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Archive: August, 2009
Last week's episode of Top Chef Masters saw the remaining superchefs cooking a vegan and gluten-free meal for Zooey Deschanel. In the next-week teaser at the end of the ep, we noticed Angry Dale from Season 4 yelling at finalist Michael Chiarello. If that alone is not reason enough for you to catch Wednesday's penultimate airing, here are new details on the ep straight from Bravo:
The final four chefs enter their last quickfire challenge blindfolded. The elimination round presents the chefs with the goal of catering a large event � only they are not allowed to touch the food. Each Master must use his or her leadership, teaching, and directing skills to accomplish their vision at arms length.
The elimination sounds right-on � these contestants will likely be at their best expediting in the kitchen and overseeing a big crew, Angry Dale notwithstanding. But the blindfold thing? Seems like a cruel and unusual choice for chefs of this caliber. Meaning it's gonna be hilarious.
From my July 9th post to eGullet.org's Top Chef thread. "Not my favorite quick fire challenge last night - one-handed egg cooking. Hate to see such talent wasted on a stunt. Maybe next week it will be blindfolded knife skills."
It's actually a blindfolded taste test.
Boring. The producers are wusses. How Gordon Ramsey of them.
What do you mean by your Gordon Ramsey comment? I really like the guy.
The blindfold taste test has been a regular event on Hell's Kitchen. I think I'd like the real Gordon Ramsey a lot. Not all that wild about yelling and abusive Hell's Kitchen Gordon.
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| southphillyexperience.com |
Thanks to our girl Cathy of Gastronomy, a former Philly resident who now eats out of L.A., for putting us on to The South Philly Experience, an upcoming City-of-Angels food truck that aims to fatten up Cali with all our PHL specialties. A few details on the project, run by two local cousins (OK, dudes are from Jerz but we are still down), from the L.A. Times' Daily Dish blog:
As its name suggests, the South Philly Experience will offer South Philadelphia-inspired sandwiches: meatball subs, chicken cutlets, pulled pork with broccoli rabe and, of course, cheese steaks. Made on bread that will be shipped from the popular Amoroso's Baking Co. in Philadelphia [...]
You can also get a side of French fries, and to please East Coast transplants hungry for a treat that's rare in Southern California, dessert will come in the form of Tastykakes. Specifically, the truck will sell Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes, Butterscotch Krimpets and chocolate cupcakes.
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| japanesebirdcookingspaghetti.com |
We could stare at this all day. We stare at this all day.
www.japanesebirdcookingspaghetti.com
Yes. This is a classic. I love that dang bird.
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| myspace.com/q102rocco |
From the kitchen to the studio, then back again � that's the career trajectory for South Philly son Rocco Cima (right), who you probably know as an on-air personality at Q102. You see, he studied at the Restaurant School and completed some hardcore culinary training in France prior to jumping into the radio game. And right now he's close to opening Fuel, a 26-seat lunch/dinner spot with healthy eaters in mind, at 1917 E. Passyunk Avenue.
Everything on the from-scratch menu at Fuel, which'll also feature a fresh-squeezed juice bar, will be under 500 calories � an artery-friendly concept that definitely stands out down South. No specific theme to the menu, just "a bunch of fresh ingredients that I like," says Cima � figure on plenty of roasted/grilled veggies (no deep frying), low-cal proteins like turkey, salmon and tuna and sandwiches served on house-baked bread. If you're worried that the 500-cal ceiling will translate into teeny portion sizes, fear not � Cima says we'll be surprised by just how much food you can crank out under the limit.
"I've always had the love for food," says Cima of his decision to return to his pre-airwaves trade. (Since he's on the radio at night, you'll find him in the kitchen during the day.) "In my travels to L.A. or New York, I've seen similar concepts � but [nothing like it] in Philly."
There'll be a bit of outdoor Avenue seating and they'll do delivery, probably up to South Street. Opening date will almost certainly be September 10.
UPDATE: Here's the full menu for Fuel.
[...] The South Philly Experience to serve local grub on wheels• Japanese Bird Cooking Spaghetti• Rocco Cima to Fuel South Philly• Menu for the new Tampopo• Philly's 50 Must-Eats: The Contest• Calzones on the [...]
[...] lowdown and the menu for Fuel on East Passyunk [Meal [...]
[...] signing a lease for a second location of his low-cal eatery Fuel (1917 E. Passyunk Ave.), which he opened in South Philly about a year ago. The new restaurant will be at 1225 Walnut, the former home of Philadelphia Home Art Garden (PHAG). [...]
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
After the jump, peep the menu for the new Tampopo, located at 269 S. 44th Street (215-386-3866) in West Philly. The offerings are pretty similar to Ben Yu's other two Tampopo locations, but this one's doing a few new dishes, including ramen (they're serving the noodles with braised pork this week). Delivery ($20 order minimum) will start in mid-August.
They're open for lunch (11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.) and dinner (4:30-9:30 p.m.) Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays; closed Mondays.
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| Click to enlarge |
Finally! Tampopo is perhaps my favorite movie ever made and I really never understood why this restaurant didn't serve Ramen. I am going to eat it.
[...] bar aiming for a March 29 opening at 265 S. 44th Street, right on the same block as Local 44 and Tampopo in West Philly. Owner Kashif Ahmad is an accountant by trade, but he’s got some family [...]
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| Photo l Michael Persico |
| You Must Eat the Sidecar's Reuben |
By now you've peeped PW's exhaustive Must-Eats cover story, penned by restaurant critic Adam Erace (interviewed here by Drew for The Good Word), Field Guide-er Tim McGinnis and native Texan and Music Editor Brian McManus. You've probably ingested a few of the 50 items, but now PW has thrown down the gauntlet to ambitious omnivores.
Prove you've tackled the entire list (after the publish date of Aug. 5; no points for precognition) and score $100 in gift certificates to "fabulous Philly restaurants" as well as gluttonous infamy. Here are the official rules.
[...] and Tim McGinnis, plus guest chef Brad Jennings), the meal will feature nine courses inspired by PW’s recent Must Eats cover package. Tix are $90 a head, but keep in mind that this price also includes all-you-can-drink Yards Brawler, [...]
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
This weekend, Meal Ticket dropped in to the so-very-close D.P. Dough location coming to West Philly�(33 S. 40th St.) to say what's up to owners Jason and Jacquie Hembrey and Mike Nagao. (Scott, Mike's brother, is also a partner.) The crew has been itching to get their biz up and running in Philly since construction began last fall. Barring any last-second snags, Jason is almost certain that this coming weekend will see its debut.
Quick word on the brand � D.P. launched in the late '80s in Amherst, Massachusetts, and has since expanded nationwide, with most of the restaurants situated near major colleges. The portable, goody-packed calzones � or 'zones, as goes the parlance � are offered in a multitude of varieties, as you can build your own, as well. Above is the "Combat Zone" (sausage, pepperoni, mozzarella, peppers, mushrooms), one of two varieties the owners treated us to. In the works � specialty 'zones (a curry calzone is planned, says Jason) and some more extensive vegetarian selections. It typically takes about 7 minutes after ordering to get a fresh-baked 'zone in your hands, says Mike.
The young owners are fully aware of the fact that D.P. Dough is drunk person food, and seem more poised than your average close-to-campus eatery to embrace hordes of intoxicated kids. And judging by the feverish reactions of our post-grad friends who had a D.P. Dough at their schools (think variations on "OMFG D.P. DOUGH IS COMING TO PHILLY OMFG"), those hordes are gonna show up.
How are these for college-friendly hours of operation: Sunday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. and Friday to Saturday from� 11 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. The store's delivery radius will be between 30th and 50th north to south and Spring Garden and Baltimore east to west.
such an unfortunate name for a place, right up there with Swallow. Too bad they weren't next door neighbors. I also much enjoyed hearing Penn students refer to their newspaper as the 'DP'. Hehe.
Thanks Drew! @Collin -- haha we're aware of the DP too. However, it's based on the original mother/son owners, Dan and Penny :)
[...] (33 S. 40th St., 215-796-9809) officially opens for business today at 5 p.m., after a handful of false starts. Meal Ticket popped by earlier today to say what’s up to owners�Jason and Jacquie Hembrey and [...]
Michael Klein reports that First Lady Michelle Obama treated daughters Malia and Sasha to Capogiro Gelato this past Saturday while visiting Philadelphia; and apparently, Michelle likes chocolate. She chose chocolate banana and cioccolato scuro, Capogiro's signature dark-dark chocolate, for her cup.� Malia paired fior di latte with dulce de leche, while Sasha went all-dulce. Yum.
The Obama ladies took in historic sights, visiting Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Betsy Ross House before hitting South Street and the Gayborhood for some Philly atmosphere.
Meal Ticket heartily approves of the First Family's selection of Capogiro for a quick cool-off; we have only one recommendation for future visits.
Capogiro offers complimentary, lightly sweetened, homemade panna (whipped cream) to top off your gelato.� Double up your treat by asking the barista to fill a cone with the panna, then put the gelato on top.� Now the sad moment of no-more-ice-cream becomes a happy, all-new-dessert-moment of a delicate French gaufrette cone full of fluffy panna.� You can thank us later.
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| Photos | Drew Lazor |
Cafe Con Chocolate?
Marian: Great place, but this ain't it.
Sabrina's?
Memphis Taproom!
Jess: You win! The framed pic at the top hangs by the bar at Memphis Taproom. Tasty dishes above (I ate a bunch of bacon on Friday for some reason so I decided to go veg for Saturday brunch) â the veg burger and the "tacos bruncheros."
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
This Friday, Harry and John Arnold's Darling's (The Piazza at Schmidts,�1001 N. Second St.,�267-239-5775) will introduce room service to the residents of both The Piazza and Liberties Walk. The menu, which'll feature specials in addition to breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert,�will be available Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to midnight, Saturday from 9 a.m. to midnight and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.�And here's even more news for lazy homebody Northern Libertarians: The diner plans on expanding delivery further into the neighborhood in the near future.
By room service do you just mean delivery or actual room service?
e.l.: They mean actual room service, as in knockin' on your door.
hi, Yes personalized room service @ your door for 5 of the properties surrounding THE PIAZZA @ SCHMIDT'S ....
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