Archive: July, 2010

Le Bec-Fin enters its final year in business

POSTED: Tuesday, July 27, 2010, 1:00 PM

Filed Under: Chef Salad | Closings

In 2008, we poked fun at a hyped-up 6ABC piece featuring the one and only Georges Perrier getting misty over a "blockbuster announcement" concerning his landmark Le Bec-Fin. While the hype-driven, film-at-11 promos might've had a casual observer convinced that ol' Georges would be hanging up his saucepan after close to 40 years in business, the big reveal turned out to be that the chef was turning in his five Mobil stars, going casual by allowing an a la carte option and jeans in his famously appointed dining room. How slick, Georges, we thought. At the time, it seemed like a savvy, albeit dramatic, strategy to catapult the temple of haute cuisine into modernity. It's odd looking back on it now that we've learned that Perrier really will hang up that saucepan behind the line at Le Bec-Fin, at least. Michael Klein of the Inquirer had the story, in which the icon admits that "it's time to move on," this past Friday. Perrier has provided Meal Ticket with a brief statement on LBF's closure as well as the timeline of his still-preliminary new projects. "After 40 successful years with Le Bec-Fin, I have decided to move forward with two to three new concepts in the Philadelphia area," the chef says in his statement. "In the meantime, Le Bec-Fin will continue to be the fine restaurant the world knows it to be. Le Bec-Fin is the crown jewel of our group and will remain in operation at least thru June 1, 2011, at which time we should have our new venues operating." (Perrier mentioned to Klein that two of his three planned concepts will be in the city, with the third outside city limits.) We're assuming that the news of Le Bec-Fin's closure has many people making (or seriously considering making) reservations, so this info gives you a general idea of how long you'll have to get in. There's more time pressure, however, for those wishing to take advantage of the restaurant's $40, 40th-anniversary menu, which will be offered Tuesday to Friday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. through the rest of the summer. Meal Ticketers: What is your take on Le Bec-Fin closing? An inevitability of the 21st-century dining climate? Indicative of a shift in what currently constitutes fine dining? Both? Neither?

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, July 26-30 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-08-02 08:02:06

[...] Le Bec-Fin is closing after 40 years, and it’s set a timeline. [...]

anthony maccarone

Posted 2010-07-27 08:39:58

Lafrieda meats of NYC now has a philadelphia office 215-806-0911

Tweets that mention Le Bec-Fin enters its final year in business :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-07-27 11:55:56

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by MyersConstructs,Inc., TSHN and Meal Ticket, marc louis. marc louis said:  Le Bec-Fin enters its final year in business: We're assuming that the news of Le Bec-Fin's closure has many peop... http://bit.ly/drZOR8 [...]

Georges Perrier on Le Bec-Fin’s second chance :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2011-01-04 19:55:33

[...] because he had a damn fine time. Perrier informed his staff in days previous that he would not be closing his legendary French restaurant as planned. “Such an outpouring of letters from all over the world, many from Philadelphia, insisted that [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 1:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Notes from the Weekend: July 26

POSTED: Monday, July 26, 2010, 10:20 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. Were 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.)

DL: Drew Lazor RB: Rachel Burgos

Photo | Drew Lazor

You read about Sandwich Tour 2010 (ST10), right? First stop was Ba Le Bakery (606 Washington Ave.), where we got our banh mi going hit up grilled pork, BBQ pork and sardine hoagies, and scarfed them down in the park down the block while fighting off armies of aggressive flies. DL Friday night I had some friends over and made appa-teasers for the lazy, including Trader Joe's bruschetta with homemade toasted garlic bread, and their quite-yummy (and microwaveable!) spinach and artichoke dip. I was making mojitos, but when I ran out of club soda I winged it and used some apple soda (Pepsi's Manzanita Sol, to be exact) and those were an ever bigger hit than the originals. RB

Photo | Drew Lazor

Saturday, day: lunch at a packed Paesano's (Ninth and Christian). ST10 chairman Doron Taussig hit up the Bolognese yes, the lasagna/fried egg jawn! while other eaters opted for stuff like the Daddy Wad (their Italian) and the Tuscan Tony (above), the hot dog/meat sauce/sopressata combo one Tour participant aptly described as "gout on a roll." Glorious gout on a roll is our edit. DL Hit up B2 (1500 E. Passyunk Ave.) on Saturday for an iced coffee and a #1 mozzarella, tomato and basil on an everything bagel. Made something wack for dinner. Went to National Mechanics (22 S. Third St.) for a Belle & Sebastian dance party, drank Strongbow, felt British. RB

Photos | Drew Lazor

Saturday dinner: Pulled the big guns at El Jarocho (13th and Ellsworth), where participants hit up what is known as the Super Torta. (Shoutout to Foobooz for the idea.) This beast works off the same logic at the SPTR "New York Burger" the thinking goes "all these ingredients are good, so piling all of them together on one sandwich should be great." It is. The football-size Super Torta's got carnitas, ham, pork al pastor, chicken-fried steak and headcheese (we think?) in the meat department, then toppings/bottom-ings like lettuce, tomato, cheese, refried beans, jalapenos, pineapple, avocadoes ... probably other stuff we're forgetting, too. This was the highlight of Sandwich Tour 2010 thus far. DL

Photo | Drew Lazor

This deserves its own note: Also delicious, if a little unseasonable, at El Jarocho is their fin-de-semana-only pancita de res, a big-ass serving of belly-warming beef tripe stew so large it stretched through three meals. DL Sunday: Went to Ultimo Coffee (15th and Mifflin) for my daily iced coffee fix. For dinner, made an awesome, wonderfully refreshing recipe for a roasted shrimp/orzo/lemon/fresh herbs/feta cheese side salad thing courtesy of Ina Garten and my friend's mom, who made it a few weeks ago. It can only be described as dreamy. RB

Photos | Drew Lazor

Chef Corbin Evans holds down David Katz's fort at Mémé (22nd and Spruce) for the Sunday brunch shift, cranking out tasty, pleasing plates like a scrapple/egg/cheese with pickled jalapenos and a zucchini/'shroom/cheddar omelette. This is also when they pour that insane New Orleans iced coffee, the creamy, sneaky-strong concoction made using a concentrate created by cold-steeping coffee grounds in water overnight. The best. DL Sunday: ran through Green Aisle (1618 E. Passyunk Ave.) for peaches, Zahav hummus, a bunch of yogurt and maybe a few Market Day Canelé. DL

Photo | Drew Lazor

For a brilliant and easy dessert: Crush up a Chocolove almond/sea salt/dark choc bar (we've already NFTW'd Chocolove's chili/cherry bar) and sprinkle over Sharon's coconut sorbet. DL Sunday dinner: pan-fried trout and radish/zucchini/pea/mint salad with ricotta salata (a rendition of this recipe), plus a lot of Bulleit on rocks to celebrate the return of cirrhosis Mad Men. DL

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

Posted 2010-10-06 16:12:07

[...] and Fla-vor-Ices and make it really hard to reach  DIET TACTIC!). It’s also awesome if you smash it up into tiny pieces to top ice cream or sorbet.   WEEKLY CANDY: Chocolove’s Almond and Sea Salt Dark Chocolate [...]

Molly Eichel

Posted 2010-07-26 17:33:33

Hit up the Paesano's leg of Sandwich Tour 2010 for a heavy-helping of the Liverraci and Doron Taussig. Finished the day off with burgers and freezepops at a Miller Lite-soaked bbq. On Sunday, hit up Harmony for a fried dough ball of deliciousness (and a couple other things I didn't like) before hitting the Punk Rock Flea Market

Tweets that mention Notes from the Weekend: July 26 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-07-26 17:59:16

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Latest edition of NOTES FROM THE WEEKEND is live. Share your eating/drinking notes with Team Meal Ticket! http://bit.ly/bJOdzV [...]

Emily Currier

Posted 2010-07-26 19:28:22

Dmitri's on 22nd and Pine... surprisingly light and refreshing grilled octopus and this amazing, spicy shrimp pil pil.  Yummm!

Doron Taussig

Posted 2010-07-27 11:17:25

Oh my god the Super Torta. The Sandwich that KO'd Sandwich Tour.

Drew Lazor

Posted 2010-07-27 11:41:28

I bow to the greatness of the Super Torta!

poncho

Posted 2010-07-27 11:46:36

I saw inception at the Bridge, or whatever it's new name is, and they were out of bottled water at the concession stand.  Bottled Water!!!

Other than that, great weekend!

Will S

Posted 2010-07-27 13:10:55

I enjoyed an escapist, Italian night. First off, my friends and I dined at Positano Coast for the first time. Neither of us could find a fish on the menu that looked better than the pan-seared Branzino. So we both ordered it. The oyster mushrooms and sauteed leeks were perfecto. Afterward, we went across the street to the Ritz 5 and experienced an Italian sensory overload while watching "I Am Love" (Io sono l'amore). The film features a superb gustatory snapshot of Tilda Swinton munching on prawns.

Stev

Posted 2010-07-27 13:47:15

North Carolina Style BBQ Chicken Sandwich at SPTR on Sunday. Not being the biggest fan of slaw, I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness of SPTR's slaw and how well it complimented the tangy flavoring of the chicken. Paired with Terrapin's hefeweissen; can't say that went over as strongly.

barry eichner

Posted 2010-07-27 15:19:06

Love your sandwich Drew!  The banh mi is awesome, I have to try that one, I did it at Q.T. Vietnamese Sandwich, check out my post http://bit.ly/a9Md33

Friday I ate at Mumbai Bistro - it rocked!!!!!  http://bit.ly/bAjp5R Then I went to Call Me Cupcake's truck and had a little treat!  It's parked at 12th and Locust every Friday  http://bit.ly/aJ99lf 

Saturday - Swedish Meatballs @ Ikea for Lunch and the Greek Salad at Sahara Grill on Walnut for Dinner!

Sunday Brunch - Cafe Estelle

It was a good food weekend!!!

Marie DiFeliciantonio

Posted 2010-07-27 22:56:47

Friday was blah and blurred after a few bottles of wine.

Saturday night we traipsed through the thicket that was the air towards Modo Mio on Girard Ave. Thanks to the officer who pulled me over, sensed my hunger pangs and let me go post-haste. We were only 20 minutes late for our 9:30 ressie and they weren't jerks which was nice. I've heard tons about this place and it is as good as they say besides dessert which was puddled on the plate when it arrived in front of us. In its defense I was close to puddling in that heat myself. Bring cash, wine and order the frittura, sweetbreads and rabbit agnolotti. Skate was good, too.

True to form I procrastinated on shopping and prepping the apps I promised for my cousin's engagement party Sunday night. She requested a few faves from parties past: candied dates stuffed with mascarpone/bacon/pecans/parsley topped with roasted butternut squash, grilled asparagus with gorgonzola-garlic, chipotle-honey, and horseradish dipping sauces and grilled beef/brie crostini with a chianti-balsamic-cherry glaze. The power outage threw a fun little wrench into my plating p.o.a. but I did the damn thing and everyone was pleased.

Meat on top of meat on top of meat: It’s the Mexican way! :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-09-01 16:57:39

[...] fount of meaty amazingness that appears as a special from time to time. More recently, we discussed El Jarocho’s Super Torta, a sandwich that counts carnitas, ham, pork al pastor, steak milanesa and headcheese among its chief [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 10:20 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Art in the Age's SNAP hits state store shelves

POSTED: Monday, July 26, 2010, 7:17 PM

Filed Under: Booze | Recipes

Photo | Drew Lazor

SNAP, the new 80-proof, ginger snap-influenced liquor from the Art in the Age folks (creators of ROOT), is now on shelves in local Wine & Spirits stores, just a little bit ahead of schedule. The booze, which we snuck a taste of back in June, is an interesting beast indeed it combines elements both sweet (blackstrap molasses, brown and pure cane sugars) and zingy (clove, ginger, nutmeg) for a liquid sensation so close to the experience of biting into the source-material cookie that it's almost scary. SNAP's warm world-of-egg-nog personality immediately advocates for its inclusion in a hot drink like a toddy, poured steaming into a tin mug and sipped by a screaming campfire that spits embers into the knot of your scarf. But it's more versatile than that, at least according to some of Philly's most noted bartenders. After the jump, check out SNAP-based cocktail recipes from Christian Gaal, Katie Loeb, Phoebe Esmon and Preston Eckman.

Click to enlarge

kibby

Posted 2010-07-26 14:44:29

I love and adore ROOT and I seriously can't wait to try this one. It sounds amazing!! Same price-ish as ROOT, I'm assuming?

Tweets that mention Art in the Ages SNAP hits state store shelves :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-07-26 14:58:20

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Gary Ransome, Michael Kostin, Tipsy Grrl, Martha Cross and others. Martha Cross said: oh SNAP! forget ROOT! helloooooo ginger! http://tinyurl.com/367hm8j [...]

ryan

Posted 2010-07-26 15:03:55

she beat me to it, i knew kibby would be hyped. she'll be sippin' on this while i will still be drinking my sorority girl, pina colada..

cizmad

Posted 2010-07-27 12:09:29

It would be nice to have a few cocktail ideas that didn't require access to a full (and remarkably well-stocked) bar, ye olde bartenders of the fanciest trousers.

I should have a few by the end of the weekend, though.  Reader contest?

DRINK THIS IMMEDIATELY: The Pumking Bomb at P.O.P.E. :: Meal Ticket :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-10-18 13:51:43

[...] and money. It’s not on the menu at the beer bar, but I think it should be. Take one shot of SNAP liquor. Take on pint of Southern Tier Pumking Imperial Pumpkin Ale (sometimes it’s on draft, but you [...]

Ginger Snap Spirit Premieres in PA | Downingtown Dish

Posted 2010-07-28 14:27:01

[...] more sweet and zingy liquid sensation here. Watch a how-to on how to swirl the new liquor into a classic Haymakers Punch [...]

Get SNAP-ed at Alfa tonight :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-08-16 14:14:47

[...] you have yet to try a taste of Art in the Age’s just-released SNAP, drop into Alfa (1709 Walnut St.) this evening. As part of their Monday-night “Dog and Pony [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 7:17 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Choux creme, don't bother me: Japanese cream puffs at Tutti Frutti

POSTED: Monday, July 26, 2010, 6:13 PM

Filed Under: Openings | Photos | Weird Regional Foods

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

The most intriguing snack on offer at frozen yogurt bar Tutti Frutti (1315 Walnut St.), which opened earlier this month, doesn't come out of a soft-serve machine. Yes, owners Shane Sharief and Kevin Kaing offer a selection of 10 rotating live-active-culture froyo choices from a roster of 50-plus flavors, and there are gummy and crunchy and fruity toppings galore. But you should also direct your attention to the back of the store, home to a concept-within-a-concept Sharief calls Small Oven Bakery. Here, they're doling out Japanese cream puffs they are called "shu cream" by some, but TF's going with the traditional French choux crème piped to order with any number of sweet, smooth custard-y fillings, most commonly vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. Popularized by global brands like Beard Papa's, these cream puffs have long been "it" snacks in Asian countries, more recently making their light-'n'-airy way onto American soil. (To be clear, the only thing really separating a Japanese cream puff from a traditional one is the unorthodox fillings.) Tutti Frutti whips up huge batches on the premises with the help of a New York-based baker who comes to Philly every morning to tackle the tempestuous process (getting the right rise and the right texture is a job for a real pro). One choux crème filled with one of the base flavors will set you back $1.95, while it costs $2.50 to snag one of the more designer varieties, like raspberry/blueberry, green tea, mango or eclair (drenched in a coat of chocolate on the outside). Snag one and take a seat in one of the shop's escape-pod-esque alcoves with some La Colombe coffee, Godiva hot chocolate or Mighty Leaf tea.

NOW OPEN: Berry Sweet Frozen Yogurt :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-08-31 14:36:24

[...] the coming days, so check back here for more. So now there’s Berry Sweet, two Sweet Endings, Tutti Frutti, Sprinkles Kiwi, “Yogurt City” at 13th and Chestnut … and Yogorino which is not [...]

Ben Kessler

Posted 2010-07-26 13:21:30

Ever have Beard Papa's?

http://www.muginohointl.com/

Ben Kessler

Posted 2010-07-26 13:21:50

Oops... totally missed that line, haha.

Tweets that mention Choux creme, dont bother me: Japanese cream puffs at Tutti Frutti :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-07-26 13:41:21

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Jen Walker, Shao, mathu80, Meal Ticket and others. Meal Ticket said: What, exactly, is a Japanese cream puff? Just ask @tuttifruttiphl: http://bit.ly/c3Bkvv [...]

Felicia D'Ambrosio

Posted 2010-07-26 15:11:31

Cream puffs and fro-yo in one place!  Why doesn't Tutti-Frutti just hook me up to a IV of fat and I'll just give them my bank account number.

poncho

Posted 2010-07-26 17:18:29

Oh man, those little cream puffs look AMAZING!!!!

brian

Posted 2010-07-26 19:52:22

oooo i've had beard papa's before..now a place close by ahhh!

Sam

Posted 2010-07-30 16:29:13

The majority of the frozen yogurts offered at Tutti Frutti are fat free...

More 13th Street Philly froyo!? :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-08-06 15:36:59

[...] frozen yogurt parlor going in at 13th and Chestnut. What is it with 13th and froyo, y’all? Tutti Frutti just opened at Juniper and Walnut, and a second location of the 18th-and-Chestnut Sweet Ending is going in about 6 inches away at 13th [...]

Meal Ticket’s 2010 in pictures: July :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-12-31 18:25:28

[...] - Choux creme, don’t bother me: Japanese cream puffs at Tutti Frutti [26jul10] [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 6:13 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Twofold Philly love on Food Network tonight

POSTED: Monday, July 26, 2010, 4:33 PM

Filed Under: Food TV

Courtesy of Lolita

Man, Food Network is obsessed with us recently. In addition to the local 24 Hour Restaurant Battle couple we told you about last week, the 215's racking up a little more love this evening, and it's sweet on both counts. Rebecca Michaels' Flying Monkey Patisserie will be featured on fellow Phillyite Adam Gertler's new sweets show Kid in a Candy Store at 8:30 p.m. Half an hour later, peep the Mexican tiramisu (above) from Valerie Safran and Marcie Turney's Lolita discussed by Robert Irvine on the show The Best Thing I Ever Ate.

Tweets that mention Twofold Philly love on Food Network tonight :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-07-26 12:10:05

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Phillyist, hchybinski and Where Philadelphia, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Lots of love for Philly sweets on @FoodNetwork tonight: http://bit.ly/dfGkQ6 [...]

Phyllis Stein-Novack

Posted 2010-07-26 13:28:55

I only eat dessert on days that begin with an "S," on holidays and special occasions. I could jump right through my computer sscreen right now and devour the Mexican tiramisu from Lolita. I would share, of course.

poncho

Posted 2010-07-26 17:21:59

I'm like 95% positive Adam Gertler was my server at Amada one time...

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 4:33 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW OPEN: Nook Bakery and Coffee Bar

POSTED: Monday, July 26, 2010, 3:44 PM

Filed Under: Coffee | Openings | Photos

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Nook Bakery and Coffee Bar (15 S. 20th St.), which we told you about in Feeding Frenzy last week, is still getting its bearings on 20th and Ranstead, but owners Michael Caro and Edna Cruz are quickly hitting their stride as far as the coffee and baked-good beats go. Nook, a far more spacious realization of what was their Walnut Bridge Coffee House, is brewing two types of coffee One Village out of Souderton and Gimme! out of Ithaca plus some killer espresso from Seattle-based Caffé Vita. Caro's also experimenting with brewing methods aplenty for heat-beating cold drinks, including Japanese iced coffee (aka hot coffee hand-brewed over ice, which results in a gentler end product) and a more traditional double-brewed rendition that packs a dark-roasted wallop. Caro encourages coffee heads to check out his pourover bar, but for folks without much time to spare, they're brewing fresh French press java and keeping it in hoppers for grab-and-go convenience. They've got an elaborate, so-serious multi-step water filtration system installed, as well (last pic); Caro says it fascinated the city Health Department inspector (in a good way). Cruz now has the room to back everything she wants in-house that includes sweets like scones, cookies, brownies and bars, plus savory treats like quiche, veggie tarts, bread puddings and the like. Don't miss her strawberry/rhubarb muffins. Nook's open Monday to Friday from 7 to 6 and Saturday and Sunday from 8 to 5.

madame_dakar

Posted 2010-08-02 09:42:48

Mike and Edna are the best!!!  I miss being so close to Walnut Bridge Coffee House, and can't wait to go by for Edna's berry muffins.  Everything they make is delicious.

Michael

Posted 2010-10-12 18:48:34

My favorite iced coffee of all time, ALL TIME.  And their pecan coffee cake is quickly becoming my favorite baked good as well.

BarryG

Posted 2010-07-26 11:48:14

No comment on the coffee yet, but I had a spelt cranberry muffin here that was off the chain.

Tweets that mention NOW OPEN: Nook Bakery and Coffee Bar :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-07-26 12:20:09

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Sebastian Dony, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Check out pics of @PhillyNook, a brand-new Center City cafe pouring @1villagecoffee: http://bit.ly/aGq95r [...]

poncho

Posted 2010-07-26 17:24:59

Now, I don't consider myself a muffin eater ( hey-oooo) but the strawberry rhubard muffin was insanely good!

NoMstn

Posted 2010-08-07 10:29:47

I know it's already been said but the muffins here are amaaazing.  My "go-to" is the whole wheat fig but I just had a 1/2 whole wheat peach this morning and now I have to recalculate my rankings.

NoMstn

Posted 2010-08-07 10:30:39

Muffins here are amaaaazing.  Whole-wheat Fig and/or 1/2 whole wheat peach.  THE BEST IN THE CITY

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, July 26-30 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-08-02 11:38:40

[...] Nook Bakery and Coffee Bar starts pouring on 20th Street. [...]

NOW OPEN: Jet Wine Bar :: Meal Ticket :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-11-12 16:22:57

[...] the week, from 4 to 6 p.m., you can get a glass of Fino and two scones (fresh-baked by Edna Cruz of Nook Bakery & Coffee) for $6.   NOW OPEN: Jet Wine [...]

adam

Posted 2010-12-15 19:35:16

FYI - Ellis Coffee, well-known Philadelphia roaster, has fired 6 union drivers and brought in non-union drivers at half the pay with no benefits. It's disgusting!!! when will these practices end??? I am boycotting Ellis Coffee!!!

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 3:44 PM Permalink | Post a comment

The Barbary rolls out food

POSTED: Monday, July 26, 2010, 2:00 PM

Filed Under: Food and Movies | Food News

Most of us have danced, boozed or seen a show at Fishtown's The Barbary (951 N. Frankford Ave.), but now you can add dining to your list of fun-as-hell activities to enjoy there. The second floor, dubbed Barbarella, is now open from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., serving up inexpensive bar food ranging from nachos, pierogies and falafel to churros, vegan sloppy joes, pretzel-crusted mac 'n' cheese balls and a peanut butter/Nutella panini (!). Not only are there mad vegan/vegetarian options, but everything's affordable, ranging from $3 to $7, says Barbary owner John Redden. (Pretzels with nacho cheese or mustard are always available up till 2 a.m.) Eating good food on the cheap while getting your drink on? Yes, please.

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, July 26-30 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-08-02 08:01:50

[...] The Barbary has an upstairs? That serves food?! Yes! It’s called Barbarella. [...]

Foobooz » New for People Who Like Bad News

Posted 2010-07-29 09:00:09

[...] The original Darlings on 20th near Pine has closed. [The Insider] [...]

SNACK TIME: It’s a-meeee, veggie Mario!, Musical TwEATers, sorghum beer here, You should “like” this co-op, Taco Tuesdays has a new home :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-08-12 16:02:50

[...] that those of us who recall wild Taco Tuesdays at Tattooed Mom’s are, well, old. Looks Like Barbarella, aka the upstairs at the Barbary,  is taking over for all you crazy taco-lovin’ kids north of Market Street. FYI, I [...]

Posted by Rachel Burgos @ 2:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, July 19-23

POSTED: Saturday, July 24, 2010, 2:33 AM

Filed Under: Meal Ticket | Ticket Stubs

Monday, July 19 Bit of a slow start this week on Meal Ticket we were busy writing this cover story about Philly pizza! Tuesday, July 20 Oops, Tuesday was kinda rough too. Did we mention this pizza story? It's long! Wednesday, July 21 Meet Adam Erace, City Paper's new restaurant critic. NoLibs' Sonata is giving out free bubbly and Bloody Marys to celebrate its first anniversary. Cheers! Honest Tom's Taco Truck gets the VendrTV treatment. Thursday, July 22 Pics inside Crocodile Philly, Old City's latest bar. Photog Julia Koprak hooks us up with some peeks inside Mémé's second annual pig dinner. Friday, July 23 Top Chef D.C. Episode 6 featured a whole lotta talk about duck testicles. Other stuff too, but mostly duck testicles. Sandwich Tour 2010 kicked off today and y'all had some awesome suggestions. What the hell is Sandwich Tour 2010? Read on. Outgoing CP critic Trey Popp names his five most memorable restaurant reviews.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 2:33 AM Permalink | Post a comment

A Tasty Bon Voyage: Outgoing CP critic Trey Popp's five most memorable reviews

POSTED: Friday, July 23, 2010, 8:11 PM

Filed Under: Meal Ticket

Trey Popp, who's been our restaurant critic here at City Paper since 2006, is moving on to Philadelphia magazine but not before we got him to highlight his five most memorable CP food review experiences during his tenure here. We'll miss you, Trey! Take it away. "Is Trey Popp a pen name for Jeffrey Dahmer? Oh, that's right, Jeffrey Dahmer is dead. But his ghost lives in Trey Popp." Theres no counting the things for which I have City Paper to thank, but that letter to the editor is one Ill never forget. "What does Trey Popp have that I don't have, besides lack of morals?" its author asked. "I'm not even sure that he wouldn't eat a baby." Apparently that was just the sort of uncertainty City Paper hoped to inspire, because the story that gave rise to such passionate vitriol a description of the suckling pig at Pico de Gallo that made the uneasy reality of the dish perhaps a bit too palpable for some sensitive souls paved the way for another 136 columns over the next four years. Thanks for reading them. Thanks to Drew, and Ashlea Halpern before him, for publishing them. I couldnt ask for a better editor. Nor for a better publication to explore all the things I wanted to explore through the prism of food and restaurants. CP is getting a great new columnist in Adam Erace, but the reverse is more important than most people probably realize: He's getting a great new place to write. Drew asked me to put together five memorable columns in a parting Meal Ticket post. If memories alone were the sole criterion, that would be easy: Id base my picks on letter-writers and online commenters. After all, I have one of them to thank for the fact that I can now find my byline by Googling "Trey Poop." Thats memorable. But as fun as online combat is, Im grateful to CP for more than its engaging readers. It was also a place that had no qualms about letting a restaurant reviewer address issues ranging from cultural history to immigration policy to our sometimes pathological relationship to eating. None of these are the classic stuff of a restaurant review. You wont find them in the typical daily-newspaper restaurant column. But they are unquestionably relevant to eating in America, and Im proud to have been a part of a weekly paper that recognizes that. So in that vein, here are a couple columns that inspired spirited combat, and a few more that hopefully persuaded you that theres more to eating than the bite at the end of your fork.

1. Pico de Gallo Presentation turned out to be a slightly thorny issue. The visual effect of a whole piglet on a small platter serves to remind everyone that something not far removed from infanticide has taken place. One got the sense that the photographer was not thrilled with this assignment.

2. El Camino Real "Whether you like this place or not, one thing is clear: Trey 'Poop' is an incompetent and worthless reviewer." "I personally feel that this review is not a review but a bitching of snobbery." "disgusting, trashy article."

3. Garces Trading Company Pat Buchanan speared a fractal tuft of frisee from his Lyonnaise duck salad, catching a bacon lardon in its springy kinks. "You've got a wholesale invasion," he was saying, "the greatest invasion in human history, coming across your southern border, changing the composition and character of your country." The chicory crunched between his molars, slipping slightly where a poached egg yolk had slicked the white-green shoots. "Look," he went on. "They've got their own language, their own culture. They don't want to be Americans."

4. Table 31 I wondered if there had ever been a people that wasted good food so cavalierly as I had just done. My head grew light. The ancient Romans came to mind. "When we recline at a banquet," Seneca wrote, "one slave mops up the disgorged food, another crouches beneath the table and gathers up the leftovers of tipsy guests." At least I had not dined in a supine position, vomited or availed myself of a table slave.

5. Chifa In 1943, the Chinese anthropologist Fei Xiaotong visited Washington as a guest of the U.S. State Department. After tiring of formal visits with "gray-haired people all day," he went with an American colleague to a Chinese restaurant. What he found there astonished him.

Tweets that mention A Tasty Bon Voyage: Outgoing CP critic Trey Popps five most memorable reviews :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-07-23 18:24:39

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Outgoing @citypaper food critic Trey Popp (now of @phillymag) highlights his five most memorable CP reviews. http://bit.ly/bY18Kq [...]

Posted by Trey Popp @ 8:11 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Philly team's 24 Hour Restaurant Battle airs in August

POSTED: Friday, July 23, 2010, 7:41 PM

Filed Under: Food TV

Courtesy of Food Network

Way back in April, we told you about Philly-based couple Lisa Fernandez and Zack Gaynor (above) appearing on the Food Network show 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, which involves two teams of two battling to get a drop-of-a-hat eatery up and running while host Scott Conant and other judges look on. Though we originally thought the episode would debut this month, Food Network tells Meal Ticket it will air on August 11. Fernandez currently works as a trauma clinician for the Devereux Foundation, while Zack works at Rum Bar at 20th and Walnut.

Tweets that mention Philly teams 24 Hour Restaurant Battle airs in August :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-07-23 23:01:42

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Becky Carter, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Philly teams "24 Hour Restaurant Battle" episode airs on @FoodNetwork in August: http://bit.ly/cfSVoZ [...]

Twofold Philly love on Food Network tonight :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-07-26 11:33:26

[...] July 19-23• A Tasty Bon Voyage: Outgoing CP critic Trey Popp's five most memorable reviews• Philly team's 24 Hour Restaurant Battle airs in August• Sandwich Tour 2010 begins today, and we need your suggestions!• Top Chef D.C. Episode [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 7:41 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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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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