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Archive: April, 2012
Meals on Wheels Delaware, a local branch of the organization that benefits senior citizens, is hosting a number of big Meals from the Masters events this weekend. Tonight, An Evening with the Masters goes down at Wilmington's Doubletree Downtown. More than 30 local chefs, including Monica Glass of Fish and MasterChef winner Jennifer Behm, will be serving up samples and presenting hands-on demos. VIPs ($125; GA is $75) will have access to the Cellar Master's Wine Auction, which includes Glass' desserts, wine tasting and early entry to the event. All guests can enjoy food and drink, live music and a basket contest. Tickets can be purchased online.
Sunday, April 22 will see a benefit Celebrity Chef's Brunch. Chefs from around the country, including Philly's own Daniel Stern and Peter Scarola of R2L and PorcSalt charcutier Matthew Ridgway, are coming together for this fundraiser. In addition to eating, guests can participate in a silent auction to win kitchen supplies, wine or even a vacation. This portion of the festivities will take place at Bank of America in Wilmington and will cost $175. Tickets are available online, and $115 of the ticket price is tax deductible. If you want to attend all the events, an all-access pass is available for $250.
As much as it pains us to write about something Pittsburgh-centric following last night's 10-3 drubbing in South Philly, this involves wings so it's OK: The Quaker Steak & Lube brand, which has roughly 50 automotive-themed fast-casual pitstops in the states (11 in PA), is on track to build three on our side of the Commonwealth.
Though most famous for its flappers, "The Lube" also serves up casual Americana fare like burgers and ribs. The chain (referred to collectively as "Lube Nation," hee) should open its first local location in a year from this month. The expansion is being spearheared by Jeff Druzak of Druzak Merchant Development Inc., a medical supply distribution specialist turned restaurant franchisee.
In conclusion, screw the Penguins, go Flyers.
Photo: quakersteakandlube.com
In dire need of after-dark caffeination this evening? You might want to head to 18th and South at 7 p.m., where some of the best baristas in Philly will compete to make the best damn lattes they can muster. Tonight's competition at OCF Coffee House (1745 South St.) — the first one here since last summer — is April's edition of the monthly battle known as TNT (Thursday Night Throwdown). Watch baristas from all over Philadelphia duke it out for bragging rights, the pot of entrance-fee money, a poster, a bag of coffee and a gift card the nearby Pumpkin Market. As if watching a bunch of dedicated dripsters make foam art isn't enough of a draw, there will also be a Yards keg on the scene.
Photo: Drew Lazor
- With every smokers' favorite holiday on the horizon, Felicia D'Ambrosio talks to some local food pros about the possibilities of cooking with weed. This informal, mostly anonymous survey finds professional chefs and brewers sharing their THC-manipulating tips and tricks. Also, a recipe for weed ice cream!
- Adam Erace was geekd on the idea of a seafood-centric Vietnamese restaurant, but he finds the food at Grill Fish Café, an offshoot of Benny Lai's Vietnam empire, to be too tame.
- In What's Cooking: Spring sneak-peeks at Sbraga, a citric cocktail fundraiser, shuck-off at Oyster House, an Armenian party and more.
- In Icepack: A.D. Amorosi had an interesting tidbit on the future of The Latest Dish and Fluid.
Illustration: Evan M. Lopez
Tomorrow night is the last chance to get a discounted VIP or general-admission ticket to Flavors of the Avenue, the East Passyunk food/drink blowout scheduled for next Saturday, April 28. Securing your spot before midnight on the 19th shaves $5 off of your purchase (get 'em online), knocking VIP down to $45 and the GA down to $25. A total of 21 area bars and restaurants are participating in the event including the not-yet-open Garage and Noir, and live music and a craft market will round up the festivities. VIPs will get access to premium menu items, specialty cocktails and an extra hour in the tent before the rush. Full list of participants is below:
- Belle Cakery
- Birra
- Cantina Los Caballitos
- Chhaya
- Chiarella's
- El Zarape
- Fond
- Fuel
- Garage
- Green Olives Café
- Izumi
- Kris
- Le Virtù
- Marra's
- Mamma Maria Ristorante
- Ms. Goody Cupcake
- Noir
- Paradiso
- South Philly Bar & Grill
- Stogie Joe's
- Tre Scalini
Winter is gone, and so are most of the strong dark beers that make the season warmer. There's still time, however, for a last hurrah before succumbing to the light and crisp beers of spring. Why not sing that liquid swan song with Dark Horse Reserve Special Black Ale?
The ever-pedigreed Chris Kearse, who slid in at chef de cuisine at Pumpkin (1713 South St.) in late 2010 and took Ian Moroney and Hillary Bor's BYO in a daringly personal direction, just got the keys to his first-ever solo restaurant. The Bucks County native, who's cooked locally at Lacroix and Blackfish and has stints at meccas like French Laundry, Alinea, Tru and Charlie Trotter in his arsenal, has partnered with the Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation, which owns the small space at 1911 E. Passyunk that should open by late August. Construction is set to begin sometime in June for the restaurant, a 30-or-so-seat BYO that doesn't have a name just yet.
"It'll be more French than [my food] at Pumpkin," says Kearse. "A little more dialed in, a little more finesse ... very creative, but nothing too crazy. I'm very excited for it." Small menu — think five starters and five entrées ($25ish price point). Outdoor seating and Sunday brunch are also in the blueprints. Kearse plans on continuing his gig at Pumpkin right up until he opens. "I don't need time off," he says.
Photo: Drew Lazor
View galleryHidden beneath the Huntingdon El stop in Kensington's "Little Saigon" is Café Thanh Thanh (2539 Kensington Ave.), which has been serving up home-style chicken pho and other specialties for close to 11 years. They've built up a loyal following of mostly Vietnamese patrons who line up outside of the tiny restaurant every morning ahead of a busy lunch rush. But what exactly makes their chicken pho so damn good, besides its status as the quintessential hangover cure (you'll be doing wind sprints in no time)?
"A celebration of all things old-world" is one line the owners of Bainbridge Street Barrel House (625-27 Bainbridge St.) are using to describe the concept they're currently building out in the old appliance shop at the corner of Sixth and Bainbridge, right next to Bistrot La Minette and across the way from Beau Monde. The 80-seat space, which will also feature room for 40 outdoors, will be a cooper's dream, focused on wines, whiskeys and barrel-aged beers. The food will have a similar artisanal focus, a mixed-up menu accented with aged cheese, plenty of pickles and house-prepped breads and meats. No official word on when the Barrel House will open just yet, but construction's currently underway.
Avram Hornik of Four Corners Management first talked to us about his restoration of NoLibs' venerated jazz club Ortlieb's (847 N. Third St.) in July 2011 — nine months later and the old girl's ready for tunes once more. (It'd been vacant for two years prior.) Officially open at 5 p.m. tonight, the new-look Ortlieb's doesn't have much of a new look at all; it's still got the crimson-lit barroom vibe, centralized stage and old-timers' bar, but plush red-vinyl banquettes in lieu of tableclothed two-tops have freed up the room considerably.
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