Modo Mio Dinner With The Ladies

I couldn't possibly leave Philadelphia without a last visit to Modo Mio, which I think is perhaps the restaurant to which I returned over and over again during my time in the city. Well, outside of McCrossens and other neighborhood bars. My companions for this meal were entirely fitting and some of my favorites: LW, CPM and L. L. and I discussed a few weeks beforehand my growing worry about actually being able to productively pack up all my stuff...and she was generous enough to offer me her assistance and oversight, which truly was invaluable. But also, it was just important to get to see L. one last time since I wasn't able to make it up to Brooklyn before my departure. So on a Friday about two weeks back we first gathered at my apartment and enjoyed some prosecco before heading out into the cold night for a most epic and lovely of meals. We were seated at the same table as my birthday dinner and our server for the night was one of my favorites...even though I haven't been able to make it to Modo Mio as much in this last year as I did in the years prior, she immediately recognized me/us and that is always a very gratifying experience. I shared my plans with her - re: my imminent departure from the city and plan to travel across the country for a new adventure, and she made the meal quite the send off. So much lovely food. So much lovely company. Just lovely, lovely, lovely. So what did we eat? Well, this first dish was L.'s and was a taleggio cheese, mushroom and maybe balsamic antiapasti...so oozey.

Then we were gifted the appetizer of the day, which I kind of totally forget the ingredients of, but thoroughly enjoyed.

I chose the mussels, white and spicy and was entirely happy with them. The thick crusty bread they provide at the beginning of the meal was perfect for soaking up the delectable broth once most of the mussels were properly consumed.

This, too, is a bit of a mystery to me...I think it may have been another of the specials of the evening, and alas I cannot tell you exactly what it was about...maybe roasted pig of some kind?

Now, years back when KH was in town, I took her to Modo Mio to show off how freakin' good it was. On that particular night, our server strongly encouraged us to try the night's special pasta, which was a delectable and unforgettable raviolo. Since that evening every single time I've gone to Modo Mio, a little part of me has held out the hope that the raviolo will appear again...and while so many other wonderful meals have certainly been enjoyed, it was not until this final Modo Mio meal that the raviolo made its second appearance in my life. I think perhaps its accoutrements weren't entirely identical to that dish that lodged itself in my brain in 2011, but it was awfully darn close and just as satisfying.

I don't know if this would strike someone else as tasty-looking or disgusting, but to me this screams 'I am luscious and delicious!' so I'm sorry if it screams something else at you.

I think that CPM had veal with mushrooms and eggs...

And in another kismet-ic move, the special of the evening was also almost tailor made for my culinary proclivities. Creamy polenta topped not only with pork tenderloin but a soft shell crab as well, ll in a caper tomato sauce so fresh and popping with all things right in the world.

Our server also hooked us up with additional sides. The chickpeas with greens were slightly bitter in an 'on purpose' kind of way ad the roasted brussels sprouts with perhaps leeks were just straight up good to consume.

I'm honestly not entirely sure what this is...maybe L.'s duck.

Another angle of my dish.

Then we split the array of desserts that our server brought us. All so good. So. So. good.

While this, sadly, is not the most flattering of photographs of me ever taken...my expression is entirely accurate, as variations of that face could be seen from the initial introduction to the specials all the way through dessert and coffee.

Thanks to LW for having the common sense to take photographs of people...I managed not to get a single photo of the four of us together and I regret it. Such wonderful ladies with whom to spend one of my last weekend evenings on the east coast!

Modo Mio Makes the Meal and Unibroue Brings the Brew

It came to my attention at some point in May that it had been far too long since my last meal at Modo Mio (I think I've been writing the restaurant's wrong since forever....Modomio?), which had been in December for my birthday. I don't know what happened exactly. Funds were tight. I wasn't really going to many restaurants on the whole? LW also felt that it had been too long since her last visit, so we combined forces, made a reservation and began anticipating what magic things might be in store for us. The meal began as it usually does with a little amuse bouche. This time I believe it was a fig, gorgonzola, balsamic little treat. I can't remember if I'm making up a pancetta element or not, but it might have existed.

Modo Mio, in case you didn't already know, is a restaurant where one goes for a four course meal (appetizer, pasta, entree, dessert) at a set price. You can order a la carte, but the portions and plates of each course are usually just the right size. This means that mapping out your meal necessitates tough choices. You might be drawn to three different appetizers, but you can only have one...so for me I think I was debating the crab cake, the scallop and the pork carpaccio-ish dish. LW also was weighing her pros and cons. In the end we made our choices, but our server - one terrific lady named Marie - ended up gifting us an extra plate of magic to try....and that was sauteed escargots with capers on a crusty melty cheesy piece of bread. This was LW's first snail experience, and I think it went quite well. The snails themselves were so tender and the combination of herbs with the saltiness of the capers and the ooooooozy loveliness of the crusty cheesy (provolone?) bread all worked together in a very pleasing fashion.

The appetizer I chose was the thinly sliced pork on a small bed of arugula with dried cherries, fennel, and I think gorgonzola cheese...I meant to take a photo of the menu so I wouldn't be approximating quite so much, but alas between opening our bottle of vinho verde and agonizing over my menu choices, actually documenting what those choices were slipped my mind. What I can tell you is that this was a very nice and relatively light way to start the meal, especially given my next two courses. The vinaigrette really perked things up and the pork itself was almost dainty in its texture.

I think this photograph illustrated how we felt about our first courses. We most certainly became members of the clean plate club for this round of tasty treats.

I had another internal debate when it came to the pasta. I love what they do with the rather simple amatriciana-like preparation...thick/hollow spaghetti with a vibrant tomato sauce and pancetta and sometimes a little kick. Oh man. It's just so good. But I also eyed the ravioli they had on that particular day, which was a rich ravioli with artichokes and ricotta all sauteed in an almond butter. I shared my teetering decision with our server and she suggested branching out, and so that is what I did. The ravioli was rich and happy making. See proof below.

And then there were the main course options. I had arrived thinking that I would choose a beef option, but when we were informed that one of the specials of the night was their take on a 'surf and turf' only with soft shell crab as surf, and sweetbreads as turf, that original idea went out the window. You'll see in later posts that I was already primed for soft shells, and so this became the first fresh crab I had for the season but certainly not the last. Sauteed instead of deep fried and only very lightly (if at all) breaded, it still had a crisp note to it while better displaying the overall crabby goodness. The sweetbreads were hearty and yet creamy.

LW used her camera to take this photograph...thus the completely different color cast. This is what I look like when I'm so happy I'm almost miserable about it.

We also had the opportunity to try the asparagus with over easy egg. A nice addition for sure!

And then there was dessert and esperesso. Oh man. Dessert. This I think was a walnut/strawberry panna cotta with maybe a savory element to it. I really have to write things down. I'm the worst.

And this was sort of like a trifle with blueberries, cake, and basil. There was also tirimisu in the mix, which LW declared the best.

The meal, the service and the overall ambiance was, as it always is, just fantastic. We made temporary friends with the couple sitting next to us and discussed how much we collectively loved the place. There was a birthday, but the birthday boy or girl had requested no singing...so that was sad for me since I love singing happy birthday to strangers. But not if they don't want me to:)

I had every intention of ending my night after the meal. When something is so good, it's best to call it a day instead of trying to do more. LW, however, had plans on meeting up with Jerry the Unibroue brewer. You see, it was also Philly Beer Week and LW and Jerry usually meet up to say hey at one Unibroue event or another. Since the location for the event was pretty near my place/in my neighborhood I did make a different decision once we got out of the cab, and joined LW and Jerry to try a variety of specialty brews he'd brought with him from Canada.

It was a good night full of fanciness, new tastes and good times.

Birthday Magic Times c/o Modo Mio

Ever since my first Modo Mio experience with LB back in 2009, I have always thought that celebrating a birthday at the establishment would be a whole heck of a lot of fun. Even when just a guest with no particular reason for celebration, the meal is in itself just that. I also heartily enjoy the how the bustling space's patrons will all come together and sing happy birthday to a total stranger in a way far more authentic than you might come across at, say, TGIFridays. So when I started thinking about how I might want to mark my 31st year on earth, I decided enough was enough: Modo Mio it would be. I am so happy that a great group of folks were all able to make it and celebrate with me; I really just had the most delightful dinner and overall birthday night. So. To start. We were a table of 9, so there were plenty of opportunities to try other plates than my own. For example, this was the chicken liver creme caramelle with fennel apple jam, gorgonzola and crostini, which CP ordered. The liver remained a revelation free of that extra bite that can make liver go so wrong for some, but we both commented that we were surprised by the temperature of the overall dish, which was cold. Definitely on-purpose-cold, but I believe we thought it might have been better at room temperature. I wonder if the coldness had to do with keeping the liver in shape?

BC tried the beet dish, which seemed pretty satisfying in a more straightforward way than many of Modo Mio's options.

I believe this was a fried cheese concoction that LB enjoyed?

I had this delightful seared scallop, which was served with a potato torta, fontina, and a cherry vinaigrette. Perfectly cooked and tender. And that torta, which you can't see at all, was not your run of the mill potato accoutrement. Truly added its own signature mark on the overall dish. Pleased, was I.

I believe this is CP's goat cheese ravioli, which was really just so very good I don't have words.

R.'s lasagna?

BC's gnocchi.

My bucatini. Oh man. I love this simple pasta with its pancetta, pecorino and bit of spiced up tomato sauce/dressing. While one of the great things about Modo Mio is its oft rotating menu, I am always a bit relieved to find some version of this plate in their pasta section.

CP tried veal for the first time.

And I went with the grilled ribeye steak with aged goat cheese, chickpea crepe, boquerones and jus. By this point I was intoxicated on a combination of wonderful company, fantastic food, and BYO wine, but I still found the energy to make a marked dent in this element of the meal. So good. So very, very, good. The cheese. The chickpea. The jus! Golly oh molly.

Also offered were complimentary sambuca shots.

I think it was around this point, while drinking espresso, that I managed to get coffee on my nose, which lingered there for the majority of the rest of my evening. Literal brown nose.

And then there was dessert. We just ended up getting two sample plates of everything. And man oh man was everything just a wonderful show of how sweet can be mellow and how sweet can be neat. Why yes, it was a wonderful show.

Seriously. Thanks to BC, CM, LB, AS, BM, LW, CP and R for all coming out and making this such a truly special evening!

An Exceptional Evening c/o Modo Mio

Months ago, M., C., LW and I made a plan. That plan was to baptize M. into the wonders that are a Modo Mio meal. Our first proposed date for such an introduction was foiled by L.'s sudden 30th birthday. Or, put another way, I canceled and the ladies were nice enough not to go without me. So we rescheduled for early December...but then C. couldn't make it, but somehow we weren't collectively willing to wait again...so C. just had to miss out, which is sad. So a few Fridays ago I met up with LW and M. for dinner, and oh what a dinner it was. At my suggestion M. brought a prosecco, which we promptly opened to celebrate our very presence in the restaurant while debating the relative merits of different menu combinations. The specials that evening were particularly compelling and I really need to remember to write that sort of thing down. While I thought up until the last second that I wanted to go with the regular menu item chicken liver bruschetta, at the last moment I decided the shrimp with marsella (sp?) sauce, dried cherries and a piece of soaked up with sweet goodness was a better option. This was surprising; sweeter than expected. The bread had a bit of a French toast feel to it, so saturated with the shrimpy, mapley, cherry-ness of the whole thing. The shrimp were nice and plump. Succulent even.
I agonized over going with the amatriciana pasta or the special (beef cheek ravioli with reduction sauce) but in the end I decided to go with the classic and hold off on a heavy meat until my main course. And this pasta, as always, did not disappoint. Just so good. I feel like I should be capable of making at least a close approximation of this dish at home, the flavors and ingredients are pretty simple - but the execution. I don't know. I'd screw it up. I was very happy.
You know what made me even happier? I will tell you. What made me even happier was when the Manager, Steve (though maybe it was Mike and too much time has passed for me to remember...I am a jerk), came over and formally introduced himself to us - noting that he had seen that I come in a fair amount. We shook hands. I told him my name too. It was a nice moment followed by his bringing out the special pasta of the night for us to try gratis. And that special. Oh my. I'm so glad he gave us the opportunity to try it, because I now know that we were missing out by choosing anything other than it. It was decadent. Rich. The mouth-feel was something not to be messed with. I soaked up some of the sauce with my leftover bread it was so delectable. I think I could have made it through all three raviolis by myself and then moved on to a heavier entree (originally my concern was that it would have been too rich and heavy to precede my steak choice), but it was nice just to have the one and still have the body space for what came next.

LW brought a really nice Chianti that we all enjoyed thoroughly.
Before our main courses came out, we were given yet another complimentary dish - grilled asparagus with a soft fried egg on top. This, too, was a marvelous little dish. I won't lie, I really appreciated the extras. It made me feel special and appreciated in a way that is hard to come by at most restaurants, mainly because you really do have to come to a place a whole heck of a lot to get that kind of little thank you and I just don't have the time or money to develop that kind of familiarity/closeness with multiple establishments. But Modo Mio definitely is a place I've frequented a fair amount since moving to Philly, and the entire front-end staff is exceptionally good at remembering faces and making you feel welcomed back. What is my point? That I was grateful for these little add-0ns and the attention that comes with the whole Modo Mio experience. Also, as usual it was someone's birthday and we all got to sing to them. I love that.
I went with the skirt steak with a number of yummy things, one of which was a sort of sweet and sour pumpkin. Man. I don't usually think of skirt steak as being a meat you can really dress up or make special, but Modo Mio has twice proved me wrong on that front. The meat was medium rare, had plenty of flavor and character and the sauce and pumpkin additions just made this whole thing waaaaay too good. I wish I could tell you about some of the finer points of the dish, but I didn't write down its description and their website menu is woefully out of date/not even working from the look of it. Of course at this point in the meal I was getting full, so I was able to keep myself from devouring the whole thing in one sitting.
After our entrees, the manager came out again and offered us fresh-made limoncello, which was very exciting to me, as my fresh-made limoncello connection is no more and I still like to get a fix from time to time. This was a nice one, more citrusy and not as sweet as those I used to enjoy. Do you see the glee in my eyes from the food, the wine, the company and the extra treats? If you don't see the glee, you are probably dead inside.
And finally dessert. LW decided to go with tirimisu and it was also decided that M. would take a photograph L. holding her dish up close to her face, kind of like she was modeling it - or wooing it. But what ended up happening was that as she was posing the tirimisu began to precariously slide off her plate due to the angle at which she was holding it. This went from being just kind of funny to very funny when the tirimisu entirely slid off the plate and onto the glasses LW had taken off specifically for the photo. Oh the hilarity. I really just couldn't not laugh and laugh. LW was a good sport about it and I think her glasses recovered.
I went with the saffron semi-freddo. Mmmm.
This was a particularly successful meal at Modo Mio. I really enjoyed each dish choice I made and didn't feel stabs of envy when I tried what M. and LW had on their plates, which is something that happens fairly often to me. The service, the company, the food. Oh my. My oh my. Just. Yum.