Rittenhouse Market seafood anchors a feast

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat:

Craig LaBan: I stopped by the Rittenhouse Market to visit the fresh seafood stand, Shore Catch, which I missed out on last weekend. They had some outstanding flounder - brought to the docks of Viking Village in Barnegat Light the day before. Fresh and meaty, I turned it into a plate of flounder francaise, with butter-roasted maitakes (from Davidson's mushrooms, next door) and creamed baby spinach from Rineer.

Reader: Any idea what's going on with the Nomad Pizza location on Seventh Street?

C.L.: My colleague, Michael Klein, says they've had permitting issues, but plan to open Feb. 10. Having tasted their pies in Hopewell, N.J. (the original location, worth a visit), and at the Night Market - I'm excited!

Reader: Do you think Starr's new Il Pittore and mainly chef Chris Painter's food stands up to the Vetri places ?

C.L.: I stay away from making restaurant-to-restaurant comparisons in the actual reviews, as I like to let the restaurants stand on their own performance. But the easy answer is "no"- not yet. This is not a knock against Painter or Starr, the Vetri places are a very high bar. I think the world of Painter's skill, and, as he's done throughout his career, he produced some really exceptional dishes during my meals. I think he's going to need a little time and some more immersion in Italy before he feels that cuisine like Vetri and his guys do. I think Joe Cicala at le Virtu has that, too. So does Joey Baldino at Zeppoli (also a Vetri alum), as well as Peter McAndrews (Modo Mio/Monsu). That said, I liked Il Pittore - a lot.

Reader: Would a good comparison to chef Painter (having cooked a lot of different cuisines) be Marcie Turney? Are there other people you look at as jacks of all trades?