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Food News
Le swanky Sofitel (120 S. 17th St.) has about a hundred new guests: the tomato, squash, pepper and herb plants sprouting in from its new rooftop garden, Jardin des Fleur de Lis. Under the direction of executive chef Jim Coleman, who came on board in March, the garden will supply the hotel’s Liberte Lounge, as well as the employee cafeteria. Coleman will use the garden's crops all spring and summer; lavender, mint and other herbs are already making their way to the bar for frosty glasses of maison sangria.
Photo: Courtesy of Sofitel
The Boot & Saddle, located at 1131 S. Broad Street, will reopen its doors and relight its unmistakable sign in 2013, as decided by the Zoning Board of Adjustment yesterday afternoon. The ZBA has granted its blessing with the provision that the neighborhood not be affected by noise.
Avram Hornik of Four Corners Management, who runs spots like Lucy's Hat Shop, the Drinker's bars, Union Transfer and the recently reopened Ortlieb's, plans on bringing live music booked by R5 Productions to the venue, which hasn't been operational for more than a decade. Hornik has worked with the Passyunk Square Civic Association and the South Broad Street Neighborhood Association (SBSNA) on compromises to avoid disturbing neighbors.
View galleryFor those unfamiliar, a tuna dumpling is a Japanese sushi-spot snack typically consisting of mashed avocado and crab with spicy mayo wrapped inside a piece of tuna to create a dumpling shape. This descriptor, however, is not binding, as there are innumerable variations on the formula. Prior to the opening of Machi Sushi (209 S. 20th St.) in early March, Vic Sushi Bar (2035 Sansom St.) was the only place I'd ever seen a tuna dumpling in Philly. More recently, I come across something called a "tuna pumpkin" on the menu at Sumo Sushi (337 S. Broad St.). It automatically begged scientific exploration: How do Philly's tuna dumplings hold up when pitted against one another in an overly obsessive taste test?
Weather’s looking like a balmy 79 tomorrow for the seasonal opening of the beer garden at Memphis Taproom (2331 E. Cumberland St.). The pub's mint-green truck (above) will be serving hot dogs (much love for the "Suicide," topped with onion rings, roasted jalapenos, sriracha and habanero cream), while the bar will be cracking cans of Sly Fox Pikeland Pils, Sixpoint Sweet Action and other warm-weather brews. And be sure to pop off your beer can tabs and drop 'em in the garden's designated bucket; Memphis collects all season and donates them to the Ronald McDonald House.
Photo: Courtesy of Memphis Taproom
- Matyson (37 S. 19th St.) is starting brunch service this Sunday, April 22. Ben Puchowitz is stepping aside for the day and allowing Adam Willner and Cheri Fairall to take the reins. Fairall is handling all front-of-house business while Willner, who was most recently a sous chef at The Sidecar (2201 Christian St.), is running the kitchen. Many of the dishes on the menu, which Willner calls a "celebration of the egg, so to speak," use eggs and meat Green Meadow Farm. Keeping in line with dinner service, brunch is also BYO; they'll have mixers on hand to make mimosas and Bloodys, as well as a special mix that will change each weekend. Dishes range from $9 to $12 with sides for $3. Mixes will run you about $8 for a carafe that serves two. Full menu is here (PDF).
- After rolling out lunch service two weeks ago, Matt Levin and Square Peg (929 Walnut St.) will begin brunch hours tomorrow, April 21. The includes dishes like housemade scrapple hash with shredded potatoes topped with fried eggs, roasted long hots and onions; and bananas foster French toast pegs with banana slices and coffee caramel sauce. Dishes range from $4 to $13.50. The Peg's got you covered for booze — their mint julep menu features five different juleps (!) for $8 each. Traditional drinks are available, too, as well as twists on classics, like the Bacon Mary (bacon-infused Laphroaig 10-year, tomato juice, Worcestershire, lemon and orange juices, molasses and a secret spice blend). The full lunch menu will be also available during brunch service, which runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Food Trust's infinitely popular Night Market initiative, which has brought its lively street food/entertainment circus to Philly 'hoods like East Passyunk, West Philly and Chinatown, is kicking off the 2012 season with the announcment of two dates: Thursday May 24 in Northern Liberties (Second and Poplar) and Thursday, June 28 in the Italian Market (Ninth and Washington). Considering the rich options surrounding both intersections, these first two Night Markets should be a smash. The Food Trust also promises that they'll return to Mt. Airy, site of the most heavily attended market to date, sometime this summer. Keep eyes on nightmarketphilly.org for updates.
- The soft-open Nom Nom Ramen (20 S. 18th St.) has eased its way into regular operating hours that include lunch. Get yourself some shoyu or shio weekdays from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dinner hours are 5 to 9 Monday to Thursday and Sunday and 5 to 10 on Friday and Saturay.
- Last Thursday marked the start of lunch at Matt Levin's Square Peg (929 Walnut St.). They're doing a slightly modified version of the dinner menu (view it here) Monday to Friay from 11 to 3.
- Last week also saw the debut of lunch service at Tapestry (700 S. Fifth St.). Here's their menu (PDF) — the Queen Village restaurant now serves straight through every day, with lunch frmo 11:30 to 5 and dinner from 5 to 1:30 in the morning.
Photo: Drew Lazor
It was back in January that we first told you about Bodhi Coffee/Federal Donuts dude Bobby Logue's plans to institute a new Friday-night market in Headhouse Square focused more on hand-crafted goods than locally grown foods (leave that to The Food Trust on Sundays). Said new market — which is actually called The New Market, properly — will make its debut on May 11. A showcase for locally based artisans and purveyors, The New Market will be built around a rotating roster of vendors hawking goods and offering expertise in areas that include lighting, furniture, composting, framing and biking, as well as a lineup of local food producers. (The website will soon boast a full list of participants.) There will be live classical music starting at 7:30 p.m. (the market goes from 3 to 9), and surrounding bars, restaurants and businesses have plans to open their doors onto the street to contribute to the convivial atmosphere. If you're interested in becoming a vendor, email info@newmarketphiladelphia.com.
Photo: Drew Lazor
Art in the Age, the nattily attired makers of ROOT, SNAP and RHUBY, are in snacky cahoots with the ever-popular Federal Donuts (1219 S. Second St.), joining forces to create three donuts inspired by the boutique Pennsylvania liqueurs. While the 'nuts themselves do not have alcohol in them, the flavor profiles have inspired some sugary innovation (L-R) — a "root beer float" with vanilla ice cream icing; "gingersnap cookie," with a ginger glaze and snappy cookie crumb; and "strawberry rhubarb pie," rhubarb-glazed and hooked up with pie-crust crumble (!) and strawberry icing. Available from Friday, April 20 [stoner joke!] until Sunday, April 29, the AiTA donuts will be distributed just like Fed's "fancies," available for $2 a pop daily from 7 a.m. till they're all gone.
Photo: Drew Lazor
It's been 16 months since the vivacious Joan Verratti knocked on our, door toting a distilling license (the first female in the country to do so since Prohibition, allegedly) and a Crown Royal bottle filled with limoncello. Now, she and partner Tom Cavaliere are untangling the very last of the red tape required to launch their Pollyodd line of preservative-free 'cellos, a process that's taken the couple more than three years.
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