Jamaican Jerk Hut

The smell of jerk chicken is intoxicating. Like Toucan Sam, you can literally follow your nose up South Street to the source of the entrancing aroma. The Jamaican Jerk Hut has quietly been serving some of the very best Caribbean food in the city for years now. Several of us in the Sunday Supper Club have been to Jamaica, and we all agreed that one bite of that chicken brought us right back. I could feel the sand in my toes and the sun on my face at that beachside chicken hut in Negril, even as the fierce thunderstorms raged outside and turned the outdoor garden at the Jerk Hut into a small lake. 

patties

A selection of patties - chicken, beef, veggie - essentially a baked empanada, but more similar to an English meat pie. Soft and flaky crust with a rich and complexly tasty filling. Definitely a mix of curry flavors, but hard to nail down the exact spice mix they used. The beef were spicier than the others, but nothing tongue numbing. They saved that for the entrees. 

tropical fruit salsa

The tropical fruit salsa, a sweet and only slightly spicy blend of mango, pineapple, cliantro and scotch bonnet peppers. I only wish I had thought to have this on the table with the spicier entrees. The sweetness would have helped to tame the fire. The chips that they served alongside were kind of a letdown. Nothing more than a bag of tostitos from Superfresh. 

mmmmm.....chicken....ahhhhhhhh

The main event. We ordered a few whole jerk chickens for the table. There was nothing left by the end, maybe some extra sauce, but only because we ran out of cornbread to soak it up with. Incredibly moist, and about 20 layers of flavor in each bite. You can taste the smoke, the peppers, the allspice, the day long marinade, the hours slow roasting on the grill. You can taste Jamaica. The meat simply falls off the bone. Incredible. 

cornbread

Unbelievably dense and delicious homemade corn bread. It manages to be both crumbly and rich at the same time. Quite a good trick and probably the best I've ever had. For reals. It arrived at just the right time to help cool down the slowing creeping heat from the jerk shrimp skewers. Those things were near on nuclear. 

jerk snapper

The whole roasted snapper, smothered in more jerk sauce.  It comes head on and stuffed with callaloo, so be prepared for that. They are not going to fillet or debone it for you. You need to get up in there and do some work yourself. Surprisingly tender hunks of fish flaked right off the bones. That spicy but addictive jerk taste seeping it's way into every morsel.  

To be sure, the Jerk Hut is not fine dining. You may have to ask for silverware a few times. Water will come in a pitcher, with plastic cups. The interior looks like it's been under construction for years (which it has) and exposed wires pop out of the wall here and there. God only knows how they get L&I to sign off the place - I'm sure a plate of chicken doesn't hurt the cause. 

The staff is pleasant and nice though and willing to accommodate most requests. If it's a nice night out you can sit in the expansive side yard, being entranced by the flashing palm tree and listening to the sounds of your stomach rumble while the kitchen fan wafts the jerk scent in your face. It's BYO, but wine is not going to do it. You'll want beer, and plenty of it. Something Caribbean if you can find it, a Red Stripe preferably. Go with a group, for a bigger sampling of the menu. Or just keep coming back for your fix. 

Food Baby Rating: Triplets!!

Jamaican Jerk Hut

1436 South Street

Philadelphia, PA 19146

215-545-8644

http://jajerkhut.com

Parc

After braving the slick and barely salted streets of Philadelphia for some final Christmas presents, we stopped into Parc for a welcome respite of wine, cheese & French fare. We'd dined at Parc before, but always during the summer at outside tables overlooking Rittenhouse square. I'd almost forgotten how large the interior was, and how cozy this bistro can make you feel on a chilly evening.

Our meal started with a cheese plate that featured an amazing stilton-like sample that was filled with those magical little veins that lend its dark blue coloring. I have dreams about cheese like that. We also had a great camembert-ish cheese that was soft and oozy, served with an addictive bit of real honeycomb and slices of perfectly made French bread. We didn't get the names of the cheeses, unfortunately. The carafe of house wine probably had something to do with that.

Dinner for the finance was roasted salmon with a black trumpet mushroom crust that was cooked perfectly, served overtop fennel puree and fresh chevril (a tarragon-like herb). She loved her meal, and this is from a girl that eats salmon all over the city, and not a huge fan of fennel either.

I went for the special that evening, coq au vin. It's been years since I've even ordered it, but one bite made me start questioning myself for passing on something so good and so French. Chicken legs & thighs braised in good red wine till the meat is falling off the bones, this is heaven on plate. This is the kind of meal that makes you do a little happy dance in your chair.

Overall, Parc does the French bistro thing about as well as anyone in the city (still have a special place in my heart for Bistro la Minette). The menu is brief but well executed from top to bottom, and the atmosphere makes you feel like you're in a neighborhood Parisian bistro. The carafes of table wine are a decently priced at $28, and you should not leave without trying a cheese plate. Can't go wrong with the essentials.

-T. Kaso

Parc is located at 227 S. 18th Street, on Rittenhouse Sq. They accept all credit cards and 11pm on weeknights, midnight on weekends and 10pm on Sundays.

Xochitl

A cold Tuesday night found us celebrating the arrival of my sister (very pregnant and home from London for two weeks) at cozy little Xochitl on Headhouse Square. This was my first time there, but the fiancée had been for drinks with the girls a few times, and I have to say that the cocktails did not disappoint. She had the margarita (perfectly made) and I went with the Senor Barriga - a great mix of tequila, muddled lime, sugar, thyme and a kick of jalapeño to warm you up on a chilly December night.

Having lived in London myself for a brief stint on a study abroad program in college, I understand the dearth of decent Mexican available there. Shocking, really, given the amazing collage of cultures and foods - it's where I had my first Thai & Indian meals, sparking a love affair with curry that has only gotten more intense with the years. So, dutifully, we escorted the big sister out for a night of guacamole, tequilas and perfectly made tortillas.

We decided to skip the big meals - although they all looked very good (must come back to try those veal tongue meatballs). Instead we went with a bunch of appetizers, each one excellent in it's own right and reminiscent of dishes I'd had in Mexico. Guacamole made table side started us off, mashed in an authentic molcajete, with your choice of additions including minced onions, jalapeños, habeneros, and cotija cheese. Spot on, and the hot chips right out of the fryer were perfect - we had to ask for more to nibble on after the guac was gone.

Along with the guacamole, we had chicharrones - a wonderful Mexican version of pork rinds that are puffy and light with not a hint of grease, served with a spicy salsa verde for dipping. We'd had a different version of chicharrones in Peru that were actually fried bits of pork, but these were excellent in their own right and a nice little surprise. Sopa azteca was a tasty soup served with fried tortilla strips, chunks of avocado and cheese, all floating in a deep flavored broth that was poured into bowl at the table to keep the tortillas crunchy. Well played.

The mackerel ceviche was served on big crunchy tostadas, mixed with a tangy pico de gallo. Not quite as good as ceviche I've had at places like Amada or Tinto, but for $11 I was happy. This brings us to the queso fundido - one the most amazing bits of Mexican cooking that I've come across. The dish couldn't be simpler, melted chihuahua cheese served in a hot skillet with fresh tortillas. You scoop some cheese into your tortilla and add in the accompanying mushrooms, peppers, or pickled red onions and then slowly savor this gooey little delight from the gods.

The only disappointment was the cazuela de chorizo y papas (chorizo served with kale and potatoes). The dish was a bit bland, and not nearly enough chorizo or spice. Kale & potatoes don't lend much to the party, but do give it some backbone. I'd skip this next time back.

Prices are affordable for a decent meal with drinks (appetizers average $10 and entrées are between $15 and $20), and I'm looking forward to exploring more of the menu. They've also got a sturdy tequila menu that I'll be sampling on my next visit - not a school night.

-T.Kaso

Xochitl is located at 408 S. Second Street on Headhouse Sq. They are open for dinner from 5pm-12am 7 days a week, with the bar staying open till 2am. All major credit cards are accepted.

Mmmmm....Koch's Deli

One of the hidden jewels of west philadelphia, Koch's Deli might be the best thing for a hangover since gatorade was invented. Mountains of hot pastrami and melty swiss cheese on ridiculously good bread make for a nap and a lazy Saturday on the couch.

The quintessential Jewish deli, I started going to Koch's while at school at Drexel, and have been coming back ever since. It's a bit of an institution at UPenn, with the walls decorated in pictures and hand written letters to the Koch brothers to prove it. It's definitely not the fastest service, but thats part of the appeal. The almost overly friendly staff will chat you up and hand out free slices of turkey, muenster and homemade pickles while you wait for your little piece of heaven on a roll. And they warm up the meat & cheese for each sandwich individually, so that when they finally put it all together it just oozes with flavor and makes you realize that it was worth the wait.

I went for the reuben today and never looked back. A 5" high stack of pastrami, swiss cheese & kraut with homemade russian dressing on perfect jewish rye. I dare you to find a better one this side of New York. Not much has changed at Koch's in 40 years. They still have their original refrigerators & scales, which they are fiercely proud of, and they still know how to make a sandwich to write home about. Thousands of hungry college students can't be wrong.

-T. Kaso

Koch's Deli is at 4309 Locust Street, at the edge of UPenn's campus in West Philadelphia.