Historic Building in Philadelphia Becomes M Restaurant

Built in 1787, the Morris House Hotel is a stunning little boutique hotel right off of Washington Square West. With 15 rooms facing a lovingly restored courtyard, it is tony choice for travelers interested in an upscale hotel experience in our historic little hamlet. For the locals, The Morris also links with the new Restaurant M, a "New American" eatery that opened up in May.

Under the auspices of Chef David Katz, owners Gene Lefevre and Michael DiPaolo have created a cozy and comfortable restaurant in the reawakening Wash West neighborhood. The interior is simple, intimate, and minimalist. The space is tiny, with room for 30 to 40 people. Courtyard seating is available, and while it was too chilly for us to sit under the stars, the secret garden atmosphere would be our first choice any time. With just a small kitchen at his disposal, Chef Katz has a new menu almost nightly, rotating the choices frequently to avoid customer fatigue. M plans on doubling Katz's kitchen in March, so expect a more fully flushed menu by springtime.

M has an impressive wine list and a fully stocked bar, all priced reasonably. Wine is served by bottle or glass, with several options to meet all tastes and pocketbooks. Dinner packages and tasting menus can be completed with wine options as well.

To start the meal off, we were brought two small amuse bouche. The roquefort cheese over a lightly baked puff pastry melted in the mouth. For our first courses, we chose the Crispy Duck Confit ($11), perfectly cooked bird with a slight orange taste and a bite of hazelnut. We also had a plate of the Braised Beef Short Rib ($13), tender beef lying on a delicious mount of fregola sarda, porcini and slow cooked onions.

Within a few minutes of cleaning our first course plates, our second servings arrived. Pan Roasted Steelhead Salmon ($24) was a perfect cut of fish, wonderfully roasted with a fresh golden flavor, gorgeously plated with new potatoes, chorizo, tomato confit and smoked paprika oil. My companion had the Flat Iron Steak ($28), a moist and tender bit of beef that exploded with strong flavors. The accompanying carmelized Brussels and truffle-white polenta blended nicely with the beef flavors. Thanks to the intimate setting, we struck up conversations with the tables to the left and right. The right reported the Japanese Black Bass might have been the best catch they had ever had, and the left raved about the Sautéed Boneless Lamb Rack ($33), tender with a slight hint of vanilla.

For dessert we had the Flourless Chocolate Tort ($8) and the Banana Crème Brulee ($8). The tort was served with a scoop of tangerine sorbet, which wouldn't have been our choice-but the fruity taste contrasted the deep chocolate nicely. The Crème Brulee was perfect, with a refreshing but not overpowering taste of monkeyshine.

Restaurant M is the perfect spot for a quiet and relaxed dinner with a special somebody or a small party. If you have 8 friends, we recommend thinking about renting the private dining area, which is the restored 18thy century library. A five course menu tasting is available for an entire party of four and under in the dining room ($55), and M plans to have special 5 course dinners on New Year's Eve and Valentines Day ($90). -Matthew Ray

Restaurant M, 231, South Eight Street, 215-625-2946, mrestaraunt.com, morrishotel.com