I woke up late on Thursday and after my run went straight for the conference where coffee flowed freely. Still a bit ‘off’ from the prior day, the bottomless coffee was a nice touch, – a nice touch, but never one to suffer conference food lunch was planned – a somewhat last minute decision to visit Fountain at the Four Seasons based on its sterling reputation and my nice experience at Swann Lounge two nights prior…to say the least, this decision was less than inspired.
Arriving at the restaurant within a hotel just after noon to find the dining room approximately a quarter full it would be mere moments before I was led to my seat by the pleasant hostess, yet nearly ten before my server – a man named Deryl – arrived to fill water and offer a wine/cocktail menu that I perused but passed on. Whether understaffed or simply poor service, especially considering the price point and reputation, it would be another five minutes before someone arrived and dropped off a cheddar cheese roll on a small plate; my ‘bread plate’ with butter knife sitting to my left wondering why it was there. Minding you that I did not even have a menu yet I tried the roll – it was fine, rife with characteristic cheddar notes and flaky like a biscuit…sort of like a Cheddar Bay Biscuit from Red Lobster, but (bearing in mind I haven’t been there since I was a teen) not as memorable.
With water empty Deryl returned with the menu, collected the empty bread plate, and returned later to take my order…water still empty prompting me to request a refill. At this point I honestly considered getting up and walking out, but I presumed the food might make up for it and ordered three appetizers plus a dessert; having heard that if the soufflé was excellent but required advanced notice. With a ‘very good’ Deryl departed and although I saw him tending to a table across the way he did not return until dessert was served – the back waiters doing all the work (and refilling water much more efficiently,) though my confused bread plate sat empty.
A nice space – light woods, large windows, and sturdy tables made of darker woods – Fountain was pleasant enough as men in suits dined on salads and talked business, but without a doubt a ‘hotel’ restaurant it was largely nondescript and given the lulls between courses rather dull for a party of one – a situation not improved by my first course, the (perhaps appropriately so) dull “Matzo Ball Soup with Amish Chicken Consomme, Tricolor Carrots, Rooftop Parsley.” Starting first with the dumplings – toothsome and a bit salty but without much character – and moving on to the bland stock, the highlight of this dish was the carrots, small nubs made with a melon baller and all quite sweet. The chicken? It was shredded and inconsequential.
Arriving together, my second course consisted of two plates most certainly better than the soup; the first one good and the other simply ‘not bad.’ Beginning first with a long plate of snappy tempura fried wild rock shrimp paired with avocado, yuzu, and Sriracha remoulade, everything on the plate was quite fresh and the kitchen did an admirable job of matching the sweetness of the shellfish with heat and sour while the avocado provided a smooth vegetal balance – a good dish, though admittedly a bit pricey at $16.
Moving next to the “Smoked Ham and Spring Leek Risotto with Sunny Up Duck Egg and Chili Oil,” much like the soup it was simply astounding how bland the dish was – the pork lacking expected salinity, the egg slightly overcooked, and only the leeks and a bit of spice detectable over rice that was appropriately creamy with pleasant toothsomeness, but not particularly interesting despite serving as the base to some of my favorite ingredients.
With the meal dragging on and my palate largely not amused Deryl did at last return with the “signature” Fountain Chocolate Souffle with Crème Chantilly, a tall and proud version of the classic rife with bitter chocolate notes, dusted with powdered sugar, and accompanied by a sidecar of rich crème Chantilly. Light and fluffy, moist but not wet, and sweet without being ‘sugary’ it was textbook – the best $15 of the meal, though certainly not on the same level as the soufflé at LaCroix at the Rittenhouse.
With the tab presented – nearly $75 after taxes and an appropriately modest tip – I made my way to the doors where I was met by the hostess who asked me how the meal went and although I try not to complain too much I figured she should know that the food was bland and the service far less than befitting their price tag or location…an statement to which she responded “oh, well I’m sorry to hear that…but I trust the soufflé was good?” “Sure,” I said “but not good enough to bring me back” as I walked out the door…
…and straight to the Reading Terminal Market for an item 1/10 the price and at least ten times as good as anything I had at Fountain; Tommy DiNic’s Roast Pork Sandwich with Broccoli Rabe and Sharp Provolone – a nearly perfect creation starting with a roll that is crisp on the exterior and a perfect sponge within, pork that is smoky and savory without being over seasoned, and the pairing of bitter rabe with biting sharp provolone each serving not only to balance the other, but also to highlight the flavors of the pork. Considered by some to be the best sandwich in America but for my dollar not quite as wowing as the Gustaio at Paesano’s (or the Porchetta at Roli Roti in San Francisco for that matter) this is still a sandwich well worth the half hour wait.
