This weekend’s Inquirer dining section is a Craig LaBan dominated affair. First, LaBan reviews Que Chula es Puebla, one of the most recent hyper-authentic taquerias to open in Philly. It falls outside of the Italian Market “Taco Belt,” but LaBan sees that as “further proof of the pervasive power of our rising Mexi-strength.” General questions of Philly’s “Mexican revolution” aside, Que Chula has some misses, but they are “the exception from a kitchen that cooked through the taqueria canon with notable consistency.” Final verdict? Two bells. Elsewhere in the dining section, LaBan recommends the 2006 Giné Giné from Buile & Giné for its “sleek, ready-to-drink accessiblity.” And finally, a good long look at the geographic distribution of Philly’s dining scene: where Walnut St. once reigned supreme, “a combination of soaring rents geared more to retailers and tastes trending away from formal dining leaves the strip’s days as a gourmet mecca numbered,” says LaBan. He points to Chestnut, Sansom, and neighborhoods outside of Center City as the new dining strips.
