refreshing reason to it — from the Italian-tiki-flavor-energy of their Saturn Descent cocktail to their Hamachi crudo with pine nuts, confit fennel and dill. I found Caletta to be a seasonal escape that served as both an ideal nightcap and a sophisticated speakeasy.

W Philadelphia

1439 Chestnut Street, Center City

There’s no social hour quite like this. For those who want to turn up, but not get turned out — this is it. The new winter social hour at the W Philadelphia in Center City (4-6 pm on weekdays) is serving less for less that’s ironically more fulfilling. Their new mini-cocktail menu is pouring up smaller versions of the classics (mini-tini, mini-rita, mini-quiri, and mini-loma) for under $10 in both alcoholic and zero-proof options. It’s the wise response for those who want to try multiple drinks without hammering their wallet — or themselves. I was impressed by the quality of these cocktails (I had the the mini-loma and mini-quiri) that hit the spot. Beverage director Isai Xolalpa, who’s a seasonal cocktail expert in his own right, doesn’t scale back from his talents even if the portion sizes differ. For example, the zero-proof mini-rita is made with a notable zero-proof agave spirit, super lime, simple syrup, and zero-proof orange liqueur. Bites wise, they are serving tasty flatbreads and “mini” versions of their popular appetizers (such as cheesesteak empanadas and crispy layered potatoes topped with trout caviar) all under $10. Translation: Come here when you want something light without lowering your upscale dining standards.

Aqimero