Alison at Blue Bell.

last friday, we went to Alison at Blue Bell for my dad's birthday. we went there last year too, but last year i had a fever topping 101F, so i'd have to say that was probably a less-than-representative experience at the little BYO. why did we go? i don't remember. it seemed like a good idea at the time. this year we were back in the same table, the big round one in the corner of the tiny blue-and-gold dining room, the only table set up to take more than 4 people at once. alison barshak herself came over to introduce herself at about the end of our meal and was very gratified to learn that my father is also an acquarius (her birthday had been the previous sunday).

the menu is very seafood-heavy, perhaps recalling her intial big splash in the philadelphia restaurant scene at the now-scandal-ridden Striped Bass. previously-scandal-ridden, perhaps i should say. neil stein is heading to prison, and stephen starr's new chef, christopher lee, has launched the restaurant into inquirer food reviewer craig laban's coveted four bell rating.

i had smoked salmon with potato pancakes and sour cream for my appetizer, a cute little take on jewish deli food. the salmon was delicious, and paired perfectly with the smooth sour cream and the warm crunchiness of the pan-fried potato pancakes. this also went really well with the blanc de noirs my father had brought to celebrate his birthday, although uncharacteristically for him, he had also brought a 1996 Ridge cabernet sauvignon, which meant that he and my mom and anyone else who wanted to drink the wine really only had a choice of two dinners on the menu.

i had the crispy monkfish, which i think was crusted with potato starch and pan-fried. then the steaks were balanced over possibly braised frisee and new potatoes. as soon as i handed my menu to the waitress, i instantly managed to forget how it was described, so even when it came out from the kitchen, i wasn't sure what i was eating. monkfish doesn't go with cabernet. mom and dad both had rack of lamb with minted yoghurt sauce, reflecting alison's recent trip to turkey. arcade had a greek salad for his appetizer which came with a deep-fried tube of phyllo dough wrapped around creamy feta, which i split with dad and so at least got to taste the wine.

the kitchen is also extremely flexible. when my sister mentioned her discomfort with truffled cream as a garnish for her crab cakes, the waitress instantly and kindly suggested they be made with ordinary cocktail sauce instead.

we weren't originally planning on dessert, but then we saw the dessert menu. so mom had a goat cheese, fig, and walnut tart, dad and his mom both had sorbets, i had a chocolate-espress-chile pot de creme. yes, chile. wow, that left a zing in your mouth. being my family, everyone had to have a mouthful, and everyone said, "where's the chile?" and then i would say, "just swallow." and then you could see eyes widen, and, "whoa." i don't remember what everyone else had. dad and i traded off desserts about halfway. hehe

much better than last year's experience. i'm sure the lack of flu had a lot to do with it. i'd like to go back, actually, and try the duck taco again, because i remember it being disappointingly dry, but i'm not sure it was the duck, not me. she does only take cash or cheque, which can be a bit awkward when everyone has unplanned desserts. i'd still say it was worth it for that pot de creme. zowie.