PRIME CONCIERGE November, 2013
Meet Jamie Cooperstein… President of the Philadelphia Concierge Association…
“We are committed to excellence as we strive to serve the City of Philadelphia and its surrounding counties and states. Our members are some of the finest concierges who are empowered and dedicated to establish and promote high professional and ethical standards. Our mission is to encourage friendship, communication and integrity throughout the Philadelphia region, nationally and internationally.”
From Sophie Brissaud, (“Food Arts”) “Since the early 2000s, the discourse about the decline of French food has been oscillating between satisfaction and sorrow: some cheer that ever-arrogant France no longer produces “the best cuisine in the world”—however exaggerated that claim ever was—while others simply mourn the loss. Much of the concern revolves around the decline of haute cuisine at the top and the invasion of fast-food joints at the bottom, as if there were nothing worth reporting between these two extremes.” In our November Restaurant Report, we talk about the decline of high-end French Restaurants, and yes, Chef Perrier is mentioned. We now realize that it’s time to allow the man to retire in peace (if such a thing is possible).
The Restaurant Report by Bob Bickell
Vetri in South Jersey; Catelli Duo; Brasserie Perrier; and Ocean Prime.
Who would have thought that a Marc Vetri would place an upscale restaurant in a South Jersey Mall? But who would have thought that Vetri would build two restaurants on Broad Street in North Philadelphia?
I would also add who would have thought Vetri would have a pizza joint (Pizzeria Vetri) on Callowhill Street in Fairmont? Of course the word “joint” doesn’t apply to anything the Vetri people do, and some people think of his Osteria simply as an upscale version of an Olive Garden (obviously people who have never dined at Osteria). The short answer is that Marc Vetri and Company can do whatever they want to do, and everything they want to do ends-up as a winner. Quality in every phase of their business is their secret (so to speak). They take chances because they can, and how many owners would even consider the thought of opening in a shopping mall? We’ll see what happens, and shortly we’ll see what happens to yet another owner soon to open his Distrito at the same mall.
Jose Garces is even getting ready to occupy the former Old Original Bookbinder’s in Old City. When you get on a roll, and when you have the talent (and success) of a Jose Garces, you take chances, simply because you can.
The big winner here is South Jersey. It’s been a chain dominated restaurant community for far too long, and an Osteria and a Distrito have to be a welcome sight for the local folks who appreciate a more serious (chef-driven) dining experience.
Catelli Duo While there might be a shortage of outstanding independent restaurants in South Jersey, there are still great independent concepts, and Catelli Duo is the perfect example.
After a 17-year run with Catelli Ristorante, they wanted to make things even better. Invariably, a restaurant that is planning to be around for the long haul needs a great chef, and Chef Lou Imbesi is one of the area’s best. The addition of Chef Roberta Adamo makes it even more interesting, and a visit to their site will tell you everything you have to know. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so we have included some photos to help make our point.
Open seven days for Lunch & Dinner with weekend Brunch 12101 Town Center Blvd. Voorhees – 856-751-6069
WWW.CatelliDuo.com
You hate to see a great restaurant going out of business, and closings have implications in terms of the direction of a given restaurant community. This one is most interesting because in my opinion, this closing had so much to do with the most recent closing only one block away. Brasserie Perrier opened in 1997 and basically after Chris Scarduzio took over the kitchen, this spot was an amazing success. The people responded to a more casual French-oriented presentation and a very happening bar scene.
This restaurant officially closed on New Year’s Eve in 2008. The problem was presented as real estate related as the owner of the property demanded a more realistic deal regarding the rent. Of course, the key owner of Brasserie Perrier was George Perrier, the owner of Le Bec-Fin located only one block away. It’s important to note that in approximately 2004, the classic French restaurants in New York were closing, one after another. Places such as Lutece, Chanterelle, and La Cote Basque closed their doors, and in January of 2008, Daniel Boulud (a close friend of Chef Perrier) opened a more casual French Bistro called Bar Boulud. The writing was clearly on the wall, but George was determined to keep his high-end Le Bec-Fin going. George was upset that many of his loyal customers were attracted to the more casual Brasserie Perrier, and he produced a situation where he was basically competing against himself.
In a strange way, it is my belief that George was simply not ready to accept the fact that the highend French restaurants were simply on their way out. He didn’t fight the real estate issues, and with some obvious problems, they could have moved Brasserie Perrier to a new location (possibly even to the building one block away that he owned). Brasserie Perrier was precisely the perfect way to go, and as I said before, look at the success of his one-time top chef, Pierre Calmels of Bibou - one of Philadelphia’s best (French) restaurants. French food will always be, but the high-end (expensive) French restaurants are basically yesterday’s news. George had a great run of some 42 years, and it’s intriguing to consider the possibility that if in 2008, he would have accepted the French bistro idea, we would have avoided all the craziness of the past few years. Brasserie Perrier might still be happening.
Ocean Prime
The recently opened Ocean Prime is dazzling to say the very least. Philadelphia marks the addition of the 10th Ocean Prime from the popular Cameron Mitchell chain. It will be interesting to watch as Ocean Prime is essentially a steakhouse, and located in a crowded neighborhood with the likes of The Prime Rib, Del Frisco’s, Morton’s, The Capital Grille, The Palm,
Butcher and Singer, Ruth’s Chris, and Barclay Prime. One thing is for sure, if you are a fan of ambiance, Ocean Prime just might be your destination of choice.
Ocean Prime 124 South 15th Street 215-563-0163
The Young Ben Franklin BenFranklinToday.com
PRIME ARTS
The Museum Shop
Take advantage of extreme discounts on a multitude of Museum merchandise at our Underground Bazaar. November 29th, 30th, and December 1st from 10am to 5pm, held in the rarely seen Vaulted Corridor underneath the Museum. Choose from furniture, framed prints, giftware, note cards and much more - all at extraordinary savings. All sales are final; no additional discounts apply; and shoppers are responsible for transporting their purchases home.
Prime Travel‌Italy
Here are 10 Reasons to visit this amazing country‌
Alberobello
Amalfi
Balbianello
Bergamo
Levanzo – Cala Dogana
Castelluccio di Norcia
Sempre – Castelluccio
Cattedrale di Pinerolo
Erice
Fusine – Laghi
Chiesa della Gran di Dio – Torino
My definition of Peace……