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“Do you have any questions about the menu?” is the first thing the peppy waitress asks us once we grab a seat at the bar in front of the open kitchen at Sbraga. Why yes, I do: are sea bream, calamari, squid ink, broccoli and pork belly really going to work together? Is it worth it to spend an extra $35 on the drink pairing? And mainly, will the restaurant of a Top Chef winner who I enthusiastically rooted for live up to its hype? The answer to all of these is a resounding “Yes”.
Chef Kevin Sbraga’s eponymous restaurant, located in Philadelphia’s bustling Avenue of the Arts, serves up inventive modern American fare in a constantly changing prix fixe menu. For $49, guests get to choose four courses from a menu that, while small (only 24 dishes), sounds so appetizing that I feel like I’m on “Deal or No Deal,” terrified of missing out on the grand prize. Should I get the pork belly or the foie gras soup to start? I opt for the former, my guest for the latter, and as we wait a truffle–and–gruyere popover appears next to us. Fresh from the oven and steaming hot, the bread is a perfectly decadent start to our meal: the flavors are distinct but come together seamlessly in flaky bliss. The pork belly, covered in chili oil and thick, crisp cucumber, is thin and tender, with just the right amount of spice. The foie gras soup is equally rich, with an unexpected touch of curry and ginger that takes our palates by storm.
The second and third courses are equally impressive. As the attentive wait staff brings out stellar plates like housemade gnocchi with escargot and pappardelle with rabbit, the reasoning behind every wine pairing is explained with ease. From an eco–friendly vineyard in Oregon to the rolling hills of Southern France, the wines poured to accompany are chosen was care to genuinely enhance the flavors of the dish.
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Still, I have one more question: Where is the Sbraga man himself? After eating three perfectly portioned courses, and more than ready for our non–chocolate desserts (it’s quite a bold move for an entire menu to neglect a molten chocolate cake in favor of red-pepper grilled pineapple with yogurt sorbet), the Top Chef champion makes an appearance. Dressed in jeans and a t–shirt, he walks around the kitchen, tastes the soups and sauces, greets diners with a friendly smile and even recommends his favorite dishes (“Don’t miss the meatloaf, it’s one of the few items that’s remained on the menu since we opened,” he tells the table behind us). Unlike on the show, the desserts at Sbraga are as impressive as rest of the meal: the delicate praline napoleon with coffee ice cream is not to be missed.
As we walk out I have only one question remaining: How did they make all those dishes look and taste so good?
