|
|
|
Food Events
Travel Channel's Food Paradise, which focuses on a thematic American dish or discipline with each episode, is filming at two locations in Philly this weekend, and you can get your grill on TV if you time it right.
On Friday, May 18 from noon to 2, the crew will be at Jake's Sandwich Board (122 S. 12th St.) to shoot the shop's Garlic Bomb (pictured), a vamp-repellent cheesesteak hooked up with roasted garlic spread, sautéed garlic and deep-fried garlic cloves. They're actually looking for a few garlic freaks to participate in their "5-Pound Philly Challenge," featuring the Garlic Bomb, on camera. If you've got a voracious appetite and are OK with smelling like an Italian nonna's kitchen on Christmas Eve for two weeks after, email info@jakessandwichboard.com with three reasons why you should be picked.
On Saturday, May 19, from about 11 a.m. to 2, Food Paradise will shoot at Hot Diggity! (630 South St.). Owner Keith Garabedian is looking to pack the joint for the filming and says the show plans on interviewing customers about their fave dogs and so forth. Saturday will also see the debut of HD!'s housemade sodas — they'll offer a house root beer, a maple lemonade and a cilantro/lime/jalapeno soda, with other flavors rotating in and out in the future.
Photo: Courtesy of Jake's Sandwich Board
Tonight, Bartram's Garden (54th and Lindbergh) is hosting a fundraising soiree that'll appeal to lushy history buffs — bartenders Theo Webb (Fish), Christopher Walls (Dettera) and drink-lady-about-town Phoebe Esmon will be mixing cocktails using a bitters recipe originating with the family of lauded botanist John Bartram.
Curators at the national historic landmark uncovered the recipe in their research and asked Robert Cassell of Philadelphia Distilling Co. (Penn 1681 Vodka, Bluecoat Gin, Vieux Carre Absinthe, XXX Shine) to recreate it. "To a general point of geekiness, we tried to stay very true to the recipe — this is how he would've done it," says Cassell. Though the recipe vaguely calls for a "neutral proof spirit" to go along with the botanicals, the distiller decided to use a cane-based raw product as his base for the Bartram bitters, as rum was the most popular alcohol in America during that era. In lieu of running the product through a modern still — another luxury not available to the OG bittercrafters — Cassell simply let the Caribbean-derived cane lie, along with additives like cherry wood provided by Fair Food, gentian root from Penn Herb and prickly ash bark taken right from the Bartram grounds. He also refrained from using modern milling equipment to grind these ingredients to a consistent size, meaning each 20-gallon batch he produces tastes a little different than the last.
"I hate to use the term 'bitter' to describe bitters, but it's definitely that — there's a firmness to it," says Cassell, contrasting Bartram's recipe to modern bitter brands like Angostura. If you can't make it to tonight's event — tix, which range from $50 to $125, also include food from Power Catering with support from Supper — Cassell tells us the product will soon be made available via the PLCB's online store.
Image: bartramsgarden.org
For someone visiting Philadelphia, eating a cheesesteak is the most obvious item on the culinary checklist. But from where? Pat's or Geno's are the most highly publicized choices, but ask any local and they'll rattle off a bunch of favorite must-stops — and usually throw in a few places that don't serve steaks at all. There's no official cheat sheet to help whittle down such an overwhelming tourist decision. Luckily, Jeff Gaynor recognized the dilemma and decided to help by creating The Junk Food Tour.
This Wednesday starting at 6 p.m., a.kitchen (135 S. 18th St) will be doing its part to celebrate American Craft Beer Week. Chef Bryan Sikora has created a menu that features a variety of options to pair with drink from Maine's Allagash Brewing Company. Unlike most beer dinners, a.kitchen's lineup can be ordered a la carte, or guests can put together their own four-course meal for $65.
If you count yourself among the city's opinionated noodle cognoscenti (DL wrote about you in March) you won't want to miss this week's $45 tasting at Matyson (37 S. 19th St.). Chef Ben Puchowitz, also of the Cheu Noodle Bar pop-ups, has his nontraditional lobster pho with burdock and basil as the centerpiece of the May 14-through-17 menu, which celebrates Asian street food with dishes like soup dumplings and spicy Korean rice cakes. Peep Puchowitz's full menu after the jump. As with all Matyson tastings, it's $45 for five courses, not including tax, beverage or tip.
Japanese mega-masticator Takeru Kobayashi, whose last visit to Philly saw him crushing Osteria and Garces Trading Co. food with The 700 Level and Philly Mag, is back in town today with the aim of breaking his own cheesesteak-consumption mark. This afternoon at Harrah's (777 Harrah's Blvd.), the pro eater will try and wolf down a Tony Luke's sandwich in less than 24 seconds, his current record. He'll then perform various other regional feats of intestinal strength, such as killing a two-pound Varallo's cannoli and pizzas and mac 'n' cheese from various Harrah's restaurants. No giant bears as far as we know.
The primary gripe people seem to have about The Food Trust's Night Market series, which kicked off in October 2010 in East Passyunk, is the crowd crush — daps to FT for rolling out one of the city's most popular and prominent food series, but that often translates to long lines, interminable waits and vendors running dry of product. If you ask us, it's shortsighted not to expect as much — toss a bajil hungry people into an annexed area and there will be bottlenecks. Deal with it. But The Food Trust has developed a new bit of programming to introduce a VIP-type element to its 2012 events. For $50, you can become a "Friend of Night Market," which entitles you to beer from Yards, cocktails from Quaker City Mercantile, vouchers for food from various participants and a comfy place to perch, beneath a tent complete with snack spread from Catering by Design. For queue haters, note that FoNM status will not grant you the power to skip lines at vendors and food trucks.
The Food Trust will roll out the Friend program at the first Night Market of 2012, scheduled for Thursday, May 24 at Second and Poplar. Friend tix are available online, and if you purchase before midnight tomorrow, you'll lock in an early-bird price of $45 a head.
Bibou (1009 S. Eighth St.), the culinary child of Pierre and Charlotte Calmels, is turning three, and Brad Spence of Amis (412 S. 13th St.) is throwing a birthday party-themed Industry Night tonight in honor of the French BYOB. Calmels is preparing a tripe-centric dish — perhaps a version of his mainstay braised tripe (pictured above) — and a traditional French stew for the celebration, while Spence is serving his take on French onion soup along with porchetta and house-pickled vegetables. For dessert, they'll have semifreddo in three layers to resemble the French tricolor. Come for the Calmels, stay for the Champagne (and beer and seasonal cocktails and shots, if you want). Standard Industry Night practices apply: free food, drink specials, cool guests, tipping well, restaurant pay stub necessary for entry. Sorry civilians, you're just going to have to stay home watching Amelie.
Photo: Jessica Kourkounis
The Triangles on Grays Ferry Avenue Gateway Project is throwing a block party! Scheduled for tomorrow, May 5, from 1 to 7 p.m., Plazapalooza is a celebration of the Grays Ferry neighborhood that showcases local businesses and organizations. Area merchants, bars and restaurants are opening their doors and offering special deals for people attending the 'looza. Vendors will include Sanna's Old Towne, PharmaDirectRX and Bicycle Therapy. Grace Tavern, a Grays Ferry staple, is setting up outside and selling four draft beers (Yuengling Lager, Yards ESA, Stoudts Pilsner and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale), fresh-squeezed lime margaritas in honor of Cinco de Mayo and $1 fries with bourbon mayo. Parents are encouraged to bring their children for arts and crafts and other kid-centric activities from Odunde 365. Enjoy live music from Clef Club Youth Jazz Ensemble, Andrew Dalzell of SOSNA and many others. Entrance to the event is free. Peep The Triangles on Grats Ferry Avenue Gateway Project website for updates.
Rob and Maggie Wasserman of Rouge (205 S. 18th St.) are bringing back Burger Brawl for a second year, this time with even more worthy competitors.
On May 6, 20 professional chefs are competing at the Fleisher Art Memorial (719 Catharine St.) to win best burger and help raise $40,000 for Meredith Elementary School. Last year's winner, Jennifer Carroll, is returning to defend her title against the likes of Marcie Turney of Barbuzzo, Robert Aikens of The Dandelion, John Taus of The Corner, Brian Ricci of Kennett and Jason Cichonski of Ela. The discerning palates judging the patties include Meal Ticket's own Drew Lazor, Marc Summers of The Food Network, Michael Klein of philly.com and Grub Street's Collin Keefe. Philly.com/food, which is one of the event's sponsors, has put together a short video of a few competitors showing off their burger entry and talking some smack (above). They've also listed each burger for the public to vote on. Entry to the event is $75 and tickets can be purchased on the Burger Brawl website up until May 5 (no tix the day of). One hundred percent of the money raised will go to Meredith Elementary.
- barstool scientist
- Booze
- Brew Revue
- Chef Salad
- Closings
- Coffee
- Contests
- Dealage
- Dirty Dishes
- Don't Front
- Eat This Immediately
- Field Trip
- Food and Art
- Food and Holidays
- Food and Movies
- Food and Music
- Food and Politics
- Food and Sports
- Food and Web
- Food Blogs
- Food Books
- Food Events
- Food News
- Food TV
- Gifted
- Happy Hour Hopper
- How-To
- In Print
- Interview
- Meal Ticket
- Menu Time
- Not So Quickfire
- Notes from the Weekend
- On Wheels
- Openings
- Patio Drinking
- Philly Beer Week 2010
- Photos
- Private Chef POV
- Product Placement
- Recipes
- Snack Time
- Stiff Drank
- SUPPER
- Tea
- Testing
- Ticket Stubs
- Top Chef
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Video
- Weekly Candy
- Weird Regional Foods
- We're Here to Help
- Where'd We Eat?
- Drew Lazor's Ill-Advised Rant Factory
- Pregame
- Ill-Advised Ranting
- The Week Without Meat
- Philly Beer Week 2009
- Real Big
- Where'd I Eat Last Night?
- Top Chef Masters
- The Good Word
- Next Iron Chef
- Arterial Terrorism
- Food and Radio
