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Pregame
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| Photo l Todd Quarles |
| This was NOT at a costume contest. |
Saturday, Feb. 20 is shaping up to be rife with opportunities for mass consumption -- good thing all those snow days have gotten us into fightin' (read: heavy drinkin') shape.
The Institute (549 N. 12th St.) will be roasting whole pigs and pouring draft Yards brews from 2-7 p.m., including IPA, ESA, Philly Pale Ale, Brawler and a special firkin of George Washington Porter. $40 buys all the pork and pints you can handle, plus vegetarian options and mashed sweet potatoes.
Chris LaPierre has a Situation. His class-defying golden barleywine is strong, has a big nose and will definitely appeal to ladies who understand a Situation can be more than just dark and sweet. Join Lappy, co-conspirator Suzanne "Beer Lass" Woods and Flying Fish brewer Casey Hughes at Iron Hill Maple Shade (124 E. Kings Highway, Maple Shade, NJ) from 1-5 p.m. for The Situation release party complete with big hair, majorly broiled tans and a bedazzled array of faux Affliction gear. (That's for the costume contest, kids.)
We told you about the Foodery Beer Academy on Wed.; class is in session at Local 44 (4333 Spruce St.) at 3 p.m. on Saturday. $15 scores tastes of 12 brews across a range of styles and instruction on expanding your beer vocabulary.
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Getting all four of my hellishly impacted wisdom teeth yanked out of head tomorrow morning. Though I'm sure they'll give me all sorts of post-op literature about this, I wanted to put it out there to all you Meal Ticketers first � what the hell should I eat? I know saltwater taffy is out (dammit), but I need suggestions of things that are not creamed corn. Who out there has had this procedure done? If you have, what'd you nosh on with your swollen-ass face? Who's got good advice for me? I need your help bad. Also, pudding party at my place tomorrow.
Just had all 4 pulled last month. Not fun. Food will get stuck in the holes for weeks. I had to make sure I had a toothpick with me at all times. The first day you can't eat much of anything, ice cream, pudding that kind of thing. The second day all I could eat was soup and Campbells standard Chicken Noodle Soup never tasted better!
Chinese takeout chicken noodle soup and Aleve.
Mashed potatoes. mac and cheese. strangely i was able to eat a hamburger after only a few days. i must have mushed it up. meatloaf. apple sauce. as long as you are on vicodin, you can almost eat anything kind of soft. it is once the vicodin runs out where you have problems...
Scrambled eggs aren't too bad once you've started to heal. Remember to stay hydrated with water and Gatorade. I had all four of mine out and was so scared of hurting my sore gums, I didn't eat or drink for days and wound up back in the hospital for dehydration. Which is no fun.
Little known fact that my doctor told me before my surgery: pound as much pineapple (actual fruit or juice form) tonight and the first couple days after surgery, and it'll majorly cut down on the swelling. There's something in that works, and I did not swell even a tiny bit. good luck!
oatmeal, polenta, baked sweet potatoes will work, and on Sunday grab a jar o' Three Springs Fruit Farm ridiculous applesauce from Headhouse. Or send an intern. Good luck, Drew, ain't no thing after day 2.
I had the same thing done not long ago. Drink broth, once you can stand to eat. You will have to clean the wound on a daily basis and, believe me, the fewer little chunks of food you have to flush out from that hole, the better.
Mashed potatoes, ice cream, applesauce, and egg drop soup :).
Milkshakes. After I got mine pulled in college, my friend got me a strawberry milkshake from Nifty Fifties. The milkshake was a good idea. The choice of strawberry was a bad one... seeds... :(
baby food!
steak, pork chops, cow tails, doritos, frito lays, gummy worms, turkey sandwiches...o wait...you want things you CAN eat...?
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| Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio |
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| If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand. |
Woah! I saw this ride roll into the lot but did not know about the free Jerry shots. Did partake in some delicious chicken, feta and cranberry pita sandwiches. Were you at the show Felicia?
I think we might have a liter of Captain Morgans there, not Sailor Jerry. Either way it's awesome. Mmmm Phish...
Yeah! How cool was this Caddy? Ben, I did go to the Star Lake show with my friend, CP Webmaster Marc Steel. We had a grand time, except for traffic. Weirdest encore....ever! JC, It was actually some bottom-shelf rum... I think it was called "Admiral Abbot". I didn't risk the shot on my empty stomach. Mmmmm good show.
Admiral nelson's...he's a ruthless bastard
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| Later, Uncle Jerry. I'm going to P&K. |
Rain, rain go away ... come again some other day, like when it's not the first holiday weekend of the damn summer. We're going to let the sun today color our outlook on the weekend, though.� There are plenty of indoor and outdoor events planned for those staying in the Illadelph this Memorial Day. It looks like everyone at the Shore will only be doing heavy drinking of crap Miller Lite and going to see Star Trek, anyway.
Locals Only Beer Weekend at Local 44: This event isn't about the Penn and Drexel twerps going back to their mommies for the summer and leaving the real residents to the good beer bars. No, it's about enjoying more than 45 kegs of all-local brews.� Quite a few casks are in the lineup, as well as limited brews like Yards Smoked Polish Wheat and cult faves like Legacy Brewing Hoptimus Prime and Dogfish Head Festina Peche. See the full lineup here. The revelry runs all three days of the weekend, with Local T-shirts for sale for the first time on� Saturday. Local 44, 4333 Spruce St., 215-222-BEER, local44beerbar.com
Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout at SPTR: Foobooz has got the gossip on the extra-special relationship between Founders Brewing Co. and the South Philadelphia Taproom. SPTR taps � and shares � PA's only keg of� their brewery pal's� Canadian Breakfast Stout on Saturday at 5 p.m. The brew is the same rich stout that forms the basis of the better-known Kentucky Breakfast Stout, but is aged in a Canadian maple syrup barrel rather than a bourbon cask. One keg should last at least a few minutes.� SPTR, 509 Mifflin St., 215-271-7787, southphiladelphiataproom.com
Cherokee Festival at Temple Ambler: A celebration of Cherokee culture will visit the leafy campus of Temple University's Ambler campus this weekend. From 10 a.m. to sundown May 23-25, visitors will be invited to learn traditional, hoop, fancy and shawl dances, learn to build a teepee or make beaded jewelry, and taste Native American foods. Fry bread is a flat, leavened round of dough, deep-fried in fat, often topped with sugar, honey or savory meat and cheese. Buffalo burgers will also be available at the event. 16th Annual Cherokee Festival, $5-8, Temple Ambler football field, 580 Meetinghouse Rd., Ambler, 215-549-4191, secherokee-confederacypa.org
Smokeout: Some of us are masters of the pit, king of the coals. Some of us consider it an accomplishment to get through supper without slopping sauce down our shirt. If you fall on the dribbly end of the continuum, there's plenty barbecue to be had in town. The satisfying-but-cheap trend is established all over the city, from the brand-new Bebe's Barbecue in the Italian Market to longtime smoker the Rib Crib in Germantown. More deets on this later, but Jonny Mac's new pulled pork sandwich at Pub & Kitchen is a strong contender for Sandwich of the Summer. Pork shoulder gets a dry rub that hangs for three days, before a slow braise in not-so-sweet BBQ sauce. The shredded meat is heaped on a buttery brioche roll (grilled for max sexiness) and topped with melted Swiss. P&K server Cathy, a native Texan, turned us on this this and we thank her most excellently.
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| BeerNews.org |
| The approved label. |
When writer Burkhard Bilger profiled Dogfish Head for the New Yorker last year, they were in the throes of experimentation with Sah'tea, a riff on the Finnish beer style sahti, which is flavored with juniper berries and boiled by heating rocks in an open fire and dropping them into the wort. Dogfish's blog has two videos of the original experiment here.
Dogfish being Dogfish, of course, they had to take this thing to the next level, and so added a black chai admixture to the end of the boil. As of May 5, the Dogfish brewery in Milton, DE was firing up the kettle for the first full production of Sah'tea. Which means a limited amount of this guaranteed-weird beer in 750 ml. bottles should hit Philadelphia bars and bottle shops this month.
Here's what Dogfish's Web site says on Sah'tea:
A modern update on a 9th century Finnish proto-beer. Brewed with rye, we caramelize the wort with white hot river rocks, then ferment it with a German Weizen yeast. In addition to juniper berries foraged directly from the Finnish country-side we added a sort of tea made with corriander, caramamom, lemon grass, Indian Black Tea, and ramps leaves. The spicing is subtle and balanced and Sahtea is a highly-quaffable, truly-unique brew with a full-mouth feel.
While you wait for the latest, stop by Monk's Caf� today at noon, when we tap a hush-hush firkin of Dogfish Head 75-Minute IPA, a blend of 60 and 90 Minute IPAs all dry-hopped and dosed with maple syrup and fresh yeast before being casked. This strange brew will be accompanied by a healthy variety of hard-to-find Dogfish bottles, including Theobroma, Black & Blue, Red & White and World Wide Stout. Your friendly Meal Ticket blogger will be holding it down at the front bar, so stop by and get drunk on lunch, why don'tcha.
Dogfish Head 75-Minute IPA firkin tapping, Tues., May 12, Noon; Monk's Caf�, 16th & Spruce St., 215-545-7005, monkscafe.com
Some basic information of Finnish sahti: http://sahti.vuodatus.net/blog/category/MAKING+SAHTI
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| Photo courtesy Cantina Dos Segundos |
| Sangrita sipper |
If John Bolaris isn't lying, the sun should emerge on Thursday, just in time for some outdoor revelry at Cantina Dos Segundos' Fiesta Herradura.
Attend the event if you're feeling like a little reposado or blanco will lively up your blood for what is supposed to be a warm and sunny weekend.� The Northern Liberties hipster hot spot will be serving up Herradura cocktails, shots of tequila in hollowed-out cucumbers and Mexican "carnival" food, including chorizo corn dogs.
Pictured above is both Cantinas' signature, a shot of tequila alternately sipped with a shot of sangrita.� The spicy, citrusy tomato juice cleanses the booze from your palate and can be so hot as to ensure you need another sip of tequila pronto.� Check out our recipe for homemade sangrita here.
Fiesta kicks off at 6 p.m.; food available until 1 a.m, Thu., April 23.
Cantina Dos Segundos, 931 N. Second St., 215-629-0500, cantinadossegundos.com
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On Sunday, Dec. 7, Good Dog bar will celebrate its fifth year of being the realest bar with the best food in Center City. Owner Heather Gleason hipped us to what is going down for the big oh-five event.
Ten sixtels of local beer from Flying Fish, Sly Fox, Yards, Philadelphia Brewing Co., Southhampton and others will be simultaneously tapped, starting off a race to see which brewery's keg gets kicked first. Flying Fish has even brewed up a special anniversary beer, Good Fish, a double-hopped IPA, to commemorate the event. The winners of the annual Photo Contest will be announced, and those photogenic pets will grace the walls of the tavern for the upcoming year. Chef Jessica O'Donnell will be preparing passed hors d'oeuvres that will make the rounds all night. Be sure to grab politely from the trays; we're not the animals.
Five-dollar raffle tickets will be sold, and prizes ranging from bottles of booze and T-shirts to event tickets will be announced every hour. Last year there were more than 50 prizes, and Gleason has been receiving swag all week for this year's raffle. All proceeds from the raffle, which will be matched by Good Dog, as well as 10 percent of all drink revenues, will be donated to Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and the Morris Animal Refuge, aiding them in their tireless work to save the lives of unwanted pets in our area.
Good Dog, 224 S. 15th St., 215-985-9600; Anniversary Party on Sun., Dec. 7, from 4 p.m.-2 a.m., no cover
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| Spiced Cran-Tini |
Brown-basted turkeys and marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes, football and a really long weekend to digest it all: This is the starter's pistol that fires up the holiday season. Just as seasonal are beverages with which to toast, from beer for the game to a post-prandial digestif. When getting out of the house becomes imperative (it's a really long weekend), let a professional massage your brain into submission with a carefully crafted cocktail.
The venerable London Grill has tapped into its staff's creativity to develop an array of infused spirits that they're offering throughout the holidays. General Manager Stephanie Pallo filled Meal Ticket in on the latest concoctions at the Fairmount restaurant/bar.
The Infusions:
- Vodka infused with frozen cranberries and spices (vanilla beans, coriander, clove, cinnamon sticks and allspice)
- Sweet Tea vodka, flavored with loose tea leaves, lemon, and sugar
- Hibiscus-Cucumber Tequila
- Pumpkin-Vanilla Vodka
- Cherry Bourbon
The Cocktails:
- Spiced Cran-tini: The spiced cranberry-infused vodka is shaken with Tuaca vanilla liqueur and Grand Marnier and dressed with a sugared rim
- Drunken Golfer: A take on the traditional Arnold Palmer, sweet tea vodka is blended with lemonade and a splash of Sprite
- Cherry Bourbon Manhattan: Big-city drink softened up with sweet, tart cherry-infused bourbon
- Cherry Bourbon and Hot Cider: Self-explanatory and yum like whoa
- Pink Pepino: Pepino is Spanish for "cucumber"; this cocktail merges hibiscus-cuke tequila with Pama pomegranate liqueur
- Pumpkin Pie: Pumpkin-vanilla vodka gets creamy with a splash of half-and-half and chai liqueur in a drinkable dessert
Each cocktail is $9, a small price to pay for the sanity of getting out of the house before you have to recite what you are thankful for once again. "I am thankful for alcohol, and the many, many bars in Philadelphia that serve it so well."
London Grill, 2301 Fairmount Ave., 215-978-4545, londongrill.com.
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| Click to enlarge |
"The concept was that that motherfucker challenged me to a barbecue-off," says Adam Ritter, co-owner of The Sidecar (2201 Christian St., 215-732-3429), when asked about the origins of tonight's grand smoke-off against Legacy Brewing Co. brewer Scott Baver. "He likes to get his barbecue on and I like to get my barbecue on."
Starting at 5 p.m. tonight, the boys will settle their meaty score, cranking out pulled pork and brisket in smokers they're setting up right on the sidewalk on the corner of 22nd and Christian. The winner will be determined by a distinguished panel of judges: Suzanne "Beer Lass" Woods, Foobooz's Kirsten Henri and yours truly. There'll be plenty of food for attendees, too.
Ritter will be piping blues through the bar to set the low 'n' slow mood, and Baver's brought in eight Legacy/Reading beers to pour on tap:
- Reading Premium
- Reading Oktoberfest
- Cask-conditioned Hedonism Ale (on a hand-pump)
- Dear Abbey Dubbel
- Brown Aled Girl
- Euphoria Ale
- Hoptimus Prime ("The last sixtel as we know it," says Ritter — Legacy has since changed the recipe)
- Midnight Wit
Ritter, a diehard Phils fan if we ever met one, promises that the hardcore competition portion of the evening will wrap up prior to the first pitch of Game 2. There will be drink specials for the game.
See you there!
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| This baby better live in St. Louis |
| beeristheanswer.com |
Fall is officially in the air, the Phils are primed to beat down on the Dodgers, and Wednesday is the perfect time to start sucking down local suds. Philly is rife with wicked good breweries, so please, stop pretending you like Pabst and glom onto a well-made native creation (and our hero Cali beer, Sierra Nevada).
Wed., Oct. 3: Dark beer fans: You have a sacred duty to help pasty Northern Libertarians fortify themselves by draining a cask of Troeg's Dead Reckoning Porter at the Standard Tap. The firkin is tapped at 6 p.m. and flows until it's dry. This unfiltered seasonal offering from Harrisburg is brewed with heaps of pilsner, caramel, chocolate and roasted malts and finished with vanguard and chinook hops. True to porter style, Dead Reckoning is a smooth as that one slick bartender at the Tap. You know which one. The Standard Tap, 901 N. Second St., 215-238-0630.
Thu., Oct. 9: Philly beer scenesters are hopping for joy at the the long-awaited opening of Mt. Airy's Earth Bread + Brewery, owned by former Heavyweight brewer Tom Baker and his wife Peggy Zwerver. With licensing red tape requirements finally satisfied, the brewpub will be lighting up the wood-fired oven and turning out the flatbread pizzas alongside their four new brews. Check out the beer page for a complete listing of house-made and local craft beers on draft, as well as thoughtful bottle selections. Earth Bread + Brewery, 7136 Germantown Ave., Mt. Airy, 215-242-MOON.
Fri., Oct. 10: if you work in the corporate wasteland that is Conshohocken, drag your secretary spread to Flanigan's Boathouse to agonize over the Phils and suck up free samples of Sierra Nevada's uber-limited Chico Estate Harvest Ale. The seasonal is brewed entirely with hops grown on Sierra's brewery grounds, which are added immediately after harvest — they must have heard how we love bitter buds fresh and not dried. Sierra reps will be there armed with company money, so flap your lashes at Patrick and maybe he'll buy you a pint. The event kicks off at 8 p.m. Flanigan's Boathouse, 113 Fayette St., Conshohocken, 610-828-2628.
Sat., Oct. 11: For hardcore beer nerds only (and those who like to mock them): Iron Hill's North Wales location is hosting a simulcast of the Great American Beer Festival's awards ceremony at 3:30 p.m. While every brewer, beer writer and classy pub owner of note (and various groupies) descend on Denver for this epic blowout of bad behavior known as the GABF, notebook-toting aficionados at Iron Hill will be finding out which beers they will be claiming to have heard about first this year. Iron Hill has entered a stable of their micros, including Munich Dunkel, Norse Nectar, Bourbon-Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Porter, and Vengeance (a Belgian-style Imperial IPA) which North Wales head brewer Larry Horowitz is confident can medal in the Belgian/American category. Samples of competing beers will be on offer, and the first 50 attendees get a pretzel necklace. Just don't let any junior brewers drunk on glory chew on it. Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant, 1460 Bethlehem Pike, North Wales, 267-708-2000.
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