• Brian Freedman gives Vernick Food & Drink enthusiastic approval, going so far as to call the Rittenhouse newcomer “one of the newest and most exciting entries into Philadelphia’s ever-expanding restaurant scene.” The dishes, he writes, are “inventive yet rooted, global in inspiration yet American at its core.” The pork blade steak was a “rollicking winner,” while the potato ravioli was “the only minor letdown.” [PW]
• Adam Erace mirrors Freedman’s enthusiasm, anointing Vernick with a “best new restaurant in Philadelphia” superlative. An “iridescent red anthill of tuna tartare” that came as an amuse bouche, which Vernick’s staff is tasked with coming up with every night before service, delivered flavors that were “precise and thrilling.” Beef tenderloin tartare-topped toasts were “off the fucking chain,” and the “unapologetically rich” uni-and-eggs appetizer, with its “umami … in every corner” was “hypnotic” with a “faint marine flavor.” [Citypaper]
• Phyllis Stein-Novack, sister Sandy and two volunteers from the local Obama re-election office took on Spiga. There the charcuterie plate proved “too pricey for a handful of items,” and an arugula and Jersey blueberries salad was “limp and way overdressed.” Topped with spinach, yellow heirloom tomatoes, “dreamy creamy mozzarella and a hint of fresh homemade tomato sauce,” the “simple thin-crust” pizza earned “high marks.” A plate of gnocchi that wasn’t too “tough and gummy” could’ve been hotter. [South Philly Review]
