One of those places where the dining experience is completely divorced from the review hype. We went for dinner before the big rush when the place was about one-third full. It took the waiter more than 35-40 minutes to take the order - for anything. No bread, nothing but water, served in the meantime. The staff is obviously primed to push the most expensive prix-fixe menu. Furthermore, the only place on the menu which lists the "signature dish" - the short ribs - is the prix-fixe menu. The short ribs have deliberately been left off the printed list of "entrees." Essentially everyone at the table feels compelled to go the prix-fixe short ribs route. In our case, one person decided they would rather have a different entree and ordered that. Whereupon after the appetizers were served everybody got the short ribs - and the person who ordered the different entree sat there with nothing to eat. The waiter was impossible to flag down. Whenever he could be reached, the answer was "I will ask the kitchen." FORTY-FIVE MINUTES later - after we said if it doesn't come right now, forget about it - the other main course showed up. Everybody else had finished. We asked for a bag to go so everyone else could get the pre-paid (and pre-ordered) desert and leave. Any other respectable establishment would not have charged for that entree. Instead, they automatically added 20% tip. The staff was pompous. The atmosphere was unpleasant. The wait at every step left us miserable and the dinner uncomfortable. And as for those supposedly fabulous short ribs? A serious Jewish cook (they advertise themselves as specialists in "Jewish cuisine") knows they were called "juicy" because they were extremely - and unnecessarily - fatty. Perhaps best described as: fat with some meat attached. And the rest? The so-called "challah rolls" were dry and not served warm. The Macaroon Cake was so dried out, it could have been (likely was) sitting around for days. In other words, this place is an embarrassment for Jewish (and non-Jewish) cooks everywhere. Spare yourself the pain both financially and spiritually and don't go!
Joshua C.
They only have a prix fixe menu. Either $60 or $72 if you want an upgraded smoked short rib. A service charge of 20% is automatically added to your final bill. The food is great! You start out with some delicious rolls that are very crispy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside. You get to choose between 7 appetizers, 5 entrees and 3 desserts. I got the latke fries, which were crispy and amazing, the rye crusted cod, and also the vanilla buckwheat custard. The fries are a winner. Crispy on the outside, yet firm and soft on the inside. There are also 2 dipping sauces that come with it. The crusted cod was amazing. The fish was so juicy and the crust was so creative. It's literally a piece of rye bread if you take a closer look at it. This moist piece of fish was paired with delicious brussels sprouts on the bottom. They also have a cocktail, wine, beer, and zero proof selection. Throughout the meal, amuse bouches were sprinkled throughout the whole meal, so actually it's not just 3 courses but many other pleasant treats inbetween. I was given a borscht tartar and it was delicious!
Morgan McGuire
Beautiful food and amazing service. The Montreal short rib is not to be missed (our table actually cried). The schmaltz rye bread with the chicken liver mousse is special.The service was absolutely impeccable and friendly.
DGR
I hate to write bad reviews but this restaurant did not live up to my expectations. Had it been better I wouldn’t mind the $110 per person price tag. (I did write privately to the restaurant in Resy but they didn’t respond)I want to mention before I go on that the service was excellent.We were 4 people and all did the price fixed menu. To start, the bread was ok. I didn’t care for it, but everyone else ate it.The “salatim” were fair. Nothing like their other restaurants. So unremarkable that I don’t even remember what they were.Then we got the first course. I had the matzo ball soup (as did 2 others). It was definitely a hearty soup with lots veggies and some chicken, but the over powering flavor was salt. The person who had the beets said it was amazing.For the main course, 3 of us got the short rib (spoiler alert: it was hot pastrami) It was, indeed absolutely delicious. The main issue was that they served 3 people on one plate but put it in front of one person. That person thought it was their portion and honestly, it wasn’t so big that it looked like it was meant for 3 people. A third of the plate was a huge plate-sized bone. When he was told it was for 3, it was a little embarrassing. Plus, as friends (and not gf/bf or spouses) it was awkward sharing a few slices of meat between the 3 of us. No one wanted to take an extra slice because there was so little that everyone felt bad. They should have given us each our own plates. The rye bread and mustard were very good. (I thought there was supposed to be another item in the “accoutrement” -slaw??- but there wasn’t.) The other person, who had the chicken entree enjoyed it very much. Her serving was a normal entree size.There were 3 desserts on the menu. Unfortunately, one of the 3 was not available (the pavlova) so we got 2 custards and 2 macaroons. The macaroons were very good but the puddings had some ingredient in it that was awful and no one could eat it. I’m not sure if it went bad or it was just the way it was supposed to be.When the bill came, they had up-charged us $12 each for the short rib choice. That was 20% more than the price shown on the menu. I did complain that wasn’t listed anywhere on the menu and they did remove the up-charge, but I can’t be the first person to tell them that the menu didn’t have the fee on it. I felt like most people probably don’t bother to ask and pay the undisclosed amount. Didn’t sit well with me. Not at all.I’ve been to other Solomonov restaurants many times and have loved them all. (A few are near my office and I enjoy lunch there). This one did not impress. Would never return.
Brian Q.
A wonderful dining experience from one of Chef Solomonov's Philly restaurants. I can't say I've had or remember ever having Israeli/Jewish cuisine but it was an amazing experience! All the dishes were wonderfully flavored and cooked to perfection. It's a pre fixe menu where you choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert. For two people we chose borscht tartare and yellowfin crudo for appetizers. For entrees we chose the flat iron steak and Montreal short ribs. And dessert was vanilla custard and pavlova. The restaurant also provided latke fries on the house as well as Challah rolls and dipping sauces. My favorite dish was the flat iron steak which for a flat iron was super tender and well crusted full of tons of flavor. The short rib was amazing and meant to be built as a sandwich as they provided bread and mustard. Service was top notch and friendly and the ambience was intimate and fairly quiet on a Wednesday night. Not sure if you need reservations as we came on a weekday but worth trying. Definitely an amazing experience and definitely want to try his other locales!
Amanda W.
What a wonderful treat! Not really sure what kind of food it is but more of a fusion-mix. We went with a large group and was able to customize the menu to a family style. We had three different dishes in each of the courses. Before the apps, they had Challah Parker house rolls and little sides from house made eggplant, butter to smear. My only critique is if only the rolls came out hot, it would've been the most perfect roll. However it was cold. From the apps, we had - Latkes, delicious! Fried potato sticks - chicken liver mouse - butter squash salad For entrees, which was a fabulous tasting of their famous dishes included - hot smoked salmon, this dish everyone raved at! Was a spotlight! - famous Montreal smoked short ribs, also another spotlight! Must get! Very tender slices of short rib pieces - pan roasted chicken, which I also loved with perfectly cooked collard greens While all of the apps and entrees took the spotlight once we got to the dessert it was a flop for me. I was not a fan of any of the desserts, could've skipped them. Overall, the service was great, the apps and entrees are the reason to come back.
Mike C.
A Hard no. The premise of high end Jewish Ashkenazi food is intriguing however I feel like we are getting scammed a bit for the price points and the food. Abe Fisher is only offering Prix Fix menu now for either $60 or $72 depending on if you choose the Montreal Smoked Short Ribs. I was the only one from our table of six that went with the Montreal Short ribs as our table was informed if a second person orders the dish it will come on a tray? I specifically chose to come here with under seven people so we did not have to choose from a shortened menu buffet style which was told would be the case if my original party size of ten chose to come here. The ribs were way too seasoned and the dish reminded me of pastrami. I enjoy pastrami but for their priciest and most top end menu option I expected more. and did not enjoy the entree. You get one appetizer with your meal and I asked the server is the Matzoh ball soup really that good to choose for an appetizer? I will disclose at this time I have had some amazing Matzoh ball soups over the years being raised in a Jewish household. Server raved about it and said it is a must get. Well, I am sorry but the Matzoh ball soup at Fourth street Deli in Philly is massively better. The standouts from the appetizers ordered for the table were the Latke Fries. Very good, also very filling. The Parker House Challah Rolls were the best item in the whole experience, another very filling item. They gave our table a free Borscht Tartare which was nice however nothing out of this world. More entrees, Roumanian Flat Iron Steak - the sauce was very good however I can't help to compare steaks at other restaurants in the $60 dollar price point and advise if you want a great steak I would not say O' come to Abe Fisher out of all the great steak houses in town. I had a bite of the Rye Crusted Cod and it was very good, the brussel sprouts were inedible due to the amount of pepper but the dish itself was very good. The Chicken was pink and surprisingly my mom who is a picky eater did not send it back assuming cause there was nothing else on the menu she could replace it with and not wanting to cause a big deal at the table. Desserts - The Pavlova was hard and sticky, meringue like, however it stuck to your teeth and was not pleasant at all. There were NO chocolate options for dessert. Although the Prix Fix menu online reads Chocolate Bundt cake, assuming they did not make enough for everyone that wanted to order it. Macaron Cake looked like a muffin and it was a good after dinner pick me up with coffee. So yeah, all in all I will not be back. Forgot to mention they were supposed to bring me a slice of cake to celebrate my birthday however someone dropped the ball and the waitress brought all of us a glass of ginger soda in its place? If you come here for dinner it is very hit or miss. This one was a miss and being a prix fix restaurant soley now, I will not be back. As always people SYOY!!!
Jane Velasco
My hubby and I tried Israeli food for the first time. Wow, food was amazing! Rebecca, our server, was spectacular. All the staff were very attentive and efficient. I see that there’s teamwork here.It is a Prix Fixe Menu $60 per person. Which is reasonable for what they serve. I ordered chicken liver mouse (YUM!) for my appetizer, salmon with yellow wax beans for my entree, and pavlova for dessert. This was all good. Presentation was superb. I didn’t get to take any pics of our entrees an desserts bc the food was inviting. ?My hubby order, fries latkes for appetizer, Montreal short rib for entree and he had pavlova, as well. Never had latkes like that. So good! The Montreal short rib, melts in your mouth. The cabbage that came with it was delicious.The challah bread that we had with all the little side dishes were delicious.The pavlova is the best we’ve ever had. The lemon curd and with fig marry so well together and the meringue was made to perfection. That alone is a 5 star?For beverage, I ordered a mocktail, Purple Girlfriend & my hubby ordered Sauvignon Blanc (forgot the vineyard’s name). Purple gf was tasty!We will definitely come back again!Thank you Abe Fisher!The pics
Ju L.
Ate dinner at Abe Fisher for the first time a couple of weeks ago and have to say this place doesn't get enough hype for a Mike Solomonov restaurant. The $60 per person prix fixe menu is such a good value and is the only way to order. There is no ala carte option. Each person at the table chooses one appetizer, one entrée, and one dessert. It makes dinner more fun if your entire table shares everything. First to arrive at the table were the Challah Parker House Rolls that come with the tasting menu. These rolls were so fluffy and soft. I love how generous the restaurant was, they gave us two baskets for the 4 of us to share. Next came our appetizers. The Latke Fries and the Chicken Liver Mousse were the favorites. The Borscht Tartare was uninteresting and not very tasty. The Red Snapper Crudo was good but the portions were small. As for the entrees, our table shared the Lamb Loin, Rye Crusted Cod, Flat Iron Steak, and the Hot Smoked Salmon. We enjoyed every single entree, but if we had to choose a favorite, it would be the Rye Crusted Cod, which was prepared perfectly. After devouring the entrees, the 4 of us were super full. Dessert was a little disappointing, but the Vanilla Buckwheat Custard blew me away. It tasted the best of the three desserts offered. Like the other Mike Solomonov restaurants, the wines aren't great. I would stick to the cocktails.
We will travel to Philly only to eat here. Food 5/5 - we stumbled across Abe Fisher on our first visit to Philly in 2020 (pre-Covid), and went back recently after dreaming about that meal for months. While the star of the night was the pastrami-smoked short rib dish, we would be remiss to not speak to the rest of the meal. The latke fries, chicken liver mousse and deconstructed borscht were incredible, and the matzah ball soup was exactly as it should be. Environment 5/5 - we've experienced both the inside of the restaurant pre-Covid and the outdoor seating during the pandemic. We felt very comfortable in both spaces. Service 5/5 - the staff at Abe Fisher are the sweetest. When we confessed to our server that we were torn between a few of the appetizer options, he ended up bringing us all of the options we had mentioned (free of charge), which was such a nice gesture. The second time we went to Abe Fisher, for our anniversary, we were treated to extra complimentary drinks all night. We'll be going back to Philly again soon, if only to go to Abe Fisher once more.
Spencer W.
Reservation at 8 on a Thursday night. They have plenty of outdoor seating so we likely could've came earlier? Did the preset menu with appetizer, entree, and dessert. Got the Fries, Croquette, and Mousse. Wedge Salad complimentary. Fries were the clear winner on average, but most impressive to me is Mousse. Entrees we got the smoked short ribs, lamb loin, and rye crusted cod. My favorite would be the cod. Got one of each dessert. They're all just okay. Overall it's an enjoyable service place. Food is classic good but nothing too innovative or noteworthy.
Sy Hwang
This is my kind of place - they serve food that is relatable and familiar but executed with finesse and a touch of refinement. Everything we had here was remarkably good - the smoked short ribs, red snapper crudo, fried zucchini flower, even the starter challah bread and fixings. Service was impeccable as well. They even got us an extra freebie appetizer, the borscht, and it was delightful. As my wife and I finished our meals and walked out of Abe Fisher, we immediately started getting giddy about what we're going to get next time we come back - if that isn't a sign of a great restaurant, I don't know what is.
K S
After visiting Zahav and Laser Wolf we decided to try Abe Fischer. I find Abe Fischer to be the most tasteful and elegant of the three, with a cozy and composed atmosphere and a coherent menu that is elaborate but it is not rambling. The pickles, rolls and spread that opened our menu were mostly very tasty, all but one that was off-balance with its seasoning. My borscht tartare was only accompanied by even better house-made chips. The latke fries were generous, if somewhat under-seasoned.My Montreal short ribs was melting in my mouth. The freshly-cracked pepper was probably the most aromatic pepper I have ever tasted. My partner's steak was properly cooked to med-rare, although the summer squash that came with it was down in short and acidity, and maybe missing some herbs. The steak sauce was mostly sweet and didn't help.The dessert was exceptional. In all honesty, every single dessert at Zahav, Laser Wolf and Abe Fischer has been exceptional. The texture and taste created a very pleasurable experience in my mouth.For $60pp ($72 for the ribs, the house special) this is very well-priced for what it offers. It offers a unique experience, gastronomically speaking, bringing you in touch with a culinary tradition that it has both regional and global touches (read The Israeli Soul, if you have a chance!). It is better priced that many Michelin star restaurants, and although I find the flavors in Solomonov's restaurants less complex than many Michelin Star equivalents, Solomonov makes sure that YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE HIS PLACE HUGRY. And this is a cultural trait, this is what it means to visit someone's place, at that part of the world.I would visit again.
Andrew F.
Whoa. Don't know where to start, but can easily say this is one of the best meals I've had. Three course prefix with amuse-bouche sprinkled in throughout the meal, amazing start. Upscale Ashkenazi food? Out of this world. Coming from NYC, I can safely say there's nothing that replicates this. The cocktails were tasty and totally fit the vibe. If the chic, upscale vibe wasn't enough, the waitstaff was top notch. Friendly, personal experience that really put the bow on this meal. Can safely say this is the top of my recommendation list for anyone visiting/living in Philly. Treat yourself!
amazing happy hr!
One of those places where the dining experience is completely divorced from the review hype. We went for dinner before the big rush when the place was about one-third full. It took the waiter more than 35-40 minutes to take the order - for anything. No bread, nothing but water, served in the meantime. The staff is obviously primed to push the most expensive prix-fixe menu. Furthermore, the only place on the menu which lists the "signature dish" - the short ribs - is the prix-fixe menu. The short ribs have deliberately been left off the printed list of "entrees." Essentially everyone at the table feels compelled to go the prix-fixe short ribs route. In our case, one person decided they would rather have a different entree and ordered that. Whereupon after the appetizers were served everybody got the short ribs - and the person who ordered the different entree sat there with nothing to eat. The waiter was impossible to flag down. Whenever he could be reached, the answer was "I will ask the kitchen." FORTY-FIVE MINUTES later - after we said if it doesn't come right now, forget about it - the other main course showed up. Everybody else had finished. We asked for a bag to go so everyone else could get the pre-paid (and pre-ordered) desert and leave. Any other respectable establishment would not have charged for that entree. Instead, they automatically added 20% tip. The staff was pompous. The atmosphere was unpleasant. The wait at every step left us miserable and the dinner uncomfortable. And as for those supposedly fabulous short ribs? A serious Jewish cook (they advertise themselves as specialists in "Jewish cuisine") knows they were called "juicy" because they were extremely - and unnecessarily - fatty. Perhaps best described as: fat with some meat attached. And the rest? The so-called "challah rolls" were dry and not served warm. The Macaroon Cake was so dried out, it could have been (likely was) sitting around for days. In other words, this place is an embarrassment for Jewish (and non-Jewish) cooks everywhere. Spare yourself the pain both financially and spiritually and don't go!
They only have a prix fixe menu. Either $60 or $72 if you want an upgraded smoked short rib. A service charge of 20% is automatically added to your final bill. The food is great! You start out with some delicious rolls that are very crispy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside. You get to choose between 7 appetizers, 5 entrees and 3 desserts. I got the latke fries, which were crispy and amazing, the rye crusted cod, and also the vanilla buckwheat custard. The fries are a winner. Crispy on the outside, yet firm and soft on the inside. There are also 2 dipping sauces that come with it. The crusted cod was amazing. The fish was so juicy and the crust was so creative. It's literally a piece of rye bread if you take a closer look at it. This moist piece of fish was paired with delicious brussels sprouts on the bottom. They also have a cocktail, wine, beer, and zero proof selection. Throughout the meal, amuse bouches were sprinkled throughout the whole meal, so actually it's not just 3 courses but many other pleasant treats inbetween. I was given a borscht tartar and it was delicious!
Beautiful food and amazing service. The Montreal short rib is not to be missed (our table actually cried). The schmaltz rye bread with the chicken liver mousse is special.The service was absolutely impeccable and friendly.
I hate to write bad reviews but this restaurant did not live up to my expectations. Had it been better I wouldn’t mind the $110 per person price tag. (I did write privately to the restaurant in Resy but they didn’t respond)I want to mention before I go on that the service was excellent.We were 4 people and all did the price fixed menu. To start, the bread was ok. I didn’t care for it, but everyone else ate it.The “salatim” were fair. Nothing like their other restaurants. So unremarkable that I don’t even remember what they were.Then we got the first course. I had the matzo ball soup (as did 2 others). It was definitely a hearty soup with lots veggies and some chicken, but the over powering flavor was salt. The person who had the beets said it was amazing.For the main course, 3 of us got the short rib (spoiler alert: it was hot pastrami) It was, indeed absolutely delicious. The main issue was that they served 3 people on one plate but put it in front of one person. That person thought it was their portion and honestly, it wasn’t so big that it looked like it was meant for 3 people. A third of the plate was a huge plate-sized bone. When he was told it was for 3, it was a little embarrassing. Plus, as friends (and not gf/bf or spouses) it was awkward sharing a few slices of meat between the 3 of us. No one wanted to take an extra slice because there was so little that everyone felt bad. They should have given us each our own plates. The rye bread and mustard were very good. (I thought there was supposed to be another item in the “accoutrement” -slaw??- but there wasn’t.) The other person, who had the chicken entree enjoyed it very much. Her serving was a normal entree size.There were 3 desserts on the menu. Unfortunately, one of the 3 was not available (the pavlova) so we got 2 custards and 2 macaroons. The macaroons were very good but the puddings had some ingredient in it that was awful and no one could eat it. I’m not sure if it went bad or it was just the way it was supposed to be.When the bill came, they had up-charged us $12 each for the short rib choice. That was 20% more than the price shown on the menu. I did complain that wasn’t listed anywhere on the menu and they did remove the up-charge, but I can’t be the first person to tell them that the menu didn’t have the fee on it. I felt like most people probably don’t bother to ask and pay the undisclosed amount. Didn’t sit well with me. Not at all.I’ve been to other Solomonov restaurants many times and have loved them all. (A few are near my office and I enjoy lunch there). This one did not impress. Would never return.
A wonderful dining experience from one of Chef Solomonov's Philly restaurants. I can't say I've had or remember ever having Israeli/Jewish cuisine but it was an amazing experience! All the dishes were wonderfully flavored and cooked to perfection. It's a pre fixe menu where you choose an appetizer, entree, and dessert. For two people we chose borscht tartare and yellowfin crudo for appetizers. For entrees we chose the flat iron steak and Montreal short ribs. And dessert was vanilla custard and pavlova. The restaurant also provided latke fries on the house as well as Challah rolls and dipping sauces. My favorite dish was the flat iron steak which for a flat iron was super tender and well crusted full of tons of flavor. The short rib was amazing and meant to be built as a sandwich as they provided bread and mustard. Service was top notch and friendly and the ambience was intimate and fairly quiet on a Wednesday night. Not sure if you need reservations as we came on a weekday but worth trying. Definitely an amazing experience and definitely want to try his other locales!
What a wonderful treat! Not really sure what kind of food it is but more of a fusion-mix. We went with a large group and was able to customize the menu to a family style. We had three different dishes in each of the courses. Before the apps, they had Challah Parker house rolls and little sides from house made eggplant, butter to smear. My only critique is if only the rolls came out hot, it would've been the most perfect roll. However it was cold. From the apps, we had - Latkes, delicious! Fried potato sticks - chicken liver mouse - butter squash salad For entrees, which was a fabulous tasting of their famous dishes included - hot smoked salmon, this dish everyone raved at! Was a spotlight! - famous Montreal smoked short ribs, also another spotlight! Must get! Very tender slices of short rib pieces - pan roasted chicken, which I also loved with perfectly cooked collard greens While all of the apps and entrees took the spotlight once we got to the dessert it was a flop for me. I was not a fan of any of the desserts, could've skipped them. Overall, the service was great, the apps and entrees are the reason to come back.
A Hard no. The premise of high end Jewish Ashkenazi food is intriguing however I feel like we are getting scammed a bit for the price points and the food. Abe Fisher is only offering Prix Fix menu now for either $60 or $72 depending on if you choose the Montreal Smoked Short Ribs. I was the only one from our table of six that went with the Montreal Short ribs as our table was informed if a second person orders the dish it will come on a tray? I specifically chose to come here with under seven people so we did not have to choose from a shortened menu buffet style which was told would be the case if my original party size of ten chose to come here. The ribs were way too seasoned and the dish reminded me of pastrami. I enjoy pastrami but for their priciest and most top end menu option I expected more. and did not enjoy the entree. You get one appetizer with your meal and I asked the server is the Matzoh ball soup really that good to choose for an appetizer? I will disclose at this time I have had some amazing Matzoh ball soups over the years being raised in a Jewish household. Server raved about it and said it is a must get. Well, I am sorry but the Matzoh ball soup at Fourth street Deli in Philly is massively better. The standouts from the appetizers ordered for the table were the Latke Fries. Very good, also very filling. The Parker House Challah Rolls were the best item in the whole experience, another very filling item. They gave our table a free Borscht Tartare which was nice however nothing out of this world. More entrees, Roumanian Flat Iron Steak - the sauce was very good however I can't help to compare steaks at other restaurants in the $60 dollar price point and advise if you want a great steak I would not say O' come to Abe Fisher out of all the great steak houses in town. I had a bite of the Rye Crusted Cod and it was very good, the brussel sprouts were inedible due to the amount of pepper but the dish itself was very good. The Chicken was pink and surprisingly my mom who is a picky eater did not send it back assuming cause there was nothing else on the menu she could replace it with and not wanting to cause a big deal at the table. Desserts - The Pavlova was hard and sticky, meringue like, however it stuck to your teeth and was not pleasant at all. There were NO chocolate options for dessert. Although the Prix Fix menu online reads Chocolate Bundt cake, assuming they did not make enough for everyone that wanted to order it. Macaron Cake looked like a muffin and it was a good after dinner pick me up with coffee. So yeah, all in all I will not be back. Forgot to mention they were supposed to bring me a slice of cake to celebrate my birthday however someone dropped the ball and the waitress brought all of us a glass of ginger soda in its place? If you come here for dinner it is very hit or miss. This one was a miss and being a prix fix restaurant soley now, I will not be back. As always people SYOY!!!
My hubby and I tried Israeli food for the first time. Wow, food was amazing! Rebecca, our server, was spectacular. All the staff were very attentive and efficient. I see that there’s teamwork here.It is a Prix Fixe Menu $60 per person. Which is reasonable for what they serve. I ordered chicken liver mouse (YUM!) for my appetizer, salmon with yellow wax beans for my entree, and pavlova for dessert. This was all good. Presentation was superb. I didn’t get to take any pics of our entrees an desserts bc the food was inviting. ?My hubby order, fries latkes for appetizer, Montreal short rib for entree and he had pavlova, as well. Never had latkes like that. So good! The Montreal short rib, melts in your mouth. The cabbage that came with it was delicious.The challah bread that we had with all the little side dishes were delicious.The pavlova is the best we’ve ever had. The lemon curd and with fig marry so well together and the meringue was made to perfection. That alone is a 5 star?For beverage, I ordered a mocktail, Purple Girlfriend & my hubby ordered Sauvignon Blanc (forgot the vineyard’s name). Purple gf was tasty!We will definitely come back again!Thank you Abe Fisher!The pics
Ate dinner at Abe Fisher for the first time a couple of weeks ago and have to say this place doesn't get enough hype for a Mike Solomonov restaurant. The $60 per person prix fixe menu is such a good value and is the only way to order. There is no ala carte option. Each person at the table chooses one appetizer, one entrée, and one dessert. It makes dinner more fun if your entire table shares everything. First to arrive at the table were the Challah Parker House Rolls that come with the tasting menu. These rolls were so fluffy and soft. I love how generous the restaurant was, they gave us two baskets for the 4 of us to share. Next came our appetizers. The Latke Fries and the Chicken Liver Mousse were the favorites. The Borscht Tartare was uninteresting and not very tasty. The Red Snapper Crudo was good but the portions were small. As for the entrees, our table shared the Lamb Loin, Rye Crusted Cod, Flat Iron Steak, and the Hot Smoked Salmon. We enjoyed every single entree, but if we had to choose a favorite, it would be the Rye Crusted Cod, which was prepared perfectly. After devouring the entrees, the 4 of us were super full. Dessert was a little disappointing, but the Vanilla Buckwheat Custard blew me away. It tasted the best of the three desserts offered. Like the other Mike Solomonov restaurants, the wines aren't great. I would stick to the cocktails.
Restaurantji Recommends
We will travel to Philly only to eat here. Food 5/5 - we stumbled across Abe Fisher on our first visit to Philly in 2020 (pre-Covid), and went back recently after dreaming about that meal for months. While the star of the night was the pastrami-smoked short rib dish, we would be remiss to not speak to the rest of the meal. The latke fries, chicken liver mousse and deconstructed borscht were incredible, and the matzah ball soup was exactly as it should be. Environment 5/5 - we've experienced both the inside of the restaurant pre-Covid and the outdoor seating during the pandemic. We felt very comfortable in both spaces. Service 5/5 - the staff at Abe Fisher are the sweetest. When we confessed to our server that we were torn between a few of the appetizer options, he ended up bringing us all of the options we had mentioned (free of charge), which was such a nice gesture. The second time we went to Abe Fisher, for our anniversary, we were treated to extra complimentary drinks all night. We'll be going back to Philly again soon, if only to go to Abe Fisher once more.
Reservation at 8 on a Thursday night. They have plenty of outdoor seating so we likely could've came earlier? Did the preset menu with appetizer, entree, and dessert. Got the Fries, Croquette, and Mousse. Wedge Salad complimentary. Fries were the clear winner on average, but most impressive to me is Mousse. Entrees we got the smoked short ribs, lamb loin, and rye crusted cod. My favorite would be the cod. Got one of each dessert. They're all just okay. Overall it's an enjoyable service place. Food is classic good but nothing too innovative or noteworthy.
This is my kind of place - they serve food that is relatable and familiar but executed with finesse and a touch of refinement. Everything we had here was remarkably good - the smoked short ribs, red snapper crudo, fried zucchini flower, even the starter challah bread and fixings. Service was impeccable as well. They even got us an extra freebie appetizer, the borscht, and it was delightful. As my wife and I finished our meals and walked out of Abe Fisher, we immediately started getting giddy about what we're going to get next time we come back - if that isn't a sign of a great restaurant, I don't know what is.
After visiting Zahav and Laser Wolf we decided to try Abe Fischer. I find Abe Fischer to be the most tasteful and elegant of the three, with a cozy and composed atmosphere and a coherent menu that is elaborate but it is not rambling. The pickles, rolls and spread that opened our menu were mostly very tasty, all but one that was off-balance with its seasoning. My borscht tartare was only accompanied by even better house-made chips. The latke fries were generous, if somewhat under-seasoned.My Montreal short ribs was melting in my mouth. The freshly-cracked pepper was probably the most aromatic pepper I have ever tasted. My partner's steak was properly cooked to med-rare, although the summer squash that came with it was down in short and acidity, and maybe missing some herbs. The steak sauce was mostly sweet and didn't help.The dessert was exceptional. In all honesty, every single dessert at Zahav, Laser Wolf and Abe Fischer has been exceptional. The texture and taste created a very pleasurable experience in my mouth.For $60pp ($72 for the ribs, the house special) this is very well-priced for what it offers. It offers a unique experience, gastronomically speaking, bringing you in touch with a culinary tradition that it has both regional and global touches (read The Israeli Soul, if you have a chance!). It is better priced that many Michelin star restaurants, and although I find the flavors in Solomonov's restaurants less complex than many Michelin Star equivalents, Solomonov makes sure that YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE HIS PLACE HUGRY. And this is a cultural trait, this is what it means to visit someone's place, at that part of the world.I would visit again.
Whoa. Don't know where to start, but can easily say this is one of the best meals I've had. Three course prefix with amuse-bouche sprinkled in throughout the meal, amazing start. Upscale Ashkenazi food? Out of this world. Coming from NYC, I can safely say there's nothing that replicates this. The cocktails were tasty and totally fit the vibe. If the chic, upscale vibe wasn't enough, the waitstaff was top notch. Friendly, personal experience that really put the bow on this meal. Can safely say this is the top of my recommendation list for anyone visiting/living in Philly. Treat yourself!