Zinc Bistro a Vins

Location: 246 South 11th St (just south of Locust)

Price: ~$20/entree

Website: http://www.zincbarphilly.com/food.php

Some out of town friends took me here for my birthday. The place is very small and has that warm/cozy/friendly look about it, which made it extra enticing as we were wandering around in the cold. The waitstaff were very attentive and nice, almost to the point of annoyance (at some point our waiter joined our conversation).

Food-wise, I wasn't blown away. I had the steak-frites, which was well-flavored but not a terribly high quality cut of meat. I guess I shouldn't expect much from steak comboed with french fries... My friend had the lobster, which was served mixed with risotto inside the lobster shell. He said it was pretty decent, although the sauce was a bit too sour. It certainly did look cool.

For dessert, I had an overpriced piece of apple tart, which was a little too tart for my liking. My friends split some kind of chocolate dessert that looked a bit too much like chocolate mousse to not be called chocolate mousse.

Conclusion: The place and food looks great, but the flavors and food quality is just ok. I probably won't go back.