Daily News | Olea in Old City brings back Philly’s classic BYOB style
A couple food writer friends were visiting from out of town hoping for a unique taste of Philly dining. Something trendy, perhaps? Nah. Plenty of other cities do trendy.
I started down the rabbit hole of history, as we nibbled our complimentary plate of hummus and olives . I explained our pitiful state-run liquor system, then singled out some long-gone pioneers from 20-plus years ago that sparked our DIY revolution of vibrant BYOBs — Dmitri’s, Audrey Claire, Django, Matyson, Pif and, yes, Chloe, too, which lasted 21 years. They helped transform Philadelphia into a land of opportunity for young culinary talent — and the greatest small restaurant city in America.
“Oh, it’s exhausting being me because I’m always on,” says the youthful Pedrago, or who refuses to share his age. “But it’s the only way I know how to be. And I love to be face to face. Love eye contact. To make you feel like you’re part of the club.” “The restaurant business saved my life,” Pedrago says. “I learned how to be social. I learned how to be kind. I learned how to dine and how to have a fabulous life. But you also have to care.”
Ipri is one of the few chefs I’ve encountered who deliberately aims for “plain” flavors instead of “pungent” ones, and still manages to make his dishes appealing. Garlic is almost always roasted to a mellow sweetness, rather than raw. His hummus skips the tahini, because he’s averse to sesame, but it still accents the good olives on the antipasto well.
I wish Olea had opted for the greater payoff of a whole branzino rather than a simple seared fillet with lemon vinaigrette over fregola, especially for $29. A couple pastas — some overly bouncy gnocchi in blush sauce, and the garganelli with diced eggplant that would have benefitted from a deeper roast — could also use some tweaking. The desserts are fine, especially the pistachio cake, but there’s much room for improvement.
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