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Field Trip
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| Plants On Deck |
| Support hose for melons |
glad you posted this...I want to start a garden and this is a great jumping-off point.
Social comments and analytics for this post... This post was mentioned on Twitter by brownthumbgirl: Cheat Sheet: Container garden tricks from Plants On Deck http://bit.ly/aO8DbD...
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I love the tip on supporting the melon. Please check out my article too!
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| GracefulGardens.net |
| Chive flowers add color to planters and plates |
[...] a look at the rooftop garden at Noble (2025 Sansom St.), which we first talked about in April — up here they’re growing edible flowers, heirloom tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and close [...]
[...] rooftop garden at Noble (2025 Sansom St.), which was but a glimmer in Grace Wicks‘ eye back in April, is sprouting in full force, so much so that chef Brinn Sinnott has organized a [...]
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| Photo l Michael Persico |
| Last year's withered cherry tomato gone to seed. |
Instead of cleaning up our extensive container vegetable garden in late October like responsible adults, the boyfriend and I went to California for a few weeks. When we returned in November, the whole thing was a windblown, rain-smashed disaster and we were too busy frantically playing catch-up at work to care. Then it snowed, and snowed some more, and the splattered-tomato mess was covered up until the big thaw of March 2010.
We sorted it all out a few weeks ago and have this year's seedlings outside hardening off this very minute. We got a surprise today, when the weeds that had taken root in one of the uncovered containers turned out to be one of last year's withered cherry tomatoes, now aflame with a crop of seedlings (pictured).
From the wild abundance of shoots, it appears every seed left in that wrinkly old fruit burst into life. Gardening method requires snipping all but the strongest seedlings to produce hardy, uncrowded plants, but maybe I'll transfer this guy to his own bucket and just let nature take its course.
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I'll be heading out of this gorgeous weather to the snow-covered mountains of Aspen next week as the "plus-one" of a work trip. I recently sustained a back injury that has benched me from the main event in Aspen: snow sports. (OK, part of me didn't wanna do that anyway, so now I have a valid excuse!). Since that's basically off my radar I'm looking for other suggestions.
I've researched the crap out of Aspen and have planned a culinary class at the St. Regis, dinner at LuLu Wilson, a trip to Aspen Brewing Company and a night of drinks and dancing at Regal Watering Hole — but I want more. Whatcha got? Add recommendations to the comments, please and thank you!
Even if you're not skiing, you should still take a ride up the gondola on Aspen Mountain to see the view. If you're up to it, there are also snowshoe tours at the top of Aspen Mountain led by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies through 4/9/10.
I haven't been to Aspen in a few years so I'm not sure about and newer spots, but you shouldn't miss J-Bar at the Hotel Jerome. Montagna at The Little Nell is a good choice among the pricier spots for dinner. For apres ski I like the Double Dog (unpretentious, good local beers, great burgers) and Sky Bar at the Sky Hotel (a little more trendy, but they have a hot tub!). No one will know you weren't on the slopes all day!
All those things sound really good! I've been there a few times over the past couple years. This winter I went to Hickory House Ribs (http://www.hickoryhouseribs.com/) for the first time, after spotting it on the way into town every year, and it was PHENOMENAL. We got THE FEAST and, man, I've never seen so much food. Also try the Colorado Sausage (omfg). My standby for a cheap watering hole is really the only one in town - Little Annie's (http://www.littleannies.com/). Great cheap food, decent beer selection, and the closest thing you'll get to a dive there. Most of all, just spend as much time walking around and checking everything out - Aspen might be the most beautiful city I've ever been to!
Definitely the gondola. Lunch at http://www.woodycreektavern.com/. We biked down there, not sure if the weather will be nice enough for you.
Hi Felicia, Todd from Noble. I used to live in Vail & have done business in Aspen quite frequently. There was a restaurant I used to go to every year called 'Elevation', that was always very good. It's been about 4 years so I'm not sure how it is now. As Blee said above, drinks at the J-Bar is a must! Takah Sushi is also a good spot. Main Street Cafe is great for breakfast & Campo di Fiore was always a decent Italian spot. Have fun!
I had a pretty good meal in Aspen about 10 years ago. I think the place was called Alchemy, but I have no idea whether it's still there or still good. In fact, I remember very little from 10 years ago!
Wow, thank you everyone...I'm taking notes and hopefully I can squeeze it all in! I don't leave 'til Wednesday so keep 'em coming!
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| sjhotchefs.com |
Take PATCO, Philly Car Share or your own set of wheels (whaaat, we have FREE parking lots!) to one of 44 restaurants participating in South Jersey's Restaurant Week, scheduled for April 11-16. Depending on which place you choose, the four-course menus will run you either $25 or $35 — call or visit your pick's Web site for more details and reservations.
South Jersey Independent Restaurant Association (you can call them âSJ Hot Chefsâ) celebrates independently owned restaurants and their contributions to adding flavor to the area's largely corporate restaurant scene. At these chefs' spots, though, freshness, locality, creativity and real food are what matter. Added bonus: most places listed are BYO.
Among my favorite SJ Hot Chef members are Blackbird Dining Establishment (619 Collings Ave. = PATCO + 2-minute cab ride), The Little Tuna (141 Kings Highway = PATCO + 5-minute walk), Los Amigos (461 Rte. 73 North = gotta drive to this one) and Coriander (Ritz Plaza, 910 Haddonfield-Berlin Road = gotta drive here, too). If end up at Coriander for dinner, you should walk a few feet to fellow Hot Cheffer Ritz Seafood and get a piece of their famous triple coconut cream pie.
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| Photo l Felicia D'Ambrosio |
Named for St. Benedict, who founded monastic communities all over Europe that produced fine artisanal cheese, preserves and wine, Sonoma County's Saint Benoît Yogurt is made in small batches with a similar attention to the concept of terroir, "food of a place".
Available only in certain markets in California, the whole-milk yogurt is sold in quart glass jars and 7.5-oz. earthenware crocks (pictured), for which the purchaser pays a small deposit that is refunded upon return of the crock. Both the plain and fruit-on-the-bottom cream-top yogurt are made from organic milk from Jersey cows and cultured with a French yogurt culture.
Reusing the earthenware crock and glass jars at home, or returning them to Saint Benoît to use again, saves resources in addition to adding an additional sensory pleasure to eating the hand-made product. Lightweight #5 polypropylene plastics, the type most commonly used to make yogurt and deli containers, is almost never recycled, but rather incinerated at recycling centers. Though Saint Benoît is not available outside of California, their deposit model is an interesting approach to the standing problem of responsible consumption, and delicious in the bargain.
RELATED: Don't Panic... it's just a new (but still not recyclable) package [29July09]
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Right now, Meal Ticket operatives KR and RB are eating at Jose Garces' Mercat a la Planxa, which he opened about two years back inside the Blackstone Hotel in the Iron Chef's hometown of Chicago. We'll share their full report soon.
I also just flew back east from a trip to the Windy City, and I dragged a party of four to Mercat this weekend. The 4 of us (including one pescatarian in tow) polished off a solid third of the menu. We were inspired no doubt by a personal greeting from the Iron Chef himself, who dropped by the table after hearing that I flew halfway across the country to eat there. Although I can safely say that everything we ate was divine, the Yellowfin Tuna a la Planxa and Braised Rabbit Agnolotti topped my personal list. And my Chicago friends took the opportunity during our audience with Chef Garces to tell him that he should bottle and sell the Roasted Garlic Dulce de Leche to which he responded, "It is on sale at Garces Trading Company." I am now on strict orders to post several bottles back to Chicago.
When I went there in August, I loved the sangria. The paella negra was also unlike any other paella I ever had. My companion and I also got "special" treatment from the staff after we mentioned to the hostess we were from Philly and had been to his other places out there.
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| VeggieTrader.com |
| A natural idea |
Though it is unlikely Philadelphia residents have anything blossoming in the garden right now, the spring planting season is just around the corner. File this one away for that summer day when you have more tomatoes than you can eat, and are really wishing for a few ripe peaches.
VeggieTrader.com is a free Web site where gardeners can barter or sell the overflow from their patch; those just looking for local produce can buy posted items available in their neighborhood. Their How It Works page has the nitty-gritty on the possible taxes, licenses and quarantine zones that traders should be aware of.
With only three weeks until the vernal equinox, tiny peat pots and seed packets are calling. Non-gardeners in search of exceptional local produce should mark March 15 on their calendars, when Greensgrow Farm opens their summer CSA to the public.
There is a similar service called Neighborhood Fruit (http://neighborhoodfruit.com) that enables people to find and share produce within their communities - they even have an iPhone app, called Find Fruit!
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| Ice Cream Journal |
| A herd of one joins the team |
Soccer fans will have hometown refreshments to sustain them when the Philadelphia Union's PPA Stadium opens in Chester, PA on June 27. Lancaster-based Turkey Hill will be the exclusive vendor of ice cream, lemonade and iced tea at the 18,500 seat stadium, as well as serving as the official partner of Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association (EPYSA) and Delaware Youth Soccer Association (DYSA), as well as providing title sponsorship of one major EPYSA youth soccer tournament per year --the Turkey Hill Cup.
Turkey Hill Dairy, a subsidiary of Kroger markets, produces the top-selling refrigerated ice tea brand in the country, as well as the fourth largest-selling premium ice cream brand.
Next week, this half of Meal Ticket is digging out of the snow and escaping to sunny, beautiful SAN DIEGO for a few days. Since it's our first time, we would love suggestions for places to eat and drink, as well as suggestions for stuff to do in general. Nine thousand fish tacos are a definite priority, as are brewery visits to Stone, Green Flash and Ballast Point. But what else? Please leave any and all ideas in the comments. Thank you!
It's kind of a cliche and a bit of a tourist trap but it really does have the most amazing views in La Jolla (and they serve Stone and Ballast on draft). Try George's for happy hour or brunch http://www.georgesatthecove.com/ Also Babcock & Story bar at the Hotel Del in Coronado if you want to see where they filmed Some Like It Hot. There are also lots of little cafes in and around Coronado (don't eat at the hotel).
Pizza Port in Solana Beach. It's well worth the trip.
Zocalo in Old Town. Great mexican food.
Also, Prado in Balboa Park.
The Fish Market restaurant right off the marina http://www.thefishmarket.com/default.aspx
I 2nd the opinion that George's, though touristy, is worth a visit (although if it's too crowded Brockton Villa is a good, underappreciated 2nd choice). South Beach in OB has the best fish tacos in SD and usually has good beers on tap, and if you time your visit right you can watch the sunset at Sunset Cliffs a mile or so away. Pizza Port is definitely the best spot for beer in the County though. The Turf Club in North Park is a funky grill-you-own-steak place that's a lot of fun. I just moved back to Philly after living in SD for ~6 years, and I have a million ideas for you: Parkhouse Eatery for brunch... Amarin Thai... breakfast burritos at Kate Sessions park... people watching on Garnet in PB... Blue Point for seafood in the Gaslamp... a day trip to walk across the border into TJ for tacos, tequila, and beer...
Catch the train to TJ for some "authentic" Mexican.
Catch the train to TJ for some "authentic" Mexican.
Alesmith-there beers are coming to Philly soon- btu taste the freshest while your there
For a fabulous view of the San Diego skyline dine at Bertrand's Mister As. It's upscale and the food is great.http://www.bertrandatmisteras.com/ If you're into desserts, you must try Extraordinary Desserts. Dishes are beautiful and delicious. They're open quite late (like around midnight). I prefer their location near Balboa Park which is quaint & charming. http://www.bertrandatmisteras.com/ Prado in Balboa Park has excellent fish tacos. This is a unique upscale restaurant that is not a Mexican restaurant....but still, I love their fish tacos! Have fun in San Diego!
For the best San Diego has to offer, expect to not spend much money. High end dining is not its forte, but ethnic hole in the walls are unbeatable there. That said, if you want a good ocean view at lunch, George's in La Jolla is probably your best bet. For a real farm-to-table restaurant, check out the Linkery. Stay away from the sausages, in my opinion, but stick to things with lots of veggies or something, those are ususally the best. They also have good beers on tap. Their blogs and daily menus are online so check it out before you go, if you go. Tacos/burritos here should generally be Tijuana/San Diego style, not the mission style you might know better. That means no rice/beans. It's purely meat, salsa, and tortilla. For the best carne asada in the county, go to Rudy's in solana beach. Get their carne asada burrito or their california burrito (sub guac for the sour cream), which is a carne asada burrito plus cheese and french fries. For lamb barbacoa (yeah, a whole lamb cut into taco meat, amazing), go to Aqui es Texcoco in chula vista. The rib is what they describe as "greasier" which of course means better. Also if you're the adventurous type, get the cabeza. Its the head of the lamb, cheek tongue, brain included. Super Cocina in University City is a great place for Mexican stew-type dishes, and you can sample anything before you order it. For a fish taco, try to make your way to Mariscos German. Their smoked marlyn taco and their gobernador (shrimp with cheese) are the best. As far as a more common fried fish taco, theirs is good too, but I also honestly think Rubio's (the chain) has a really good one. And on tuesday's they're like $1.29/taco. Many people recommend the brigantine's fish taco, but those are too expensive in my opinion. Chinese is good here, but not better than what you can get in Philly's chinatown. Vietnamese I think is better in SD (try Pho Cow Cali and K's Sandwiches if you're interested), but it's also great here so I don't think it's worth necessarily going for. Korean is good, try the Convoy Tofu House (not the other tofu house!) for their delicious big bubbling pots of tofu stew, which I haven't found in Philly. The BBQ isn't better than what you get here. Japanese, on the other hand, is way better in SD. If you want ramen, there's Tajima and Santouka. And also this new place Yakyudori ramen that I haven't tried. Tajima also has izakaya food like okonomiyaki, gyoza, etc. Santouka I can't remember all that well aside from the delicious ramen. There's also the whole izakaya thing going on with Yu Me Ya up in encinitas (possibly the nicest group of people, ask them about their sake list and you get awesome stories about each sake/type/drinking traditions/etc.) and Sakura and Otan. For some of the best sushi you can eat anywhere, go to Sushi Kaito in Encinitas. You can get their freshly-delivered list on their blog and when you go, sit at the bar and tell them to give you whatever they want. I'm tired of typing now.
Don't miss the AleSmith beers while you're out there. AleSmith X (Extra Pale Ale) is as good as it gets... see what all the fuss is about!
Have a drink at the Top of the Hyatt on the 40th floor of the downtown Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego. It is downtown's best view because it is on top of the tallest building on the West Coast waterfront. The panoramic views: to the west is over San Diego Bay, Coronado and the Pacific Ocean, south to Otay Mountain and the hills of Baja, Mexico, northwest to Point Loma and north to La Jolla's Mt. Soledad. In the foreground are the Gaslamp Quarter, Petco Park and the city skyline. www.ManchesterGrand.Hyatt.com (619) 232-1234 ext. 4914
I should also mention that Pizza Port, while purveying poor pizzas (okay they're not that bad but the alliteration was worth it), has great beers. I've seen the Pizza Port beers on tap around here quite often (especially at Local 44 for some reason), and the same guys also brew Lost Abbey beers. And I've gotten a pitcher of Pliny the Elder at pizza port for $12 (hooray local newspaper coupons!), so there's always thatâ¦
Urban Solace. Turf Supper Club. Red Fox Steak House. Bronx Pizza. Sushi Deli.
San Diego is a tricky city to navigate when it comes to eating. Lots of the best food is far and away from the downtown and beach areas, hidden in strip malls and neighborhoods that are a little less than scenic. Check out mmm-yoso for great out of the way recommendations, especially for Asian. For Mexican Mariscos German is a great seafood taco truck with multiple locations and incredible tacos and coctels. Super Cocina in Normal heights is a wonderful home style steam table place. Ba Ren in Clairemont is great - super spicy Sichuan, Chinese like nothing you've had in Philadelphia. Pomegrante is a Georgian place in North Park with incredible Russian food. Also in North Park The Linkery is farm to table place with uniquely Southern Californian lean and plenty of house made sausage. And if you feel like taking a drive down to Ensenada Laja is allegedly the French Laundry of Mexico.
For some great PRICES, perfect LOCATION and a laid back ATMOSPHERE, you can't beat La Puerta during Happy Hour (3-7pm) or during Sunday Brunch (10am-2pm). La Puerta 560 4th Avenue San Diego, CA 92101 www.taco619.com I love this place for the location and what makes it even better is the super low prices do not match the address. It's right in the middle of the San Diego Gaslamp (I still feel the "Gaslamp" is technically one block over, on 5th). I'm a San Diego native and love my town. Hope this helps. For more info on places to see and local pics, sites and more, check out my photography site: www.SanDiegoSouvenir.com (Shameless self-promotion) -Dave Christopher
is it too late? carne asada fries. you can try to get them at any taco place, but the best are at las ponchos in hillcrest (you can drive thru). seriously, get carne asada fries. roberto's for carne asada burritos, preferably at mission beach. you can get your food and eat it sitting on the sea wall. hodad's in OB for burgers and surfy vibes. the bacon cheeseburger has a patty of bacon (instead of strips). and if you are homesick, the tilted stick in OB is a philly sports-themed bar.
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