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Archive: October, 2009
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David Gilberg and Carla Goncalves' Koo Zee Doo (615 N. Second St.), which we first noted in late August, is hoping to be ready for a Thursday, Oct. 8 opening, Goncalves tells Meal Ticket. That's not set in stone just yet, as they're waiting on some inspection-y stuff, but that's the current plan. More on the spot soon; for now, hit up their Web site or check after the jump to for the Portuguese-inspired menu.
ENTRADAS
Gambas Grelhadas
Grilled prawns
Queijo Fresco
Fresh goat�s milk cheese
Carapau Frito
Fried horse mackerel
Mo�las
Braised chicken gizzards
Past�is de bacalhau
Salt cod croquettes
Riss�is de Camar�o
Creamy shrimp turnovers
Bolinhos de Couve e Pimentos
Collard greens & red pepper croquettes
SOPAS
Caldo Verde
Pureed potato broth with collards and chouri�o
Canja de Am�ijoas
Clam and rice soup
A�orda de Beldroegas
Bread soup with purslane, mushrooms, cheese
and poached egg
SALADAS
Salada de Chocos com Feij�o Frade
Cuttlefish and black-eyed pea salad
Salada de Bacalhau com Gr�o de Bico
Salt cod and chickpea salad with boiled egg
Salada de Tomate com Queijo Fresco
Tomato salad with fresh cheese
PEIXE E MARISCO
Sardinhas na Brasa
Grilled sardines with roasted pepper salad
Caldeirada de Marisco
Seafood and potato stew
Peixe Frito com Arroz de Tomate
Fried fish with tomato rice
Bacalhau � Lagareiro
Grilled salt cod with punched potatoes
CARNE
Arroz de Pato
Baked rice, chouri�o, braised and pan-seared duck
Coelho � Ca�ador
Stewed rabbit with potatoes
Carne de Porco � Alentejana
Pork and clams with crisp potatoes
Bife � Portuguesa
Flat iron steak with presunto, fried egg and fried potatoes saut�ed broccoli rabe
Feijoada � Transmontana
Pork and bean stew
SOBREMESAS
Pastel de Nata
Custard baked in puff pastry cup
Bolo de Bolacha
Coffee soaked wafers with buttercream
Sandes de Salame de Chocolate
Chocolate salami and mousse sandwich
Tarte de Am�ndoa
Caramelized almond tart
Aletria com chocolate
Noodle pudding dipped in chocolate
Today, your boy Tommy Up is giving away the latest rendition of his "Serious Grilled Cheese" at PYT in The Piazza � it's bacon, tomato and your choice of cheese (cheddar's the standard) on a Martin's potato roll � from 5 to 7 p.m. If you're on PYT's mailing list, print out the blast announcing the deal to get your sandwich (usually $8). Or show your server/bartender this tweet. Or hell, just flash this here blog post, Up adds, furthering the time-honored tradition of y'all getting gratis PYT eats as a result of something we said about the spot. So yeah, free grilled cheeses.
The Good Word is a weekly Meal Ticket feature where we ask Philadelphia food people questions. We�re going to start by highlighting the city�s many excellent food writers and bloggers, with eventual plans to extend beyond the scribeosphere. The questions will be different every week unless we come across a really sweet one we want to reuse. Want to nominate a future Good Word candidate (yes, you can nominate yourself), or submit ideas for questions? E-mail drew.lazor@citypaper.net.
In this installment of The Good Word, we�re chatting with Collin Flatt, editor/contributor at Phoodie. In addition to instructing at the Wine School of Philadelphia, Collin consults on restaurant beer and wine lists and represents private clients in the wine auction market.
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What are some of the most underrated restaurants in Philly right now?
I'm going with Rangoon as my underrated haunt. The only Burmese place in town, and it's been around quite a long time. They bring the heat and have really supple and textured plates no one else can match. And I'm not just saying that because it's the next entry in the Search For Umami. It's been a favorite of mine for years with some one-of-a-kind vittles.
Instead of another underrated restaurant, I'm gonna give you an underrated plate. The Royal Tavern is always pimped for its bad ass burger. But what you don't hear enough about is the chicken sandwich. Topped with prosciutto, pear, arugula, blue cheese and honey, it's a flavorful beast and beautifully layered, texture-wise. The snap of the pear against the blue cheese is really kind of precious. I'll order that before the burger any day of the week.
You're a fan of, let's say, "unconventional" eats � organs, odd cuts, stuff like that. What do you think are some good "starter" dishes for the more meat-and-potatoes diners out there?
When taking someone's "offal virginity," try sweetbreads. I know it sounds like it should be further down the continuum of freaky foods, but when done right, they're special. And last year's menu at Cochon had sweetbreads that were basically General Tso's chicken livers. And I mean that as a compliment. They were tasty in a junk-food-accessible way. Anyone would've eaten those. Just don't tell them what it is.
There's at least one commercial winery in every state in America. As a wine guy, which states have produced some unexpectedly good stuff?
Long Island is often talked of locally as a nice wine trip, but the truth is they make some serious Cabernet Franc on the North Fork. It's the real deal, as is their Merlot. Specifically, I would hit up the Old Field Winery, where the unoaked Chard and their Blanc de Blanc sparkler is really something special.
Washington State makes amazing Cab Sauv and Merlot. Look for bottles under $10 from the Columbia Valley. It's gonna blow up in a few years, so buy it up now.
Gun to your head � you HAVE to start working in a restaurant tomorrow, but you get to choose your position. What's your pick and why?
Bread guy. Zahav is my favorite restaurant and the bread makes it for me. Parc is overrated, but I'll go there every damn day for that country bread. It's the best baked anything in the city. Bread guy can't lose. No one's meal is ever ruined by the bread, but some people will leave a restaurant talking about the starchy sex that preempts every dinner.
Ah, good to see our Collin in something other than the police blotter. Dude, you really have to stop braising people's pets. That is clearly the thigh of a Saint Bernard you are chomping on. FYI to Valetta/Adelizzi: Collin is not an idiot, he knows what sweetbreads are. In your rush to make a snide comment, you totally missed the point that he was making an analogy. Also, my comment about him eating dog is a joke, although a sick one admittedly.
Yes I would agree with Collin that Cochon's Crispy Chicken Livers with balsamic reduction and spiced walnuts are like a foodie version of General Tso's Chicken and are super tasty and certainly a great way to indtroduce your friends to the more to meat than just breast and tenderloin cuts, but keep in mind they are not sweetbreads. Sweetbreads are not chicken livers, but are the thymus gland and/or the pancreas of a calf or sometimes lamb....definitely different than chicken livers!
Team Meal Ticket dropped by the Wachovia Center this past Wednesday to check out Appetite for Awareness: A Gluten-Free Cooking Spree. Organized by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) and sponsored by Thomas Jefferson, the evening featured a slew of local chefs preparing dishes designed specifically for those with celiac disease � one in 133 Americans cannot consume gluten, the protein inherent in wheat, barley and rye products. The purpose of the evening, aside from raising awareness about the disease, was to highlight the fact that local restaurants are ready, willing and able to accommodate celiac diners.
Above, check out our chats with Matthew Levin from Rubb, Marcie Turney from Bindi and Lolita, Eric Paraskevas from terra and Keith M. Taylor from Holy Smoke.
Huge thanks to our very own Neal Santos for the video.
YA WELCOMEEEEEEEZ
haha. thumbs up, dude!
Rittenhouse corner boite Snackbar (253 S. 20th St.) revamped their menu a few days ago to keep pace with the crisp weather and the tiny restaurant's freshly lit fireplace.� While certain guest favorites like the breakfast burger with bacon and a fried egg and the classic roasted chicken remain, new items are making the scene, as well.� Executive chef John "Chainsaw" Taus has added small plates like a buttery scallop crudo with pomegranate seeds, mint and champagne granita, and larger plates including ricotta tortellini with butternut squash, citrus and Marcona almonds. Also worth noting: Snackbar serves their entire menu until 1 a.m. nightly, as well as a 5-to-7 p.m. happy hour that halves the price of pierogies, flatbread and calamari, along with a red and a white wine by the glass.
Pictured above are the dishes listed below.� See the complete menu after the jump, and definitely try the fried apple pie with golden raisin creme anglaise.� It's just like Grandma never made.
- Beet salad (red beets, golden beets and candy stripe beets) with almond vinaigrette and honey-goat cheese
- White bean soup with duck confit and fried sage
- Mache salad with French breakfast radishes, prima donna cheese and black olive-walnut vinaigrette
- Steamed cockles with merguez sausage and spicy tomato sauce - and toasted baguette
- Potato pierogies with chive creme fraiche and caviar (from chef's grandmother's recipe)
- Seared salmon with celery root puree, chestnut fumet and green apple
- New York strip with roasted brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes, cipollini onions and red wine sauce
- Peanut butter semifreddo on shortbread cookie with grape compote, topped with a sugar tuille
Photos courtesy of Snackbar sous chef David Goody.
Marinated Olives
6.00
�
Popcorn : Brown Butter � Fleur De Sel
5.00
Mache Salad : radish, prima donna and black olive-walnut vinaigrette
8.00
�
Baby Beet Salad : honey goat cheese and almond viniagrette
10.00
�
White Bean Soup : duck confit and fried sage
8.00
�
House Cured Lomo
10.00
�
Scallop Crudo : pomegranite, mint and champagne granita
9.00
�
Steamed Cockles : merguez sausage and spicy tomato
12.00
�
Calamari : smoked sundried tomato and horseradish aioli
9.00
�
Potato Pierogies : chive cr�me fra�che and caviar
8.00
�
Chicken Liver Pate : dijon mustard, cornichons and crostini
10.00
�
Fried Pig Trotters : chanterelle mushrooms and jalapeno cheese grits
9.00
�
Margherita Flatbread
14.00
�
Seared Foie Gras : poached pear and port gastrique
14.00
�
Braised Short Rib : barley, glazed carrots and red wine sauce
18.00
Ricotta Tortellini : butternut squash, citrus and marcona almonds
16.00
Red Snapper : rice, bok choy and miso beurre blanc
18.00
Seared Salmon : celery root puree, apples and chestnut fumet
20.00
Roasted Chicken Breast : spinach, potatoes and garlic jus
22.00
New York Strip : brussels sprouts, cipollini onions and fingerling potatoes
24.00
Breakfast Burger : sharp cheddar, bacon and a fried egg
14.00
Cheese Plate 3 or 5 cheeses with accompaniments
12.00 / 18.00
�
Triple Chocolate cake : chocolate mousse and white chocolate mousse
7.00
�
Peanut Butter Semifreddo : grape compote and shortbread
7.00
�
Pumpkin Cheesecake : bourbon caramel and whipped cream
7.00
�
Fried Apple Pie : honey-mascarpone creme anglaise and white plum sauce
7.00
Meal Ticket just heard that Daniel Stern's MidAtlantic, in the Science Center at 3711 Market, will open this coming Tuesday, Oct. 6. Below, take a peek at the menu and cocktail list.
Looks like the crab scrapple we spotted on Twitter awhile back will be served as part of a "Crab Louis," with lettuce, buckwheat and a Brandy Louis dressing. What else sounds good to us? Clam and oyster salsify stew, Welsh rarebit fondue with soft pretzels and the nightly specials section, which'll feature eats like meatloaf and gravy, chicken and dumplings and corned beef, colcannon and cabbage.
Check out our July 31 Q&A with Stern for a bit more on the concept, which boasts plenty of influences from this very region.
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| Click to enlarge |
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As we speak, the dames of Les Dames d'Escoffier International � the "organization of women leaders in food" � are packing in to the Sofitel for four days of eating and networking at their annual conference. The org features more than 1,400 members from 26 international chapters �� culinary luminaries, food writers, educators, chefs, PR specialists, historians, scientists, authors, retail specialists, caterers, tour planners, nutritionists, manufacturers, stylists and more. But for all their renown, I felt like there was something missing from their legend � a face, a voice. That was remedied quickly upon speaking with Suzanne J. Brown, a coffee and tea marketing specialist and president of LDEI.
Meal Ticket: When did you take the reins of the organization?
Suzanne J. Brown: A year ago. The term for the president is one year, so my term ends at the end of this conference.
MT: So then, you�re gonna be throwing things around, getting drunk, and the whole event will turn into a bacchanal, right?
SB: Yeah, that�s the way we�ll celebrate when I pass the gavel. But seriously, it�s the president�s responsibility to develop the conference and preside over it. She is the one responsible for it. And then the host, which is Philadelphia this year, has a local committee that will, along with our board of directors, actually execute and to find community speakers.
MT: Why was the organization formed in the first place?
SB: At the time we started in the '70s, there weren't very many women chefs. And it was really not a profession for women. So there were several women in New York � including Karen Brock, our founder, who is still living and will be in Philadelphia � who gathered women together because of her standing in restaurant critic circles. There was a small group of women that got together and thought, "You know what? We need to create a community for women that want to be chefs that want to go to culinary school. We need to raise the awareness that there are a lot of capable women who are already cheffing or that want to chef." So they did � they formed this organization, and the purpose is to raise funds within our chapters for scholarships given to women who want to pursue careers in the culinary field.
MT: Do you feel as if your mission has been met? Are people catching the drift?
SB: I think it�s equal opportunity now, and it�s just continuing to grow and more professionals [are coming] into the field. We discover more culinary opportunities. � One of the differences between Les Dames and other culinary organizations, other than being by invitation only ... [is] that [these] are women of accomplishment. They�re not at the beginning of their careers. They have already sort of made their mark or are making their mark. We have a diverse membership in terms of profession that is different than other, similar kinds of organizations.
We are [also] international and trying to grow that facet of our organization. For instance, one of our goals this year was a new initiative called the Global Culinary Initiative, where we become more active in their communities to engage with the population. Philadelphia is an ideal example. Your international flavors tend to fit within Philadelphia and the surrounding communities. It�s an opportunity for the Dames to embrace that and bring the ethnic culinarians into the fold and share tradition, ways to cook, culture, into our food first, and then to share ours with them. In other words, bring them, let�s embrace them, let�s work with them, let�s learn from them, make them members. We�re about women helping women.
MT: Why did you choose Philadelphia for this year�s event?
SB: Every year, we try to balance the location of our conference. For instance, one year, we�ll have it on the East Coast, which is this year, and Philadelphia stepped up to the plate and offered to be the host city. Last year, we had it in Honolulu. So next year, we�ll go back to the west, and Palm Springs, California has offered to be the host city. We have chapters all over North America, [so] we try to offer a city where at least some part of the population will be able to get there if they hadn�t made the previous one.
This is the 21st conference, and we�re glad to be there. I love Philadelphia � I used to live in Bucks County. We try to develop a theme for the conference that is sort of indigenous with the host city, and this year, because of the wealth of history and the wealth of significant architecture and art and food, we felt that it was the year to really focus on education. I�m an Easterner, so I love the historical, the educational, and enrichment activities that take in those fine points of the Philadelphia area.
Featured speakers include Marion Nestle, Ph.D., Mr. Michael Whiteman, and Marcia Levin Pelchat, Ph.D.� Nestle, the Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, will present the keynote address on Fri., Oct. 2 at 8:15 a.m. on "Today's Food Revolution: Changing the Way We Cook and Eat from Farm to Table." Afterwards, Whiteman, president of Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Company, will address "After the Downturn Turns Around: Preparing for Change." On Sat., Oct. 3, from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Dr. Pelchat will discuss "Our Aging Senses and Cuisine." These presentations are open to food professionals for a fee. To purchase tickets visit ldei.org.
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| Photo | Neal Santos |
- An influx of new restaurants to South Street means the corridor is more relevant than ever as a diner's destination. A.D. Amorosi talks to Stephen Starr, the Percy Street Barbecue team (L-R: Michael Solomonov, Erin O'Shea, Steve Cook) and others to take the current temp of the street where the hippies meet.
- We Q&A chef Jose Garces, who's appearing on the new season of Food Network's The Next Iron Chef, debuting this Sunday at 9 p.m. (Extended version of the interview here.)
- Pumpkin beer Valhalla at The Institute, Midtown Village Fall Festival, a First Friday talk from Tria's Michael McCaulley and more in this week's What's Cooking.
- Three openings of note in Feeding Frenzy � Pizzeria Stella, Flying Monkey Deuce and D.P. Dough.
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| Courtesy of Zinc |
Starting in mid-October, Olivier Desaintmartin's Zinc (246 S. 11th St.) will roll out this duck press. What's a duck press? It's a traditional, mostly archaic French tableside tool — and it is not for the squeamish.
Works like this — you order the duck press special, and your server shears the meat and limbs from the duck's carcass and sets it aside. He or she takes that carcass and inserts it into the cylinder of the press, above. Then, your server twists and twists and twists that wheel at the top, which forces a pulverizing disc down, crushing the carcass into submission. Every last ounce of the duck's blood, juice, marrow, etc. drips out of that little spout at the bottom � and then all that goodness is worked into a red wine reduction, which serves as your sauce.
Zinc will soon begin offering a whole duck, along with a salad and potatoes Lyonnaise, for $70, which is pretty good deal for two Francophiles and/or adventurous eaters.
Want to see the duck press in action? Check out this vid from The Feedbag's Josh Ozersky:
[...] after the jump, but it also behooves us to let you know that the French bistro’s duck press, which we told you about last month, is up and running. Available Tuesday through Thursday (with two day’s advance notice), a [...]
OMG! Scary! I also love that this was the post right after the one asking for vegetarian suggestions.
yum.
Taylor from Mac & Cheese tweeted this call to arms earlier, and we thought it'd be a perfect query to put out there to all you Meal Ticketers:
Help! Suggestions for romantic Philly restaurant (a proposal is involved) for two vegetarians (not me!). Doesn't have to be all veg rest.
So how about it, y'all? Where are some good Philly spots that are both romantic AND vegetarian-friendly? Note that the proposal is not actually taking place at the restaurant � this'll be a post-"YES!" meal for the happy veggie couple, but it still needs that ambience. A few places off the top � Cochon is quite romantic (and, as we told you recently, can accommodate vegetarians). Mi Lah could be an option. And while this may be a slightly obvious pick, how could you possibly go wrong with Horizons?
Farmacia has some good veggie options, and you can bring your own wine with no fee or drink from their bar.
A lot of it depends on the vibe of relationship. If the couple likes to get all doled up, then the posh surroundings and gourmet cuisine of Horizons will suit their fanciness. A similar vibe can be achieved at Blue Sage out in Southampton, if a romantic car ride would add to the event. If the whole proposal is so intense and they're just looking to grub out, then Maoz or Alyan's could be a low-key Mediterranean outing. Or they could just rock veggie burgers and brews at National Mechanics, Nodding Head or Memphis Taproom. Hope the proverbial MAZEL TOV gets blasted over the internets though!
May not be the most romantic, but Adobe Cafe in Manayunk has a tasty veggie-friendly menu!
Pumpkin on South Street always takes good care of my vegetarian wife. Even if there's nothing on the menu, the chef will happily go off-menu and whip up something uniformly excellent.
of course horizons. if this isn't a time to go to horizons, when is? (unless of course they don't have the $$$ to spend.) if the vegetarian doesn't mind only having one or two menu options to choose from, farmicia isn't bad. and if they want an all-vegan place, but can't afford the price of horizons, new harmony is slightly romantic if you're seated in the back, and nobody else is there. also, if they want mediterranean, and don't mind hopping over to jersey, cous-cous is really quite romantic, but like farmicia, few veg options. (but at least they're aware, since the son of the owners is vegan. and the veg shwarma really is the bees' knees.)
i'd say call Zahav and talk to Solomonov. Ask if he could put together a vegetarian menu that you could have in the Quarter on a thursday. typically their tastings are like $80/pp or something, and they have a lot of vegetarian stuff on their normal menu, so he might be willing to do it. and that room to the left, in a corner maybe... pretty romantic.
alex is on an interesting path...i think matyson has in the past (do they still?) offer vegetarian options by request. i've had a lot of success with birthdays by stopping by a restaurant (helps to be at least a repeat customer) a couple days or a week before and requesting a special touch for a birthday. I'd bet a lot would be willing to do that for a post-proposal celebration.
OH also. you could try to beg (AND I MEAN *BEG*) for the table in the kitchen at talula's. i think this could work if you've been there before/have a relationship. especially if that night they're doing a veg menu for some people at the farm table. that would be a pretty baller move too.
Hey, y'all, thanks for all the suggestions for my reader, and keep them coming. As a vegetarian, I'd say the gentleman can't go wrong with Horizons or Zahav, two restaurants I've eaten at before and would highly recommend to vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Horizons, is, of course, all vegan, and there are definitely plenty of great vegetarian dishes already on Zahav's menu, but calling for something a little special for such an occasion is always a good idea. Like people have mentioned, the type of place depends on the couple, but you better not take me to South Street for Maoz (I absolutely adore their falafel) after a proposal to dine standing up on South St! National Mechanics, Memphis Taproom, Nodding Head, Adobe Cafe, and New Harmony also seem a little too casual. Keep in mind he asked for romantic. Any other suggestions?
xochitl is a really sweet place to go on a special date. not so good for vegans, but if you are on the dairy train, the food there is top notch. i don't know about anyone else, but i find good mexican food super sexy. or maybe it's just all the tequila.
on the purely romantic tip, though it might not be nice enough, the outside seating at XIX is amazing. they have avegetarian tasting menu, but i never had their vegetarian food. i was really impressed with them when I went in June. what about the new-look marigold kitchen? it looks like it has a vegetarian option or two for each course. if they're pescatarians, umai's chef definitely would do something special for them.
Rory, I recommended XIX to my reader in a private email. It's definitely fits the romantic bill, and I've enjoyed a nice meal there as well, although I think there was only one vegetarian entree. Again, a call to a restaurant does wonders!
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