More For Less

Eclectic avenue: Roasted free range chicken, garlic potato puree, spinach and truffle essence at Avenue B.

Photo By: Michael T. Regan

How to eat on the cheap, sort of, at Avenue B and its ilk.

by Maxine Keyser

Avenue B 260 S. Broad St., 215-790-0705

Pasta Prix Fixe: Sun.-Fri., $21; Sat., $35

Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-midnight; Sun., 3-10 p.m.

Wheelchair accessible. Smoking permitted in the bar area. Reservations suggested. All major credit cards.Jake's Restaurant & Bar4365 Main St., Manayunk, 215-483-0444Le Mas Perrier503 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne, 610-964-2588

The evening air lies over the city like damp wool, but inside Avenue B, just beyond the glittering neon awning, all is cool. And I mean cool in every sense of the word -- the air conditioning is humming away, and though Neil Stein is absent, some of his black-spectacled minions are hanging at the bar; Bobby Darin’s playing in the background, just to make sure that things remain, you know, cool. The atmosphere is sophisticated elegance -- you can see it in the knife poised on its edge at the place setting, or in the handsome stemware with the tiny carved initials “AB” -- but with a laid-back feel. It’s a fairly slow evening -- the heat has kept many people away and the Kimmel Center is quiet -- so we have no problem coming in to try Francesco Martorella’s idea of a cheap dinner -- Pasta Prix Fixe for $21. Just as we did last week at Striped Bass, we want to see what the financially challenged among us, or just those who want a light repast, can expect. Unlike the set meal at Striped Bass, this one does not include wine, so we order our own from the extensive list; it’s pricey, but features a number of wines by the glass at acceptable prices.

The menu is limited to two choices for an appetizer, five choices of pasta and innumerable choices for dessert. After an amuse-bouche of olives, tapenade and roasted peppers with breadsticks, there's a simple salad of the best, juiciest Jersey tomatoes (why don't all restaurants use them?), drizzled with basil and olive oil, and shaved parmesan on top. This salad is deceptive in its common-placeness -- only the best ingredients will make it work -- and work it does. The other salad is of arugula and tiny shrimp crisped in a crackling good batter; a glass of Pinot Grigio complements both salads well.

The dimness of the restaurant, accentuated by the dark woodwork, is so achingly chic that the pastas should perhaps be more exotic. But it is not in Martorella's methode d'oeuvre. His food is so basic and understated that there are those who might consider it "easy," or not worth the money. But believe me, the work that goes into one single strand of his spaghetti is enough to warrant its price. We have chosen spaghetti and meatballs for one dish, and if I had an Italian mama I might expect something this good from her. The gravy is tomatoey and thick, and the two huge meatballs perched on it are fried and succulent -- a bit heavy perhaps, but succulent nevertheless. The other pasta is a dish of delicate capellini tossed with cherry tomatoes, a bit of hot pepper and many fat clams on the half-shell. From the quality of the pasta, the subtle seasonings and the clams bursting with fresh juices, I would call it perfect pasta, a dish you might hope for by a Venetian canal but probably won't get. With the rustic bread and a glass of fruity Sangiovese, we are quite content.

Sampling desserts is never a problem at Avenue B, for they are all elaborate and fairly tasty. The chocolate bombe is my favorite; a half-sphere of chocolate mousse, it spills liquid chocolate over a great slash of chocolate that seems to wave a greeting. Then there's a fat column of semifreddo (half-frozen mousse) flavored with Frangelico that is quite good, but not as interesting as the tiramisu. Baked in a square, it's perhaps not as assertive as some of the others about town (it doesn't shout coffee or rum) but it is quietly creamy, with sponge cake instead of ladyfingers. A good espresso finishes off the evening.

Some may be put off by the lack of drama, but Martorella is as solid a chef as we have. The drama is in making it look so easy.

Other restaurants are doing specials now, keeping with the trend of offering more for less. Jake's in Manayunk is introducing four-course seasonal menus for $35 Sunday-Thursday into the fall (an additional $15 buys a flight of three wines to complement the meal). And while tomatoes are still good, Laurent Pillard at Le Mas Perrier will host a Grande Fête des tomates for $40 a person for five courses on Thu., Sept. 12.

More and more chefs are keeping an eye on the economy and encouraging people to come in who might have hesitated originally. This seems good business to me.