Wilder | Rabbit Invention

The dumplings were made with salt-baked rabbit shreds. I had seen several posts online saying that you can order anything here with your eyes closed. Plus, it’s right across from Melograno, my favorite Italian spot in Philadelphia. I always thought that such a wild name would mean wild American-style burgers with fried chicken and fries. But yesterday, when I walked in, I was surprised to find that the place is actually very charming. On a breezy evening like this, it’s incredibly comfortable to sit down and enjoy a drink. 🍸 Blue Eyes White Dragon ($18) Mezcal, Hpnotiq, sake, lemon, black pepper The waiter recommended this one. I was curious about such a bold name, especially since the base liquor is sake. The combination of sake and Hpnotiq is actually quite interesting. But when I took the first sip, it tasted like melted lychee syrup—a complete dessert wine. I couldn’t figure out the connection with the name. 🐚 Appetizer: Scallop Crudo ($18) Ajo blanco, marcona almonds, grapes, cucumber The scallops were minced and very dry, which made them a bit fishy. But the sauce was well-made, a mix of green sauce and white grapes, quite creative. However, if you’re picky about crudo, I wouldn’t highly recommend it. 🐇 Pasta (Secondi): Spring Carrot Farfalle ($28) Braised rabbit leg, marcona almonds, ricotta salata I ordered this as soon as I saw rabbit leg. I didn’t read the rest carefully, and it turned out that the bow-tie pasta was actually filled with carrots... It tasted sweet when I bit into it. Who understands the confusion of eating sweet dumplings again? It could rival the sweet cheese and pear dumplings I once had in Fishtown... The ultimate nightmare. The rabbit leg was shredded and tasted like fragrant salt-baked chicken...? This dish felt like the rabbit was cursed by the gods for inventing sweet carrot dumplings and turned into fragrant salt-baked rabbit shreds. #Philadelphia #PhillyEats #PhillyRestaurants #PhillyFood #StudentEats #UniversityofPennsylvania