Nicholas

The tender grilled chicken breast had more than enough of its sweet and spicy chile sauce. But this dish, with a fresh medley of stir-fried vegetables, could have used a starch - jasmine rice? - to lend the brothy plate some ballast.

Still, I happily ate it all. This wasn't the kind of fare that fans the flames of Iron Chefs or draws hordes to Restaurant Row. But it was just the kind of homey meal with a distinctive and well-turned twist that, at $16, might entice a neighbor to forgo cooking one night and amble on down Moyamensing for a pleasant bite.

The neighbors, though, might plan to head back home for dessert, because I doubt there's any proud South Philadelphian who can't cook a better cheesecake than the burnt-bottom, cinnamon-dusted, concave mess of a fallen cheesecake that came to our table. Also, learning that the recipe for Nicholas' "Better Than Sex" chocolate cake came from one of the chef's grandmothers was a bit of TMI - considering the dry slice of bundt that followed.

Then again, the small kitchens of Philadelphia's chef-driven BYOs (with a couple of exceptions) have a long tradition of uninspired desserts, as few have the luxury of a pastry chef, a standard feature in the city's big-ticket restaurants. So I won't hold it too much against the two chefs named Nick - at least, not yet. They clearly remembered to give their casual new bistro the one essential ingredient it needs to eventually become complete: heart.