We went in expecting a Jewish restaurant. Boy, were we wrong.
But we didn’t know for sure until the double sacrilicious chocolate bacon egg cream dessert arrived! (Because there’s bacon, cream and egg drizzled with honey in one deliciously tall jar equals a double no-no: no bacon, period, and no mixing dairy with meat!) Michael Solomonov’s (of Zahav, a modern Israeli restaurant) Abe Fisher opened in September 2014 and has been making tastebuds drool since then. Co-owner Steven Cook claims everything is fair game, not just Jewish Diaspora from around the world.
Located across the street from the addicting FedNuts (Federal Donuts) on Sansom Street, it is a smaller space in an upscale diner setting. It seats 50 in the dining area with two kitchen counter seats from for front row action, plus a full-service bar that seats ten. Walk-in guests are welcome however on a really rainy, miserable night it was packed by 7 p.m. so we recommend reservations to not torture your tastebuds.
Co-chef Yehuda Sichel created a sharing menu with options for every picky eater: vegetable, fish and meat dishes are available for $14 and under. Something a lot of restaurants should get savvy to is the prix fixe (fixed price) menu of three plates plus dessert for only $39.
Because anything goes here, so we went with the Chinese style Hungarian Duck, dry-aged duck, stuffed neck with three sauces for two, which comes with two chef-selected plates. Another admirable option was the Montreal Short Rib, a huge whole beef short rib plate with house-made rye and garnishes. Brian Kane, beverage director, kicks it up a notch with a stellar cocktail, beer, cider and wine (with 17 wines by the glass)!
If you’re a commitment-phobe foodie, try the happy hour first 7 days a week (say what?) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Boozy cocktails are $7, which is $5 off! Wine is only $5 and $5 apps are available such as foie gras toasts (rye bread, foie gras mousse topped with stewed apples!)
We arrived early as usual and caught some cool angles that kind of represented the feel of the joint.The kitchen gears up for a night of feeding hungry and eager diners with a ghost blur of a waitress.The low lighting sets the mood while the hip music is drowned out by busy restaurant buzz by 8 p.m. but can be heard in the bathroom while you jam out and pee.Bringing a little light to the situation, we studied the cocktail menu hard.Before It’s Too Late. No, really that’s what it is called and it’s the lightest of them all (and still pretty damn potent).Just a little radish with four textures of flavor. No big deal.A cigar box of anything is amazing but these little bites of doughy, savory rugelach were scrumptious – and on the house, even for bar patrons. Classy!Creamy and fluffy chicken liver with some pickled onions was a medley of textures.Salmon, whipped guacamole with some radish was a refreshing tangy taste.A tasty ale and filling porter were satisfying on a cold, rainy day and paired nicely with our small plates.The man himself, chef Yehuda Sichel, stopped by to say hello and kept the plates coming.Goat cheese blintzes are savory bites of cheesy bliss.We called this chicken soup on a plate as the meat just fell apart on your fork like butter.A sample of some pastrami on rye is always welcome and a meaty treat.Even for the non-drinking crew, there is some seriously good non-alcoholic brew.The Mongolian Duck was amazing, delicious and even the fat was tasty. No piece was spared!A little bit of salty greens as a side.And tasty buns to tuck it all into, with your choice of three sauces of course.We were a little wined out from earlier that week, so we opted for a great referral of pear cider.Our sweet and lovely waitress who was a beverage mind-reader, she knew our stomachs better than we did (and perfect pairings). Not pictured, the wise male, curly, blond-haired waiter with the nerd glasses who was also a mind reader, in a whole different way!The bacon egg cream getting drizzled with honey on top which cuts through the chocolate to get to the cream. Make sure you scoop down to the bottom for your first bite to get maximum nom-iness.Chocolate Devil’s cake with toasted marshmallows was a close second and very decadent.A suggested Italian aperitif was minty and cut through all the rich, delicious food for a good night’s sleep.
