LaBan Has a New Favorite Pizza; Square Peg Disappoints

Craig LaBan falls in love with the pizza at Nomad, and declares it his new favorite Neopolitan pie. He swoons over all of the minor details that puts their pie above all other challengers in Philly, most notably the crust.

"It begins with the dough, which is left to ferment for several days before cooking, and develops a complex malty sweetness. In the oven, it takes on an elegant constellation of char-spots, and an irresistibly savory, luxurious chew that dusts my lips with flour when my teeth sink deep into its crackly crust. It has a profoundly roasted flavor that lingers for hours after the meal is over."

LaBan didn't love everything about Nomad, like the Roman dough that had too much of a burnt flavor, and a white pie with obtrusive asparagus stalks. But, LaBan does namecheck our pizza-week pie (spicy sopressata with honey) as one of the successful efforts on the menu. 2 bells from Mr. LaBan.

Adam Erace dines at Matt Levin's Square Peg and doesn't find the usual crazy stunt foods the "fat kid chef" is known for, and what he ate, he didn't like.

"Perhaps worse than the poor execution, these plates were dull, with none of the verve typically associated with Levin's cooking. Say what you will about Tastykake sliders and Four Loko prix-fixes, at least they were something to talk about. Square Peg's offerings, mostly, are something to yawn about."

Erace found some stuff to love, though, most notably the wings covered in a fiery-hot white chocolate ganache with habaneros, and late night turkey sliders with some Thanksgiving influence.

Phyllis Stein-Novack ends up at the Wishing Well after driving around looking for a place to eat some fish and chips. What she found was a menu "all over the map" that featured BBQ (from Mark Coates' Smoke Truck) and random bar snacks. She did love the calamari and the Phils on the TV, but wondered what happened to the accoutrement.

"Calamari ($9) and spinach salad ($8) calmed us as we were quite ravenous. Whole baby squid, totally free of grease, were seasoned and dusted with cornmeal and flash fried to a golden brown. A slightly sweet chili dipping sauce came with the order although the cherry peppers and cilantro, which were listed on the menu, did not."

She did have some grease issues with a few plates at The Wishing Well, but seemed to smack them down for not having fish and chips. One tip of the toque from Phyllis.

THE BLOGS: Bridges, Burgers, and Beer gives Lucky Old Souls another shot with the breakfast burger; Philly Phoodie eats ballpark dogs at Harry the K's at Citizens Bank Park, and find some good eats; Two Eat Philly went to a blogger meetup at R2L, and enjoyed the views and the bites turned out by the kitchen.

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