Gilmore's Restaurant - Best of Philly


					50 Restaurants We Love (And Why We Love Them) January 2006 French/New American At this elegant BYOB, Peter Gilmore reprises crowd-pleasing dishes he cooked as chef de cuisine at Le Bec-Fin – escargots in garlic butter with hazelnuts, lobster bisque, crabcakes bound with shrimp mousse. But he's also making contemporary treats that Escoffier never dreamed of, such as foie gras pizza, and batter-dipped shrimp "corn dogs" with three dipping sauces. Chef's favorite dish: Foie gras pizza with puff pastry crust, asiago cheese, caramelized onions and reduced balsamic vinegar drizzle. Critic's favorite dish: Butter-poached lobster tail. Dinner for two: $110 Vibe: Le Bec-Fin style at half the price. Summer Food 2005 July 2005 Tomato carpaccio doesn't come any fresher than this: Chef-owner Peter Gilmore grows the basil and the green, white, red and purple tomatoes in a garden behind his beautifully appointed townhouse restaurant in the heart of West Chester. Sautéed jumbo sea scallops over braised short ribs and creamy polenta sounds wintry, but its Provençal tomato and olive sauce evokes Nice, not November. And it matters not whether the soft-shell crabs are sautéed, or dipped in tempura batter and flash-fried, because Gilmore's 22 years of experience as chef de cuisine at Le Bec-Fin assures that they arrive in style. Dress up a little – a meal here is a special occasion. Worth noting: Tuesdays through Thursdays are the best nights for spontaneous reservations. Dinner for two: About $135