Pompano Grille Restaurant

My wife Patti and I like to think that we really know Philadelphia`s South Street area, from American Pie to Zipperhead, including all the good restaurants. But Cuban cuisine was foreign to us. We were then introduced to Pompano Grille, where South Beach Miami meets Havana.

Housed in an old bank building at 5th and Bainbridge (wine is kept in the bank vault), Pompano Grille has been serving wonderful cuisine with a Cuban twist for 3 years under the expert guidance of head chef Bill Beck (co-owner with wife Wendy).

Patti and I stopped in one Friday night for a meal and discovered that it also was Tango Night, "the vertical expression of the horizontal desire." Our only desire that night was for good food similar to most nights. (Hey, we have an 18-month-old!) The restaurant has kept the bank`s facade and its two-story windows. Inside, a half-circle bar shares space with a dance floor and dining tables. An open stairway leads to upstairs dining overlooking the dance area (for those of us who prefer to watch the vertical expression). A roof deck is open in the warmer months.

While perusing the eclectic menu, we happened upon the Rum Bar menu, five pages filled with micro-brew beers, a nice wine selection, assorted daiquiris and Cuban cocktails, and rums from the world over (I counted 30 varieties). Patti ordered a mango-coconut daiquiri ($6) and never bothered to ask if I wanted a taste. And I, wanting to keep in the spirit of the island, ordered a black and tan (Guinness and Bass Ale) ($4.50). Ireland is an island. You can look it up.

We started off with extraordinary salads. I enjoyed fresh baby greens ($5) in a light cilantro ginger vinaigrette recommended by our server, Brett. Restaurant Tip No. 1: In a fine restaurant, listen to your server`s suggestions; he/she knows of what he/she speaks. Patti loved her plate of tender roasted asparagus accompanied by sprouts, diced carrots, and crumbly bleu cheese in a vinaigrette dressing (a special that night at $7).

What followed can only be described as miraculous. Brett informed us that one of the chef`s favorite creations was pepper-crusted calamari with hot Thai dipping sauce ($8). I enjoy calamari just slightly less than I enjoy root canal with a dull drill. Which leads me to Tip No. 2: If a respected chef has a favorite dish, EAT IT. The calamari was in the shape of small onion rings, quickly fried, and unbelievably tasty. We could not stop popping them in our mouths.

They made me enjoy a food not on my most-wanted list. How could they top that? Quite easily, actually. My entree was starfruit, ginger, and rum chicken ($17). I was presented with a half-chicken (bone-in) swimming in a sweet yet tangy sauce. It was accompanied by black beans and rice (it wouldn`t be Cuban without `em) and tender char-grilled vegetables (eggplant, peppers and squash). The dish`s juices were nicely sopped up with crisp bread.

My seafood-loving wife ordered jumbo crab cakes ($21). These plantain and macadamia coated cakes were plump with fresh crab meat and were complemented by red beet mashed potatoes and pungent garlicky greens. She managed to finish one cake. The second was excellent warmed in the oven on Saturday. Other dinners included grilled sea bass, mahi-mahi (so good you have to say it twice), and filet mignon.

Desserts finished off the evening spectacularly. Brett recommended the dark chocolate bread pudding ($6). (See Tip No. 1.) The moist, warm pudding stood in a rum-creme anglaise with hints of orange and raspberry and was topped with fresh whipped cream. Patti opted for key lime pie ($6). Its tartness was nicely offset by orange, raspberry and chocolate drizzle.

Patti closed out the meal with fresh decaf ($2). Not wanting the evening in Havana to end, I chose a cup of strong cafe cubano ($3). It was said to be "black as night and sweet as sin." I could have tangoed all night.

Hours: Open 7 days, 4:00 p.m. - "Late" (that`s according to Wendy Beck) Price Range: Appetizers $7-12; Entrees $14-24 Non-Smoking Section - Yes (NOTE: There`s also a cigar menu with "Cuban-seed" cigars) Liquor License - Yes Handicapped Facilities - Yes Seating Capacity - 180 (240 with open-air roof deck)

In operation for 3 years Owners - Bill and Wendy Beck Head Chef - Bill Beck Reservations are accepted

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Author: James Reuter