Gayle

This place was perfect.

Gayle will be serving its last dinner on September 4^th. GO NOW, enjoy this amazingly crafted food and bid adieu to this lovely BYOB.
Thanks to Michael M.‘s review and notice that Gayle was to close, I quickly made a reservation and had dinner here last night. I don’t know why it took so long to finally eat here — and I truly regret not doing it sooner.
I had the five course tasting menu (after it was recommended by a fellow diner) — and at $ 75 (yes — this place is on the pricier side) — it was worth every penny. If the weather permits, sit in the back patio.
Service was attentive, so polite, engaging and knowledgeable — it was the cherry on our delicious dining sundae. Because I made the culinary oversight of not eating here sooner, I thought it best to try out the tasting menu to really experience what the kitchen could do — I’m so glad that I did.
It began with a goat cheese, pesto and beet amuse-​bouche, bread hot from the oven with homemade garlicky butter. First, a summery gazpacho, with two jumbo poached shrimp and a summer salad served on top. Followed by a perfectly cooked slice ahi tuna on a bed of leek basmati herb rice, a side of tuna tartare and a curry ice cream. Third course, came in the form of an expertly cooked beef tenderloin with fresh sweet corn fricassé, chanterelles, fingerling potatoes. Fourth course, le fromage — a pungent stinky brie, baguette slice, cherries and leafy greens. Our dinner came to a refreshing end with a summer soup (too many ingredients to list here!) along with brownie and angel macadamia cake bites. In all, it was perfection and something I won’t get the chance to experience again.
So go. Now. Before it’s too late. You won’t regret it.

so sad:
GAYLE TO CLOSE
PHILADELPHIA (August 13, 2009) — After five successful years, Daniel Stern’s Gayle restaurant will close its doors after dinner service on Friday, September 4. Daniel Stern Restaurants (DSR) decided not to renew the lease, which is up this fall, to focus on its two imminent openings, MidAtlantic (slated to open in September) and R2L (slated to open in November).
«While this is certainly a bittersweet decision, we have some very exciting projects to focus on in the immediate future,» Chef Stern says. «The elements that made Gayle so beloved will definitely play major roles in our new restaurants.»
Stern received much acclaim for creative and innovative interpretations of American cuisine at his Philadelphia restaurants Gayle and Rae. Stern will continue his tradition of blending bold cuisine with dynamic spaces when he brings two exciting new projects, MidAtlantic and R2L to Philadelphia this fall.

UPDATE: Can’t believe Gayle is about to close. Very sad. I will certainly check out Daniel Stern’s new restaurants and hope he creates some new magic…
Gayle is one of the best restaurants in the Philly area — no doubt. Chef Daniel Stern prepares really unusual, innovative dishes, often «deconstructing» traditional dishes or putting an entirely new twist on them. Certain dishes are «standards» and others come and go., The veal stew is superb, as is the «steak and potatoes.» Names of dishes do not do them justice: wait for the waiter’s detailed description before deciding. Wait staff extremely knowledgeable and well-​trained — great customer service. Restaurant has now gone fully BYOB, which is great if you like wine — not so great if you don’t know or forget to bring wine with you (or want a cocktail). Place is very small so reservations highly recommended. In the winter make sure you don’t get the table right in front of the door (as we did once) — very drafty!

I want to like this quaint restaurant off of South Street so much but my meals failed to impress me the two times I dined here. The friendly service is better than the food.
If you are looking for de/​re — constructed food this is the place to go.
The shepherd’s pie was a great concept but the fillet was tough and fatty. This was the worst dish I’ve had here. The side of brussel sprouts with the venison were way too rich.

Truly amazingly delicious. The boy and I went for a *special occasion* on Thursday night and sat in the court yard. It was like being in a different world. And the food was unbelievable. We sat next to a pair of skeptics worried about «deconstructed American inspired cuisine» and they were gushing by the end of the meal as well.
But what throws Gayle over the top was the service. Amazing, kinda people that were never flustered, excited to tell you about dishes and comfortably chatty.

I have to give major props to my bf for finding this place and making reservations all on his own. Usually I’m the one finding places to eat and dragging him everywhere. But Gayle was way better than I expected.
I loved the outdoor seating and the BYOB service here. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. We shared a few appetizers, which were all deeelicious. especially the truffle mac n cheese.

don’t be fooled by their website.
it’s simple, it doesn’t say much, and you think… their top seller is veal stew… wtf?
but you walk into this cute little restaurant with peaceful green walls, and you know you are in for a treat.
oh my goodness. the menu is constantly changing and uses fresh fun ingredients. each bite (of any dish you choose, i swear) is a little taste explosion in your mouth. go go go, so it won’t close down like rae did!
and now that it’s byo, there is seriously, no reason for anybody to not try it.

A quaint bistro tucked into Queen Village with intimate tables and an attentive wait staff made for a lovely evening. One of the owners greeted us on our way in and offered us a free glass of champagne. There was a special tasting menu that we tried, complete with sparkling wine pairings, which gave the chef freedom to experiment and it was fantastically successful. Each course was large enough that you felt satisfied at meal’s end, but not so large that you were overstuffed or didn’t have room for the ones towards the end. The staff were very accommodating and helpful with their knowledge of the food. Manhattan’s were particularly delicious there! I have to go back to try the rest of the menu and when it’s warmer to try the outdoor patio. Gayle’s is a MUST try, especially if you are looking for the small local restaurant jewel in a world of chains.

Last night’s dinner at Gayle with Frank and Sandy was very nice. We each had the eight-​course Chef’s Tasting Menu that included Gayle Clam Chowder, a combo plate of raw oyster, smoked salmon, foie gras torchon, and cucumber soda, Sweetbreads with Dates and Carmelized Onions, Seared Ahi Tuna with Curry Ice Cream and Basmati Rice topped with Tuna Tartare (totally yummy), Beef Tenderloin and Shepherd’s Pie, Veal Stew, French Cheddar with Chocolate Sauce, an intermezzo of strawberry and basil sorbet, and a dessert called Breakfast. The dessert bears special mention because the chef likes to give all of his dishes interesting names that give you just a hint of what the dish is really like. For example, Breakfast gives you a slice of white chocolate French toast that is more like a moist cake sitting in a sea of maple syrup topped with a scoop of white chocolate ice cream that looks like an overeasy egg. The Shepard’s Pie is a cylinder of potato with minced beef in its core and topped with a potato dumpling. The Veal Stew, the dish that won Chef Daniel Stern many awards, was a plate of four different preparations of veal, including breast of veal, veal tenderloin, veal tongue, and veal mousse dumpling. But the dish that solidified the chef’s genius to me was the Seared Ahi Tuna with Curry Ice Cream and Basmati Rice topped with Tuna Tartare. It is a pregnant woman’s dream dish and there I sat fat and happy enjoying the chef’s latest culinary creation as it warmed my belly! The only dish that was weak for me was the Gayle Clam Chowder, which I found to be too salty. Prior to our courses, we were presented with an amuse-​bouche, a delicious little red beet and goat cheese salad, and after our courses, we were given petit fours of tiny diced brownies. As the New York Times says, «This type of eating isn’t for everyone, but for the adventuresome gourmet, it’s sheer, stylish delight.» This is the type of meal I often dream about with its multiple layers of complexity and boldness of style in morphing old classics that leaves you happy to entrust the whims of an experienced chef who was once the head chef at Le Bec-​Fin.

Simply fantastic. The food, the ambiance, the service — was exquisite. I really cannot say enough about my experience at Gayle. The food was just marvelous. My friend and I went on a random weeknight. The waiter was so enthusiastic about the food, and guided us through choosing the chef’s take on «meat and potatoes» and the tuna entrée that night. The service was polite, always careful not to interrupt our conversation. The food changes from week to week here, ensuring a surprise each time you return. The scallop appetizer was simply delicious — and presented beautifully. Amazing date spot — and Thursdays are BYOB nights. Ambiance is refined yet comfortable and casual, with family photos of the chef’s on the walls surrounding you as you dine. It really does not get any better than Gayle — one of the best culinary experiences I’ve had in Philly thus far.

This tiny mecca of impeccable food from a driven chef and inscrutable menu begat the cavernous Rae in the CIRA center. You can have fun and play the menu game and try to figure out what master chef Daniel Stern is trying to say, or you can just leave it up to him or his chef de cuisine to deliver what they see fit. Either way, you will be treated to exquisite food; some done in ways you could never imagine. Don’t miss a shot at this extraordinary restaurant.

very unique dinner… i would give 3 ½ stars, but since Unilocal only goes in whole stars i’m really torn between the 3 and 4. chef’s creativity was top-​notch, however the value wasn’t quite there so i’ve got to go with 3. every bit of the dining experience was pretty much flawless, except our (pricey!) food just wasn’t… well… didn’t leave me with the that «i’m stuffed but i can’t stop eating this dish» feeling. it was just: meticulously well-​cooked food. but it missed a savory element somewhere. i can’t explain it any better than that, so i hope that makes sense.
anyway, i started with a lobster roll which was really the best part of dinner. but who doesn’t love lobster and mayo and white bread? cute little presentation and the fries were a nice touch. honestly this would make a good entrée, though it’s listed a starter. the SO had a beet salad — and considering i don’t even care for beets, this was pretty good, with beets done several ways, some tasty micro greens, and a really good dressing. for my main was a trout done a couple ways, poached and as tartare. tartare was excellent with a weird little red onion marshmallow. poached version (the majority of the dish) was decent but not my cup o tea, personally. trout isn’t a particularly interesting fish IMO, so i was interested to see what they did with it, even tho i knew better. but i was impressed with the tartare, definitely. the SO had a venison dish, which i don’t eat. it came 4 or 5 different ways, a LOT of meat. a couple were reported as great, a couple were left on the plate.
this place is PRICEY. i’m OK with the occasional expensive restaurant, but i only tend to mention price as a negative when the food value doesn’t seem in line with the prices. i think they were a bit high. while the food was good, it wouldn’t make my ‘come back on a special occasion’ list… however the prices won’t let me come back for anything else. very creative concept, though, and i’m glad i got to try it. a little worried for them, tho: on a friday evening, it was empty. poor place.

I still have dreams about the steak I had here (cue salivary glands). Small place, lovely. Nice wine list and beautiful food. Outdoor patio is great in the warmer weather.

Decided to try this restaurant since Ansill on the corner happened to be closed that day. The cost was a bit pricey but definitely worth the splurge. Although the menu can be somewhat mystifying, our server was more than happy to provide further elaboration. The food was delicious, although a tad bit too salty for some dishes. Nonetheless, it was a delicious meal that may very well be revisited in the future. The atmosphere was cozy and simple, definitely worth the visit.

I went this place walking by it, turned out when we walked in that friends of ours we there eating and it was one of their favorite restaurants, food was well prepared by the fellow Red-​Beard, service was great also (I tend to be a casual dresser and could come off as out of place even though Im not) but the server was friendly and helpful
will be back for sure to this place

Owned and operated by the very talented Daniel Stern, formerly of Le Bec-​Fin and the one responsible for getting their 4^th star back in the Michelin Guide Book. Being in Queens Village makes parking very difficult so take a cab or walk it, it’s worth it. Everything there is phenomenal, especially the risotto fingers! Chef Stern also, like Bliss does small portions, but his are priced accordingly. Do not be misled by the titles of the dishes; Shepard’s Pie is not literally pie and the Surf and Turf is not exactly the traditional filet and lobster. It’s close to what you’d expect but with a little Stern twist… you’ll see! Recently, Chef Stern opened up a bigger and more luxurious location called Rae in the lobby of the Cira Center near 30^th Street Station. The best happy hour on Friday night with free valet. It is large, fun and happening. It is much more of a «scene» then Gayle. The food tends to be a bit more casual and unique. It depends on the atmosphere you are looking for, casual and quaint or high energy and funky