Philadelphia: Vernick Food and Drink (December 2017)

Vernick Food & Drink - Sit in the Back Room at the Chef’s Counter
My spouse and I dined at Vernick Food and Drink on a Sunday evening for New Year’s Eve dinner in late December 2017. We reserved our places at the chef’s counter/bar via telephone 30 days in advance; however, the restaurant also uses the online Open Table reservation system. Vernick is open for dinner only on Tuesdays through Sundays (closed on Mondays).
Vernick opened in May 2012 in a former bookstore on Rittenhouse Row. Owner Greg Vernick was once named “Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic” by the James Beard Foundation, and he previously worked for renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Today, Vernick hold the distinction of being Philadelphia’s best overall restaurant.
The bustling Vernick space spans two levels. You enter through a front bar/lounge room, with spots to sit at the small L-shaped bar or at several tables positioned near the front window. In the rear dining room, you can sit at a table or at one of the six stools at the L-shaped chef’s bar. (When we reserved for this counter, the hostess warned us that the stools were backless yet comfortable, and we agree.) The main dining room is on the second level, reachable by a long staircase. Weathered wood tables and chairs, soft lighting, and nattily clad wait staff set the foundation for a great dining experience that is elevated by the restaurant’s delicious food.
Because we dined on New Year’s Eve, the regular a la carte menu was not available. We had a choice of two different menus: the 7 course chef’s tasting menu (which didn’t offer any choices) for $160 (wine pairing $85 additional), or the four-course prix-fixe menu (which offered about four options in each course category) for $75. We wanted to try as many dishes as possible, so we both ordered the more extensive tasting menu. (We aren’t sure whether we could have mixed-and-matched one of each menu.) Everything was awesome; our only regret is that we weren’t able to try any of the interesting toast dishes that the restaurant usually offers. Our courses follow:

• Amuse bouche (3) onion consumme, croquette, tuna tartare

1. Hiramasa (sashimi yellowtail with warm caviar sauce)
2. Lobster Bolognese (with saffron garganelli pasta and parmesan foam)
3. Veal sweetbreads (grilled with pear and radicchio)
4. Turbot (with salsify, soubise, and tomato dashi)
5. Beef strip loin (with maitake mushrooms and sesame vinaigrette)
6. Gruyere custard (served warm with green apple)
7. Olive oil cake (with white chocolate pudding and pomegranate)

We loved our dinner at Vernick Food and Drink – the service was excellent, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was comfortable.