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Archive: April, 2012
Sowe Bar & Kitchen (22nd and Carpenter), the Divan replacement we first mentioned in February, opens to the public this Wednesday, April 25, at 4 p.m. Here's a look at the neighborhood bistro's dinner, drinks, bar menu and desserts (PDF) — liking the sound of the ricotta gnudi with English peas and morels and the pork belly pastrami sandwich.
There's a serious oven cranking up Andorra way — Pizzeria DiMeo's, located in the shopping center at Henry and Ridge (8500 Henry Ave.), is pie-ing up the hills with father/son team Pino and Antimo DiMeo wielding the peels.
Pino has owned/operated a number of casual by-the-slice pizza parlors since landing in the area from Italy in 1988, but this location is the DiMeo clan's first to truly dedicate itself to the Neapolitan approach, something I learned plenty about when writing this 2010 story on Philly's pizza culture. Pino's hometown is strict about the starting ingredients of its dough — double-zero flour, yeast and water only (don't you dare put olive oil in there!) — and the shop is taking it even further, importing tomatoes, mozzarella and even bottled agua from Italy for their stuff. (It's a heated point of contention among pizzaioli, but Antimo swears up and down the H2O makes a huge difference.) They're plating them by the minute-and-a-half in a very clearly labeled 900-degree oven that burns oak.
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Which bilevel restaurant has this staircase? Stopped there this weekend. Guess in the comments.
The last time we visited Paloma (763 S. Eighth St.), the vivid haute Mexican in Bella Vista, the Phillies were struggling against the Giants in the 2010 NCLS. And that's the problem, according to Barbara Cohan-Saavedra, who co-owns the Northeast Philly transplant with chef/husband, Adán. "We've been packed on Saturdays, less so on Fridays and slow during the week," she reports. Those all-too-common sluggish weekdays are the reason for the restaurant's Tuesday-through-Thursday prix-fixe, where $30 buys three courses of Michoacan-born Saavedra's alta cocina. Choose from five apps (don't sleep on his caesar, arranged in vertical romaine tower ringed in hibiscus petals), six entrées and three desserts from Cohan-Saavedra's pastry repertoire. Full menu after the jump.
Monday, April 16
Our brains felt like fried eggs on Monday so we took the day off.
Tuesday, April 17
Vegan fast food joint Hip City Veg has opened in Center City.
Copabanana is expanding on South with an upscale addition called Redwood.
Four Corners' takeover of Ortlieb's Lounge is now open.
Wednesday, April 18
Early word on Bainbridge Street Barrel House coming to Sixth and Bainbridge.
The chicken pho at Café Thanh Thanh is something you need to eat immediately.
Pumpkin chef Chris Kearse is branching out on his own with a restaurant on East Passuynk.
Drink this immediately: Dark Horse's Reserve Special Black Ale.
Thursday, April 19
Pittsburgh-based chain Quaker Steak & Lube is opening three locations in Philly.
Friday, April 20
Matyson and Square Peg launch weekend brunch service.
Memphis Taproom's beer garden is open for the season.
The upcoming Honeygrow will exchange your PPA tickets for food vouchers.
- Remember when we posted about Magpie Artisan Pie Bakery & Boutique? Owner Holly Ricardi reminisces about shoofly pie and shows us how to make it. The vid is just as sweet as you'd expect. You know, I bet if you watch the vid enough times, you'll get all Pavlov's dog about shoofly pie every time you hear Nick Drake. BRB, going to listen to some Nick Drake. Want pie.
- Eating pizza is usually a very fun event, but this guy makes it even more exciting. The vid feels a little voyeuristic, but man, does kid know how to seduce a slice. You know, I bet if you watch the vid enough times, you'll get all Pavlov's dog about pizza every time you hear Prince. BRB, going to listen to some Prince. Want pie.
- Zack Morris and A.C. Slater Jason Cichonski and Chip Roman (we've officially determined that Ela chef de cuisine Billy Riddle to be Screech) document their trip to the forest for some ramp hunting. They share some tips and tricks for ramp-picking and locations to find some of the much-sought-after veggie. Don't overpick and leave some for the rest of us, will ya?
Honeygrow (1601 Sansom St.), which starts serving salads and stir-fries next month, has a nifty promo lined up for its premiere. (We first mentioned the place in December.) Owner Justin Rosenberg has earmarked $1,080 of funds to pay customers' parking tickets. Yes really. Here's how it works: Ignore a meter, block a bus zone or commit some other PPA transgression and bring your ticket to Honeygrow on the day it was issued. You'll receive a Honeygrow voucher (up to $36) you can use to match the fine with food. Considering the café's crazy-packed location, we're looking forward to some rockstar parking/eating.
Photo: Courtesy of Honeygrow
Weather’s looking like a balmy 79 tomorrow for the seasonal opening of the beer garden at Memphis Taproom (2331 E. Cumberland St.). The pub's mint-green truck (above) will be serving hot dogs (much love for the "Suicide," topped with onion rings, roasted jalapenos, sriracha and habanero cream), while the bar will be cracking cans of Sly Fox Pikeland Pils, Sixpoint Sweet Action and other warm-weather brews. And be sure to pop off your beer can tabs and drop 'em in the garden's designated bucket; Memphis collects all season and donates them to the Ronald McDonald House.
Photo: Courtesy of Memphis Taproom
Headhouse Square (Second and Lombard), the head cheerleader of the local farmers’ market class, doesn’t officially open until May 6, but next Sunday, April 29 will see Mitch and Jen Prensky of Supper and Lemon Hill flipping flapjacks for The Food Trust's annual Pancake Breakfast. A $25 ticket ($80 for a set of four) gets you a personal short stack furnished with toppings like grass-fed cream, apple-rhubarb compote and syrup tapped from PA maples. All proceeds benefit the markets organized by The Food Trust, which, incidentally, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary of improving Philadelphia’s access to locally grown, quality food. Tickets available at thefoodtrust.org/pancake.
- Matyson (37 S. 19th St.) is starting brunch service this Sunday, April 22. Ben Puchowitz is stepping aside for the day and allowing Adam Willner and Cheri Fairall to take the reins. Fairall is handling all front-of-house business while Willner, who was most recently a sous chef at The Sidecar (2201 Christian St.), is running the kitchen. Many of the dishes on the menu, which Willner calls a "celebration of the egg, so to speak," use eggs and meat Green Meadow Farm. Keeping in line with dinner service, brunch is also BYO; they'll have mixers on hand to make mimosas and Bloodys, as well as a special mix that will change each weekend. Dishes range from $9 to $12 with sides for $3. Mixes will run you about $8 for a carafe that serves two. Full menu is here (PDF).
- After rolling out lunch service two weeks ago, Matt Levin and Square Peg (929 Walnut St.) will begin brunch hours tomorrow, April 21. The includes dishes like housemade scrapple hash with shredded potatoes topped with fried eggs, roasted long hots and onions; and bananas foster French toast pegs with banana slices and coffee caramel sauce. Dishes range from $4 to $13.50. The Peg's got you covered for booze — their mint julep menu features five different juleps (!) for $8 each. Traditional drinks are available, too, as well as twists on classics, like the Bacon Mary (bacon-infused Laphroaig 10-year, tomato juice, Worcestershire, lemon and orange juices, molasses and a secret spice blend). The full lunch menu will be also available during brunch service, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
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