It may be easy to miss the discrete entrance for this new restaurant while walking down the 15th block of Sansom street on a busy Friday night in Philadelphia. Coming from the west in search of the restaurant, “Strike” is the first sign I see, and luckily I had done my research and knew there was a bowling alley attached and figured we were close. We passed the restaurant by a few feet until I saw the one square foot sign behind two men that had “Harp & Crown” scrawled in a loop-filled cursive.
Since it was Restaurant Week, there was a condition of sorts for entry: you had to have a reservation. As a patron with a reservation, this made waiting for our table more enjoyable since the entrance wasn’t packed with random diners trying to get a table. The restaurant is dimly lit but with enough light to read the menu without trouble. My boyfriend and I decided the décor made us feel like we were in a 1920’s speakeasy with long drapes covering the windows and waiters wearing button downs and suspenders.
We were seated about 10 minutes after our reservation time which was fine, as it gave us time to use the restroom (unisex, individual stalls with a common area sink) and appreciate the thought that went into creating this old-fashioned ambiance. We were seated against a wall facing the bar with seats only on one side, so I sat right next to my date and we had a table in front of us. We were sitting on a long, nicely cushioned bench but the seats were wide, so a short person like myself (five feet), could not sit with her back resting against the back cushion without having her legs stick out into the aisle in a straight line. Luckily the cocktails came relatively quickly so I just let the champagne, vodka, pomegranate and ginger concoction distract me from my awkward seating arrangement.
Their restaurant week menu was interestingly set up so that for every two people, you ordered one item from each of the six sections – so technically each individual is still getting three courses, you just have to make the extra effort to agree on all of your choices. We knew this going into the night but for someone who was expecting the more traditional restaurant week menu style, it might have been a weird surprise. We ordered everything at the same time, including dessert, and were informed things would come out as they were ready.
The first two items to come out were the mushroom farro salad and the duck and foie rillette. The salad was our favorite dish of the night despite my reluctance to eat a fungus. The farro and mushrooms complimented each other with their similar consistency and the arugula provided a fresh crunch for the needed texture change. As for the duck and foie rillette, the tangy whole grain mustard cut through the creamy richness of the organ meat pate to provide a tasty and approachable flavor combination. The toast served on the side was just crunchy enough to provide a sturdy vessel for the pate along with a welcome texture change. Following the first two dishes was the ricotta gnocchi with butternut squash. Due to our small table, having three dishes of food plus two serving plates was not a realistic option and required the shifting of food for the gnocchi to fit. The dumplings themselves were soft and dense but the texture was diminished by the citrusy cream sauce that had been poured over it. Combined with the cilantro the dish made for an interesting flavor palette that quite honestly left my mouth confused. Call me old fashioned but if I’m going to eat gnocchi in a cream sauce, I’d much rather have the richness carry throughout and just have a smaller portion than eating a lighter version. I felt like I was convincing my taste buds that the tinge is not just the cream going off and is in fact done on purpose.
Our hanger steak with charred shishito peppers and shitake mushrooms came quickly after our plates had been cleared and were soon followed by our roasted Brussels sprouts. The steak was cooked to our request of medium rare and still had a nice char on the outside to hold up against the lime leaf butter that had been drizzled around the dish. Both the peppers and mushrooms added flavor to the meat to create something that could easily be a stand-alone entrée instead of one of many small plates we had already consumed. As huge fans of Brussels sprouts, my boyfriend and I were quite excited to try them but were left somewhat disappointed by the chestnut streusel that had covered the top of them. We lean more toward savory flavors, and the streusel was just too sweet for how much was served.
Lastly, our pineapple upside down cake with a brandy cherry ice cream came out and was the perfect size for two people to share after a five-course meal. The cake had a crunchy caramelized edge, and the pineapple was already chopped into bite-size pieces, so your spoon didn’t need to act as a knife. Combining a bite of the cake with the ice cream was literally a party in my mouth because cherry and pineapple made the otherwise rich ingredients seem just a tad bit lighter and thus, more enjoyable. I honestly could’ve eaten one by myself, but I’m happy I had to share it.
After retrieving our coats (bulky winter jackets would not fit in our seating area), we left the restaurant feeling satisfied enough to consider a potential return. Spicy soppressata pizza is on their menu, and we’d want to compare it to its equivalent at Nomad Roman. We could also go for another serving or two of the mushroom and farro salad – it was just that good. So if you’re in the neighborhood, give Harp and Crown a try. Just make sure to keep your eyes peeled for the entrance and be prepared for some surprising flavor combinations.