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Notes from the Weekend: January 9
Notes from the Weekend is a feature that sees the members of Team Meal Ticket compiling all the food/drink highlights uncovered during prime eatin' time, Friday to Sunday.
Notes from the Weekend: January 9
Notes from the Weekend is a feature that sees the members of Team Meal Ticket compiling all the food/drink highlights uncovered during prime eatin' time, Friday to Sunday. Consider this a place for good deals, great dishes, wicked cocktails, recipe triumphs (and tragedies), bizarro conversations and more. We're eager to share our notes, but especially excited to read yours.We encourage you to leave notes from YOUR weekend in the comments. Have at it! (View past NFTW installments at citypaper.net/notes.)
Adam Erace: AE
Drew Lazor: DL
Katie Linton: KL
Alexandra Weiss: AW
I've been trying and mostly failing (see Sunday night) to keep it healthy in 2012. Friday night, Fuel (1917 E. Passyunk Ave.) kept me in check with this spinach salad filled with strawberries and tangy gorgonzola, followed by my usual, a whole-wheat Thai chicken wrap. —AE
I was feeling real weird with some flu-like symptoms during the day on Friday. But I had plans to go to Ela (627 S. Third St.) with my family and I heard about their Brand New-themed cocktail list, so I manned up, put on some lipstick and went to dinner. My dad and brother were parking their respective cars, so mom and I ordered drinks while we were waiting. She had the Jaws Theme Swimming and I had an Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't. (I just hope that my mother remembers me blasting Deja Entendu in my room back when I was an angsty teen so she could get the full experience.) We all shared the caramelized onion and I had the duck. There were also two orders of pork belly and a skate wing, but I don't remember who had what. Dang cocktails. —AW
I'm more South Philly/Point Breezy than ever these days but I do manage to GTFO the 'hood once in awhile — like on Friday, when I did a whole Fishtown First Friday type thing. First sipped the freshest PBC beer known to man at Lost Bar (2442 Frankford Ave.) to cheers to the very talented Maria Tina Beddia's new show — in love with any ornate cake that shows me a little tough love. Scooted down Frankford to Part Time to see another buddy's work and crush a quick can before destroying the unapologetically meaty Nachos de Kenzo and some tacos at a wild-packed Loco Pez (2401 E. Norris St.). Please don't sleep on the potato/chorizo combo. Ended up back at P.O.P.E. (1501 E. Passyunk Ave.) for a handful of High Lifes and some Bulleit before caling her an evening. —DL
Friday: Went to a pimped-out Whole Foods in Cambridge, Mass. midday and enjoyed noshing on pistachio cannoli samples and free coffee. (I travel to Boston several times a year for an MFA program.) I circled the salad bar like a vulture, snapping pictures and drooling over the myriad roasted vegetables. I bought lunch for three — but just for me. That night my friends and I caught up at Cambridge Commons, toasting with everything from a Shirley Temple to a Dark and Stormy. We ate deep-fried pickles and talked about Proust. —KL
Woke up Saturday morning feeling better. Met up with roommate, who had to work, for a chai latte and a Pequea Valley Farm yogurt at Old City Coffee (221 Church St.). She was running late, so finished the CP crossword and read some Craigslist missed connections while I was waiting. While this was a good way to pass the time, I'm upset I still haven't gotten a missed connection yet. Come on, guys. Post-coffee, I took advantage of my location and went to see Shame at the Ritz at the Bourse (400 Ranstead St.). I think it was a damn good movie. —AW
Saturday: Scrambled eggs, fruit salad, and an ungodly amount of coffee got me through classes on Saturday until I met my girl Sarah for dinner. We ate at Christopher’s in Boston's Porter Square — forgettable food, memorable company. Drinking was fun, though. I drank Southern Tier Old Man Winter and Sarah drank the bartender's special — a pear cider topped with Guinness. —KL
Ran mad errands Saturday before stopping off at Tapestry (700 S. Fifth St.) on a whim. Had a Negroni up from always-sweet bartender bartendrix Katie Loeb, who told me she's rolling out a signature cocktail list for Tappy in the next month or so. Looked forward to that while killing braised octopus and chickpeas — that's a real nice plate for just $7. Cocktail — with Carpano Antica! — was just $10. Tapestry kills pretty much everyone in the value department. —DL
Saturday night, wound up at the very busy Penrose Diner (2016 Penrose Ave.). Not my diner of choice, a preference confirmed by the rubbery veal parm, but the pasta fragiole (say it: fah-zool) was satisfying, hearty and loaded with beans, and the service was sweet as could be. —AE
I went to Zavino (112 S. 13th St.) on Saturday night for dinner with some good friends, because 1. I've never been; 2. they love it there; and 3. truffles. We took advantage of the $7 wine and cheese pairing MT told you about Friday (Prosecco and goat cheese for me), and got the margherita, "Stache" and egg-and-truffle pizzas to share. After dinner my pals ran off to Time (1315 Sansom St.) to dance about it, but I went home to sleep about it because I still wasn't feeling so hot. —AW
Sometimes, like on Sunday afternoons when there's nothing in the house to eat, you've got to improvise. Portobello mushrooms, frozen shrimp, a can of chickpeas and a few dashes of applewood-smoked barbecue spice blend? Sure! My patented throw-shit-in-a-pan plan turned out so good with a little fresh lime and cilantro I'm made it for dinner again on Monday. —AE
Met up with the aforementioned brother for lunch at El Camino Real (Liberties Walk, 1040 N. Second St.) on Sunday. Had a Cowboy coffee (coffee, Kahlua, Bulleit) and the huevos rancheros with Texas chili. Brother had a Mexican coffee (coffee, Kahlua, tequila) and brisket hash. After lunch, met an old buddy at Johnny Brenda's (1201 Frankford Ave.) to catch up. They always have Dogfish Head Chicory Stout (may or may not be my favorite beer, jury's still out) on tap when it's in season. —AW
For breakfast lunch late lunch fuck-I-overslept-meal on Sunday, made some quick dill scrambled eggs (stole the idea from Ants Pants but I can't make them as good) with excellent garlicky pork breakfast patties from La Divisa Meats, Southwark sous chef Nick Macri's charcuterie imprint. I bought a bunch of his meat for Christmas presents and kept a little bit of it for myself because I'm self-centered. For dinner: pan-seared trout and some chard I braised in goose stock (thanks Felicia!), tomato paste, onions and some herbs and spices. —DL
Sunday: The whole day was a whir of manuscripts and lectures, bad cafeteria food the bookends. The high point of the day came at 3 o'clock when a friend shared her stone ground Taza chocolate bar with me. Taza makes their chocolate right outside of Boston in Somerville ... and gives chocolate tours. I might skip class next Friday. —KL
I can never finish the huevos from El Camino, so I reheated my leftovers for dinner. I also attempted a pancake again like last week, but no ricotta this time. I did put some honey in the batter and it WORKED! Turns out I can cook pancakes after all. High on life and my flapjack cooking abilities, I decided that 7 p.m. on a Sunday night was the perfect time to clean my whole kitchen and mop the floors. —AW
Rang up the always-friendly Sky Cafe (1540 Ritner St.) for dinner on Sunday. Medan-style coconut soup, crispy wings sticky with kecap manis, beef rendand and these light, crunchy wontons, my favorite in town. —AE
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