The Other Critics

Forest & Main Could Use a ‘Hint of Seasonality’; Ansill’s Tasting Menus at Bar Ferdinand Are an ‘Undeniable Steal’

• Craig LaBan bellies up at Forest & Main and finds “a surprisingly cozy and offbeat addition to Ambler’s budding restaurant roster.” The hand-pumped Kinch IPA was “a perfectly fine hoppy ale,” and the menu “a genuine homemade step up from the chicken wing/nacho options of typical bar fare.” Fish and chips were “especially notable,” but in the sweltering heat of August, the “big” braised lamb shank over couscous “was the last thing [he] wanted.” A “hint of seasonality,” he writes, “would go a long way.” [Inquirer]

• For the Citypaper Adam Erace checks out David Ansill’s tomato tasting menu at Bar Ferdinand, and of the chef’s return to Philadelphia writes, “getting reacquainted has never been so delicious.” Though many of the dishes “could stand to be a bit more substantial,” the $40 price tag was an “undeniable steal.” [Citypaper]

Forest & Main Could Use a ‘Hint of Seasonality’; Ansill’s