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Food News
Robert Halpern's Marigold Kitchen (501 S. 45th St.) has rolled out a brand-new brunch menu (PDF). The quiche with mushrooms, leeks and comte and the ricotta/strawberry blintz sound like solid vegetarian options. Carnivores should not despair, however, as Halpern has accounted for them with a bunch of meaty dishes, including plenty of duck (confit panini with goat cheese, cranberries and pickled red onions; duck fat-fried poutine with duck gravy). And for those agonizing over the age-old "sweet or savory?" brunch question, go with the "Elvis Style" French toast — peanut butter mousse, caramelized bananas and hickory-smoked bacon.
Yeah, the tiramisu waffles grabbed our attention, as well. Scented with cinnamon and slathered with mascarpone cream, we'll be ordering them on the reg once Birra (1700 E. Passyunk Ave.) starts brunch this Sunday. The pizzeria's brunch window is 11:30 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon, ideal for South Philly's late risers, walkers of shame and those afflicted by post-coital hunger pangs. What else is chef Andrew Fox whipping up? How about French toast made with house-baked focaccia, pancetta-and-egg calzones and "La Cardiaco," a hoagie loaded with brisket, capocollo, Anaheim and Fresco chilies, red onion and a fried egg. You can peep a Maroon 5-scored video of Fox making the heartstopper above.
Already known for its queso case, Wedge + Fig (160 N. Third St.) has placed even more power in the hands of its cheesehead customers: They've introduced a fully customizable grilled cheese "bar." Your bread options, supplied by Hudson, are white, wheat and pumpernickel; as for the cheese, you can choose from basics (brie, cheddar, red-wax gouda) or opt for something fancier (manchego, Silver Goat chevre, fresh mozz). But wait, there's more! Avocado, tomato, house-caramelized onions and Weaver's Way pickles are but a few of the fillings you can add to your sandwich. "We want to highlight creativity," says W+F owner Rebecca Torpie. Accordingly, if your sandwich is tasty and interesting, it'll become a W+F "Panini of the Day."
Photo: Drew Lazor
Turned Blanka-green with envy last night upon spotting this Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting machine chillin' in the unassuming basement of In Riva (4116 Ridge Ave.), right next to the restrooms. This game came out in '93 (almost 20 years ago whaaat) and looks to be in pristine condition. So relax if your dinner or brunch date takes an extraordinarily long time to return from powdering his/her nose — there's a strong chance they're simply Sonic Boom-ing the crap out of M. Bison, not ingesting a bunch of club drugs to make interacting with you more tolerable.
Chef Arthur Cavaliere, for what it's worth, is a Ryu devotee and seems pretty confident in his Street Fighter abilities.
Photo: Drew Lazor
New chef at Old City's Philadelphia Bar & Restaurant (120 Market St.), open since 2010: Ben McNamara, an early practitioner of elevated pub cooking at New Wave Café (check the CP review from 2000!), then later Dark Horse Pub and St. Stephens Green. The revamped menu's got dishes like crab risotto arancini, bangers and mash and five types of grilled cheese, plus daily specials. There's also room here for his signature Isabella Salad (warm goat cheese, toasted walnuts, roasted peppers, grilled portobellos, greens, balsamic vin) and the chronically underappreciated diner burger off chef Jordan "Red" Sauter's opening menu. (He's moved on to a gig with Whole Foods.) McNamara will do brunch, too, rocking pancakes, omelettes, fried chicken and other hangover zappers Saturday and Sunday
McNamara's arrival coincides with a step up in PBR's craft beer game — they just installed two beer engines and have a bunch of brewery nights scheduled. Tonight from 5 to 8, swing by for a Ballast Point event boasting barrel-aged versions of Three Sheets Barleywine and Sextant Oatmeal Stout.
In 1997, Kensington was not the carnival of craft beer bars and arts festivals it is today. But Mary Seton Corboy founded Greensgrow Farms (2503 E. Firth St.) on an EPA cleanup site there anyway, way ahead of her time. That's of the reasons she's being honored with the 2012 Sustainable Ag Leadership Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture. (CP wrote about Greensgrow's 10th anniversary in 2008.)
Corboy will accept her honor, the highest prize one can receive in the local sustainable farming world, in February at PASA's Farming for the Future conference, which will be attended by upwards of 2,000 people in State College. The theme of this year's conference, now in its 21st year, is "Breaking Ground for a New Agriculture: Cultivating Versatility and Resilience." It speaks directly to Corboy's experience founding Greensgrow. "[Winning the award] triggered in me that PASA, a traditionally rural farm organization, was recognizing the value of urban ag in a larger food system," says Corboy.
Photo: Michael T. Regan
City Tap House (The Radian, 3925 Walnut St.), that mammoth beer reservoir floating above Penn's western campus like a drunk condor's nest, manages to snag some of the country's best brews. But the food, ehhhh ... nothing we've ever been terribly excited about. That changes now, thanks to new nightly "suppers" from chef Ralph Kane, whose résumé includes Cooperage and Bistro 7. Served every night but Sunday, these meals are themed, but not in the corny sense of the word. Tuesday, for example, is game, featuring local rabbit, venison sausage or squab. Saturday’s steakhouse focus produces prime steaks with classic sides. Prices for these suppers range from $24 to $36. Check the nightly lineup below.
Monday: "Southern Cooking" (Cajun/Creole-style dishes)
Tuesday: "Game Night" (local wild game)
Wednesday: "Weekly Roast" (whole roasts, including lamb, suckling pig and prime rib, pictured)
Thursday: "Homesick Texans" (Texas-style barbecue)
Friday "On the Hook" (whole local fish)
Saturday “CTH Steakhouse"
Photo: Ryan Lavine
Artisan Boulanger Patissier, pastry purveyor and longtime object of Meal Ticket affection, is moving out of the 12th and Morris space it's occupied for more than 10 years. Cue the anguished wails of croissant devotees all up and down East Passyunk. Chill, chill! Owners Amanda and Andre Chin aren't going far — only about three blocks to the former home of Nino's pasta shop (1218 Mifflin St.). "[The space] is much, much bigger than this," explains Amanda, who cited landlord issues for the reason behind the move. "We’ll be able to do a lot more food, sandwiches and things." Mark your calendars for April; Artisan should be all settled and baking in their new digs by then.
Starting today, Opa (1311 Sansom St.) is launching two new happy hours — one from 5 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, and another late-night option from 10 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Pretty much everything you can imagine is being offered for five bucks or under — to drink, $3 craft beers, $4 house wines and $5 specialty cocktails and sparkling wine; to eat, $1 skewers, $2 sliders and $3 fries and meatballs. To mark the kickoff, Opa will pass out complimentary food and booze tonight between 5 and 7. Moving forward, be aware that this dealage will only be available at the 24-seat bar (above).
Photo: Drew Lazor
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