* * * DU JOUR IS NOW CLOSED * * *
The good people at Gloss PR invited us out to a media tasting dinner at the new-ish eatery inside the big ugly pink building (a.k.a. Symphony House) that blocks the view of the lovely Drake building from our apartment, du jour. A transplant from the 'burbs (Haverford) since September of last year, they already have plans to open a second Center City spot at Commerce Square this spring.
The interior feels sort of like a Cosi or other Starbucks-esque lunch chain. Minimalist modern with lots of reflective surfaces and hard lines. We were lucky enough to taste a special six course, eight dish (meaty) tasting menu (sorry, no photos of the food). Dinner is a new thing for du jour, which is normally a lunch/catering spot. This dinner was set up to help spread the word of their evening offerings. We sat down with GlossPR's Sheila Sheridan and talked the night away while Corie Moskow was busily buzzing around saying a few words to everyone there. Sheila was a delight to talk to and we even pointed her to a few new-to-her spots in town including a favorite of ours: Franklin Fountain.
First up was a small cream crock which was filled with roasted butternut squash soup with apple fennel slaw. Picky found the tiny serving size annoying compounded by the slivers of apple fennel slaw getting in the way. Messy, who is actually picky when it comes to squash dishes, absolutely loved this soup and found the tangy apple slaw to be a perfect accompaniment. The soup was nicely nutty-sweet and not too thick.
The second course had Picky's favorite for the night: seared ahi tuna tacos with guacamole, radish and salsa verde. Small, thick, 3" tortillas were decorated with all of the above. A perfect appetizer to leave you wanting more. Unfortunately, the Jamaican jerk wings with rum pineapple glaze, mango salsa and avocado dipping sauce had nothing to do with any Jamaican jerk seasoning Picky has ever had. It wasn't spicy at all – perhaps a nod to suburban tastes. If anything, it was too sweet with the glaze and mango salsa accompaniment. A simple skinless fried chicken would've done better.
Third course was a pair of flatbread pizzas — one mushroom goat cheese and one Greek chicken. Messy happily gobbled up more than her fair share of the tasty snacks. Picky, on the other hand, doesn't understand the flatbread craze, and found these pizzas to be nothing to write home about. But his very picky New York born-and-bred pizza standards are probably to blame.
Course number four was wasabi crusted salmon with coconut jasmine rice and wok seared veggies. In general, we just don't eat fish. Picky will have the occasional spicy tuna roll, but for the most part, nadda. Picky picked at the salmon which seemed to taste a little thick. Messy tore into the jasmine rice which she found particularly delicious — it could probably stand as a dish on its own. Picky agreed that the rice was a shining spot of the meal. It was juicy without being soggy with a nice balance of veggies mixed into the fray.
The big meat dish was a roasted pork tenderloin with herb cruzted spaetzle, swiss chard and a spiced apple jam. Picky found the tenderloin overcooked and chewy. It sat, unappealingly, at the bottom of a steep bowl with overcooked chard. We both found this dish to be a little strange underwhelming. Finally, the meal was finished with two small scoops of Capogiro gelato and sorbetto, a favorite of ours.
du jour's location on the south end of Avenue of the Arts puts it in touch with thousands of diners each week looking for good eats close by. While people coming into town from the 'burbs may flock to it seeing a familiar eatery, urban passers-by might steer clear for the same reasons. Not to say this spot doesn't have potential, though. The Symphony House location was due to close ties to real estate magnate Carl Dranoff who is a regular at the original Haverford location (which opened its doors in 2000). He brought du jour to the city. Whether or not du jour makes any changes behind the counter to cater to a different palate will be seen in the months to come; perhaps at Commerce Square?
At the very least, du jour offers up plenty of eye candy. The dishes should be pretty consistent as well given their catering background. We did get the vibe that it's primarily a lunch spot, though, and some of the sandwich options behind the deli counter looked like they were well worth a try.
du jour Symphony House
440 S Broad St
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 735-8010
Mon – Fri: 7am – 9pm
Sat: 8am – 9pm
Sun: 9am – 9pm
Rib Stand
