Meritage

Buying a successful business sounds like a solid idea in most realms. But in the quirky universe of Philly restaurants, where hands-on owners and chef talent often matter more than brand names, there can be unexpected baggage changing hands along with the walk-in fridge, wine glasses, and range.

In some cases, it's simply hard for the new crew to live up to a lofty reputation. It's a story that's played out from foodie favorites like Django (now closed) to down-home standbys like the Country Club Diner (now just generic).

But Michele DiPietro and Irene Landy have faced the contrary conundrum since buying Meritage Philadelphia at 20th and Lombard 31/2 years ago. They've spent much of their energy trying to undo the restaurant's previous reputation for being stiflingly stuffy and expensive. And for the most part, at least until recently, they had failed.

A bold decor revamp this summer was clearly a stroke in the right casual direction - ripping out the carpet in favor of hardwood, ditching the linen for bare butcher-block tables, painting the walls a cheery yellow, and relocating the bar to the front vestibule window. Entree prices have come down from around $27 to $21 max.

And yet, I sensed serious reluctance when I asked some friends from the neighborhood to join me for a meal at Meritage. Even though I saw the virtues of the former incarnation, my friends vividly recalled a long-ago experience there smudged by hovering service, wine snobbery, and steep bills. They were unaware a major transformation had occurred.

But after a dinner that soared from smoky little bacon-taro cakes to duck consomme bobbing with decadent foie gras wontons, amazingly braised pork cheeks over banana leaf-steamed coconut rice, and an apple bread pudding served alongside a hot shot glass of mulled, freshly pressed cider, they say they'll be coming back often. And so will I.

Because after two stellar meals, it's clear that DiPietro and Landy - longtime front-of-the-house veterans with stops at Tony Clark, Buddakan, and the Happy Rooster - have not simply remade Meritage into their own. They have also uncovered a chef talent in Anne Coll whose dazzling Asian fusion palate and knack for affordable gastronomy should reestablish Meritage as one of the more relevant kitchens in town.