Testing

Delicious or Suspicious: Prime Rib at Wawa

POSTED: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 2:09 PM

Filed Under: Testing

I love Wawa and I love prime rib, but I'll be honest — the thought of the former offering up the latter made me a little queasy. But since I'm such a devoted fan of the Thanksgiving-themed Gobbler (turkey, gravy, cranberry sauce and stuffing all packed into one convenient sandwich), I couldn't help but think there was some promise here. Optimistically, I ventured out to determine whether Wawa's prime rib was DELICIOUS OR SUSPICIOUS.

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Posted by Adrian Pelliccia @ 2:09 PM Permalink | Post a comment

DELICIOUS OR SUSPICIOUS: Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries with Sea Salt

POSTED: Friday, March 18, 2011, 4:32 PM

Filed Under: Testing

I’m not proud to admit it, but I wound up at Wendy's last night. Do not ask how or why; I plead the fifth. Circling the 24th and Oregon drive-through in the neighborhood of 11:30, a blazing yellow sign reminded me about Wendy’s new fries, “natural cut” (skin-on) and showered with sea salt. They're called "Real Fries." Which begs the question: What were we being served before?

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Posted by Adam Erace @ 4:32 PM Permalink | 2 comments

Testing: Uncle Oogie's Boli Buns

POSTED: Wednesday, March 2, 2011, 7:40 PM

Filed Under: Testing | Weird Regional Foods

Photo | Adam Erace

Uncle Oogie (2119 W. Oregon Ave.) is a bad, bad man. Under normal circumstances, I wouldnt eat two stromboli, but normal circumstances do not extend to the Sea Isle-by-way-of-South Philly pizzeria's Boli Buns. What is a Boli Bun, you ask? I defer to the tireless female voice on the other end of my take-out call: We take stromboli you can do any kind we make slice it into circles, bake them together, pull them apart and sear them in a cast-iron skillet. She had me at cast-iron skillet. Two, please. Boli Buns come in small or large orders, approximately five and 10 pieces, respectively. I went with spicy pepperoni/cheese and buffalo-chicken, the latter being exactly what it sounds like, down to the sidecar of blue cheese dressing. They taste no different from regular stromboli, but theyre better for three reasons: 1. The cast-iron creates a crusty black bottom on each Bun, introducing a satisfying crunch not usually found in traditional tubes. 2. The Buns are way easier to eat. (Ever have to carve a huge stromboli? Might as well be a side of beef.) And 3. No ends! Buns provide filling in every bite, whereas even the most expertly made classic style usually has empty dough tombs at either end. For these reasons, I salute Uncle Oogies. Your Boli Buns deserve a Beard Award.

barryg

Posted 2011-03-03 12:02:13

I did not like the pizza from Uncle Oogies but these look really good.

Michelle

Posted 2011-03-02 15:39:08

I love the pizza at Oogie's but I will def try these next time!

Michelle

Posted 2011-03-02 15:37:20

I love the pizza at Oogie's and I'll def have to try these next time!

Posted by Adam Erace @ 7:40 PM Permalink | Post a comment

New reservation app NoWait and Zavino want to text you

POSTED: Tuesday, March 1, 2011, 4:00 PM

Filed Under: Testing

Photo | Drew Lazor

When we first heard about NoWait, the Pittsburgh-based mobile phone app that's setting itself up to revamp the world of waiting lists, we were skeptical. What makes it any different from those light-up hockey puck things they give you at Outback Steakhouse? We got in touch with Zavino (112 S. 13th St.), the first and only restaurant in Philly to use the app, to figure out just what it is that sets it apart from Open Table or, say, a clipboard. For starters, you can't have a text-message conversation with those Outback pagers. Zavino GM Jason Brooke explained the specifics: When customers come in and put their names on the list (stored on an iPad), they get a text with an estimate of their wait and some suggestions for what to do in the meantime. Subsequent text alerts also let customers know when their tables are ready, and in the hours after dinner, the app even sends out follow-up thank-you texts. Customers can text back, too, so it would seem that the big thing here is interaction. Zavino's been using NoWait for about a month, and Brook says they've gotten a great reaction to it. "It's neat, you know?" he says. "You walk up to the host, you see the iPad, you get a text message it's pretty cool." He also made sure to point out that the company itself is receptive to restaurant clients' feedback, so it's been a good way to be a part of the project as it gets off the ground. While they're currently the only place in Philly to use the app, Blue Bear Tavern (216 S. 11th St.), which will be opening next month under Zavino ownership, is also in line to use NoWait.

Ivan

Posted 2011-03-02 10:52:05

Nice to see somebody actually took this concept to market albeit with a test market of one.  We've been considering doing it at Reservation Genie as we already capture mobile phone info from customers when they book reservations and text them reservation details...so throwing in a waiting list shouldn't be too hard.  But I don't think the Ipad is necessary, any computer should work fine.

Posted by Adrian Pelliccia @ 4:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Testing: Distrito delivery from Grub Hub

POSTED: Friday, February 25, 2011, 2:02 PM

Filed Under: Testing

Wednesday night, facing a combination of raptor-like hunger, restaurant fatigue and an empty fridge, I ordered dinner in. Was feeling pumpkin curry from Circles, always a good look (see November's review), so I popped onto online ordering service Grub Hub, which Id never used before but knew the good folks at Circles were tied into. There, my hunger was quickly replaced by wide-eyed awe at the number of restaurants hooked into GHs delivery network. I entered my address and got the following reply: "We have 120 matches that offer delivery to you."

The possibilities! A Butcher and Singer burger ... Giwa bibimbop ... Peking duck from Sang Kee ... and my lazy ass wouldnt even have to put pants on. In the mood for Mexican, I settled on Distrito, downloaded Grub Hubs idiot-proof app to my iPhone, created an account and placed an order with a few quick clicks. Each merchant has a varying delivery charge and minimum (Distritos is $6.99 and $15), and you can customize each selection with special instructions, say, extra chips with the crab guac or hold the spice on the shrimp ceviche. You get a total at check-out and can choose to pay cash or credit, with the option to add gratuity instead of fumbling around in your pockets when the deliveryman arrives. I ordered at 6:15, and the Grub Hub app estimated dinner would arrive by ugh-Id-need-a-snack 7:30. But then I got an email confirmation (this doubles as your receipt) clocking the ETA at 7:15. The doorbell rang at ten after early! and I was greeted by a collegey kid hauling the kind of gigantic duffel bag golf clubs and dismembered bodies are transported in. He unzipped the duffel, removed two pink plaid Distrito bags and bounced.

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I unpacked dinner: tortilla soup, chicken enchilada, huitlacoche quesadilla, a strawberry/Cabrales/baby greens salad, Joses slammin esquites and the dynamite District chicken, miles of fried skin still hot and crispy. Everything properly labeled. Salsas, dressings, mojos all packed separately in little plastic cups and paper pint containers. Napkins and plastic airplane cutlery included. Everything was fresh and flavorful, not a sprig of microcilantro out of place. But thats hardly the point. I had eaten Distrito for dinner, without having to go to Distrito. Sure beats greasy pizza.

Posted 2011-02-25 16:35:22

I'm so glad that GrubHub's getting some recognition. When I lived in Chicago (where, I'm pretty sure, it was founded) it was a dependable stand-by when I didn't know what I wanted ... only that I didn't want to go there to get it.

rachel

Posted 2011-02-25 09:36:09

Adam, welcome to the wonderful lazy world of grubhub! My favorite part about them is that if you have like, A dollar on you you can put the entire transaction  (tip included) onto your card.

your dinner sounds like it was  a treat, though I have yet to order from any of the nicer-ish places offered on grub hub. 

I live in south philly but not TOO south but also not close to center city... wonder if distrito would deliver to me?

barryg

Posted 2011-02-25 11:56:26

Distrito would deliver to you as they use a delivery service, hence the $6.99 deliver fee. The places that do their own deliver have much more modest deliver fees, but limited delivery areas.



Late night tip: DP Dough in West Philly delivers until 2:30 during the week and 3:30 on the weekends, they deliver all over town. Like to deep South Philly and up in North Philly. Delivery fee varies by how far, but is reasonable.

Posted by Adam Erace @ 2:02 PM Permalink | Post a comment

DELICIOUS OR SUSPICIOUS: Rim Cafe's Saffron Cappuccino

POSTED: Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 2:57 PM

Filed Under: Coffee | Testing

Photo | Erin Finnerty

The one and only Rene Kobeitri, the ultra-lively owner/operator of Italian Market's Rim Cafe (1172 S. Ninth St.), is mad about saffron. So mad, in fact, he's taken the world's most expensive spice and added it to his cappuccinos and lattes. When my taste-testing partner and I dropped into Rim on Saturday, Kobeitri was anxious to share with us the health benefits of saffron consumption, including, but not limited to, cancer-fighting and blood pressure-lowering properties. He also shared with us the origin of the drink: Having already brought famous South Moroccan delicacy saffron tea to town, Kobietri was itching to become Philadelphia's first, if not the world's first, saffron cappuccino maker. So you know what he did? He MADE IT HAPPEN. The cappuccino begins like any other on the menu, with a dark shot of Italian Lavazza espresso. The magic begins with the addition of the frothy, pale canary yellow-tinted milk, spiked with the aforementioned tea. As a final touch, Rene gently lays several delicate strands of vibrant red Spanish saffron ("The best!") in the center of the foam. The tea added a hint of flavor to the milk that held up well in the company of robust espresso. Yet, it struck a note so subtle that, had it not been for the floating nest of fragrant saffron threads, it would have been difficult for an untrained tongue to detect the spice's singular flavor. The saffron was a complex and unexpected addition to the cappuccino that, ultimately, I found to be quite ... DELICIOUS.

Erin Finnerty

Posted 2011-02-24 14:05:12

My friend and I tried the chocolate raspberry truffles... the cocoa powder is little dry on the outside but so delicious on the inside. Love it!

Abby

Posted 2011-02-24 13:59:29

I LOVE Rene! He's such a character, and if you're in there when it's slow he may just surprise you with the most aggressively decorated plate of truffle desserts you've ever seen.  They're delicious :)

ryan

Posted 2011-02-23 10:16:18

the photo alone makes me wanna go.

Tweets that mention DELICIOUS OR SUSPICIOUS: Rim Cafes Saffron Cappuccino :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2011-02-23 11:15:50

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by E.F. and phillycacophony, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Rim Cafe's SAFFRON cappuccino, DELICIOUS or SUSPICIOUS... @erinfinnerty finds out. http://tinyurl.com/4rp9acd [...]

Erin

Posted 2011-02-23 11:53:14

You should.

Posted by Erin Finnerty @ 2:57 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Testing: Garces Trading Co.'s Meals To Go

POSTED: Monday, January 24, 2011, 6:04 PM

Filed Under: Chef Salad | Testing

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Jose Garces launched his Meals To Go from Garces Trading Co. (1111 Locust St.) in the fall, and GTC recently sent over a tester of their coq au vin/honey-glazed carrots/herbed fingerlings shebang â available this week â for Meal Ticket to sample. The whole thing is designed with the time- and patience-pressed in mind: The meals, which feed two hungry people and range in price from $26 to $30, require nothing more than the ability to boil water to prepare. We simply brought a big pot up to temp, dunked in the sealed bird and veg sacks, waited for 10 minutes, snipped the tops and dug in, resulting in one of the richest meals we've ever eaten out of a plastic bag. The Meals To Go line switches up weekly; the chicken dinner is on from today through Sunday (that thyme jus is sick!), but the next two weeks will see hearty winter offerings like beef bourguignon with truffled farro and roasted Long Island duck with squash purÃ©e. Happy boiling.

Tweets that mention Testing: Garces Trading Co.'s Meals To Go :: Meal Ticket :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2011-01-24 15:09:58

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ProfilePR, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: If you can boil water, you can cook a @chefjosegarces approved meal. Check it: http://ow.ly/3Jg2r [...]

rachel

Posted 2011-01-24 15:01:35

I must try this!!!  Wonder if my boyfriend will believe that I "made" it??

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 6:04 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Testing: The Wishing Well's homemade scrapple

POSTED: Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 10:17 PM

Filed Under: Testing | Weird Regional Foods

Photo | Juliana Reyes

In honor of National Scrapple Day yes, today is National Scrapple Day we sent Juliana Reyes to test out a very local rendition of the regional favorite. Carmen Cappello loves scrapple. "The king of all breakfast meats," the chef and owner of Bella Vista's Wishing Well (767 S. Ninth St.) calls it. The Philly native loves it so much that during his stint in Georgia, where scrapple is nowhere to be found, he started making it for the people of A-Town at the Lamplighter Cafe. Now that he's back, Cappello serves his homemade scrapple on the Wishing Well's signature SHAME burger, plus in an omelete. And you can now buy it by the pound from the restaurant, as well as at the nearby Di Bruno Brothers (930 S. Ninth St.). Last week, I stopped at the Well to try some of Cappello's scrapple. I'll be honest I'd never tasted it before. Though I'm not one to discriminate against mystery meats (I'm a shameless fan of Spam), whenever scrapple comes up on a menu, people always seem to be wrinkling their noses. Cappello's explanation for the stigma? Fear of the unknown. They don't know the history behind scrapple, he says, citing its ties to the Pennsylvania Dutch. If Art in the Age can make old-school Lancaster County favorites trendy (see SNAP and ROOT), why can't the Wishing Well do something similar? (Though I'm guessing SCRAP won't be AITA's next boutique liquor of choice.)

Photo | Juliana Reyes

Cappello served me his scrapple with a microlettuce from the local Blue Moon Acres (Cappello favors local ingredients; he uses locally sourced offal to make the base of his scrapple, too). The two square blocks were slightly alien to me, but scary? Nah. It tasted excellent: Crusty on the outside and crumbly and tender on the inside, with hints of rosemary and thyme to round out the flavor. It was especially tasty with a splash of Worcestershire sauce, a glass of Terrapin Rye Pale Ale, currently on tap, and It's Always Sunny on TV in the background. The chef says he likes to make the stuff the old-fashioned way. It's a two-hour-long process, involving cooking the scrapple in pork jus and adding polenta to thicken it. "And, of course," says Cappello, "I put love into it." If you pick up some of Cappello's scrapple to cook at home, prep is simple: Just dust with flour and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Cappello suggests serving it with his pickled mushrooms, also available by the jar at the Wishing Well. Who knows, you might just become a convert.

MaltyDog

Posted 2010-11-10 11:55:42

i like my scrapple with maple syrup!!!!

chefe

Posted 2010-11-10 10:00:15

All of the pork for the scrapple made at The Wishing Well comes from Leidy's Pork.

Tweets that mention Testing: The Wishing Wells homemade scrapple :: Meal Ticket :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-11-09 18:21:31

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Rich Pawlak, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: It's National Scrapple Day! In honor of this great occasion, Juliana Reyes tests the Wishing Well's homemade version: http://ow.ly/377D5 [...]

Holly Moore

Posted 2010-11-09 17:30:57

Sounds great, but where does he get the hog scrapings from the slaughter house floor?

Honey

Posted 2010-12-26 17:35:29

Looks yummy! Can anyone share the recipe? :)

Posted by Juliana Reyes @ 10:17 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Testing: Pub & Kitchen's Churchill Burger

POSTED: Thursday, October 7, 2010, 11:49 PM

Filed Under: Food News | Testing

Yesterday, the crew at Pub & Kitchen (1946 Lombard St.) was kind enough to have us in for a taste of their new burger, the Churchill, which officially launched today. This eight-ounce, juice-oozing beast, which replaces the long-running Windsor (RIP), has the very rare distinction of being custom-blended by Pat LaFrieda, the New York butcher responsible for creating some of the most-hyped specimens in American burgercraft.

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P&K chef Jonathan Adams and partner Ed Hackett first started chatting with LaFrieda about a year ago regarding sourcing for their Avalon BYO The Diving Horse, eventually landing in the butcher's good graces; he agreed — and he doesn't agree to do this with everyone — to begin R&D on a unique-to-P&K beef blend earlier this summer. LaFrieda is basically nocturnal, cleaving and trimming and grinding through the night while most of us are snoring, so Adams received many a wee-hour text and phone call from the butcher as he tested dozens of mixes designed to meet the quite-particular chef's flavor specifications. What specs, exactly? "I wanted the beef flavor to kick you in the teeth, and I wanted it to be fatty, with a warm, rich mouthfeel," says Adams. Mission accomplished — the thing's an unapologetic celebration of Black Angus badassery, bursting with so much capital-B Beef flavor that she'll surely become a brioche-bunned seductress targeting anyone in a committed relationship with a Philadelphia burger. (Floozy!)

As far as what exactly goes into the LaFrieda blend to satisfy Adams' parameters — we tried, y'all, we really tried, but Adams ain't sayin' nothin'. The man doesn't have a choice he signed an agreement never to talk specifics, just as LaFrieda signed a document stating that he will never provide this blend to anyone else. The Churchill, like other LaFrieda-sourced burgers (Minetta Tavern's $26 Black Label Burger, The Spotted Pig's signature patty, etc.), works off a base of the good stuff — dry-aged beef, in this case from Creekstone Farms — but that's all the world will ever know about this unassuming hunk of meat, named for our favorite immensely quotable British PM.

Speaking of quotes, some might be struck by ground-steak sticker shock when presented with their bill for the Churchill — the burger, which comes topped with sautéed, thyme-kissed onions and a side of fries, is $18. Adams is fully aware that this ain't cheap for a burger, but is adamant that they're charging a fair price when quality's taken into serious consideration. (They do offer an $11 burger, also a LaFrieda blend but not custom.) If you try the Churchill, sound off on the burger in the comments.

Anthony Sica

Posted 2010-10-07 19:13:13

The Windsor was near perfect.  The clear winner on the Foobooz Burger Cruise last year.  I need to try this. ASAP.

lafrieda meat

Posted 2010-10-07 19:44:55

Philadelphia/South Jersey Office 215-806-0911

Foobooz » Tale of the Tape: Pub & Kitchen’s Churchill

Posted 2010-10-08 09:54:28

[...] Testing: Pub & Kitchen s Churchill Burger [Meal Ticket] [...]

Felicia D'Ambrosio

Posted 2010-10-08 12:50:58

Can. Not. Wait. Here's to constant one-upsmanship in the Burger Game!

Dec. 6: Pub & Kitchen does Amis industry night :: Meal Ticket :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-12-01 11:03:27

[...] p.m. to grub out on P&K chef Jonathan Adams‘ Churchill sliders (shrink-rayed versions of their new signature burger), pork terrine studded with pistachio and brandied cherries (“Pulling out my old [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:49 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Delicious or Suspicious: McDonald's McCafe Smoothie

POSTED: Friday, September 3, 2010, 4:42 PM

Filed Under: Product Placement | Testing

Photo | Adam Erace

Drink me

I was driving in the Jerz when I first saw the billboard for McDonald's new McCafe Smoothies. My reaction was that of a lovesick Loony Toon, jaw dropping to the ground, tongue unraveling like a spool of Bubble Tape across the floor. Can you blame me? Look at how goddamn dewy those berries are! How the fruit fraps wear shades of deep pink and purple not seen since the Lost Boys banquet in Hook! Must ... drink ... now ... Before putting the McDonalds Smoothie to the Delicious or Suspicious test, I remembered that the last time Id eaten under the Golden Arches was probably two years ago, with a horrendous hangover being the likely cause. What is it about the flat, fatty cheeseburgers that bring me back to the land of the living, every single time? The secret, I suspect, is the poo. But I digress. There are many, many reasons you should not eat at McDonalds, but a good chunk of the American population does, because, like Britney Spears, it is both cheap and available. Mickey Ds Smoothies, which come in Strawberry-Banana and Wildberry flavors, are part of Ronalds wannabe-Starbucks McCafe line, as well as a corporate-wide push toward healthier (or at least what appear to be healthier) options. "Real Fruit Smoothies" is their full name, a qualifier of wholesomeness which begs the question: What kind of fruit is going in the apple pies? From behind the strategically obscured McCafe barista station at the Columbus and Reed Mickey Ds, I couldnt decipher just what the pleasant (foreal!) counter gal was putting into my Wildberry Smoothie. Fortunately, website reveals all: low-fat yogurt, ice, strawberry puree, water, sugar, blackberry puree, blueberry puree, concentrated pineapple juice, concentrated apple juice, plus "less than 1%" of cellulose powder, xanthan gum, colored with fruit and vegetable juice, natural (botanical source) and artificial flavors, pectin, citric acid.

Photo | Adam Erace

You're looking very purply today.

Delicious or Suspicious verdict: You know what? The gogo-purple puree tasted good a little like liquefied Gushers perhaps, but right frosty and refreshing. The berries arent local, and the cow responsible for the yogurt was probably treated about as well as Halle Berry during the David Justice years. But its McDonald's, not McMiracles, and at 210 calories for a small guy compare that to 550 in the McCafe Caramel Frappe, for example Id certainly rather put that in my body than a lot of other things in Ronalds house. (Thats what Grimace said!) Thus, I declare the McCafe Smoothie Delicious, but conditionally so. It's cheaper and more healthful to make smoothies at home, but should you find yourself cruising the great highways of the USA this summer and you're suddenly struck by the irresistible craving for blended fruit and yogurt, well, then be my guest. You could do a lot worse.

SamJ

Posted 2010-09-07 10:03:57

Was wondering about this myself. What's more, I think I've been suffering from a xanthan gum deficiency lately, so perhaps I will give it a try...

poncho

Posted 2010-09-04 17:34:31

Awesome write up - this almost makes me want to go to McDonald's.

I hope we see more "Delicious or Suspicious" on Meal Ticket, it's one of my favs!

Posted by Adam Erace @ 4:42 PM Permalink | Post a comment

1 | 2 | 3

If you don't know Nutella is bad for you and your kids, then you are a total idiot and a bad parent.
Bummer: Grub Street Philly shutting down
Notes from the Weekend: May 20
Afternoon Snacks: Rachael & Guy do improv, Bacon hot dogs, Seasonal cocktails both posh and... less-so
Frozen Drinks Alert: Water ice cocktails at Noir
Now Serving: Jerry's Bar
Serious Eats weighs in on Questlove's fried chicken joint
Afternoon Snacks: Ramen burgers, Faux-artisanal liquor, Pet worms
Hell's Kitchen casting in Philly
Spike TV's "Bar Rescue" turns Swanky Bubbles into Sheer

About this blog

Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews here — those are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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