Night Market Chinatown; tasting menus

C.L. What were your impressions/highlights from the Night Market? And what else brought the thrill of good flavors to your tables this week?

Reader: I was at Night Market with my girlfriend. The lines were so long for just about everything that we eventually gave up and dropped into Rangoon! Lots of fun and a real scene, though. I hope they do some more of these.

C.L. Those lines were crazy. We definitely stopped waiting after a while at some places I really wanted to taste, like Pitruco . . . . That's something they'll need to figure out for future Night Markets - but also a sign of how popular these pop-up events are. It's up to the vendors, too, though, to figure out how to serve a steady stream of crowds without cooking every single pork burger or takoyaki to order. If you're hungry, the key is to go early, around 7, when it's still manageable. By 9, when we left, it was just insane.

Reader: I thought that Night Market Chinatown was the best yet, though I did miss the first one. While I agree that there should've been more Asian (Chinese) food, I would imagine that either the organizers didn't get the full point across or the Chinatown neighborhood association didn't realize how awesome this night market would be. Regardless, I'm definitely eager for one to return to Chinatown! This one had diverse offerings (and attendees) and I finally got to try Nomad (the lines were nothing at this one compared to the Mount Airy iteration).

Reader: Where can I take a client and his wife that won't be crazy loud or expensive for a Friday night out/dinner? They are coming into the city. I was thinking Pub and Kitchen, but they tend to be loud. Oh and we all love food, so no restrictions.

C.L.: Pub & Kitchen, as you say, is really noisy. So why not Meritage across the street? I think Ann Coll is one of our most unsung kitchen talents (though I did my part with 3 bells), and the place has enough sophisticated flavors (with a deft Asian-fusion twist) to keep all the foodies happy. Alternatively, there's Meme around the corner, which I touted a couple of weeks ago (another unsung gem) and in the other direction - there's Pumpkin on the 1700 block of South, or Fish, for upscale seafood on the 1700 block of Lombard.

All have a nice bustle, but none are quite as deafening as the P&K.

Reader: What are some center city restaurants that you would take a special guest for a tasting menu?