It's been a perennial Philadelphia problem.
You've gone to the movies or the theater or a concert. Too rushed to eat, you've waited till after the show. Now you're starving - and not in the mood for Chinese.
This was our dilemma on a Saturday night last summer. We'd caught a late show at the Roxy, and one of us desperately needed dinner. We were in Center City; that, we figured, was a plus. But it was already past 11:30. Where could we find a meal?
To these two lifelong Philadelphians, the prospects seemed so bleak that we joked about driving to New York. Then we remembered a little piece of Manhattan on Rittenhouse Square: Rouge 99, with its bustling sidewalk tables and customers jamming the bar until the wee hours.
So the idea was born to find restaurants that would satisfy the urge for late-night dining. We sought out places providing dinner, not just bar food, until at least midnight on weekends. (Some close a little earlier in the winter.) We avoided diners and other standbys. Instead, we visited restaurants that had recently opened - most within the last year.
As we munched on smoked boar salad and creamy crabcakes and waded through ever-richer chocolate desserts, we made a welcome discovery: An increasing number of new restaurants are staying open late. A few are already celebrated hot spots; many also serve cutting-edge food.
Could late-night dining be a Philadelphia trend? We're counting on it.
Bonaparte. This elegant addition to the Avenue of the Arts, with its plush banquettes and drapery, is the latest incarnation of Napoleon, formerly at 15th and Locust Streets. Since our fall visit, Bonaparte has acquired a new chef, and some menu selections have changed. But the emphasis remains on new American cuisine with Asian and continental influences.
When we stopped by after a midweek opening at the Wilma Theater, Bonaparte was uncrowded, the waiters obsequious in their welcome. Ours called me ``the lady'' so often, my dining companion began to do the same: ``Would the lady like some wine?'' The lady would; fortunately, there was a large selection by the glass - 21 on the current list, most between $6 and $8.
Our Salad Napoleon ($7), with goat cheese, pine nuts and raisins, came with only the cheese. But the crab cake appetizer ($10) was pure crab topped by a tasty remoulade sauce and a generous helping of shoestring fries.
