Philadelphia Weekly

FOOD

Review: Good Dog

Frank Clement's Tavern gets reincarnated as a Center City version of the Standard Tap.

By Lauren McCutcheon

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Apr. 21, 2004

The tasty burger also gets an eponymous interpretation. It's stuffed with Roquefort, crowned with sweet skeins of caramelized onion, and served on a brioche bun.

Sweet and white potato fries come alongside the burger and sandwiches. Pliant--not crunchy--and dusted in black pepper and sea salt, the divergent frites make a dashing combo. Curley serves them with ramekins of Southwestern aioli that's salmon-colored and chock-full of sun-dried tomatoes and dried chipotle peppers.

The only disappointment is the barbecue ribs, available as an appetizer or entree, which are slightly dry.

Duck pot pie may be Curley's most impressive dish. Beneath a brown-edged pie-pastry lid lies a steamy stew of firm peas, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, onions, celery and, best of all, tender pink strands of duck confit. Poke the top with a fork, and a geyser of steam rises up. Mix the top and bottom pie crusts into their contents, and they soak up the gravy.

A pair of chipwich-style dog-bone-shaped ice cream sandwiches--officially called "dogwiches"--hold more theme value than culinary finesse. The dense chocolate chip sugar cookies don't fare well in the freezer.

Better to sample the warm apple pie with cinnamon ice cream or double-layer birthday cake. Or another pint of Yards.

You gotta admit: New Philadelphia tastes pretty damn good.

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