November 2, 2006 Issue
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Classified Chestnut Hill Local Online Editor Don't Miss an Issue, Tell us what you see or ©2006 Chestnut Hill Local Winner of One |
Mamma Mia: Amazing food requires no ‘Mia culpas’
Welcome to the Mia generation. Now that Atlantic City has become a year-round destination, the bigger casinos have been aping Las Vegas in recruiting nationally renowned chef/owners like Susanna Foo, Wolfgang Puck, Bobby Flay and Michael Mina to open upscale restaurants there. And now the one-and-only Georges Perrier, the tempestuous, firecracker owner/chef of Philadelphia’s 35-year-old temple of gastronomy, Le Bec Fin, who has spurned suitors from Las Vegas in the past, opened Mia’s last December 27 in Caesar’s Hotel-Casino, 2100 Pacific Ave. (Mia’s is named for the daughter of Georges’ partner in the venture, chef Chris Scarduzio.) The actual chef in charge of day-to-day operations at Mia’s is neither of the above but is Frenchman Jeremy Duclut, who previously put Loie (near Rittenhouse Square) on the culinary map. The focal point of Caesar’s spectacular lobby, Mia’s sits in the space formerly occupied by Caesar’s Temple Bar & Grille. That restaurant was not known as much for its food as for its controversial ceiling mural that showed nymphs engaging in a little sexual roulette (to coin a casino phrase), which undoubtedly caused some customers to choke on their asparagus. Today, however, there is an elegant, sparkling ceiling of painted gold leaf where the nymphs used to cavort. Out front, enormous Corinthian columns reinforce the classical Greek motif, while diaphanous curtains permit passing pedestrians to peek inside while also providing a degree of privacy. As one would expect from the irrepressible Perrier, guests dine at white linen-covered tabletops on Villeroy & Boch china, while pampering service includes a hand-cranked prosciutto slicer and Caesar salad prepared tableside. The bar contains a cruvinet/wine dispensing system that offers 20 wines by the glass. (My favorite was the Norton Cabernet, $12, which exploded with complex, long-lasting flavors.) Wine steward Jean-Marie Cormier will be glad to suggest amicable food-wine pairings. The pricey menu features contemporary Italian and Mediterranean cuisine, with appetizers ranging in price from $9 to $20 and entrees from $31 to $43. My wife and I were absolutely blown away by the shellfish risotto garnished with lobster, rock shrimp and crabmeat and enhanced by an ambrosial lobster saffron sauce that should be sold in gallon jars. This dish is a great bargain at $13. Other impressive appetizers were the pepper-crusted beef carpaccio with fava beans, chervil salad and Asiago cheese ($13) and yellow fin tuna tartar with fresh anchovies, capers and a Kalamata olive drizzle ($12). The flavors literally dance in your mouth. For us the only joker in the deck was a black sea bass entree, which was rather small for $31 and had a slightly fishy taste. On the other hand, the grilled filet mignon had a muscular flavor and rich after-taste, not to mention a glorious reduced merlot wine sauce ($38). And pastry chef Melanie Gaines-Stewart creates fabulous sorbets (like banana, cherry and passion fruit) and ice creams (like Bailey’s Irish Cream and chocolate espresso chip). One would think that the high- and low-rollers who lose their money at the slot machines, poker and craps tables and roulette wheels would not have enough money left to afford the prices at Mia’s, but I guess that’s why credit cards were invented. If you are not disabled by the sticker shock, however, you can have an extraordinary dining experience at Mia’s. Restaurant captain Michael DiTomassi, who formerly ran the dining rooms at Susanna Foo’s Suilan (Borgata Casino-Hotel) and Brasserie Perrier, is like the captain of a ship. His gimlet eye doesn’t miss a smudge on a glass, and this attention to detail is ubiquitous throughout the dining room. Even the bread service is impressive; rolls straight from the oven can be dipped into ramekins of basil pesto, tomato pesto or roasted garlic, all sublime. In the long and fractured hall of American cultural mirrors, it is easy to overlook the seminal figures who made a real difference in people’s lives. Although he has been accused of having a runaway train ego, Georges Perrier is one of those figures. When he brought haute cuisine to Philadelphia 35 years ago, the city was a culinary backwater. Georges’ pit bull determination and relentless perfectionism, however, sparked a revolution that eventually produced Stephen Starr and a parade of imaginative young chefs who have transformed Philadelphia into one of the country’s top culinary cities. Georges is one tough biscuit, but apparently that’s what it takes to achieve a lasting legacy. After dinner service, Mia’s turns into a lounge that attracts a younger adult crowd. On Fridays and Saturdays, starting at 11 p.m., there is even a deejay. For more information, call 609-441-2345 or visit www.miaac.com Contact Len Lear, Local Life editor and restaurant reviewer, at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com. |
