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Archive: October, 2011
Notes from the Weekend is a Monday feature that sees the members of Team Meal Ticket compiling all the food/drink highlights uncovered during prime eatin' time, Friday to Sunday. Consider this a place for good deals, great dishes, wicked cocktails, recipe triumphs (and tragedies), bizarro conversations and more. We're eager to share our notes, but especially excited to read yours.We encourage you to leave notes from YOUR weekend in the comments. Have at it! (View past NFTW installments at citypaper.net/notes.)
When people think of Patrick Rodgers, they think of the shows and records he's produced and released under the Dancing Ferret and Digital Ferret banners, or as one of the gun toters in Kyle Cassidy's Armed America, or maybe as the homeowner who foreclosed on Wells Fargo and made national news. Yet here he is, uniting with Paul Brown at National Mechanics (22 S. Third St.) and Uyghurian master chef Ahmet Mamut (pictured) to create a one-night event celebrating food from China's Xinjiang Province.
Uyghurs are a Chinese ethnic minority descended from Turkic peoples, their land sharing borders with Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Their language, culture and history is distinct from their Chinese counterparts. In August 2010, Rodgers was on vacation in North Korea, and before flying home decided he'd visit Beijing. "Before that trip, I learned about the Uyghur people and was determined to sample their food," he says. "There was a lovely little Uyghur place [in Beijing] called Xinjiang Crescent Moon." He was floored by the meal, stick-to-the-ribs cooking that incorporated multiple culinary influences. "The most subtle aspect of the cuisine is that on paper, it's fairly simple, but when it's in your mouth, it's pure genius," says Rodgers.
Gene Giuffi at Cochon (801 E. Passyunk Ave.) has a good thing going for the remaining Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays of 2011 — on those nights, the meat-savvy chef is offering a three-course, $30 prix-fixe that comes complete and correct with a complimentary beer. "The beer will rotate weekly, depending on what I feel like drinking," says Giuffi, who's ponied up choices like Lancaster Brewing Co.'s Hop Hog IPA and Voodoo's Wynona's Big Brown Ale thus far. The menu, which will feature both dishes off the menu and specials, will switch up regularly, too. Check out this week's after the jump.
Chipotle is holding its annual "Boorito" Halloween promo today. In the past, the Mexi chain has encouraged patrons to dress up like menu items to get free food, but this year they're doing it a little differently — show up at any Philly location between the hours of 6 p.m. and closing dressed in a costume inspired by "the family farm," and you'll get a burrito, tacos, a salad or a bowl for two bucks. Come as a humanely raised animal (a jolly pig perhaps?), a farmer or a locally grown vegetable for access to a cheap dinner; the idea is to drive funds and attention to Chipotle's Cultivate Foundation, which shows support to family farms and promotes sustainable agriculture and food education.
In addition, there’s an online costume contest. Take a photo of yourself dressed in your farm-inspired costume at a Chipotle today and upload it at chipotle.com/boorito, or text “COSTUME” to 888222. The grand-prize winner will get $2,500, five runners-ups will get a grand each and 25 honorable mentions will receive a burrito party for 10 friends.
Last week we challenged y'all to answer a very simple question — If you spotted Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert sitting at your local bar, what drinks would you buy for them and WHY? — for the chance at a pair of tickets to this Wednesday's chef-blabbing event at the Merriam. This was a super-tough one that required an impromptu City Paper straw poll, but we've concluded that Meal Ticket commenter rb215 had the winning response (based more on the reasoning than the actual beverage choice):
"the citywide special (pabst and a shot of beam) 1) because i'm broke 2) they don't need to be impressed 3) WHY WOULDN'T YOU?!"
Congrats, rb215, and see you there.
Monday, October 24
Crepe Town opens in the Bellevue.
Take a tour of Il Pittore, the new Starr spot from chef Chris Painter.
The Pub & Kitchen crew is opening a burger joint on Rowan's campus.
Tuesday, October 25
Camping grub, Scott Dogs, cider doughnuts and more in Notes from the Weekend.
Check out the menu for the new Lucky Old Souls Burger Truck.
If you could buy Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain a drink, what would it be?
Adam Erace's recipe for poached pears with mullet cider sorbet.
Wednesday, October 26
Supper is now making dope bagels in-house.
Yogorino has opened its second Philly location.
Thursday, October 27
Weekly Candy features the Cadbury Double Decker Bar.
2 Guys Grub is cooking up filet mignon cheesesteaks and "frab fries" in South Philly.
Friday, October 28
A new combo Philly Soft Pretzel Factory/Ben & Jerry's/chocolate shop is opening in U-City.
Paul's Idaho Potatoes is relocating from the Wildwood boardwalk to South Street.
On the topic of egregious cocktail bar website rip-offing ...
Gordon Ramsay is coming to Philly to film Kitchen Nightmares at two local restaurants.
Bar Ferdinand (1030 N. Second St.) is kicking off the weekend with a new treat: Merienda Fridays, a Spanish tradition that translates to a little late-day relaxation coupled with a light snack. Every Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., Ferdy will present select wine, beer and spirits paired with tapas that change weekly; each event draws inspiration from various Spanish wine regions and artisan producers. Tonight's Merienda will feature three small plates, all matched with a glass — roasted cauliflower with sherried golden raisins and almonds paired with Amontillado ($9); a shrimp/morcilla pincho with a Muscat ($11); and fried bacalao with potato and basquaise sauce joined by a 2008 Bierzo ($12).
Chef Chip Roman's Mica (8609 Germantown Ave), about which our Adam Erace found plenty to admire, is now serving Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Roman, always one to take a modern approach to American cuisine, is keeping it slightly more classic here, cooking renditions of French toast (brioche, caramelized apples, applewood-smoked bacon), buttermilk pancakes (with pumpkin butter and Chantilly cream) and steak and eggs (beef short rib, white grits, fried egg). Dishes range from $10 to $15, while sides (granola parfait, Yukon gold potato hash) run $3 to $6. Mica, which opened as a BYOB, now has its liquor license, meaning you have access to mimosas, housemade sangria and signature Bloodys, as well.
Photo: Jason Varney
Tonight at 7, the crew at Perch Pub (1345 Locust St., second floor) is simul-tapping two pumpkin brews with the devious goal of kicking the crap out of both kegs. Southern Tier's Pumpking, widely regarded as one of the absolute best realizations of the style, is going to head to head with The Fear, a spicy imperial newcomer from Frederick, Md.'s Flying Dog. Time your booze consumption accordingly, as whoever lands the final pints from either keg will earn that beer free, a Perch Pub tee and a bunch of beer swag.
Tomorrow from 1 to 8 p.m., Varga Bar (941 Spruce St.) is hosting its "Up in Smoke" Pig Roast, which'll see the kitchen cranking out smoked, beer-brined suckling pig, free-range chicken and organic lamb along with sides (smoked purple kale with bacon, roasted fall veg) for $25 a head. Given the chilly forecast for the weekend, it's also an ace opportunity to try the latest beer from Downingtown's Victory: Otto Ale, a smoked, bottle-conditioned Belgian dubbel that'll do well warming your prematurely cold bones up quick. Keep an eye out for large-format bottles of the big-but-accessible beer at beer stores around town.
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