Matyson- An Absolute Treasure in Philly

I was in Philly this past weekend with some friends; they visiting the flower show and me pretty much just walking and eating all day.  We rolled in Thursday night and after unpacking we set off to our first meal in Philly-Matyson. I was hoping this cute and unassuming BYOB would be good...it ended up being unbelievable.  They have a five course menu featuring one main ingredient that changes weekly (reminds me of Iron Chef a bit).  That night the ingredient was Beets (sorry the pictures aren't the best but it was dining by candlelight):



Warm Golden Beet Soup- caviar toast, crème fraiche and fennel.





Striped Bas Crudo- pickled beets, meyer lemon, capers.





Grilled Lamb Kofta- Golden beet quinoa, mint, feta, pistachios.




Beet & Short Rib “Ravioli”- crispy sweetbreads, ricotta, beet greens, truffle jus.





Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Tart- Raspberry- beet ice cream.


Just writing out the menu I feel transported back to how incredibly perfect this meal was. I swore the caviar toast in the soup was the best carb I’ve ever eaten.  Then the complex flavors in the next crudo course blew me away as well- sour, sweet, salty- wow.  Then the “Ravioli” came made out of beet instead of pasta, stuffed with decadent short rib and topped with crispy sweetbreads. I can’t even tell you- I was in food heaven. This may be in the top 10 meals in my life and all for the incredibly reasonable price of $45!


The service was phenomenal as well. We had brought a small Prosecco, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Cabernet to pair with the meal and each time one was about to be finished we were greeted with proper glasses for the next, water glasses were constantly refilled and each and every course was carefully described so we wouldn't miss a second of the tasting.  Even the bathroom was beautiful with a large vase of amazing fresh cut flowers and a copy of the nights tasting menu on the wall. This is truly a gem of a restaurant that I would recommend at the top of my list to anyone visiting Philly.  It was a great start to the food weekend.


Matyson

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