The vibe and cocktails are in sync at the Corner. But the promising food of Scott Swiderski and John Taus still needs some tuning.

Masa tots—think tater tots, but made with masa—were theoretically promising. In practice, however, the ground corn absorbed a bit too much oil in frying, and as a result lacked the fluffy-centered allure of their classic potato counterparts. The appealingly dense filling of potato pierogies was hemmed in by too-gummy dough encasing it. Shrimp in a blanket, however, hit its intended target, and seem to be the kind of dish that will ultimately define The Corner: Internationally inspired yet still rooted in a familiarly-American concept. The dish’s simplicity is its allure—large prawns were wrapped in kataifi, or shredded phyllo, and deep fried. It was executed perfectly, the kataifi splintering with each bite and juxtaposed in a neat little dance with the soft prawn inside.

Hot Vibe, Cocktails at The Corner [Philadelphia Weekly]