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Meal Ticket
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| Photo courtesy Marie DiFeliciantonio |
| You can just call her LP |
Over the past 17 months, there's been many a deadline day when Team Meal Ticket has bemoaned our lack of a competent, food-crazy intern to write witty posts while we frantically hammer away at print articles, attend the events we'd accidentally triple-booked ourselves for and provide insight to the eternal question, "Where do we go for lunch?"
Now our prayers have been answered in the form of chef-writer Marie DiFeliciantonio, whose surname manages to mash all of Felicia D.'s monikers together with those of her immediate family. Marie, henceforth known as "Lucky Porkchops" or "LP" to avoid confusion with her blogging brethren, has a degree in communications and culinary arts, once served as private chef to a very swanky family and has never met an unfamiliar ingredient she didn't long to ingest.
We put our newest player through the Q&A routine after the jump.
Meal Ticket: Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you want to break into the food-writing realm.
Lucky Porkchops: I firmly believe in doing what you love and success will come. Eating and writing are my favorite pastimes. Combining my Communications degree with my Culinary Arts degree and writing a food blog is something I enjoy doing.
MT: What do you plan on contributing to Meal Ticket?
LP: I want to bring my view to Meal Ticket as a chef-writer and expose readers to my side of the bridge (NJ) and my side of the story as it pertains to food life. I'd like to share my experience as a caterer, personal chef, and restaurant addict.
MT: What bars or restaurants in Philly might we find you hanging out at on the regular?
LP: I am an experience junkie. I want to do it all (as long as it doesn't involve insane heights), see it all (as long as it isn't a horror movie) and try it all (as long as it isn't poison). That being said, in conjunction with the constant amazing additions to the Philly dining scene, you most likely won't find me making reservations at the same place twice. I have to try them all! To not totally evade the question I will say that there are a few places where you will find me in the near future including Cichetteria 19, Fish, Village Whiskey, and Modo Mio.
MT: What is your favorite dish to cook at home, or for a dinner party to impress your friends?
LP: It is hard to say what dish I enjoy making the most. Dinner is like the nightly improv show in which I perform. You never know what will end up on that plate. I will say that if I have a party and don't make hummus, I will hear about it all night.
MT: Is there any certain item you can never resist on a restaurant's menu? Why?
LP: As a self-proclaimed experience junkie, if there is an item that has never crossed my tastebuds before on a restaurant/bar's menu, it is most certainly the one I will order. I have taken it on as my mission to leave no flavor untasted. I'm usually not disappointed, either.
love the pic. and yes hummus is alwasy required.
this is AWESOME! love the picture, and i am so excited!
A welcome addition to team Meal Ticket! LT, Flea and Drewzilla assemble!
Ri, great picture and good luck with your new endevor. We know you'll do great. Looking forward to the next Giants/Eagles party at our place.
the City Paper is lucky to have the BEST!!
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| continentalmartinibar.com |
In his latest review, CP critic David Snyder praises Stephen Starr's Pizzeria Stella, and draws a correlation between the Headhouse Square eatery and Starr's flagship Continental and Second and Market:
Fourteen years ago, Philly's dining scene appealed to a much older crowd � to the extent there was a dining scene at all. But after Stephen Starr opened the Continental in 1995, everything changed. The Old City martini bar "struck a nerve with people who were young, and people who wanted to feel young," Starr recalled in a recent interview. [...]
Pizzeria Stella, the latest addition to Starr's ever-expanding restaurant galaxy, may turn out to be just as revolutionary for Philly.
Holly Moore of hollyeats.com took umbrage with Snyder's characterization of he Continental as a harbinger of imbibable modernity here in Philly. His response, in the comments (Snyder writes back, too):
Yo you young whippersnapper: Ever hear of the Restaurant Renaissance? Ever hear of Yuppies? Philadelphia has had an exciting restaurant scene since at least the mid 70's. All along it has been at least partially driven by young professionals.
Stephen Starr is an important part of today's restaurant scene, but I don't recall the Continental being all that groundbreaking other than serving a bunch of flavored martinis.
This discussion raises a few interesting questions. Snyder is not the only person we've heard cite the opening of the Continental as a hashmark moment in the development of Philly's current dining identity. But is the martini bar's importance overstated? Would Philly's restaurant scene still have advanced healthily without it, or did it set the bar for others? What do you think? We'd especially like to hear from those who've lived in the city since 1995, when the Continental first opened.
Leave your opinion in the comments here and/or in the comments of the Stella review.
Without Starr Philadelphia would certainly be different. You eliminate Morimoto's celebrity name drawing power and take all of Garces' restaurants as well, since he started in the kitchen at El Vez under Starr. There could very well still be a dining scene, but it would certainly look much different. Mike http://theotherguywhoateeverything.blogspot.com/
My sense is that the Continental, while not all that impactful, may have given Stephen Starr the credibility and capital infusion to bring his showmanship to Philadelphia restaurants. And Starr has opened some excellent restaurants. Where Marc Vetri�s and Jose Garces� restaurants embrace their roots and points of view, the Starr Organization functions more like a restaurant chain. They pick a concept, research the hell out of it, pour on the bucks, and shoot for excellence - Maybe steaks one cycle, then Mexican the next. Sometimes they hit a home run; sometimes a single. They rarely strike out. While Starr restaurants are key players, they are more an entity unto themselves � a segment of the restaurant scene but not the lodestar. I am with Joy Manning (comments section cited above) that Django and the BYO's and small restaurants that followed better define and distinguish today's Philadelphia restaurant environment.
You can never find a definite beginning of anything: certainly not anything as complex or difficult to define as a "restaurant revolution." I agree 100% that the wave of BYOs led by Django define where the heart of Philadelphia dining is today. But you have to give Starr credit for nurturing some of that talent. Didn't Bryan Sikora work at Blue Angel? I know that Shola Olunloyo did.
There's no dispute as to Django's importance; the quaint BYOB was on fire during its run with Sikora at the helm (2001-2005). But I wouldn't say it was the beginning. The reason so many of the restaurateurs I have spoken with identify The Continental's 1995 opening as such a pivotal moment is becuase it brought the crowds to Old City that allowed other restaurateurs to be successful. The economy was getting better then, so Starr doesn't deserve all the credit. But in my experience, if you want to find the beginning, you follow the money.
[...] Starr might’ve started his restaurant empire with The Continental in 1995, yet it wasn’t until 1998 that Starr dining became fine. That�s when his richly opulent [...]
[...] The Continental! Stephen Starr’s very first restaurant, on the corner of Second and Market, opened in 1995, but it’s never featured a happy hour � until last Monday, when they quietly rolled one out. [...]
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| Photo | Mark Stehle |
Over on the Green Aisle Grocery blog, Meal Ticket's very own Felicia D shares her can't-miss hot toddy recipe for all those chilly present-wrapping nights ahead of you. Though the recipe is not entirely one-stop � Green Aisle (1618 E. Passyunk Ave.) doesn't sell bourbon, of course � you can get almost all of the other ingredients from Andrew and Adam Erace's store. Checkit!
Thanks to a glut of work, some personal business and a pesky, nagging, nasty illness, Team Meal Ticket's brain currently boasts a consistency comparable to that of watery polenta. Gonna take the rest of the day off. Have a wonderful weekend and we'll see you all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed on Monday.
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| Photos | Mark Stehle |
If you picked up a copy of City Paper this week, you probably already peeped out our fall '09 Meal Ticket supplement, which features features, recipes and more. It's now online, so be sure to check out Felicia D's roundup of delicious fall dishes (featuring recipes from Fork and Sweetie's Pie Diner) plus her feature on the hot toddy, everyone's favorite chill-in-the-air beverage. Cheers!
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| Photo | Mike Persico for Grub Street |
You may not know this, but Meal Ticket's very own Felicia D is also a badass bartender/font of boozy knowledge at the Belgian Caf�. Grub Street provides a cool profile of our girl via their recurring Bartender's Bible series. Choice excerpt:
What's your patented drunk-handling technique?: Enlist the drunk�s friends as allies, stall and �forget� to serve them another drink, serve fake all-soda drinks if necessary. Gently shaming them works, too, if they are not too far gone.
Not that she's done that to us or anything. Read the full piece here.
I wear Daisy Dukes behind the bar, too! Thanks for the shout-out I heart you!
Felicia D, probably the best D since Chuck D. this girl rules!!!!
Major awww moment here. Thanks for the kind words! You guys are the twist in my Manhattan!
Not gonna lie, I have a major Felicia D. crush.
That's our girl! <3 Go Flea!
Social comments and analytics for this post... This post was mentioned on Twitter by mealticket: Check out @mealticket's very own Felicia D profiled on @GrubStreetPHL: http://tr.im/FnNO...
Fun interview and Felicia looks SO pretty in that picture!!!
Awesome interview Felicia! Makes me wanna pick your brain over some beers. And (obviously) to further discuss short shorts.
Totally missed this earlier this week because we were too busy working, but October 7 was this little blog's first birthday. (Look, it's our first post!) A huge thanks from Team Meal Ticket for reading, commenting, linking and contributing to our way-obsessive discussions of Philly's dining scene. Keep it up, and we'll try our best to do the same.
If you ever have any questions, comments, thoughts, concerns, etc., remember that we always, always want to hear from you � e-mail us anytime at drew.lazor@citypaper.net and/or felicia.dambrosio@citypaper.net.
OK, back to work. Thanks again, and cheers.
Best food blog in the city. Congratulations and keep it up y'all.
One year in blogs years is ancient. Congrats!
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The 215 Festival kicks off tonight. You should definitely hit up their site for a full schedule of what's planned for this weekend, but we want to direct special attention to the food bloggers brunch scheduled for this coming Sunday, Oct. 4.
Come to National Mechanics (22 S. Third St.) from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to check out a panel discussion featuring bloggy types from Foodaphilia, Mac & Cheese, Phoodie, Unbreaded, A Hamburger Today/The Girl Who Ate Everything and us! Jess from Fries with That Shake will moderate the convo. And of course there will be eggy things and Bloody Marys at the ready. Hope to see you there.
New Philly cheese blogger here. Just wanted to let you know I enjoyed hearing you talk on the panel this morning. Cheers, and thanks for your food coverage around town. I always enjoy it. Until a few years ago, I was the food editor for an alt weekly in Madison, WI, so hearing you talk took me back to the sweet madness of it all.
Madame Fromage: Thanks for coming! Sorry we didn't get to meet.
I really enjoyed the food blogger brunch! It was really excellent to hear everyone's different perspective on writing, and in general y'all were totally entertaining. good on ya! Thanks for participating in the 215 festival! Noelle (one of the 215 festival organizers)
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| lobsterfrommaine.com |
Posting in the next week will be a little lighter than usual, as this half of Meal Ticket is trucking it up to the great state of Maine for some much-needed R&R. But we've got some good stuff in the works to tide you over in the meantime. For now � anything that's important for us to see/eat/drink up there? Let us know in the comments ...
Gritty McDuff's Portland Brewpub I hear people like these things though I have no idea why.
because if done well, lobster is delicious. anyway my girlfriend's cousin owns and runs two fat cats bakery and her entire family doesn't shut up about the blueberry pie and the banana pudding. I had a piece of a different pie and it was delicious. the blueberry pie, however, did not survive the trip to philly to get to me :(
Just got back from Portland and the Lobster Roll and Chowda at J's Oyster is the best!!
Assuming you are heading to Acadia National Park and Mount Desert Island... In Bar Harbor: Criterion Theater 35 Cottage St Bar Harbor, ME 04609 (207) 288-3441â criteriontheatre.com is a precious and beautifully restored Art Deco movie theater. Upstairs they have loge seating with red velvet curtains and draft beer! Bagel Factory Write a review 3 Cadillac Ave Bar Harbor, ME 04609-1408 (207) 288-3903â Agnes is the baker, and she is an eccentric treasure trove of conversation as well as a knowledgeable baker. Call ahead to confirm her hours. Hard to find, but it is right in town down a gravel driveway off Cottage Street. Agnes always mentions Bartram Gardens when we talk, lol. Mt. Desert Island Ice Cream 7 Firefly Ln Bar Harbor, ME 04609 (207) 460-5515 www.mdiic.com Great ice cream and some interesting flavors, e.g. Chocolate Stout, Wasabi-Chocolate, Chocolate Chili(spicy hot) and on and on... The owners are originally from Philly, I believe. Havana www.havanamaine.com 318 Main St Bar Harbor, ME 04609-1637 (207) 288-2822 Great food with a very interesting reasonably priced wine list. Morning Glory Bakery Roddick Street, Bar Harbor has great baked goods a excellent coffee. Sweet, savory and also excellent sandwiches. Good place to start your day. Atlantic Breing Company and Knox Road Brill 15 KNOX ROAD, BAR HARBOR, MAINE 04609 (207) 288-2337 realale@atlanticbrewing.com sits inland, but still on the island, about 8 miles outside of Bar Harbor. Serves good beer and good BBQ made on the premises. Very nice people, and a good vibe. Very casual. Very. Somesville: Beech Hill Farm on Beech Hill Road has wonderful organic produce and is run by the hippy dippy College of the Atlantic. Open Tues-Sat 8-5. The best every yellow cherry tomatoes! Manset(Southwest Harbor vicinity) XYZ Restaurant 80 Seawall Rd ME 04679 (207) 244-5221â makes delicious Mexican cuisine from the provinces of X, Y and Z(abbreviations, of course). Great margaritias, but the food shines. Would be great in the fall weather, too. IF YOU ARE IN TO ANTIQUE CARS AND CYCLES, and even if you are not: Seal Cove Auto Museum 1414 Tremont Rd Seal Cove, ME 04674 (207) 244-9242â sealcoveautomuseum.org is in the middle of nowhere in a very plain looking warehouse with little to no signage. Houses one of the most amazing collections of cars and a few select and very rare motorcycles. All more or less pre 1930, and a lot of them. Dr. Simeone of the famed collection housed in Philly lights up whenever I mention this place. And on and on.... and that is just on the island of Mt. Desert. Five Islands Lobster Pound is the best setting to eat on the shore and is well south of the MDI coast Young's Lobster Pound, just out of town north of Belfast is one of Main's best. See it to believe it! Not touristy at all....
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Meal Ticket's very own Felicia D'Ambrosio will be on the judges' panel at the very first "Pro" ChefAMe event, scheduled for Mon., Sept. 14 at Tavern 17 in the Warwick Hotel (220 S. 17th St.).
For those who don't know, Open ChefAMe (like "sesame") is a culinary open mic night of sorts that allows amateur/aspiring chefs to cook a real meal in a real restaurant kitchen � Felicia D. herself participated in the second installment, held in May at the Dark Horse. This time, though, our girl will be casting a critic's eye on three competitors, all of whom work in Tavern 17's kitchen (hence the "pro") � exec chef Ben Young, sous chef Christopher Spellman and chef Cathy Chambers. There are three rounds � scallop, chicken and beef tenderloin � meaning each diner gets to try a total of nine separate dishes. Victory is providing beer pairings.
Joining Felicia at the judges' table are KYW's Hadas Kuznits and P.Y.T./PaperStreet rabblerouser Tommy Up.
Tix are $40 and available here.
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