Monk's Cafe, Philadelphia

http://www.monkscafe.com/
16th & Spruce Streets - Philadelphia, PA - 215-545-7005

First off, I have to give an important disclaimer. I don't drink beer, not even that really really good Belgian stuff. So it may be borderline criminal to dine at a Belgian resto and not slurp foamy fermented barley (yes I know some of it is wheat -- it still tastes like it's been passed by the clydesdales).

I'd eaten at a Belgian place some years ago in Philly, but this wasn't it. Pretty similar atmosphere and menu, but the folks at the hotel were pretty sure this was the only such place in town. Good thing too, because the other place I remembered wasn't the nice walking distance this was.

But it was just what I wanted: mussels, those black-shelled morsels of marine munchies. They offer eight varieties of steamed mussels, all made with beer instead of wine (not a problem, just don't make me drink a cold glass of the stuff) from Thai curry to Provence. Frites are included, a nice crispy basket with a spicy mayo. A "small" bucket is $9.95, and is a terrific quantity for a meal. The large is $18.95 and I'm glad I didn't go for that.

Instead, I had an appetizer of wonderful smoked trout. Onions, capers, crisp toasted baguette and a shmear of the same mayonaisse, plus some lightly-dressed greens. The fish was firm, sweet and bone-free, a big flat slab of it.

Feeling very happy, I went for a key lime pie dessert, which was pretty good, although I prefer a graham crust to their dry pastry crust. But it was suitably tart with just enough sweetness in the whipped cream.

The menu includes some interesting burgers (broccoli rabe & cheddar, leeks & bleu to name two), salads (steak frites? grlled duck), and entrees sounded almost good enough to skip the mussels (not going to happen): rabbit, pheasant, lamb -- all with a beer focus.

Excellent, and I'd go back again. Service was about good, even though the place was packed on a football game night (not sure what that had anything to do with it, as there's no screens there, but that's what the waiter said was the cause of the high noise level).

I Love Monk's. It's one of the places that I go when I head back to Philly for the holidays. It is far from the only Belgian place in town though, although it is the most famous. In fact, Philly is reported to be largest consumer of Belgian beer outside of Belgium. Some other places that I know of offhand are Eulogy Belgian Tavern on 2nd and Chestnut, The Black Door on 629 S. Second St which just opened this year, and Cuveé Notredame (closed)

Fujisan:

Cuvée Notredame was up by the art museum, wasn't it?

JoelF:

Nice report and it sounds like a very nice meal. I love smoked trout...

By the way, many Belgians drink certain kinds of beer with certain meals but it is a nation of real wine lovers. Though fancy pairings of specialty beers with food has gotten more popular in recent times, the tradition has basically been to drink wine with meals (though, for example, a pintje with a steak-frites or moule-frites meal has always been a popular way to go, especially on an informal occasion; so too an ale with carbonade, etc.).

Anyway, I'm prejudiced but think it's a wonderful country with a wonderful cuisine, great beer but also a nation-wide appreciation for good wine.

Vive la Belgique! Leve België!



And I think Philly is pretty swell too...

Antonius

Antonius wrote:Fujisan:

Cuvée Notredame was up by the art museum, wasn't it?

Yes, it was on Green St. about 8 blocks east of the Phila Museum of Art.

Three and a half years later, I finally get back to Monk's.
The large pot of mussels is a buck more ($19.95), but the small's still the same ($9.95). I had the large pot of mussels provence: cream, herbs, leeks, mushrooms, fume and a beer whose provenance I've already forgotten. My coworker had a chicken pot pie which she enjoyed very much.

A coconut custard tart was outstanding: lots of vanilla, flaky crust (hard to do on a refrigerated pastry). I asked if they make them in house -- no, but they come from a local baker.