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Archive: October, 2012
With an expansive name like Food Day, it’s to be expected that tomorrow’s festivities will be wide-ranging. Yesterday, we told you about Le Bec’s prix fixe plans; now, here’s an event whose conception could have plausibly arisen from someone posing the question, “What’s the exact opposite of tea sandwiches and wine pairings at Chez Georges?”
If you answered “going elbow-deep in dirt, worms, and discarded food scraps in a bar in South Philly,” congratulations! You just won a fake contest borne of a convoluted blog conceit! The only prize is that now you know about tomorrow night’s event at American Sardine Bar (1800 Federal St.), but we think that’s more than enough.
Tomorrow, Oct. 24, from 6 – 9 p.m., ASB’s hosting member-owners of the South Philly Food Co-op, who will lead a workshop on vermicomposting—i.e., composting aided by worms. The workshop is free, but you should register here, and be aware that the event carries with it the (all-too-rare) instruction to “BYO large glass jar.” All other supplies will be provided for you, and they’ll pick one winner from the crowd to win a full vermicomposting starter kit (composting bin and all).
Whether you’re getting your hands dirty or are just there to watch, ASB will be knocking $1 off their eponymous brew, in addition to extending their usual happy hour deals (half-price cans!).
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. We'd love to hear all about YOUR weekend eating adventures in the comments. Go for it! (View past NFTW installments at citypaper.net/notes.)
Adam Erace: AE
Caroline Russock: CR
More epic meals, ice cream adventure and cocktails right this way! »
Free stuff at Chima, gluten-free "noodles" five ways at Matyson, and some seriously high-quality turkeys at Fair Food Farmstand: all on today's Afternoon Snacks
Look alive, cheapskates: Center City churrascaria Chima (1901 JFK Blvd.) is launching a new 555 happy hour (i.e., everything’s $5 starting at 5 p.m., 5 days a week) and they’re giving away free food and bev by way of celebration. If you drop by tomorrow, Oct. 23, between 5 and 7 p.m., you’ll get a free caipirinha and all the free app samples you care to eat. The happy hour menu’s full of classic tastes like beef carpaccio on toast points, caprese skewers, and bites of cantaloupe with prosciutto di Parma.
The crew at South Philly Tap Room (1509 Mifflin St.) takes one day out a year to fully embrace October’s inevitability of pumpkin everything, and they don’t hold anything back. They’re tapping 12 pumpkin beers this weekend, from favorites like Weyerbacher Imperial Pumpkin to lesser-seen varieties like Timmermans Pumpkin Lambicus and Elysian Blight—and once everyone’s sufficiently lubricated, they’re handing out knives. Show off your gourd carving prowess and score prizes if your creation is one of the three best in the room.
The contest is this Saturday, Oct. 27, starting at 4 p.m., but the pumpkin beers will be flowing as soon as they open at 11 a.m. Starting at 5 p.m., the kitchen’s serving up dinner specials featuring... well, you know. To help you out, we even got chef Scott Schroeder to divulge what he plans to do with all that squash.
Wednesday, October 24th is Food Day, a good for you holiday promoting healthy, sustainable and affordable edibles. Chef Walter Abrams is celebrating with a three-course prix fixe menu in the cozy lower level of Le Bec Fin (1523 Walnut St.) featuring produce from some of his preferred local farms. The menu is $60 with an optional $35 wine pairing from sommelier Philippe Suriat. Diners will be able to chat up a few of the farmers who will be on hand for the event and go home with a goodie bag full of fall CSA goods. To reserve your spot at this event call 215-567-1000.
Canape
Tea Sandwich, Watercress
First
Toasted Flour Cavatelli, Sausage Ragu, Romanesco, Raw Milk Ricotta
Second
Guinea Hen Two Ways, Kale, Parsnips, Rutabega and Juniper
Third
Apple Tart, Almond, Carmel
Last week Besha Rodell of the L.A. Weekly rounded up five items that should be forever banished from restaurant menus. Her list included the everything-ruining truffle oil, lobster (or bacon or peas or ham) in macaroni and cheese, bourbon in sticky-sweet glaze form, junking up perfectly good mashed potatoes with absurd ingredients like wasabi and sun-dried tomatoes and finally that always abhorrent relic of the mid nineties, raspberry vinaigrette.
We're thinking that Rodell's list is pretty spot-on as far as tired trends go. What are the menu items that you'd like to say farewell to? Tell us about them in the comments section.
If it's late October, it's time to start thinking about holiday giving—and there are plenty of food drives already underway, with more to come. Here are a few to get you started:
Greensgrow (2501 E. Cumberland St.) is collecting canned goods now through Thanksgiving at their farm; all donations will be brought over to their Kensington neighbors at St. Michael's food pantry.
BAR (1309 Sansom St.) and Awesome Dudes Printing (1338 S. 6th St.) are joining forces to collect for Philabundance, and they'll even reward you for digging deep. Their Cans for Cans drive, now through November, offers up a free can of beer for each donation of canned goods you drop off (one free can of beer per day, so if you want, you can stop by every single day with more food to donate). All donations will eventually be brought to:
Preston and Steve's (of WMMR) Camp Out for Hunger, which takes place Nov. 26 - 30 in Plymouth Meeting. To donate, you can drop off to the site (where they set up shop in an RV for the duration of the drive) or to area Acme stores, or even place an online order with Acme that they'll deliver for you. The annual event collects tons of food (literally: 288 tons last year) for Philabundance.
As you shop or cull items from your pantry, keep in mind that in addition to things like canned fruits and veggies, high-protein items like canned tuna, peanut butter, chili, and beef stew are high priorities for food banks.
Monday, October 15
Union Transfer is beefing (er, vegging) up its concession offerings with HipCityVeg.
Fountain Porter takes over the former 1601 space with a menu of beer, cheese and charcuterie.
Tuesday, October 16
Travel + Leisure weighs in on nine Philly favorites.
Hoppin' John Martin Taylor brings Low Country cooking to London Grill tonight.
Wednesday, October 17
We got a sneak peek at the Ela-Shola dinner happening at Studio Kitchen.
Thursday, October 18
Tashan is pouring exotic Indian-made single-malts and rums.
Friday, October 19
Miss Rachel's Pantry rolls out an eggless brunch menu and extended weekend hours.
On today's Afternoon Snacks, we've got alternative pumpkin beverages, some Turkey Day help from Greensgrow, and a special tasting menu at Bistrot la Minette.
With pumpkin beers and pumpkin spice espresso drinks grabbing so much press, it's always nice to see pumpkin pop up somewhere a bit less expected. Like, say, in a margarita! Pumpkin margaritas (above) are one of Cantina Los Caballitos' (1651 East Passyunk Ave.) signature fall drinks, and they're now available through Thanksgiving. Cantina dresses up their marg with pumpkin purée, made in house and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove, and a spicy cinnamon rim. You can also get the pumpkin margarita at Dos Segundos (931 N. 2nd St.), with one slight variation: a non-spicy cinnamon rim. We can live with that.
Thanksgiving pre-orders and dinner in Jura, right this way! »
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