Southern Cuisine + Tapas = The Fat Ham
Top Chef Kevin Sbraga’s newest restaurant, The Fat Ham, boasts Southern-inspired tapas. Southern tapas?! We know, it seems that those two words should never appear in the same sentence together. But, Sbraga effortlessly combines the two styles, allowing diners to sample an array of Southern food served with a twist. Mere minutes away from the heart of Penn’s campus at The Left Bank, this spot is ideal for students and professionals alike.
Packed tight, the bar hopped with guests laughing, eating, and sipping on specialty cocktails.
If you look closely enough, you can catch a glimpse of Chef Kevin Sbraga near the kitchen.
Divided into three sections, the menu serves food ranging in size from petite to larger portions, but all meant to be shared. The waitress recommended that we try 3-4 dishes per person, which was certainly more than enough food!
The bar cycles through seasonal julep cocktails. The Blackberry Mint Julep (bourbon, blackberry preserves, mint leaves) was featured on this season’s menu.
Served with slices of buttery baguette, the fluffy ricotta cheese (pea tendrils, black eyed peas) tasted light and airy. The black eyed peas added an unexpected and interesting texture to the cheese.
Served just above room temperature, the shrimp and grits (country ham, scallion, peanuts) boasted bold flavors and extraordinarily smooth grits that don’t get stuck in your teeth!
The country fried lobster tail came out piping hot on a bed of fresh roasted vegetable hash. Crispy on the outside and smooth and tender on the outside, the lobster was one of our favorite dishes of the evening. The well-seasoned vegetables added fragrant depth to the lobster.
Caliente! This dish is not for the faint of hot. With its tongue-boiling exterior in terms of spices and temperature, the Hot Chicken (white bread, ranch dressing, dill pickles) is an absolute hit among anyone who loves hot food (good thing we’re fans). The chicken is ultra-moist, tearing apart quite easily with a fork and knife. Cool down with the accompanying vinegary slices of dill pickles.
An unctuous rectangle of pork belly melted in our mouths. While the delicate flavor of the pork was somewhat muddled by the hearty beans, the refreshing radish and fennel salad scattered across the top cleansed the palate.
The army green-hued collard greens marinated in their own potlikker, flavored intensely by fork-tender chunks of pork shank (this preparation of pork gave the pork belly a run for its money), the .
A BBQ potato chip crust in theory sounded intriguing with the baked macaroni and cheese, but failed to impress. While filling, the side dish wasn’t nearly cheesy enough and tasted like the pasta barely got a toss in the sauce.
There’s always room for dessert, and The Fat Ham aimed to deliver with Southern classics like pecan pie and banana pudding. The chocolate chip cookie skillet topped with a ball of vanilla ice cream fit the ticket for us. It was exactly what you’d expect: simple, comforting, and ultimately sweet tooth-satisfying.
Penn Appétit’s Picks: Country Fried Lobster Tail, Hot Chicken, Collard Greens, Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet
— Katie Behrman & Nicole Woon