Junto

This is a post I've been waiting years to write.  Isn't it great when you know a server or bartender at a restaurant? You're sure to get a drink or appetizer for free.  It's even better when you happen to know the Chef de cuisine and they send over a bottle of champagne for your girlfriend's birthday and make you seem like a big shot.  Better still is when that same Chef decides open up his own restaurant. 

Chef Macgregor Mann, whom I happily call a fraternity brother and dear friend has opened Junto BYOB in Chadds Ford, PA.  It is the culmination of a culinary degree from Drexel and 10 years in the industry cooking for and learning from some extremely high profile chefs. I like to recall the moment that "Mac" decided to be a chef. His first year at Drexel he was in the Engineering college, working towards a degree in Commerce & Engineering. Ugh, snooze fest. One night sitting around the fraternity house  while we were "studying" he looked at me and said "Turcich, I think I want to be a chef." Mac proceeded to switch majors and pursue his dream.  Just like that.

He did a short stint at Penne on Walnut Street on Penn's campus, followed up by a gig cooking at Amada where he worked his way up to Chef de cuisine. He was even featured on Iron Chef America cooking right alongside Iron Chef Jose Garces. Next came a stop at Noma in Copenhagen for a chance to learn from Rene Redzepi.  If you have not heard of this Scandinavian culinary epicenter, check out this episode of Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown for a primer.  The entire show is dedicated not to Denmark or even Copenhagen, but to this one restaurant.

Noma is ranked as the best restaurant in the world, several years running. They kind of invented the idea of foraging for ingredients. Not in a weird dumpster diving way, but among the wild Denmark coastlines, forests and fields. Things you never thought were edible are transformed into marvelous items on your plate.  And there is a bit of that on display at Junto. 

So I have friends who not only work in the industry, but now own restaurants.  I'm not sure if this officially qualifies me as old (probably yes), but I'm happy to reap the rewards and brag a bit. Junto is a hidden gem in Chadds Ford - an area that abounds in old money but lacks in dining destinations. It's not a huge dining room, but there is a lovely front porch and an ancillary "Session Room" in the back for private parties. Walking up the path from the parking lot you can get a peak at Mac and his team hard at work in the kitchen.

clockwise from topleft: cornbread, egg yolk ravioli,
cheese and charcuturie board

The menu is based on a Pennsylvania Farmhouse theme - with most everything being sourced from the area. Lots of locally caught seafood, Kennett Square mushrooms, and pickling of Lancaster farms produce for the long winter to come. There is a very thoughtfully prepared cheese and charcuterie list with cheeses from PA dairy farms, smoked country ham and even Lebanon bologna as a playful twist. Do try the chicken liver mousse on rye. The creamy, ethereal mousse is schmeared across just barely toasted schmaltz brushed rye bread that could be at home on the best Jewish deli menu. And there is the adorable little corncob shaped corn bread - the recipe is courtesy of Mac's mom and proof that the cooking genes have been passed down in this family.

clockwise from topleft: scallops, mushrooms,
softshell crab

Other highlights of the seasonally changing menu included the egg yolk ravioli that was an umami bomb - the fresh pasta yielding to your fork edge and the yolk spilling out to mix with sassafras pork jus.  The scallops were on special that night to replace the grilled sturgeon. A beautiful char accented the luscious meat underneath, mixing with the snappy watercress and verbena & white wine emulsion below.

The pot of wild mushrooms is a study in fungi. Several varieties, including the so-called "chicken of the woods" get a quick bath in hot English pea consommé. The result is at once fresh and luxurious. Pile some onto the accompanying goat cheese toast and you've got a party in your mouth with a bouncer and a velvet rope out front.  Another stellar hit was the soft-shell crab. Fried in a sweet-corn tempura batter is it light and crunchy, meaty and rich.

foraged daylilies with smoked trout

Daylilies foraged from the field in front of the restaurant and stuffed with smoked trout, compliments of the kitchen. See, it's good to know people.  Who even knew you could eat daylilies? A great crunch from the stalk reminds you of a delicate piece of celery, but with more flavor. A nod to his Noma days and not something you'll find on any other menu. They have a full time forager that brings in a random daily hodgepodge - giving the chefs a new challenge each day.

free range chicken

Probably my favorite thing on the menu was my free range chicken entrée. An old adage says to never order chicken at a restaurant because it's bound to be boring and unsatisfying. You can make chicken at home right? In this case, very wrong.  I've cooked my share of chicken breasts and none of them has ever tasted like this. It is an incredible tender piece of fowl. The breast is pan roasted, the leg is smoked over apple wood in the Big Green Egg - the secret to so many of the dishes here. Sautéed kale and arugula pesto serve as a luxurious bed  and refried summer squash is a an incredibly clever and tasty take on an old favorite. Oh, and some birch infused chicken jus, just because.

I am proud beyond words of Chef Mac. Junto is a personal achievement  and a culinary destination. Clearly I'm a bit biased, but everyone at our table was equally impressed with the meal. You could see it on their contented faces slowly sipping espresso after the meal and in the four food babies that made an appearance after the last bite of dessert. We'll happily make the 40 minute drive out to the burbs for another taste.

Junto BYOB

100 Ridge Road - Olde Ridge Village Shops 

Chadds Ford, PA 19317

484-574-8041

http://www.juntobyob.com/

Food Baby Rating:  Triplets! 

Garces Trading

It's been too long, my friend. In the midst of a Neapolitan pizza revolution in Philly, I'd forgotten the companionship and comfort of that most deepest of dishes, Chicago style. Luckily for us, we don't have to catch a flight to Midway to get a taste of Gino's East or Lou Malnati's (though I can verify that the price of the ticket is well worth it). We can get something almost as good as the original right on Locust Street. 

With his Windy City roots, Chef Garces is baking up an incredibly close rendition of the Chicago legend at Garces Trading Co.  I offer the following words of advice: This will not be a quick meal. This will not be a light meal. You will not be able to finish the whole thing - unless you've got several hungry friends.  The pizza will take about an hour to cook, so bring plenty of wine to keep your whistle wet. In the meantime, there are plenty of amazing appetizers to keep you busy.

When you first walk in, you're greeted by the meat counter and the olive oil tasting bar. Don't be shy about helping yourself to some samples of the various oils & vinegars. You can take home a bottle of anything you like. The "house" olive oil served with their fresh bread is better than you're going to see on most tables in this city. A pinch of salt sprinkled ever so lightly over the oil sends your taste buds over the top like dough boys on the Somme. You could simply nosh on this till the pizza comes.  

But man cannot live on bread & olive oil alone. Well, you probably could but there is so much other good stuff to try. Do get yourself a cheese plate. You can order as many cheese as you like for $7 a piece, but the cheaper option is to go with chef's selection - $15 for 3.  We had a great Valdeon, which is a Spanish cheese that is pungent and bluer than Louis C. K.; a soft cow, goat & sheep's milk combo called Rocchetta that was out of this world; and a Tomme Crayeuse that was firmer and tasted a bit like smoked gouda. 

Complimentary Iberico ham for the FoodBaby? Thank you very much. Imported directly from Spain, I started getting flashbacks to Madrid and bar hopping through late night tapas joints. This is the real thing. Literally melting in your mouth with the most luscious, nutty flavor imaginable. This is why I get out of bed in the morning.  

A surprisingly good smoked trout appetizer with apples and fennel escabeche. I say surprisingly because even the wifey liked it - and she's not usually a trout fan. The smoke is not overwhelming, and the skin has a great crispiness to it. Slivers of charred fennel, marinated in vinegar, and slices of granny smith add a tart counterpoint to the delicious fish.

  

Ah, the main event. The deep dish. A proper thick, baked crust that holds it's vertical integrity. Thank god they cut it for you or you'd never be able to get a piece out. The side angle shot lends some cred to the magnitude of this thing. I also love the image of the cheese oozing out the side, seeking relief from the weight of the toppings above. If you plan on having more than two slices, you better wear your eating pants.  Give your pizza a few minutes to cool, and the slices should hold their form.  It's knife and fork time from here on out.

You've got a good selection of toppings to choose from - artichokes, peppers, bacon, chorizo & sausage can all be had. We went with spinach and mushroom and were not disappointed. The tomato "sauce" has an amazing depth of flavor to it - understandable since it's described on the menu as a confit made from San Marzanos. It's thick and chunky, not smooth or runny in the least bit. What seems like pounds of mozzarella and gruyere lurk at the bottom, on top of that perfect crunchy yet somehow still soft and chewy crust. Like viewing rock striations at a geological dig, each forkfull is a near perfect cross-section of pizza mountain.  

There is of course an entire menu of other options at Garces Trading - none of which will take an hour to make. And just about everything on the menu is worth coming in for. The deep dish is pretty stellar though, and worth your investment of time and $30. They serve wine now, but still let you BYO or utilize the in-house wine store to pick up something last minute. The cheese and meat counters are rivaled only by DiBruno's for their quality and selection. Take your time and sample some parma ham, truffled olive oil, or some funky French cheeses.  You really can't go wrong here.

Food Baby Rating:  Triplets!

Garces Trading Co.

1111 Locust Street

Philadelphia, PA 19107

215-574-1099

http://www.garcestradingcompany.com/