Small Bites

Little Vittles

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Published: Jul 31, 2007

You might think people would flock to a restaurant called August (1247 S. 13th St., 215-468-5926, www.augustbyob.com) in August, but you'd be wrong. In fact, business at the South Philly BYO is so slow that its owners close for half the month. But Maria Vanni and MaryAnn Brancaccio, partners in life and business, don't mind — the break means they can get away to celebrate the anniversary of the August day they met, the romantic reason behind the restaurant's name. If you do get there before its two-week Aug. 19 vacation close, expect a menu featuring chef Brancaccio's signature summery crab cakes and scallops, as well as heavier dishes like rigatoni Bolognese and pumpkin pie (?!) that regulars won't let them drop. "People don't go by the seasons as much as they used to," notes Brancaccio. So, if the restaurant name is no help this month, does the association with warm weather improve business in January?"October is probably our best month," says Vanni, the restaurant's manager. "And December is super. We actually do quite well most of the winter. Really, the only time it's slow is now."—Carolyn Wyman

When your usual morning routine of an extra-shot skinny latte just isn't doing it anymore, take a hit — eh, cup — of Meth Coffee. The beans are specially roasted to hold in higher levels of caffeine, then topped off with the naturally energizing yerba mate, a plant chock-full of potassium and magnesium. Meth promises that their supercharged cup o' joe "wakes zombies ... straightens drunks ... brightens house chores, and cuts boredom like a goddamn razor." Meth rep (and self-proclaimed addict) Bridget Jackson has a few words of wisdom: "A normal person may want to drink less Meth Coffee than she would regular coffee, as the high is more intense." Please be careful, all. Available at www.methcoffee.com. —Ciana Hardwick

For a city that loves its seitan and won't hesitate to rabble-rabble about it outside Whole Foods, Philly could sure use a few more strong vegetarian/vegan voices. Cue our very own Kelly White, whose brand-new blog, Living on the Vedge (livingonthevedge.blogspot.com), looks to provide the nonmeaty population with another resource for recipes, commentary, links, reviews and more. "I have tons of fun recipes to throw out there, most of them just weird concoctions that I came up with, or veggie versions of dishes mom used to make," says Kelly, who's recently posted about The RZA's signature sandwich, Muhammad Ali's health snack line (huh?) and Soyjoy nutrition bars (Kelly: "I wouldn't even wish the joy of soy on the homeless"). "I'm trying to prove that vegetarianism is not a boring, tedious lifestyle," she adds. "Why am I still hearing, 'So ... what do you eat?' in 2007, in a city where tofu scramble is an option at, like, 40 restaurants?" —Drew Lazor

The closest Kwik-E-Mart-themed 7-Eleven store is up in New York, but that doesn't mean we can't drown our inferiority in fictional soda. Local Sevs are currently carrying a bunch of promotional tie-in products for The Simpsons Movie, including sixers of Buzz Cola, the ubiquitous soft drink that, in a truly American homage to the horrific Jolt, boasts "twice the sugar, twice the caffeine" (on the show, that is). I cracked open an ice-cold can the other night, and wasn't surprised to discover that the stuff's a watery mess — obviously, since it's more of a collector's item than a legitimate beverage. Then, I put one of my baby teeth in the can and inadvertently created a microscopic universe with a population that hailed me as its omnipotent deity. It was awesome. Available at area 7-Eleven stores. —DL

Get a taste of Japan without the pesky travel at Maido! (36 N. Narberth Ave., Narberth, 610-747-0557, www.maidookini.com), a small Japanese marketplace on the Main Line. Sure, you can wander through aisles of freeze-dried goods, obscure foreign produce, Japanese books, films and knick-knacks and watch live sumo on satellite TV, but just make sure you don't leave without lunch. Try their specialty, yakisoba — fried noodles with shrimp, beef and vegetables with a side of pickled ginger — grilled in front of you at their open counter, and enjoy a complimentary cup of imported green or jasmine tea. At just $7, this deal is definitely worth the trip. —Sarah Westbrook

 

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