Bar Ferdinand

Ever have a restaurant in your neighborhood that is so consistently good that you get bored with it? I know that sounds silly but it doesn't mean it can't happen. I love Honey Nut Cheerios. It's my favorite breakfast cereal and they are consistently delicious - no variations in 32 years now. But I just can't eat them every day.  I need to mix it up with Frosted Mini Wheats, Tony the Tiger or some Fruity Pebbles now and then to keep my sanity.

Such is the case with Bar Ferdinand for me. It's been one of the anchors of Northern Liberties and certainly THE anchor of liberties walk for 6 years now. They've stuck with a very solid menu of Spanish tapas, meats, cheeses and small plates that has won them a consistent following and excellent reviews for more than half a decade. They were doing tapas before Garces made it cool, and helped to legitimize the neighborhood. Question is, how many times can I eat bacon & date empanadas or a cerdo frito sandwich before I become desensitized?

I'm the type of person that constantly craves the new flavor, a twist on an old classic, a cuisine I've never experienced before. I had subconsciously held off on doing our monthly Supper Club at Bar Ferd for a lot of the aforementioned reasons. I'd been there done that. What have you cooked for me lately?

Enter Chef David Ansill of Pif, Ansill and Ladder 15 (wtf?) fame.  I'd been eating at his various restaurants for years now, and was very excited to see him take over the helm and put his touch on the kitchen. While not a complete reinvention, the updated menu has several new dishes and some updated takes on my favorites. Our experience for Supper Club was nothing short of extraordinary. For a $40 tasting menu we got to try 12 different dishes, including a substantial main and two desserts. The wine was flowing freely (although not cheaply) and by the end of the night you could have rolled me down liberties walk.

Some highlights: 

shishito peppers

Blistered shishito peppers cleverly served on a piece of Cuban newsprint.  The peppers are delicious, reminiscent of the ones we raved about on our trip to Spain last year. Every third of fourth pepper is a surprise of heat that smacks you in the mouth. Kind of like Russian roulette with peppers. An excellent new addition to the menu and indicative of the thoughtfulness in the kitchen.

manchego frito

Manchego frito, apple foam and quince puree. The foam is actually frozen, creating a crazy mouth sensation of the cold and the hot fried cheese. Not one of my favorite dishes of the night but an interesting take on an old standby here. 

marinated olives

House marinated olives are as good as ever, especially those little purple ones.  I could nibble on these all day. 

broccoli & kale soup

Kale and potato soup with chives and bacon. This was one of the best things we had, and I didn't even know they served soup! A creamy mixture of kale, potato and cream, with some chopped chives and bits of crunchy, delicious bacon floating on top. This might be the perfect winter soup. It even looks deceptively healthy. 

almond crusted eggplant

Almond crusted eggplant with spiced honey was hit or miss with our eleven diners. Some people loved it, yours truly included, and others thought it was a but bland or just odd. The slivered almonds form this great crust on the outside. When you bite in you get that outer crunch and the inner softness of the roasted and fried eggplant. It's not a particularly strong flavor, but that's where the spiced honey comes in - giving the dish a sweet and spicy component that really rounds it out and brings some complexity. 

date & bacon empanada

Remember those date and bacon empanadas that I was talking about? They've always been a favorite - we literally get them every time we're there. Chef Ansill has changed the dough to more of a filo type that is flaky and light where the former version was fried and substantial. It's a subtle change, but it's like an entirely new empanada. I'll keep coming back for these ones, too. 

patatas bravas w/ shishito peppers

My wife's favorite - patatas bravas are just as good as ever but now with the addition of those  shishito peppers on top. They are served with two sauces, per the Spanish style, a spicy romesco and creamy aioli.  Lovely, crisp olive oil fried potatoes just made for dipping.  Delicious. 

endive "salad"

Our "salad" consisted of endive leaves drizzeld with a jamon vinaigrette (you read that right) over a base of Cabrales crema. Cabrales is a Spanish blue cheese that pairs really well with the bitter endive.  Mix in the salty jamon bits in the sweet vinaigrette and you've invited to a party in flavor town. 

roasted mushroom coca

Just about everyone's favorite  of the night was the roasted mushroom "coca" (basically a flatbread) with truffles and goat cheese. Truffles, like bacon, make everything better - why not add them to a flatbread with two of my favorite ingredients? It's like Ansill is in my head. The dough is crusty and just a bit chewy, like some of the best pizza shops in town. The perfect bed for this orgy of flavor that is about to descend upon your mouth. It is earthy and luscious, creamy and robust - like the best glass of wine you've ever tasted. This is near on perfection. 

roasted chicken with chorizo and catalan spinach

For my main I chose the roasted chicken thigh with catalan spinach and chorizo. The chicken is succulent and fall-off-the-bone tender. You don't even need a knife. Huge chunks of the rich dark meat offer themselves up and leave your fingers glistening like they were sneezed on by a unicorn. Crunchy bits of that spicy chorizo and delicate spinach round out this perfectly opulent piece of chicken. 

churros con chocolate

Dessert was an exercise in fortitude. By this point we had already had 10 tastings and an entrée. This was going to take serious motivation. Platters of flan with fresh fruit and churros con chocolate did the trick, and were pretty much obliterated in 5 minuntes. The flan was surprisingly very good - I'm not usually a flan person but this was almost impossible light and airy, without any of that thick syrup that you usually find it floating in. The churros were the star though - crispy fried lengths of dough and dipped in melted chocolate that would make Augustus Gloop want to dive right in.

Chef Ansill is the shake up that Bar Ferdinand desperately needed to stay relevant in our ever evolving dining scene. Staying true to the Spanish authenticity, but varying enough to keep me surprised and excited with every course. I feel like I've found a toy in my Cheerios. What a lovely surprise.

Food Baby Rating: Triplets!

Bar Ferdinand

1030 N. 2nd Street

Philadelphia, PA 19123

(At the eastern end of Liberties Walk)

215-923-1313

www.barferdinand.com