Notes from the Weekend: Dec. 6

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Notes from the Weekend: Dec. 6

POSTED: Monday, December 6, 2010, 10:26 PM

Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend

Notes from the Weekend is a Monday 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. Were 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 Rachel Burgos: RB

Photo | Adam Erace

Even though years of experience has taught me Celebre's pizza is the kind of travels-poorly pie you HAVE TO eat on premises (see also: Marra's), I got a take-out half-red/half-pizzazz Friday night. Still delicious, but just not as delicious as if I'd have eaten it there (1536 Packer Ave.), on one of Celebre's cracked-vinyl billiard-green booths. There is one upside to take-out, though: the cute flagrant-copyright-infringing Snoopy pizza box. Ayo, Snoop! AE On Friday I was battling an epic cold, so I made chicken noodle soup from scratch while watching Futurama DVDs. Definitely hit the spot. RB Friday: After attending a very soigné holiday party where I felt as though I should not have been wearing sneakers (beautiful home and very nice people regardless), I made my way down to the soft-open of Kennett (848 S. Second St.) with a buddy. It was here I tasted a very, very good burger. More details here. DL Saturday I braved the crowds and went to the Christiana Mall in Delaware for some tax-free holiday shopping. I didn't get much present-wise, but a woman almost fist-fought me for a table in the food court. I was just trying to enjoy my gorditas, lady! RB

Photo | Drew Lazor

Stayed in Saturday night and rocked out a shrimp risotto using a homemade seafood stock we did up with last weekend's oyster and crab shells. It turned out pretty well, but it tasted even better on Sunday. Thinking risotto cakes topped with fried eggs for tonight. DL Sunday: N. 3rd (801 N. Third St.) for brunch. Enjoyed an adobo shrimp omelette and a Bloody Mary with a skewer of crazy crap on it: red pepper, olive, cucumber, pickled tomato, regular tomato and a lime. It was fantastic. RB

Photo | Adam Erace

If ever there was a night that called for the magical warming powers of Sky Cafe (1540 Ritner St.), it was Sunday night. Chased away the cold with the following: two orders of wings, two orders of fried wontons, curry rice noodle soup, house salad with fried tofu and fiery peanut dressing, housemade egg noodles with sausage and things, coconut rice with beef rendang. The only thing more unbelievable than the flavor was the price: dinner for four (and leftovers), $36. AE

Photos | Drew Lazor

We hit up Kanella (1001 Spruce St.) for chef Konstantinos Pitsillides' Cypriot meze meal, which he offers every Sunday from 5 to 9. It's quite a deal you pay $35 and specify either the vegetarian or the fish/meat option (we did one of each reco'd), and then the food just starts coming. Everything was lovely many of the little plates featured elements, like pine nuts and olives, grown and harvested on Pitsillides' father's farm back in Cyprus but my highlights were the Spanish anchovy/tuna cake plate, and the meat-lover's spread of guinea hen, veal flank steak and chicken stew. Eat this immediately! DL

Photo | Drew Lazor

Any of y'all tried Fentiman's brand ginger beer? Got a bottle from Critical Mass' Eric Schuman the other day. It's quite nice; just barely carbonated, and it's got a healthy ginger kick at the end. I think this would make one badass Dark 'n' Stormy. DL

Midnight Toquer

Posted 2010-12-07 13:36:44

Friday: Drinks at Le Virtu. The draft list was good (yeah, Ommegang Abbey Dubbel), but the bar snacks were kinda m'eh. The place could benefit greatly with more attentive service too. Later at SPTR enjoyed Yakima Glory on the hand jawn and Southern Fried chicken wings. 

Saturday: Kennett! Its awesome what they did with the place. Roasted chicken with a pint of hand drawn Yards ESA was heavenly.

Sunday: Sporadically munched on a Paesano's Arista throughout the afternoon and into the evening. It put up a good fight, but eventually I finished it.

Lou Perseghin

Posted 2010-12-07 16:27:11

Friday night we had a company party at the Dark Horse. They did a great job accommodating our small group of 35, and let us stay on in the private room well past the end of the event (with a new tab, of course.) Then if was off to Bob & Barbara's to close out the evening.

Saturday was a night in with some Chinese from Fortune Chinese American, which if nothing else is fast with their delivery.

Sunday night was spent out of town, tailgating at the Ravens game then at the Double T Diner in Baltimore do drown the late night sorrows of the Ravens loss in soup and a burger.

konstantinos

Posted 2010-12-08 15:37:39

Dear All

I am the owner chef of Kanella,and I need to tell you that Our sunday meze is picking up.Basically is a bloody good deal.
$30 for vegetarian option and $35 for meat(Includes fish).

I decided to introduce this concept of sharing just to show all that you can eat a lot ,enjoy a jolly good meal witha great selection of various Mediterranean Cypriot food,and leave my place ,saying,THATS WHAT A CALL VALUE FOR MONEY.
Starts at 5pm to 9pm.

Dont forget that I grew up with this concept.

See you all soon

Konstantinos

Michelle

Posted 2010-12-06 22:16:20

Picked up some delicious and previously SLO-only wines at the Chestnut street store Saturday, which made me VERY happy.  Shrimp risotto turned out delicious and I now have a great reason to make arrancini at home!

I recommend the Kanella dinner to everyone. Tons of delicious food for only $35, what's not to love?  The whipped carrot-pumpkin-feta spread that was plated with pickled beets, cabbage and onion was awesome.  The white anchovy plate will change any non-anchovy lover's mind.

Posted 2010-12-06 18:18:20

Filled my gullet with Pen and Pencil bourbon manhattans (heretofore refered to as THE TRUTH) on Friday, which remain the second best manhattan I've ever had (boyfriend's grandma makes the best). Chowed down on a burger there, too, which was surprisingly delish and huge. Spent Saturday gorging on "Parks and Rec" on Netflix streaming, which was topped off Cantina tortilla salad with seitan (filling but doesn't make me feel heavy like a lot of the other food there) and lots of Tecate.

Tweets that mention Notes from the Weekend: Dec. 6 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-12-06 17:59:47

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: The latest NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND is live. Share your notes in the comments! http://ow.ly/3kTj2 [...]

Sara

Posted 2010-12-06 17:48:08

Friday - That goddamn delicious braised pork sandwich at Devil's Den for dinner, accompanied by the leftovers from their smoked/wood aged beer night at happy hour prices - Dogfish Red and White, Rodenbach 2008 Vintage, Bruery Autumn Maple.  Yum.   Later on that night, a friend had an opening for his artwork at 1601 (10th & Tasker) - http://inkonthepages.com/ - and Copper Crow Chocolate Thunder was on tap.  Their sweet potato fries are bangin', too.

Saturday - Ful medames (fava beans) and coffee at the always awesome Mazag Cafe (10th & Carpenter) for brunch, lots of errands along East Passyunk, and the Burrito Jarocho (spicy shrimp) for dinner at El Jarocho (13th & Ellsworth).

Sunday - Season finales of Boardwalk Empire & the Walking Dead, second-to-last episode of Dexter, accompanied by pizza, wings, and the Alesmith 2010 Winter Yulesmith.  Happy Repeal Day, yo.

Notes from the Weekend: Dec. 13 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-12-13 16:49:14

[...] night, shamelessly ordered everything AE had last week from Sky Cafe (1540 Ritner St.)  I initially couldn’t find the website and used NFTW as my menu. Chicken [...]

Tweets that mention Notes from the Weekend: Dec. 6 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-12-07 18:34:19

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Madame Fromage, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Have you checked out the $35 Sunday meze at Kanella? Great deal, great food. In NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND: http://ow.ly/3l3zR [...]

the nosh guy

Posted 2010-12-06 23:19:52

Drew.
We did another competition at "the nosh loft" for FOODRULEZ.COM this weekend.  We taste tested 10 dozen Christmas Cookiez, 7 dozen were from local bakeries.  We rated them 1 to 5 starz!  Check out the what my 50 guests thought of the cookiez  http://wp.me/pSkvM-vQ.  Eat Well, The Nosh Guy

rachel

Posted 2010-12-06 23:28:36

I must check out kanella for Sunday dinner. Must!

Erin

Posted 2010-12-07 00:32:11

Saturday: lunch at Victory Brew Pub. I recommend...the beer. Especially if you like hops, which every beer seems to  have some hint of. The food isn't so shabby, either. Nachos: check. Jerk chicken grinder: check. Fresh, warm potato chips: check. Fall-off-the-bone ribs: check. Growler filled with Old Horizontal: our excuse to return for a refill.

Drew Lazor

Posted 2010-12-07 00:49:48

It was awesome Rachel, and a perfect price. So very satisfied.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 10:26 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews here — those are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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