Marble Giant

The décor at Eric Ripert's long-awaited 10 Arts is awe-inspiring. The food is getting there.

by David Snyder

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Published: Aug 26, 2008

Jessica Kourkounis FISHING IN AMERICA: The Pennsylvania brook trout from Pocono Farms is 10 Arts at its finest. The fish is sautéed and served with baby bok choy and hazelnut brown-butter sauce with capers. (CLICK IMAGE FOR LARGER VERSION)

The Italian white-gray marble that sprawls across the floor of this expansive space came from Carrara, the same Tuscan quarries that gave us Michelangelo's David. Sixteen massive iconic marble columns surround the rotunda supporting a dome that was copied from the Pantheon in Rome. The dome yawns 101 feet wide and soars a jaw-dropping 140 feet into the heavens. At its center, a dramatic oculus fires a hauntingly peaceful beam of sunlight into the palatial room below.

It's built to inspire. And it does.

Designed in the early 1900s by McKim, Mead & White — the architectural firm that designed New York City's Washington Square Arch and Boston's Symphony Hall — this neoclassical rotunda originally housed Philadelphia's Girard Trust Co. Today, it's the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton, and the home of 10 Arts by Eric Ripert, famed chef of New York's Le Bernardin.

To bring this grand chamber in line with 10 Arts' casual yet elegant modern American cuisine, Ripert enlisted Engstrom Design Group to integrate stylish, updated elements. Bold magenta, pink and warm earth tones soften the rotunda's cool canvas. The arch of iridescent glass blocks that frame the restaurant's entrance playfully persuades the oculus's light to let rainbows dance on its surface. A 2,000-bottle circular wine tower commands the center of the room. These touches add a sense of warmth and comfort to this historic structure, making you feel like you belong at the Ritz-Carlton even if you're not an A-list politician attending a conference with your own security detail.

While the building's original architects looked to Rome for their inspiration, Ripert, 10 Arts' culinary director, looked to Philadelphia to bring his culinary vision to life. Addictive soft pretzel bites are tossed in brown butter and finished with Maldon sea salt and accompanied by three dipping sauces: imported Maille Dijon mustard, a three-cheese sauce and a sweet and spicy jalapeno jam. A dark chocolate, caramel, peanut tart is served with malted "Tastykake" ice cream. And signature cocktails bear the names of famous Philadelphians, like the Cassatt's Toreador, a jazzed-up margarita with tangerine-infused Sauza Conmemorativo, agave syrup and sage named after 19th-century Impressionist Mary Cassatt. Indeed, to hold down the fort, Ripert tapped Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Carroll, a Philadelphia native he plucked from his own kitchen at Le Bernardin.

The most significant element 10 Arts borrowed from Philadelphia is the restaurant's philosophy of making seasonal, locally sourced ingredients a priority. But in the context of Philadelphia's highly evolved fresh and local dining scene, 10 Arts offerings are too safe and do not stand out in the crowd.

In the striped bass "grand-mère," a dish Ripert's grandmother made for him as a child, the chicken jus with wild mushrooms, potatoes and seasonal veggies was very delicate, allowing the pure, fresh flavors of the moist and tender bass to be the focus. But because the hulking piece of fish itself was equally light and delicate, the dish was plain and underwhelming.

The almost singular focus on freshness that makes the striped bass seem one-dimensional also shows up in the rabbit paillard, a play on chicken or veal cutlets. The medley of English, snap and snow peas tasted like they had just been picked. And the accompanying salad of micro arugula, frisée and shaved red onions in lemon juice was remarkably clean and bright. Unfortunately, because the rabbit was underseasoned, the dish was out of balance.

There are bright spots on the menu, though, that show 10 Arts has the potential to be more. My favorite dish was the Pennsylvania brook trout. Sourced from Pocono Farms, this lightly sautéed fish is dressed in a classic hazelnut brown-butter sauce. The briny capers in the sauce complement the perfectly cooked fish, while the sauce's subtle sweetness adds a layer of complexity. I only wish the large chunks of hazelnuts were smaller so as to not overwhelm the subtle flavors at play.

The oddly named grilled octopus ceviche was a surprising treat. Calling it a "ceviche" may lead to confusion given that the marinated octopus is grilled, not cooked by acid. Still, I enjoyed the delicate layer of heat the jalapenos and red onions added to the freshness of the micro chives and red and yellow peppers that the cool, sliced octopus rested on. But I would have preferred the octopus sliced more thinly.

10 Arts' lounge menu is almost too casual; the collection of plates seem like they'd be more at home in a gastro-pub than in a chic rotunda. But if you divorce the food from the setting, the dishes can be fun. Tasty mini fish burgers made with wild Atlantic striped bass are topped with shaved fennel and house-oven-roasted tomatoes, and served alongside a tangy saffron aioli. Thanks to Danish Viking-Smoked sea salt, the intense aroma of the fresh Lancaster County heirloom corn chowder makes you feel as if you're standing next to a campfire.

Service was attentive yet unobtrusive and, at times, borderline clairvoyant. When a piece of the chocolate peanut tart fell on my shirt, our server appeared instantly, offering club soda. On another visit, our server showed up, on two separate occasions, at the exact moments I was sipping my last drop of wine to ask if I wanted another.

I accepted just once; the two glasses of Faiveley Macon Prisse I enjoyed, a white Burgundy, set me back $24. Unfortunately, getting to the bottom of any glass at 10 Arts will cost you. Wine is on the high end, typically between $12 and $18 per glass. Bottles, too, are pricey. The Sagta Torrontes, a $10 bottle through the PLCB, runs $40 here. And those signature Philadelphia cocktails are $15 a shake. Part of me wished this was still the Girard Trust Co. lobby so I could apply for a loan to pay my bar tab.

Philadelphia has become a beacon for those seeking fresh, local plates that go beyond clean and casual. If 10 Arts focuses a little more of that light on its menu, the décor won't be the only thing about the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton that people find inspiring.

(david.snyder@citypaper.net)

10 Arts

10 Avenue of the Arts, 215-523-8221,10arts.com

Appetizers, $7-$18; entrées, $18-$36; lounge menu, $3-$19

Breakfast: Mon-Fri., 6:30-11 a.m.; Sat.-Sun., 7 a.m.-noon. Lunch: Mon-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Sat., 5-10 p.m. (opening for dinner on Sundays Sept. 14) Lounge: Sun., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-midnight

Wheelchair accessible

Reservations recommended

All major credit cards accepted

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