Harp & Crown - Well Executed Generic Fanciness
The other night I was meeting in A in Center City after shopping for some DIY supplies for my halloween costume, and we took the opportunity of coincidentally both being downtown in the evening to sample the dinner menu at Harp & Crown, which has been on my to-try list since it opened just about a year ago. The cuisine is self-described as "New-American," whatever that means today.
The drink menu has extensive cocktail, draft, and wine by the glass lists. After much debate, I was swayed by the idea of grilled peaches and went with The Charred Stone (bourbon, grilled peach, mint, ginger beer; $12). I love chunks of fruit in alcoholic drinks, so when I see it on a menu, hard for me to say no. The first sip of the drink was very refreshing. The bourbon was well hidden by the other elements and the mint added a nice herby freshness. However, as the meal went on, the drink started to contrast with all our savory dishes in an unflattering way -- becoming almost cloyingly sweet. Probably wouldn't get this again, but maybe... I did eat all the slices of peach at the bottom of the drink as dessert, and they were delicious.
In terms of the food, the menu is broken down into sections such as "Salad, Hot, Cold, Vegetables, etc." All the plates are meant to be tapas style; on the smaller size and shared. The waiter recommended 3 plates per person, which he said would come together to be entree size. I was pleasantly surprised by the portion sizes, especially on the protein dishes and I would have been fine getting one protein dish and sharing another plate. However A and I can be big eaters when we need to be, so of course we polished off all 6 dishes.
Before moving on to the actual food, I apologize in advance for the variable lighting and quality of the photos. Getting photos in dim ambient lighting is a tricky business that A and I are still far from perfecting. Also sorry, for some dishes the prices got cut off in the photo and they are not listed on the menu online (a personal pet peeve of mine).
The first three dishes to come out were the Butternut Squash Toast (honey, chili, pepita; $9), Roasted Brussel Spouts (bacon, mustard seed, pistachio), and the Grill Carrot + Radish (sunflower granola, carrot miso).
The squash on toast would have been my favorite dish of the night except for it's key downfall, which is that the squash spread was cold. Considering it was under "Hot Dishes" I found this a bit odd. Besides that though, the spread on toast had a deep umami flavor that got more intense as you chewed and was weirdly addictive. Looking at the menu as I'm writing this post though, just realized I paid $9 for this piece of toast and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
Brussel sprouts were unique in that the kitchen used tiny baby brussel sprouts. A and I were debating whether they were actually baby brussel sprouts or whether they were normal brussel sprouts that had been stripped down to a tinier size a la baby carrot style. Brussel sprouts were good, but nothing ground breaking. My favorite part were the large chunks of thick cut roasted bacon mixed in with the sprouts.
Roasted carrots and radishes were a standout. I love my roasted vegetables on the softer side, and these definitely delivered. Roasted in a way that they still had their structural integrity but then melted away at he hint of pressure. Seasoning was also on point, as were the accompanying sunflower seeds and miso paste.
The next 3 dishes came out together as the second course. We ordered the Flat Iron Steak (shitake, shishito, lime butter; $18), the Roasted Portobello (poblano salsa verde, sunflower seed, dill), and the Roasted Chicken (corn, chanterelle, lemon).
Steak was great. We got it medium rare and it was cooked perfectly -- tender and flavorful, and the green sauce that came with it was on point. The mushrooms and shishito peppers on the side were also a great addition. I usually get my steaks rare, but I think that from past experiences, rare is actually more chewy than medium rare, so I've been shifting my ordering tendencies. This dish really satisfied the red meat craving.
Roasted portabellos were good. The green sauce that came with it tasted very similar to the green sauce that came with the steak, although I just looked and the steak came with "lime butter" and the portabellos came with a "poblano salsa verde." I guess my unrefined palate can't really taste the difference... The mushrooms were a little bland when eaten alone, but really brightened up with a squirt of the accompanying lime. Not sure why, but the citrus really brought out the deep mushroom flavors that A and I love. A solid choice but not my favorite given the competitive contenders.
The few bites of chicken I had were solid. The dish avoided the dreaded chicken dryness that is the reason I normally shy away from ordering chicken; the skin was lovely, and it tasted great with the accompanying sauce and sweet corn.
In general I would say the menu is not as adventurous as I prefer; you're not going to come here to get your gastronomical boundaries pushed, but everything we tried was done well. The biggest feature of the main dining room is the bar, and the accompanying cocktail list had many other choices that I would love to try. Next time I come back I'll bring a friend or two, sit at the bar and order a few plates to share rather than do the whole formal dinner. I will also say that Harp & Crown, with its menu full of well executed classics and lovely ambience, is also a solid "parents in town" choice.
TL;DR - Interesting cocktails and well done classics. Come here for a reliable experience rather than an adventure. Good choice for when family is in town.
