Spraga

Spraga
440 S Broad St, Philadelphia, PA 19146 (215) 735-1913

Spraga, cozily situated on the corner of S Broad and Pine St is an upscale, small plates (tapas) restaurant serving new American Cuisine. It has intimate seating for 60 people, but is open and uncrowded, especially due to the large floor to (almost) ceiling windows that line the restaurant offering a lively view of Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. Certainly a great tourist destination as the people watching alone makes for a vibrant evening. However, Spraga maintains its stance on using local, sustainable ingredients and the menu offerings reflect a conservative, agrarian flair.

Spraga, named for its chef, Kevin Spraga, serves dinner Monday through Thursday from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday until 11 p.m.  It is based on a prix fixe menu serving 4 courses for $55 a person. There is an optional wine pairing for an additional $50 a person.

The exterior of Spraga is typical simple type, black and white classy/elegant arrangement with broad black canopies and wonderfully decorated landscaped trees decorated with Christmas Tree lighting which lights up the sidewalk beautifully at night. (See first picture).

Immediately upon entering, we see an open space kitchen which has a brilliant sense of transparency and honesty.  There's no "whoops" moments of dropping an item on the floor and flinging back onto the plate.  There is even a row of barstools situated nicely in front of the chefs as they work to prepare your meal.  For the discerning customer (or paranoid schizophrenic), you are certainly free to watch your food being prepared and there is something immensely satisfying about that.  The lighting is plentiful but recessed and dimmed to set the mood while the ears are met with tremulous and/or vibrant conversation.  A couple enjoys an intimate "cheers" in the corner.  A group of businessmen in suits discuss leading economic indicators.  A lone investment banker sips his martini at the bar.

Inside the main dining area, white cloth tables and white china adorn the tables with the de rigeur white candle centerpieces.  One gorgeous addition was the central square wooden paneling seen in the left of the above picture.  It separates the customers somewhat (the bar- look for the turquoise blue lighting above) is separate from the rest of the diners as well as diners on the opposite side of the square wooden paneling. This adds a great deal of intimacy to the restaurant as well as an opportunity for some simple decorations (see the hearth above) which certainly did not go un-noticed.

This view is from the opposing side of the wooden paneling wall visible prominently in this picture. This picture was taken nearest the door so we are able to see the gorgeous open glass panels looking out onto the bustling street.  Now weary reader, I know this blog is about food, so without further adieu...

(above) GRUYERE POPOVER. This is simply a muffin styled bun with a hollow inside. Gruyere is simply a cheese named after a Swiss village. It is a traditional, creamery, unpasteurized, semi-soft cheese.  It was served with butter with pepper and thyme on top which made for a delicious combination.

(above) Next among the amuse-bouches was a foie gras soup.  It was creamy and sweet with a slight spicy accent.  Particularly pleasing to the palate and not so little as to not allow a thoughtful savoring.  In my opinion, this was the best dish of the evening and should join the ranks among the four course offerings to be ordered a-la-carte.

(above) SPRING VEGETABLES cooked & raw . hazelnut carrot dressing.  The first course.  This becomes the chef's appetizer.  A way to expertly draw you in to the meal and see what awaits for the discerning palate.  If the foie gras was indeed the creme of the crop, this was no disappointment.  Certainly, perhaps a close second to the soup.  Cooked mixed greens with a terrific sweet hazelnut dressing which was just light enough it did not take away from the freshness of the vegetables offered.  The portion was sufficient as well.  Not too large to make 3 more courses seem daunting, but not too small where I felt I did not have enough.

(above) CAESAR SALAD gem lettuce. treviso. pickled fennel tempura. To all wondering readers, treviso is an Italian vegetable also called "the winter flower" because of its lovely form and its appearance late in the season. A red radicchio named for its home province, treviso is an important part of the region's local cuisine.  It is seen in the picture predominantly displayed in reddish-purple hues in this course.  While in my opinion, this course was not as good as the Spring Vegetables, it was still palatable and the Caesar dressing was not bad.  Nothing however too remarkable except of course for the inclusion of this unique ingredient (treviso).

(above) AGNOLOTTI bay leaf ricotta. crayfish. sea beans.  Agnolotti is a type of pasta typical of the Piedmont region of Italy, made with small pieces of flattened pasta dough, folded over with a roast beef meat and vegetable stuffing. Sea beans, also known as Salicornia is a genus of succulent, halophyte (salt tolerant) plants that grow in salt marshes, on beaches, and among mangroves.  This was a good start to the second course offerings but in my humble opinion much less appetizing than the Risotto...

(above) BARLEY RISOTTO crispy rabbit. fava beans. charred onions.  Far more appetizing than the Agnolotti, the creamy risotto contrasted nicely with the dryness of the rabbit. Fava beans, also widely known as broad beans, come in soft green pods that yield tender, sweet, springy beans perfect in salads and other spring-time dishes. They are seen prominently buried in the risotto at about the 12 o'clock position. Quite large, and quite tasty in this risotto.  Loved the addition of the fava beans.

 (above) SPRING LAMB royal trumpets. curly kale. sauce bordelaise. Bordelaise is a classic French sauce named after the Bordeaux region of France, which is famous for its wine. The sauce is made with dry red wine, bone marrow, butter, shallots and sauce demi-glace.  Perhaps the most interesting addition to this 3rd course offering was not the meat itself but the curly kale.  These green gems were salty but palatable and almost tasted like salt/vinegar potato chips, but made from kale.  Definitely the most interesting part of the course.  The lamb was not bad, and the red sauce bordelaise is clearly visible marinating the medium-well done lamb. The Royal Trumpet mushrooms are hiding under the kale, but have light brown, trumpet-shaped caps resting on tender white stems and are commonly known as King Oyster mushrooms.

(above) BROOK TROUT long beans. romesco sauce. almond brown butter. If the foie gras was indeed the best course of the evening, this gave it a run for its money. Romesco is of course a nut and red pepper-based sauce from Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain. It is typically made from any mixture of roasted or raw almonds, pine nuts, and/or hazelnuts, roasted garlic, olive or sunflower oil, bitxo peppers (similar to New Mexico chiles) and/or nyora peppers (a small, round, variety of red bell pepper). Flour or ground stale bread may be used as a thickener or to provide texture. Other common ingredients include roasted tomatoes, red wine vinegar and onions. Leaves of fennel or mint may be added, particularly if served with fish or escargot. The addition of the candied nuts on top of the already succulent trout in combination with the romesco sauce was to die for. What a grand finale to an already excellent meal.  But hopefully you saved room because now comes the dessert.

(above) COFFEE CAKE white coffee ice cream. salted caramel sauce. I don't have much to say about this dish, probably because I was overwhelmed and enjoying this dessert way too much.  Then again, I do have a sweet tooth. The ice cream and caramel sauce dovetailed quite nicely with the cake itself and the brittle on top the cake was a welcome addition.  Added a perfect crunchy texture to an already astounding dessert.

(above) Strawberry Shortcake. Lemon poppy seed biscuit, strawberry ice cream.  An excellent finish to the meal.  Rich and creamy but not too sweet as to be overpowering.  Served in a clear glass bowl which I thought an interesting touch to allow one to see into the layers of thought put into crafting this dessert.

I don't often comment on the bathrooms, but they were so clean, so nicely decorated and so elegant I couldn't resist.  If the cleanliness of the restrooms is any indication of the other qualities of the establishment, this was certainly second to none. Large wheelchair accessible sink with vanity and a huge over-sink mirror that stretches the length of the bathroom. The toilet was touchless and the stone-brick wall was a beautiful touch.