stephenc

Umm, Chef Hamann, Chefs in Chinatown have been doing this for years.

I'd go to Ocean harbor for dim sum because that's where I go.

Their nutty cookies in the light blue box are really good.

I wouldn't rule out snacking. Healthy snacking is very important for curbing your appetite and maintaining your metabolism.

What was your family food culture when you were growing up? We ate chinese food every night. Was meal time important? We ate later than all the other people in the neighborhood because both my parents worked long hours Was cooking important? I don't see why it wouldn't be. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? no table manners enforced. Slurping food and putting bones on the table encouraged. Who cooked in the family? Parents or grandparents. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occassions? About once a week. Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? I'm still at the "kiddie table." Except it's a kiddie table full of unmarried twenty-somethings. When did you get that first sip of wine? Communion Was there a pre-meal prayer? yes Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? We could normally get mom to make tacos at will. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? dunno.

I like the wings at Tangier.

I like Tai Lake or Ocean City for seafood. They'll fry up their food if you want it that way. Or they'll stirfry it with onion and ginger.

Parking: Sundays you park for free. On Saturdays you have to feed a meter or park in a lot with three exceptions. North Philly north of Girard, Sat and Sun you can park unlimited. South Philly south of Washington you can park pretty much anywhere, even double parked or parked on a median. I think between South and Washington you can park Sat/Sun unlimited. West Philly west of 40th Sat and Sun you can park unlimited. There are lots that have 5 dollar parking. If you're near 10th/Convention center, you can park north of Arch south of Spring Garden in the lofty factory area. Parking is mostly unmarked, hence hey don't ticket there. During the nice afternoons, I'd walk South Street or hang out in Rittenhouse Square. South Street and Walnut Street/Chestnut west are the two big shopping districts.

I've been there once. It's small, but pretty good.

Kraft Mac n cheese + hotdogs.

Philly only has a couple places besides chains that could be considered "tourist traps." Bookbinders, the beer/burger/pizza restaurants on South Street, and Pats/Genos. Maybe the Moshulu, but they actually have pretty good food and a good view. Pats/Genos shouldn't count because they still get a ton of locals, and the South Street restaurants are fine for what they do.

Review today in the Weekly http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=10235

Cut pork into thin 1 1/2 - 2 inch strips. Its easier to do this to partially frozen pork. Marinate this pork in a mixture of soy sauce, black pepper, and corn starch and set aside. Soak and then shred some dry woody-ear mushrooms. You can get them at any chinese grocery. Cut waterchestnuts into strips. Mince a generous amount of garlic, ginger, and thinly diagonal slice some green onions. Chop some small chiles, or get some szechuan peppercorns and grind them. Fry up the pork in oil on high. Remove the pork after it turns color and leave the oil in the pan. Add the garlic, and ginger and chiles/peppercorns. Add the 'shrooms and the water chestnuts. Keep on stirfrying. Add some sweet bean paste and hot soy bean paste (toban jan) and stirfry until fragrant. I like adding a bit of szechuan hot bean chile sauce too, but that's just personal preference. Add the pork and the green onions. Maybe a little bit of sesame oil for flavor.

This is actually a pretty common dish called "yu shan ro shi", which is translated directlly as "fish flavored shredded pork" It's pretty simple to make at home.

Paradiso for S. Philly Italian. I like that place. edit: didn't even know Laban reviewed it. He gave it a good review http://ae.philly.com/entertainment/ui/phil...2&reviewId=null login: ber@fake.com pass: fake14

I want that

That's because Phillymag has a reputation as a Mainline bourgeois magazine.

Anyone check this out? It was like reading a year's worth of eg posts in one issue. I loled when I saw Tifco win for best Chinese (Authentic). They better thank me for mentioning this humble little stripmall place way out in the 'burbs here a while back. Props to Minor Gourmandry for winning best foodblog. And hi to the Phillymag editors who are undubitably reading this right now.

Yeah, I like Ritas. The lemon at John's has a faint dishwater taste. It's weird, and it's always there.

I like the standard asian blend of soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, wine, green onions and ginger.

I refrigerate my tomatoes.

The "Black Widow" Sonya Thomas is one of the best competitive eaters in the world. She's only 110 pounds or so. At this year's Wing Bowl in Philly, she got booed and people started throwing fries at her when she was carried in because everyone was supporting the hometown guy, El Wingador.

Anything with beans.

Batali did really well with the pizza dough. Very imaginative uses of this ingredient.

Why would you go to a "Tuscan" restaurant in the middle of rural Virginia? That's like eating at a "Mexican" restaurant in France. Laughably bad.