Lacroix
210 West Rittenhouse Square (at the Rittenhouse Hotel in Philadelphia)

I have been told about Lacroix for ages by people convinced it was the best restaurant in Philadelphia -- easily near the top for the entire country. I was not convinced, as I never believed Philly was a solid place for high-up dining (it had wonderful ethnic and lower-end dining, but...). The last two meals, especially Tinto the evening before, got me to think -- maybe Philly can do high-up stuff. And Lacroix more than proved it.

The restaurant is based in the boutique Rittenhouse Hotel off the square of the same name. It is a nicely decorated space on the second floor, with panoramic views of the square and wonderful seating placements -- including a cozy private dining room. The staff, working like sprinters, were quick, attentive, and incredibly courteous. This was nearly European style wait service, and that was wonderful. The front room staff at this place deserve major kudos.

Despite the ongoing ulcer problem, which required me to skip any wine (ugh!!!), I chose the 5-course tasting menu. It was hard to do all this without pairing and sitting alone, but nevertheless I made the glass of Evian look enjoyable between courses. However, they did come fast, and they did service me quicker as a lone diner (it was very noticeable compared to other tables that had multiple diners). That is much appreciated, as well as always referring to me by name. And they even offered me various reading materials while I waited for the food -- something NO restaurants have ever offered this lone diner. Fabulous service.

The creations at this restaurant are absolutely fantastic. Usually I don't like over-the-top creations, but this time it worked. The aesthetics of the dishes were impressive, as was the taste. The fact they came out in large dishes (small portions, but it delivers a different mental feel than those tiny plates most restaurants use for tasting menus) gave the kitchen much more room to explore each ingredient.

The first dish I enjoyed (of 5!) was the abalone -- a delicacy I seldom get the chance to enjoy. The portion was small, but it was tasty. BTW, did I mention that for the tasting menu one can choose from around 15 dishes at any order. I did mine with a purpose, to keep some balance. Too bad about the wine though!

The second dish I went to vegetarian (despite most people wanting to "pig out" with the most meats when paying so much!) and had a wonderful tasting of asparagus. This dish was a collection of some fantastic creations, ranging from asparagus ice cream (!) to a jellied combination of white and green asparagus amongst others. Fantastic, I never enjoyed vegetarian fare so much!

Now back to the water for the third dish, I enjoyed the scallops ravioli. There were several pieces of the tasty pasta with strong flavours. This went down well, though I was a little critical of the squid ink that had hardened on the edge -- rendering it useless for the diner. That was the only lapse of the night.

Round four I went back to the veggie side of the fence with a tasting of beets. I love beets, people think I'm nuts. There was raw and marinated beets (the garlic one was fantastic!). The strong flavours really helped, and this progressively stronger-flavoured meal was working itself towards a crescendo...I really wish I had wine!!!

The final dish of the quintet was the roast pork. Done spectacularly and medium (you know only good restaurants -- that know the source of the pork -- would risk doing pork anything less than well-done), the flavours were strong and striking. Oh, how I wish I had some wine paired with this one!

I was nearly exhausted after that dish and I threw down a double espresso then. But then I was told that with the tasting menu, the desserts were free...so I had to go for it! I'm not really into sweets, so I enjoyed the selection of sorbets. The combination of sweet, tangy, spicy and sour really helped after a night of near excess (it would have been if it was paired!).

I left the place incredibly happy despite the lack of wines, knowing that I had one of the best dining experiences of the year. Lacroix is a spectacular experience, and it really shows the strength of dining outside of New York. The place is pricey, but it is well worth it. Absolutely fabulous.

Food: A-
Atmosphere: A-
For Lone Diners: A