Wharton Journal

Issue date: 4/9/07 Section: Insider

Tinto, the Basque-influenced restaurant by Jose Garces, chef and owner of the popular tapas restaurant Amada, created quite a buzz in the Philadelphia dining scene months before its opening.

In fact, the suspense was particularly enhanced each time the opening date was delayed (the restaurant was rumored to open in November but the date was pushed back repeatedly till March 16th). Since I am not the type of person who has to always be "in the trend", I was unwavered by my friends' months-long excited chatter prior to Tinto's opening.

However, after a particularly mentally and physically debilitating week, I decided that I needed to treat myself to some nice food and was very lucky to get an 8:30pm reservation on the second Friday after Tinto's opening (I think it was because my reservation was for only two people).

Since Tinto (which means "red wine" in Spanish) is known for its wine selection, I invited along a friend who is a self-proclaimed wine connoisseur. As we stepped into Tinto's entryway, we were welcomed and awed by the framed antique corkscrews on the wall. The mirror-backed lattice work resembling wine racks further accentuated the look and feel of a rustic wine cellar.

The 60-seat, bi-level restaurant was full when we arrived, even the bar was packed. My friend and I got one of the best tables - a cozy, corner side two-seater right in front of the open kitchen. We actually picked out a couple of dishes simply because they looked so delicious as the chefs were making them. The menu is quite diverse, ranging from kobe beef to black cod and combines the most exquisite taste from the mountains and coasts of Basque.

Lest I should spoil your appetite (or perhaps titillate your appetite), I will describe only the top three favorites from the dinner. In third place is montadio de panceta: pork belly with some honey gloss laid on top of two crispy slices of bread and aesthetically topped with the most delicately shaved green apples I have ever seen. It was such a work of art that my friend and I admired it for a couple minutes before devouring it as gently as we could.

Our second favorite was the brocheta de cordero: three skewers of lamb loins with eggplant wrapped in bacon and served in mini-glasses of sherry jus. The bacon was soft but not greasy, so I could really savor the taste of the lamb loin, which was cooked just right. However, in our reckless haste to eat the lamb loin, neither my friend nor I tasted the eggplant (this means we need to go back there again).

Our number one favorite for the evening (drum roll...) was the bacalao al pil pil: black cod with pil pil sauce over a garlic and crab crepe. Prior to this, I do not believe I ever had black cod in a non-Japanese cuisine. In fact, that was our very reason for ordering it. The black cod was cooked with just a slight hint of salt, thereby allowing one to fully appreciate the creamy flavor unique to the cod. The garlic and crab crepe almost felt like a separate dish itself, but the overall taste complemented the black cod very well.

If the goal of the dinner was not to try as many different dishes as possible, I think my friend and I could have easily (and quite ecstatically) eaten another two bacalao al pil pil for the evening.

To complement our meal, we chose a glass of Muscat and a glass of Tempranillo from the extensive wine list that unsurprisingly focused on Spanish and French wines. Both wines came highly recommended by our waiter, who definitely did not steer us wrong. The Muscat, though often found in the form of dessert wines, smelled sweet but actually finished perfectly dry, yet very smooth. While details for the Tempranillo are a bit foggy, our tongues were already pampered and spoiled by the food, my friend remembers being quite pleased by the wine in general.

In summary, I think this is the best restaurant I have been to in Philly (yes, it even tops Morimoto). The food was perfect in taste and presentation. The atmosphere of the restaurant echoes a touch of romanticism from San Sebastian, the Basque resort that inspired Jun Aizaki's design for Tinto and Amada.

The service was impeccable (and I have been known to be picky), our waiter was prompt with our food and he knew everything about every dish on the menu. After the rough week, it is the Happy Meal that anyone would wish for.

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