Named in honor of the legendary Leopold Stokowski, music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1912 to 1941, Leo recently made its debut in the Kimmel Center space formerly occupied by the late Volver.
Leo had been open a scant nine days when my dining partner and I paid a call. The first thing we noticed were the subtle changes in décor, which added a pleasantly soft touch to the previous ambiance. And the restaurant's powers-that-be had obviously decided to hit the ground running, as both the food and the service proved to be right on the money.
The cuisine, described as "global with a Mediterranean twist," is basically inspired by Executive Chef Chris Cryer's worldwide travels and zealously enriched with seasonal locally-sourced ingredients. Sounds good, doesn't it...? And it tastes even better.
Just one caveat... The menu is rather esoteric in nature and will definitely not appeal to the diehard meat & potatoes crowd. It may also, upon occasion, send even the most sophisticated diner in search of a gastronomic glossary.
We began with the Hiramasa and Lettuces, respectively. The former is the Japanese name for the high-quality sashimi grade Yellowtail Kingfish, which is farm-raised under the strictest standards. In point of fact, the fish is so highly regarded in Japan that it is hand-packed in order to avoid bruising. Its pale pink flesh is firm of texture and offers diners a sweet, rich flavor. At Leo it was companioned by slices of pomelo (a citrus fruit native to southeast Asia that has the taste of sweet grapefruit), artichoke, and Castelvetrano olive (a variety of green olive grown in Sicily and famous for its mild, buttery flavor, meaty texture, and bright green color). A definite winner in every respect.
Lettuces certainly sounded innocent enough... The presentation, however, as you will note from the photo, was captivatingly colorful; and it only took one bite to realize that texture and taste were right on target as well. Seasoned breadcrumbs, morsels of candied citrus fruit, and a zippy bell pepper sauce added their own unique contributions... but it was the incomparably delicious smooth-as-silk whipped feta cheese that not only succeeded in ameliorating the roughage but also in providing diners with an extremely satisfying gastronomic gestalt.
Moving on to the entrées, our piscatorial pursuits continued with the Yellowfin Tuna. Seared until seductively rare of countenance, it arrived at table swimming in a Madeira sauce supplemented with charred leek, hazelnuts, and trout roe. A triumph of both taste and texture.
The Ricotta Dumplings were presented in a creamy Italian sauce infused with taleggio, a cheese known for its smooth texture and delightfully tangy flavor, accompanied by morels and rainbow chard, and crowned with a parmesan crisp.
This culinary combo was, in a word, extradinarily delicious... It was also, I would hasten to add, incredibly rich and quite filling. So, unless you happen to possess the appetite - and the capacity - of a starving yak, you can count on departing with a rather ample doggie bag in tow.
Dessert choices are extremely limited... After much debate - and I freely confess that I would have preferred the Walnut Cake with white chocolate and toasted vanilla ice cream - my dining partner and I eventually decided to share the Chocolate Caramel. As it turned out, the laced with caramel smooth-as-silk mascarpone and chocolate mousse sandwiched between slices of crispy chocolate turned out to be a delightfully delicious choice.
In the meantime, a word about prices... They do represent, in my opinion, pretty much the going rate for upscale Center City restaurants. Appetizers peak at $21.00 for Roasted Shrimp and Foie Gras; and main courses range from $28.00 for Ricotta Dumplings to $41.00 for the Flat Iron Steak.
There is also a pre-theater menu priced at $45.00 per person. This may seem like a real bargain... but it is not. First of all, your choices are very limited. Secondly, that $45.00 price tag includes appetizer and entrée only. If you want dessert, that will set you back another $12.00 or $13.00. Then you add on a few other accoutrements, tax and tip. See what I mean?
My dining partner and I recently traveled the pre-theater menu route; so, permit me to add up the bad news for you. We each enjoyed a single pre-prandial libation, shared a dessert (as noted above), and ordered coffee and tea, respectively. With tax and tip, the total check exceeded the $150.00 mark.
Is the food worth it...? Yes, in my opinion (although I do think that our cocktails and some of the bottled wines are significantly overpriced). Just be prepared for a major assault on your pocketbook. read more