Craig LaBan has plenty of good things to say about the interior and the service at Noble American Cookery but feels the food needs to tone it down a notch.

There’s so much to like about this restaurant in concept, from the airy, contemporary look to the unique tulip-shaped wineglasses to its mission of redefining modern American cooking with local, seasonal inspirations. And the plates are so artfully done, I expected to love Noble until the moment my fork put that art into action, only to find so many of the dots just didn’t connect. This restaurant certainly has the ability to improve its disappointing rating in my year-end revisits. But for now, the great ingredients and good instincts don’t add up enough to culinary success. This may simply be a case of a talented cook trying too hard. It can’t be easy to live up to the pedigree of a place that so self-consciously calls itself noble.

One Bell – Hit or Miss

Noble American Cookery [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Noble American Cookery [Official Site]