For our final (!) meal in Philly, we went all out. We had reservations at Fork, a contemporary American restaurant that specializes in small plates.

We had reservations, but couldn't be seated until exactly that time. So, we waited for a bit and then returned inside. This is when we decided, well hell, let's go all out and do the house tasting menu while we are here. That gave me a choice of starter, pasta, main course and dessert. Plus, it includes all the little surprise gifts from the chef between courses. Nothing I love more than an amuse-bouche.

Well, we started with a celery soda palate cleanser. It's exactly what you would think - liquid celery. It certain woke up my tastebuds.

Next was this tasty little crisp cracker bite.

Then, a bialy with real, housemade Philadelphia cream cheese. Tasty, roasty flavors.

Finally, our first course. I ordered the chilled melon soup with yogurt, basil and tamarind. It was a beautiful dish presented as just the bits of melon and veggies before the soup was poured into the bowl. Lovely presentation.

Next was a bread course with butter; hearty and rustic.

Then, the pasta dish, which I think was my ultimate favorite. The black and white pici is served with fruits of the sea and pickled chili. The noodles had the perfect amount of chew and large chunks of buttery crab, lobster, calamari and more.

Then, another fresh bread gift. This one was a buckwheat roll with a seasonal jam. Very tasty.

For an entree, I ordered the duroc pork, which came with loin, rib and belly, summer squash and chanterelles. This dish was a nice summery take on the pork. Green, fresh flavors to go with the pork. The pork was tender, moist and quite good.

Afterward, another small, sweet bite from the chef. Light, but creamy.

And, my dessert was peach crisp with sweet corn, sour cream and chamomile. Not overly sweet, but comforting and quite lovely.

The final gift from the chef came in the form of these chocolate chip cookies. I think we're all aware on my feelings about chocolate chip cookies, but I imagine this hits a certain level of comfort food for many people. So, it makes sense to end on something like this.

Overall, this was a lovely experience. It's more than a meal. We laughed as we stumbled through a fancy meal together and got excited with each new surprise from the chef. It was a great way to end our time together in Philadelphia. Until next time.



Grade: A