Restaurant Week Begins!

Although I have some restaurants (and their restrooms) already in the hopper and ready to be reviewed, I decided that my first official posting will be in honor of Restaurant Week in Philadelphia, which is taking place Jan. 16 to 28. (Technically, though, shouldn’t that be “Restaurant Weeks“?)

Meg and I had reservations at Tinto, located on 20th Street. It was my third time eating at one of Iron Chef Jose Garces’ restaurants, the others being Garces Trading Company and Distrito, and I’ve always enjoyed the food. Sometimes the portions can be a little on the spartan side. (For the record, I’ve enjoyed a drink at Village Whiskey, as well, but haven’t eaten anything there, so I can’t speak for the menu.)

After placing our orders (la peral cheese and chorizo Pamplona appetizers, duck confit montadito with black cherries and bomba rice for me; chicken brochette and arugula salad, organic chicken with truffle whipped mashed potatoes and an order of asparagus for Meg), I ventured off to the rest room to test my sugar and take my insulin.

I walked back to the restroom (we were seated in the lower dining room, so I’m not sure if there’s a second restroom in the restaurant), and as I reached the door, I noticed a woman right behind me, obviously also destined for the bathroom. I got there first, but that didn’t stop her from trying to walk in right behind me, into the single restroom.

Needless to say, I wasn’t interested in sharing with her, so I stopped and gave her a stare until she realized her mistake and waited patiently until I finished.

The bathroom was clean and spacious. However, I was forced to balance all of my meds and testings supplies on the sink, which I’m not a huge fan of. It was better than having to balance them on the top of the toilet, but with so much room in there, I don’t know why a small table couldn’t be put in there.

Anyway, this is what the sink looked like with my meds and testing supplies on it:

My kingdom for a table.

As I said, sitting my meds on a sink isn’t a best-case scenario for me, but I made do.

Dinner was really, really good. Highlights included the la peral cheese (kind of a blue cheese, served with quince paste) and accompanied by bread and some crackers that I could eat all day long. I’ve heard them described as “crispy, wafer-thin crackers.” I’m willing to accept that.

The duck portion was tiny, but I loved it, in particular the cherry that was served with each portion.

Meg’s chicken entree was great, and the truffle mashed potatoes were probably my favorite single item we had. (Also, there was LOTS of crispy bacon served with the chicken and potatoes, so I was a big fan.)

The asparagus, too, was really nice, grilled and served with a lemon aioli.

I really enjoyed the meal, as did Meg, and at $35 per person, it was really a bargain.

However, as you may know, this site isn’t just about the food; it’s about the way the restaurant accommodates me as a diabetic. For this, Tinto gets an “OK” rating. (By the way, I should probably let you know what the ratings scale is. “Piss Poor” is, of course, the lowest rating. “Hypoglycemic” is the next-lowest rating, followed by “OK,” and, at the top, “Rated A1C.”)

Take a look below for my full tour of the Tinto restroom.

Coming up next: Another Restaurant Week review as Meg and I visit Mercato.