Archive: May, 2010

Ticket Stubs, Weekly Recap, May 24-28

POSTED: Friday, May 28, 2010, 11:52 PM

Filed Under: Meal Ticket | Ticket Stubs

Monday, May 24 - Philly's Marathon Grill makes a chef-driven push. - Notes from the Weekend had a little duck heart, a little canelÃ©, a little sushi, a little LOST ...

- Tim McGinnis of Spinal Tapas is the new culinary director of Philly Kitchen Share, and he's working on a restaurant right next door.

Tuesday, May 25 - First peek inside Tweed, the badass-lookin' 12th Street restaurant opening June 10. - Happy Hour Hopper encounters Prince's stunt double at Bar 210 at Lacroix. Wednesday, May 26 - What do you do when L&I places a gourmet coffee truck directly next to your gourmet coffee truck? You learn how to coexist, that's what! Cheers to Hub Bub and Mojo. - How sick does this old-school seafood dinner at fish sound? Thursday, May 27 - Would you pay $350 to eat dinner in complete darkness? It's for charity. - Victory has brewed the GPTMC its very own beer — Summer Love Ale — that'll be available come Beer Week. Friday, May 28 - 1 Shot Coffee in NoLibs has big expansion plans. - Mac's Tavern, the Old City drinkery co-owned by Mac and Dee from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, should open on Memorial Day. - The Pretenders' Chriss Hynde flips her shit in front of that McDonald's at 40th and Walnut. Yes foreal. - Steve Poses' Frog Burger opens to the public tomorrow afternoon.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:52 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Steve Poses' Frog Burger opens tomorrow at noon

POSTED: Friday, May 28, 2010, 11:12 PM

Filed Under: Chef Salad | Menu Time | Openings

Photo | Drew Lazor

"We're not looking to enter the burger wars," says Steve Poses of Frog Burger, the summertime snack stand he's debuting tomorrow on the front lawn of the Franklin Institute (222 N. 20th St.). Nope, the chef, who first jumped into the restaurant fray in 1973 with FrÃ¶g at 16th and Spruce and is often credited with spearheading the city's restaurant renaissance (just check out contemporary Holly Moore's high praise), has little interest in bumping chests with all those brassy contenders for Philly's Beefiest Burger. He just wants to cook some tasty, straightforward stuff — and do it outside to boot. Poses and his team, which includes his son Noah and wife Christina, blind-tasted 18 different 80/20 ground beef blends before landing on the one they thought would be ideal for Frog Burger — turns out it came from Esposito's in South Philly. The patties will be flame-grilled and served on Martin's potato rolls with lettuce, tomato and red onion on the side; add cheese, bacon or fried onions for $1 to $1.50 extra. The stand will offer two signature burgers, a Marinara jobber with housemade sauce, peppers, onions and optional sharp provolone; and the beast that is the Love Burger, a patty slid between two grilled cheese sandwiches in lieu of buns. Burgers aren't the only story at Poses' tented establishment — he'll also offer fresh sides (gazpacho, grilled corn, fried green tomatoes, etc.), various fries, hot dogs and crab rolls and Bassett's Ice Cream shakes. The carrot cake and chocolate fudge "killer cake" made famous at Poses' Frog Commissary, which he opened in 1977, have not been publicly available for years, save for those who special-ordered them from the chef's catering operation. They'll both be served at Frog Burger, in both traditional and milkshake form (!). Seating at the liquor-licensed Frog Burger will be spread between traditional six-person picnic tables and large 12-foot-long communal tables; they'll also provide blankets for guests in a picnic-y mood. Poses says they plan on serving daily from noon till dusk. If it rains, it rains. Full menu:

Click to enlarge

Mike

Posted 2010-08-08 09:37:36

I just went here with my family, wife and 3 kids, it was great.  When the weather is nice there is not many places better in philadelphia to eat outside.  There is also a secret menu which an employee there was telling me about.  An "Extra" Love Burger.  And Love fries??  Sounds scary, but I might have to try this.  If anyone has let me know how it was!

Tweets that mention Steve Poses' Frog Burger opens tomorrow at noon :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-05-29 14:35:09

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Hugh E Dillon, Frog Burger, Helen Horstmann, MVPR, Meal Ticket and others. Meal Ticket said: Chef @Sposes opens @frogburger on the front lawn of @thefranklin tomorrow. Details/menu: http://bit.ly/9xL87n [...]

Cleo’s Portico debuts this weekend :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-06-02 12:27:49

[...] June 5: Flying Fish debuts Exit 6 at Nodding Head• Ticket Stubs, Weekly Recap, May 24-28• Steve Poses' Frog Burger opens tomorrow at noon• Chrissie Hynde descends on West Philly McDonald's, is most certainly not lovin' it• [...]

Festive hours this weekend for Frog Burger :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-07-02 14:20:46

[...] on Sunday, July 4. The operation usually shuts down at dusk, but on the Fourth they’ll serve their complete menu, including booze, until 11 p.m., meaning you can Love Burger it up while taking in the fireworks [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:12 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Chrissie Hynde descends on West Philly McDonald's, is most certainly not lovin' it

POSTED: Friday, May 28, 2010, 8:17 PM

Filed Under: Food and Music | Photos

Photo | Â© Scott Weiner 2010

There's nothing better that I could've done in yesterday's scorching heat than stand on the corner of 40th and Walnut in University City and watch Chrissie Hynde sweat. No, she wasn't doing a revue of her hits with The Pretenders (though a bunch of chunky dudes toting along her old albums for autograph purposes would've loved that). Instead, she, along with a nice young woman in a chicken suit and several People for the Ethical Treatment of Animalspeeps were at that corner's McDonald's for PETA's new "I'm Hatin' It" campaign. Yes, the anti-McDonald's blitz already has billboards about the conglomerate's evil bird-slaughtering technique — scalding, maiming. I don't eat that drek to begin with. If I did, PETA's handouts to kids — a "Chicken McCruetly Unhappy Meal" with a cut-out of a mean Ronald clown, a rubber chicken, a blood-as-ketchup packet and info on how intelligent birds are killed — would get me off everything Mickey D offers for life. That said, Hynde, a long-time PETA lady, came by and stood on top of McDonald's trash can and yelled out her "I'm hatin' it" mantra while asking the crowd to choose knowledge over ignorance when buying lunch. Along with sweating off her formidable mascara (me too, hon!), Hynde told the assembled mass just how lucky we were to live in a country where peaceful protest such as this was allowed. Mere moments before, a Ronald McDonald House station wagon passed before us. No word on how the lady in the chicken suit fared. More photos after the jump.

Photo | Â© Scott Weiner 2010

rory

Posted 2010-05-28 15:53:40

*inserts snide comment about rich people protesting the only remaining food on that block that non-penn associated people can afford regularly*

*notes this is better than hugs for puppies...gets confused*

That Guy

Posted 2010-05-28 20:20:13

Seconds Rory.

BarryG

Posted 2010-06-01 10:57:23

I prefer organizations like the Food Trust, that work on getting affordable, fresh, "real" food into lower income neighborhoods instead of organizations like PETA that spend their energies on negativity-based activities like hate campaigns.

PhillyChitChat

Posted 2010-06-01 14:59:41

The first photo is spectacular and really sums up the whole protest. Kudos Scott.

Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 8:17 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Mac's Tavern aims for Memorial Day opening

POSTED: Friday, May 28, 2010, 7:46 PM

Filed Under: Menu Time | Openings

Mac's Tavern (226 Market St.), the Old City pub with partial It's Always Sunny ownership (married stars Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson are investors), is hosting a series of dry runs this weekend and hopes to open to the public on Memorial Day, says co-owner Dennis Hart. We popped into the space a few minutes ago to find it almost 100 percent complete — they're just applying finishing touches and waiting to drop down tables and stools. The bar itself — look is polished, but nothing off the wall ("We wanted to open the type of bar we'd like to hang out in," says Hart, whose day job is Dean of Students at St. Joe's Prep) will be able to accommodate 35 drinkers, with high-top tables and low-top church pew seating rounding out the space. Four flat-screens around the bar to catch games. Once everything's set, guests will be able to take in 17 beers on tap and pub fare from Michael Suminski, last chef at the recently closed Ortlieb's Jazzhaus. Some highlights after the jump (note that the menu has not been finalized, so some dishes may change):

Fried Cheesesteak Sliders: Mini dough pockets filled with steak, cheese and a bit of onion with roasted tomato dipping sauce
"Grandmom's Own" soup: Someone's old family recipe with meatballs, escarole, egg and cheese in a rich chicken broth
Mac's Macs: Baked fusilli pasta ina four cheese sauce topped with honey-barbecue corn chips
Sweet D's Sausage & P's Sandwich: Sweet sausage with sautÃ©ed bell peppers
Steak Sandwich: tender certified angus ribeye, thickly sliced with caramelized red onions and choice of cheese
Seitan Sandwich: Soy-molasses glazed, seared seitan and red peppers
Gravy Fries (styles include "Mac's House," with braised short rib, housemade brow ngravy, horseradish and provolone; "Bolognese," with ground beef, tomato sauce and mozzarella; and "Mexican," with carne asada, guac, sour cream, pico de gallo, jalapenos and jack cheese)
It's Always Sunnyside Up: Turkey bacon, eggs and toast, any style, any time

Tweets that mention Mac's Tavern aims for Memorial Day opening :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-05-29 10:04:50

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Breaking PHL News, Jim McMenamin, Rich Pawlak, You Post, Kate and Sean Kolbe and others. Kate and Sean Kolbe said: RT @mealticket: Mac's Tavern, co-owned by It's Always Sunny's Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson, hopes to open Monday. Menu preview: http://bit.ly/bXKRni [...]

Mac’s Tavern soft-opens :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-06-01 12:19:12

[...] at noon• Chrissie Hynde descends on West Philly McDonald's, is most certainly not lovin' it• Mac's Tavern aims for Memorial Day opening• What happens when you get five Khyber daytime bartenders together in one room?• NOW [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 7:46 PM Permalink | Post a comment

What happens when you get five Khyber daytime bartenders together in one room?

POSTED: Friday, May 28, 2010, 6:46 PM

Filed Under: Booze | Philly Beer Week 2010

Frequent Constant City Paper haunt The Khyber (56 S. Second St.) is not just a well-heeled rock club — it's also a great (and slept-on) beer bar, and its alumni have gone on to do some big things in the Philly craft-brew scene. CP editor in chief Brian Howard recently got four former Khyber barkeeps to drop by their old pint-pulling haunt for a state-of-Philly-beer pow-wow with current Khyber daytime captain Jeremy Thomson (center). Back row, left to right: Chris Morris (Philadelphia Brewing Co.), Paul Havelin (Bella Vista Beer Distributors), Brendan Hartranft (Memphis Taproom, Local 44, Resurrection Ale House) and Casey Parker (Jose Pistola's). Want to read the entire roundtable discussion? Check out next week's food section, which'll feature tons of Philly Beer Week 2010 coverage.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 6:46 PM Permalink | Post a comment

NOW OPEN: Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar

POSTED: Friday, May 28, 2010, 6:00 PM

Filed Under: Openings | Photos

Farm-to-table food, seasonality and sustainable building materials are far from foreign concepts in these parts. But when a restaurant group notorious for its rowdy post-college bar scene and calorie-unconscious pub fare gets in on it, I'd say it's worth traveling outside city limits to check out.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Dave Magrogan, of Doc Magrogan's Oyster House, MÃ¡s Mexicali Cantina and Kildare's, made the trek to Glen Mills, bringing executive chef Brian Duffy and business partner Dana Farrell with him to break ground on a health-centric concept they've named Harvest (573 West Chester Pike). Taking over what was a Gap, the trio hauled in recycled glass to fashion the 30-seat bar, recycled wood to lay down as floor panels and energy-efficient bulbs to light the joint. There's a flower-kissed terrace complete with a stone fountain for outdoor dining. Inside, a shrubby section lines the back wall of pearl-white stone, and fresh fruit bowls and tall potted grasses dispersed throughout convey a garden-fresh feel (Farrell's landscaper actually consulted on the layout of the interior). Chef Duffy starts with seasonal products from Pennsylvania and New Jersey farms and ends with healthy combinations that are good and good for you — most dishes are under 500 calories. "I had to rethink how I cooked," he admits. Duffy worked with the staff nutritionist, who made plenty of calorie-cutting suggestions, such as using agave nectar in lieu of sugar and a spritz of oil instead of a tablespoon ("that's worth about 120 calories before you even start cooking!"). Harvest's walk-ins are stocked with pesticide-free, natural, organic goods. Their wood-burning grill turns out some good stuff, like shrimp served in a lemon garlic jus and tasty brick oven-crisped tasty flatbreads. Ripieno (a fancy name for sorbet) and mini-sized desserts like chocolate mousse and key lime pie are also nice. The wine list boasts more than 60 selections, some from vintners dedicated to green practices. Of the six draft beers three will be rotated periodically, and the same goes for the 10 or so cocktails. Working in a restaurant already means you're not afraid to get your hands dirty, which is good for Harvest employees, who, in the future, will get involved with a one-acre farm plot a mile down the road. "We feel it will get our team more in touch with the concept," says Farrell. Duffy hopes to plant tomatoes and lettuce for next year, but as of now he's doing garlic and herbs. Harvest's kitchen is currently open Sunday to Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until midnight (lunch starts June 1 at 11 a.m.). Bar until 2 a.m. Reservations are recommended but not required, unless you'd like to sit at the Chef's Table.

Posted by Marie DiFeliciantonio @ 6:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

1 Shot Coffee's big plans

POSTED: Friday, May 28, 2010, 5:22 PM

Filed Under: Coffee | Openings

We first alluded to 1 Shot Coffee's expansion plans back in February, but now the project is coming into focus a bit more. Owner Melissa Baruno tells Meal Ticket she's aiming at Sept. 1 to move her five-year-old cafÃ© from Liberties Walk to a multi-level space on American Street (formerly American Street CafÃ©). On the ground floor, she'll have a custom-built espresso bar (literally a bar, with 12 seats) armed with a pourover setup and iced coffee on tap; she wants to hold cuppings, or coffee tastings, once a week. A full kitchen will allow Baruno to offer a vegetarian-friendly, full-on seasonal salad menu put together with locally grown organic ingredients. 1 Shot has served Stumptown coffee since January of this year, and will continue to brew their beans, including a proprietary blend the Portland, Oregon roaster developed specifically for Baruno's shop. On the second floor of the new cafÃ©, there'll be a glass-enclosed herb and lettuce garden, a user-friendly community table for meetings and study and a wall dedicated exclusively to work by Tyler School of Art students. Baruno says she plans on organizing movie nights, acoustic performances and local artsy-crafty mini-bazaar events for this space on a regular basis. UPDATE: Added a exterior rendering of the new 1 Shot after the jump.

poncho

Posted 2010-05-28 12:38:03

This sounds pretty awesome

Marijuana Raid Caught On Tape (Dogs Shot) | German Shepherd Dogs

Posted 2010-05-28 22:29:08

[...] 1 Shot Coffee's big plans :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog … [...]

Tweets that mention 1 Shot Coffee's big plans :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-05-29 04:34:58

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Savoir Faire, The Best Of Food.com, Mike624, Gary Ransome, Dennis Plucinik and others. Dennis Plucinik said: Reading: 1 Shot Coffee's big plans - Philadelphia Citypaper (blog): http://bit.ly/cXdJQy [...]

Marijuana Raid Caught On Tape (Dogs Shot) | Cow Dogs

Posted 2010-05-29 09:27:07

[...] 1 Shot Coffee's big plans :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog … [...]

Kate

Posted 2010-05-29 16:14:30

Simply amazing, best of luck and can't wait to see it all done!!!

Chris Somers

Posted 2010-05-30 11:52:42

Love it !  I cannot believe it has been 5 years already.  One Shot has the most delicious coffee in Philly !  This will be such a great move for them and a destination for the neighborhood.

satalof

Posted 2010-05-30 11:57:26

Boyo does this sound cool!

Crystal

Posted 2010-06-22 13:54:38

Awesome Meliss.  Congratulations!  This sounds more like a community cultural centre that happens to serve really good coffee.  Best of luck with the move!!

New-look 1 Shot Coffee opens Friday :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper

Posted 2010-12-01 13:27:51

[...] original home in Liberties Walk to a multi-level space on nearby American Street (rendering above; we first reported on it here) — will debut to the public this coming Friday, Dec. 3. We’ll have some more details for [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 5:22 PM Permalink | Post a comment

All Flyered up at Di Bruno's ...

POSTED: Thursday, May 27, 2010, 7:40 PM

Filed Under: Food and Sports

... where they're offering The Broad Street Bully, marinated chicken, sweet potato, barbecue sauce and cheddar cheese on black Russian bread. (Remember when the cheesemongers put together Hillary- and Barack-themed sandwiches in '08?) The Stanley Cup Finals kick off this Saturday at 8 p.m. Go Flyers!

Michelle C.

Posted 2010-05-28 13:46:21

I don't even know what black Russian bread is, but I still want one.  This mean-looking sandwich is definitely worthy of the title.

Posted 2010-06-10 00:53:27

Came, saw and conquered. It was delicious and not as much of a belly bully as it looks.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 7:40 PM Permalink | Post a comment

Victory/GPTMC to drop Summer Love Ale

POSTED: Thursday, May 27, 2010, 7:02 PM

Filed Under: Booze | Philly Beer Week 2010

Victory Brewing has teamed up with the Greater Philadelphia Tourism and Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) and its "With Love, Philadelphia XOXO" campaign to release Summer Love Ale, a brand-new brew debuting June 4, aka the first day of Philly Beer Week 2010. We're told Victory brews the golden ale with pale malts and German hops, resulting in a well-rounded ale that also has a super-adorable, super-fun label that makes Billy Penn look like a character from Doug (that's not really a tasting note). Summer Love Ale will be poured at P.YT., Fork, Chifa, Nectar and most likely Standard Tap during Beer Week.

Tweets that mention Victory/GPTMC to drop Summer Love Ale :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com

Posted 2010-05-29 05:57:25

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by star bocasan, L.Fisher CPDT-KA and Valerie Lagauskas, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: New brew alert! @VictoryBeer and @visitphilly team up to debut Summer Love Ale for @PhillyBeerWeek 2010: http://bit.ly/bncpuP [...]

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 7:02 PM Permalink | Post a comment

June 3: Dining in the Dark at the Sheraton

POSTED: Thursday, May 27, 2010, 6:29 PM

Filed Under: Food Events

Next Thursday, June 3, the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) will hold its Dining in the Dark events at the Sheraton at 17th and Race. Billed as a "distinctive sensory awareness experience," the charity dinner immerses ticketholders in complete darkness while they enjoy a meal (rely on all your other senses to take in the food; menu TK). Preceding the dinner will be a brief awards presentation honoring Drs. Stuart L. Fine and Alan M. Laties, research professors of ophthamology at UPenn. Proceeds (tix are pricey, FYI) will benefit FFB, which supports global research initiatives in the area of retinal degenerative disease.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 6:29 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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If you don't know Nutella is bad for you and your kids, then you are a total idiot and a bad parent.
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Afternoon Snacks: Rachael & Guy do improv, Bacon hot dogs, Seasonal cocktails both posh and... less-so
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Now Serving: Jerry's Bar
Hell's Kitchen casting in Philly
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Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews here — those are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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