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Archive: January, 2010
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| Courtesy of Snackbar |
| Red snapper with miso beurre blanc |
Love it or loathe it, Center City District Restaurant Week is coming at you Jan. 17-22 and 24-29. This festival of $35 prix-fixe dinners is a veritable Philadelphia rags-to-riches story, growing from 40 to 119 participants, doubling to two weeks and generating $26.4 million in revenue since its inception in Sept. 2003.� Snackbar (253 S. 20th St.) has never participated, but in honor of their third anniversary and the bestowal of a third bell from the Inquirer's Craig LaBan, they are entering the fray with their own limited-run three-courser.
Snackbar's anniversary menu, priced to compete at $30, is available for dinner from Sun., Jan. 24 to Fri., Jan. 29, and includes the entire regular menu. Chef John Taus has become something of a "foodie darling" since arriving at Snackbar, endearing himself with simple-sounding preparations (pierogies with chive cr�me fra�che; scallop crudo with pomegranate, mint, champagne granita) that entrance like smoky-eyed Almod�var women.
Industry types and hangers-on, take note: the whole magilla will be available from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.� Reservations are always a good idea; call 215-545-5655.
RELATED: Next Center City District Restaurant Week scheduled for Jan. 17-22 and 24-29 [14dec09]
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| JosePistolas.com |
| Mexican fare and Belgian beer at Jose Pistola's |
Former Monk's Caf� chef Adam Glickman has resurfaced a mere block away from his former employers at Center City beer bar/taqueria Jose Pistola's (263 S. 15th St.).� Co-owner Joe Gunn confirmed today that Glickman would be "joining the team" at Jose's but demurred on assigning any titles just yet.� Gunn added that he thought the food would be staying in the same "burrito, taco and nacho" vein as previous, but "we'll add new items; we're always changing it up."
[...] Former Monk’s chef Adam Glickman has landed at Jose Pistola’s but no title has been assigned. But a chef from a Belgian restaurant heading to a Mexican spot, can you say mussels with chorizo? We knew that you could. [Meal Ticket] [...]
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| Photo | Ryan Brandenberg |
Baker Michael "Challahman" Dolich, subject of a 2008 CP food profile, tells Meal Ticket he's just signed a lease for a brand-new baking facility/retail shop at 4634 Woodland Avenue. At 1,400 square feet, the new storefront almost comically dwarfs his current baking space, a free-standing structure behind Kaffa Crossing that literally measures 15 by 20 feet. The new Four Worlds will feature a retail counter for walk-in sales, and Dolich says he's talking to people about the possibility of roasting coffee beans on-site. Though Challahman will keep the online ordering arm of his operation going, he has plans to use his newfound elbow room to concentrate on distributing his bagels, croissants and other goodies into caf�s and coffeehouses in Center City and South Philly. He's aiming for an April or May opening.
YES me eat more challah goooood
Go, Challahman, Go! I am so proud of you, my friend! Chuck
Yes, Michael's baking is really the best in Philly. Having grown up on the upper west side in New York, I am SO happy that Philly FINALLY got some good bagels. In fact, I don't know a single city that has bagels as good as NYC -except Philly. They say it's all about the NYC water, but with Michael, it's really all about skills.
[...] open his new Four Worlds Bakery space, at 4634 Woodland Avenue, next Wednesday, Sept. 1. (We first mentioned the project way back in January.) Dolich says running limited retail hours will allow the opportunity to provide customers with [...]
This past Wednesday, Yards dropped by Hulmeville Inn with some Old Bartholomew as part of the brewery's 10 Days of Barleywine tour. (It wraps up tonight and tomorrow; details/locations in What's Cooking.) Anyways, Yards founder Tom Kehoe bet the Hulmeville crowd that they couldn't kick the Old Bart firkin in under 45 minutes. They kicked it in 31 minutes. And then this happened. Johnny Castle don't got it like this.
The Hulmeville Inn is quite a place.
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| Photo | James Saul |
The one-two of coffee and beer couldn�t be more perfect, and Wolaver�s Alta Gracia Coffee Porter takes this unity to an organic, fair-trade (and granola-tastic) level. The beer earns its name from Alta Gracia farm in the Dominican Republic, a fair-trade outlet that produces the beans used during brewing. In addition to the coffee, vanilla bean (also organic) shifts this porter over to the sweeter side, with a massive malty finish derived from a combination of roasted barely and chocolate malts. Serve Alta Gracia Porter with chocolate chip pancakes for a delicious breakfast treat, or pair it with something rich and savory like a curry or stew.
Percy Street BBQ had a keg of this beautiful brew a few weeks back. It didn't last long. Delish.
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| Photo | Drew Lazor |
Got word that Allison Lubert and Heather Esposito's Sweet Freedom Bakery (1424 South St.) will open to the public next Friday, Jan. 15. The dietary restrictions-sensitive bakery, which we first detailed in October, will offer an array of cakes, pies, cupcakes, muffins, cookies, brownies and the like, all of which will be � DEEP BREATH � vegan and gluten-, soy-, egg-, nut-, dairy- and refined sugar-free. Both owners (pictured above at September's Appetite for Awareness event) are holistic health counselors.
I just began the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Will you be baking any items that are considered "legal" on that diet?
YAY!!!! :) I heart you both for opening Sweet Freedom! I am a Celiac who lapses between vegan/vegetarian! Will be coming with friends!
Check out this informative and inspiring video on why people choose vegan: http://veganvideo.org/ Also see Gary Yourofsky: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bagt5L9wXGo
Can't wait to try this. Always happy to read about a new vegan establishment in Philly.
[...] Frenzy. Here’s a quick peek inside their South Street storefront. (Previous coverage here and here.) Check out more shots, and the full opening menu, after the [...]
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Chef Konstantinos Pitsillides tells Meal Ticket his Cypriot restaurant (1001 Spruce St.) will be featured on a Jan. 22 episode of the Food Network's The Best Thing I Ever Ate. (If you haven't seen the show, it's basically a strung-together series of sit-down interview segments featuring FN chefs, hosts and other food personalities discussing their most cherished dishes.)
Pitsillides, who chuckled when we asked him if he's ever watched the show before ("No"), tells us FN came in and filmed him preparing his Cyprus Breakfast plate, a killer spread of olive oil-fried eggs, halloumi cheese, lounza (smoked pork) and fresh-baked bread. The network wouldn't tell Pitsillides which talking head picked the dish as the best thing he/she ever ate. Could be anyone, really, but we'd be inclined to put our money on either Iron Chef Jose Garces or Unwrapped host Marc Summers, whose production company is based locally.
It could also be Giada! Her husband is a buyer or something like that for Anthropologie, and they were here as a recently as a few months ago.
Hm, I was there a few months ago and they invited us to the filming (we didn't go). They said the "best" dish was their Moussaka which is, really, one of the best things I have ever eaten. Their breakfast is great, too, though.
on thursday or friday one of the foods on "the best thing I ever ate was Chucray Jerkey in Cleveland Ohio. Im not sure of the spelling of the name. could you give me any info i.e. website, phone number or e-mail address even the correct spelling would be helpful. thanks dave richardson
I'm rewatching the episode now. The name is I'm rewatching that episode now. The name is Czuchraj Meats. Never would I have guessed that!
Ordered the Czuchraj Jerky. Without a doubt one of the greatest things I have ever eaten. They ship it to you (shipping not cheap). Incredible!
Though they've hit some snags, the team behind Bar (1309 Sansom St.) says they hope to be open to the public by the end of this month. (Here's more on the straight-up neighborhood watering hole concept, from the owners of Vintage and Time.) For right now, though, we've got your first look at the food menu for the spot. Honestly, we weren't sure what to expect � they're gonna be serving all their mixed drinks in pint glasses, after all � but were pleasantly surprised by the culinary daring of it all. Check it out after the jump.
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| Click to enlarge |
Ramen? Wow I'm so surprised. Any chance they'll expand and serve vegetarian ramen?
That's like a 600% mark up, lol...you can go buy the ramen for $.50, and a whole CASE of sporks for like a dollar.
Perfect for winter, but what will they serve in the summer? (does the off-centered menu make it edgy, and therefore worth the 600% markup, perhaps?)
[...] Bar’s menu [Meal Ticket] geopress_addEvent(window,"load", function() { geopress_makemap(135541,"Bar",39.9669539,-75.1401222,"google",Mapstraction.ROAD, { pan: true, zoom: 'small', overview: false, scale: false, map_type: false },15) }); [...] most gangsta menu ever.
ill buy anything thats dehydrated and made by ramen
[...] (1309 Sansom St.) has decided to expand its already-sprawling menu, which currently features Cup Noodles and hot dogs � they now have pickled eggs that come in rocks [...]
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| cafefulya.com |
Drop by Cafe Fulya (727 S. Second St.) between today and next Friday, Jan. 15, and tell 'em you follow them on Twitter, and you will receive a free piece of owner Fulya Ugur's homemade baklava.
If you've never been through the Turkish coffeehouse, peep Elisa Ludwig's 2008 writeup on Cafe Fulya for more.
Social comments and analytics for this post... This post was mentioned on Twitter by twittafarm: Twitter dealage at Cafe Fulya :: Meal Ticket :: Philadelphia City ...: Drop by Cafe Fulya (727 S. Second St.) between t http://url4.eu/14r6U...
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| Michael Persico for City Paper |
| Christian Gaal behind the wheel at Noble: An American Cookery |
The Pennsylvania Chapter of the United States Bartenders' Guild (USBGPA) announced yesterday via e-mail they will be� hosting a series of events, both invitation-only and public, on Mon., Jan. 18 and Tues., 19 in several of the better gin palaces in Philadelphia.
The compact festival kicks off at Chick's Cafe & Wine Bar (614 S. Seventh St.) with an invitation-only seminar on "pink gin" and� panel talk on making bitters from Chick's head barkeep/USBGPA prez Phoebe Esmon, drinks author/consultant Gary Regan and Village Whiskey bartender Stephen Seibert.
Seven USBGPA bartenders will be judged by what they deem "the Supreme Court of Cocktails" in the Beefeater 24 cocktail competition, 8 p.m. at APO Bar+Lounge (102 S. 13th St.).� The justices include Dale DeGroff, the iconic former Rainbow Room bartender, author and consultant credited with touching off the current cocktail renaissance; Simon Ford, Plymouth Gin international marketing head and barman and aforementioned author Gary Regan.� Philadelphia's own George Costa,� general manager of Southwark (701 S. Fourth St.) and co-conspirator with owner Kip Waide to get fine craft spirits into our Commonwealth glasses, will judge as well.� Three non-competition complimentary cocktails will be circulated to spectators and the contest is open to the public.
An invite-only lecture from DeGroff, accompanied by Absolut Vodka cocktails paired with dishes from chef/owner Sheri Waide 's super-local kitchen, is scheduled at Southwark on Jan. 19.
The last tipples will be had when Simon Ford guests beside Christian Gaal at Noble: An American Cookery (2025 Sansom St.), armed with complimentary Plymouth Gin quaffables and a $3 draft from 11 p.m.-1 a.m.; open to the public.� Two days, four events, dozens of expert bartenders and crates of free liquor; it's enough to make a strong man weep.
[...] Tuesday, the PA chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild and Southwark (701 S. Fourth St.) restaurant hosted a talk by DeGroff on pairing cocktails with [...]
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