Townsend

Townsend
1623 E Passyunk Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19148
(267) 639-3203
http://www.townsendrestaurant.com/

Townsend restaurant on E Passyunk Ave is the French foodie's dream.  This converted town house features a seasonal French menu with emphasis on wine pairing.  A well stocked bar stays open until 2am, a hallmark of the typical restaurant/bar combinations in the South Philly area.  We arrived a little after 8pm for our reservation.  The ambiance was upscale business casual.  Certainly no place for tank top and shorts but a button down and slacks will do.  Even a nice polo shirt for those so inclined.

Upon entering it at once felt like we had entered the home of someone living there.  I really enjoy these converted home-business establishments.  They retain some of the character of the house that once was there and I admire that.

White table clothes and the de rigueur candle lit tables dotted the restaurant.  We were taken upstairs and seated on the second floor at a decent sized table for two.   Service started immediately, was consistent and excellent throughout the meal.  Never too obtrusive but exceedingly attentive and well paced.  Exactly the way service should be. First water service and then bread service promptly thereafter.

The bread service was nothing to write home about.  In fact, the most memorable thing about the bread service was the stainless steel basket it was served in.  The bread...not so memorable however.  With the exceedingly high quality of the other components of the meal, I was actually surprised the good people at Townsend did not step this part of the meal up a notch.

For the first course we both got the Andalusian Gazpacho. Basil Oil and Croutons.  Fantastic. Well chilled and the tomatoes were so fresh.  The basil leaves while adding some flavor I could have done without.  Maybe strain them through the soup and leave them out next time.  I'd rather have a hint of basil than get full basil leaves stuck in my mouth.  Just my preference though.

My second course was the Potato Gnocchi.  Roasted beech mushrooms, oven dried tomatoes, caramelized onion, thyme. Well done. No complaints here.  Perfectly executed.

My uncle got the Jumbo Lump Crab Risotto.  Truffle asparagus Salad.  Pretty tasty as well. I will say the portion sizes were not the largest however.  But three courses and a dessert later, I found myself pretty well satiated.

Rabbit Pot-au-Feu.  Loin Roulade, braised rabbit, carrots, potatoes. Our server informed us this was the chef's favorite dish to prepare. I was pleasantly surprised at how tender the dish came out.  Rabbit tends to be on the drier side of meats, so this was a nice treat.  Pot-au-Feu is a French beef stew and the loin roulade is the center piece of the dish with a wonderful creamy filling.

For the main course, my uncle got the roasted organic chicken. Leg Galantine, speck, artichoke barigoule, carrots, lemon. A galantine is a French dish of de-boned stuffed meat, most commonly poultry or fish, that is poached and served cold, coated with aspic.

For dessert, I got my standard creme-brulee. I have had creme brulee at at least 20 restaurants so I consider myself a bit of an expert.  Well executed, perfectly torched, and the creme was of decent consistency.  A well executed dessert.

For dessert my uncle got the lemon torte which was a nice finish to his meal.  We both polished off our desserts in no time.

Of Note:
My cocktail of the night the Hotel Nacional: white rum, apricot liquor, pineapple, lemon, lime, angostura bitters.  Fantastic. Must try.

Bar area