Archive: June, 2010

June 29-July 1: Starr teams up with Talula's Aimee Olexy for "pop-up" restaurant

POSTED: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 8:24 PM

Filed Under: Food Events | Food News | Menu Time

Back in January, we chatted with Aimee Olexy of Talula's Table about the possibility of her returning to Philly for a restaurant project, and she confirmed she'd be chatting with Stephen Starr about a variety of ideas. Looks like that all-star teaming has come to fruition, albeit in an unorthodox manner: In two weeks, Starr will unveil an experimental "pop-up" restaurant, run by Olexy, in his Washington Square space, which is used regularly for events and weddings but hasn't been run as a proper restaurant in several years. Ashley Primis, SRO's Director of Special Projects, explains that this is the first of five or six pop-up restaurants they hope to execute throughout this summer, all to be hosted within Washington Square's walls. (Details on what other chefs are involved aren't available yet, but will be soon.) For this first one, Olexy and Talula's chef Matthew Moon have designed a menu (below) that'll be presented a la carte to roughly 150 diners per evening. (Call 215-592-7787 for reservations.) Olexy brought on local wine writer/educator Brian Freedman to tackle the beverage program; Eileen Tognini will put together art for the restaurant, which will be designed to capture the farmhouse-style feel of Olexy's coveted Kennett Square tasting table. Front- and back-of-house staff will be culled from other Starr restaurants for the three-day event, which'll run June 29 to July 1, with tables available from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

Click to enlarge

Mel

Posted 2010-06-16 15:36:39

Any word on pricing?

Drew Lazor

Posted 2010-06-16 15:53:23

Mel, it hasn't been finalized yet but I would guess it's going to be comparable to any other Starr operation. I'll update when I hear more.

Felicia D'Ambrosio

Posted 2010-06-16 17:08:37

The reservationist said entrees in the $20s today.

Anthony

Posted 2010-06-16 17:32:51

Asked Ashley about pricing this afternoon and she told me that entrees will top out in the mid 20s.  Sounds like a really interesting time, I know this has been done in other cities with great success.  The email they sent out called this an " Incubator Restaurant". Leave it to Starr to incubate.

Elizabeth

Posted 2010-06-17 12:08:35

This is a cool idea..I also want to hear more about what Stephen Starr is doing in south philly with the former Broad St Diner!

Tweets that mention June 29-July 1: Starr teams up with Talula's Aimee Olexy for âpop-upâ restaurant :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-06-17 23:12:07

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by SarahKCPhilly, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Stephen Starr and Talula's Table teaming up?! Yes — but for three days only. Details: http://bit.ly/cIgXKo [...]

Recapping: Aimee Olexy’s Talula’s Table Pop-Up at Washington Square :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-07-02 17:53:37

[...] exclusive 12-seat table expanded to accommodate closer to 150 thanks to the first installment of Stephen Starr’s pop-up series at Washington Square, featuring a three-nights-only concept curated by the Kennett Square restaurant’s Aimee [...]

Levantine cuisine from Konstantinos Pitsillides at next Starr pop-up :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-07-13 17:35:24

[...] Kanella (1001 Spruce St.) — one of our favorite chefs with whom to chat — is next up to bat in Stephen Starr’s pop-up restaurant series at Washington Square, the first installment of which featured Aimee Olexy of Talula’s Table [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 8:24 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Does Citizens Bank Park need a Tastykake race?

POSTED: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 7:29 PM

Filed Under: Food and Sports

[source]

A Facebook page — featuring the brilliant, brilliant mockup you see above — recently appeared advocating for Citizens Bank Park to institute a Tastykake race akin to the Klement's sausage race tradition at the Milwaukee Brewers' Miller Park. Do you think Phillies face would embrace such a kitschy addition to our seven-inning stretch? And do you think Tasty Baking Co. and the Phils' organization would go for such a thing? For a bit of context on how Philly tends to embrace such gimmickry: During the Phillies' '08 World Series season, CBP rolled out a mock sausage race — featuring Hatfield hot dogs — in the NLDS against the Brewers. It ended in near-bloodshed — the Phanatic incapacitated all three wiener competitors en route to illegal victory, and there was even an ominous appearance from Randall Simon, the former Pirates infelder who got in trouble in 2003 for hitting Guido (the Italian sausage) in the head with a bat:

poncho

Posted 2010-06-16 14:37:13

This should definitely happen!  I think the fans would embrace it, but then jeer and throw bottles at the loser of the race

Elizabeth

Posted 2010-06-16 19:08:03

Yes yes yes!!!  I will wear the krimpet costume!  This idea is genius!

Jenny

Posted 2010-06-17 14:29:28

only if it's as hysterical as the hot dog race above!

Maureen

Posted 2010-06-17 17:55:18

This would be fantastic.  I think this would be a fun thing to see the fans and the children would really get into this.

Janet

Posted 2010-06-23 16:15:41

Yes, the race would be a hoot!

Erin

Posted 2010-08-30 12:49:31

Genius! Why didn't somebody think of this sooner? I hope they look exactly like the prototypes!

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 7:29 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Is the Belgian Cafe a hotbed of injustice? Tom Peters say no.

POSTED: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 5:18 PM

Filed Under: Booze | Food News

thebelgiancafe.com

Awhile back, Meal Ticket received a message brazenly titled "Injustice at the Belgian Cafe!" Since we've never really thought of the unassuming Tom Peters- and Fergie Carey-owned beer bar (2047 Green St.) as a font of inequity, we decided to read on. The email came from an individual who stated she was an 18-year-old senior at Central High School; she went on to chronicle, in great detail, a "very noteworthy and alarming experience" she had at Belgian. Basically gist: The staff refused to serve her and her 16-year-old sister dinner — no drinks, just dinner — because both of them were underage. An excerpt:

So my sister (16 years old) and I enter the restaurant ... We ask for a table for two, in the dining room. The hostess then agrees to seat us, but first asks to see ID. We quickly explain that we will not be drinking, as we are not of the legal drinking age. This does not seem to satisfy our hostess, who asserts that this is a "restaurant policy." I then explain to the hostess that my sister and I live in the neighborhood, and have eaten here a few times before, unaccompanied by adults. OK, so our waitress scowls and agrees to seat us. ... Our hostess then excuses herself and we peruse the menu. Flash forward 5 minutes. Our waitress returns and, ever so kindly, asks us to leave the restaurant because she has checked with her manager, and we indeed must be 21 to eat there. Baffled and outraged, we inquire as to the reasons for such an absurd policy in a restaurant (not even a pub or bar!). Our hostess offers an excellent explanation: because they are a Belgian beer cafe, and thus, they serve beer. (Doesn't every restaurant with a liquor license serve beer?) At this point, I am livid, and slightly embarrassed. I inform my waitress that she should have double-checked the policy before seating us. As we get up to leave, I explain to my waitress that I am 18, old enough to obtain a bartending license AND to serve alcohol, and that most restaurants in Philadelphia serve beer (although maybe not 250 overpriced options!) I think back to the 2-year-old I was seated next to and laugh. The hostess then says that to eat at the cafe, I must be accompanied by a legal guardian. Legal guardian? I am 18, and have no legal guardian!

She goes on to state that the policy must be in place because Belgian "must not want to waste a table on those who will not be spending large amounts of cash on alcohol."

thebelgiancafe.com

We approached Peters with the email and he responded right away. The rule barring this girl and her sister from eating at Belgian, which Peters concedes should have been better articulated in this incident, was not implemented in-house — it comes down from on high, aka the PLCB. In basic terms, the law states that, unless accompanied by a parent/guardian, an under-21 individual cannot be served anything at a restaurant or bar that chalks up more than 50 percent of its sales from alcohol. Belgian Cafe, which offers a dozen drafts and a bottle list topping 200 choices, meets that more-than-half criteria; therefore Peters is not legally authorized to serve unaccompanied minors, even if they just want to eat. "I turn away unhappy potential guests at Monk's on this issue, and we have a sign posted that delineates those rules," says Peters, who has since hung an identical since at Belgian, as well. (He's implemented the policy at Grace Tavern, too.) "They tend to be angry with the establishment instead of with the PA Legislature. [But] my hands are tied and we cannot legally make exceptions." It wasn't always this way — in the early years of Monk's, they sold more food than beer, both in literal quantity and in dollar value. But as the bar's popularity grew and Belgian beer prices rose, the numbers changed and that under-21 policy kicked into effect.

Posted 2010-06-16 12:56:11

This same scenario happened to my boyfriend and I a couple years back when we both had yet to turn 21 too.  I remember being really embarrassed and pretty confused because we had just wanted some lunch and to try Monk's great burgers/fries/mussels etc.  I remember coming home and finding something similar as the explanation above on the internet and having a kinda of 'oooooh' moment... 

I just wish that the hostess would have explained it like that to us in the restaurant, and not made us feel like toddlers being denied a seat at the 'grown ups' table.  So in that respect, I can understand how the girl above felt, but she should've realized there must have been something more going on.

poncho

Posted 2010-06-16 13:33:08

I really enjoyed reading this, what a great post!

Also, PA liquor laws are LAME AND ARCHAIC.

Tweets that mention Is the Belgian Cafe a hotbed of injustice? Tom Peters say no. :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-06-16 16:31:45

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by CrustyZombie, blank. blank said: RT @mealticket: Customer accuses Belgian Cafe of gross injustice; owner Tom Peters is like "uhh naw" http://bit.ly/boMtXV [...]

BarryG

Posted 2010-06-16 18:15:04

This is a pretty big letdown based on the title of the story.  Why even post it?  I mean, it is pretty cool that Belgian Cafe follows the law in PA, does anyone know any other establishments that enforce these laws??

@poncho, not letting under-21s into bars is a pretty common law in the United States, not some PLCB BS.

@eJ, if you aren't drinking at Monk's, you aren't missing much, and the hostesses give everyone attitude, not just those under 21.

Okonkwo Pride

Posted 2010-06-16 20:16:34

I've been to the Belgian Cafe though and it isn't really a "bar."  The waitress was incorrect though, you don't have to be accompanied by a legal guardian or parent, merely someone 25 or older who can serve as a "proper supervisor."  I am from Nigeria and I know the law better than the waitress!

ehh

Posted 2010-06-16 22:23:41

he's the only one who enforces that. i've been eating alone at restaurants/bars that serve liquor in this city since i was 16. never had a problem anywhere else except for monks.  that's great that they're following the rules, i guess? to tell you the truth, i'd be pissed if i were her and at her age as well.

Dan

Posted 2010-06-17 14:08:34

I dunno about injustice. But what I do know is that Monks is up there with the most overpriced and overrated bars in this fair city. There is no questions that the attitude of the hostesses, servers and bartenders is putrid. That you are always in someone's way. That they charge $8-$12 for beers that can be had at $6-$8 at many places. That their burger is small, but decent and nothing more. That ownership hasn't cleaned, nor put a dime into this place in at least 10 years. And that their fries are a gateway drug to all of this mishegoss. Kidz, there are innumerable better options in this town: Resurrection, North 3rd, Silk City, Standard, SPTR, Kraftwork, Varga, JB's, et al. If you're stuck in center city - try Ladder 15. The food is eminently more satisfying at all of these locations and they are more or less attitudeless.

Dan

Posted 2010-06-17 14:12:47

Oh and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Good Dog. One of the top burgers in the city. Heck, although not really a fan, Misconduct is far more economical, yet gatronomically comprable, option than Monk's.

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, June 14-18 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-06-18 17:50:14

[...] Somebody accuses the Belgian Cafe of underage injustice, and the Belgian Cafe responds.  [...]

Weddings Are A Crock | Independent Builder

Posted 2010-07-06 14:03:36

[...] Is the Belgian Cafe a hotbed of injustice? Tom Peters say no. :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philade... [...]

Speaking of Fergie’s, How Did The Belgian Cafe (And, Of Course, Others) Not Make the Top 50 Bar List? at Phoodie.info: The New Food And Drink Blog For Philadelphia

Posted 2010-12-06 14:57:26

[...] whiskey. Trust us.Oh an if you’re 18 or younger, and you just want to go eat, be sure to read this article from Meal Ticket.0 Responses to “Speaking of Fergie’s, How Did The Belgian Cafe (And, [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 5:18 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Sunday: Carolyn Wyman's Father's Day cheesesteak tour

POSTED: Wednesday, June 16, 2010, 4:15 PM

Filed Under: Food Books | Food Events | Weird Regional Foods

Your father doesn't want another tie. He has a rack full of them. And even if he doesn't, how many ties does he really need? Sure, he thanked you for the one you got him last Father's Day — but you can bet his heart sank just a little when you handed him that narrow, predictable box. It's not too late to give Dad something different this year, and Carolyn Wyman has just the thing. On Saturday, she'll lead a special Father's Day edition of her Taste of Philly Food Tour, featuring Dad's favorite âguyâ food — the cheesesteak. During the 75-minute excursion through Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch), Wyman will recount the history of the cheesesteak, discuss its iconic status in Philly culture, and introduce you and Dad to the best cheesesteaks (and variations )the market has to offer. After the tour, you'll have a chance to snag Dad a personally autographed copy of Wyman's definitive The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book, which she'll be selling at The Cookbook Stall from noon to 2. I asked the cheesesteak authority (full disclosure: she's also our resident expert here at City Paper) what makes a cheesesteak a better gift than a tie. "Well, for one thing," she replied, "a cheesesteak has Whiz." Tickets cost $15.95, and advance reservations are required.

Father's Day âCheesesteak Tourâ of Reading Terminal Market | Sat., June 19, 10 a.m.-11:15 a.m., Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch streets); tour leaves from the market information desk. For tickets, call 800-838-3006 or visit tasteofphillyfoodtour.com. To reserve a copy of The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book, call 215-923-3170 or visit thecookbookstall.com.

Tweets that mention Sunday: Carolyn Wyman's Father's Day cheesesteak tour :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-06-17 06:54:06

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Beth Misenhimer, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Cheesesteak queen Carolyn Wyman leads a Father's Day cheesesteak tour at @RdgTerminalMkt this Sunday: http://bit.ly/aXgjVg [...]

CRITICAL MASS WEEKEND OMNIBUS: We <3 You Dad Weekend :: Critical Mass :: A&E Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-06-18 11:12:28

[...] is all about Dad, and what better way to show a lil' appreciation than a hearty cheesesteak? The Father's Day Cheesesteak Tour at Reading Terminal Market includes free samples and a history lesson on the famous sandwich, led [...]

Posted by Hadley Assail @ 4:15 PM Permalink | Post a comment

HAPPY HOUR HOPPER: The Continental

POSTED: Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 11:22 PM

Filed Under: Booze | Dealage | Happy Hour Hopper

Happy Hour is a place to vent daily frustrations and unwind, a time to reconnect with friends and coworkers you don't mind seeing beyond the boundaries of Cubicle Land. It's is also the ideal time to score a deal on your favorite gustatives and gulpables. For this feature, Team Meal Ticket hops to happy hours across the land and files a report every Tuesday. Let's delve into it at The Continental.

WHERE YOU AT? Come on son, it's The Continental! Stephen Starr's very first restaurant, on the corner of Second and Market, opened in 1995, but it's never featured a happy hour — until last Monday, when they quietly rolled one out. (Perhaps to get some use out of theeir new draft system.) While the long-running martini bar's kitschy, shoutout-to-Shag phosphorescent lounge-lizard thing surely felt fresher 15 years ago (Best Picture: Forrest Gump), the place still hops from noon to night, so they're doing something right. Hell, what is the point of even attempting to describe The Continental when you can just watch this TV commercial?

WHAT'S THE SCENE? Since happy hour here is just seven days old, the scene could be described as "us." There was no one around, really. One or two other folks trickled in while we were finishing up (happy hour's available in the back of the restaurant only, which features abundant bar and booth seating), but we were lone-rangering it for a minute there. Bartender Christine was a total sweetheart and walked us through the deals ...

WHAT'S THE DEAL? ... which are actually pretty exceptional. Weekdays from 5 to 7, they offer $3 beers, $4 wines by the glass, $5 cocktails and $1, $2 and $4 eats. We ordered up a Yards Philly Pale, a glass of white and some sort of mojito/martini hybrid (if we're being real, you're not really gonna find us messing with the mixed drinks, no thank to you a Tang-coated rim), plus four bites — a crispy chicken dumpling and a Viet summer roll (a buck a pop) and sesame cracker-topped ahi tuna tartare and lobster mac (two bucks a pop). Christine made it clear from the outset that the prices directly reflect the portion sizes — each of the eats, classified as "tapas bites" here, came in precious little soup spoons. These dishes aren't going to win any commendations for originality (one local chef we know is fond of referring to this style of grub as "white boy Asian food"), but we always haul out props where props are due: Everything tasted fresh as hell and we could see ourselves dropping five or so bucks a couple spoons every so often. Strong work. Happy hour for two, with multiple drinks and multiple bites, rang in at under $20.

Tweets that mention HAPPY HOUR HOPPER: The Continental :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-06-15 19:02:50

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: HAPPY HOUR HOPPER is back, this week at The Continental (yes, that Continental): http://bit.ly/abg1Hs [...]

poncho

Posted 2010-06-15 21:01:22

Thank you for making me realize that commercial exists.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:22 PM Permalink | Post a comment

EAT THIS IMMEDIATELY: Dry Pepper Crab at Han Dynasty

POSTED: Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 8:01 PM

Filed Under: Eat This Immediately

Photo | Drew Lazor

Perhaps it's a bit barbarous of us to give this dish the ETI treatment as it's a recurring special that isn't available every day, but it's so good we'd feel guilty not talking about it. Last night we genuflected at the altar of the dry pepper-style crab at Han Dynasty (108 Chestnut St.), and we're still thinking about it. It's served whenever owner Han Chiang heads to Chinatown to pick up a big order of seafood, which is to say it could be available anytime. It's a hell of a task, this dish ($15.95): Chiang's chefs portion up hard-shell crabs, lightly dust them in flour to provide a salty crunch, deep-fry them and then stir-fry the suckers with peppers in hot pot stock, which the crab meat engulfs in an embrace, like two people in love who haven't seen each other in a year. This painstaking process turns out shells hard enough to provide the fastidious glee of digging out the tender meat inside, but soft enough to crack between your thumb and forefinger; this Marylander approves. Soft-shells prepared identically appear as a special from time to time, too, but as you might imagine they're snapped up crazy fast. Eat this immediately.

poncho

Posted 2010-06-15 15:11:16

I recently ate at Han Dynasty recently & really loved it!  I think my favorite dish was cucumbers in chili oil and sesame oil.  It's an appetizer but i could eat that as my meal everyday!

Shao

Posted 2010-06-15 15:40:28

Can't believe I haven't tried Han Dynasty yet. This looks great. Nice photo too. :)

Tweets that mention EAT THIS IMMEDIATELY: Dry Pepper Crab at Han Dynasty :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-06-15 19:38:49

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor and Sean Kaplan, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Eat This Immediately: dry pepper crab at @handynastyphila http://bit.ly/cJMyhS [...]

Daniel

Posted 2010-06-16 12:19:08

That new camera and you are taking some ridiculously nice pictures.  Also, I need to go here.

Drew Lazor

Posted 2010-06-16 13:23:58

Thanks, Daniel! I'm trying my best. Still have so much to learn.

Foobooz » Around the Web: Eat This Now Edition

Posted 2010-07-08 08:27:05

[...] Photo by Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket [...]

Foobooz » Year in Review: July

Posted 2010-12-31 10:01:35

[...] Dry Pepper-Style Crabs at Han Dynasty [Han] Chiang's chefs portion up hard-shell crabs, lightly dust them in flour to provide a salty crunch, deep-fry them and then stir-fry the suckers with peppers in hot pot stock, which the crab meat engulfs in an embrace, like two people in love who haven't seen each other in a year. This painstaking process turns out shells hard enough to provide the fastidious glee of digging out the tender meat inside, but soft enough to crack between your thumb and forefinger; this Marylander approves. – Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 8:01 PM Permalink | Post a comment

New name for Ava

POSTED: Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 5:15 PM

Filed Under: Openings

Photo | Drew Lazor

Looks like Ava, which closed at Third and Gaskill in the winter, will now be called Olive. We hear that Christine Fischer, who ran ChrisStevens nearby and then Astral Plane Millennium for a spell, is the new proprietor, but haven't been able to get her to talk just yet. Will keep you posted.

Tweets that mention New name for Ava :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-06-15 21:35:42

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by You Post, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: The Ava space has a new name: http://bit.ly/bmaaRv [...]

Uncle Wiggy

Posted 2010-08-01 17:54:26

If your looking for a nice quiet place to relax and eat too much!!! Olive is the place for you. All I can say is that the appetizer portions are generous as are the entrÃ©es. Amazingly I forced down a very tasty desert with some of the finest coffee I've ever tasted; I always add cream but not this time... Desserts are calorific, LOL! My reference to quiet is that Olive is located just off South Street on 3rd which keeps the shopping crowd from stepping over you if you partake in the outdoor serving arraignments.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 5:15 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Tweed launches lunch, brunch

POSTED: Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 4:45 PM

Filed Under: Food News | Menu Time

Tweed (114 S. 12th St.), which just opened last Thursday, is wasting no time in getting all its handsomely appointed battle stations operational. Today marks the first day of lunch, which'll be offered Tuesday to Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Then this Saturday will see the debut of brunch, which runs both weekend days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Take a gander at both menus (lunch on left, brunch on right) after the jump.


Click to enlarge

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 4:45 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Exit Interview: The one and only Felicia D'Ambrosio

POSTED: Monday, June 14, 2010, 10:19 PM

Filed Under: Interview | Meal Ticket

It is with great pride and great sadness that I announce that Felicia D'Ambrosio, who's been my cuilinary co-conspirator here on Meal Ticket since the day it began in October 2008, is leaving our little blog for an exciting full-time gig. (She's actually been gone for a bit, but was unable to officially discuss her new job until now.) Just a little about the lady before we get into what she's doing — a Temple grad and grizzled local bar/restaurant vet, Felicia interned for me at City Paper in 2007 and quickly proved herself to be a fun, funny, whip-smart and outright invaluable asset in the realm of food and drink — it's subject matter that very few people can handle adequately, let alone extremely adeptly, as Felicia does. When the opportunity arose to bring someone on board as a co-editor here on Meal Ticket, she was my first and only choice. I've been very lucky to work with her, both on Meal Ticket and through City Paper in print, for as long as I have, but the time has come for Lil' Flea take on something new. I was able to stop crying and hyperventilating long enough to catch up with Flea for a quick Q&A earlier today. More about her new job, plus me repeatedly begging her not to leave and other wistful blog-related minutiae, after the jump. First question: Are you really leaving? Noooo, don't go! Yeah, gotta do it. As much as I love Meal Ticketing, this is more of a full-time challenge. Sigh, fine. Tell us about your new gig. What will you be doing, and where will we be able to find you? I'm the new Community Manager for Yelp Philly, replacing Monica S, who is movin' on up in the company — destination: Oakland, Cali. I'll be on the site daily, writing reviews and the Weekly Yelp newsletter, as well as planning badass Elite and Open parties where the booze will flow like Lil' Wayne after a sixer of syrup. You can always hit me up on email — philadelphia@yelp.com — or leave me a message if you're a Yelper at fmd.yelp.com What has been your favorite part of working on Meal Ticket? How about least favorite? My favorite part of Meal Ticket was you, Drew! Seriously, can we get a round of applause for this guy? [Ed: Aww!] Moving on, it was amazing to wake up every day and get to write about only the stuff I was interested in, and interview people who are killing it in their fields. Writing and testing recipes (especially cocktail recipes) was tons of fun, too, and making videos with One-Take-Wonder Neal Santos. Basically, anything we did for MT equaled brain challenge-then-destruction with bourbon. Least favorite? Having a bad meal and then having people ask me about it. Since MT is a feature-focused news blog and we don't write reviews, I'd much rather keep mum about a bad meal than broadcast it. You'll notice on Yelp I tend to write mostly about things that I like. Any favorite posts? Too many to count of Drew's! I never watched Top Chef, so the recaps were especially amusing. Of mine? The entire Eat This Immediately category is close to my heart/stomach, especially J-Mac's pulled pork sandwich. The 2009 Philly Cooks! Yearbook Superlatives was fun to write and an absolute bitch to format; it still has weird paragraph breaks. Last but not least, my geographically brilliant guide to eating/drinking along the parade route when the Phils won the Series is my sleeper. What skills/abilities you applied to your position with CP/MT also apply to your new gig with Yelp? The top one is writing, of course, as well as a broad and deep knowledge of the local restaurant scene and the players both major and secret. The weird ability of a waitress to do 371 things at once helps; the Yelp job is a multi-faceted one and there's way too much to do to get bored or clock-watch. Mostly working for City Paper turned me from a directionless service industry drone into a person with motivation. I simply wouldn't be here without the opportunities City Paper offered. Natural optimism and a sense of humor doesn't hurt in any job — people can be pretty nasty in their comments and you can't take it personally. My favorite was the guy who decided anything I wrote was invalid because I misspelled "prosciutto." I think it's safe to stay that some local bar and restaurant owners aren't too keen on the Yelp concept. What is important for them to know about the site? Claim your page so you can be involved in your business listing — it only takes a few minutes, and then you can use all sorts of free tool, like photo slideshows and adding deals and special events to the top of your page, as well as making sure your hours, website and phone number are perfect Also, remember that readers don't focus on just the bad reviews the way owners tend to — there is a democratic consensus that is reached after a number of reviews are posted. You can check out what certified curmudgeon Anthony Bourdain said about Yelp last week when he was in NYC on his book tour. OK seriously, come back, I'm gonna cry again. Aw dudes, I already miss you too! Hit me up on email for reals!

danya

Posted 2010-06-14 17:37:08

Def miss your smart, breezy, feminine-without-being-wimpy posts already! Good luck with Yelp... maybe I'll have to start yelping now. Or not ;)

Tweets that mention Exit Interview: The one and only Felicia D'Ambrosio :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-06-14 18:15:41

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Adam Erace, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Exit interview with the very wonderful Felicia D'Ambrosio, who's left Meal Ticket for a new gig (sniff): http://bit.ly/a2nUAP [...]

Felicia D'Ambrosio

Posted 2010-06-14 18:26:32

Thanks, Danya!  I'd kill to get your skillz on Yelp!  

PS Drew -- it's yelpers not Yelpers.  My new editors are going to beat me up!

T-Mac

Posted 2010-06-14 19:27:48

Congrats Flea! I've always referred to you as a living, breathing food encyclopedia. Keep up the good work!

adam

Posted 2010-06-14 19:41:43

Congrats and godspeed Flea. Miss your salty prose already.

Marie DiFeliciantonio

Posted 2010-06-14 20:41:53

I second that. a lot.

liza

Posted 2010-06-15 09:51:03

great news! 
we were all wondering who would take monica's job...
can i have felicia's job???

Terry McNally

Posted 2010-06-15 09:56:10

:/  will now try to embrace Yelp  good luck!

Neal Santos

Posted 2010-06-15 10:11:37

FLEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. Don't forget to invite us to the swaggy-ass Yelp parties, yo! 

And I just had a Flea marathon on http://citypaper.net/multimedia/

Maybe i'll go through all my archival footage to make a bon voyage vid of you stuffing your face with phallic shaped things.

Posted 2010-06-15 10:42:06

Good luck!

Drew Lazor

Posted 2010-06-15 10:51:31

Maybe i'll go through all my archival footage to make a bon voyage vid of you stuffing your face with phallic shaped things.

Lulz

Foobooz » Yelp Philly Gets New Community Manager

Posted 2010-06-15 14:53:56

[...] Exit Interview: The one and only Felicia D'Ambrosio geopress_addEvent(window,"load", function() { geopress_makemap(163711,"Devil's [...]

Art

Posted 2010-06-15 15:03:06

Good luck Felicia. Yelp is a powerful phenomenon, I'm sure you'll use your power for good. 

And thanks for reviewing Quahog's Seafood Shack in Stone Harbor. It sealed the decision on where to go for lunch. It was great.

kitchenplay

Posted 2010-06-15 17:42:47

Congratulations!

Felicia D'Ambrosio

Posted 2010-06-16 10:06:49

Thanks again, all!  It was a sheer pleasure working on Meal Ticket and being engaged with the colorful characters of the Philly food world.  Keep in touch -- I'm always just a click away!

Speaking On Panels: I’m So Hood « ericsmithrocks

Posted 2010-07-20 13:52:21

[...] to me was Felicia D’Ambrosio, current community manager for Philadelphia’s Yelp, and a former writer for Citypaper’s MealTicket, a local food blog I absolutely [...]

Tonight: Felicia D pours at Sampan :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-08-09 17:09:52

[...] Friend of Meal Ticket Felicia D, aka community manager for Yelp in Philadelphia, is guest-bartending tonight at Sampan (124 S. 13th St.), whose open-air Graffiti Bar was the [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 10:19 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Notes from the Weekend: June 14

POSTED: Monday, June 14, 2010, 9:10 PM

Filed Under: Notes from the Weekend

Notes from the Weekend is a Monday 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! (View past NFTW installments at citypaper.net/notes.) This was our very first weekend armed with our brand-new bargain-basement SLR camera, so expect lots more unnaturally posed food photos coming at you from here on out! Lunched Friday at Tria (18th and Sansom), munching on a Claudio mozzarella sandwich and sipping a nice glass of a mineral-forward something-or-other while noting Stephen Starr and several others having a meeting in front of the old Stiletto store across the street — the future site of his gastropub concept.

Photo | Drew Lazor

Friday night: The best Beer Week event of them all, the Founders Beer Dinner at South Philly Tap Room (15th and Mifflin). Last year was killer, but in 2010 chef Scott Schroeder outdid himself like crazy. Nine courses, nine Founders beers ... picking faves on both fronts is difficult, but if pressed, we're going with lobster poutine (above; put this on the menu!) and Founders' Devil Dancer Triple IPA. More photos soon.

Photo | Drew Lazor

Saturday, trekked it to Skytop, a Poconos resort/lodge about two hours away from Philly, for a chef's weekend featuring (L-R) Michael Solomonov (Zahav), David Katz (MÃ©mÃ©) and Peter Woolsey (Bistrot La Minette). The trio was invited to cook with Skytop exec chef Stevan Sundberg, prepping hors d'oeuvres for a cocktail reception as well as adding courses onto the resort's dinner menu. More on this soon. During the trip, Solomonov revealed that he's spent a mint on mullet wigs for the upcoming "Down the Shore" Dinner July 1 at Zahav (237 St. James Place). Newfound obsession with flaczki, a traditional Polish stew made with strips of beef tripe, hunks of beef, carrots and a calming broth flavored with all sorts of spices/herbs, most notably parsley and bay leaf. Probably not the most seasonally appropriate soup to get into in mid-June. Paid a Sunday evening visit to the always-friendly Healthy Bites (2521 Christian St.), which, unlike many businesses in our neighborhood, stayed open for the duration of the crammed-full annual festival that is Odunde (this year's got a bit rained out anyway). Picked up some hummus, some guac, some Boylan's Root Beer, and ...

Photo | Drew Lazor

... this ridiculous chili/cherry/dark chocolate bar from Chocolove. It's a sneakily spicy dessert thanks to the no-rhyme-or-reason flecks of ancho and chipotle chilies sprinkled throughout, which play quite nicely with big hunks of super-chewy dried cherry. There's apparently a love poem printed on the inside of the wrapper but we were too busy stuffing our faces full of squares and wiping our fingers on our couch to read it.

WEEKLY CANDY: Chocolove’s Almond and Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Bar :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-10-07 19:12:40

[...] QUESTION: We’ve already fussed over the Chocolove brand’s chili/cherry bar, but this one has got to be their absolute best. [...]

Jennie

Posted 2010-06-14 16:27:18

Friday - Egg Salad for lunch - Creole Shrimp at Oyster House for dinner
Saturday - Fried Chicken with Gravy, bacon and biscuits for brunch at Wishing Well, good bloody mary - lots of good beer all day - English Muffin Burger at London Grill late night.   
Sunday - cheesesteak omelet and John L King scrapple sandwich (shared) at South Philly Tap Room, with a Dogfish Black and Blue and Russian River Supplication.  Ordered dinner from Franco and Luigi's - Sausage, Pepperoni and Onion Pie, wings and brocolli rabe.

adam

Posted 2010-06-14 16:38:35

Friday: Founders dinner at SPTR, where my favorite of the 9 courses was an ordinary-sounding-but-not-tasting peppered Berkshire pork loin over a summery pared-down ratatouille.

Saturday: Sushi at the Shore. Best part of the meal was when the waiter pronounced 'tempura' 'tempurie' and 'tartare' 'tartear'.

Sunday: Mack & Manco's! Half red, half white with spinach. Washed down with PA Dutch birch beer, followed up with Boardwalk fries.

Lauren

Posted 2010-06-14 16:40:40

Friday - Ommegang/Duvel Beer Week event at Grace Tavern - disappointed to only see 2 beers from each brewer on tap. Followed that with a delish dinner at Melograno, where husband's steak was the clear winner. Ended the night at Sidecar for another Beer Week event. 

Saturday - My 30th birthday party, which we catered, in part, with Bebe's BBQ. Holy pig, those ribs are good! 

Sunday - should have gone to Odunde, but the rain kept us away. Ended the weekend at Fish's prix fixe. Small, but delicious, portions. 

No longer the weekend, but very excited for an official birthday dinner at Morimoto. Mmmm.

barry eichner

Posted 2010-06-14 16:54:41

Friday - Amazing dinner.  Scallops and Filet appetizer was the bomb, only to be outdone by the Seafood Napoleon (review at foodrulez.com) at Sean's Restaurant in Cape May, NJ!  

Saturday - Pizza at the famous Mack's on the boardwalk in Wildwood, NJ - seriously - the white pizza was bumpin'

Sunday - Tandy Cake Sundae at Fleck's in Cape May, NJ. Nothing brings a weekend at the beach to a close better than a sundae from Fleck's, it's a Cape May tradition!!

Monica

Posted 2010-06-14 17:26:38

Friday- My sister and I had a wicked craving for Indian cuisine so we went to Bindhi on 13th and Sansom.
Apps -Lobster pani puri, and beef lettuce wraps
Entrees - Chicken Tikka and Seafood Gooza 
Side - Sweet Goat Cheese Paratha bread. - I live for this.

Shao

Posted 2010-06-14 18:21:57

Saturday - I think I did my weekend eaten all in one night at Oyster House. Ordered up a dozen and half of Hama Hama Oysters, follow by half a dozen of east coast oysters, a dozen of cherry stone clams, oyster shooters, and there was also the lobster roll and soft shell crabs...ohh and of course dessert, which was apricot crumble a la mode. The food was split among 4 people, but I'm pretty sure I did the most damage.

andy b

Posted 2010-06-14 19:09:14

10th reunion up in Ithaca, NY. Pizza bagel at Collegetown Bagels, decent dinner at Maxie's Supper Club, and the award winning brunch at the Ithaca Ramada. A culinary wonderland.

Marie DiFeliciantonio

Posted 2010-06-14 20:54:43

Friday we got to LBI late-night and were greeted with a nice glass Tignanello. MMM.

After reading Philly Mag's BEST OF THE SHORE 2010 I decided to drive-by each nominee on the 18-mile isle. The best stop, by far, was Foodies. Chef Peggy does it ridiculous in this 2x2 shop and literally packs in flavor with 7-layer brownie bars, loads of composed salads (we got Santa Fe Slaw and Roasted Corn Salad) and artisan pizzas on lavash, wheat dough, naan bread. The most gorgeous of them all was one I dubbed "The Antipasti", quite literally like a charcuterie platter on pizza dough. It pairs fantastically with La Fin du Monde.

Family friends introduced me to my new favorite pound cake from Stock's. I'm probably on the late train with this one, but I've strictly been a chocolate lover and when it's not chocolate it's Potito's pound cake only.

Emily Currier

Posted 2010-06-14 21:20:22

Friday I got an over-priced (and unfortunately not very strong) Miss August at Varga Bar.

Not technically this weekend, but just tonight I checked out Stephen Starr's new restaurant, Stella, a pizza place in the Headhouse district.  So flavorful!  I've never had octopus again, but the mint-tinted appetizer there certainly turned me into a believer.  Between the three of us we had more than enough pizza with a Marguerita and (my personal fave) Spinach pizzas.

Carolyn

Posted 2010-06-15 08:48:11

Had Cinnamon Toast Crunch/Chocolate Cheerios cereal salad for dinner Friday night during a brief respite from Beer Week. I am so healthy.

Saturday got up late and trekked up to Memphis Taproom for a super-late brunch with friends. Liked what they ordered (Tacos Bruncheros) more than what I got (the Red Rooster, with Scrapple subbed in for sausage). That afternoon we wandered over to the P.O.P.E. for one last Beer Week beer -- I got Ommegang's Tripel Perfection and it was DELICIOUS. Homemade pizza and gummi worms for dinner. I am so healthy!

Marc Steel

Posted 2010-06-15 12:38:43

A friend brought hoagies from Lenny's in Roxborough for a tailgate on Sunday. They give anything from the Italian Market a run for their money.

Who does flaczki in Philly? :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-06-22 11:03:31

[...] we pointed out in a recent edition of Notes from the Weekend, we’ve become a bit obsessed with flackzi, a very traditional Polish soup done up with beef [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 9:10 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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The Lite Choice Opens Flagship Store on 16th Street between Walnut & Locust
Notes from the Weekend: June 17
Free stuff for Father's Day
Rock Star cheese dinner at Di Bruno's
Gone Fishin'
Happy National Beef Jerky Day!
Vetri opening in the Navy Yard, plus a nod to Le Bec
Summer of Riesling Dinner at P&K
Now Serving: IndeBlue
Now Serving: Tiffin Bistro

About this blog

Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews here — those are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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