Devil's Den

Every great trend hits a moment of sudden saturation when the buzz of novelty wears off and expectations ratchet up to a higher level. That time has come for the gastropub, the exuberant hybrid of hipster bar and neighborhood restaurant where craft beers coexist with serious cooking.

It's been a signature trend here for years, helping Philadelphia to secure its growing national reputation as one of America's beer meccas. But a gush of recent newcomers has flowed into the city so fast that the concept's limits are being tested, like a pint of ale frothing over from a hasty pour. Good intentions so easily turn to a foamy mess.

Don't get me wrong. The fact that one can now get a draft of Belgian Tripel or Kensington-brewed Walt Wit on tap at dozens of corner bars around town is an evolutionary step forward for any city.

It's the "gastro" part (i.e., the cooking) that has become the new generation's biggest challenge. Eating in many of these restau-bars lately has brought disappointment, despite some adventurous kitchens. The wild, wild game menu at the newly expanded South Philadelphia Tap Room, which has one of the best beer lists in town? The crispy pork-cheek "nuggets" are great. But the deep-fried Rocky Mountain oysters were greasy ("buffalo balls," shrugged our pigtailed waitress, matter-of-factly), and the agave-nectar-streaked ostrich kebabs were chewy, gamy and jarringly sweet. At the new Kite & Key on Callowhill Street, the fish tacos, crab cake sliders, and a fried shrimp po-boy were disappointing (times three), the service excruciatingly amateur, down to the dirty dishrag hanging from my waiter's pants.

The Devil's Den in South Philadelphia is another example. Its beer cuisine is ambitious. But the devil, as they say, is in the Den's details, especially in the kitchen.

The bar itself is a great new destination for craft brews - with a side of sports on flat-screen TVs. The former Felicia's at 11th and Ellsworth has been transformed into a handsome pub, with Brazilian cherrywood floors, exposed brick walls, comfy banquettes, and a double-sided hearth that fills the bar and dining room with a warm wood scent.

Owners Scott and Erin Wallace, who also own Manayunk's Old Eagle Tavern, named the Devil's Den after the Gettysburg battle site, with a wink to all the local bars named for the more virtuous side of religion (Monk's, Abbaye, Eulogy).