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Archive: March, 2011
The Bryan Sikora-helmed restaurant currently under wraps inside the AKA Rittenhouse Square (135 S. 18th St.) is aiming for the first half of May to officially debut (still no name!), but here we've got some teases of what to expect in regards to the menu, courtesy of partner David Fields. (He shared some prelim details with us back in January.)
"The food will be boldly flavorful and sophisticated, but not complicated or fussy," says Fields of Sikora's in-the-works menu, which will mostly be composed of "medium" dishes that fall between traditional starter and entrée size. (There will, however, be a handful of bigger dishes — think a dry-aged ribeye for two with roasted potatoes — especially meant for sharing.) Sikora, the former Talula's Table chef, will draw from Spanish, French and Italian traditions in his new kitchen, a U-shaped, wide-open situation with 10 counter seats. They'll also offer housemade pastas done up in an Arcobaleno extruder.
After the jump, check out a sneak peek of what Sikora's working on (remember that none of this is set in stone).
This weekend, Distrito (3945 Chestnut St.) will premiere its new brunch menu: Peep the $10 "Kegs & Eggs" special, with a choice of huevos rancheros with smoky lager black beans, a Garces-fied breakfast torta or huarache de tomate. That same 10 bones also includes your preferred cerveza: Dos Equis Amber or Lager, Negra Modelo or a Dock Street Rye IPA. They're also offering up a $20 prix-fixe, including a selection of two courses and Garces Trading Co. coffee. Check out the menu in full here; it'll be available Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. If you check it out, let us know what you think!
Photo: Drew Lazor
Old City's Art in the Age (116 N. Third St.) is known for many things, most notably its ROOT and SNAP boozes. But now, with the help of Di Bruno Bros., they're branching out into the world of cheese — a special ROOT-washed Winnimere is now available at the Italian Market (930 S. Ninth St.) and Rittenhouse (1730 Chestnut St.) Di Bruno's locations. Prepared by Vermont's Jasper Hill Farm, the Winnimere is a semi-soft cow's milk cheese that's been brushed regularly with the root beer-like liqueur during its two-month maturation. Wrapping the cheese in spruce bark lends an especially woodsy flavor; the end result has also got a bit of crunch courtesy of crystalized amino acids. The cheese runs $29.99 a pound; if you're not willing to commit just yet, give it a test run at Di Bruno's Ardmore Farmers Market stand on April 9 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
The sheer volume of appealing eats in our Italian Market can make even the most seasoned veteran feel overwhelmed. Fear not — Albertson Cooking School is here to make your shopping experience significantly more manageable with "Eat Your Way Through the Italian Market," their insider's guide to the South Philly thoroughfare. Tomorrow (for $50 per person), Ann-Michelle Albertson will guide you through a walking tour of the area, giving you the skinny on the neighborhood's most venerable merchants. You'll also get exclusive discounts and deals, so it offers something that even the most detailed written shopping guide can't. The tour lasts four hours and starts at 8:30 a.m.; register by emailing cooklin99@aol.com or by calling 610-649-9290. Can't make it tomorrow? There will also be tours on April 2 and 16, May 21 and June 11.
Photo: Neal Santos
Pizza Brain, the combo pizza parlor/pizza arcade/memorabilia museum/cultural center in Fishtown that we first discussed in January, is coming together nicely — mastermind Brian "Brain" Dwyer tells Meal Ticket they're deep in the zoning/architectural survey process right now, and have garnered support of a number of River Ward neighborhood associations thus far. Pizza Brain has partnered with Little Baby's Ice Cream, which Adam Erace told you about a few weeks back; they'll operate their mobile sweets business out of Dwyer's pace.
But here's the most immediate accomplishment of the bouncing-off-the-walls pizza impresario: He's convinced the Guinness Book of World Records to come to America and survey his collection of pie-related materials to determine if he does, indeed, own the largest collection of pizza memorabilia on the planet. (The records he's brandishing above are about .000000000000000000000000000001 percent of his stash.) Record-seekers must pay to have an official surveyor come to them, so Dwyer is working on some fundraising initiatives. He hopes to get the Guinness rep here sometime in June 2011.
Photo: Drew Lazor
Fair Food's Brewer's Plate, which brings together Philly restaurants and area brewers for what is typically one of the most swoonworthy food events of the entire year, goes down this Sunday, March 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Penn Museum (3260 South St.). Though a handful of VIP tix remain, general admission is sold the eff OUT. Lucky for you, then, that Meal Ticket's got two pairs of GA tix we want to give away!
Here's what you do to win: If you're not already registered to comment on the new-look MT, do so by clicking the "Post a comment" link below. Set yourself up, and then WRITE US ONE SENTENCE ABOUT WHY YOU DESERVE THESE TIX. MAKE IT FUNNY, MAKE IT TOUCHING, MAKE IT SUBVERSIVE, MAKE IT BRIEF! DO THIS BEFORE 3 P.M. TODAY, FRIDAY, MARCH 11. After the deadline, we'll select our two favorite entries. Make sure you register with a legit email address that you actually check so we can contact you if you win.
Good luck!
UPDATE [3:34 p.m.]: Congrats to Meal Ticket commenters Bryanp and kitchenplay for snagging Brewer's Plate tix! Their winning sentences after the jump.
Memphis Taproom (2331 E. Cumberland Ave.) first shared plans for an adjacent beer garden with Meal Ticket last May, and it's looking like owners Brendan Hartranft and Leigh Maida are getting very close to officially debuting the open-air space — Maida says they'll host a combo grand opening/third anniversary party on April 23, which'll also see the literal rollout of the blue-green badboy above. The truck will serve as a stationary kitchen for Memphis' beer garden, serving hot dogs, fried pickles and canned beer. No official plans to have the truck roam the city as of now, but last night we had a really awesome dream about hearing "The Entertainer," frantically digging change out of the couch, sprinting outside in slippers and chasing the truck across Fishtown for a Dale's Pale Ale.
It feels like 2011 just got underway, but Kevin Finn, Kevin Davies and Mark Edelson (aka the crew from local brewpub chain Iron Hill) are already looking toward the end to the year to premiere their ninth location: Chestnut Hill (8400 Germantown Ave).
With outposts that include Maple Shade, Newark and Phoenixville, Iron has focused its sights on suburban sites until now; Chestnut Hill will mark the first spot in the city proper, a 250-seater and glassed-in brewery designed by Chestnut Street's Sandvold Blanda Architecture + Interiors. Open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, the menu will follow the other Iron Hills — props for the dedicated gluten-free section — with soups, salads, sandwiches, pizzas, burgers, entrees washed down with six house beers brewed-on-site, plus bottled riservas and monthly releases like the excellent Rye IPA.
Francisville's newest eatery is brought to you by Abu Dhabi and Susan Sarandon.
OK let's explain.
- Adam Erace visits Stephen Starr's uber-hoppin' Dandelion to take in the 'ello-there-guvnah charm of the smash-hit Rittenhouse Brit-pub. There's kitsch and drama aplenty behind the whimsical curtain at 18th and Sansom, but our critic discovers that Englishman chef Robert Aikens is putting out some inspired Anglophilic fare.
- The prices are so very right at 20th Street's Yamaki Sushi, but with the budget-friendly menu comes some inconsistent fish. And yes, we tried a "Cheese Steak" roll in case you're curious!
- In Feeding Frenzy, digest details on the brand-new Farm and Fisherman (opening tonight) and several to-come projects, including Hop Sing Laundromat and Mica.
- Laurel Rose Purdy has your food/drink agenda on lock in What's Cooking, sharing details on this weekend's stout brunch at Johnny Brenda's, next week's five-chef collab dinner at The Corner and more.
Photo: Jessica Kourkounis
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