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Archive: September, 2012
Today on Afternoon Snacks, we’ve got a bevy of educational experiences to remind you of a time when the “Back to School” season still had anything to do with your life!
First up, a little something different to consider for tomorrow’s First Friday festivities: attend a free class on Herbology at the Chemical Heritage Foundation! (315 Chestnut St.) Bethany Deflores of Herbiary (locations in Reading Terminal Market and Chestnut Hill) will give a talk about the history of plant-based medicines and give demos on the distillation of tinctures and making herb-infused vinegars. If you can’t make it this month (or if you’re just more interested in distilling to damage your internal organs rather than heal them), an upcoming First Friday event at the CHF will walk you through the process of distilling liquor.
Intro to apiology and early autumn tasting, after the jump. »
Last night Meal Ticket got a first look at Growlers, the bar-restaurant taking over the 736 S. 8th Street spot that formerly housed Little Bar. This is the premier venture for Starr alum Jay Willard whose resume includes managing at Parc, Jones, El Vez and The Dandelion as well as beverage consulting for Route 6 and Frankford Hall.
He's done a wonderful job cozying up the space, with warm, deep red walls, gold accents and a lovely pressed tin ceiling. And the disused fireplace is ready to go once the weather cools off with comfy leather chairs and sofas for fireside sipping.
Come September 24th, you can look forward to a bar-focused bar with 12 rotating taps plus a hand-pumped firkin, 30 bottles and 10 cans. True to its name Growlers will be filling growlers to enjoy in house or take out. Willard will fill any growler you bring in but if you buy one of his you're privy to a 10% discount.
On the food front is Jerry Donohue, formerly of Spamps in Conshohocken. Worn out on the term gastropub, he's crafting a menu of "elevated American pub grub" with intriguing options like Crispy Bacon with Bacon Tarragon Dip, an international array of chicken wings, Soft Pretzel-Stuffed Roast Chicken as well as plenty of gluten-free options.
The bar will be open from 4 p.m to 2 a.m. and the kitchen is keeping the industry friendly hours of 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.
As if you needed a reason to drink at Prohibition Taproom (501 N. 13th St.): Tonight, proceeds from their extended happy hour (5 to 8 p.m.) will benefit the seriously awesome LIFE program from Greensgrow Farms. They provide reduced-cost CSA shares for SNAP recipients, with added benefits like coupons for more produce and classes on how to prepare each week’s offerings.
And the only thing you've got to do to support this vital program is unwind after work with a few drinks and a bite. The Taproom will be featuring drink specials, of course, as well as some free bar snacks (including housemade pickles) and a special menu of small plates. We even got our hands on the full bill of fare for the night, so you know exactly what you’ve got to look forward to after punching out!
Note: In this column, we make leftovers new again. Waste not, want not.
Ask a South Philadelphian for their go-to taqueria, get a dozen different answers. (Mine is Los Gallos, with Los Taquitos de Puebla in hot pursuit.) One common darling that emerges from the mixed masses is El Jarocho, the stern, bare-bones shop on the corner of 13th and Ellsworth. Tacophiles love this place, and while it's not my favorite in town, I've always had positive experiences with the food there, most recently on Labor Day, when I toted home a quart of their awesome posole rojo. It's not quite the ideal weather for the ancient Aztec stew, but call me hopeful. I had a bowl, then like a chub, picked out all the soft hominy and fatty meat out of the soup, leaving a lot of warm, spicy crimson broth--which I Doggybag Redux-ed to braised cannelini beans and farro for a lighter take on the next night's beans and rice.
Posole makes its way into Farro & Beans (with recipe!) after the jump! »
So, a Big Lebowski-themed bowling tournament that’s also a huge fundraising event for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society kind of sells itself, right? Good! Because we’d rather just get right to spilling the details and hurry you on your way to get involved.
The Dude Hates Cancer 2012 is going down at North Bowl (909 N. 2nd St.) on Saturday, Sept. 15th, and it’s going to be huge. Get some friends on board to form a team of 6-10 people and register here—the registration fee is $280, which includes all your games and shoe rentals, plus extras like t-shirts, tickets to the after party, and everything you’ll need to fundraise—and get started raising money. The more you raise, the better the odds that you’ll win something (that is, something more concrete than the satisfaction that comes with having a good time and helping save lives). Prizes include a signed bowling pin donated by The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges, and an autographed bottle of Crystal Head Vodka donated by Dan Aykroyd.
If bowling’s not your thing or you’re pressed for time or you don’t have 5 friends, the event is also open to spectators, or you can donate money online or buy raffle tickets from any participant. And even if you’re one of those curmudgeonly types who likes to scoff loudly and often about the very notion of lotteries, you might want to reconsider this time. The odds are certainly more in your favor than with the Powerball, and the prize is awesome:
It’s called the Philly Restaurant Pass, and it consists of gift certificates (ranging from $50-$150 and a few “dinner for 2” offers with no dollar amount attached) to 26 different Philly restaurants. On the list? Your choice of restos from both the Vetri and Garces empires, plus Cochon, Stateside, Kennett, Honey’s Sit’n’Eat… seriously, the list just keeps going. There’s also a consolation prize that consists of 5 GCs to some of the city’s best brunch spots, and for those that are bowling, a third great pass that will go to the person that sells the winning first-prize ticket. Raffle tickets are $5 apiece, or you can opt to buy 3 for $7 or 7 for $20. (Go on, cough up the Jackson.)
To sign up, donate, seek the answers to any questions you may have (like, I don’t know, “can I sell all the raffle tickets to myself?”), or find out about the after party at Johnny Brenda’s, head over to their site.
Without offending any of the regular staff at Kennett (848 S. 2nd St.) we have to say that we kind of love when Phoebe Esmon and Christian Gaal give them a break and take over bar keeping duties. Tonight the duo is hosting a happy hour with Philadelphia Distilling Company. Esmon and Gaal are going to be mixing up a menu of cocktails marrying Bluecoat Gin, Vieux Carre Absinthe and Penn 1681 Vodka with all sorts of unexpected ingredients like cucumber purée, carrot juice and lime curd. Cocktails kick off at 6 p.m. and shake on all night long.
View galleryPizza Brain (2313 Frankford Ave.) opens its glorious doors to the public on Friday but Meal Ticket got a sneak peek at this singular pizzeria-cum-museum last night, plus a chance to sample a few of the pies on offer. The Pizza Brain Crew is still putting a few finishing touches on the space but for now here's a slice of the awesomeness to come at Pizza Brain.
Are you a serious carnivore with no weekend plans? Well, if you are we suggest getting your meat-lovin' self up to New York for Meatopia, leat laven (and gout-suffering) food writer Josh Ozersky's so-called "Woodstock of Meat." This is the 9th annual Meatopia and promises to be the most meat-sweat-inducing one yet.
The festival is taking over Randall's Island, dividing it into neighborhoods with meaty monikers such as Offalwood and the Deckle District. And Ozersky has gone as far as booking bands with appropriate names like the barbecue-appropriate Woods and The Living Kills.
So, why are we so excited about this out of state event? Well, because our own Jonathan Adams of Pub and Kitchen (1946 Lombard St.) fame is cooking alongside other meat-tacular big shots like April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig, Donald Link of New Orleans's Cochon and Aaron Franklin of Austin's Franklin Barbecue. Sponsored by Creekstone Farms, Adams is grilling up a "Vegas Strip" two ways with pickled red onion and carrot salad.
On today's Afternoon Sacks, we've got flights of sparkling wines, burgers, and hotdogs... plus a multi-course tasting menu paired with one beer in several different ways.
Vintage Wine Bar (129 S. 13th St.) is testing out candidates for a new signature burger, and you can be one of their guinea pigs. The Burgers and Bubbly party/election runs from 4 p.m. to midnight on Wednesday, Sept. 19th. Drink specials cover the bubbly portion of the evening, with $4 pours of the house sparkler, and discounts on sparkling flights all night. They’re also offering sliders—for $10, you can try them all and then vote on your favorite. The winner will replace the current Vintage Burger on the menu full-time.
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