A true heaven among jewels

What a lot of guys don't realize is that diamonds are not the only way to a girl's heart, and if they've made that trek to Jewelers' Row to simply make some misguided, sparkling purchase, they probably missed out on an amazing meal just around the corner that would have made her really feel like a million dollars. The Blue Angel is the real treasure at the heart of this historic Philadelphia district. A Stephen Starr creation that opened in 1999, the restaurant has made use of the storied building that the old Child's Restaurant left behind. From the large hanging mirrors on the walls to the details of the miniature-tiled floor, the restaurant is a testament to a great work of restoration.

Blue Angel 706 Chestnut Street (215) 925-6889 Fare: French

The famous lustrous white and blue-tiled ceiling is accentuated by small original spotlights and recently added hanging ball lights, complementing the classy and stylish imported bar that serves a large selection of cocktails, wines and European beers. My guest and I began our evening with a few classic French favorites. The Blue Angel offers an extensive selection of seafood specials and so, I could not pass up the crispy and tender Lobster Beignets ($10.50) served with lobster-apple and sweet and sour sauces. My guest chose the French Onion Soup ($6.50), and we decided to split the Cheese Fondue ($9.50) that arrives in a stirrato boule with toast points and sliced apples. The fondue is the perfect start to dinner -- it is as delicious and savory as it is adequately filling for an hors d'oeuvres. For our entrees, I went with the Applewood Smoked Duck Breast ($21) served with haricots verts and a potato cake in a raspberry-Burgundy sauce. I had previously never had anything smoked that wasn't salmon and needless to say, I was more than impressed by the soft and tasty delicacy. My guest, an avid meat-lover, was equally satisfied with the tender and flavorful consistency of the Steak au Poivre ($26), a dish with substantial portions of sirloin served with pommes lyonnaise and peppercorn sauce. Try as we may, we could not help but succumb to three amazing desserts. My Chocolate Chambord Cake ($7) with raspberry sauce, the dessert special of the evening, was so rich and delicious that it was truly beautiful. My guest had the Chocolate Kahlua Mousse Cake ($7) served with coffee crŠme anglaise and was left speechless by its lushness. We then split the warm Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Tart ($7) that was decorated with caramelized banana slices and brown sugar ice cream. While my guest was convinced that the chocolate in this dessert tasted like distinctly European chocolate, my only thought was that if there ever was a chocolate euphoria, we had found it. Our server made sure that we were always taken care of, whether it was continuously filling my guest's drink or answering our many questions. The ambiance at the Blue Angel is a comfortable and classy one -- while it's definitely posh, you are made to feel like a welcome part of the upper echelon of fine dining and treated to incredible food at that. So the next time you think a visit to Jewelers' Row is in order, you'd do well to think again and stop by the Blue Angel instead to see what you've been missing all this time.