Prime Stache: Bacon, Cabbage, And Matchstick Fries, $10

By Glen Macnow

Prime Stache
110 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia

Head chef Hee Chang concocts his own bacon at Prime Stache, brining it for three days, then adding maple syrup, sugar, peppercorns and apple cider. He hand cuts it into thick slabs and grills it, which creates great caramelization.  These are not your typical crispy and greasy strips, but more like thick chunks of "baconsteak," if I can invent a word.

The magnificent dish is complimented with chili oil-soaked cabbage (kim chee?) and needle thin potato sticks, that offer the crispness the bacon doesn't. If you manage to get it all on one fork, it's a trifecta of deliciousness.

Prime Stache is an Old City treasure, with an ever-changing beer list and one of the best burgers in the zip code. Part-owner Brent Celek has had a fine career as a tight end; he may have an even brighter future as a bistro operator.

Score: 88/100