Bon Appétit
February 1999

The fall premiere of Venus and the Cowboy in the city's museum district was eagerly awaited and attended by much publicity. Chef and owner Alison Barshak made a big name for herself at the well-regarded Philadelphia restaurant Striped Bass, and all eyes were on her new venture. And Barshak doesn't disappoint with cooking she calls "mesti-soul" - earthy, eclectic offerings from all reaches of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Americas - served up in a moorish style dining room.

Barshak's always changing menu is divided into three parts: tastes, small meals and large meals. "I wanted to people to feel that they could eat whatever and however they wanted - have a glass of wine and a taste for eleven dollars," Barshak says. " People are more experimental with smaller portions. And that way they can sample a lot of things." Fans of dim sum and tapas will love Barshak's concept. Some standout dishes include fig pancakes, steamed clams in tomatillo-corn broth, shrimp falafal, and pork chops with fig and onion relish and white beans.

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