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Food Events
Bar Ferdinand (1030 N. Second St.) is kicking off the weekend with a new treat: Merienda Fridays, a Spanish tradition that translates to a little late-day relaxation coupled with a light snack. Every Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., Ferdy will present select wine, beer and spirits paired with tapas that change weekly; each event draws inspiration from various Spanish wine regions and artisan producers. Tonight's Merienda will feature three small plates, all matched with a glass — roasted cauliflower with sherried golden raisins and almonds paired with Amontillado ($9); a shrimp/morcilla pincho with a Muscat ($11); and fried bacalao with potato and basquaise sauce joined by a 2008 Bierzo ($12).
Tonight at 7, the crew at Perch Pub (1345 Locust St., second floor) is simul-tapping two pumpkin brews with the devious goal of kicking the crap out of both kegs. Southern Tier's Pumpking, widely regarded as one of the absolute best realizations of the style, is going to head to head with The Fear, a spicy imperial newcomer from Frederick, Md.'s Flying Dog. Time your booze consumption accordingly, as whoever lands the final pints from either keg will earn that beer free, a Perch Pub tee and a bunch of beer swag.
Tomorrow from 1 to 8 p.m., Varga Bar (941 Spruce St.) is hosting its "Up in Smoke" Pig Roast, which'll see the kitchen cranking out smoked, beer-brined suckling pig, free-range chicken and organic lamb along with sides (smoked purple kale with bacon, roasted fall veg) for $25 a head. Given the chilly forecast for the weekend, it's also an ace opportunity to try the latest beer from Downingtown's Victory: Otto Ale, a smoked, bottle-conditioned Belgian dubbel that'll do well warming your prematurely cold bones up quick. Keep an eye out for large-format bottles of the big-but-accessible beer at beer stores around town.
Two local down-on-their-luck restaurants are getting a Gordon Ramsay reno next month when his show Kitchen Nightmares comes to town to film. First up: red-sauce BYOB Chiarella's (1603 E. Passyunk), which will shoot from Nov. 8 to 11. After, Ramsay and crew will head to West Philly to reinvigorate the Mexi menu at Zocalo (3600 Lancaster Ave.) from Nov. 12 to 15. If you want to be among the breathless, relaunch-night diners, the producers are currently accepting reservations. Don’t call the restaurants: Email the show at phillyrest@gmail.com with “Chiarella’s" or "Zocalo" in the subject line. Include your name, party size and the best number to reach you. And don't try double-dipping; you can only dine at one restaurant or the other. Producers will begin making calls next week.
Jason Wilson, Daily News pen, Washington Post spirits columnist and author of Boozehound, will be schooling thirsty students at XO: Cognac & Beyond this Friday, Oct. 28, at the Wine School of Philadelphia (127 S. 22nd St.).
Part of the academy’s "Sauced Education" series, this brandy class is offered only twice a year and features lessons on (and languid tastings of) the luxe Frenchies: Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados. Perfect for a crisp autumn evening, wouldn’t you say, darling? For $54.99 online ($75 at the door), Wilson’s class will have you so enamored of brandy, you’ll understand why the Boardwalk Empire characters always have a cut-crystal decanter of the stuff within arm’s reach.
Today, Krispy Kreme is partnering with Devil's Den (1148 S. 11th St.) for an all-day special doughnut/beer pairing to support the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). An event that's bound to draw a few Homer Simpson-esque characters, the collab is offering a three-beer/three-doughnut combo for $10, with a portion of the proceeds directed to PAWS. Coupling up on the menu is a dunkable combo of classic glazed Krispy Kremes served with Philadelphia Brewing Co.'s Joe Porter; cinnamon bun style doughnuts paired with Yards' malty Thomas Jefferson Ale; and season-suitable pumpkin spice cake joined by Weyerbacher's Belgian-style Verboten.
Next Wednesday, Nov. 2, chefs, authors, TV stars and unabashed bros Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert are appearing at the Merriam Theater (250 S. Broad St.) for an evening of off-the-cuff culinary conversation and Q&A that will likely evolve into discussions of chefs as celebrity, boozing, cooking trends, stoner food and (we're sure of this last one) your girl Paula Deen. Tickets are going for, as one friend put it, "Radiohead prices," but Meal Ticket's got a pair that we're getting rid of for free. You want? Just leave a comment on this post with a funny, original and/or scathing answer to the following question:
If you spotted Bourdain and Ripert sitting at your local bar, what drinks would you buy for them — and WHY?
Submit your comment between now and 5 p.m. this Thursday, Oct. 27 to be eligible for the win. We'll select the best answer and alert the winner via email, so be sure you comment/register with an address you check frequently. Good luck! See y'all there.
Tomorrow, 11 P'unk Ave. bars and restaurants will be offering $3 craft beers for the first-ever Witch CRAFT Crawl. Here's how it works: Between 6 and 7 p.m. on the night of the crawl, register at Plenty (1710 e. Passyunk Ave.), where you'll get a witch's hat, wristband, map of the Avenue and stamp card. A purchase at each participating pub earns a stamp on the card, and six stamps gets your name entered into a raffle for Victory Brewing swag and $250 in restaurant gift certificates. Every stamp over six represents an extra raffle ticket. Proceeds benefit Passyunk's cleaning and greening programs. Check out the full list of participating bars after the jump (click to enlarge) — note that the not-yet-open Birra, the menu for which we shared last week, is on the roster.
Last Monday, we challenged Meal Ticket readers to come up with one sentence convincing us why they deserved two tix to Toronto chef Massimo Bruno's Oct. 27 supper club at Cook (253 S. 20th St.), a private event put on in coalition with Mavea Inspired Water, Art in the Age and Teaspoons & Petals.
Congrats to Meal Ticket commenter aweiss, who checked in with this very honest reasoning:
I like to tell my friends that I'm connected and I know people "in the industry," so, these tickets would help perpetuate that lie, as well as do WONDERS for my cred.
Have fun! And look out for a recap of the event on Meal Ticket soon.
Photo: massimobruno.wordpress.com
Philly’s next Thursday Night Throwdown (TNT) latte art competition is set for tomorrow, Oct. 20, when Spruce Street Espresso (1101 Spruce St.) will participate in the first-ever TNT pitting city against city. Typically, the monthly event sees baristas from a single town competing against each other, but after some hardcore YouTube shit-talking from espresso jockeys based in our nation's capital (see above), it was decided that four reps from Philly and four from Washington, D.C. should go foam-to-foam in a bracket-style tournament. The event starts at 8 p.m., with the competition, which will be judged via webcam between Philly and D.C.., kicking off at 9. Winners will receive a prize package from Counter Culture Coffee, and they're sweetening the deal in Philly by making the evening a costume party with a cash prize for best get-up. We hope someone shows up as this (bride and groom optional). The TNT is free to attend and all are welcome to cheer on our city’s baristas. Bring it home, Philly!
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