Noord eetcafe

Dubbed South Philadelphia’s “Restaurant Row,” East Passyunk Avenue is renowned for its extensive selection of diverse dining experiences, ranging from casual BYOBs and lively pubs to elegant candlelight dining. Noord eetcafe offers diners a Dutch-influenced dining experience from native Philadelphian Joncarl Lachman.

I was treated to a meal at this BYO restaurant for my birthday after months of wanting to try Lachman’s new Nordic cuisine and rustic Northern European dishes. We had a coveted spot by the open window overlooking the busy triangular town square and dancing fountain and enjoyed the breeze and people watching while plotting our meals for the night.

To start, we opted for a new addition to the restaurant’s summer menu, including a heirloom tomato salad with goat gouda cheese. The savory-sweet cheese flavor perfectly complemented the juicy, fresh tomatoes and the appetizer paired well with our crisp white wine. Next time, we both agreed we would try the smorrebrod, consisting of house-smoked fish and an open-faced sandwich board.

For our mains, we chose the konijn in het Zuur, with a vinegar-braised rabbit leg, smoked sausage, lardons, baby turnips and zuurkool; and the shellfish waterzooi dish, with mussels, shrimp, clams, spinach and potatoes in a beer cream sauce. The dishes were a bit heavy for a warm summer night, but both were delicious and we ate every last bite. The seafood tasted fresh and the rabbit was perfectly cooked.

Lachman recently opened a second restaurant in Philadelphia that I hope to visit soon — Neuf Restaurant, a North African restaurant in the Italian Market.

Noord eetcafe

1046 Taster Street

Philadelphia, PA 19148

tel 267 909 9704