|
|
|
Archive: March, 2010
 |
| VeggieTrader.com |
| A natural idea |
Though it is unlikely Philadelphia residents have anything blossoming in the garden right now, the spring planting season is just around the corner. File this one away for that summer day when you have more tomatoes than you can eat, and are really wishing for a few ripe peaches.
VeggieTrader.com is a free Web site where gardeners can barter or sell the overflow from their patch; those just looking for local produce can buy posted items available in their neighborhood. Their How It Works page has the nitty-gritty on the possible taxes, licenses and quarantine zones that traders should be aware of.
With only three weeks until the vernal equinox, tiny peat pots and seed packets are calling. Non-gardeners in search of exceptional local produce should mark March 15 on their calendars, when Greensgrow Farm opens their summer CSA to the public.
There is a similar service called Neighborhood Fruit (http://neighborhoodfruit.com) that enables people to find and share produce within their communities - they even have an iPhone app, called Find Fruit!
 |
| Barbara Adams Beyond Wonderful |
Wine is fine for pairing with fermented edibles, but ale, in our humble opinion, is an even better partner. Learn some tricks with like-minded folks when cheese blogger Madame Fromage and Philadelphia Brewing Company conduct a cheese and ale tasting on March 13 at Quince Fine Foods (209 W. Girard Ave.) from 4-6 p.m.
Get schooled on how to connect the perfect pair (of beer and cheese, love connections are not included) while PBC brewer Dean Browne pours goodies including Rowhouse Red and Walt Wit. Email quince[at]quincefinefoods[dot]com to reserve a spot ($12).
Eight months after closing his restaurant Ansill, chef David Ansill has found a new home at Ladder 15 (1528 Sansom St.). Owners Max Tucker and Mike Mastellone, unhappy with Ladder's less-than-stellar food reviews, sorted more than 150 chef resumes before receiving Ansill's. "I called my partner immediately," says Tucker. "I was so excited. Our vision was for phenomenal food, and you need a phenomenal chef to make it happen — I can't believe we got David Ansill."
Ladder's new menu, which is still in development, is essentially bar food. "This is the food I like to eat," says Ansill. "I'd rather sit at the bar and order a few apps instead of an entrée. It's affordable, social and very beer- and wine-friendly." The fryer gets a workout with curried lamb-filled "empanadas" ($9) and a fried cauliflower plate ($7) that Ansill freely admits he"stole from Mike Solomonov at Zahav. It does have a different sauce." Perhaps the pièce de résistance is the new Ladder 15 burger — ground sirloin topped with wine-braised shortribs, mushrooms and caramelized onions on a Metropolitan Bakery brioche bun, sided with a bone of roasted marrow, black truffle aioli and a wee pitcher of truffle jus ($18).
New wine lists and rotating draft beer selections are currently in the works, but have been overhauled once already. Zach Smith, who opened the restaurant as a bartender, has taken the reins of the cocktail list, banishing the overly sweetened drinks that so annoyed City Paper critic Trey Popp in his May '09 review.
Check out the new menu here, and look for my debut booze column, Spirit Sister, in the March 11 print edition of City Paper for more on the story behind the big changes at Ladder 15.
UPDATE: Check out Ansill's full menu below.
 |
| Click to enlarge |
Go Dave go! This menu looks great. I can't wait to come in to eat.
The Korean Taco's are great, the grilled chorizo is killer, and David Ansill has done an amazing job with the food at this joint. This is a dream come true for me as I live on 15th and Chestnut. I come to this place often for the drinks and the scene and now I can enjoy really good eats too. My only gripe is the place gets really crowded but that's why I go during the week.
The Korean Tacos are one of the best bar foods in the city...and several other parts of the menu are outstanding. I was happy to see that they kept the chicken lollipops (their version of wings) from the old menu...very good. Zach is also a great bartender...their beer selection is a little boring though...hope they get a few big interesting beers on the list (Stella, Leffe, and most of the others can be found in any hotel bar). With that one addition, would be a top spot....and is pretty darn close to that already...
Yeah, food is much better- but the ugh, the crowd is still painful.
Beer list is having a complete overhaul. Look for the details tomorrow. Some big big surprises on the new 'opening tap list'.
[...] 15 rejiggering its entire concept after the arrival of chef David Ansill. Check out Flea’s previous coverage of the bar here on Meal Ticket. Felicia D’Ambrosio’s new City Paper column, Spirit [...]
[...] we mentioned a few weeks back, David Ansill has landed at Ladder 15 and tonight he debuts his new menu with free bites after 8pm. Ladder 15 has also revamped their beer and drinks menu to better [...]
 |
| Photo | Drew Lazor |
We love this place! Where is this place?
Kung Fu Necktie
Jess: Nope! Way south-er than that.
STOGIE JOES!
Varga Bar?
Doobie's?
Good guesses, y'all, but Kibby's got it — Stogie Joe's it is. Some good meatballs! Also, check out today's Notes from the Weekend post for a tip on how to get a free beer here.
The Glenlivet Distillery, located in the craggy, mountainous Scottish Highlands in Speyside, is the oldest legal distillery in the parish of Glenlivet, having operated almost continuously since 1824. Glenlivet-brand whiskies, which are clean, light-tasting spirits -- a result of their characteristic lantern-shaped, long-necked stills -- are the top-selling malt whiskies in the United States and the second largest-selling brand globally.
XIX (Nineteen) restaurant (Park Hyatt at the Bellevue, 200 S. Broad St.) will host Glenlivet brand ambassador and whisky master Ricky Crawford at 7 p.m. on Wed., March 10 for a Glenlivet tasting dinner that showcases the spirit's unique flavor profile paired with chef Marc Plessis' four-course menu. Crawford will act as guide for dinner guests, sharing information about the Scotch whisky-making process as well as notes on each individual whisky.
A reception with hors d'oeuvres and Glenlivet 12 year old precedes the meal; courses paired with Glenlevit 15 year old (Hudson Valley foie gras), Glenlivet Naddura 16 year old (Maine rock crab), Glenlivet 18 year old (butter-poached lobster) and Glenlivet 21 year old (sticky toffee pudding) follow. The evening is capped off with a toast of the rare Glenlivet XXV 25 year old whisky. The $75 ticket price is inclusive of tax and gratuity, as well as the commemorative tasting glass used during the meal.
Tickets may be purchased at XIX restaurant, by telephone at 215-790-1919 or online at hyattbellevue.ticketleap.com; see the full menu after the jump.
 |
Social comments and analytics for this post... This post was mentioned on Twitter by MaltF: XIX hosts Glenlivet Scotch whisky dinner March 10: Philadelphia Citypaper (blog)... light-tasting spi... http://bit.ly/9BHHi6 #malt #whisky...
Should be great, hopefully there won't be any townies in attendance, sometimes the Bellevue needs to do a better job of security, not allowing pedestrians to hop off of public transit and pretend to be grand.
|
| Photo | Neal Santos |
Surely you've caught a bit of the food-geek buzz surrounding the Old City location of Han Dynasty (108 Chestnut St., 215-922-1888), Han Chiang's third area restaurant. (For lots of details, read Trey Popp's Feb. 12 review.) If you haven't been in, though, there's no better way to get the full experience than by dropping by tonight for Chiang's first-Monday-of-the-month tasting dinner.
For $25 a head — yes, twenty-five dollars a head — Chiang will feed you Sichuan delights until you scream uncle. "I just start bringing food out," he says, "and I keep bringing it out until people tell me to stop." Most of the dishes are off-menu, too, so you won't quite know what you'll be eating until you arrive. In other words, this is not really for diners with multiple dietary restrictions and/or the picky-choosy. If you count yourself among the slightly adventurous, though — we know a few local chefs who've attended the tasting and swear by it — the deal is unbeatable.
The tasting starts at 7 p.m., and those interested are seated at a communal table. BYOB. Reservations aren't required, but encouraged.
[...] Dealage: First Monday tastings at Han Dynasty [Meal Ticket] geopress_addEvent(window,"load", function() { geopress_makemap(148381,"Han Dynasty Center City",39.94803,-75.142931,"google",Mapstraction.ROAD, { pan: true, zoom: 'small', overview: false, scale: false, map_type: false },15) }); [...] Dined at Han Dynasty last night for the first-Monday-of-the-month dining deal. The oblong table was a bit awkward, with about 30 participants awaiting the barrage of super spicy Sichuan offerings. The decor is sparse to say the least, the place settings minimalist, and service in the hands of only 2 guys was underwhelming. Each course was barely described, only learning more after some prodding on my part. Chile oil and spice abounded. Large bowls of white rice (acting as a 'coolant') accompanied all the dishes, which included shaved pork belly with cucumber, al dente noodles in a chile oil broth, braised frog, flounder with pea shoots and mushrooms, crunchy green beans seemingly wok-tossed in garlic, caramelized bits of meat in a general tsao's chicken-style coating, sauteed rabbit, and pork and chopped greens. There wasn't a point where diners were asked if they wanted more...the delivery of food abruptly ended and a morose dessert of candied rice balls floating in a gelatinous liquid with egg bits was provided. A more cooling ending to the spice-fest would have been preferred. We sat around awaiting a bill of some sort, but $25 was asked for and given, and the night abruptly came to a close. The food was outstanding and different, but I would make the communal table smaller, have a written menu so diners know what they are eating, enhance service, and ensure a cool and refreshing dessert.
[...] City’s Han Dynasty (110 Chestnut St.) has been hit with such a wave of interest in its first-Monday-of-the-month $25 tastings that owner Han Chiang has decided to expand the deal to the third Monday of every month, as well. [...]
 |
| Real ale for real men |
In the early 1970s, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) coined the term "real ale," defined as "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide." Real ales are also described by the vessel from which they are dispensed, as "cask" or "cask-conditioned" ale. Aluminum and stainless steel casks descended from wooden barrels are the most common, including firkins (72 Imperial 20-ounce pints, or one-fourth of a full barrel) and pins (half a firkin).
Yards Brewing (901 N. Delaware Ave.) will commemorate the tradition of fresh, locally produced cask ale when they commence hammering dozens of taps into as many bungs at 1 p.m. on Sat., March 21 at the second Real Ale Invitational. More than 25 breweries, invited expressly by Yards for their skillfully made cask-conditioned ales, will pour their best. Music by Jazz Horse, snacks, commemorative glassware and beer are all included in the ticket price ($50 advance/$60 day-of, if available), which can be upgraded to VIP ($65) for those who would like a private tour of the brewery with founder Tom Kehoe.
Eyeball the participating brewers after the jump. Ticket are available on Yards' Web site.
* Allentown/Bethlehem Brew Works
* Dock Street Brewing Company
* Dogfish Head Brewery
* Elysian Brewing Co.
* Flying Fish Brewing Company
* Fullers
* Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
* Manayunk Brewing Co.
* Nodding Head Brewery & Restaurant
* Otto's Pub & Brewery
* Oskar Blues
* Philadelphia Brewing Company
* Rock Bottom Brewing Company
* Sly Fox Brewing Company
* Stewarts Brewing Company
* Stoudts Brewing Company
* Triumph Brewing Company
* Troegs Brewing Company
* Victory Brewing Company
* Weyerbacher Brewing Company
* Yards Brewing Company
[...] Exit 16 to taste when it debuts at McGillin’s on Mon. and barrel upon barrel of brew at the Real Ale Invitational at Yards tomorrow. There’s also the Saturday Craft Beer Express, shuttling drinkers between eight [...]
[...] Real Ale Invitational at Yards Brewing (901 N. Delaware Ave.) popped off yesterday, when cask ale fans were treated to a [...]
 |
| Photos | Drew Lazor |
 |
Good looks, i've been wondering about this pie since i saw the menu a few weeks back.. Looks tasty
Social comments and analytics for this post... This post was mentioned on Twitter by mealticket: Testing: Chicago deep-dish pizza at Garces Trading Company http://bit.ly/bn6Q2Z (cc @slice)...
The picture looks good, the pie was not. They brought it out super hot, the second we cut it the cheese ran all over the table. Too much cheese, not very fresh tasting, not worth the wait.
 |
Notes from the Weekend is a new Monday-morning feature that sees the members of Team Meal Ticket compiling all the food/drink highlights uncovered during prime eatin' time, Friday to Sunday. Consider this a place for good deals, great dishes, wicked cocktails, recipe triumphs (and tragedies), bizarro conversations and more. We're eager to share our notes, but especially excited to read yours. We encourage you to leave notes from YOUR weekend in the comments. Have at it!
FD: Felicia D'Ambrosio
MD: Marie DiFeliciantonio
AH: Alexandra Harcharek
DL: Drew Lazor
We were two sandwiches, a square pizza and way too many drinks into the night at Stogie Joe's (1801 E. Passyunk Ave.) when we learned that the bar did not accept credit. But we didn't mind using the on-site ATM: They have it worked out so you get a free pint of Coors Light or High Life if you show the bartender the receipt. If you're gonna drop $2.50 on a surcharge, don't do it thirsty. —DL
At Los Amigos (461 Route 73 North, West Berlin, N.J.) on Friday, I quickly ditched my appointed seat on a long banquette for a bar stool after realizing a scary ex-boss and his catty wife were snacking on pre-dinner chips and salsa next to me. This put me in prime position to receive fear-numbing margaritas. —MD
Grabbed an early bite at the bar at Meritage (500 S. 20th St.) on Saturday, where we learned that based on popular demand, they'll begin offering their Korean tacos as a special every Wednesday. Also tried a crazy-good new menu item: a fresh crab and papaya salad served with pomegranate-seed-studded avocado purée, passion fruit sauce and fried lotus chips. —DL
The misreading of a biscuit recipe left me with a Stoli bottle covered in sticky dough (I really need to buy a rolling pin) and the post-bake realization that nowhere did the recipe instruct to "roll out the dough." It's a good thing that virtually any bread project can be saved with butter and honey. —FD
We hit up the Vintage Brunch at Cantina Dos Segundos on Saturday, where we watched people paw through racks of dresses from Sweet Jane while DJ Kyle Miller spun reggae and soul. In between bites of berry- and caramel-topped hot cakes, friends fought over whether Dos Segundos' bacon-infused Bloody Mary or blood orange Mimosa was superior. In the end, though, it was a guava-infused margarita that won my heart. —AH
Not sure why this hasn't earned more fanfare, but chef Mike Stollenwerk has rolled out his infamous $28 Sunday tasting menu, a staple at Little Fish (600 Catharine St.), at his newer, boozier fish (1708 Lombard St.). Pretty convinced there's no better deal in the city. The highlight of the five-course meal for us was a perfect carrot bisque poured tableside over chilled mussels and citrus segments. So orange, so good. Make reservations. —DL
Sunday was spent learning how to make the anthracite coal-miners' cure for anything that ails you, Boilo. My mom taught me this recipe that her grandmother used to make with local moonshine in Mt. Carmel, Pa. Lacking homemade hooch, we purchased two gallons of 190-proof Everclear and earned much ribbing from the liquor store staff. My favorite line from the hand-written instructions: "at this point in the recipe the Boilo may explode." —FD
Prior to Snoop Dogg at the TLA on Sunday, delivery from Los Jalapenos at Bob and Barbara's. Fish tacos and the enchilada were excellent. Other items in the platter less memorable. But two of us for $22 (including delivery tip) + $3 for a Pabst and Jim Beam is a fine night out.
Had lunch this past Saturday at Ants Pants Cafe on 22nd and South. It's a neat little place that gets a lot done with a small space. The food was cooked well, I had the Bacon Stack which consisted of wheat toast, bacon, arugula, two eggs sunny side up and a sprinkle of Pecorino on top. Creme Brulee french toast and sweet potato fries are also highly recommended.
Went to Hoof + Fin on Sunday. It was delicious, well priced and super cute inside. The beef empanada, however, tasted just like taco bell. Not so awesome. Also, I discovered that whiskey and birch beer when put together tastes like cough syrup. I do not recommend.
Had the foie gras scrapple at Silk City finally. Enjoyed, but I'm not the biggest scrapple guy. The root vegetables with it were delicious, as was the homemade bacon on the bacon/parsnip salad my girlfriend got. Took the extra bacon home. Making bacon + PB sandwich tonight. Am excited. Also bought some neck bones and other ingredients from Spring Garden market and made our own pho for the first time. Broth wasn't clear (I didn't simmer at the right temp), but man was it good.
Saturday - Had a glass of chocolate milk from Green Aisle - then headed to Reading Terminal to pick up my first pan pudding piece (had to preorder it from one of the Amish farmers) - told it was like "liquid scrapple" and it is! Took the hunk over to Zavino - the chef made us a pie with it, topped off with two eggs and caramelized onions OMG! For dinner, a visit to Zahav to try the new duck kebab, and I think for the first time, didn't order Hummus (regretted it later) Yesterday - Turkey Melt from Paesano's (with Tuna salad, argula, roasted tomatoes and sharp prov on long roll) and sushi at Izumi for dinner.
I promise to have less chain-y meals to report on in the future, BUT: After we got back from a weeklong vacation in a developing country, all I wanted was a gigantic, head-sized burrito. (Chipotle, natch.) We headed up to the Main Line location, and what's notable (other than how delicious my barbacoa/corn salsa/guac-on-the-side 'rito was) here is that the staff, perhaps through some new HQ-mandated politeness initiative, was CRAZY NICE. Like, asked-me-how-I-was-doing nice. Paid-attention-when-I-asked-for-just-a-little-hot-sauce nice. Came-to-our-table-to-see-if-we-needed-anything nice! It was weird. And nice.
Spent the weekend making gravlax from the One Day Deal for wild Alaskan sockeye salmon fillet I purchased at Whole Foods. Couldn't pass up the $7.99/lb special. First time making gravlax, so hopefully it will turn out good.
Went on a pizza/beer crawl with my high school friend who came down from NYC. Hit up Stella/Zavino/Slice/Osteria/Tacconelli's. My favorite is still Tacconelli's white. His was the Kennett at Zavino, followed by the Tartufo at Stella. Beer is pretty much good wherever you drink it, but the Kwak on Sunday School special at Tria was a highlight.
Dinner on Friday: Sang Kee at 36th & Chestnut. Big (BIG) bowl of broth noodle soup with roasted pork, and some steamed soup dumplings on the side. Still dreaming of it!
Social comments and analytics for this post... This post was mentioned on Twitter by citypaper: RT @mealticket: New feature: NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND, where we round up our Fri-Sun food/drink highlights. Share yours in the comments! http://bit.ly/9XoJvg...
@ Andy and Jennie: Whoa. Big weekends! Thanks to everyone for commenting! This is shaping up to be a fun regular feature. Tell all your overeating friends.
[...] salad; homemade pumpernickel bread. Using Felicia’s alcohol-bottle-as-rolling-pin method (see last week’s NftW), I made Earl Grey shortbread cookies for dessert, which we munched on once the party inevitably [...]
[...] Monday's Meal Ticket, a fascinating detail was revealed in Drew Lazor's account of a dinner at South Philly's Stogie [...]
 |
| Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio |
| My funky honey |
In a quality establishment, a typical 1-ounce serving of artisanal cheese with a blingy accoutrement and crisp carbohydrate vehicle generally runs $5 to $8. Though the virtuoso cheese gets butts in the seats, it is often the accompanying spiced nuts, infused honey, preserves or mostarda that coaxes moody fromage into really singing.
This must have been my reasoning when I bought a $25, 8.8-ounce (250-gram) jar of Sabatino Tartufi truffle-infused honey.
It was after the farm-table dinner at Talula's Table; I'll say Bryan Sikora's heady cooking must have fried my food-budget defenses. At any rate, I did retain enough sense to check that the honey did indeed contain the actual spendy fungus and not just 2,4-dithiapentane, the most common chemical compound (marked "truffle essence" or "flavor" on ingredient labels) that's blended with olive oil to produce inexpensive but one-dimensional "truffle oils."
Sabatino Tartufi truffled honey is distributed by Sabatino North America, headquartered in the Bronx. Its ingredient list reads: "acacia honey, white truffle (tuber albidum) 1.5%, flavour." The signature earthy pungency of fresh truffles, chopped and in evidence as a sort of floating plug on top of the golden liquid, is smoothed and tamed by the super-sweet honey.
The complexity of the fungus was highlighted when the honey was drizzled over Black River Blue from Wisconsin (purchased at Green Aisle Grocery, $5 for 8 ounces). The sugary, tongue-coating honey cut through with salty, citrusy blue cheese and the initial funky truffle attack gave way to a long thoughtful finish. The tartufi showed equal ardor for biscuits (pictured) that were too flat to call successful, but too tasty not to repurpose as a scone-like launchpad for other flavors. Sliced hosui (Asian apple-pear) provided the obligatory plant component and a watery crunch to an otherwise fatty plate.
Very well, very decadent. But worth the price? Here's a Bang vs. Buck breakdown:
One absolutely lavish serving of Black River Blue with Sabatino Tartufo truffle honey and Asian pear
One ounce of Black River Blue cheese at $5/8 ounces.: $.63
About 5 percent of the $25, 8.8-ounce jar of truffle honey: $1.25
One hosui pear from Hung Vuong Supermarket: $1
TOTAL: $2.88
Though 25 clams is a lot of money to spend on a condiment, the stuff elevated the plate from the standard, well-loved combination of blue cheese, honey and pear to a transcendent, money-can't-buy-this kind of moment. Overall you're still saving major paper on a rare and unique gustatory experience -- excellent bang for your buck.
[...] Meal Ticket today, fromage hound Felicia D. went about examining the virtue of a $25 truffle honey she recently scooped. To test if the nectar was worth its price, she fashioned the drool-worthy [...]
And yes I just checked my truffle oil to make sure there was no di-, glyc-, or -ane in the ingredients, and discovered just good ol' Tuber Magnatum Pico. Word! I did not get banged for my buck!
[...] with the tells truffle “flavor” or “essence” means the product within is made from chemicals and contains nary a trace of the fragrant fungus. I might find it marginally acceptable if it [...]
- barstool scientist
- Booze
- Brew Revue
- Chef Salad
- Closings
- Coffee
- Contests
- Dealage
- Dirty Dishes
- Don't Front
- Eat This Immediately
- Field Trip
- Food and Art
- Food and Holidays
- Food and Movies
- Food and Music
- Food and Politics
- Food and Sports
- Food and Web
- Food Blogs
- Food Books
- Food Events
- Food News
- Food TV
- Gifted
- Happy Hour Hopper
- How-To
- In Print
- Interview
- Meal Ticket
- Menu Time
- Not So Quickfire
- Notes from the Weekend
- On Wheels
- Openings
- Patio Drinking
- Philly Beer Week 2010
- Photos
- Private Chef POV
- Product Placement
- Recipes
- Snack Time
- Stiff Drank
- SUPPER
- Tea
- Testing
- Ticket Stubs
- Top Chef
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Video
- Weekly Candy
- Weird Regional Foods
- We're Here to Help
- Where'd We Eat?
- Drew Lazor's Ill-Advised Rant Factory
- Pregame
- Ill-Advised Ranting
- The Week Without Meat
- Philly Beer Week 2009
- Real Big
- Where'd I Eat Last Night?
- Top Chef Masters
- The Good Word
- Next Iron Chef
- Arterial Terrorism
- Food and Radio
