I wasn't surprised, then, to find Philly.com reporting on Robert Parker's visit to Bibou—the French-themed BYOB, cash only restaurant on South 8th (link). When we lived in Philadelphia, the Inquirer always seemed to know better than we did what was going on right in our own neighborhood. Philadelphia isn't quite Parker's backyard (Monkton, MD), but it's not far.
And Philly.com, the Inquirer's digital arm, has maintained the paper's reputation for great reporting. Witness, their quote from Parker's diatribe against anyone who challenges his big-fruit, big-alcohol ratings:
"I loved everything about this place. . . the quality of the food alone merits a must visit," he wrote. "Add the BYO and no corkage. . . and better yet . . . no precious sommelier trying to sell us some teeth enamel removing wine with acid levels close to toxic, made by some sheep farmer on the north side of his 4,000-foot foot elevation vineyard picked two months before ripeness, and made from a grape better fed to wild boar than the human species."
Wonder how he really feels? Complete article, including the wines Parker took to Bibou here (most not high-alcohol fruit bombs, aside from Beaux Freres in which Parker is a partner) . Hmm. "Drink what I say, not what I do"? But that would kill the ratings game, wouldn't it?
