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Archive: April, 2012
About a month back, Cafe Chismosa (900 N. Fourth St.) replaced Almanac Market at Fourth and Poplar. Chef/owner Jugo Stevcic is running Chismosa as a café in the a.m., with eggy sandwiches/dishes, seasonal scones and One Village Coffee. By lunch/dinner, it becomes a Latin-inspired BYO operation, with tortas (the "El Cerdo," with carnitas, Granny Smith apple, queso blanco and an apple/lemon gravy for dipping), quesadillas and simple ceviches. Here's the full menu (PDF). For what it's worth: En espanol, Chismosa is slang for a prolific female smack-talker, so ready your best neighborhood gossip to share with Stevcic as he fixes your smoked scallop and quinoa avocado salad. Hours are Tuesday to Saturday from 8 to 8 and Sunday from 9 to 3 (closed Mondays).
Photo: Cafe Chismosa on Facebook
On May 10, Annie Baum-Stein and Mauro Daigle of West Philly's Milk & Honey Market (4435 Baltimore Ave.) will cut the ribbon on their new location in Sister Cities Park (18th Street and Logan Square), right near the new Barnes Foundation. "We're excited to be on the other side of the river and to be a part of the new park," says Baum-Stein. This spot will be strictly cafe, no market, with the same menu of sandwiches (don't sleep on their Coppa Caprese, made with Claudio's mozz and coppa), soups, smoothies and bakery snacks served in West Philly. "We'll also be carrying fun little gift items like butterfly nets, heirloom seeds and, of course, honey," she says, referencing her Urban Apiaries line of city-made bee nectar. And parents, look alive: M&H is teaming up with the Academy of Natural Sciences for birthday party packages for your little ones.
Photo: milkandhoneymarket.com
- Adam Erace rolls along the hills of Roxborough to visit Phu Fha Thai, a mom-and-pop cranking out both classics and atypical specialties from the city of Chiang Mai.
- In Feeding Frenzy: Rittenhouse Tavern, SoWe, Quaker Steak & Lube, a new restaurant for Chris Kearse and first word of Bainbridge Street Barrel House.
- In What's Cooking: Italian-grown French grapes at Mémé, a cupcake-off for a good cause, Dining Out For Life and more.
- In Agenda: Fishtown's ever-popular Shadfest goes down this Saturday at Penn Treaty Park.
- In Icepack: A.D. Amorosi touches on two restaurants coming to the 200 block of Walnut.
- In News: Bell Curve addresses the extremely controversial Steak 'Em Up vs. Steak-umm conflcit.
Photo: Mark Stehle
View galleryWHERE YOU AT? I've been meaning to get to Fish since January, when it officially reopened at its new location on 13th and Locust. I finally made it in on a Friday at 4:55 p.m. The staff hustled around me as I got situated, but I didn't absorb the frenzied pace until 10 minutes had elapsed and about 20 other fellow happy hour hoppers people joined me at the bar. Even before the crowds materialized, two of the bar staffers seemed harried and a bit snappy; thankfully, there were superceded by wonderful bar manager and mixologist extraordinaire (though he prefers the term "boozehound") Theo Webb.
WHAT'S THE SCENE? All the patrons at Fish seemed to be having a good time. On my right were three gay fellas wearing incredibly good-looking suits. They drank Champagne (into which Theo dropped bourbon-soaked cherries) and ordered plate after plate of oysters (the buck-a-shuck rule applies to all happy hours). To my left was the proud father of Fish pastry chef Monica Glass. Some parents had their kid at the bar at 5 p.m., but an hour later there was nary a toddler to be found. Overall, the bar was brimming with polished, well-dressed patrons, either out and about in work clothes or dolled up for the evening to come.
WHAT'S THE DEAL? My original intention had been to swing by for Fish's late-night happy hour (from 11 p.m. to midnight Friday or Saturday), but the old lady in me opted for early-bird hours. More than half of Fish's multi-page beverage menu is wine, and that includes many options by the glass. In addition to dollar oysters, they offer a select red and white for $5 during happy hour. I went for the red, the Quinto do Casol Branco, which normally goes for twice that price. They also do a lineup of three bottled beers for three bucks. During my drop-by, Theo concocted a Lynchburg Lemonade for the rotating $5 cocktail special — way tasty, way too easy to drink. All these deals apply weeknights from 5 to 7 p.m. in addition to the aforementioned late-night hours.
For those unfamiliar, a tuna dumpling is a Japanese sushi-spot snack typically consisting of mashed avocado and crab with spicy mayo wrapped inside a piece of tuna to create a dumpling shape. This descriptor, however, is not binding, as there are innumerable variations on the formula. Prior to the opening of Machi Sushi (209 S. 20th St.) in early March, Vic Sushi Bar (2035 Sansom St.) was the only place I'd ever seen a tuna dumpling in Philly. More recently, I come across something called a "tuna pumpkin" on the menu at Sumo Sushi (337 S. Broad St.). It automatically begged scientific exploration: How do Philly's tuna dumplings hold up when pitted against one another in an overly obsessive taste test?
We posted some preview pics of Rittenhouse Tavern (Art Alliance, 251 S. 18th St.) a few weeks ago, and the day we teased then has arrived — tonight at 5 p.m., exec chef Nicholas Elmi (formerly of Le Bec-Fin) and "chef collaborator" Ed Brown (VP of Restaurant Associates) along with FOH manager Dan Elliott, are opening the Tavern's doors officially after some sneak-peek services over the weekend.
You might want to eat light at brunch this Saturday — The Piazza's P.Y.T. is hosting the second annual Philabundance Cupcake Smash from 1 to 5 p.m. For $20, you can taste competitive cupcake offerings from professional and amateur bakers alike and cast a vote for the "People's Choice" winner. A pro panel, meanwhile, will determine the ultimate victor — this year's judges include CP's own Drew Lazor, P.Y.T. owner Tommy Up, Leah Kauffman of Phrequency, Tony Luke Jr. and Wendy Rollins of Radio 104.5.
Outdoor food vendors will be on site for your non-cupcake needs (they're donating 50 percent of profits to Philabundance), and free drinks from PBR, Fuze, St. Germain and Barefoot Wine will be circulating, too. Last year’s Smash sold out early and amassed $3,400 in proceeds, which provided 6,800 meals to folks in need living in the Delaware Valley. Tickets at philabundance.org/cupcakesmash.
When a restaurant closes "temporarily," the likelihood of it ever reopening is about as slim as a cocktail straw. So good for Yoshi Yamasaki for making good on her promise to get her cheery Mexican coffee shop, Cafe con Chocolate (2100 S. Norwood St.), back in business after shutting down last month to take care of her ailing mama, among other reasons. Missers of CcC's molletes, nachos and Oaxacan cocoa will be able to get their fill starting on May 5, when the cafe reopens at 10 in the morning. Yamasaki is running a special Cinco de Mayo menu (we'll have that for you soon) and there will be live mariachi music from 3 to 6 p.m. Welcome back, guys!
UPDATE [26apr12]: Added Cinco de Mayo menu (PDF).
Photo: Adam Erace
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.)
If you're a Euro oenophile, clear your sked one week from today: David Katz of Mémé (2201 Spruce St.) has invited Federico Dall'Olmo, an importer for The Artisan's Cellar, in for a four-course dinner built around recognizable French varietals grown in Italian soil. Dall'Olmo, a native of Bologna, is passionate about Gallic grapes as interpreted by Italiano winemakers. He'll pour and discuss a Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah and Pinot Noir (specific labels TBD) to go along with a hearty, all-savory menu from Katz — grilled lamb chops with kale; quail with polenta; pasta with guanciale and corn; and scallop crudo with citrus and pistachio. The dinner, which has one seating at 6:30 p.m., is $60 a head. Call 215-735-4900 to reserve.
Photo: Drew Lazor
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