ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Le Virtu's 35-course La Panarda, El Malito's electro-Latin pre-Halloween costume party, Harold & Kumar, Diplo, Sbraga, Chloe and more.

Here's something you can never try at home - thirty five courses. Only a protean chef and a willing audience with elastic waist lines can accomplish the feat of what the Italians (normally in two day stretches, with more courses) call La Panarda. This exquisite and rare decadent dining occasion dates back to the 14th century with its foodie events tied to a moneyed capo or signore's new family addition or overly-grand wedding celebration. When Le Virtu (1927 East Passyunk Ave.) held La Panarda, a likely first in the area, it was for its fourth anniversary of serving the singular Abruzzese cuisine. Some 14 brave diners including myself and my wife - but not counting the gentlemen who provided the eight wine courses from Abruzzo's distinguished Cantina Frentana's collective of growers - spent eight and a half hours supping on chef Joe Cicala's menu of scampi with chickpeas, a serving of layered Timballo (kind of like what Stanley Tucci served up in Big Night without the kettle drum effect), pastas rife with lamb ragu, black truffle and boar, whole roasted turbot, coniglio (rabbit) and a massive dry-aged pork rib roast amongst other succulent things.

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ICEPACK ILLUSTRATED: Le Virtu’s 35-course La Panarda, El Malito’s electro-Latin pre-Halloween costume party, Harold & Kumar, Diplo, Sbraga, Chloe and more.

POSTED: Thursday, October 27, 2011, 12:00 PM

Filed Under: Icepack Illustrated

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Here’s something you can never try at home — thirty five courses. Only a protean chef and a willing audience with elastic waist lines can accomplish the feat of what the Italians (normally in two day stretches, with more courses) call La Panarda. This exquisite and rare decadent dining occasion dates back to the 14th century with its foodie events tied to a moneyed capo or signore’s new family addition or overly-grand wedding celebration. When Le Virtu (1927 East Passyunk Ave.) held La Panarda, a likely first in the area, it was for its fourth anniversary of serving the singular Abruzzese cuisine. Some 14 brave diners including myself and my wife — but not counting the gentlemen who provided the eight wine courses from Abruzzo’s distinguished Cantina Frentana’s collective of growers — spent eight and a half hours supping on chef Joe Cicala’s menu of scampi with chickpeas, a serving of layered Timballo (kind of like what Stanley Tucci served up in Big Night without the kettle drum effect), pastas rife with lamb ragu, black truffle and boar, whole roasted turbot, coniglio (rabbit) and a massive dry-aged pork rib roast amongst other succulent things. The whole menu can be viewed here. And it is my understanding that I got through nearly all; my “understanding” as I think I blacked out. Was it the best meal I ever had? I would prefer not to hurt any other chef’s feelings. The Le Virtu La Panarda was certainly the grandest meal of mine or most anyone’s life. Request they do another: 215-271-5626.

Filmmaker turned malito, Les Rivera — a.k.a. electronic Latin hip-hop magician El Malito — has had many a gig since starting his theatrical act with merry odd music produced by Aaron Levinson. El Malito has never played a show in the Latin/Mexican heavy South Philadelphia area and he has never held a Halloween event. Until now: Oct. 27 at Eighth and Fitzwater’s Little Bar. Some folks will say, “That’s really cool they dressed up to do a Halloween show,” notes El Malito of the wild dressy affair. “But the truth of it is, we always dress up. And we want you guys to come dressed up.” See it here and hear it here.

The always-inviting Arch Street BYOB Chloe is celebrating its eleventh anniversary. Yay you. The only thing better than their continental Indonesian, Italian and Moroccan-tinged fare is the fact that the happy couple who run the joint, Philly restaurant vets Mary Ann Ferrie and Daniel Grimes (who is the hospital this week for minor surgery — get well fast) are celebrating their twelfth wedding anniversary at the same time. Double yay you.

Their Second and Arch restaurant is thisclose to getting the one-time Trenton China Pottery spot, the legendary Old City locale that just got a recommended approval from Philly’s Architectural Committee of the Historical Commission to go mixed-use while retaining the faded paint signage on its Second Street wall.

Soft openings and Design Philadelphia events aside, events manager Shannon Niland reminds me that this Sat. Oct. 29 is the true and real grand opening of the Eraserhead-neighborhood’s favorite go-go, whiskey bar, and noshery, The Trestle Inn. I dunno. Those other events were pretty damned grand.

Rick Ross’ other favorite MC (than Philly’s Meek Mills) Wale just teamed up with Philly’s Diplo on the hot new track “Slight Work.” It’s all over Twitter “now and is the center piece of Wale’s new CD out on Nov. 1 Ambition. Hear it here and buy the whole damn thing here.

Stopped by Kevin Sbraga’s new self-named restaurant on Broad right after its fam-and-friends meal. Love the lamb belly. Take notice: All of his chefs and sous and prep folk folk — save for the ladies — have similar scruffy facial hair to the great bear of a man. Just saying.

Hop Sing Laundromat’s lovely owner Lee texted and reminded me that there are always extensions to be made on any dated licenses that may expire at the end of October — the time frame that I and Foobooz gave to his hotly-anticipated Laundromat. Damn it, you know, he’s right. I heard a ton of banging and sawing there on Tuesday night so who knows whether he’s trying to hit my Oct. 31 mark or whether or not he wants to give the floors one more red wine stain. Stay tuned.

Stoners unite: You have a minute more to vote on Warner Bros. Pictures challenge to UPENN and Drexel students via Twitter and Facebook as to which campus can generate a bigger case of the munchies in regard to a Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas. Facebook or tweet: #HK3D #DREXELhasthemunchies, #HK3D, #UPENNhasthemunchies. The college with the most votes get a visit by the Harold & Kumar Munchie Truck filled with film swag and eats.

Popping pop up fresh: Stateside on the 1500 block of E. Passyunk Ave. didn’t just get a chef, ex-Barbuzo mate George Sabatino. It’s got a five-course soft opening pop-up at South Philly Green Eggs (13th and Dickinson St.) on Oct. 29. The Green Eggs folk, along with Bill Bonforte and Stephen Slaughter are responsible for Stateside which will open soon after the pop. Up.

I like the cut of Philly Op-pop rockers Taggart’s jib. As they hold a release show for their new CD For What It’s Worse Oct. 29 at the North Star with Faux Slang and Knife Show) their Bands in the Backyard website posted a video of some live, acoustic stuff. Check it out.

He’s got a PEW grant, holds readings in pizza joints, has his own app (Academy of American Poets’ Somatic exercise “Confetti Allegiance” you can read here), a new booking coming and now, an anniversary to celebrate. “This October 31st is my 25th anniversary of living in Philadelphia,” says poet CA Conrad who wrote a little about it on PhillySound which you can read at this link. Congrats.

I don’t get to Chestnut Hill often but I will if Chip Roman’s Mica (8600 block of Germantown Ave.) starts serving Sunday brunch with house-made sangria like he promised.

94WIP will move its studios and staff from Bala Cynwyd to the Old City 94WYSP and KYW NewsRadio 1060 offices by November. No one is pleased.

WHOWHATWHERE: What’s the fire? No fire. Just the folks from Stradley Ronon at the Fireman’s Hall Museum on N. Second St. I drove by on my way to AKA Music, saw a crowd and almost yelled “movie.” Can I remind you that the Philadelphia Film Society’s 20th Philadelphia Film Fest is still going strong and that Still Crazy star Felicity Jones looked smashing at the opening night party at Zellerbach and the neighboring after-party (way too much ginger ale and Snap liquor for me). Plus did you remember that Philly’s Terror Film Festival is this weekend — Oct. 27, 28, and 29 — at the Ethical Society Building in Rittenhouse Square with its usual Claw Awards on Saturday night (hosted by Princess Horror) with a screening of The Fields (based on actual events in 1973 at a rural PA farmhouse) as its centerpiece. R&B-hop sensation Eric Roberson hung out at WDAS in Bala Cynwyd, while its neighboring studio Radio 104.5 FM hosted Dirty Heads and Portugal.The Man during separate visits this week. Chopped host and one time Queer Eye guy Ted Allen got caught smoking cigs outside the AKA Rittenhouse. The Jersey Shore’s Snooki started her Snooki Sunglass Mall Tour at the Staten Island Mall. Yes. Snooki by Nicole Polizzi is her line of sunglasses and sunglass related gear. Oy. David O. Russell, in town shooting The Silver Linings Playbook and Philly actress Melissa Fitzgerald announced the winners of the Greater Philadelphia Film Office’s Shoot in Philadelphia Screenwriting Competition at Vie. The winners? $10,000 grand prize guy Anthony Stitt for The Sneaker Man, the $2,500 Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Regional Award to Jerry L. Jennings for Faceworld, and a $5,000 Derek Freese Film Foundation Prime Time TV Pilot Award to Bruce Graham for The Darbarians. Hey, Fitzgerald is also in town to screen her documentary Staging Hope on Nov. 1 and 2 during the Philadelphia Film Festival. Get there. Speaking of Silver Linings, its star and new J-Lo fuck toy Bradley Cooper likes Slice on Sansom Street. Come down to the South Philly in the Italian Market, Cooper. And bring your girl. Comedian Brian Posehn (Mr. Show) ain’t afraid of the Ital. He stopped by Teri’s on Ninth for the bar’s heavy metal night after his gig at the Trocadero.

(@ADAmorosi)

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 12:00 PM Permalink | 2 comments

Comments (2)

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 2:23 PM, 10/27/2011

Bands In The Backyard changed the link to the Taggart video. The new link is http://youtu.be/B-SjDKzaa0c. Enjoy.

— electrobecker

0 like this / 0 don't • Posted 3:50 PM, 10/27/2011

cool, it's been fixed. thanks.

— electrobecker

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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