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Archive: September, 2011
Back in June, we told you about Peter McAndrews' plans for the old Locust Crest Tavern (1191 N. Middletown Road) in Media. The chef and restaurateur — four eateries qualifies for restaurateur status, no? — behind Monsù, Paesano’s and Modo Mio is calling the spot Il Porto, Italiano for "the door." The name comes from the antique walk-in McAndrews discovered inside the place during renovations, its door etched with the year 1936. “In my mind, it’s also like we’re opening the door to your palate,” says the chef, who promises pizzas cooked a new wood-burning oven, as well as Venetian-style bar snacks called cicchetti and daily specials like whole-roasted fish and porchetta. Il Porto will seat about 30 at the bar and 45 more in two dining rooms. McAndrews says the place is about a month away.
Photo: Drew Lazor
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.)
The latest location of Robert and Raquel DeAbreu's Sabrina's Café opened this morning in the Ross Commons building on Drexel's campus (34th and Powelton). The restaurant, the third in Philly for the DeAbreus (910 Christian and 1804 Callowhill being their others), is spread across multiple rooms of the first floor of the building, a limestone Victorian gothic home built 123 years ago for railroad magnate Max Riebenack III. Just like the other cafés, simple and cheery décor elements abound here, and there's plenty of nice window seating in a breezeway looking out into Powelton Village. The menu is comparable in size and scope to Sabrina's Callowhill location, and they're also working on launching Spencer ΣTA Burger, a separate-but-associated burger grill (read the Greek letters as "Eat A"), as the school year progresses.
Opening hours: Sun.-Mon, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Tue.-Sat., 8 a.m.-10 p.m.
UPDATE [20sept11]: Added Sabrina's breakfast, sandwich and soup/salad menus after the jump (click to enlarge).
I think it was Tom Colicchio, on an episode of Top Chef, who once said it’s very difficult to make a great salad. Even inherently flavorful greens like spicy arugula and buttery bibb are still just roughage, and they need fruit, nuts, vegetables, vinaigrettes and proteins to make them enticing enough to eat. Therein lies the danger: Since salads are blank slates, they're so easy to under- or over-dress with toppings.
The best ones, the ones Tommy C. is talking about, are like the strawberry-Gorgonzola setup at Fuel (191 E. Passyunk Ave.). The featured ingredients (fresh sliced strawberries and hunks of the funky Italian mountain blue) are right there in the name, with chopped tomatoes, thin-sliced red onions and candied pecans playing the supporting case over a bed of tender baby spinach. Chef/owner Rocco Cima blends up a berry vinaigrette that's just viscous enough to stick to the leaves. This salad's got crunch, it's got bright, balanced sweetness and tang. Plus, it eats like something much more satisfying than a salad and will only cost you 325 calories. Eat this immediately!
Photo: Adam Erace
Eat Along the Street (EATS), the kickoff for Manayunk's Eco Arts Festival, is just two days away, but readers can still purchase tickets for the street-food event, headed up by chef Moon Krapugthong (Chabaa Thai) and restaurant consultant Judy Spielman (Space by Spielman, Ltd.). Taking place on Sept. 21 from 6 to 9 p.m., the food festival and cooking competition at Propper Brothers (115 Levering St.) benefits Thailand's Wat Bodd Vorraditth orphanage, with the goal of training youth for a future in the culinary/hospitality industry. Come out and experience street cuisine flavors with Krapugthong and other local chefs, such as Clark Gilbert of Gemelli (4161 Main St ), Mary Cullom of Spring House's Arpeggio (542 Wood Spring Road) and Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby of the upcoming Vedge. Stay for the culinary competition, which will be judged by a panel including chef Jose Garces, Munish Narula of Tiffin and Tashan and CP's own Drew Lazor. General admission tickets start at just $35.
Remember back in February, when we told you Blue Bear Tavern (216 S. 11th St.) was getting close? That was a bit premature — but the good news is the bar in the former Doc Watson's is officially open as of this past Friday. The 140-seat bilevel space, owned/operated primarily by Bob DeBolt of Vesper Hospitality, kicked off business quietly by offering a full bar in addition to complimentary food samples. They're now working off an introductory menu before exec chef Billy Gilbo drops his full-on approach at the Oct. 14 grand opening. The philosophy, built around accessible but well-crafted "American classics," remains intact. More soon.
UPDATE [1:45 p.m.]: Check out Blue Bear's current food and beverage menus after the jump (click to enlarge).
Vendemmia is the name of the Italian fall grape harvest. It’s also a South Philly scholarship foundation whose annual festival is on the calendar for this Sunday, Sept. 25. Now in its 15th year, the vino-soaked bash returns to historic Girard Park (21st and 22nd, Porter and Shunk streets) after spending the last few years in the parking lot of the Eagles’ NovaCare practice facility. The South Philly-fabulous festival's centerpiece is a contest between local winemakers, but there’s also live music and food stalls from local restaurants. Most of the attendees BYOB and BYOF, too, and lay out elaborate picnic spreads. (Cacia's tomato pie is always popular with my family.) General admission tickets are $40 and are available through PayPal on the Vendemmia website; you can also ball with a 10-top for $400.
Photo: vendemmiafoundation.org
Monday, September 12
Matt Feldman of Lucky Old Souls is launching a burger-and-fry-focused food truck with his wife.
The Wingstop chain is looking to blanket Philly in new locations.
The owners of Pure Fare are also getting into the food truck game.
Chef Carmen Cappello has left The Wishing Well.
Tuesday, September 13
Notes from the Weekend was a little late but still full of gratuitous eating.
There's a brand-new fall menu at Kennett.
Fan of Iron Chef? How about Cast Iron Chef? It's an upcoming historical cookoff at Fort Mifflin.
Wednesday, September 14
The World Tea East Conference visits Philly.
More details on Jennifer Carroll's goodbye dinner at 10 Arts.
Thursday, September 15
A Jack Daniels-based mojito? Where the hell in Philly can we acquire such a thing?
Lucky's Last Chance is brand-new in Manayunk.
Friday, September 16
Brauhaus Schmitz is doing is big for Oktoberfest 2011.
If you want to drink at Port Richmond Pour House, you need to know the rules.
As we told you in August, chef Jason Goodman's new menu at The Farmers' Cabinet (1113 Walnut St.) made its debut for Restaurant Week this past month. For those hungry and thirsty, F-Cab head bartender Phoebe Esmon has created a special list of cocktail pairings to go along with every option on Goodman's prix-fixe menu. Offered only during RW’s two-week run, the selection comprises concoctions named the Mystic Circle, the Procession of the Sage and The Charly Baltimore, all of which ring in at $12. After RW wraps up, she'll transition into the Cabinet's fall cocktail menu. Peep the full list of pairings after the jump.
Tomorrow, Sept. 17, marks the 11th annual Upper Darby Chicken Festival. Beginning at 11 a.m. and going until 7, the congregation at Christ Lutheran Community Church (7240 Walnut St.) will be serving up the best pollo in town to thousands. Dinners include baked chicken and two sides (mac 'n' cheese, potato salad, veggie medley, etc.), all home-cooked by church members. There will also be a bake sale and bevs, but it is a strictly alcohol-free event.
Of course, like any good fest, the church has lined up several contests. At noon it's the chicken toss; at 1 p.m. they'll hold the largest simultaneous chicken dance in the state; 2 p.m. will see a "Best Chicken Legs on a Human," contest; 3 p.m. is "Most Beautiful Beak"; 4 p.m. is the "Egg Drop and Catch" (raw eggs are dropped from various heights and people try to catch them while others run for cover) and at 5 p.m. there'll be a cookoff. Carnival games include the high sticker and moon bounce for the kiddies, as well as a dunk tank. (The unfortunate dunkees are teachers from the local school district.) To top it all off, Miss Pennsylvania 2011, Amber Joi Watkins, is scheduled to appear at 2. In case eating chicken and chicken-related activities aren't quite enough to fill your poultry quota for the day, they'll sell a bunch of chicken merchandise — clothing, pots, pants, towels, clocks, plates, spoons and even furniture.
Chicken Fest tix are $9 per-sale (going until 5 p.m. today; call 610-352-1610) and $10 at the door, but arrive early — they sell only 5,000 and usually sell out.
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