Philly Phoodie

LaSpada's Original

2012-02-09T10:16:00.003-05:00

2912 Edgmont Avenue
Chester, PA
(610) 872-9881
Website

My Delaware county hoagie and cheesesteak hunt continues. It seems everyone I talk to has their own favorite, often a relic of childhood trips to the local shop. LaSpada's was always coming up in conversations about the best Italian hoagie, so I stopped by to check it out.

Although there are multiple locations of LaSpada's (including in Florida?), the Parkside store I visited is the longest-running one around. The store is small, and nothing fancy, just the way a sandwich shop should be.

I went with an Italian. This store does not have as extensive a menu, as some of the others do, and that's fine with me.

The Italian came with peppered ham, hot coppa, salami and provolone. The DelCo original meat-cheese-veggie-ham format was followed (still have no idea where that came from), and doused with oil and vinegar. The bread was mighty tasty, as was the sandwich.

I am still undecided on their traditional "top ham" wrapping. It does help hold everything in (like a meat wrapper should), but it also makes all of your bites extra hammy. Some days, I love it, some days I hate it. Best part is, however, you can simply remove it if/when you want.

This is definitely a solid sandwich. Next time I am going for the cheesesteak, because when I was leaving I saw one come hot off the grill, and it was a finely chopped thing of beauty. I almost went back and ordered one of those as well, but I am trying not to go all Paula Dean, at least before summer. That being said, I am always open to endorsement opportunities.

Frankford Hall

2012-02-07T09:13:00.005-05:00

1210 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(215) 634-3338
Website

Although I wrote about Frankford Hall when it first opened, I wanted to do an update. They have changed their menu around quite a number of times, and at this point, they have a variety of burgers. Which is always a plus. Below is the poutine burger, named "The Ultimate Poutine." At $12, it's not the cheapest around, but damn if it's not one of the tastiest. Dry aged patty, with fontina fries and foie gravy (made with veal), served open faced. It's a fork and knife meal, to be sure, but I had no complaints. Besides the fact that I had just undone an entire week's worth of workouts. But this sandwich/platter and 1L of German beer is the best mistress with which to cheat on your diet.

I also tried "The Classic" burger, which came in at a more wallet-friendly $7, and was still surprisingly good. Cooked to a nice medium, it came with white cheddar, house made pickle and the usual lettuce, tomato, and onion. Also, it comes with a side of fries, which are no slouch themselves, especially with the addictive curried ketchup.

Frankford Hall elicits a range of emotions from a variety of people, from love to hate. However, there is no better place to drink outside (even in the winter) in the area. The beers are not over-the-top expensive and the food is solid. Not to mention the fact that you can sit around a fire pit and roast s'mores. Sure, some of the clientele may have an air of superiority, but just remember, you don't have to talk to them.

Mama's Vegetarian

2012-02-02T10:33:00.004-05:00

18 South 20th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-3313
(215) 751-0477
Website

I can't believe after searching the archives that Mama's hasn't been done on here. It IS the best falafel in the city, after all. Yep, that's right, the best falafel in the city, hands down. Other places may have a 1,000 item salad bar, and that's great, but when comparing balls to balls, Mama's reigns supreme. You walk in and jump in line. Try not to go at peak hours (between noon and one) because it's kind of slow and gets very crowded for such a small store.

So you figure out what you want, which shouldn't be that hard with such a small menu, and then place your order. You can specify white or wheat pita. I also get it spicy, which just means they put a bit of chili sauce in first. Then the assembly line takes over.

They routinely run back to the fryer for fresh falafel.

If you are not a falafel fan, for some strange reason, or you are looking for a great side order, try the latkes. Packed with veggies, they are cripy on the outside and tender in the middle.

At $6, the large falafel sandwich is the stuff dreams are made of. Packed with tomato, cucumber, cabbage, hummus, tahini and hot sauce, this is a healthy, delicious and wallet-friendly lunch. Not to mention keeping it Kosher.

A large and small sandwich plus a latke was $11. That's more than enough for two, or one fat person. The sandwich stays together well, and it is packed with flavor. The falafel itself it absolutely perfect. Crispy on the outside, light on the inside and packed with parsley-fresh flavor.

Oh wait, you aren't sold yet? (I know you are) There's more. They offer a free side salad bar of various pickled veggies and sauces. More hot sauce, tahini, and chili pepper spread, as well as pickles, olives, carrots, and these maroon things that I thought were beets, then I thought they were some sort of fig. No, I have no idea what they were, but damn they were all so good. Anyone know what these mystery vegetables (or fruits) are?

When it comes down to it, the falafel at Mama's is just perfect. Everything else is a much appreciated bonus. This is the very definition of a perfect, cheap Center City lunch.

Sammy Chon's K-Town BBQ

2012-01-30T11:31:00.005-05:00

911 Race St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215 574-1778
Website

I had been to the Cherry Hill Sammy Chon's, but the new outpost in Chinatown had me intrigued. Koagies are a pretty great fusion concept and the promise of Korean Fried Chicken meant that I was headed to C-town.

They brought out two dishes of banchan, I suppose they throttle your free snacking when you don't order Korean main dishes. Others around me had about seven little dishes.

I went with a four piece order of the Korean Fried Chicken, which they allowed me to order two ways. Sweet soy, and spicy pepper (Diablo) sauces coated the crispy breaded chicken pieces. Unfortunately, this was not the best rendition I have had. Cafe Soho way up in K-town is significantly better. While the batter was crispy, it flaked off very easily, as though they had not been given the proper rest time to let the batter set up. They were still good, just not as good as others I have had.

I also went with one beef bulgogi and one spicy pork koagie. They are served on a Sarcone's roll and come pretty loaded with meat. The spicy pork (jae yook bokum-style) was far and away the winner. Cabbage, pork, onions and a side of white sauce made for a well balanced sandwich. The spicy marinade really packed a punch and the cool sauce subdued the burn.

The bulgogi was slightly disappointing. Especially compared to the pork. It had okay flavor, but really needed some kind of sauce. It was a bit dry without smothering it in the white sesame sauce provided - and when that didn't pack enough punch, a side of go chu jang was required to really round it out.

It was a pretty decent experience, and I would certainly go again, but I would likely try some of their more authentic food, and mop up those sauces with a pork koagie.

Mike and Emma's

2012-01-26T10:22:00.003-05:00

601 MacDade Blvd
Folsom, PA 19033
(610) 461-9194

Mike and Emma's is a Delaware County Institution. Whenever I ask people where to get a hoagie or cheesesteak down there, Mike and Emma's is at the top of the list. I had to see for myself what all of the fuss was about.

When you walk in, it's pretty apparent that they have not updated the interior for a number of decades. That is always a good sign.

For about two minutes I stood looking at the menu until an adorable little Italian woman, who at first was terrifying and then incredibly nice, came out to take my order.

While I pined for her deli slicer, she began to assemble my special.

One thing I have never seen done before is that she takes slices of tomato, and cuts them into chunks as she assembles the sandwich. Talk about making it with love.

They use delicious bread (I am unsure of the origin, as I was not willing to push my luck/the language barrier in finding out), crusty outside and perfectly soft in the middle. They use a combo of salami, prosciutto, coppa and ham with prov. I got mine with the works, including sweets and hots. In typical Del Co fashion, it's assembled veggies on the bottom, meat and cheese on top.

Mike and Emma's is the type of shop I love to eat at – small, family owned, and they take pride in their work. They use great ingredients, and put a whole lot of love into their sandwiches. I will definitely return for a run at the famous cheesesteaks, and will perhaps have to pick up a bonus hoagie for later.

Little Pete's

2012-01-24T09:08:00.005-05:00

219 S 17th St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(215) 545-5508

I had another encounter with one of the funniest writers around, @TVMyWifeWatches and this was a mission for tuna melts. Only I didn't get to go where I wanted, so I protested by ordering something else. We had originally wanted to find the perfect tuna melt in the city of Philadelphia. After our initial investigation, we can say for sure it is NOT at Little Pete's.

In all honesty, I had never been to Little Pete's in the light of day. My only memory (or lack thereof) of a L.P.'s encounter was likely half a decade ago - and no doubt nearing 3am, after a long night of boozing. They are one of the few 24 hour joints in Rittenhouse area, so I assume that was how numerous nights had ended in my younger days. The service is good, the counter is great, and the food is, well, predictable. Though we were "those people" at the counter (the only ones who were actually talking and enjoying ourselves, not wallowing in sadness-piles of chicken strips), no one seemed to be too annoyed by our (my) ADHD banter. Look at how jealous the girl who was dipping her toast into her coffee looked of this guy's plate next to me.

So the two "true believers" actually ordered tuna melts, while I maintained a safe distance with a Reuben. Remarkably, the melts came with fries, a soda, and a bowl of soup. My tuna guest ordered some kind of red soup, I think it had clams. He was more upset that they served wheat saltines than traditional white with the bland soup.

The other tuna adventurer ordered chicken orzo soup. Let's just say, Little Pete's does NOT have Progresso on the ropes.

Let's start with the good. Little Pete's makes an entirely passable Reuben. Is it the best I have had? Not even close. Is it somewhat delicious, and something I would order again? Absolutely.

Now, the tuna melts were another beast altogether. I will go on the record and say it was the worst "tuna anything" I have ever tasted. The croissant version was shitty, as was the one served on toasted rye. The tuna was low quality, dry, and lacking any flavor whatsoever. It was strangely reminiscent of cat food. See croissant below.

And where was the mayo? Oily Swiss was the prevailing flavor here, with a tinge of mildly-catty tuna-texture. See rye toast below.

If you are lucky, you might just stumble upon an urban cowboy. All in all, Little Pete's has crappy diner food. The greasy spoon breakfast is probably your best bet. Stick with the Reuben if you are there for lunch, and stay far, far away from the tuna. Anyone have any recommendations for tuna melts?

Recipe: Sweet Potato Crusted Fish with Lime Vinaigrette

2012-01-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

So one of my favorite places to eat in this world has an amazing crusted fish variety, and I felt the best way to beat the winter doldrums and think fondly of my favorite Florida restaurant was to recreate their famous sweet potato crusted fish over mixed greens. Plus, I am fat after the holidays and I needed a tasty and somewhat healthy weeknight recipe. I found a great site that recreates the famous preparation here, so I am adapting that recipe below (with permission) for my own cooking style and taste.

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette:
1	whole bunch cilantro large stems picked
2	medium cloves garlic
2	limes (juiced)
½	cup olive oil (or grape seed/canola)
1	tablespoon mayo (Hellman's or homemade)
1	teaspoon sea salt
1	teaspoon fresh ground pepper
	pinch of sugar pinch of cayenne
Fish:
1	pound light flaky fish (I used Cod, it's cheap and a good vessel for crispy starches, but many types will work)
1	large sweet potato, peeled and shredded
1	egg plus 2 egg whites
½	cup flour - seasoned with a pinch of cayenne, sea salt & cracked pepper
2	TBS canola oil (or any high smoke point oil)
2	TBS butter

First make the vinaigrette. Throw everything in the food processor, hit it for about 10 seconds, transfer and reserve in the fridge, covered. Really easy. And incredibly delicious.

Next, get the sweet potatoes in order. Anyone who has worked with these knows they can be hard as hell to work with due to their incredibly hard interior. I combated this by cutting it into chunks and then throwing it in the food processor that was already out and running – just switch out the chopper for the grater blade. Quick, easy, and perfectly shredded. Season up your flour in one dish; get your 2 egg whites plus 1 egg in another dish and mix, and heat your pan.

If you are doing this over a salad, I highly recommend it for a quick healthy meal, get the salad totally ready. Don't worry about dressing. Remember that vinaigrette? Right.

I literally just cleared all of the veggies out of the fridge, opened a can of chickpeas, threw on some dried cranberries, chopped pecans, and shredded some nice Parmigiano Reggiano right on top.

Get your pan good and hot (medium-high heat) and lay down a bed of potato shreds for each piece of fish.

Batter those fish pieces, flour first, then egg, and throw them right on top of the shredded starch piles.

Be careful, because those things will burn. Adjust the heat as needed. When it's moving as one, and to your desired crispness, try to get it all with a thin and sturdy spatula (fish-spatula highly recommended). (Tip: this side will be the one you are displaying, so make sure it looks pretty and don't worry about a little burning, it won't come through in the finished product and will build flavor.) At this point, while it's held mid-air, you build another potato nest and carefully flip your fish in a blanket onto it's un-crusted side.

Lower the heat a bit and cover if the fish is thick, but in my case, the fish cooked extremely fast, so just try to get the other side crispy as well. Don't forget to add butter. When it's finished, carefully throw that thing onto your pre-built salad. If you forgot to pre-build, give yourself a light smack for failing to follow directions and let your dinner get cold on a plate while assembling. Or if you are not a masochist, just have a delightful piece of sweet potato crust fish with the vinaigrette and pretend you never wanted the salad in the first place. The fish will stay incredibly moist, and the dressing will make you look like a pro, even though the total cook time (including prep, excluding cleanup) start to finish is less than 40 minutes.

The Blind Pig

2012-01-16T11:21:00.001-05:00

702 N 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(267) 639-4565
Website

The Blind Pig is a relatively new(ish)-comer to the Northern Liberties area, tucked away on 2nd street right next to the infamous The 700. Although I had known about The Blind Pig since it's inception, I wanted to give them time to get things in order before stopping in. Last weekend a couple of happy hour beers and some food were in order, so in I went.

Forgive the grainyness of some of the photos, it is bad lighting for pictures, but good lighting for atmosphere.

The menu presents a mix of regional comfort foods, and although they don't have an overall "theme" (besides comfort), there is a strong mix of food you (I) would want to eat.

After talking to the co-owner/bartender/wife of the chef, and hearing that people "follow her husband for his lamb," I decided to try the lamb sliders. I also decided that the poutine needed to be had, as I have a soft spot in my heart for poutine. Luckily, the bar tender asked if I would like to sub out the fries that came with my sliders for a side salad. I was going to ask for that, but I didn't know the policy on substitutions. Believe me, an extra order of fries is not needed with the boatload of gravy cheese fries that their poutine entails.

The french fries are crispy, fresh and delicious. The curds are sourced from Wholesome Dairy Farms out in Douglassville, Pa. The curds had apparently been delivered fresh that afternoon, and were fantastic. The gravy, oh that gravy, came from a mother stock of veal parts that is developed over a week of braising. It's one part gravy, one part au jus, and one part magic.

Look at the beefy goodness below.

The lamb sliders were another big winner, even though I am opposed to sliders for the most part. These worked out well, because of consistency and share-ability. Well-seasoned lamb patties cooked to a perfect medium rare, topped with a pickle slice, diced onion and smoked paprika aioli. Usually served with a side of fries, as mentioned above, I got mine with a side salad, which is served with a chocolate stout vinaigrette.

The sliders were delicious, just the right mix and number of ingredients, and to repeat myself, they were very well cooked (to a nice medium). The stout vinaigrette was totally addicting. I believe it was the blend of salt, sugar, black pepper, shallot and choco-stout that had me shoveling this generous portion of mixed greens in as fast as I could.

Overall, The Blind Pig is a great addition to the No Libs corridor, and I will certainly return, if for nothing other than to order a pint glass of that gravy. That being said, I will also be back to try the fried oyster sandwich as well as the highly acclaimed "blue balls," a fried chicken and blue cheese concoction that sounds mighty delicious, physical discomfort aside.

San Lucas Mexican Pizza

2012-01-11T13:52:00.004-05:00

2000 S Bouvier St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
Website
(NO CHEESESTEAK RATING APPLICABLE)
Well to start, I was just freaked out because I thought my computer was possessed while looking at their website. Website music is never, ever a good idea. Unless you have to manually click to listen. Sheesh.

So anyway, San Lucas is a Mexican pizza place in Point Breeze. They offer slices of pizza with Mexican toppings. The al pastor sounded particularly intriguing.

I ordered a slice of al pastor and my dining partner ordered a slice of Hawaiian. I would have ordered more but we had literally just finished at Hardena, where we decided to forgo the rest of the plate to eat something better. This place is part bodega, part pizza place and apparently they also sell [sic] chees-steak('s).

We were told it would be 10-15 minutes for our two slices of pizza. Luckily we had eaten a bit about 20 minutes previous, so the wait wasn't a problem. One of the most exciting parts of the delay was discussing the little slot through which they make transactions. Especially when they continuously open the screen door directly next to it to do things like make change. See below for this slot in action.

Unfortunately this is where my review ends. When the Hawaiian appeared through the magic portal, there was no al pastor to accompany it. I was told I never ordered it. Which was news to me and my dining partner who actually ordered AFTER me. So anyways, at that point I was not waiting another 10 minutes for the slice I had ordered 15 minutes prior. I did snag a bite of the Hawaiian (no idea why I am friends with someone who orders the Hawaiian at a Mexican pizza place), and it was mediocre at best. A floppy slice, with a strange pile of sausage in the middle and cheese sliding all over the place.

So, I guess I would recommend that you check your order, even if they repeat it when you place the initial order, or you might end up staring at this while the rest eat pizza like I did. It's winter, gross.

Hardena/Waroeng Surabaya Restaurant

2012-01-10T12:08:00.000-05:00

1754 S Hicks St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
(215) 271-9442

Indonesian food is relatively new to the Philly food scene, and Point Breeze is the burgeoning capital of this hybrid of Middle Eastern and Asian food.

Hardena is a strange experience, to put it mildly. When you walk in, there is a counter to the back left where they have a large number of steam trays full of a colorful variety of proteins and sauces. For $7 you get your choice of three and a side of rice ($8 if all three choices contain meats). Be sure to ask for the sambal (hotsauce) on the rice.

The kitchen looks like someone's Indonesian Grandmother's house – because it probably is.

Below is the gingered chicken, curried egg, and fish curry. All were pretty disappointing, although, I can say that the tofu accompanying the egg was the highlight. It seemed like there was little-to-no effort put into the food. Maybe the menu is too expansive (I didn't even get to order off of the large chalkboard)?

Below on the right is the rendang beef, which is slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices. The picture for that one turned out pretty poor due to weird lighting. The rendang was probably the best thing I ate, but it was far from impressive. The meat was fall-apart tender, but that was the most I could say about it.

The chicken wings were stickily-sauced but lacked the crispy texture with which Korean Fried Chicken has spoiled me.

Overall, I probably would not go back to Hardena, unless I was with someone who desperately wanted to eat Indonesian food. In that case, I would desperately try to talk them into something else.

Cafe Nhu Y

2012-01-09T09:55:00.002-05:00

802 Christian St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 925-6544

Cafe Nhu Y is my favorite Banh Mi in the city. They are a tiny Mom-and-Pop shop with cheap, fresh, extremely delicious sandwiches. When I say "Mom-and-Pop," it's literally a two person team, preparing delicious Vietnamese hoagies in tandem.

While you wait, be sure to grab an iced coffee.

My two favorites are the shredded pork and the tofu. The tofu is fantastic when you want something light and healthy, yet filling and flavorful. These sandwiches look exactly the same, so there is no real difference between the pictures.

They use all of the authentic ingredients for a Banh Mi, including cucumber, shredded carrot, jalapeno slices and flavored rice noodles, in addition to the protein you select.

The rice noodles pack a deep flavor that transfers well to the overall taste of the fresh vegetables. A certain "umami" characteristic that can only come from fermentation. Overall, this is one of, if not the best, authentic Bahn Mi around. Give it a try. I mean seriously, they are only $4.

Jack's Place

2012-01-03T15:44:00.002-05:00

7167 Hegerman St
Philadelphia, PA 19135
(215) 624-5322

The Great Northeast had been like a foreign country to me when I was living in South Philly. Now that I am somewhat closer, I have been trying to branch out and get in on some of the good food up in this interesting segment of the city. In Tacony, there is a sandwich shop that is all the rage among the locals, but I had never heard of it before. Jack's Place is a neighborhood hoagie shop that also offers homemade soups, fried foods and hot sandwiches.

If you are lucky, when you walk in, you will be greeted by Jack himself. It's apparent that Jack takes great pride in his establishment, and the warm and inviting atmosphere is a breath of fresh air from the sometimes overly arrogant attitudes exuded by some of the well-known sandwich shops. While I was waiting for my sandwich, Jack told me a couple of times about how good his soup was. I decided to go ahead and purchase one on his recommendation, but he ended up throwing in a small order for free. He said, "I talked you into it, so this one's on the house." Amazing.

Minimalist decor, a small customer waiting area and a sizable prep area provides the perfect layout (and ambiance) for this Mom-and-Pop style shop.

There is also an antipasto bar with everything from olives to marinated artichokes to pepper shooters. A reasonable $5 a pound for most things makes for a nice accompaniment to your order.

I grabbed a menu and went with the Original Italian. The slogan "Best Hoagie in the Free World!" alone is enough to make me a believer.

Jack is always watching what is going down.

The Original Italian consists of Cotechino, genoa, capicola, pepperoni and sharp prov. A half is served on a seeded Sarcone's roll. Jack also uses an olive spread that doesn't taste overtly "olivey" but has an incredible depth of flavor and adds the "umph" to his sandwiches that many places are missing.

Each is lovingly constructed, and all of the ingredients are in perfect balance. This is a winner. Over lunch, the question was raised "where is the best Italian in Philly?" Now that D'Alessandro's is no more, I would have to say that Jack's is high in the runnings. It was just gourmet enough without losing the blue-collar- quality nature of a true hoagie.

The chicken rice soup was surprisingly excellent as well. I usually would not order soup at a hoagie spot, but this was certainly worth another order. I imagine any soup of the day would be delicious at Jack's. Mushrooms, carrots, wild rice and chicken in a creamy base made for a satisfying bowl of comfort on a cold winter day.

Circles Thai

2011-12-22T09:13:00.006-05:00

1516 Tasker St
Philadelphia, PA 19145
(267) 687-1778
Website

Thai food is lacking in Philadelphia for the most part. When I think of Thai, I don't think upscale, expensive food. I think flavor packed, reasonably priced and somewhat exotically spiced dishes. Circles is apparently coming to Northern Liberties, so I felt it was only proper to make a pilgrimage back to my homeland, down south, to eat at the much adored Point Breeze king of Thai.

One thing that is incredibly strange is the fact that the food at the eat-in place is brought across a Point Breeze alley from the takeout restaurant. They use a strange buzzer system and call the orders over. I suppose I would not have noticed it had there been more than one other group eating-in at the time.

The alley in question below.

So anyway, I ordered the summer rolls (I just love those things), Tom Yum soup (beats chicken noodle for soul satisfaction 10 times out of 10), the chicken satay (meat on a stick is always a winner) and the Pad Thai (for a constant). I assume you can figure out which is which below.

The Tom Yum was probably my favorite thing there. Not to say the other items weren't delicious, but there is something about that soup (when executed properly) that is pure comfort. This was a mighty fine offering. I ordered it hot, and it had a perfect punch to it. Tender pieces of chicken, mushrooms, and the lemongrass/kafir/fish/sauce/ginger/chili pepper broth brought the fermented funkiness that I crave. I need this soup within a couple blocks of me for those days when I need to atone for the previous night's transgressions or am battling a cold (much more likely to be the former than the latter).

The chicken satay was another home run. Rich tumeric really made the nicely charred chicken skewers pack some mean flavor. The deliciously acidic cucumber relish and traditional peanut sauce were perfect partners, though the meat was seasoned enough to stand alone.

The shrimp summer roll was great, not that there is any magic to summer rolls. The shrimp were well-cooked and the sweet chili peanut sauce was like a delicious hoisin dip. +1 on the presentation.

The Pad Thai was the best I have had in Philly, and a steal at $11. There were at least five jumbo shrimp nestled into this heap of noodles, and they were perfectly cooked. Sweet and sour tamarind sauce made for a teeter-totter between flavors working in harmony. A generous helping of crunchy peanuts and crisp bean sprouts rounded out the textural tour de force.

All that I can say is that I am incredibly happy there will be an outpost of this delicious food closer to my neighborhood soon. Especially because I only get down to Point Breeze once a week, and that is too long to go between Thai feasts.

Chink's Steaks

2011-12-20T10:00:00.008-05:00

6030 Torresdale Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19135
(215) 535-9405
Website

I had been meaning to make it to (the unfortunately named) Chink's Steaks ever since I had heard about it. However, it takes some real effort to get there, as it is located in the Tacony/Wissinoming section of Northeast Philadelphia. The name is from the original owner who opened Chink's as a small steak place in 1949 after cutting his teeth at the world famous Pat's steaks.

I think their website sums it up best "[t]he combination of the intriguing décor and beautiful waitresses, mixed with the overwhelming aroma of delicious steaks invites its customers at the front door. Many customers appreciate the beautiful staff, and the nostalgic scenery; however, most return for the exceptionally fabulous sandwiches."

At the entrance is a small but effective flat-top and you can smell the deliciousness from down the street.

As I was ready for the gut bomb, I went with two cheesesteaks, an order of crinkle-cut cheese fries and a malted vanilla bean milkshake.

Although I am not usually a crinkle-cut fries kind of guy, these were actually pretty good.

Of course, the salty bowl of whiz on the side wasn't hurting anything.

There are all types of vintage touches around the place such as display jukeboxes.

The malted vanilla milkshake was absolutely delicious.

I wanted to try the steak with fried onions and whiz – and damn! – finely chopped onions that were deeply caramelized and a healthy slathering of whiz were perfect on this meat and cheese vessel. The roll was perfectly spongy inside and slightly crispy on the outside. But most importantly, the meat. The meat was divine. Perfectly seasoned, and well cooked. I have not had a better steak sandwich that I can remember.

I also wanted to try the cheesesteak hoagie. This was another winner, but not quite on the level of the regular cheesesteak. The cheesesteak hoagie was ordered with onions, American, lettuce, tomato and mayo. I also added some banana peppers on the side. This was a delicious hybrid of two of the most famous sandwiches in our city. This is one of those situations where there is no shame in ordering mayo on your cheesesteak. Of course, I never have any shame in ordering mayo on anything, but it is frowned upon at some steak joints. The cheesesteak hoagie brings a crunchy, refreshing take on the traditional cheesesteak.

The bottom line is, if you want one of the best steaks in city, make a pilgrimage up to Chink's Steaks. You may not find religion, but you will certainly find deliciousness.

"New French Fries" shootout: Wendy's vs. Burger King

2011-12-16T11:15:00.006-05:00

Every once in a while, I decide that there needs to be a showdown between two similar competitors to determine which is better. I have been getting a lot of requests to do more fast food, but that is not what this website is about. That being said, below you will find definitive evidence of the changes made to Burger King and Wendy's fries and how they stack up.

I was watching football last Sunday when I got word of the new "steak fries" at Burger King. As I had been meaning to try the new Wendy's sea salt fries, there was no other option than to execute a french fry shootout.

At BK, I got a large order of fries, and a Whooper. The Whopper was actually for a friend, I was just holding it. No seriously. Also, did you know that you can order a Whopper with onion rings? You really can have it your way.

I then drove (immediately) down to Wendy's.

At Wendy's, I ordered a large fry, a large root beer and a W, which is basically Wendy's new burger, an answer to the Big Mac.

The W was okay. It was a decent fast food burger, as far as the big three are concerned, but I couldn't shake the buttered bun. Well actually, it was a butter-flavored bun. It overpowered the sandwich with its fake, movie-theater-style butteriness.

Now Wendy's new fries are supposed to be "natural" with sea salt, while BK is touting theirs as steak-fry style. While Burger King's had a better crunch, due to the mysterious exterior coating, Wendy's were limp. Wendy's at least some salt to them, while Burger King's had little to no salt. I don't know if that is part of the new initiative, but these are french fries. Maybe I needed to specify that "my way" was with salt. Neither french fry tasted like potatoes, but neither tasted like oil either. They were both bland and underwhelming.

It seems that, at least for now, the french fry king of the big three remains the golden arches. That being said, I got a single order of McDonald's fries the other day (simply for research purposes) and they also were a big let down. So if I had to choose between Burger King and Wendy's new fry gimmicks, I would probably go BK by a fry. I would ask for a pack of crappy iodized salt along with them though.

Loco Pez

2011-12-14T11:04:00.002-05:00

2401 East Norris St
Philadelphia, PA 19125
(267) 886-8061
Website

Loco Pez is a new member of the Fishtown bar community, and it is a welcome addition to the area. Before their existence, if you wanted tacos, you had to hit Que Chuela or Riendo in Olde Kensington. Well, Loco Pez is an "LA style" street-taco place, and they offer a small but strong selection of food that I have been missing since leaving Los Angeles.

One of my favorite parts about the whole concept is the fact that they stayed true to their roots in the interior design. It's like a Fishtown dive bar inside, except clean.

After perusing the menu, I started with some margaritas, before transitioning into my taco drink of choice, Modelo Especial. Below is the Monte Carlo - chipotle infused tequila, hibiscus water, sugar and lime. It was spicy, smokey, and slightly sweet. Absolutely delicious, but I would not be able to handle more than one.

This one was the Coupe De Ville, a customer favorite, or so said our attractive and attentive server. A mix of tequila, blood orange puree and lime juice, with a salty sugar rim. This is one that could get you into trouble.

I couldn't decide which tacos to order, so we ordered all of them. Spare me the shock, it was only nine street-style tacos. Now, as this is not all we ordered, I am going to give you a run down, and you can figure out the rest. Below (clockwise from top left) is the al pastor, shredded chicken, carnitas, and carne asada. Winner of the bunch was the al pastor, but they were all delicious. They may look tiny (because they are) but they range from $1.75-2.50 a piece, so you aren't exactly breaking the bank (unless you eat like me).

Carnitas below.

Carne Asada below.

Chicken below.

Al Pastor below.

They serve three homemade hot sauces. One is a smoky chipotle, one is a spicy green tomatillo, and one is a sweet hot habanero. Watch out for the green, it's sneaky hot. And delicious.

After the first round of four, the next five came out. Here we are looking at (from front, clockwise) the mushroom, soy chorizo, chorizo and potato, pez and shrimp. Surprisingly, my favorites were the fried mariscos (seafoods, for those of you not keen to Spanglish) and the soy chorizo. The soyrizo had an awesome flavor, and was dripping with delicious spicy (veggie?) grease; the meat inside of the seafood tacos both had a crunchy batter on the outside with a perfectly cooked interior of fish (pez) or shrimp (camarones).

Camarones, soyrizo and mushroom below.

Mushroom below.

Chorizo & potato below.

Camarones below.

Pez and camarones below.

Well, this wasn't quite enough to fill me up (I really just wanted to try a couple more items), so I decided to go for the street dog. I used to eat street dogs all the time on my walks home from nights out in Hollywood, so it was a nice trip down memory lane. I once even gave a street vendor a twenty for their last dog, much to the dismay of the drunk guy beside me who was digging through his pockets looking for $3 to buy it. Anyway, the street dog at Loco Pez is wrapped in bacon, smothered in cheese, pico and topped with jalapeno slices. It was gloriously messy, had a nice kick from the jalapenos, and a fresh pop from the pico. It was satisfying in the way only pork on pork can be.

Not to be outdone, I also went for a gabacho taco, which was basically their take on a taco supreme. Hard shell, ground beef, shredded lettuce, sour cream and cheese. It was another delicious taco, and the crunch and familiarity were a nice addition to the authentic street-style tacos. At $2 a pop, they weren't breaking the bank either.

Last but certainly not least, I had to get a taste of one of the special tacos for the night. The lengua (beef tongue) was one of my favorites. It had a rich beefy flavor, yet was silkenly tender. Although you may be put-off by tongue (I love it when it's cooked right), it's worth it to try something new. You never know, you may just find a new favorite.

Loco Pez is a pretty great place to hang out, drink some cervezas and eat some street meat. It's got a certain charm to it that could only come from a local bar, and some food that could only come from someone that cares.

Opa

2011-12-11T19:19:00.004-05:00

1311 Sansom St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Website

I said I would be back to try the gyro, so when I heard they were offering a $5.95 lunch special, I had to make my way over.

Gyro (lamb or chicken), fries and a soda for six bucks? Done.

They also give you a side of their signature oregano fries, and if you ask politely, they will give you some of their harissa aioli to dip them in. I am a huge harissa fan, and and this stuff is addicting.

They throw french fries in the gyro, which is good because it's on the small side – which is to be expected when it's at a posh joint and at this price point.

The chicken was my favorite of the two, with nicely seasoned and charred chunks of tender meat. This was a pretty good gyro, but it's more of a value proposition than a destination gyro place.

The oregano fries are really tasty, especially with the harissa to dip into. The lamb gyro was a bit dry, but that was also taken care of with a quick spicy harissa bath. This deal goes through the end of the year, so be sure to take advantage of it for a nice lunch while you are out shopping for the holidays.

American Sardine Bar

2011-12-06T19:50:00.003-05:00

1801 Federal St. (Point Breeze)
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215)215-2152
Website

Newcomer to Point Breeze: the American Sardine Bar. Lots of hype (and a few court cases) surrounded this opening. Owned by the same people that own/run the South Philly Tap Room, this was a much needed bar/restaurant in a neighborhood that can't seem to define itself. Finally, a place to grab a beer in Point Breeze without getting shanked. One of the most talked about aspects of this place was the awesome sardine can sculpture hanging outside.

While the sardine can IS pretty rad, I was more interested in seeing what the food (and beer) was all about.

They have a decently priced and quite extensive beer list, from pilsners to porters. For the food, we felt it was only right to start with the $2 namesake sardine sandwich. The sardines are chopped, tossed in some fresh lemon and parsley, served on two slices of baguette and topped with lettuce, red onion and sliced hard-boiled egg.

Even if you aren't a fan of the funky, oil-packed sardine, this sandwich might be enough to sway your opinion. A perfect snack when you want to have a couple of afternoon beers (or glasses of wine).

The Walt Wit braised pork sandwich was next on my hit list. Served simply, with Boursin (a soft, spreadable cheese) on a toasted ciabatta, this sandwich was a winner. The lack of sauce could have been an issue had the pork not been cooked so perfectly. The Boursin offered a tangy, creamy contrast in flavors to the well seasoned pork.

A side of the salt and pepper fries, served with dill pickle dipping sauce, was another delicious offering. Thin, crunchy, salty and peppery fries were a great side to my already indulgent lunch. The pickle dipping sauce offered a fresh and welcome juxtaposition to the spicy fries. I had never had this flavor as a french fry accoutrement before, and I would gladly dip my spuds in pickle once again, if the situation allowed.

The Pittsburgh cheesesteak, to quote our server was "hearty." It was much like a Primanti's – at least french fry and coleslaw wise – except much, much better. The bread was a perfect vessel for delivering steak meat, the onions were nicely caramelized, and the peppery cheese sauce delivered a spicy flavor kick that lingered long after eating the last bite, like the terrible glutton I am. This is a hell of a sandwich.

Next up was the falafel wrap (vegan): falafel, spicy pickled peppers, tomatoes, pickles and onions on a grilled pita. The falafel itself was delicious, well seasoned, light and crispy outside with a smooth interior texture. The pickled peppers were also delicious, I just wish this sandwich was served with a bit more sauce. I should have asked for more.

Last up is the krab kake sandwich. Obviously this was not your average crab cake sandwich. With no lump crab in sight, this was possibly a nod to the neighborhood seafood shack. The dill pickle tartar sauce was pretty delicious, but the bun was beyond toasted. It was burnt to a crisp (see below). Probably should have been sent back, but I hate to do that kind of thing.

(I admittedly lent them some ease there, considering the newness of their kitchen.)

This is, without a doubt, a great addition to any neighborhood, especially one desperately in need of something other than bodegas. Now if they could just get a coffee shop . . .

Saad's Halal Restaurant

2011-12-01T16:20:00.008-05:00

4500 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19139
(215) 222-7223
Website

Saad's, across the street from Manakeesh, is a staple in West Philly. Offering Halal food, I was excited to try the falafel, which I heard was tasty, as well as the incredibly popular chicken shish tawook maroosh way (chicken maroosh for short). You walk in, order at the counter and await the disembodied announcement on the intercom system.

Although I was only eating with one other person, I decided it was completely necessary to order a sandwich, two wraps, hummus and baba ghanoush. Which makes total sense, if you are eating with a group.

I, however was not, which is just gross. Not really, I mean I just lack portion control, right?

The chicken maroosh consists of grilled chicken, sauteed onions, lettuce, tomato, parsley, pickles and garlic sauce on a toasted hoagie roll. This was one hell of a sandwich. Crunchy bread, tender chicken, fresh veggies, and an abundance of super garlicy, mayo-ish/aoili-ish sauce. Oh that sauce.

Tender & juicy pieces of chicken breast filled the roll – no chewy mystery bits. If I based my review on this sandwich alone, Saad's may have received 4 cheesesteaks...

The hummus and baba were good, but no Dmitri's. They actually tasted way too similar for being completely different entities. A bit heavy on the tahini, I surmise. Likewise, the pita was fine, but hardly memorable.

On to the wraps. One lamb shwarma and one falafel with feta.

The lamb shawarma was not what I was expecting. Mostly because I was expecting this (delightfully shaved from the drippingly juicy spit), and instead I got large gristly chunks of lamb. I was literally spitting them out because they were so large, weird and chewy. The only thing that kept me going here was my request for extra garlic sauce - I kept hoping that the next bite would provide an edible piece. But alas, nada one. It was a poor showing to say the least. Apparently they don't adhere to the international definition of shawarma. Disappointing all around.

The falafel was another swing and miss. The spheres themselves were so heavy they could have doubled as flattened out range balls and seasoning was nearly non-existent. Again, the garlic sauce rendered this one edible, but just barely.

The search continues for an excellent shawarma in the city, and if for some unexplained reason I forgo Manakeesh (right across the street) for the less inviting Saad's, I will certainly stick to the chicken maroosh. That sandwich was absolutely delicious, but nothing puts me off more than large, gristly, chewy pieces of lamb in my shawarma. Except maybe golf ball falafel.

Guest Post: Cafe Rio

2011-11-30T11:03:00.008-05:00

2537 South 25 East
Ammon, ID 8340
(208) 821-3636
Website

My fondest memory of Cafe Rio ended in vomiting strawberry milkshake all over a parking lot. No, Cafe Rio does not sell milkshakes. It does, however, craft one of the finer enchilada-style, barbacoa pork burritos of any Mexican-ish chain restaurant that I know. Sound like a mouthful? It is.

Which brings me back to my point. The milkshake, the damn milkshake. It was the one thing that came between me and competitive eating glory – I did have my day, mind you. During my younger, more competitive, years I did claim several victories that included 50 Wendy's nuggets in less than 10 minutes, and back-to-back Barbacoa burritos. The day that marked my final showdown (and ultimate defeat) began one fine afternoon with a challenge: meal for meal till someone dropped out. My competitor didn't seem to have much of a chance. I had a good 40 lbs. on him and to this point I'd never seen proof of his capabilities. He did have one critical ability of which I was not aware, his inhuman capacity to stomach dairy.

The competition began with a headfirst dive in into the famed enchilada-style barbacoa pork burrito.

Without question, this is a sufficient meal for two normal eaters. The tortillas are made on site and the pork is marinated in a delectable blend of sweet and spicy.

The recipe can be found here. I highly recommend whipping up a few pounds of it and figuring out a way to integrate it into every meal for one week. Another noteworthy item on the menu is the salad. It is basically a burrito with a little bit of lettuce that hasn't been wrapped up.

Think of Cafe Rio as a less healthy Chipotle, which makes it way better and more cheese covered.

Back to the eating challenge. After violently consuming a burrito each, my competitor and I worked our way down the block. Next up was a large Quizno's sandwich each. I honestly thought this would be as far as this competition would go, but we breezed right through it. Both eager to defend our title, our sights turned to Crown Burger. This would ultimately be my demise. How this little dude was still in the running was beyond me, though I should have taken note that many reigning eating champions are not usually very big. Takeru Kobayashi, weighing in at only 136 pounds, held the title of Nathan's Annual Hot Dog Eating Contest for 6 years. Whatever the case, dairy has no place in a competition of any kind. And worse yet, don't mix beans and enchilada sauce with strawberry syrup and ice cream. It's kind of like mentos and diet coke, but with beans!

The truth is that I lost fair and square. I lost my eating title while crying/puking behind a greasy burger place. It was pathetic.

Federal Donuts

2011-11-26T09:30:00.006-05:00

1219 S 2nd St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(267) 687-8258
Website

I am sure you have all heard the hype about this place. One of the main reasons I waited so long to venture there is that I hate when I go somewhere and am let down. Overexposure tends to do that to a place.

Federal Donuts is on the corner of 2nd and Federal (get it?) in Pennsport.

When you walk in, you will be greeted by delicious-smelling-donuts frying, and a small ordering area. Make sure you are not in a rush, because there is no sense of urgency by the staff (not that there should be). If you get there and there are ten people in line, you may wait 30 minutes until you actually get your food. Which is irksome.

They have "fresh" or "fancy" donuts. I tended to like the "fancy" better.

At the time, they had an apple-walnut special that was quite delicious. Not overly thick, but nicely chewy with a touch of sweetness from the crumb topping. Big fan. Another fancy version that I really enjoyed was the Key Lime. It came with a deep red glaze on it, sesame seeds and had a nice sour kick.

The regular donuts are less impressive. I tried the Indian Cinnamon (nothing too special), and the Vanilla-Lavender (pictured below). The Vanilla-Lavender was a bit too heavy and tasted more like cinnamon than it did either lavender or vanilla. In fact, I thought I was served the wrong donut and actually asked if it was rightfully the one I had ordered. Although they graciously asked if I would like another one instead, I passed and continued searching for the long lost namesake ingredients.

One of the other high points is the coffee. Cold brewed coffee is one of my favorite ways to start the day, and they do a bang-up job at making the stuff. Fried chicken will be tried upon my next venture down, and I am excited for the results. If you are going for donuts, stick with the fancy and get yourself some coffee. Delicious.

The Institute

2011-11-22T19:41:00.004-05:00

549 N 12th St
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(267) 318-7772
Website

The Institute is a bar at which I sometimes drink, but truth be told, I usually forget about it when I am formulating my evening plans. I had eaten there a couple of years ago, and actually quite enjoyed it, but I hadn't been back to eat for a while. When I got tipped off that the menu was just re-done, I figured it was as good a time as any to see what the current food situation was like.

We started with a beer, which given their pretty extensive craft brew selection, quickly escalated into a few more. The beers are a bit on the expensive side, with nothing less than $5 and some as much as $8. The interior is finished in a sort of industrial bar-next-door theme. Dark and inviting, though not intimidatingly so.

The sambhar nachos, for a starter, are freaking fantastic. Lentil curry, black bean cilantro relish, jicama slaw and a mango-jalapeno coulis. Not exactly what you would expect to see on nachos, and now I will be longing for the interesting Indian flavors and varying textures next time I am eating mediocre bar nachos. For a vegetarian nacho plate, these were especially top-notch.

The pumpkin mac was another delicious starter, boasting pumpkin puree, boursin, goat cheese, caramelized onions and fresh herbs. The pumpkin flavor, which I thought would have been questionable, was quite good. If you are getting this as an appetizer, you'll definitely want to split it (or get the half order). Creamy, hearty and rich, this was a delicious riff on traditional mac without being cloyingly indulgent.

For the mains, a burger was/is a must. The "Goats in Roam" style was the one that caught my eye. Bedazzled with bacon, oyster mushrooms, goat cheese and MORE boursin – I never said this was diet food.

This burger was pure decadence. The meat was well seasoned, PERECTLY medium rare, and the star of this sandwich. The accompaniments played a strong supporting role: earthy, meaty mushrooms, crisp veggies, smoky bacon and salty goat cheese, this is a burger to be reckoned with. I have to give this one a high approval rating on my burger radar. The tots were also good, crispy, salty and freshly fried. I had to go ahead and ask for a variety of dips, from the miso aioli (umami filled and fantastic) to the adjika (light, fresh and packed with flavor) to a side of gravy (see below). The miso and adjika were both inventive and delicious dipping sauces, a clear path to my heart.

The grizzled pork was a huge sandwich stuffed with pulled pork, jalapeno, caramelized onion, sharp cheddar and served with your choice of chipotle bbq or gravy. I went on a limb and ordered the gravy, but I should have stuck with the bbq. The pork itself was great, slightly crispy ends, tender & well-pulled overall and nicely seasoned. The jalapeno and onions were fresh additions, but I felt the cheddar was a bit over-powering and the gravy was flavorless. It was like a roux that had never moved past the blond stage. The fries were another perfect rendition. Salty, crispy, and freshly fried, these are what I want to slap every shitty french fry in the city with. Tough love.

Don't worry when you walk in, as the pictures may tell, it's pretty dark in here come nightfall. The atmosphere is pretty friendly, and the best selection is worth the trip alone. Luckily for us (and them) the food is the real draw, and this is another great addition to the bar food options available in this up and coming neighborhood.

Tony's Place

2011-11-21T14:38:00.007-05:00

6300 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19134-3619
(215) 739-5660
Website

In the never-ending hunt for great pizza, the great Northeast is usually underrepresented, yet they offer pies in many venues that are significantly better than their Southern counterparts. I heard Tony's Place offered a tomato pie, and I was anxious to see if it would save me a trip to Trenton.

Tony's place is not a fancy "gourmet pizza" type place. It's a bar/family restaurant that serves a pretty decent, comparably inexpensive thin crust tomato pie. Now don't get it twisted, this is not tomato pie, but rather, tomato pie. (The following pictures are a bit dull because the lighting here hasn't changed since 1951)

The drink special was $2.25 Woodchuck ciders. Although I usually don't drink the cider, I had to do it here, on monetary principle alone. The side salad is pretty large and quite a steal at around $3.50. Nothing crazy, but more variety and size than I expected for the price.

On to the pizza. I went with the traditional tomato pie with hot cherry peppers and sausage first. The sauce goes on top, and the cheese underneath. Upon ordering I asked for it well done, and she asked if I wanted it crispy, so I was a bit flummoxed. However, I decided to just hedge my bets and go with crispy. Crispy it was. The crust was the best part (followed by the sausage). Very thin, and very crisp, it was a nice change from the thick, greasy "medium" thickness that many places around the city serve and often call "Greek style." I am looking at YOU Central Pizza. Anyway, the pizza was good, the sausage had a nice kick of fennel, and was in perfect proportion. The problem arose with the sauce, however. It just lacked flavor. I may be spoiled, but is it too much to ask for the sauce to have some salt and garlic? This was under sweetened, under salted, and just made my two other favorite sauces (Franco's and Tacconelli's) shine.

The red and white pizza was hard to pass up, as it had a tinge of patriotism to it (even though it was missing some bleu). It was a white pie, with olive oil and garlic, swirled with sauce. Now we were getting closer to home. This had a bit more of the flavor I was looking for. Garlic, oregano, olive oil, a bit of tomato, and a satisfyingly crunchy crust.

I would certainly eat at Tony's Place again, and the fact that a pie is less than $11 is another major plus. Although the sauce is a bit lacking, the crust is definitely light and crunchy, however I am still a Tacconelli's guy for thin crust in our fair city.

Porky's Point

2011-11-16T11:52:00.005-05:00

3824 N 5th St
Philadelphia, PA 19140
(215) 221-6243

After being thoroughly tempted, for a very long time, to check out Porky's Point, I made a trip to the cuts of Huntingpark for some Puerto Rican soul. I can't believe it took me so long. First of all, look how amazing the sign is!

Porky's Point is basically the Puerto Rican equivalent of the South Philly cheesesteak place. And I must say, for the most part, it's much, much better than your average steak joint. When I saw the sign below, I knew I was in for a treat.

Much like any other place of its kind, you place your order, grab a spot at the long stainless counter and anxiously await the mounds of pork you are looking at through the glass.

In my case, it was bistec con tostones (steak with fried plantains), pork sandwich, and an order of mofongo.

The bistec was unbelievably tender and bursting with flavor. I couldn't get over the layers of deliciousness that the slow cooking lent to this steak. The gravy was amazing, and generously spread over the entire dish. Tostones, if you have never had them, are amazing when done right, and just chunks of lead when done wrong. These tostones really sang, as though I could hear La Borinqueña coming out of the take-out container. Perfection. On to the pork sandwich. Oh GOD, that pork sandwich.

Now when Hawk Krall says that a sandwich is good, people listen. In fact, it was he who reminded me of my pressing need to hit the Philadelphia barrio in search of some good pork. They ask you if you want skin here, indeed I do. I also asked for gravy (which, for the record, is a tomato based, slightly spicy sauce).

A light & fluffy roll with mountains of freshly-chopped pork piled atop.

This is heaven. Crispy ends, succulent middles, and gravy laden insides, you will be hard pressed to top this masterpiece. Oh wait, unless you throw a bit of the mofongo on top!

Speaking of mofongo, this was a pretty delicious offering, and although I skipped the requisite pig listeners, due mostly to the fact that I had more meat and plantains than I knew what to do with already, the mofongo itself was a pretty delicious plate. Not the best I have ever had, but topped with MORE gravy and some hot sauce, it was a carb-liscious offering in and of itself.

Now you may be saying to yourself, "well it's in the middle of nowhere, and I am scared of new neighborhoods," and while you may not want to go looking for this place on foot at night, you are completely missing out if you skip this for a quick and dirty lunch. It's one of the most surprisingly flavorful, interesting and quality meals I have eaten in quite some time.

(Looking out from the point)

Rosa's Deli

2011-11-14T20:56:00.002-05:00

441 W Girard Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 763-9352

Just when I stupidly think I have my "new" Olde Kensington digs on lock down, Rosa's comes along and completely ruins my day. In a marvelous way.

So I guess Rosa's used to be called Rosa's Pretzel Bakery, but now they are Rosa's deli (don't worry, they still sell pretzels). When you walk in, you will be greeted by a tight, crowded corner-store style place. From there, you should walk to the back, stop acting awkward, and pick what hoagie you want.

The people working are extremely friendly, and you should probably get "the works" on whatever you order.

Also, I would order the large. A large Italian filled with Philly's own Freda meats will set you back a whooping $5.50. Just order the large.

This is a perfectly sized sandwich. Now I should warn you, that if you get the works, they are going to put mayo on your hoagie. While some purists may scoff at an Italian with mayo on, I scoff at their pretension. Perhaps they have never tried an Italian with mayo, they have no idea what they are missing. Where it is acceptable, I will order both oil AND mayo on my Italian, and I will revel in the indulgence that is my life.

Anyway, they slice to order your meat, and carefully construct the marvel of modern society that is an Italian. No sharp prov, no long hots (most overrated topping ever), just ripe tomatoes, diced onion and pickle (huge fan), some shredded iceberg and banana peppers. The roll is something else. It is similar to a Carangi roll, but I can't be sure of its origin. Either way, it was more than resilient enough to soak up the flavors as I walked home, and it became the perfect vessel for meat and cheese (and vegetable) delivery.

This was one of my favorite Italians I have eaten in a while. Although I love all of the many gourmet versions, this sandwich danced back and forth between genres, offering just enough delicious quality meat, and a roll that was easier to duck into than a traditional Sarcone's, all the while using extremely fresh ingredients and keeping the price at a a minimum. I am not 100% on their hours, but I will likely be back in the next couple days to begin the arduous task of eating around the menu. I will certainly keep you in mind when I am eating my heart out. Oh, on a separate and slightly related note, I will be the fat guy running the Philly Marathon this Sunday.

Rocco's

2011-11-08T19:39:00.003-05:00

The front of Home Depot
1601 S Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19148

When you roll up to Rocco's, you will smell it coming. The air outside is thick with fried sausage, large amounts of peppers and onions, and cheesesteaks grilling up on the flat top. I have passed by this place, smelling its deliciousness a number of times, before a friend told me about the hot sausage. After I heard, I was destined to find a reason to make it to Home Depot (I am a Lowe's guy). Finally, when I'd found a reason to go, it was Tuesday around lunch.

When you walk in, you are greeted by a sizzling grill and a sign letting you know what delicious items are available. Apparently they offer a variety of sandwiches with portabellas, but that would be for another trip (and for someone with less of a fat streak than myself).

When I saw the coils of sausage on the grill, my mind was made.

$8.50 later, I had about eighteen inches of hot sausage in an Amoroso's roll, with a bottle of water. (Un?)Fortunately, the slice they expertly sliced off of the mother link was an inch too short for the giant roll, so they cut another four inches off and slapped it into my sandwich. Oh snap.

We grabbed a spot at the picnic tables outside, and I unwrapped the meat torpedo in front of me. I had no doubt it was soon to sink my battleship. Filled with an extraordinary amount of onions and hot peppers, this was a spicy meatball.

This is what home improvement center eating should be – greasy, substantial, spicy and flavor-packed. This sandwich was freaking huge. Was it the best I have had? Certainly not. Will I eat there nearly every time I hit Home Depot (I may even switch from Lowe's to eat at this joint)? Absolutely.

The Pub

2011-11-04T14:15:00.003-04:00

7600 Kaighns Ave
Pennsauken, NJ 08109
(856) 665-6440
Website

In which of the following would you prefer to live?
A) Medieval times
B) The 1950's
C) New Jersey
D) All of the above

If you chose D, then the Pub is the place for you. If you chose A and B, the Pub is still for you (and I don't blame you). I had heard about the Pub for years, but I never had the occasion to visit. However, I was going out for a celebratory dinner with family, so I decided that the Pub was just the spot to try. Old school steaks, salad bar, and a damn time-warp were soon to be mine.

We were quickly seated in the GIGANTIC dining room, which must be able to hold seven thousand people, at the bare minimum. A server came over and informed us of the drill: order a main course, take full advantage of the salad bar, and cut slices off of the soccer ball sized loaf of fresh bread they put down at the table. So far, so good.

There is a line of ovens that the cooks use to prepare Flintstone's sized pieces of meat. It's pretty awesome.

We quickly ordered a bottle of wine ($35), a round of drinks and hit the salad bar.

Now that salad bar is no Fogo De Chao, but then what is? This is old school. Make a salad, eat some Caesar (with real anchovies, score!) and some potato salad-type stuff.

They had the traditional Pizza Hut salad bar dressings and containers.

Homemade zucchini bread and a couple of unnamed cheeses (prov and cheddar?).

You simply have to get a whiskey on the rocks, and do it up like a 1950's gangster. Below you will see my sickening array of food that I ate before returning for seconds. I have some serious issues.

The server brought the steaks out on a cart, and offered some Au Jus.

As soon as she tripled the Au Jus, I began to eat. I went with the manager's special, 16oz. boneless rib-eye cooked mid rare. Thin, I am not. They cooked the steak perfectly, and served it with a lone onion ring.

Thick fries left something to be desired, which is exactly what I had expected.

Even the steak knife is representing.

One of the dining mates ordered the ribs. I pressured her into the whole rack ($5 more, you are losing money by NOT getting it). I ate two thirds of the ribs as well. I have no shame.

Another (female) got the chicken. I guess it was pretty good. I don't remember much at this point because I was legally intoxicated on saturated fat.

The other manly man got the rib-eye as well. Look at the size of that damn twice baked potato. Are you serious? I also ate half of a twice baked.

A recon mission brought me info that the woman's bathroom used to be/still is a "powder your nose" kind of place. I bet this place was INSANE in the 70's.

In the end, it was $50 a person for everything. I would GLADLY go back in the future, and I am going to make it a point to hit the retro lounge and order an old-fashioned. It was just as you would expect. Stuck in time, which is not always a bad thing. I didn't have to hear about any foie gras that was imported from South America, dried, reconstituted and now served as a bubble accompanying my 1oz. steak. Go to the Pub for the atmosphere and steaks, and return for a connection with Americana you never knew you were desperately missing.

Khyber Pass Pub Redux

2011-11-02T10:06:00.005-04:00

56 South 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 238-5888
Website

I wasn't thrilled with Khyber Pass when it first opened, still too freaked out by the things I had seen at the old Khyber to take them seriously as a restaurant. I heard from a reliable source that they had some excellent food, and I also recently had the opportunity to meet the executive chef, who also encouraged me to check out the food. Hell, I am glad I listened to those guys.

As this was a business lunch (certainly not), I started with a Harvest from the Hood. It's the seasonal wet-hopped amber ale with hops grown at both PBC and Greensgrow. Two of my favorite places in the city can't be wrong. This is a delicious beer, that I highly recommend, but by the time you read this, it may be too late. They make a limited batch.

We started with the fresh popped Benton's bacon grease popcorn I have heard so much about. Dusted with cajun spices and served in a brown paper bag, this was hands down the best popcorn I have ever tasted. To which you are probably thinking either "No Way" or "No Shit." But seriously, believe me this popcorn is rich, porky, smokey, and slightly spicy. Not to mention it is actually quite light, and as you can probably guess, utterly addictive.

Next we rolled with the fried shrimp po' boy and the smoked cheddar fries with debris gravy. This sandwich blew the last one I'd had there out of the water. The sandwich is served on Leidenheimer Baking Company rolls, served with the traditional lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo. The shrimp were PERFECTLY fried, and with a little crystal hot sauce to mix in with the mayo, this was the best I have had in Philadelphia proper.

The fries were also heart-stoppingly delicious. They were crispy and packed with flavor, not to mention smothered in smoked cheddar and debris gravy. I could not stop eating them, even though I was well into my 5,000 calorie lunch by that point.

And finally, just because I shouldn't have, I ordered a small crawfish étouffée. I LOVE crawfish and this did not disappoint. A rich, dark roux served over white rice hosting a variety of ingredients, including the holy trinity (onions, bell peppers, and celery) and scallions, this dish was bursting with deep, rich earthy flavor. Delicate, yet homey, this makes me wish I grew up in Cajun country (just kidding Philly!).

I am incredibly happy I went back to Khyber for another go-round, yet at the same time, I am now forced to judge other bar food against this, and as we all know, there is no way that ANYONE can compete with Benton's bacon grease popcorn. My dining mate suggested it should be THE movie snack to take to the Ritz (they allow outside food and are right around the corner). And I can't disagree. That being said, if I smell that popcorn during a movie, there is a 110% chance I am going to mug you for it.

Buttercream Cupcake Truck

2011-10-26T19:56:00.008-04:00

Love Park
Website

I'm not much for sweets, especially in the middle of my work day. I prefer to have a steaming hot cup of black coffee to give me the necessary afternoon boost. Today, however, with a staff meeting fast approaching, I thought I'd kiss some ass and bring in some treats to share, and made the trek over to Love Park.

I guess in the wake of Far From Home's retirement, a few new contenders have taken to occupying Philadelphia's center city locale. (Pizza? I guess Pitruco will have to be another day's experience.)

Buttercream's menu offers a variety of different cupcakes, with a few that are somewhat unique, but not too off-the-wall.

I decided on a six-pack of the following, from left to right, top to bottom: pumpkin with cream cheese, red velvet with cream cheese, chocolate with peanut butter, chocolate with chocolate ganache, banana with Nutella, and vanilla with vanilla.

I cut three up to share (small staff), with the anticipation of eating the rest later tonight - sharing with roommates, of course. Unfortunately, I don't think I even want to go through the trouble to carry the three remainders home with me. Anyhow, we sampled the chocolate/PB, vanilla/vanilla and banana/Nutella.

They were all cold, like almost out-of-the-freezer-for-one-hour cold. The vanilla was so dense, there was not a lick of air to be found inside. Like a heavy pound cake meets angel food cake, it was a bit flavorless with no vanilla coming through. Sugar, yes; vanilla, no. The icing was more of the same - there was definitely buttery creaminess here, with a smack of sugar, but no vanilla.

The chocolate/PB was compared to, "Duncan Hines cake mix out of the box," (only not as moist) and when my colleague suggested this, I couldn't agree more. The chocolate cake was also heavy and the icing, again, was primarily a butter-sugar whip with the very slightest hint of peanut butter.

The banana was more like a muffin than a cupcake and again, was lacking much banana flavor. Need I explain the 'Nutella icing'? I didn't think so. It was more of the same, flavorless filler.

Nothing was rich or delectable about these cupcakes. There wasn't much to talk about, other than the obvious sugar content – which is expected, but not as the primary flavor from a cupcake purveyor whose claim is "fresh cream butter, dark chocolate and whole eggs."

Maybe I don't remember what a cupcake is supposed to taste like, or maybe they're just meant to be eaten fresh out of the oven, but what I do know, is that these confections are mediocre and likely made at least one day in advance; not fresh and served at an undesirably cold temperature. I won't be sharing the remaining three, the roommates can have their pick. Note: I came back and tried the additional three last night. The red velvet was the clear winner. An eight hour stint at room temperature really helped. The pumpkin was pretty good as well, though incredibly sweet. And the chocolate ganache was like pound cake.

-Posted by gabulous

Franco's Pizza

2011-10-25T11:43:00.004-04:00

2573 Tulip Street
Philadelphia, PA 19125-2241
(215) 425-9133

I already know I should not be doing this, because I hold Franco's like a toy I don't want anyone else to play with, but I guess I have to share at some point. Franco's is my go-to pizza joint in the city of Philadelphia. There, I said it. Now I am not talking about brick oven this, that and the other thing. I am talking about reasonably priced take-out pizza that is better than most any other pizza in town. Regardless of style, or how many organic bees harvested the honey that some other place drizzles on my $35 pie, Franco's is gourmet pizza, from a local pizza joint, and in short, it's heavenly.

Franco used to own a Spatola's pizza restaurant in Southampton (on the outskirts of the great northeast), until he got out of the sit-down biz and decided to open an amazing pizza joint with his buddy Tony, right here in Kensington. Strange, but deliciously true.

Although they offer the traditional and unexplainable wide variety of items on their menu (why does EVERY pizza place serve club sandwiches?), the goods here are the pizzas, and if the mood strikes you, the strombolis. They also throw in an order of garlic knots with every order. Usually I would be ho-hum about this, except for two things. First of all, they are FREE. Secondly, they are delicious. Light, airy and jammed with garlic, I usually eat those to keep True Blood off of my TV. In all seriousness, they are little bursts of irresistible, buttery-garlic joy.

But really my true love is their upside down pie. Thin crust, cheese on bottom, sauce on top. Done. The sauce gets to shine in this one, and, my God, does Franco's make a nice sauce. Fresh, sweet, slightly salty with a garlic bite, I always get a side for dipping my garlic knots into.

This pizza works even better the next day. Give it a quick bake in the oven or toaster oven and it crisps up beautifully. Pizza is always better after its second trip to the oven, in my infallible opinion at least.

The regular pies are another winner, and the addition of roasted garlic (whole cloves!) and pepperoni is one of my favorite combos.

Also try the buffalo chicken (not shown), as a reasonably priced, gourmet-style backup pie. The stromboli is great when you have a crowd, and really pack in the bang for your buck. Below is the chicken special, with fried onions, green peppers, marinated chicken, sauce and cheese. Nothing over the top, but a solid contender. It gets a bit wet inside fresh out of the oven (a usual problem) but once it cools down everything solidifies and it becomes quite delicious.

These 'bolis are a bit unusual, or should I say unique, in that they're left open a crack at the top. Franco says it helps to allow the inside dough to get hit with a little more heat - in order to avoid being undercooked. Genius.

The special steak stromboli is one of my other favorites, with an "abundance of cheese," sauce, steak, pepperoni, mushroom, green pepper, onion and tomatoes. Sort of the "kitchen sink" of stromboli – I am a big fan.

Look at those pepperonis for presentation!

Another specialty pie.

Where the magic happens.

The bottom line is that Franco's is everything a pizza place should be. THIN CRUST, highly affordable, simple perfection. I will take it over my old standbys south of Lombard any day. Try it, just not all at once, because I like my pies ready in 20.

Cafe Estelle

2011-10-20T11:45:00.004-04:00

444 North 4th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19123-4124
(215) 925-5080
Website

Although not much to look at from the outside (it's housed in the ground floor of a building full of condos), Cafe Estelle is like the girl at the dance that seems homely at first, but it turns out she is a real sleeper.

They make some fantastic brunch items, including a delicious rotating stuffed French toast. Although I usually don't go for the French toast, I am a big fan of theirs. They cut out the top of the bread halfway, as though they are making toads in a hole, stuff, and replace. This particular morning, it was served with a light creamy filling of ricotta, honey, and pear and served with warm maple syrup. Slightly sweet, slightly savory, and totally delicious.

In addition, they had a special that was impossible to pass up. Salt cod fritter benedict. SAY WHAT? That's right. Perfectly poached eggs atop sweet and salty cod fritters, coupled with an orange/citrus hollandaise. This is a variation on the brunch staple that works better than the original.

The homefries were legit as well. Crispy ends, soft interiors, this is what homefries are all about. Cafe Estelle is one of the better brunch spots around, and you will get to shave quite a bit of wait time off of some of the more well-known spots. Just be advised that parking kind of sucks (bring change for a meter or go around the corner to fifth and park for free).

Liberty Steaks and Hoagies

2011-10-18T15:13:00.004-04:00

1927 Macdade Blvd
Woodlyn, PA 19094
(610)-872-9304

Another day, another DelCo hoagie joint. This one was a special request from an old friend who informed me that this was the first thing she wanted after child birth. So I knew it must be good.

I had never heard of Liberty before, which isn't surprising, as they don't even have a website or any internet presence. They also do a significant amount of crappy beer takeout, and I think there is a tavern attached to the other side. On second thought, I might have to try them again in order to drink a beer at the shady bar and then walk to the other side and get an amazing Italian hoagie.

The inside is incredibly sparse, and from the looks of things, they have been there for a long, long time.

No frills, just pick a sandwich, order and wait. Not a huge menu, but just right. When I got my Italian back to its final destination, a beautiful oil stain had appeared on the paper, which let me know I was in for a treat. A messy treat.

They follow the long-standing DelCo ordinanace: 1 DelCo Sandwich Code §2304 (1)(a)(2) there shall be meat both below and atop the cheese and vegetable components of any sandwich. I sure wouldn't want to run afoul of the law down there either.

I got "the works" on mine, which, again, consists of everything hot and everything sweet. I am still not entirely sure what that means, but it appears to cover most of my topping bases.

There is nothing gourmet about this beauty, it's more along the line of "baseball hoagies" I grew up with. Only to the maximum. Baseball hoagies were the cheap sloppy hoagies we used to hawk in order to raise money for little league. They were delicious, because they didn't over-do it. Meat, cheese, some shredded lettuce and an oiled up roll that will fill you up on a budget. This is the grown up version.

My main mistake was thinking it would be good form to eat this entire sandwich before doing a presentation. But then again, I was a victim of deliciousness. So the next time you find yourself on MacDade down in Chester on purpose, this is about the best thing you can do to improve your predicament.

Buick Discovery + Food & Wine Event

2011-10-12T10:10:00.009-04:00

Last weekend, we had the marvelous opportunity attend the Buick Discovery + Food & Wine event (you actually could have too).

We got to test drive some cars.

After we signed in at the kiosks.

Female photo (not my painted nails) below, with Ming recipe on the event passes.

We had a quick nosh before the demos started.

The first group got to drive first. This was great, as I had the opportunity to drive the new Regal Turbo. It was a damn nice car, similar to the A6's I have driven previously. Our gracious test rider let me open her up on the short test drive, and let's just say, this car can move.

Here is a guy talking about the Enclave.

After that we had a pastry demo with Ben Roche.

He applies molecular gastronomy to desserts.

His s'more "bombs" were nothing short of incredible.

He also made caramel soy sauce ice cream using liquid nitrogen. Awesome. I mean it was one of the best things I have eaten. That s'more next to it? A dried marshmallow "wick," and a chocolate ball filled with liquid graham cracker. Hell yes.

Here is a shot of the next chef, Jonathan Sawyer. I forget the name of the sous chef, but it didn't matter because all he did was stand there much like that.

He (they?) made ratatouille stuffed fried zucchini blossoms. Absolutely delicious to eat, will probably never make them at home.

Finally, after way too long without wine at an event sponsored by Food & Wine, we merged groups and headed to the main event. I was particularly excited to see Ming Tsai, as he is a legend in the food world. He came out to much fan fare, and did not disappoint.

He was witty, sarcastic, slightly off-color and enthusiastic. The perfect combination for an entertainer. He really made it apparent, the difference between the chefs we saw earlier, and a superstar.

He started with a soy noodle chicken. Nothing too crazy, but a satisfying dish. I actually went home and made stir fry the next two nights in a row. Thanks for the inspiration, Ming.

He waxed-poetic about his beloved Kyocera knives, and indeed threw a piece of ginger up and caught it on the blade. Show-off.

One of our group members correctly answered a trivia question, because I told them the answer (it was Thomas Keller – the answer, not the friend), so they were able to get a sample of his second dish.

It was a mango and pepper pork stir fry, he called it his "sweet and sour pork." I think this one was more for show, as it came out bland and kind of chewy. Nevertheless, it was really just a dish for him to demo techniques. Which must have seemed like insanity to the audience member that asked how he learned to flip food in a pan. Really lady?

We had an awesome time, received a free signed cookbook from Ming, drank some mediocre wine, and tasted soy sauce ice cream. What did YOU do on your Saturday night?

Rotisseur

2011-10-10T15:59:00.010-04:00

100.5 S 21st St
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 496-9494
Website

Open for a while now, Rotisseur is in that section of town that is only really accessible (and interesting) during the work week.

I found some time in my busy schedule to pay a visit during lunch on a Friday. The interior is small, clean and inviting, with an open kitchen/food bar set up and an over-sized rotisserie oven right there, for all to see.

The menu is limited, which is usually a good sign of care and attention put into each dish, and on this fairly hot fall day, I was in the mood for the cool ingredients of their "chicken bánh mì."

I waited patiently for my turn to order while watching the cook cut the fresh-out-of-the-rotisserie, steaming-hot, half-bird order for the woman in front of me, and thought to myself, "this is going to be amazing, look at that juicy bird!" Much to my surprise, when I told him my decision, he said, "oh, she has one already made up at the register."

Really? So, I don't get the fresh stuff? I kept my thought to myself and ordered a side of the beet and feta salad to complement the light sandwich, that I had yet to see. I mean, I saw EVERYTHING ELSE being prepared, but not the "bánh mì" – I obviously ordered the wrong menu item...

There it was, a nondescript brown box handed over with the freshly assembled beet salad – which was the day's special side. Now that was delicious. With fresh parsley, a hint of dill and a light vinaigrette, it was simply bursting with flavor.

What can be said of the sandwich? Not much. It wasn't even a "bánh mì," and bordered on becoming a po-boy meets pulled-pork-sandwich thing. No jalapeno, no cilantro, no pickled carrots, no radish, nothing that would even come close to making it match that Vietnamese street-food wonder. Not knowing how far in advance they prepared the sandwich was a serious let down; it could have been called anything, and made fresh, it would have had real opportunity to shine.

The chicken was tender and they served it with the dark, caramelized skin-on and that was really the only saving grace. The red cabbage was limp and the cucumbers were close to the same. With minimal mayo for lubrication, overall, I give the sandwich a big "MEH."

If ever I'm in the neighborhood again, with ravenous hunger for fresh rotisserie chicken, I'll try the whole.

-Posted by gabulous

Foo Truck

2011-10-07T12:29:00.006-04:00

2nd and Poplar
Philadelphia, PA 19123

I heard from a friend that there was a new truck operating out of the 'food court' over at 2nd and Poplar, with Asian themed burritos. At $5 a pop, I figured it was high time I made it over there to see what all of the fuss was about.

The 'Foo Truck' has a limited menu, which is a plus for any food truck – offer too many items, that's when things start lacking. In this case there were some goods and some bads.

I went with the lemongrass chicken burrito and flank steak burrito. The flank steak is served with a single cilantro leaf on top, in a griddled tortilla. I was a bit saddened by the quaint size, but it WAS only $5. Two of these are necessary for a hungry person (like myself).

Though boring on the outside, the meat inside was quite good. A salty sweet marinade flavored the tender slices of steak. As the other ingredients didn't exactly 'pop' the steak took front stage and as it should, starred in this production. The onions, scallions and jasmine rice were a bit lacking, but overall this was a delicious rendition.

The lemongrass chicken burrito on the other hand, left something to be desired. Namely, flavor.

The peanuts all fall off when you actually try to eat it; the chicken itself was nicely charred and cut into good-sized chunks, but there was little to no lemongrass flavor to be had. The jasmine rice was again lacking the subtle nuttiness that I usually attribute to it, and the carrot and daikon were simply not enough to save this one. It was not bad, in and of itself, it was just terribly bland and a bit dry. I have heard great things about the pork and the egg and tomato, so stay tuned for an update.

Buick Discovery Tour

2011-10-04T10:07:00.009-04:00

Do you like cars? Do you like dedicating time to charity? Do you like FOOD & WINE magazine? Do you like food and wine? How about Simply Ming? All of these things (besides Ming) can be yours!

No seriously, this Saturday and Sunday there is an event over in the Jerz with all of these things. I am going, and I have five spots (with a +1 each) to give away. For free. So read below, think about how many points you will get from your significant other (or friend you owe a favor to) and include a comment below about one of the best things you have seen made on a cooking show, whether you attempted it yourself or not. Contest closes tomorrow (10/5/11) at 3pm EST.

WHAT:
Buick has partnered with FOOD & WINE magazine to bring an exclusive culinary event to Philadelphia. Invited guests will have the opportunity to attend full cooking demonstrations and sample several dishes, while also getting a first-hand look at Buick’s 2012 line-up.

Guests will experience the following discovery sessions:
• Cooking Demonstration with FOOD & WINE Best New Chef 2010 Jonathan Sawyer, owner of Greenhouse Tavern in Cleveland, Ohio, the first certified green restaurant in the state
• Pastry Demonstration with Chef Ben Roche, Executive Pastry Chef of Moto in Chicago, Ill., and Co-Host of “Future Foods” on Discovery’s Planet Green Network
• Buick Test Drives, featuring the new Regal Turbo, Lacrosse and Enclave
• Wine Tasting with Michael Green
• Cooking Demonstration and Sampling with Celebrity Chef Ming Tsai, host and executive producer of “SIMPLY MING,” the Emmy nominated public television series

For every guest, Buick will make a donation to The FEED Foundation, in support of their efforts to create good products to help feed the world’s hungry, one bag at a time.

WHEN:
Saturday, October 8
• 11:00am – 2:00pm
• 2:30pm – 5:30pm
• 6:00pm – 9:00pm

Sunday, October 9
• 12:00pm – 3:00pm
• 3:30pm – 6:30pm

WHERE:
The Westin Mount Laurel
555 Fellowship Road
Mount Laurel, NJ 08054

John's Roast Pork

2011-10-04T08:40:00.003-04:00

14 Snyder Ave
(corner of Weccacoe and Snyder Avenue)
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 463-1951

I wrote about this one long ago. They STILL make the best cheesesteak around, but I felt that it was time to give something else a whirl.

The roast beef is another winner at John's (surprise!).

Thinly sliced and well seasoned, I added spinach and sharp provolone. The seeded rolls were good as always, and with a dollop of horseradish, this made for quite a lunch. Just so you know, they offer more than just cheesesteaks and pork sandwiches over at John's; although to be fair, we actually got all three and had them cut three ways. My God that cheesesteak is good.

Don Jose Rojo's Tacos REDUX

2011-10-03T11:26:00.000-04:00

Another year brings another ride to Ocean City, NJ for the National MS Society's annual City to Shore fundraiser. After riding 80+ miles through the scenic Jers on a bicycle, who doesn't want a belly full of hot and delicious Mexican food to lull them to sleep by 8PM? Well, after last year's visit to Don Jose's, we decided it would become our team's trusted dinner spot – this year being the 3rd time around.

Of course, an order of super nachos with chorizo never fails. Talk about enough food to feed a small army! It's no joke, they give you 'whiz AND shredded cheeses.

This year, I decided to ask the man himself for a recommendation. I was in the mood for a torta, so I limited his suggestions to anything in that form.

Eager to please, he recommended I try the Milanesa de Pollo (breaded chicken). I was excited at this offer, specifically because I wasn't interested in having any weird beef or pork (chorizo aside) products sloshing around down there because tomorrow was going to be another 80 miles on the road.

It took the longest of our 6 dishes to arrive because they took great care to the pounding, fresh breading and deep frying of the breast fillet. I must say, it was well worth the wait. The thin breading was a rich brown, fried to perfection, and light enough that you would have thought it was oven-baked.

Served on your standard, deliciously thin torta roll with some mayo, sliced jalapenos, avocado, onion, tomato and lettuce, this sandwich stuck together and tasted just as any (somewhat) authentic torta should. I asked for plenty of queso fresco because it is served without, and that may have helped with its coalescence. In addition, I requested a side of the habanero sauce, and buyer beware, it sure is spicy!

All in all, Don Jose's is a great spot in an otherwise lacking town – where a visit in the off-season, with limited transportation, leaves you painfully hungry and looking for a Mexican feast.

-Posted by gabulous

Rosh Hashanah Showdown - Hymie's vs. Murray's

2011-09-29T16:12:00.002-04:00

For all you who are celebrating Rosh Hashanah, fellow Jewish food lover and writer "The Evster" from TV My Weefe Wooches, introduced me to some of the finest deli treats that the Main Line has to offer. I ate so much cured meat that I drank a gallon of water when I got home, and was still thirsty. As there were a lot of photos (some of suspect quality) this will read as more of a photo journey through what happens when two internet friends meet in real life. We started at Hymie's. Before we got to the deli, @TVMyWifeWatches threatened to kill me. Twice.

Hymie's interior reminded me of a cross between Canter's and The Palm. There were apparently pictures of famous family members that only Jewish people from the Main Line were aware of.

Evster did all of the ordering for me, like a true gentleman. He alerted me to the standard soda of choice, Dr. Brown's in black cherry flavor (which he kept for himself) and celery (Cel-rey) flavor, which he was all too happy to share AND watch me drink. Now I had never had Cel-rey flavored soda before, and it wasn't as bad as you would think. Kind of grassy, and vege-tible but not terrible. At first. Evster then informed me it got worse, and indeed it did.

We then moseyed over to the ALL YOU CAN EAT PICKLE BAR. Which turns out was about one bowl's worth. They also offered various salads like potato and cold chow mein noodle salad. Which, Evster informed me, is because Jewish people occasionally love a good plate of Chinese food.

As soon as we were done with the pickles, the corned beef special and pastrami reuben arrived. The reuben was stacked high with thinly sliced, smokey pastrami. I am always a big fan of the thin-meat approach which is far superior to the hand-carved version, in this lowly goy's opinion. Everything was on-point: the meat, the dressing, tart kraut and melted cheese, all on two hearty slices of rye. Fantastic.

The corned beef special was another thing of beauty. Again, ribbon-thin slices of corned beef, hearty rye bread, tangy thousand island and crisp, cool slaw. One of the better specials I have ever eaten.

Hymie's also boasts an extensive take-out deli and prepared foods section. I was mighty tempted, but I knew I still had ANOTHER round to look at, and I was already quite full.

Two step matzo ball soup below.

We then waddled our way across the street to the competition, Murray's Deli. I am told there is a bit of a sit-down, Jewish, Pat's-and-Geno's-type rivalry.

This time a cabbage soup, Reuben and a whitefish platter were ordered. Not exactly apples to apples, but we were hurting from the four pounds of meat we had just consumed. Murray's is more laid back, and it was not nearly as crowded. Of course it was getting late for the blue hair crowd at this point.

The cabbage soup was complex, with a rich, deep broth and tender lumps of cabbage. It was definitely a soul warmer.

Except for this guy's soul. He jumped up and yelled across the empty restaurant to the waitress who was actually walking towards him that his soup needed to be heated up.

On to the Murray's reuben. I could barely pull this thing apart as it was so packed with meat. The gooey cheese and crisp sauerkraut were two perfect complements. Again, it was served on two beautiful slices of rye bread. This time, as full as I was, there was something different. Dare I say, superior? The corned beef was more chipped than sliced, and was piled high as meltingly tender, tiny slices. I must say, this might have made it the winner in my book. I loved the crispy bits, and the supple pieces of meat were just perfect. It's also served with fries and a pickle (no pickle bar) and dressing on the side.

The Evster threw down some whitefish salad. I can't remember if I'd ever tried it before, and if I had, it had been a long time ago. The platter is served with tomato, lemon, pepper rings, olives, onions, cucumbers and your bagel of choice.

I was even lucky enough that he assembled me an "Evster Special" which is a hand built package of joy. I can't explain all of the steps (or he might really kill me this time) but let's just say, Swiss cheese is involved.

Murray's also had a selection of to-go goods, but not quite as large as Hymie's.

Overall, both of these places were spectacular. I loved everything I ate (except the Cel-ray), and the company was more than I could have asked for. I think the edge might go to Murray's in my book, but I need another chance to make the final decision. Let this be a lesson, you can meet your internet friends in person and nothing bad will ever happen. Probably.

Recipe: Tomato Salad

2011-09-27T08:42:00.002-04:00

On a recent visit to Linvilla Orchards in Delaware county, I perused the farm market and was caught by an unusual tomato salad in the refrigerated section. It's not salsa, but a similar, Italian-style "salad" that you eat with a fork. It was so freaking delicious that I had to try and crack the code, and I must say, I came damn close.

It's the perfect recipe for the end of tomato season, when you've got a bowl of fresh picked garden tomatoes just laying around; not to mention the fact that it's too hot to cook them down for hours into a marinara.

Fresh Tomato Salad (a la Linvilla Orchards):
12 small-medium garden-fresh tomatoes
1 medium sweet onion
1 cup fresh basil (chiffonade)
12 cloves garlic
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. black pepper
3/4 Tbsp. dried oregano
3/4 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. salt

Slice the tomatoes into fork-friendly slivers.

And begin your ingredient pile in a large mixing bowl.

Half the onion lengthwise and slice into like-sized slivers.

Toss on.

Chiffonade your fresh basil by gently rolling the picked leaves and slicing into thin slivers.

Toss on.

Mince your garlic. I didn't use a press here because I didn't want to pulverize the meat of it, mincing kept the sharp bite and didn't let the garlic flavor overpower the finished mixture.

Now add the remaining ingredients: spices, oil & vinegar.

Gently toss the ingredients to combine, be careful not to crush anything, you want the tomatoes to stay in tact, but be sure to mix very thoroughly.

Cover and refrigerate over night. Serve cool with bread or a fork and enjoy!

-Posted by gabulous

Yumtown Food Truck

2011-09-26T10:15:00.004-04:00

I had not even heard of Yumtown USA before, so when I stumbled over to Girard Fest yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised/excited to eat my second lunch.

As I had already eaten two breakfasts and one lunch (I had been up since 5am and riding bikes), I didn't order the entire menu, though I wish I would have. The pulled pork had my attention, as I am a huge fan of the pork products of Lancaster County, and with a choice of sauces, I was trapped.

You place an order, the nice lady takes your money and you wait – pretty standard food truck practice. They also offered an organic cornmeal and chive corn dog, but that one will have to wait until our next meeting.

It took less than five minutes to get my sandwich. For $5, it was a healthy portion.

By healthy, I mean monster.

This was, without exaggeration, one of the best pulled pork sandwiches I have had, my own included. Not quite smoked-pulled pork, the sweet braised meat was exceptional. It had the requisite crispy bits, and a cool red cabbage slaw. I went with the spicy Carolina-style sauce, which could have been a bit spicier, but I have a much higher threshold for heat than the average sandwich eater.

Overall, this is one of the best values I have had in quite some time. I can't say enough about the tender, sweet pork, and once I uncover the mystery of Yumtown, I will be sure to go back. Does anyone know anything about these guys (and gals)?

Phil and Jim's Delicatessen

2011-09-23T09:13:00.003-04:00

2905 Edgmont Ave
Chester, PA 19015
610-874-9472

I was looking for a good deli in Chester. Yea, I know. Anyway, I saw Phil and Jim's on a recent journey through Philly's violent little brother, and I thought this one might be a winner. Phil and Jim's is not fancy. It's not a gourmet hoagie joint by any stretch of the imagination. It is, however, a solid place to get a gigantic sandwich and a little taste of the gruff, yet personable, DelCo demeanor.

I was greeted by the guy in the Phillies hat below. He assured me that they took credit cards and indeed had NO MINIMUM. Now if this tiny deli can do it, why can't half of the other places I frequent do it too? He took my order, and asked if I wanted everything sweet. Which means pickles and sweet peppers. I also wanted hots, so I ordered accordingly. Once my order was complete, I watched this guy meticulously assemble my soon-to-be dinner. They slice the meat fresh, carefully select the tomatoes (he went through about 5 slices until he found a suitable final tomato), and basically put in the extra effort that so commonly falls by the wayside. I got excited.

Freshly slicing my turkey below.

There is nowhere to eat at Phil and Jim's so plan on a take-out venture. I even managed to make it back to my destination without eating it in the car. I guess my self control has really improved.

This is a huge hoagie. The roll is over a foot long and packed with carefully placed ingredients.

They use the old 'meat on top and bottom' technique, not usually practiced in the city, but far more common in the suburbs. I am a fan. The layering order was what made the sandwich. Mayo, turkey, provolone, diced onions (a nice touch), tomato, peppers, hand shredded iceberg and more turkey.

This is a damn filling sandwich and one I am likely to pick up again, when I happen to find myself hungry in Chester. Actually, next time I will probably try the cheesesteak, because I'm sure it's also put together with love.

Cherry Street Tavern

2011-09-15T12:08:00.001-04:00

129 North 22nd Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 561-5683

So, you say you've never heard of the Cherry Street Tavern? Or maybe you have. In that case, I'd be preaching to the choir. This place is historical, delicious, and one of the best spots to eat and drink anywhere around the center city area. No pretensions, no jacked-up prices, and no bullshit food. Unfortunately it no longer has a urinal running the length of the bar, so you have to actually walk to the bathroom; I have to imagine that I would be a bit weirded out eating delicious meat sandwiches while the guy next to me was peeing. Cherry Street may be dark and unassuming, but the roast beef is phenomenal.

I decided to go with a corned beef special the last time I was there (which incidentally was twice in the same night), as I usually just go all-in on the hot roast beef or pork. The corned beef came out quickly, freshly sliced, on a delicious marble rye with Swiss, coleslaw, and a slather of thousand island. This was as good as any I have had around the city: tender, salty meat with a creamy, tangy dressing, and crisp, cool slaw. It is very dark in there, so I took it upon myself to create some artistic sandwich shots, using the raking light of the setting sun.

I was instructed by the man in charge to take a pic of the Bambino while I was there. Done.

Now, on to the real winner at The Tavern. The hot roast beef. Somewhere between a french dip and a beef on weck, this sandwich is the stuff cows dream of being made into. I mean, if you are gonna go, you might as well end up as the pinnacle of hot beef offerings, right? Freshly shaved beef and provolone cheese, served on a chewy roll that's soft enough to sop up the quick-dip they do into an au jus, but also with enough body to stand up to said juice.

You can also get a side of dipping juice, but I prefer to eat it how it was intended. Exactly like they make it. Other than the whopping amount of prepared horseradish I add.

Salty, tender, and satisfying, this is one sandwich you can't afford to miss. Oh, and it's $7.50, served until mighty late, and they have $3 Kenzingers. Need more coaxing? I didn't think so.

The Last Stand

2011-09-13T10:34:00.002-04:00

2003 Spruce St
Ridley, PA 19043
(610) 237-9824

I was on a mission to DelCo to try and procure some apple juice for a home-brew project I am working on. I heard from this guy that I should try The Last Stand, as it is a Delaware County institution. Hot dogs? Homemade Birch Beer? Chili sauce? I'm all in.

When you walk up, you are greeted with a simple counter and a small menu. There were a couple of specials, so I went for a regular dog, jalapeno cheddar dog, and a hot sausage. After all, I had to make the rounds on this encased meat opportunity.

You place an order, and then you wait by the window. When they get done giving the dogs a quick char, they dress them according to your wishes.

I went with peppers, onions and cheese on the hot sausage; chili sauce, onions and cheese on the spicy dog; and chili sauce, onions and mustard on the plain. You can see below how big and fluffy the specialty dog rolls were in comparison. Of course, 3 dogs, toppings of choice and a delicious homemade birch beer was $9. Seriously, you can't beat that.

The sausage and the jalapeno dog were the clear front-runners. Of course it's not fair to compare spicy meats to plain meats. The regular dog was not bad, it's just that the larger, slightly chewy rolls could house more ingredients. The chili sauce was OK, kind of bland and had a touch of cinnamon to it. I loved the cheese product that accompanied the dogs, it's one of my guilty pleasures. I mean, you can't get all high and mighty when you are eating from a hot dog stand, and truth be told, I am a blue collar kind of eater.

I would certainly stop there again and, no doubt, the Phillies, Flyers and Eagles logos out front let you know you were in DelCo. The birch beer was a nice treat, as were those charred casings and spicy meats. If you are in the area, it's definitely worth the time for a pocket-friendly lunch or dinner outside.

Al Zaytouna Restaurant

2011-09-08T16:55:00.004-04:00

906 Christian St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 574-5040

The Italian Market, as jam packed with good, okay, and terrible food as it is, there aren't too many options besides Mexican and Italian. I mean there are some other options for a quick, cheap takeout lunch, but right in the heart of the market, where you will be shopping, there was a bit of a void. Alzaytouna fills some of that gap, with Middle Eastern menu offerings.

They offer both eat-in or takeout food.

The inside is clean, they are very courteous (asking if I wanted a glass of water while I waited), and the food is made with love. Also the chicken shawarma is sliced freshly off a spit while you wait. The basic sandwich is about $7, and comes with chicken, hummus, cucumber, tomato, and red onion wrapped in a warmed pita. They actually slice their pita with a box cutter, which I hear is the authentic way of doing things.

One of the greatest things that's relatively new to the market is the seating available at the Frank Rizzo mural, where you can eat and people-watch, which is really why you are there in the first place, isn't it?

This sandwich is carefully wrapped in foil to maintain warmth.

The chicken had a nice, slightly crisp texture, and the fresh veggies added some moisture and additional crunch. The hummus was tasty, a bit heavy on the tahini, but a pretty satisfying overall package. Nothing here was ground-breaking, but it was well executed and a great addition to the market. I can't wait to get back to give the falafel a go.

Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

2011-09-07T14:09:00.004-04:00

Once again, thanks to the fantastic folks at Driving the Northeast, I was given an opportunity to try out another GM vehicle. This time, however, it was not Bumble Bee, but rather a Cadillac CTS-V Coupe. Now, a lot of people have not heard of this car, much less seen one, which made it an entirely different driving experience than the Camaro. Two kinds of people recognized this beast at first glance, Cadillac lovers, and people who know cars. I actually fall into both categories, so this was like a dream come true. When it first arrived, it looked pretty outstanding sitting outside of my house.

I actually had a pretty amazing trip planned, where I was going to head to the shore and eat my way around the beach. Unfortunately, I happened to get this beauty the week where the earth was supposed to end in the form of hurriquakes. Therefore I was more than slightly saddened that I, not only wouldn't be taking an awesome day trip in this thing, but I wasn't even going to get to do much driving around the city itself. However, a couple of days after Irene, I took the Caddy down to the Italian Market to pick up some pork belly, and to grab some lunch. One of the first things you notice in this car is the combo suede and leather seats. They are supple, stylish and much more aggressive than I would have expected. The Recaro seats fit like a glove. Even the steering wheel is suede. All class.

After driving it for a while, you become very accustomed to the quick acceleration and just when you thought that severely trite phrase "corners like it's on rails" should never have been uttered, this vehicle proves otherwise. Performance and comfort, combined with nifty tech features like the fish-eye reverse camera and pop-up nav unit, make this a damn sexy car.

For one of my (unfortunately limited) outings, I pulled up to a mainline restaurant that was packed with Porches, other German sports cars, as well as a couple of American muscle cars. The valets, who drive exotic cars all the time, commented both on my way in and on my way out that this car was "awesome" and they had "never seen one of these before." It's not the type of car that Cadillac has previously made, but they have my vote. I would die to try this thing in 6 speed manual, although it would most likely be a dangerous proposition for me. I felt it was only appropriate to park it across from a battleship, as this whip gives a nod to the past and future of Cadillac in a stylish, fun, and incredibly fast package.

Brunch My Wife Eats: Lacroix ... Guest Post for Philly Phoodie

2011-09-05T19:59:00.004-04:00

This guest post was written by Evan - writer of the blog TV My Wife Watches - after taking his new bride to Sunday brunch at Lacroix. Evan's normal Sunday brunches consist of eating oatmeal and/or sleeping through brunch.

That's quite an "R", isn't it?

Getting married introduces numerous changes into a fella's life: Monday Night Housewives, Kashi Go Lean, and giving one person complete and total control of your life. HOWEVER, marriage also brings with it many wedding presents that no human being would ever purchase for themselves, such as: cheese domes (plural), blenders (ALSO plural) and gift certificates to ridiculous restaurants. So this past Sundee, I tucked in my shirt and took the wife over to Lacroix for their bonkers brunch buffet.

We were greeted at the fancy Rittenhouse hotel restaurant by two, young, sort-of attractive hostesses who were wearing matching black dresses. One of them told us "It's a pleasure to have you dining with us today," which led me to realize that A) she didn't know me and B) I hated her. That being said, she was nice enough and handed us over to some other dude who passed us over to some other dude who took us to our table.

Yeah, yeah, calm down, I'm getting to the food. Just trying to set the goddam scene.

Our table was in a totally empty dining room (THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING 'BOUT, kicking my shoes off!) and both of our chairs faced the window, looking out to the parking lot and Rittenhouse Square. My wife and I both thought this was dumb, so we asked Jean Paul (our waiter / host guy who looked EXACTLY like Kemba Walker) if we could switch to an adjacent table (and we did). Also, I was totally convinced Jean Paul left his nametag at home and was borrowing someone else's for the day. A black dude named Jean Paul?!?! C'mon!

This park was FILLED with Asian teenagers wearing sneakers that I owned in 1989.

I mean, the NBA is in a lockout, could Jean Paul have been ... ?

Not a jacker in sight.

You can't read the name at the bottom there, but it says "Mortimer Duke" -- like from Trading Places! Does Lacroix specialize in pork bellies?!?!

Round 1 through the buffet was spent at that table a few pictures above, a bunch of small hors d'oevres like proscuitto and ricotta croissants, and foie gras stuffed figs. I didn't take a picture of my plate, because I didn't think to blog about this until AFTER I saw the painting of Mortimer, but the watermelon in a seaweed macaroon was PHENOMENAL and I just had to spellcheck "phenomenal" 'cause that's a REALLY hard word to spell.

Watermelon in a seaweed macaroon. BONKERS.

During Round 2, we hit up the raw bar, filled with oysters, salmon, shrimp cocktail and a bunch of different kinds of caviar. I also grabbed some cheese and crackers (I consider myself a bit of a cheesemonger), which my wife called a rookie mistake. Also, yes, I'm totally aware that a "cheesemonger" is completely different from a "cheese-conisseur," but I just like to call myself a "cheesemonger" 'cause I think it sounds funny. By the by, filling up on cheese and crackers was totally a rookie mistake, but the Kentucky Bleu cheese (no idea if it was actually Kentucky Bleu) was strong like ox!

Kentucky Bleu in the upper left - STRONG LIKE OX.

Oooh baby I like it raw.

I'd estimate my wife ate around 19 shrimp cocktails.

I also consider myself a bit of an Orange Juice-monger, so I was very excited to guzzle down some fresh-squeezed OJ.

Also peep my wife's rings in the back -- thought it was important to prove to the world that a real-life human woman did in fact marry me.

Now that's some nice OJ - not quite as pulpy as I would've liked, but very smooth and delicious. And even though we had a gift certificate, I wanted to make sure we got our money's worth, so I drank around 5 glasses, which I estimate would've cost approximately $87.

It was now time for the good stuff, so we headed for the main courses for Round 3. Unfortunately, I was completely full from the cheese and crackers and fresh squeezed OJ.

I'm a rookie!

Lacroix's main course buffet is literally in their kitchen - as in, you walk INTO THEIR ACTUAL KITCHEN - to get your food. It was pretty cool, there were eggs and pancakes and waffles and normal breakfast entrees, as well as berzerker stuff like lamb, steak, duck, a charcuterie section, and a bunch of chefs the running around doing stuff and wearing actual chef hats and jackets.

Didn't see one person take an apple.

Lamb chops and flank steak. Not pictured: me freaking out because I was eating scrambled eggs and lamb chops.

Scallop Snausage ... I know!

Who puts a buffet in a kitchen?!?!

I asked one of the chefs (who honestly looked around 14 years old) what I HAD to try (even though I planned on trying everything) and he recommended the scallop snausage above. I had a sliver and it was good (I mean, it tasted like scallops and lemon), but the duck confit was the star of the main course. It was insane.

Some eggs, some bacon, the scallop snausage, DUCK CONFIT and some other isht.

Look at the fat on Daffy Duck. DOUBLE BONKERS.

There was also a lamb bacon and corn creme brulee that completely blew my mind. It was like eating some creamed corn on a Krispy Kreme donut while getting a hand job from a sixteen year old girl (or guy ... really, it wouldn't matter it was that good).

Inside this creme brulee is LAMB BACON AND CORN!!

After Rounds 4 and 5, it was time for round bathroom - possibly my favorite round - as I also consider myself to be a bit of a bathroom-monger. Lacroix's bathrooms were pretty standard, but had a chair sitting in the corner just in case you needed to take a load off but still keep your pants on.

The chair is one thing, but how 'bout the dude who completely missed dropping his towel in the basket and just left it there?! What a jerk!

Seeing the chair made me want to write a whole seperate blog post where I just sat in that chair for hours, staring everyone down that came in and documenting their reactions. I'd call it "Chairs My Wife Doesn't Sit In."

During break time, I also scoped out more of the pictures in the dining room and noticed they were ALL from Trading Places. In fact, Jean Paul explained to us that Trading Places was actually a play first - and had a run in Philadelphia, also where the movie was shot - and in the original play, Billy Raye Valentine was a woman!

Check it out!

Eddie Murphy coulda played Billy Raye in drag.

This is Dan Aykroyd's character: Louie Winthrope (I had to look that up, which disappointed me).

In my online research (consisting of one, maybe two Google searches), I was unable to find any proof that Trading Places was actually a play first, but why else would those paintings be there?

Enough of the Trading Places talk, right? Let's get to Round Dessert.

Lacroix had tons of desserts, some in cute little shot glasses, as well as two different chocolate fountains and a dry ice station where one of the chefs was making some pistachio foam with lemon curd. Personally, I think the whole foam trend is kinda silly (even though I'm one of the few people who liked Marcel on Top Chef), but I must admit, it was really really good.

Pistachio foam thing and some stuff drenched in chocolate.

Cute Asian chef lady making the dry ice pistachio thing.

Check out that frog!

I'll eat anything with amaretto. I'm also not sure what amaretto is.

Does that blackberry do anything for ya? Also, is this the longest post in PhillyPhoodie.com history?

Overall, it was a lovely morning/afternoon/lingering into early evening at Lacroix. If we didn't have a $150 gift certificate, we would've never gone (nor would I have tucked my shirt in), but we did and it was great. I highly recommend Lacroix to any newlyweds with money to burn or pompous jerks who are too good for dining with commonfolk.

For the record, I totally aspire to be one of these people.

Just without the whole shirt-tucking in thing.

You can read more of Evan's crap at TVMyWifeWatches.blogspot.com where he writes about just that. You can also like him on Facebook here and follow him on Twitter here.

Paesano's

2011-09-01T17:57:00.001-04:00

I was headed to pick up some pork belly I ordered for my next bacon project, and I wanted something light to off-set the fact that I was buying nearly six pounds of pork fat. My goal was a tofu banh mi at my favorite little joint on 8th and Christian, but alas, they were closed at one on a Thursday.

Not wanting to settle for a slice, I hoofed it down to Paesano's, and they magically had a caprese special. Tomato, fresh mozzarella, garlic mayo and basil pesto on a seeded roll. While not TOO light, it did the trick and left me feeling quite content, happy with my self control, and self conscious about the fact that people ten feet away could smell the garlic on me. I would definitely advise this one to a vegetarian, but I must admit, I was longingly looking at the pulled brisket falling out of the older ladies sandwich across from me, and wondering if she would be willing to let me eat any pieces that fell out. I mean, she was too skinny to finish it on her own, right? Luckily, I overcame my urge, quickly scarfed down my sandwich and was on my way to meat heaven.