Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Woody's Crab House

29 S Main Street
North East, MD 21901
(410) 287-3541
Website

I recently took a spur-of-the-moment day trip to Havre de Grace (don't bother), and the best part about the trip was a stop in North East, Maryland. It is a quaint little town, and as you would expect, they catered to seafood-hungry tourists. I popped into Woody's for a couple cold ones and some food.


It was exactly what I was hoping for. Peanuts at the door, wood trimming everything; it offered the perfect cool, dark place for a summer weekend afternoon.



I did not order the crabs, as I was planning on having some later, but I did order what can only be compared to the seafood feast from Red Lobster or whatever bullshit Joe's Crab Shack is offering this week. It came with tarter and cocktail sauce galore.


I also grabbed a bowl of crab bisque. It was okay, but lacked the sherry zing I have come to expect from any self-respecting bisque.


My feast, also known as the "Net Buster," consisted of a seasoned broiled lobster tail, crab imperial, crab cake, salmon, snow crab legs, shrimp, clams, coleslaw, and hush puppies. Hell yes.



The crab legs, shrimp, and clams were steamed in a net, as they should be. It makes eating so much more exciting.



This was a pretty substantial portion for about $30. I was pleased. The steamed stuff was all as you would expect. Everything tasted fresh, and the crabcake was packed with meat, very little filler. The lobster tail was also delicious, notice the caramelization and ample seasoning? Grilled/broiled is the only way to go with this one. I am also not a salmon fan usually (besides smoked), but this was a non-fishy, well cooked version.


The hush puppies were perfect, light and airy, rather than dense and golf ball-like.


The slaw was good, as it tasted like . . . coleslaw.


If you are willing to brave the heat, they have a pretty large outdoor seating area, as well as a tiki bar. It was just what I wanted from a quick getaway. At about an hour or so from the Philly area, you could do worse. Next time, just park it here and maybe skip HdG?

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Chando's Tacos

863 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 641-8226
Website

On a recent trip to Sac-town, I was looking for something that just isn't the same on the East Coast. And that thing is West Coast Mexican food. Chando's was just what the doctor ordered (well, not really, because I ate three meals' worth of somewhat greasy food in one sitting).


Much like the beloved cheesesteak stands in Philly, Chando's was a walk up window, but they also featured an outdoor grill, at left. The entire area smelled like deliciously charred meat.


I decided on an al pastor torta, a carnitas burrito, and a steak mulita. I would have gladly eaten everything on the menu.


The carnitas burrito was packed with traditional ingredients, and smothered in sour cream.


The mulita was basically a corn tortilla quesadilla with steak, cilantro, onion, guac, and salsa inside. Delicious and a bargain at $2.50.



The torta was also a winner, tucked nicely into a crispy roll, and perfectly portioned with just enough cream and guacamole to keep it moist. This type of quick stop Mexican food is found locally in food trucks, and I certainly wouldn't mind bolstering the traditionally Puebla-style Mexican in South Philly with a bit of West Coast grab-and-go flair.


So if you're out there and looking to open one up, let me be the first to know.

Monday, August 11, 2014

McDonald's Shakin' Flavor Fries

Limited Time Only
Philadelphia Region

You may have seen the commercials by now, or maybe you haven't, in which case, I'll just tell you about it.


McDonald's has launched a new product in only 3 of their US test markets and Philadelphia is one of them. Along with St. Louis and Sacramento, we have the joy of trying out their newest fad-food: Shakin' Flavor Fries. Now when they say "Philadelphia," they actually mean a huge geographic region that goes as far south as Dover, DE and all the way up through Bucks County. Point is, if you're not in the city to try 'em out, do not fear, they've got the suburbs covered.


The concept is finally making its way to us after nearly 10 years - the chain introduced "Shake Shake" (fries) to their Hong Kong audience in 2005 and they've since spread to menus throughout China, India and Australia. Needless to say, we're way behind the times on this one. And yes, I was invited by the regional PR firm to give them a try...


The idea is that you can order your good old-fashioned regular fries or you can say you want to try one of their 3 new flavors: spicy buffalo, zesty ranch or garlic parmesan. Of course I had to try them all.


You get your flavor pack and an additional bag for which you do the shaking. The idea is to provide a "fun and interactive taste experience." But honestly, that just sounds like additional work for me. Work that I maayyyy be willing to to do...


They encourage you to add as much or as little of the flavor pack as you want. My test run was on the medium size fry, so I was going to err on the side of caution with my flavoring.


Commence shaking! (or "do the shake" as they say.)


They also say "Shake up your tastebuds," which is exactly what these finely ground, little clingy powders do.



They are definitely flava' full. I was a big fan of the buffalo; I only used about 1/3 of the packet and got a very thorough coverage with very little powder. The other two flavors weren't bad either and with the classic McDonald's fries coming hot out of the fryer, there's no problem with getting an even distribution.


I think everyone in Philadelphia, if given the opportunity, deserves to give them a try and even though I didn't have to pay for the extra flavor, I think it's worth the minimal up-charge to shake up your day. See what I did there?


They're only available through the month of August, so go try them and let me know what you think. You can also try to win some free sh*t if you're on Twitter: #shakinphilly. With that, I'm going to end the Shakin' Flavor Fries story with one last tip - if/when you don't use all of your flavor packet, I suggest taking it home and using the rest on some popcorn for a flavor-blasted late-night snack.


Now, since I was there, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to also try their new Clubhouse Burger. Marketed to the people who are interested in the finer things, this one boasts, "thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon, caramelized grilled onions, white cheddar*, crisp leaf lettuce and fresh tomato, all lovingly layered on a quarter pound** of 100% pure beef, then topped with Big Mac special sauce. Served on our artisan roll."


Drum roll, please...
It was all right.
That said, I'll stick with my usual Big Mac order next time.


They'll never stop trying to expand their reach, but at the end of the day, it's hard to do any better than the well loved classics.

*pasteurized process
** weight before cooking 4 oz. (113.4 grams)

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Postmates (food delivery app) Promo (COUPON!)

Download Postmates Here

I received an email this morning about a new-to-Philadelphia app that makes ordering food (and everything else) a breeze, and easier than tying your shoes. If you had Velcro shoes, that's probably on the same level. I downloaded Postmates and when I signed in, there was a list of suggested restaurants nearby and when I clicked on Hot Diggity, for example, their menu came up, descriptions and all. I added a dog to my cart and voila! My order was done.


Well, not exactly. There was a $9.25 delivery charge added to the order.

But, if you sign up right now they're offering free delivery through August 17. So it's worth a try.

To make matters even better - we've got our own Philly Phoodie-centric coupon code!!! Sign up and use the code PHLPHOOD and you'll get $25 in delivery fee credit, which looks like you'd get about 3 deliveries for free, which ain't bad at all.

I think it will come in handy for those days when I can't get away from my desk and when a hoagie from the Wawa around the corner just won't cut it on my short break.

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

Monday, August 4, 2014

Lou's Sandwich Shop

414 E Main St.
Norristown, PA 19401
(610) 279-5415

The much beloved Montgomery County staple, the "Zep," has two Norristown heroes: Ev's and Lou's. Ev's was good, but it was time to write about my personal favorite, Lou's.


Lou's is old school. You can grab a seat at the counter and watch the action, joined by individuals of every walk of life. Seriously, this is downtown Norristown. It's got them all.



Fans of the Zep know that it is an Italian on a soft roll, no lettuce. Lots of onions. Also, they are usually served with a side of hoagie spread. One of my favorite parts. If the the onions are too much, feel free to pull some off, but if you don't have a hot date, just embrace the allium overload.


The Zep comes piled high with thick-ish meat, and a heavy layer of cheese on the bottom.


Everything just kind of comes together with the oil, herbs, spices, and soft bread to mop it up. The salty meat, sliced fresh to order, adds to the attractiveness. This is a hoagie at its most basic. And I LOVE it.


So the next time you get arrested in Montgomery County, or you have to go to a training class in Norristown, do yourself a favor and grab a Zep. It's a throwback that never moved forward, and I wouldn't change it for the world.