Matthew Levin

UPDATE: Matt Levin Out at Square Peg

Posted by Foobooz on January 16th, 2013

matt-levin-out

Looks like Matt Levin and Square Peg have parted way. We’ve been hearing rumblings for weeks that the chef and Square Peg were splitting and according to Eater, this weekend was the last for the chef at Square Peg.

Levin, once a critical darling was soundly bashed for his food at Square Peg, not that service helped him out.

No word yet on what is next for the chef or for Square Peg, which has been ramping up the events (quizzo, game nights, DJs on weekends) to keep the bi-level spot busy.

Matt Levin issues a statement via Twitter »

Thanksgiving Poutine at Square Peg

Posted by Alex Tewfik on November 13th, 2012

Chef Matt Levin loves his poutine. We’ve seen it at Adsum with a big hunk of seared foie gras on top, and then when he moved over to Square Peg he introduced the “Breakfast Poutine”, with eggs, sausage gravy, and bacon. Now, he’s taking it seasonal with “Thanksgiving Poutine.”

Square Peg will offer the Montréal-made-popular street snack, with a bit of Thanksgiving love. Sweet potato fries are doused in turkey gravy, with cheese curds, turkey, and cranberry sauce. It’s available for lunch and dinner now through Black Friday, with the exception of one day: Thanksgiving, when Square Peg will be closed.

Square Peg [Official Site]

Square Peg In Primetime

Posted by Maegan Cadet on October 8th, 2012

Chuck Hughes, of the Food Channel show Chuck’s Eat the Street travels America’s most famous streets in search of cuisine that help define the history behind those roadways. During his trip down Philadelphia’s Walnut Street, Hughes found himself at Square Peg, where chef Matt Levin showed Hughes what’s happening in Levin’s kitchen.

In celebration, Square Peg will be hosting a viewing party tomorrow, October 9th at 8 p.m. The episode will air at 8:30 p.m, so you’ll have plenty of time to order the $5 Poutine and $3 Kool-Aid Pickled Watermelon garnished Wheat Beer, which were both featured in the episode.

Hughes also filmed at Zahav, Marabella Meatball Co., and Capogiro for the episode.

Square Peg [Official Site]

Photo via Square Peg

Lacroix’s 10th Anniversary Dinner

Posted by Aubrey Nagle on August 9th, 2012

To celebrate Lacroix’s 10^th anniversary the restaurant will be holding a special dinner on ~~September 17^th~~(dinner has been changed to Monday, September 24th). The dinner will be created by ten of Lacroix’s past chefs from over the years, each coming back under one roof for one night only. The cost of the dinner is $350 (tax and tip included) for hors d’oeuvres, a ten-course meal, and wine pairings, a portion of the proceeds goes toward a Lacroix scholarship through the James Beard Foundation.

Check out the impressive list of participating chefs. Read the rest of this entry »

Square Peg Gets One Bell

Posted by Foobooz on July 16th, 2012

Craig LaBan who has been a big fan of Matt Levin at Adsum and Lacroix comes away disappointed in the chef’s latest endeavor, Square Peg.

But along with Square Peg’s many other flaws, too many dishes here went wrong, with poor execution that’s uncharacteristic of a Levin kitchen, or just bad ideas. The chewy chicken wings lacquered in an over-spiced glaze of white chocolate-habanero cream was both. The pierogi, one of the highlights at Adsum, were both pasty and greasy. The fried clam belly sandwich was cooked to rubber bands. The shrimp crackers with the fried calamari, meanwhile, were undercooked, with uncuffed corners lodging in my teeth. The fried chicken “Cobb” salad was drenched in an oversweet Asian dressing. An attempt at house-made scrapple — a current rage — was disastrous, a livery gray loaf of dried-out pork pudding that made us long for an old-school slice of Habersett’s.

One Bell – Hit-or-Miss

Craig LaBan review: Square Peg [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Square Peg [Official Site]

Poor Judgment Dooms Square Peg

Posted by Foobooz on July 2nd, 2012

Trey Popp reviews Chef Matt Levin’s Square Peg and despite some great fried chicken, too much goes awry.

Levin has talent. I’ve tasted its fruits, elsewhere and (too rarely) here. But what ultimately ruins Square Peg is that it puts that talent—and its customers—at the mercy of something altogether more suspect: Levin’s judgment.

½ Star – Poor to Fair

Philadelphia Restaurant Review: No-brow Americana at Square Peg [Philadelphia magazine]
Square Peg [Official Site]

Brunch at Square Peg

Posted by Foobooz on June 28th, 2012

Brian Freedman decides to review Matt Levin’s Square Peg for brunch and he likes it.

[T]here are enough tweaks throughout the menu to keep things interesting. Grilled cheese is stuffed with mac and cheese: It’s a fatty, gluttonous, satisfyingly uncomplicated dish, with a successful interplay between the gooey and the crisp. An omelet is filled with a smoked goat cheese that somehow actually highlights the sweetness of the eggs themselves. The breakfast sandwich is a massive, fat torpedo, the eggs just drippy enough, the chihuahua cheese melting throughout, the homemade chorizo sizzling with a low-level spice that’s more implied than realized; porkiness is the focus here. Neither one is a life-changer, but they’re well-crafted components to a more than respectable brunch-time repertoire.

It’s with the cocktails that things get a bit more creative. I particularly liked the Bacon Mary, which bypasses vodka as a base for the bacon infusion and instead uses Laphroaig 10, whose own smokiness and inherent salinity are perfect compliments to the pig. The Bourbon Royale is a sort of amped-up riff on the bellini, with Combier providing the fruit and Maker’s Mark an added sense of smoke and honey to the champagne.

Bacon and Booze Leave Us Satisfied During Brunch at Square Peg [Philadelphia Weekly]
Square Peg [Official Site]

Six Pack: Deviled Eggs Are Having a Moment

Posted by Aubrey Nagle on June 19th, 2012

Deviled eggs aren’t just for holidays at your aunt’s house anymore: they’re a full-fledged appetizer just waiting for the right creative hands to make them the masterpieces they really are. Okay, so that might be a bit over the top, but they’ve come a lot farther than your standard boiled-yolk-mustard-and-mayo combo and right now they’re popping up on menus all around town. Check out what these six Philadelphia restaurants are doing deviled eggs in new and delicious ways.

Read the rest of this entry »

Adam Erace Reviews Square Peg

Posted by Foobooz on May 24th, 2012

Adam Erace ponders the question, “what happened to him?” in regards to Square Peg chef, Matt Levin.

Perhaps worse than the poor execution, these plates were dull, with none of the verve typically associated with Levin’s cooking. Say what you will about Tastykake sliders and Four Loko prix-fixes, at least they were something to talk about. Square Peg’s offerings, mostly, are something to yawn about.

Levin knows this. He’s the first to admit Square Peg’s concept (and eventual plans to expand nationwide) come at a price. “Obviously there are concessions,” he says. “[The food] had to be a little bit more down the middle of the road. Super poutine doesn’t work at a fucking strip mall in Atlanta. Mac ‘n’ cheese grilled cheese does.”

Shape Shift [City Paper]
Square Peg [Official Site]

Square Peg Adds Brunch

Posted by Jason Sheehan on April 18th, 2012

Square Peg‘s roll-out has been a thoroughly slow-motion affair. During its first weeks, it was operating in a kind of limited, soft-open mode with a cap put on reservations and parts of the menu still in flux. With great caution it moved into regular dinner services, then added lunch. And now, starting Saturday, April 21, it will begin serving a weekend-only brunch.

So what will brunch at a Matt Levin restaurant look like? Surprisingly…normal. A lot of eggs. A lot of bacon, bananas Foster french toast with coffee-caramel sauce, scrapple hash with long hots and a breakfast poutine.

Read the rest of this entry »

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