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Notes from the Weekend
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Adam Erace: AE Erin Finnerty: EF Drew Lazor: DL Adrian Pelliccia: AP Laurel Rose Purdy: LRP
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| Photos | Adam Erace | |
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
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| Photos | Drew Lazor |
Congrats EF! Meal Ticket is all about marriage these days. Very cute. And, LRP - I've been drinking rioja and belting The Black Keys this whole week. Weeeird. Saturday, finally tried the tacos at El Jarocho (1138 S. 13th), chorizo was great, obv, but the killer was the lengua. Later, drank lots of Root and Maker's (at times, together, with root beer). Last night did an early V-day thang at Bistrot La Minette. Somehow the boyfriend always make better choices than me -- his terrine was amazing. Big fan of the different flavored kir royale over there, tried both the ginger and the peach and it felt a little bit like being in Paris. Drew- Michael Klein recipe please? And the couple next to us at La Minette were talking about how they read about the cassoulet on MT (and then proceeded to order it).
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND is LIVE. Share your notes with us in the comments! http://ow.ly/3Wnhv [...]
Went to the 943 Agentinian/Italianplace that opened in Italian Market...awesome empanadas, excellent octopus and great food from the grill. Check out pics and more over here http://cephood.blogspot.com/
I spent Saturday afternoon at City Tap House for the Yards Karma Factor 2011 Homebrew competition, where I entered a cask conditioned ESA and drank many beers. The beer was good, but we didn't place. Alls well though and we headed to my neighborhood hangout Kennett Resturant for kale salad, porchetta and margarita pizza and more beer. Started my Italian Market run Sunday morning not like Rocky, but at Sam's Morning Glory Diner where a Gardenkeeper fritta set the world right, as did coffee and the biscuit and homemade jam. Strolled the market where it was still just chilly enough for trash can fires, to get San Roman tortillas, DiBruno fare, some pork, some veggies and some blood oranges.
Checked out Resurrection's brunch and was pleasantly surprised by the fritatta with sweet onions and fresh greens and the super spicy bloody mary (I like 'em like that), but I'm cheap so thought the price tag was a bit steep for future, non-fancy brunches. Me and the Man checked out Tinto for an "Oh shit I forgot to make me a Valentine Day's res, so let's eat out on Sunday" dinner. The duck canapes were insane and I was a huge fan of the sea bass, but the artichokes were just ok and I wasn't really feeling the prawns. Good, but not wowed. Kind of wish we had just gone to the South Philly Taproom.
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Erin Finnerty: EF Drew Lazor: DL Adrian Pelliccia: AP Laurel Rose Purdy: LRP
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| Photos | Drew Lazor |
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| Photo | Laurel Rose Purdy |
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
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| Photo | Laurel Rose Purdy |
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| Photos | Drew Lazor |
I made a chicken-soup risotto on Sunday, and I don't think I can ever go back to regular chicken soup ever again! Think of the comfort-y good feelings that come with home-made chicken soup and then add the rich creaminess of risotto. It was heaven!
Shit I love it when they do that. Need to come to Amada, need wild mushrooms back in my world.
Excellent NFTW-age, Rory. I've never had Silk's fried chicken, worth a trip over?
i mean, you could ask right? not that hard...
the fried chicken plate I cannot say. If it's anyway as good as the fried chicken wrap? holy god yes.
Anthony, we do that at Amada, too. Come in!
Crazy good small plate fest Friday night at Southwark. The snails and clams being the most memorable. Southwark is cool, no doubt, but can I get a hand clap for the fact that they announce prices for their specials as they read them off? Bravo.
Friday night, friends from NYC came in to see the Girl Talk show. All of us under 30, yet still the oldest people on the dance floor. That was something of a bummer. The pluses? Watching the two coeds do bumps of coke next to me and playing peacemaker after my 5'0 girlfriend threw her elbow into the 5'6...larger...chick who bumped her out of her spot. Oh, and the kickass show + music. Anyway, went to Silk City for dinner. NYCer's approved of the burger and the kona braised short ribs + "best potatoes I've ever had, I think." Girlfriend rocked the quesadilla, but was mostly eyeing my fried chicken, avocado, bacon and other good things wrap. Stoner food FTHMFW (for the huge motherf*cking win) Saturday had to keep it going strong, so we took them to Kanella for brunch. Started with the Kanella plate. GF and I both go the dehydrated wheat + yogurt+cream+haloumi cheese soup special. MAKE IT REGULAR. Out of towners had the cyprus breakfast and the rabbit stew special. Also introduced them to dibruno's duck prosciutto afterwards. That night, GF's aunt + uncle used our christmas gift to them to take us out to Han Dynasty. Those cucumbers? WOW. After eating something spicy, almost have a chocolate taste to them. Also glorious? The dan dan noodles and the fish in hot sauce. Must. go. back. more. Sunday was chill day...had some oatmeal and some homemade beef+guinness stew and some beers. awesome.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Drew Lazor and PA General Store, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: New NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND is live. Share your #SuperBowl eats and more in the comments! http://ow.ly/3S1Gr [...]
Stuffed myself at Lee How Fook for a mere $16 (considering we ordered, no joke, 12 entrees for 14 people). I can't even begin to remember what I liked, but that price for that much food should be endorsement enough (multiply that by two considering how much I liked everything). Hint: Get anything with brisket or tofu. But the most important thing I ate this weekend was the pita chips at Tastebuds (24th and Lombard). I think they are made out of filo dough, so light and flaky and delicious. They make my life better. Super Bowl involved me (over)eating homemade cream cheese-filled jalapeno poppers wrapped in pancetta and and maple syrup chocolate chip cookies.
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Adam Erace: AE Erin Finnerty: EF Drew Lazor: DL Adrian Pelliccia: AP Laurel Rose Purdy: LRP
Friday: After being trapped on a sardine-packed trolley for almost an hour, I arrived at Dock Street (701 S. 50th St.) to sample the firkin of the month, called "Prisoner of Hell." After getting the deets on the demonically delicious ale (check back here on Meal Ticket for more), I was joined by a friend who was in the mood for Royal Bohemian Pilsner and flammenkuche (absurdly yummy, as per usual). I wondered if the only way to perfect this meal would be with the addition of fries and mayo. It was. âAP |
| Photo | Laurel Rose Purdy |
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| Photos | Drew Lazor |
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
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Come on, son! That "pet cemetary" chili (the creators shown wearing the black t-shirts and a chili-induced scowl) was sick with those duck fat fried wild boar meatballs! The chili cook-off was loads of fun, although I imagine a large cohort of beer swilling, chili consumers might have finished the weekend with some distressed innards.
I'll give it a shot. I've always gone to pho xe lua for that.
Friday - homemade burger with grass-fed Hendricks beef and super-stinky Monje, a Spanish blue cheese. Saturday - breakfasted on Pequea Valley Farm lemon yogurt (aka crack) mixed with homemade curry granola from the Alinea cookbook. Later on, my wife and I had dinner at Bibou with my parents. I had the mushroom & duck heart fricasee, which was ridiculous, followed by Scottish partridge and goat milk creme brulee. For wines we started with 2007 Andres Bonhomme Cremant de Bourgogne, followed up with 2008 Domaine Fabrice Gasnier Chinon Cuvee Fabrice (both from Moore Bros). Charlotte, Pierre and Ricardo were their usual charming selves and made us feel very welcome. Love this place. Sunday - brunched at Resurrection Ale House, had the burger and a Blaugies D'Arbyste, a really nice farmhouse ale, followed by an Ommegang BPA. Great mix of tunes on. My wife got the huevos rancheros. I don't get why this place isn't busier at brunch, but I'm glad we can always get a table!
Ate pretty well this weekend. Friday night, hit Butcher & Singer with the GPs. They appreciated the throwback atmosphere, and I appreciated my Delmonico and the excellent service. Saturday, had brunch/lunch at the Cantina on E. Passyunk--always reliable, unlike their other meals can be. Didn't get to eat again before hitting a concert in Wilmington (BRING IT). Afterward, checked out the new bar in the old Raw Dogs space in Pennsport--still a work in progress, but coming along very nicely. This will fill a void in the neighborhood. But the former Raw Dogs is only serving chili and hot dogs at the moment (no thanks) so on my way home I finally had an opportunity to check out the new tacqueria at 8th & Jackson (can't remember the name), which is dangerously open until 1am every night. The counter lady recommended the lengua tacos and WOW they were good. I also had their huitlacoche quesadilla (done Mexican style) which was also really delicious. Their red and green salsa was also well above average with real heat and great flavor. It was 1 am, and I was a little buzzed, but I believe we have a may have a rival for Los Gallos in deep South Philly. I was so enamored by the new tacqueria that I wanted to go back the next morning, but thought better of it. Nibbled at home until ordering delivery Chinese from my standby, Peking Wall. The spare ribs here can go toe-to-toe with any ribs in the city, not just Chinese take out. Not kidding about this: they are a little on the sweet side, but are cooked perfectly and have an awesome char. At $10 for the large order, which is probably more than a whole rack, is an unbelievable value. Since it's Tuesday, I will rep my Monday eats, which included killer mushroom barley soup and a bureka from Mama's Vegetarian (more than just falafel, folks) followed by pretty great red snapper fish and chips from Watkins Drinkery for dinner. Great happy hour there, btw--half off all drafts. BOOM.
I know that Jeremy is probably just announcing the cook-off in that picture, but I prefer to imagine him singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart." I wish I could have gone, but I was forced to go to a bridal expo at Knowlton Mansion. At least they had free appetizers. I was also at Dock Street on Friday! Me and my guy split the calamari, and then he had the rye beer paired with the flammenkuche, while I had the margarita pizza with grilled chicken and a couple of man out of trouble porters. It was packed that night.
*HALF ROASTED "BRICK" CHICKEN from Bell & Evans, PA - Irish drop biscuit, Green beans w/ grain mustard pan sauce Cooked under a 14lb Brick heated at °500 - @chefjonnymac outdid himself, F'N PHENOMENAL! stay beautiful @pubandkitchen
Ryllis, Koo Zee Doo is the truth. I learned how to butcher a rabbit in their basement prep kitchen and then had one of the dopest meals of life to date.
ME, I love octopus in any and all forms - you would probably love Barbuzzo's. Have you had Noah's Mill at Coop? Stick one ice cube in it and it is golden. Bourbon heaven. Any of the artisan scotches? I opened that joint!
Do you work for Pub and Kitchen? Your comment sounds like a press release
FRIDAY: Celebrated my buddy's birthday at gorge-tastic Marrakesh with nine of our closest friends. I think we each drank a bottle of wine and an entire chicken. But seriously, that meal is the TRUTH -- and seven courses at $31 a person really isn't so bad considering you don't have to eat again for a day and they let you pocket the uneaten whole fruits. SATURDAY-SUNDAY: Trekked down to Fredericksburg, Va., for a weekend mini-college-reunion-eating-fest situation. Most interesting meals: Kybecca, a wine bar/restaurant where you can buy a card, go up to a little machine and get yourself 2 oz. tastings of all kinds of wine for pretty cheap. Neat! and also FOODE, which, despite its kinda irksome name, sells really delicious farm-to-table treats like $4 fennel sausage and biscuits. $4! I've never seen such locavore-y food for so cheap. SUNDAY NIGHT: After a long-ass bus ride we ordered Circles Thai for dinner and got our standard pad see ew/spicy green curry/tom ka gai soup combo. Everything was absolutely delicious, although I find it weird that the tofu in the tom ka was fried and there are like 23049823098 onion slices in it. Still good, though.
Overcame stir craziness with a marginally good dinner at The Little Treehouse on Friday. Had the best duck and worst lobster I've ever had at Blackfish on Saturday. Ate and drank my face off at SPTR's Beef and Beer on Sunday. A few pounds heavier this week, but totally worth it.
Pho 75 is my favorite when it comes to pho alone, but Pho Hoa is my favorite as a Vietnamese restaurant featuring lots of options.
Nice one Drew, We worked pretty hard on contrast of flavor and color... but were worried how that would make chili purists feel. The meat balls probably would have presented better in something larger than a shot glass as well. It was a ton of fun, see you next time :) One more thing- you really like Pho Hoa better than Pho75? Say it ain't so!
I don't usually post, but I think I had a ton of great treats this weekend. Almost made me forget about the cold....not: Friday: Got treated by a friend (which was awesome!) to Koo Zee Doo in No Libs. Ate the heartiest winter salad I've had all season; Salada de Cores. Some winter veggies in a red wine & coriander vinaigrette. I'm still slapping my lips together. We also shared Moles, or chicken gizzards, which were pretty tender and subtle. Lastly, we tried their Friday Special; Fricasse de Polvo, a wonderfully tender octopus gravy over deliciously creamy mashed potatoes. All this was great with my BYO cocktail of Bacardi 8 Rum mixed with Koo Zee Doo's specialty passion fruit soda. Yum! Saturday: Hit up brunch at El Camino Real in No Libs with the beau (who always thinks it's called Cadillac). I tried the pulled pork sammie, and he went for the Machaca, a flank steak jerky burrito. The pork was on point; sweet, spicy and gooey(!!), but not a fan of the flank steak. Too jerky for me. Crisp, salty fries and Strawberry juice Mimosa were great accessories to my dish. Saturday night, had friends over who ordered Ekta. I ate some of my homemade pasta, and threw some Buttered Chicken Sauce from Ekta over it. I recommend everyone try Ekta's wonderful sauces over pasta (and not just rice) Woo! Sunday: Brunch again. Made it to Fork in Old City, re: Drew's recommendation. Beau got a very sophisticated and light leek, crab and gruyere omelet, and I went full force for the local spinach risotto; a beautiful blend of pureed spinach, cremini mushrooms and pea shoots. Now it's back to work, back to the cold, and back to the basics...
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: New NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND is live. Check it and leave your notes in the comments! http://ow.ly/3NEP8 [...]
I read this column all the time so I'll join in too... - friday night went to the Khyber, which I have decided is a great pre-Ritz spot but better for appetizers (popcorn) than main courses, sandwiches etc. BF had a special bean and pulled pork soup, which I suspect might have been a practice round for the chili cookoff because it was really more chili than soup. - saturday went to the open house of the wonderful Bikery/South Philly Neighborhood Bike Works chapter, where they had really awesome vegan and non-vegan cookies from nearby Cookie Confidential. Late night eats at the Royal Tavern yielded delicious potato, poblano and corn soup. Nice zing to it, hearty and just the right thing for a cold night. - sunday ordered someone else to make buttermilk pancakes for me to great effect. Later went to Fish's small plates sunday dinner, which was excellent - bicoastal oysters on the half shell with 2 different mignonettes, charred octopus with melt-in-your-mouth lamb stew were highlights, as was the pear cobbler with very rum-y rum raisin ice cream.
Hit up Tiffin for lunch on Friday and shared some baingan bharta, chana masala and chicken vindaloo. I never had baingan bharta (smoked eggplant sautéed with tomatoes, onions and spices) but will now be making that part of my regular order. Checked out Zento for a friend's birthday -- the square Zento rolls (I went with the salmon version) were awesome but I'll eat anything if you put plum sauce on it. Went to Cooperage where I try to find the cheapest whiskey with the best name -- so I went with Four Roses Yellow Label, which was awesome for $8. Drank a lot of that. A lot. Laurel -- That octopus is so good. I usually don't dig the 'pus but really enjoyed Adsum's.
The Momofuku Cookbook is swiftly becoming The Greatest Book to Cook From in the boyfriend's house. Saturday we had pork belly and soft-cooked eggs over rice with ginger scallion sauce. Sunday we made ginger scallion noodles (yeah, ODing on the stuff and it's great) and chicken wings tossed in David Chang's octopus vinaigrette (killer sauce - recipes here: http://almostbourdain.blogspot.com/2010/01/momofuku-fried-chicken-with-octo.html). Of course, everything was sourced from Hung Vuong.
Drew, next time you order from Veracruzana you have to get rice and beans too. The best. Their tacos al pastor are also good, but vary in terms of greasiness.
Friday: late bites at Royal Tavern. Did you know you can substitute their (admittedly excellent) fries out for tots with no upcharge? Splitting a burger and sweet potato banh mi lightened the meat-load. Saturday: Hit up Pho 75 for late breakfast with the boys. Did you know you can ask for "meat on top" and dunk it as you are ready? Learn something new every time I go there. Dinner was eaten hunkered over the dish station at Monk's -- seitan cheesesteak -- once the wait finally died down at 11:30pm. A passel of kilted and sporran'd fellows reeling around after a wedding completed the dinner-and-a-show. Sunday: didn't wake up until 2pm, so I had to hurriedly shove a powerbar and yogurt into my maw before going to the gym with my much-fitter sister. We picked up the makings of a healthy meal (tri-tip roast, prosciutto-wrapped melon, couscous medley, raw vegetable salad) at Trader Joe's, but I supplemented that virtuous dinner with Erin O'Shea's addictive jalapeno-cheddar cornbread, mac and cheese, a new baby back rib and some banana pudding at Percy Street later for the Iron Chef viewing party. No regrets.
Hey Kristen, oh don't worry, we got those too! See them in the back there?
Matt C, I've updated the post with the names of the winners...Pet Cemetery did pretty well on my scorecard from what I remember.
well, we did restrain ourselves somewhat on the small plates, but probably made up for it with oysters and 2 desserts - but still go out at about $50 a person w drinks, desserts, and tip. I regret not getting the mussels mentioned in the NY Times review, so might have to head back. It looks like they have happy hour and some nice looking cocktails so that is another bargain option... (or not so bargain for the reasons you mention).
Bizz, thanks for sharing, welcome to the fray! I can't wait to peep the small plate deal at Fish. I'm curious, did you end up spending less b/c it's small plates or did it equate to a regular dinner there b/c you ordered a bunch? I'm thinking I'm going to fall into the latter camp.
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Adam Erace: AE Erin Finnerty: EF Drew Lazor: DL Adrian Pelliccia: AP Laurel Rose Purdy: LRP
Twice over the weekend, I slid into The Corner (102 S. 13th St.) for Official City Paper Business. Hang in there till next Thursday for the scoop on life after Buddakan for chef Scott Swiderski. âAE |
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| Photos | Drew Lazor |
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[...] QUESTION: In one of last month’s Notes from the Weekend, Adam Erace suggested testing out Coconut M&Ms in the name of Weekly Candy. Ask and ye shall [...]
The snails with lentils and tarragon butter at p&k was easily the best dish of the night (Drew, how could you not mention them?!), and I would go back now for them. A full day of cleaning the new place meant I made myself the too-tired dinner of a cold veggie dog with sliced cheddar and triscuits on Sunday, with soft-baked choco chip cookies for dessert.
My platonic man-lover Tommy made scotch eggs on Saturday: a hardboiled egg, covered in sausage, deep fried. In fact, here's the recipe he used: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/19/dining/19appe.html I had one of the substantial suckers and didn't eat anything else all day. It was worth the lack of appetite and my inevitable fatal heart attack. We spent the rest of the day making jokes about Tommy's salty brown balls, which led to me offering up $25 if he stuck an entire scotch egg in his mouth and ate it. He did. It was worth it.
Had brunch-turned-to-dinner at M. Wells in Long Island City, NY on Sunday. Well worth the 60 minute wait. Great coffee, fresh biscuits with cranapple butter and a Coquille St. Jacques, made with potato puree, razor clams, bay scallops and shrimp for me and my 3 friends to get us started. I then proceeded to inhale an amazing Egg-Sausage Sandwich on a Fat English Muffin, a hot dog with sweet bacon chili and slaw, pickled pork tongue with mustard and soda crackers. I also sampled the seafood cobbler, Tourtiere (a Quebec specialty which is kind of like a turducken collided with a pot pie in the best way imaginable) and a creamy parsnip puree with foie gras that we couldn't stop eating! We settled for a nearly perfect banana cream pie only because they were sold out of the Pudding Chaumeur...which was described as cake batter oven poached in maple cream, served warm and TOPPED with heavy cream. Next time for sure. Great place, but don't spread it around until you get there first!
Carolyn's mom here. Looks like she was trying it black, which yes, would be pretty awful. I did it in a press, with condensed milk, over ice. Better. My Vietnamese source suggests a sprinkle of cinnamon, or better yet, melt a bit of butter on top. Worth a try, I guess.
[...] was recently invited to take part in a “Bean Swap” that involved a bunch of friends cooking hearty bean-based recipes and trading them to stock up [...]
Corbin that sounds like a most intense meal. "Turducken collided with a pot pie" is what I will now model my life after.
Friday: cheeseburger at Johnny Brenda's. I've said it before and I'll say it again, totally underrated burger. So freaking juicy and wonderful. Saturday: roommate made me this amazing savory french toast with a poached egg on top. Spent the night at Teri's drinking Tecate and eating their amazing tater tots. I CAN'T EAT ENOUGH TATER TOTS.
First of all, I just got an update from my mom via her hairdresser: Apparently weasel poop coffee is best with a little butter on top. BUTTER!!1!?! Anyway, Friday was a home-cooked meal made by my staycationing boyfriend, consisting of curry bechamel Thai sauce with noodles, broccoli and peanuts. It was all sorts of delicious, even though curry + bechamel sounds like a gamble. Saturday, didn't leave the house till 4:30, to make 5 pm reservations at Kanella. We ordered the dips du jour, grilled octopus, chicken cooked on a brick, butterfish with couscous and capers, cheese tortellini and an incredibly delicious oxtail ravioli, which we were told is one of the chef's top contenders for his Valentine's Day menu. We vote hell yes! After that I brought snacks to a sick friend (cheesy poofs, ho-hos) and ate most of them myself. Awesome. Sunday spent the majority of the day in Bethlehem for boyfriend's nephew's 2nd birthday (aw). Said nephew's mom made cute-as-hell homemade cookie monster cupcakes with googly-eye icing, so everyone's faces were bright blue by day's end.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor and E.F., Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND is live. Share your notes with Team Meal Ticket in the comments! http://ow.ly/3JnGR [...]
[...] To’ up the last (but certainly not the least) dish from my recent friend-curated “Bean Swap” on Saturday night â this hearty, lil-bit-spicy chicken/chickpea stew, from Swapper Jess H. So [...]
Awww I missed the poo coffee! I wonder what it tastes like when it's fresh and not pre-ground?
Friday: Started off looking for a pre-restaurant week drink with the gf, was happy to grab two spots at the kitchen counter at The Corner, Sipped on Mary Kellys last breath, a tasty concoction highlighted with boubon, and enjoyed watching Chainsaw work his magic, the pirogies, grilled cheese, and tuna looked especially good Then on to Tweed for dinner, first impression, I dont know why they got rid of the beautiful staircase that was the centerpiece of le bon temps, but regardless the meal was honest and tasty, They cheese plate provided nice variety, but the lamb burger with tzatziki made the meal, interesting note: they put cucumber in their standard ice water After dinner stopped in at Crocodile in old city for a drink, good beer menu, but lacked the games of the NYC location, so we moved on to meet friends at Buffalo Billiards where we enjoyed about an hour of erotic photohunt before moving to the shuffleboard tables Saturday Spent the morning shopping the fresh markets, started at Clark park where I picked up some nice hardneck garlic, and red beets, then to rittenhouse sq market for the most amazing Mushroom combination, and Green Aisle for some Duck Ragu from le Virtu Sunday the Mushrooms became soup and the garlic and Duck Ragu complimented a pound of fresh rigatoni for the perfect end to a weekend
Sorry to omit! Yes, P&K's snails are sick. Shoutout to the snail cassoulet from Jonny Mac's Snackbar days!
Julie, I saw that too, when he went to Ethiopia.
During the course of the weekend I managed to choke down half a pint of hot and sour soup, and half-heartedly chop up veggies for meatloaf before ordering the boyfriend to finish on account of my old lady lungs. Bronchitis is a hose beast. I'm pretty sure I watched Andrew Zimmern drink coffee with butter in an African country that now escapes me. It was poured hot over clarified butter, like a ghee.
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Adam Erace: AE Erin Finnerty: EF Drew Lazor: DL Adrian Pelliccia: AP Laurel Rose Purdy: LRP
Took mi madre to Nan Zhou (927 Race St.) for lunch on Friday, where we slurped beef tripe soups, crunched a bunch of oyster sauce-drizzled U Toy and smiled politely as the Chinese folks next to us stretched their forearms over our food repeatedly to grab the chili oil and sriracha. You gotta do you, Chinese folks! Reach away. âDL I met Meal Ticket's own DL for the first time at Khyber Pass Pub (56 S. Second St.) for happy hour on Friday. From their many veg-friendly options, I selected the faux fried chicken po' boy (the pickles are KEY here) with a side of dryish mac 'n' cheese. To counter an otherwise heavy meal, I went with a lighter beverage offering, the sweet-yet-dry Original Sin Pear Cider. The remaining half of my sandwich nuked nicely and made a tasty Saturday morning treat. âEF After seeing now-former CP bossman Brian Howard off at the Khyber, I stopped into the ever-reliable Sidecar (2201 Christian St.) on the earlier side of Friday for a bite â they've got some new items on the menu, including a damn good fish and chips with a really sick smoked tartar sauce. Dip it. âDL |
| Photo | Laurel Rose Purdy |
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
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| Photo | Adam Erace |
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Sunday my sister and brother in law came to town and I took them for brunch at my favorit spot in the city, Cafe con Chocolate. My brother in law ordered th red curry with pork and OMG! That was some good stuff. It's my new favorite dish.
This weekend was marked by several generous waiters. First, headed to Garces Trading Company for dinner on Thursday night. I stuck with veggie options, the ensalata semplice and the roasted eggplant. My friend was *almost* brave enough to order the special pizza with lardo, but backed out; our waiter subsequently surprised us with a few amazing, melt-in-your-mouth pieces. Even if she wasn't convinced, I will be definitely be opting for the lardo next time. A-mazing. Sunday was brunch at Zahav, for restaurant week. Started with the hummus and salad platters, followed by the potato latke with liver (which I had never tried before but ordered in the name of adventure), then the butter roasted pumpkin and barley. It was obvious I wasn't such a fan of the liver, and my waiter insisted on bringing me another of the MANY options for the second course on the restaurant week menu. I went for the fried cauliflower, which totally redeemed the aforementioned organ meat flop. Great meal, topped off with poached pineapple, sorbet, and a pistachio shortbread.
omg, the sweet dee chocolate cake from catahoula... it's up there with the red velvet cake from golosa! a dense chocolate cake, with the teensiest dusting of powdered sugar, served with amazing vanilla ice cream. so simple yet so awesome.
Arrived late Friday night and was in the mood for Mexican so the lady and I headed to El Rey for nachos and carnitas tacos. The nachos are very reminiscent of the one's served at El Vez, every single chip covered with ooey gooey cheese, chorizo and sour cream. Brunch on Saturday at adsum to celebrate the birthday of Foodspotting. Started with the Figure study, a mimosa made with fig sorbet - super tasty. I had the chicken and waffles with jalapeno maple, those fried chicken pieces were HUGE. Super crispy, juicy on the side, perfect. She had the biscuits and gravy which was awesome, other dishes included the fondue burger, mascarpone stuffed french toast, shrimp and grits with andouille. Also ordered the Lady Grey, a spicy drink frothed up with some egg white. Dinner on Saturday at Dandelion - sprang for the oysters which were huge and perfect with shallot vinaigrette. Deviled eggs were full of curry, she had the pork belly which was served in cube form, but super tender, saucy and delicious with lentils and mustard mashed. I had the rabbit pot pie which was just right, creamy but not too heavy white wine sauce, cipolini, mushrooms, yummy bunny. Dessert was the ginger Guinness cake topped with pear compote and Guinness ice cream. Tasted like a ginger snap, was warm, and inviting but nothing to write home about. Standout Pimm's Cup - served in a martini glass, not a cup, but the muddled cucumber was the perfect touch. Went to McDonald's on Walnut to look into this 50 piece McNugget meal but was turned off by the bum fight that broke out behind us. Chairs being thrown and such. In desperate need of food made a weird decision and ate a cheesesteak from Tony Jr.'s on 18th - wiz and provolone wit'. First time there, and hate to admit this but it was pretty tasty.
Friday KHYBER, Bye BH! Followed by a homemade soup night featuring smittenkitchen.com's variation of a chard/whitebean stew. Saturday JG DOMESTIC for the Chefs Tasting! I've never felt more like a baller than I did on Saturday. Our group of 8 was seated in a private dining room, and our server/dinner director, I believe his name was Nathan, did a wonderful job making us feel right at home. Key things from the Chef's tasting: Market Crudite, with purple cauliflower. Squab and foie grois, kabocha squash with black kale, the lamb loin. Can also never go wrong with the house charcuterie, cheese, and the Keswick creamery fondue. (Check out CP's review here) Definitely worth the money spent for probably the finest dining experience I've ever had in my life. For real. Sunday was brunch and a photoshoot with Moda Botanica florist, friend and chickennoisseur, Bailey Hale. He and roommates whipped up some challah french toast with slivered almonds, bacon, tots and bloody mary's to go ape shit over. My new years resolution is to incorporate more bloody mary's and tater tots into my daily diet.
So sorry about the Ravens, Drew. I had to hold the boyfriend down to prevent beer tossing at the television. And here we thought Omar Epps' mishandling of his challenges was an omen of goodness. Friday I was treated to a lovely dinner at Estia. We started with the Greek salad and Estia chips (thinly sliced fried zucchini with tzatziki sauce) all which were amazing, but couldn't hold a candle to the octopus. Marinated with red wine vinegar, grilled, served with capers and thin red onion-it was the most tender cephalopod I ever had the pleasure of devouring. For dinner I had the white snapper with crispy leeks and creamy lentils, and he had black bass baked in a salt crust. Unbelievable food, just the freshest fish I've had in a long time. Saturday was bum around/cry over football day, so we drank a lot of vodka cranberries and ate half a Lennies' Homerun Special. Sunday was my dad's birthday, so my step-mother hired a rather strict man from Sandcastle Vineyards to give us a tasting of 13 wines. He did not appreciate my brother and I's cackling over his declarations to "warm it up on your tongue" and "spit or swallow, it's up to you." That's verbatim. I really loved the cuvee, pinot noir, and the rose, but their dry Riesling was meh. We had a sushi platter from Wegman's, a shit-ton of cheeses, fruit salad, spinach and chicken salad with a marjoram vinaigrette...step-mom went all out with the food pairings. It was even more fun because my sister just found out she's pregnant, so I got to drink her share of the booze.
A buddy of mine copped the 50-piece McNugget recently...as I understand it it costs like $10. WTF!
Oh, I saw recently that the 10 piece is now $2, right? I hate myself for wanting to gorge there, but McNuggets taste like childhood.
I remember Nathan from Felicia's JG Domestic Yelp event - he is AMAZING!
I think someone needs to start a tumblr of rabbit dishes and call it "Yummy Bunny."
Thanks for the kind words Julie. The bartender @ P&K last night saw the Ravens background on my BlackBerry and did a "single tear" pantomime to me. I appreciated it because I actually shed like 235890236 tears so the suggestion that I shed just one tear was very generous
In a bit of selfish gift giving, rather than handing my parents a g.c. with a card saying "ENJOY", we took my parents to Adsum for dinner on Friday night. I had to get in on the action, specifically the super poutine, fluke with snails and PB & J dessert. While we waited at the bar, we had some drinks (A View of Vieux Carre, brewskies) and flatbread with chickpea and shortribs. I predicted my mother would go straight for that dish but what I did not see coming was that she would order a second helping when were seated. Stuffs THAT good at Adsum. Saturday I ate next to nothing to reset Friday night's scales. Made some light dips for the football game including a guacamole using only one avocado and an entire bag of frozen peas. So, I'm just gonna call it smashed peas with cumin and cilantro. It was fine. It was no guacamole. Also, is Ed Hardy wine a sponsor for The Jersey Shore? (My friend thought it was funny and brought over a bottle. It made me wanna GTL.) It got me thinking that if not, and if you're listening E.Hardsters, you should get in on that advert action. Anthony Bourdain is entertaining. I started reading his book Medium Raw. A section about his martial arts-trained wife who is severely, and potentially physically, over-protective at book signings made me smile. I thought back on a time a friend and I went to his book signing in AC. Friend was all prepared with her gals smashed together in a tight number while toting Bourdain's infamous photo holding a leg of lamb in front of his junk. His wife was hawking nearby and he barely looked up. Friend was put out but I'm really glad we left unscathed.
Impromptu Taco Party on Saturday night...Slow roasted a bone-in Pork butt (skin on!) with my take on a Cuban Style marinade (limes/oranges/onion/fresh bayleaves ridic amount garlic) which came out perfect moist w/ crunchy skin + Shrimp with even more garlic, fire roasted anahiem chilies, spicy pickled red flame carrots & jalepeno, shredded cabbage w/ smoked maldon salt & lime juice, crema, radishes, warm corn tortillas...also made a Coconut Cake with Meyer lemon thai chili glaze...the highlight though was the Blood Orange/Pink grapefruit Snow-ritas...necessity being the mother of invention, having forgotten to make enough ice we stepped out on the porch and scooped up some (clean) snow. Have been thinking of many adult snow-cone combos ever since. Sunday am...fab brekkie thx to AE & Green Aisle.. it was almost heart breaking to crack those gorgeous eggs..but the BRIGHT yellow yolks made lovely scrambled egg w/ roasted peppers & manchego with slices of ricks 14 grain..how did I survive So Philly w/ out you???
You should see the actual crib, Adam! You're invited to the next fwiends dinner. Pot luck style.
Friday was a bye-BH happy hour at the Khyber that involved one too many Stoudt's Old Abominables and some killer chili that was only slightly less delicious than the pork belly version on their specials menu last week. Saturday scrounged for food in the house till dinnertime at Han Dynasty: got cucumbers in chili oil, cold rabbit/peanut app, dry pot lamb. Bliss. Seriously. Sunday had a Pho fail -- navigating the Nam Phuong parking lot on a Sunday at noon is a really stupid idea -- and ended up Pho-ing it up instead at Columbus & Washington's Pho Saigon. Absurdly long line for a strip mall, but the wait was only 10 minutes somehow, and the pho was scrumptious as usual. Drinks later on at the P.O.P.E. including one full glass of water spilled on my lap. Also I learned that if you order a Bloody Mary at 5 pm on a Sunday you will get a half-stink-eye which is probably deserved. Apparently Drew and I are food twins this weekend except for Rocco's.
Drew, Nan Zhou is, BOTTOM LINE, where it's at.
I didn't know you were living without gluten Laurel, I have a pretty incredible flourless chocolate/walnut cookie recipe. Will keep this in mind as a future pot luck dessert.
Damn, I wanna eat at LRP's crib!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: New NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND is live! Say hi to @adamerace @laurelro @erinfinnerty & @urdrian & share notes in comments: http://ow.ly/3FoXz [...]
Considering how much I love Veracruzano, it's a crime I've never been there for breakfast. Had poblano eggs with a heaping side of refried beans, which was exactly what I needed after a Friday that began a little too early at Oscar's (shout out to waitress extraoridinaire Dee. A wonderful lady and a classy broad). It made up for the fact that the meal was followed by the Green Hornet, which blew. Ended the night with some Mexican-style pizza (chorizo, a shitload of cheese) at Sidecar, which was paired perfectly with a few too many whiskeys (also, Beardy Waiter, thanks for letting us hold that table for so long). Sunday began with my new breakfast-post-noon obsession: the La Va panini from the titular coffeeshop (mmm...tuna + plus olive oil + plus whatever else they put on that to make it so good). As good as all those things were, it could not compare to South Philly Tap Room on Sunday night. I had been there loads of times to drink but never thought to save room for grub. Thank Our Lady of Decadent Eating that I did. Began with Russian River Brewing Co.'s Damnation (light enough for my ensuing heavy meal, but packed a wollop), then shared the fried chicken with that mind-blowing corn bread, the mac 'n' cheese (which can only be described as magical) and the tomato lager soup complete with two grilled cheese sandwiches. Topped it all off with the fried PB&J (there are no adjectives for how strongly I felt about it). Tip o' the hat, SPTR.
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Adam Erace: AE Drew Lazor: DL Laurel Rose Purdy: LRP
Boyfriend and I went on a Friday night dinner date to Pumpkin (1713 South St.), where we were pampered with, I don't know, six courses? We practically tasted our way through their flashy-yet-cozy winter menu. Silky cauliflower veloute poured over pickled cauliflower, lady apples and Indian spice. Roasted skate wing with sunchokes and Meyer lemon. Sweet beets paired with creamy Roaring 40s blue. Washed it all down with a bottle of Chateauneuf-du-Pape and then (ahem) Vieux Clocher Cotes du Rhone, which I beg all of you to pick up RIGHT NOW and thank me for the most expensive-tasting non-expensive wine I've found to date. âLRP Though it kinda freaks me out when Grace Tavern (2229 Grays Ferry Ave.) is quiet (what, all of a sudden we're too good for you, Penn kids?!) on a weekend evening, it's also kinda beautiful. Kelly's Burger, lots of Maker's and way too many lots of shots made for an unexpectedly glorious Friday night. âDL We hit up The Dandelion (18th/Sansom) for a drink after Pumpkin, but it was so crowded we couldn't get bar seats, or even standing room. But I'll definitely be back to sit in the dog room and yearn for a robe, a tobacco pipe and a bloodhound to accompany me by the fire. âLRP |
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I'll vouch for the Fernonbrau Figgy Pudding!
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor and Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: New NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND (featuring our new ternie @laurelro!) is LIVE. Share your notes in the comments: http://ow.ly/3Bv9a [...]
Friday night was a lay-low-and-cry-through-the-finale-of-Six-Feet-Under kinda night, so Domino's was in order. We got vegetables on it though so it was healthy. (Jalapenos, olives and mushrooms count as vegetables right??) Saturday after a grueling six hours at the office, we rewarded ourselves with The Best Han Dynasty Dinner Ever In The World. Wontons in chili oil, three-cup chicken, dry-pot lamb. The table next to us ordered some kinda hot-pot fish situation and shared with strangers. That's just the kinda place this is.
Sunday took advantage of the 20% off on takeout grub for the game at Percy Street BBQ -- a pound of smoky, juicy-yet-crispy brisket (sadface:no burnt ends) and a half pound of falling-off-the-bone ribs, and subsequently jinxed the Eagles by asking if they were going to continue the promotion for the next game, too. That's right, it's all my fault.
I spent the weekend in Montreal with @don_kar and our respective Twitterless mates. Suffice to say, it's a hella restaurant town with the best overall service in the entire waitron universe. DNA Restaurant: Horse heart tartare. Tripe and tendon oreganata. Duck raviolo with "all the good parts," including cute little quacker kidneys. One of my standout meals of the year. Greasy Spoon: Poutine that subs out curd-stuffed profiteroles for fries. Success. Chez Cora: Crepes filled with chili and gratineed. Au Pied de Cochon: Foie poutine and eponymous dish are worth the hype. Wine list is a paper tiger; they were either out of, or couldn't find, nearly all of our selections. Other items were less successful, especially a lobster drowned in garlic. Who garlicks a lobster? Schwartz's: Their "viande fume" sando is good, but not a patch on Cafe Estelle's homemade pastrami. Very very fatty, but the pickles were good, I guess.
Oh how could I leave out Dieu Du Ciel? Easily the finest little brewpub ever -- friendly staff, warm and cozy vibe, and nachos to accompany the 18 drafts made on-site. The unseen-in-the-US Rigor Mortis Triple was outstanding.
Friday went to Tres Jalapenos at 8th(?) & Christian, showed up with no reservations and 7 other friends and were seated immediately. Got a gigantic pork quesadilla and shared a few apps and some flan with the group. I had a bottle of wine but friends with tequila said the margarita mixer stunk, and had to doctor it up themselves even after sending it back. I don't remember what I did saturday. whoops. Sunday went to Devils Den for brunch, got a big breakfast with some bacon, potato pancakes, eggs, and a bloody mary. it was pretty MEH.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CoolSpinster. CoolSpinster said: RT @mealticket: We love Julie. "What's the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? Tacos!" http://ow.ly/3BSJY Tacos ARE the answer! [...]
Tacos is ALWAYS the answer. What's the air speed velocity of an unladen swallow? Tacos! Friday I surprised my boyfriend with spicy steak sandwiches to celebrate his newly super employed status. Marinated thinly sliced steak in garlic, lemon, olive oil, and parsley for a few hours and made a chipotle sauce spiked with sriracha. Served on crusty (heh) rolls topped with melted pepperjack cheese and carmelized red onions. Saturday I had two girlfriends over for our annual post-Christmas make copious amounts of food/get drunk/champagne pillow fight party. I made an olive, caper and artichoke tapenade, a roasted red pepper dip that no matter what I kept adding tasting MEH, chicken walnut and goat cheese wraps, and lemon squares. I'm no baker, but if anyone else has the American's Test Kitchen Cookbook I can vouch for everything baked good in there so far. I get nothing but compliments and kisses. Sunday was football day, so the boyfriend and I grabbed a case of Natty Bo and the leftovers from my party and headed to our friends' apartment. Ordered the meat special pizza from Fiesta and ate the crap out of this crazy goat cheese that had a line of volcanic ash running through it. We all decided that Ray Lewis must be a fan of this stuff, because of course Ray Lewis would eat volcanoes.
We all decided that Ray Lewis must be a fan of this stuff, because of course Ray Lewis would eat volcanoes. YES HE WOULD GO RAVENS OMFG
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Adam Erace: AE Drew Lazor: DL
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As another lucky recipient of one of Kelly's extra Chemex pots, I've got a ton of experience. One extra coffee-snob step I just started is to wet down the paper filter with water before placing the grounds in. Rinse twice, drain the cold water, warm the bottom of the pot under hot water from the faucet, then begin brewing. Only takes an extra 120 seconds, I swear!
NYE was a perfectly low key night of OK Chinese food followed by glasses of Cava on the couch. Dinner at Supper Saturday night was fantastic! The mini lobster rolls were buttery and delicious and that Veggie plate would change any veggie-haters mind.
Hit up Tria yesterday while waiting for The Dandelion to open. Ate some fudgy La Peral with sticky-icky dates and a 10-year aged Montepulciano from Zaccagnini, one of my faves. Headed across the street to the D and was seriously blown away by the layout and decor. Nommed on their thrice cooked chips (dipped in beef stock, steamed, and twice fried) which were remnisent of what April Bloomfield serves at The Breslin in NYC. Tasty cocktails and noticed Starr hanging in a corner with some of the team, taking it all in. Will return to the big D soon for some of those deviled eggs, rabbit, the burger and to test out that frothy "beer flip" cocktail.
No prob, here's what works for me: I brew half a pot - 4 heaping scoops of coffee, medium grind setting. Then I pour in enough water to cover the coffee and let it "bloom" for a minute (or however many seconds equals patience in the morning). I pour the rest of the water over and fill it to the little glass eye on the front. Makes two cups. Add a pinch of salt to your coffee if it ever tastes bitter.
Friday: Lavish Dibruno's spread at my girl's house including an awesome mole Abruzzo sausage and Prosecco cheese. Saturday: My hangover cure--homemade Cioppino. The lobster tails on sale at Whole Foods made it extra snazzy. Sunday: Am I allowed to say that I found Beef Bourguignon to be a little bit of a let down? It was definitely delicious, but considering the amount of labor involved in JC's (the foodie JC, holy to many) recipe, I expected to be totally blown away. I'm half hoping I messed up something and next time it will be in its fully divine form. Even still, we definitely licked plates clean.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor. Drew Lazor said: RT @mealticket: New NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND is live. Share your eating/drinking notes with us! http://ow.ly/3xEZs [...]
Holy shit, is Meme delicious. I could eat a full meal of the bone marrow (no, seriously, you need to get it even if you're like, "Eeeew, wtf, bone marrow?") but then I wouldn't be able to eat the best-cooked tuna I've ever had (on top of eggplant, no less!). Boyfriend kept trying stealing my tuna so I had to fork-stab him. Repeatedly. New Year's Eve meal was a ridonculous mixture of chicken, ham, cornbread stuffing, mac 'n' cheese and green bean casserole, all beginning with a cheese plate of, I kid you not, 12 different cheeses. I thankfully avoided overeating so I could over drink.
I made JC's beouf about a month ago with a friend. He was let down, but I thought it was pretty damned good. Sauce wise I wish there were more, but I thought the bacon and the caramelized pearl onions gave it a lot of depth. But DAMN. It was a lot of work. "Put the beef in the oven for four minutes. Take it out, add flour. Put back in for another 4 minutes. Take out, add stock and wine. Cook onions separately for FIFTY MINUTES." Persnickety woman. I have nothing good to add, seeing as I'm broke and can't go anywhere. I made stuffed mushrooms on NYE with a mushroom, onion, garlic, celery, and bacon filling. I soaked the caps in olive oil and Marsala wine and this will be my technique forever now. New Year's Day the boyfriend and I went to Chik-Fil-A on the way back from visiting his folks in Baltimore. I rarely eat fast food but I am a sucker for their nuggets.
That's awesome! It's like the show Chopped sans the judges acting like you murdered their dog if the food is sub par :)
Hi Drew, Swing by Bodhi; we can give you Chemex tips! P.S. I love food. It runs my life.
FOURTEEN POUNDS OF TATER TOTS? Bailey is the man.
I'm happy you liked Mémé, ME! An undisputed favorite of mine for sure!
On Sunday my boyfriend presented me with a mystery bag of ingredients to create a dinner from: chicken livers, dried onion soup mix, asparagus, pears, and prosciutto. I'm a big food nerd, so this was exciting for me. I turned that into sauteed chicken livers with mushroom-garlic-onion soup gravy, pear-cranberry compote and prosciutto wrapped roasted asparagus bundles. It all came out great, and I have a feeling I'll be getting another mystery bag soon!
ME did you get the agnolotti or mussels? They are 2 of my favs!
That sounds like so much fun!
Joan, I'm so there. I think I'll be by on Friday.
FRIDAY: Potluck-style NYE party at our place, with sooo many goodies. Among them: --pigs in blankets, meatballs, tabbouleh and homemade rosemary crackers from my favorite home-cook guests --pumpkin-cinnamon-cream cheese-yum dip with apples --eight billion cheeses on a salt block --a gigantic olive plate from Wegman's, my favorite place on earth --sea salt caramels from, strangely, Crate and Barrel --winebeerchampagnescotchwhiskeyMOONSHINE SATURDAY: Did absolutely nothing until 6 pm (thanks, moonshine), then hit up Adsum for their $20.11 two-course prix-fixe. On our plates: crazy-good octopus app, nice Bibb salad, delicious fried chicken and unwieldy cheeseburger. In our cups: a dry Manhattan (boyf said "rye" but it's loud in there) and a Lady Grey, my new favorite bev of 2011. (Secret ingredient: Egg whites!) Tried to order a Drew Lazor-inspired Lazor Burn, but apparently the guy who created the drink doesn't work there anymore. Burn. SUNDAY: Hit the shopping mecca that is the Promenade in Marlton, N.J., for some serious L.L.Bean exchanging, followed by "healthy" Chipotle salads. NYE-leftovers dinner was olives, cheese, crackers and kale chips from Smitten Kitchen.
Accidentally purchased/fried lots and lots of habanero peppers when prepping for our 2 am NYE cheesesteak breakfast, filling our small apartment with stinging, choking fumes. Otherwise, the Cacia's rolls, caramelized onions and sirloin shaved to order by Cannuli's performed as expected under our drunken tongs. Friends with houses along the Mummers parade route opened their homes on Saturday. Bailey, of Moda Botanica Florist, served up his signature baked-in-a-cast-iron cheesy grits, plus mascarpone French toast and 14 pounds of tater tots in an all-day brunch complete with Fish House Punch. Another friend went the pulled pork and roasted tomato soup route, throwing in a make-your-own grilled cheese station for a DIY element. Lots of Bloody Marys were consumed. Sunday meant lounging in bed nearly until dinner with the parents. Step-monster roasted not one but two chickens for my birthday dinner with classic accompaniments of mashed potatoes and greens. Note: Wegman's is Mecca, but their cannolis are crappy. Don't be fooled.
Agnolotti. I usually don't like pasta but GODDAMN, I will eat anything filled with butternut squash. Mussels next time. Definitely.
[...] Filipino purple yams, Puerto Rican egg nog, Chemex experimentation, the pasta dish we fondly refer t... [...]
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Adam Erace: AE Drew Lazor: DL
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Drew, I was expecting another photo of a huge Filipino feast! But I got none either. For Christmas, Dad made Cornish hens according to some Nigella recipe, along with roasted sweet potatoes. The hens were simple, just some rosemary and salt and pepper inside (I was too skittish to stick my hands in the birds so I resorted to sprinkling the stuff in). And Adam -- how do you do it? I've been demolishing Sour Patch Kids and Haribo gummi bears for the past week, and today the dentist told me I eat too much candy. Two cavities! Waah. Weekly Sugar-Free Candy??
Got people good and drunk. I guess thats the Jews job on christmas eve? I fully embrace this! Jewish friends, I hope you're reading...
What is a Biden family nut dish?!
Nosh Guy, don't be a spammer. We are well aware that Tavern 17 sucks and Stella makes pizza.
My mother can do many wonderful things, but cooking is not on that list. So I cook Christmas Eve and then, instead of gathering at Mom's house for brunch on Christmas Day, we head to the Valley Green Inn. It's a beautiful setting, there's a fire, and the crab cake eggs benedict with caviar is the perfect was to celebrate the holiday. Well, that and many, many mimosas.
I've been a newly inducted Ravens fan for the past two years-born an Eagles fan but my boyfriend is from Baltimore and he's shown me how magical it is watching Ray Lewis stomp on opposing players. :)
Bro and I wished it was Han Dynasty the entire time. I wish everywhere I go is Han Dynasty the entire time.
Christmas eve feast of seven fishes was at my girl's uncle's house, per tradition. Lobster mac n cheese, lobster sliders (Maine themed this year as we all had gone to Popham beach for separate vacations this summer), sushi, cavatelli n clams, a bobby flay recipe that was kinda like a deconstructed crab cake (weak, imo, but others loved it) with romesco, cod cakes (made up for the flay mistake), three types of smoked fish and something else. A family friend always makes chocolate martinis, but, honestly...chocolate martinis and fish? No thanks. So I made champagne cocktails + French 75s. Left the ginger infused simple at home, so remade it without the ginger. still yummy. Got people good and drunk. I guess that's the Jew's job on christmas eve? Dessert included mini red velvet whoopie pies and other things. Who cares about other things: MINI RED VELVET WHOOPIE PIES FTW. Christmas included more french 75s, filet in a port reduction, and lots of gifts. yum. I don't like the over-decorating and craziness around christmas, but I do love the food.
Christmas Eve was spent partially at my dad and step mom's. She does the fish feast thing as well-most of it was gross seeing as she can't cook, but she always has the best spread of cheeses from Wegman's (including a fig balsamic jam that I'm going to seek out) and her mussels marinara weren't half bad. My dad's wine cellar makes the food better. Later that night at my mom's we had homemade corned beef dip, spinach/artichoke dip, and her baked penne with roasted red peppers and sage/fennel sausage. Excellent. Christmas morning my mom made a crazy awesome French toast using that Italian fruitcake panettone, with a cinnamon syrup and fresh berries. Plus bacon, sausage, fried eggs, etc etc. Later at my grandmom's I ate my weight in fried shrimp and mac and cheese. Sunday was spent at some college bar (Cavanaugh's?) drinking cheap pitchers so we could watch the Ravens game with friends. I am getting my ass to Han Dynasty, I can't stand reading about it anymore without experiencing the glory firsthand.
Julie, you're a Ravens fan?! yesssss
Christmas Breakfast....Super soft scrambled eggs with chives, runny local brie, sauteed oyster mushrooms enhanced with a wee bit of porcini powder, bacon, Honey muffins with Buddah's hand poached quince & a struesel top, warm wildflour baguette, Frisee & Gold Rush Apples Salad with Meyer Lemon/Grainy Mustard Vin, Pomelo dressed with buddah hand zest, "poinsetta" cocktails w/ pomegranate juice, quince poaching syrup & grapefruit bitters...so very nice...for complete change of pace Christmas Day dinner...turkey, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing & cranberry with family...late night Jewish Christmas..a midnight run over to David Mai Lai Wah for dumplings & Beef & Chinese Broccoli Chow Fun...cause it just ain't Christmas without Chines Food!
Bro braved the Italian Market on Christmas Eve to make some out of this world sausage and peppers. Broccoli rabe-stuffed, delicious! Rounded out by Barefoot Contessa coffee cake (the woman knows how to make cake from a box), Moms made brunch on Xmas, with excellent results (no scrapple this year, which was both a blessing and curse to my tummy). Then had the traditional Jewmas Christmas dinner of Chinese food courtesy of Shangri-La. Good enough, but Bro and I wished it was Han Dynasty the entire time.
I am now super curious about Alex & Aki's (microwaved!) One-Minute Yorkshire Pudding. I don't think I could be the judge, because I've never had any rendition (New York Jews don't cook such things, even for our Christmas Eve parties), but I've never known them to produce something not delicious. (No worries about my holiday well-eating, though, I have a fantastic goy mother-in-law who cooked up the primest turkey I've ever laid eyes on for a superb Christmas dinner.)
[...] - Notes from the Weekend: Dec. 27 [27dec10] [...]
Unluckily for me, I did not feast on seven fishes Christmas Eve. To make up for it I devoured a good portion of the only seafood dish around: olive oil-brushed shrimp. With my gf's family, it's not so much about what we're eating but what we're drinking. So we slammed through roughly 10 bottles of homemade wine and Limoncello. Ate a crapload of pizzelles, too. Saturday, we zigzagged through Philly and Jersey hugging family, trading gifts, drinking wine, eating Grandmom's pecan balls (yup). I made the apps (pancetta/sausage/spinach/gruyere stuffed mushrooms, beef crostini with brie and a cherry/balsamic glaze, and arancini with a tomato/basil sauce) for our last stop but we arrived late and missed out. Thank goodness I ate my weight while cooking and "taste testing" all day Friday. Laid on my butt all day Sunday, drinking more, because that was necessary. Ordered from Elena Wu in Voorhees and tried the sashimi roll which is basically fish rolled with fish rolled with more fish topped with spicy sauce and tempura crunch. Dug it.
Yo Check this out. I ate at Tavern 17 on December 25th. It was the worst Christmas Dinner ever. Check it out. http://wp.me/pSkvM-xJ
We had family and friends over for an easy meal on Christmas Eve, which consisted of a simple Medi salad, pasta with incredible homemade lamb bolognese, and crusty bread. For dessert, Pioneer Woman's pumpkin cream pie, gingerbread cookies and all manner of stocking chocolate. We also partook in our homemade holidays beers: Figgy Pudding and Chocolate Thunder, named after Darryl Dawkins. Christmas day we rolled down to Maryland for a completely nontraditional dinner: Mexican Navidad Fiesta! There was sangria, a taco bar, corn pudding, quinoa/black bean salad, flan and margarita cake. Weird/yum! Sunday morning we ventured out to the Passyunk Acme for the bare essentials: cheese, butter, yeast (to make bread), and Oreos. Forgot to buy any vegetables. Sunday evening, our friends, whose family canceled on them last-minute, invited us over to eat the fancy meal they'd prepared, and it was really stellar. Started off with wine, olives, cheese, oranges and a Biden-family nut dish; dinner was roast chicken, green beans, potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce and salad, with New American aka Obama dressing. A holiday meal of presidential proportions!
I also ate pizza at Stella, this shit was bangin' You gotta check out this post. http://wp.me/pSkvM-xR
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Lisa Chan-Simms and others. Lisa Chan-Simms said: RP's Cooking Update Notes from the Weekend: Dec. 27 http://bit.ly/fAiHLq #cooking #recipes [...]
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Rachel Burgos: RB Adam Erace: AE Drew Lazor: DL Juliana Reyes: JR Anthony Sica: AS
Lunch at Han Dynasty (108 Chestnut St.) on Friday afternoon with Friends of Meal Ticket Felicia D. and Mikey P. Though it's not on the menu, try asking for the dry pepper style pork intestines, which I had for the first time this meal. Yes, I realize how that sounds but trust me, seriously! If you like deep-fried, spicy, garlicky-as-hell, lil'-bit-funky crunchy bits, you will love this. DL I was craving something spicy on Friday night, so I ordered massaman curry (medium please) and tom kha soup from the recently reviewed Circles (1516 Tasker St). My friend ordered her red curry "Thai Hot," and I tried a little. At first, I was surprised that it wasn't steam-out-the-ears fiery but then the subtle heat explosion slowly crept into my mouth and didn't leave for 10 minutes. I could never handle an entire meal that spicy. I am part wimp, yes. RB |
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You know you're old and boring when you get super excited for Date Night with your S.O. A freezing cold stroll to Kennett was rewarded with a toothy kale salad with feta and pumpkin that actually got me excited about the months and months of kale ahead. Quickly negated that nutritional value on the cold walk home from Kennett, 'cause the Frosty Egg Fizz (whipped cream vodka, club, real whipped cream, Hershey's syrup and an amarena cherry)at the Royal is legitimately malt-shoppe good. A quickie breakfast of Chick-Fil-A girded our loins for a full Saturday of Christmas shopping all over town. The service at the Columbus Ave. location is absolutely astonishing; the staff is so friendly it's almost unnerving. In other South Philly news, the PLCB store next to Monster Pets is OPEN. It's nice, too. Put our PLCB-obtained rye and Aperol to work at a super-fly DIY cocktail party Saturday night. The bossy bartender in me came alive and the guests all shook, stirred and strained their way to Corpse Revivers, Old Fashioneds and De Rigueurs, while trying to covertly stuff Ada's almond-fennel cookies in their faces (tip: cream cheese).
That's such great news, congratulations Adam! Danya, I'm completely jealous-Barbuzzo is #1 on my "I will trade sexual favors if you buy me dinner there" list. Friday I hopped off the trolley to pick up some chaat for me and the boyfriend at Desi Chaat-the chicken this time. We then watched the Colin Farrell movie S.W.A.T. This may or may not have been on purpose. Saturday I had a holiday date with my sister in lieu of exchanging presents. I picked up a nice malbec and made chicken lettuce wraps with a spicy peanut sauce. She made French onion soup-they totally didn't go, but that didn't matter since we were drunk and watching the Muppet Christmas Carol. Sunday we grabbed Five Guys for lunch-I think the burgers are completely overrated, but I love their cajun fries. And I topped off the evening by making a Lipton Onion Soup pot roast. I love that shit, and after cooking it at 325 for 3 1/2 hours it was fall apart tender.
Friends from Texas in town included a pretty high-end chef, and Saturday night he cooked for us. He got a kick out of the old-time shopping in the Italian Market (Claudio's, DiBruno's, Talluto's, Fiorella were all attended, we also hit RTM for seafood) and served an amazing restaurant-level meal in my own kitchen. Sunday we made my first visit to Barbuzzo, which lived up to the hype. Amazed when a spot does that. Pig Popcorn. Get it. Also try the sardines; avoiding the bones is so worth the flavor. Sad that the only place I missed on my list to show off was Green Aisle -- we made it down to show of the Pat's/Geno's corner when they called "Southerners freezing our asses off" so we turned around. He fell in love with Philly so I'm sure he'll check it out next time. That's why I didn't yet get to say CONGRATS, ADAM! Great news.
Congratulations Adam!!!!!
Congrats Adam! Is this the first time all members of Team Meal Ticket have come together for a NFTW?
FRIDAY: Was asked to bring dinner over to my friend, who was prepping for a big ol' holiday party later in the evening. She lives basically right on top of SliCE in South Philly so naturally/lazily I went there and grabbed, among other things, their pesto/black olive pizza, my fave. SATURDAY: Christmas shopping x 1 million, powered by tacos al pastor somewhere in the southern end of the Italian Market. Giftage spots included Green Aisle Grocery (they have ghost peppers, y'all!), DiBruno's for Seville-made olive oil tortas and Jose Garces Trading Co. for blueberry balsamic vinegar (which, incidentally, leaked all over other gifts on the way home .. rrrr). SUNDAY: Brunch at Carman's Country Kitchen was Belgian waffles with meat-free mincemeat pie. Carman told us all about how baby Jesuses (Jesi?) are not allowed to be placed on manger scenes till Xmas Eve. I did not know this. Then more shopping until we died, including stops at Headhouse Farmers Market for Market Day Caneles, Greensgrow for gifts and free PBC sips, and Verde where I did not buy myself any artisanal chocolate. Grabbed zonked dinner at Banana Leaf and then headed home for Wrapfest 2010. Whew.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Drew Lazor and Angela L Grandstaff. Angela L Grandstaff said: Notes from the Weekend: Dec. 20: Lunch at Han Dynasty (108 Chestnut St.) on Friday afternoon with Friends of Mea... http://bit.ly/f1XGib [...]
Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend
Adam Erace: AE Drew Lazor: DL Juliana Reyes: JR
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I KNOW. Can't help it. At least I didn't put sriracha on/in it.
Second the shakshuka @ La Va pick ... awesome stuff!
MellodyBrew, what'd you think of Kennett's cocktails? I haven't had any yet but I'm sure they're nice if the list was worked on by barkeeps Christian and Phoebe.
Not exactly like Eggs in Purgatory, but both Cafe Ole and Kanela have Shakshuka - "eggs poached in a cumin scented tomato and pepper stew served with grilled bread." It is very yummy and sounds pretty close.
Attn: Adam Erace After I read about your "Eggs in Purgatory", I realized we must get acquainted. My partner Marlene Samuels and I have created the only community cookbook dedicated exclusively to gourmet rescues of perfectly good food in six categories: Negligible Quantities; Stems, Skins & Stalks; Past Peak; Once Cooked; Nearly Expired; and Ill-Fated Creations. The website is www.ExpendableEdibles.com. Would love to publish your recipe, just as you have it here, but maybe also with a byline and a link back to whereever you like. Can you contact me at nancy@expendableedibles.com or ExpendableEdibl on Twitter or Expendable Edibles on facebook. Cheers, N & M 773-255-4677 (Chicago)
FRIDAY: Introduced a friend to Han Dynasty started off with wontons in chili oil (my personal fave; in the past, upon seeing me try to slurp every drop, Han has asked me if I would like a straw), then ordered spicy noodles with pork and scallion chicken as a throat-cooler. Next time I will break her in to something drier and more face-numbing. Ran out to Devil's Den for a late seasonal flight/cheese plate/french fry dinner. Very healthy. Somehow they still had the Weyerbacher Pumpkin on tap and it was awesome. SATURDAY: Breakfast at home, late-afternoon linner at Maru Global Takoyaki. New favorite thing: Spicy Octopus balls. Yep. SUNDAY: Bussed up to NYC for the BUST magazine Holiday Craftacular, and ate well while I was up there. Brunch was in Chelsea Market, at Friedman's. I got the chicken and cheddar waffles, which was awesome, but my favorite dish was my friend's, a latke-poached egg-smoked salmon-hollondaise take on Eggs Benedict. Yum x 1,000.
Not to start a culture war but yea I think Shakshuka is the superior of the tomato stew + runny egg dishes. I've had La Va's and Kanella's, both good stuff. I don't think they serve it at Zahav but Solo has an awesome recipe with harissa and paprika that I use at home: http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/tomato-pepper-stew-with-poached-eggs-and-harissa
Went to the Sidecar post work on Friday and it was lovely. Saturday at Paesano's was fun with the fam, but I didn't love my sandwich as much as I wanted to. Didn't eat again until the delicious lane cake ( thanks Clint!) paired winningly with Miller High Lifes and a ROOT beverage. Sunday dinner was the highlight of my weekend food consumption. Crispy, spicy tofu with rice and broccoli? My fav! Hopefully though, next weekend will involve more Christmas shopping and less booze/food enjoying...
The shakshuka at La Va is also a viable alternative, very delicious
"Only complaint Could have used more bun to hold in all that meat." That's what she said-
I started the weekend out at my new neighborhood bar, Kennett. I drank plenty of Yards and had their cheese and meat platter. It was enough for two, but I munched on it all night while sampling their cocktails and beers. Saturday was spent hoping all the Christmas events around city hall where we did the Comcast Holiday Spectacular, Christmas Village and the light show at Macy's. This was supplemented by Brauhause sausages at the Christmas Village and the warm Holiday Spice wine. We then hit Nodding Head for 3 Triples, then ended with dinner at drinks at the Khyber Pub. The pulled pork BBQ at the Khyber was amazing, paired with Port Brewing Mongo DIPA.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper and Meal Ticket, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: New NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND is live. Share your notes in the comments! http://ow.ly/3oz9M [...]
"tack on a fresh jalapeno, and ample Korean chili powder, and red pepper flakes, and cayenne" drew, that is SO MUCH SPICY
On Saturday I had the pork belly bun from the Tyson bees truck. It was moist and juicy from brazing and the generous dollop of hoisin made the whole thing just perfect. Only complaint ... Could have used more bun to hold in all that meat.
[...] All nine of us did the all-meats, all-sides Lockhart jawn, plus Percy’s killer smoked wings, DL-endorsed turkey tails (!!!) with pulpy cranberry sauce and my fave mac ‘n’ cheese in town. [...]
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