Archive: January, 2011

Hot tandoori action for Tashan

POSTED: Friday, January 14, 2011, 9:23 PM

Filed Under: Food News | Openings | Photos

Courtesy of Tashan

Tashan, the in-the-works Indian restaurant from Tiffin's Munish Narula (777 S. Broad St.), is sparing no expense when it comes to its tandoor ovens. He and chef Sylva Senat recently traveled to London to check out wares from The Clayoven Group, which specializes in the awesome-blossom mosaic tandoors seen above. The ovens, the first of their kind in the United States, will be the centerpiece of Tashan's kitchen. As of now the restaurant is slated to open in the early spring; head here for some prelim details.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 9:23 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Win tix to next weekend's Winter Beerfest

POSTED: Friday, January 14, 2011, 8:06 PM

Filed Under: Booze | Contests | Food Events

Meal Ticket has two pairs of ticket's to the 2011 Winter Beerfest, scheduled for next Saturday, Jan. 22, at the Starlight Ballroom (460 N. Ninth St.). You want? Be one of the first two smarties to email the correct question to the quasi-tangentially winter-related trivia question to drew.lazor@citypaper.net (subject line: Winter Beerfest) and that's all you, babe. DO NOT LEAVE THE ANSWER AS A COMMENT!

The soundtrack of the 2000 kids' movie Snow Day features a song from the daughter of what non-contiguous crooner?

UPDATE [3:24 p.m.]: Congrats to Meal Ticket readers Elizabeth B. and Alyssa Z. for winning! The answer is after the jump.

The Snow Day soundtrack featured a song by Hoku, aka Hoku Ho, aka Don Ho's daughter. Tiny Bubbles!

The latest on Winter Beerfest :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2011-01-25 15:04:13

[...] what does this mean for those of you who’ve already bought (or won) tickets? Worry not, as tix from the original date will still be honored on the 12th. If you can no longer [...]

Tweets that mention Win tix to next weekend's Winter Beerfest :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2011-01-14 16:27:05

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Marcos Espinoza, Gumppette. Gumppette said: RT @mealticket: We're giving away 2 pairs of tix to next weekend's Winter Beerfest: http://ow.ly/3E5UI [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 8:06 PM Permalink | Post a comment

It's "Pizza Week" at Stella

POSTED: Friday, January 14, 2011, 4:30 PM

Filed Under: Dealage

Photos | Drew Lazor

If every day is Earth Day, there's no logical reason why every week shouldn't be Pizza Week, yes? Regardless, Pizzeria Stella (420 S. Second St.) has dedicated Jan. 16-21 (it just so happens to coincide with the first week of Restaurant Week) to the 'za, offering a prix-fixe deal that'll give crust pinchers a real taste of the menu. A flat fee of $25 will get you a a glass of house vino, draft beer or non-alcoholic bev, your choice of antipasti/salad plate, your choice of pie and your choice of gelato. The deal is running through the first week of Restaurant Week only.

Tweets that mention It's âPizza Weekâ at Stella :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2011-01-14 12:49:19

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by You Post, Sophia R. Matheson. Sophia R. Matheson said: It's âPizza Weekâ at Stella: If every day is Earth Day, there's no logical reason why every week shouldn't be Pi... http://bit.ly/eMKBVD [...]

T Bird

Posted 2011-01-14 17:53:26

This is one of many packages that make restaurant week in Philadelphia so great. Looking forward to it!

John

Posted 2011-01-31 10:04:37

This is really great!  I love when restaurant week happens in Austin, TX.

I wanted to let you know about my company that some venues are using for events like these to have an innovative method of selling tickets for their unique events they host annually.

They will use our website http://www.ticketbud.com to sell an unlimited amount of tickets for a $19.99 flat-fee for each event.  Using ticketbud is a simpler, faster, easier way to sell tickets to local events, without drowning in needless fees or a complicated registration process. 

The Ticketbud interface is clean, simple and perfect for events at the local level. Setting up an event takes less than five minutes. Everything you need as a host is included: sales tracking, printable guest list, exportable ticket data, 2D bar-coded tickets (you can actually scan) and a public event page that makes purchasing tickets simple for your guests. 

Let me know if you have any questions or request for suggestions on how we could be of service to you.


Keep Cooking,
John

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 4:30 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Perch Pub opens Jan. 21

POSTED: Friday, January 14, 2011, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Openings

Joe Varalli, who owns the long-running Upstares and Sotto Varalli at the corner of Broad and Locust, has big changes afoot for his stacked-up concepts. The menus for the two theater destinations will be combined to provide a focused Northern Italian/seafood approach for the ground floor, now known only as Varalli, while the top floor is now going by Perch Pub. A gastropub of sorts, Perch will pour local craft beer and feature a moderately priced ($1.50-$19) comfort-food-style menu (melts, tacos, braised lamb shank, housemade chips and fries; we hear they're doing a LaFrieda burger, as well) from chef Bill Carroll. The concept will formally launch next Friday, Jan. 21, at 4 p.m.

Debi DiMattia

Posted 2011-01-20 12:32:03

Hi Joe, Wishing you good luck. However I'm sure you don't need it you will do great!

Ralph Scott

Posted 2011-01-15 09:09:28

Good Luck Joe! You'll knock 'em dead. Count the money.

Posted 2011-01-15 11:33:06

Should be great!

Anthony Santini, Sr.

Posted 2011-01-17 15:32:00

Hi Joe,

   Just wanted to wish you luck.  If the professionalism and friendliness of your downstairs staff carries through to the Perch, then this should have no trouble being a success.   May I mid-week Happy Hour Specials especially on Center City's. "Make it a Night" Wednesdays. 

   I'd be happy to host the first Happy Hour Special for my group of Family and friends.  Here's another idea for you to thionk about. "Federal Employee Fridays!"  There are over 80 Fedral Agencies in and around Center City Philadelphia representing thousands of employees.  All Federal employees can show you some form of a Federal ID.  If you were to offer special drink prices or free buffet items during a Happy Hour, I can spread the word.  Thanks.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 3:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

SNACK TIME: Ginuwine's comeback, B.C. Wine caves, True honey buns, Your own Robo-diet-tron, At-home almond butter, Food Lit for Kids

POSTED: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 10:35 PM

Filed Under: Snack Time

Luxist.com

- You still love chocolate milk, right? I mean, who doesn't love chocolate milk? Apparently there is a 40-PROOF ADULT CHOCOLATE MILK out there, and the spokesman is none other than your favorite '90s R&B player, Ginuwine, posing as (what else?) the milkman. - While dusting away at an Armenian cave, looking for ancient shoes or something, scientists uncovered a "winemaking operation" that dates back more than 6,000 years! This is the oldest-known wine cellar in the history of history. Check out Gawker for details on the old-school way of doing it. - The hot commodity in prisons these days is apparently the sickly sweet honey bun â used as a means of currency and a sweetening agent in producing bootleg wine out of fruit juice by inmates, reports Slashfood. - Winter makes everyone laaaaazy. It's cold, and we (by we I mean I, and probably we) snack away to stay warm. If you don't have time to check yourself, it's OK â you can acquire your own personal diet coach! A robot! A personalized robo-nutritionist! You can find all the details here. Wait, what? - Not sure the robot would approve, but check out Food In Jars' recipe for Maple Almond Butter. I imagine this would be absolutely divine on a slice of fluffy toasted brioche. - Thanks to the Food Network and endless chef reality shows, even 5-year-olds are food know-it-alls these days. Now, they have their very own publication to geek out just like the rest of us â Ingredient Magazine. LESS TV, MORE READING! Kids make great at-home sous chefs. Just keep them away from the knives.

Tweets that mention SNACK TIME: Ginuwine's comeback, B.C. Wine caves, True honey buns, Your own Robo-diet-tron, At-home almond butter, Food Lit for Kids :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2011-01-14 06:15:26

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Marisa McClellan. Marisa McClellan said: Aww, thanks @mealticket, for including my almond butter in your round-up this afternoon. http://bit.ly/h9JwVY @laurelro, you made my day. [...]

Posted by Laurel Rose Purdy @ 10:35 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Yes, the Soup Nazi is seriously coming to Philly to serve soup

POSTED: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 9:42 PM

Filed Under: Food Events | Food TV

A few months after converting his summertime water ice stand into a gourmet soup bar, Darrell O'Connor of Doc's (169 W. Girard Ave.) found himself being questioned regularly in regards to the whereabouts of a man known only as the "Soup Nazi." O'Connor admits that he hadn't seen the famed Seinfeld episode until recently, but following an overwhelming number of customers bringing up the resemblance of Doc's to the fictional soup stand, O'Connor reached out to the man behind the impatient mustachioed legend, Emmy-nominated actor Larry Thomas, and invited him to Philadelphia. Thomas will be serving knee-buckling excitement to Philadelphia Seinfeld fans, ladling in full Soup Nazi get-up this Saturday, Jan. 15, from noon to 3 p.m. While we can't say for sure that Mulligitawny will be on the menu, please remember: No embellished orders, no extraneous comments, no questions, no compliments. Just following the ordering procedure and you'll be fine.

Jawn Philly

Posted 2011-01-13 19:55:09

Check out Doc's on the jawn - http://www.thejawn.com/view/9403/docs-gourmet-water-ice

YES Soup For You! – 94 WYSP

Posted 2011-01-13 22:32:21

[...] According to Citypaper, Thomas will be serving soup from noon to 3pm this Saturday (Jan 15th). The address is 169 W. Girard in Philly.     0 comments print       Filed Under: Doc's Gourmet Soup, Fishtown, Gordon, Northern Liberties, Seinfeld, Soup, Soup Nazi        Leave a Comment Below  print [...]

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, Jan. 10-14 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2011-01-17 10:13:51

[...] B.C. Wine caves, True honey buns, Your own Robo-diet-tron, At-home almond butter, Food Lit for Kids• Yes, the Soup Nazi is seriously coming to Philly to serve soup• IN PRINT: City Paper Food and Restaurants, Jan. 13• Non-Restaurant Week deals for [...]

Posted by Erin Finnerty @ 9:42 PM Permalink | Post a comment

IN PRINT: City Paper Food and Restaurants, Jan. 13

POSTED: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 9:03 PM

Filed Under: In Print

Photo | Neal Santos

- East Falls' Fork & Barrel wins a million points for its stylish one-of-a-kind Euro beer list, says, Adam Erace, but the food could use more focus. - Feeding Frenzy has details on The Dandelion, the resurrection of Little Fish and two new exciting chef-driven projects for Center City. - Check out What's Cooking for info on this weekend's beer brunch at Wishing Well, a bubbly dinner at the Art Museum, a mac-off in South Jerz, and, of course, Restaurant Week. - Writer Andrew Friedman's Knives at Dawn follows the progression of America in the 2009 Bocuse d'Or, perhaps the most prestigious and ridiculous culinary competition in the world. The 2011 installment of the intense cook-off is coming up on Jan. 25. - Over in A Million Stories, check out Holly Otterbein's first-hand account of the truly revolting-sounding SugarHouse Wing-Off eating competition. Keep that meat in your mouth!

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 9:03 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Non-Restaurant Week deals for Restaurant Week

POSTED: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 6:26 PM

Filed Under: Dealage | Food Events

The madness that is Center City District Restaurant Week pops off again this Sunday. Nothing's changed â $35 gets you three dinner courses at more than 100 Center City joints for dinner ($20 for lunch). Despite the guaranteed business boom in this snowy winter lull, certain chefs and restaurant owners still choose to (or are forced to, due to location) fly off the RW radar, and we want you to know what they're doing in lieu of it. Many feel that diners are not getting the genuine intended dining experience during RW. Chef Marc Vetri, for example, feels that RW is a "lose-lose for customers and restaurants alike." Restaurants, he says, "lose because they are not showing you their best" (they often pare menus down to easily cranked-out items to meet massive demand); diners lose due to unmet expectations. "There will be no choices," says Vetri. "They can't order what they want." So, will the chef's Amis, Osteria or Vetri do anything special to counter RW programming? "Yes," Vetri tells us. "We are serving the same food and ambiance that we worked so hard to create every day." Bravo. Even though Vegan restaurant Horizons (611 S. Seventh St.) is a leap away from South Street, they are not included in the RW lineup. Because three courses for $35 is a nightly occurrence here, they are offering up Restaurant Tweak, which includes four courses for $30, while still offering the daily a la carte menu. Burn! Beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 18, Cochon BYOB (801 E. Passyunk Ave.) will showcase five courses for $30. This will run until Jan. 21, so make reservations quick â the decadent menu includes cured foie with sour cherries and Strasbourg sausage with pickled turnip spaetzle.

Bistrot La Minette (623 S. Sixth St.) is sticking to business as usual. Every Sunday, Peter Woolsey and crew offer four courses for $29 â $6 less than the RW price for an extra course. La Minette is also featuring a four-course "regional" menu, keeping things localized to the Alsace-Lorraine portions of France, for $35 (Jan. 26-27).

PhilaFoodie on Flickr

Every Thursday, Bar Ferdinand (Liberties Walk, 1030 N. Second St.) chef Dave Kane presents a weekly $35 chef's tasting menu, which, intended for two, presents 13 plates featuring seasonal ingredients. In the tapas realm of RW, you're still only seeing about six plates, so this is a deal. Spanish wine pairings are available for an additional $25. Khyber Pass Pub (56 S. Second St.) will be hosting a Southern family-style meal on the same night RW kicks off (Sun., Jan. 16). Low and Slow features special guest Gary Wiviott (BBQ expert, "life coach" and author) conducting a tutorial on good at-home BBQ, while the Khyber serves classic soul food, beer and Rye cocktails. Cost: $35 per person, including tax and gratuity (!).

Finally, Pub & Kitchen (1946 Lombard St.) â also non-participants â have decided to nurse those who tirelessly work through these weeks of service. They've teamed up with Sly Fox Brewery for their "Industry Relief Event." Beer specials will be available from Jan. 16-21 and 23-28; $5 before 10 p.m. and $2.50 after. Sly Fox brews will include Pikeland Pils and Dunkel Lager cans; firkins of Chester County Bitter, O'Reilly's Stout on nitro and Saison Casuelijick. Even if you're not a fatigued restaurant worker and just want to avoid the RW crowds, don't fret â P&K extends goodwill to all.

Lily

Posted 2011-01-13 16:38:59

This was such a great piece! I want to go to Bar Ferdinand right now!

Tweets that mention Non-Restaurant Week deals for Restaurant Week :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2011-01-14 05:20:36

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Totally Spain and Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: From @laurelro: A quick roundup of non-Restaurant Week deals during Restaurant Week! http://ow.ly/3Dm8G [...]

Laurel Rose

Posted 2011-01-21 12:42:59

Oh, gourmandjk, I am so sorry to have misled. We just learned midweek about Ferdinand's swap of Chef's tasting with RW "participation."

gourmandjk

Posted 2011-01-21 08:28:48

FYI, Bar Ferdinand is NOT doing their typical Thursday chef's tasting menu during CC Resto Week.  I was sorely disappointed when I showed up there last night for a big celebration with friends, especially since they hadn't mentioned anything when we made our reservation.   In fact, they are doing their own 4-course (and somewhat weak I thought) version of RW, so we went a la carte.  Food was still totally delicious, but don't expect to escape CCRW to find an awesome deal here.

Posted by Laurel Rose Purdy @ 6:26 PM Permalink | Post a comment

R2L's lunch menu debut

POSTED: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 5:28 PM

Filed Under: Food News | Menu Time

Photo | Drew Lazor

Daniel Stern's R2L (50 S. 16th Street) is propelling a lunch menu our way, in tandem with Restaurant Week, on Monday, January 17. The launch will begin with RW format â three courses for $20 â while the ongoing a la carte lunch menu is still TBA. Offerings include some items that are also found on the dinner menu, such as the garden salad and roasted chicken with wild rice and Brussels sprouts; some more lunch-oriented options include a modernized Caesar and chopped steak with stuffed potato skins. Check out the full menu after the jump.

Click to enlarge

Tour Kenya’s Top Birding Spots | Taking care of your pet

Posted 2011-01-13 20:04:46

[...] R2L's lunch menu debut :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia … [...]

Posted by Laurel Rose Purdy @ 5:28 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Where'd we eat?

POSTED: Thursday, January 13, 2011, 3:00 PM

Filed Under: Where'd We Eat?

Maurice

Posted 2011-01-13 10:32:26

Mama's Vegetarian in Center City.

Meghan

Posted 2011-01-13 11:35:18

Definitely Mama's!

Abby

Posted 2011-01-13 12:20:07

Kibbitz Room

Drew Lazor

Posted 2011-01-13 12:46:28

There is no beating you guys. Maurice and Meghan are absolutely correct â this is the Israeli soda cooler at the one and only Mama's Vegetarian. Best falafel around if you ask me.

Julie

Posted 2011-01-13 15:14:33

I should have known this is Mama's, I work half a block from there. I could spend all day at their pickle station.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 3:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Now Serving: Lil' Pop Shop
Notes from the Weekend: June 17
Rock Star cheese dinner at Di Bruno's
The Lite Choice Opens Flagship Store on 16th Street between Walnut & Locust
Afternoon Snacks: Party Pizza, Empellon joins tumblr, Giant bibimbap (!), Snickerdoodle cobbler
Happy National Martini Day!
Vetri opening in the Navy Yard, plus a nod to Le Bec
Gone Fishin'
Free stuff for Father's Day
Dolcissimo! Pastry classes with Le Virtu's Angela Ranalli

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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