> Gearing up for Fall at Fork
> Special Visitors
> Restaurant Week at Fork
> Thursdays at Fork:etc.
> Featured Fall Wine
> Private Dining
> Just for Theatergoers
> Calendar of Events
> Fall Recipe

Autumn is one of the most exciting times of the year at Fork. As the late summer harvest continues through October and cooler weather settles in, you can be sure that heartier foods will find their way to our menu. But this fall, there’s even more to look forward to. We’ll be holding another fisherman’s trip/dinner on Saturday October 10. Chef Terence Feury, our fishmonger Anthony McCarthy and friends will head out of Atlantic City on a specially chartered boat in pursuit of the Atlantic Ocean’s abundance. Guests will be instructed on cleaning and preparing fresh caught fish. The day culminates upon our return to Philadelphia when Chef Feury prepares your catch for you and a guest. Other fun fall events include an Oktoberfest beer tasting and Beaujolais wine tasting (not nouveau). Additionally, we have an exciting lineup of events and dinners including Japanese chef Hiroko Shimbo — largely regarded as the Julia Child of Japanese Cooking — and the ever-popular Max McCalman from Artisanal Cheese. Details for these events and others are below.

Dinner with Hiroko Shimbo
Thursday, October 8

Our dear friend Hiroko Shimbo, the well-known and widely admired authority on Japanese food, has visited us many times over the years. Still, no matter how often she comes by, we’re always eager to host her again. On October 8, she will be joining us to discuss her books The Sushi Experience and the award-winning cookbook The Japanese Kitchen. The grand finale to the evening will be a special Japanese dinner prepared in partnership with Chef Feury. Cost is $55 per person. Please call to make reservations.

Dinner with Max McCalman
Thursday, October 22

Renowned as one of the cheese world’s living legends, Max dedicates himself to helping others understand and experience the pleasures of artisanal cheeses. His most recent book, Cheese: A Connoisseur’s Guide to the World’s Best earned a 2006 James Beard Foundation Award. His upcoming book, Mastering Cheese: Lessons for Connoisseurship from a Maitre Fromager will be released in time for this holiday season. Get a preview of this book, meet Max and sample a special wine and cheese pairing menu or a special dessert cheese course. Cost is $55 per person for the wine and cheese menu. Our regular menu is also available. Please call for reservations.

Scheduled for September 13–18 and 20–25, we’re offering a three-course menu for $35 per person. This is the perfect opportunity to experience Chef Feury’s masterful menu. Reservations go quickly. Call to make yours today: 215-625-9425.

> See the menu

Every Thursday from 6–7 PM

Sept 24 Local Oktoberfest Beer Tasting, $10
Oct 1 How to Make Your Own Mozzarella, free
Oct 8 Making Sushi with Hiroko Shimbo, free
Oct 15 Pasta Making, free
Oct 22 Max McCalman, Cheese and Wine Pairing, $20
Oct 29 Easy Charcuterie, free
Nov 5 Thanksgiving Holiday Preparations, free
Nov 12 Food Gifts, free
Nov 19 Beaujolais Wine Tasting, $15

Dates and programs may be subject to change.

French Burgundy happens to be one of my personal favorites, but over the past five years, it has been increasingly difficult to find decent, affordable and simple pinot noirs given the exchange rate.

We’ll be featuring a portion of our Burgundy portfolio at our Fall Wine Dinner on November 13. One of my recent favorites — the Bertagna, Les Croix Blanches, Bourgogne, 2006 ($65) a special cuvée sourced by our favorite wine importer Peter Weygandt from Unionville, Chester County, PA. Les Croix Blanches is a regional AOC (Appellation Origine Controlée) wine, comprised of hand-harvested grapes from 35-year old vines. Aged in older barriques, the Bertagna is a lovely but expressive pinot noir that can accompany fish dishes like Chef Feury’s Swordfish with Crispy Red Lentils or lighter meat dishes.
— Roberto Sella

Our Fall Wine Dinner: Great Values in Burgundy Wines is scheduled for November 13. Chef Feury will serve a five-course menu specially paired with a sampling of Burgundy wines from our list. Cost is $100 per person, excluding tax and gratuity. Please call for reservations.

Philadelphia Magazine recently named Fork Best of Philly™ for our value wine list.

Our private dining room is a gorgeous and comfortable place to entertain guests in style. The room is fully equipped with both wireless and wired internet and offers access to audio-visual services. The room is available for break, lunch or dinner. Whatever the event, we’ll make it one to remember. Call to learn about our menu and to make reservations.

We are proud to offer 10% off the food bill for patrons of the Arden Theater Company. The first show of the season is the Tony award-winning History Boys, directed by Terrence J. Nolen. Due to popular demand, we will unofficially open at 5 PM on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so there’s no rush to get to the show on time. We seat until 10:30 PM during the week and 11:30 PM on weekends, so even if you don’t have time before the show, you won’t go hungry.

Grilled Barnegat Light “Pumpkin” Swordfish with Crispy Red Lentils and Ancho Chile Sauce

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year to enjoy the beach, especially Long Beach Island when the summer crowd starts dwindling but the beaches are still warm enough to enjoy. In the fall, our fishmonger, Tony McCarthy, who is based right outside “LBI”, gets fall swordfish from Barnegat Light that are bright orange in color. The color comes from the shellfish the swordfish are eating; there is no pumpkin in the recipe.
— Terence Feury

4 pumpkin swordfish steaks, 6 ounces each
8 ounces red lentils soaked overnight in water
Canola oil for frying
1 orange, segmented
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, leaves only
1 head baby frisée
1 lemon
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Sauce:
2 dried ancho chiles
2 ounces sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup orange juice
2 ounces champagne vinegar
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 cup blended salad oil
water

Soak the chiles and sun-dried tomatoes in hot water until soft, drain and place them in the blender with orange juice, vinegar, coriander and salt. Blend on high speed until very smooth. Add the oil in a steady stream; if it gets too thick, add hot water to thin. Set aside.

In a large sauté pan, heat the oil on medium high heat, drain the lentils very well, then add them in batches and cook until crispy. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Season and grill the swordfish for 2 or 3 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness, until cooked medium. While the swordfish is grilling, mix the oranges with the lemon, olive oil, parsley and baby frisée.

Spoon the lentils onto plates and drizzle the sauce around. Place swordfish on the lentils and top with the orange salad. Serve immediately.

For more cooking ideas, explore our recently published cookbook, Forklore: Recipes and Tales from and American Bistro. Available at forkrestaurant.com