Holly Moore

Recommending Jones for Sunday Brunch set me off more than his not mentioning Carman's. But it's not all that hard to learn of Carman's Country Kitchen. It's on most "Best of" lists. Jone's raves, on the other hand, are pretty much limited to Starr's publicist.

Today, Seth Kugel in the NY Times, Escape Section, 36 Hours, answered that age old food bulletin board question, "I'm spending the weekend in Philadelphia; where should I eat?" Actually, the feature is on how to spend the entire weekend, but dining is a big part of it, as it should be. Kugel treats Philadelphia as provincial outlanders treat New York City, defining Philadelphia as Center City. His premise is that Center City Philadelphia is a great walking city - an understatement - we're a world class walking city. But in limiting dining choices in Philadelphia to Center City, he leaves out brunch at Carman's Country Kitchen, making his trip to Philadelphia a lost weekend. Here is where he recommends that New Yorkers and other tourists should eat: Friday dinner. A BYO. Kugel recommends Audrey Claire. A good choice, but a 2001 or 2002 choice. I like Audrey Claire. But we're talking visiting New Yorkers' expectations. Maybe even the Donald. They want the latest. And a lot has happened BYO-wise since Audrey Claire threw open her shutters last millenium. Saturday Breakfast. Philadelphia's famous French Quarter. Yes, we have a French Quarter. I discovered that a couple of weeks ago, while at the corner of 18th and Walnut, waiting for a light to change. Happened to look up. Attached to the sign pole "The French Quarter." Key to Philadelphia's famous French Quarter must be the Crepêrie Café, it being French and all that. This is a neat little café that I keep forgeting about. Have been there on a couple of occasions. Very good crêpes and a very friendly, nice staff. Good choice. Lunch is Reading Terminal Market. Can't argue with that. But I'd probably want more than sassafras jelly, homemade ginger snaps and a butter slathered pretzel. Dinner that evening - Pasión! - another fine choice. But seeing as second guessing is coming so easily to me, I'd point people to one of Starr's extravaganza's. There is no denying Starr's influence on the current dining scene. Buddakan is a good choice. Any of Starr's places is a better choice than: Sunday Brunch - Jone's. Jone's tries way too hard to be an old fashioned diner/coffee shop. Tries way too hard, without getting it. Forced. Sunday brunch is when folk should be heading to Carman's Country Kitchen. A brisk and somewhat lengthy hike, perhaps by way of the Italian Market. Or, New York style, a short cab ride. And a truly unique Philadelphia experience.

Philadelphian here, but a great fan of the Strip. Anything new and tasty happening there? Welcome to eGullet. We've got a few Pittsburgians here abouts but would like more. Get your eating buddies to sign up and get the conversation going.

Herb beat me to it. Crown Fried Chicken is the closed to the fried chicken you'd find down home, down South. My other favorite is Popeye's. My way. Peeling the breaded skin and the top layer of the meat off the thighs and slipping it between biscuit halves. Fine dining.

I was sorry to see Frankie Clemments go. Along with Charlie's Waterwheel it was one of the original power lunch places. An old fashioned tavern popular with the City Hall Crowd, packed with cliques and pretty much assigned seating around the bar during the lunch rush. Food was OK for bar food, but nothing special. Good Dog (15th between Walnut and Locust) took it over, scoured some, painted some. Pumped up the beer list and the menu. First visit I went for the namesake Good Dog Burger. It's a half pound patty, stuffed with Roquefort and topped with caramelized onions. Kinda tall so as I was taking my first bite I squashed it down. Like some sort of novelty trick hamburger the melted cheese squired out of the patty and up my arm. But a good eating burger anyway. Have also had their three cheese grilled cheese sandwich - fontina, asiagio and gruyere, bacon and thin sliced apple on what they call a brioche. Bread texture was strange for a grilled cheese sandwich, but good flavor. Their version of a muffalatta came as a surprise. I'm thinking a round hoagie. It arrived a very thin sandwich - fennel salami, aged provolone and the standard muffalatta mix, built on olive bread. Though not very substantial to look at, it packed an intense wallop. A great sandwich. Sandwiches all come with a mix of fresh-cut french fries and sweet potato fries. Sweet potato fries often disappoint. These are very good. Heavier dishes, which I haven't tried, include a full rack of baby back ribs, 6 layer lasagna and roasted chicken.

Carman selected and brought the wines. Which was good. My knowledge of wine starts with "What's the word, Thunderbird, what's the price, sixty twice," and ends with, "I know what I like when I taste it." It is not that I don't appreciate wine, I do. And I've been lucky enough to be exposed to some very good wines as I've eaten about. But there is some quirk in my genetic make-up that blocks me from any curiousity about wine beyond wondering when the server is going to refill my glass. That said, we started with a bottle of white and concluded with red. We didn't let that influence our menu selections. But all worked well. Perhaps Carman, who is now a bona fide eGulleteer, will provide the names and her thinking in selecting the particular wines. As to value, I'd say exceptional. No buyer's remorse. As I recall the meal came to about $60 each, plus tip. I didn't pay attention to prices when ordering, and based on past dining experiences of that caliber, I would have anticipated paying at least 50% more.

The absolutely must-have on the dessert list is the cheese plate. “Artisan Cheese Tasting Plate, Clover Honey, Pine Nuts and Toasted Croutons” A list of the cheeses, from mild to pushily assertive I’m still deep in my quest for the ultimate cheesecake so went for the “Goat Cheese Cake, Toasted Nut-Brown Sugar Crust and Tangy Lemon Curd” Along side, they shared “Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee and Cripsy Napoleon, Brandied Cherries and Cherry Sauce” Oh yeah, one other thing. Django bakes their bread in flower pots. Django’s menu is headed “March.” So only a few more days for these dishes. Suspect I’ll be back in April to see what the new month brings.

Carman and I mustered the willpower to cut back to one entree each. Wish we hadn’t. Too many good choices. But we picked well. “Seafood Risotto, Aromatic Lobster Stock, Squid, Tuna, Mussels, Peas, and Rich Saffron-Mussel Sauce.” Was so good I forgot to take a photo. The good news, a reason to return. “Roasted Bison Loin, Braised Cabbage and Sausage Choucroute, Potato and Horseradish Cream Sauce.” Our, by now, good buddies next door had “Niman Ranch Pork Duo, Pork Ragu ‘Lasagne’ and Sausaged Loin, Natural Pork Sauce and Tender Mirepoix” “Pan-Roasted Swordfish, Tangy Tomato Glaze, Creamy White Beans, Melted Leeks, and Rapini Coulis” Dessert on the next post.

Carman, of Carman's Country Kitchen, and I did dinner at Django. She's a regular. My first time. Of course it is their food that makes Django what it is. And the food is more than enough to rate Django spectacular. But what makes it even more special is that everyone on the staff seems to be having fun. If there is any pressure from Craig Laban's 4 Liberty Bells and the ensuing diner expectations, it is well masked. Absolutely professional, but welcoming and easy going. Got a glimpse of the kitchen. The very small kitchen. Seemed just as laid back. None of the starched formality usually encountered in three star or four bell establishments. Informality carries over to the seating. Mere inches separate the tables. Not the place to go for private conversations. Settling in, we said hi to the couple next to us. Carman's Country Kitchen came up. Out of the blue our neighbor asked Carman, "Are you on eGullet." Small world. Turns out they’ve been just reading eGullet, so far. Maybe they’ll add their reactions to this meal here. Having eGulleteers at hand, meant I had two more sets of meals to photograph. Alas, I dared not lean over and snatch a taste off their plates as well. Django’s menu divides into First Course, Entree Course and Desserts. No seven course tasting dinner or anything like that. But no rules limiting diners to just one item from each course. Carman and I started with three appetizers. “Emerald Cove Oysters in the Shell, Pernod Gelée, Green Herb Sauce, Peppery Creme and Oyster Toast.” Everything on the menu is similarly crafted. Above and beyond. Exciting. And sufficiently descriptive that no further comment is needed. “Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Braised Beef Short Ribs, Rosemary-Beef Jus, Tomato Conserve and Grated Goat Cheese” And a wild ride of “Wild Mushroom and Noodle Carbonara, Crispy Pancetta, Sunny Side Quail Egg, and Natural Chicken Sauce” Our neighbors started with “Tender Shrimp Salad, Buttermilk-Tarragon Dressing, Crisphead Lettuce and Spicy Greens, Herb Croutons” “House Smoked Sea Scallops, Layered Swiss Chard Gratin, and New England Salsify Chowder” Because of all the pics I’m going to end here and do two more posts, entrees and desserts.

I'm a believer in "Certified Black Angus." I understand it's a marketing ploy but I have had consistantly good results with their steaks. At least the caliber of Certified Black Angus steak carried by the Chef's Market here in Philadelphia.

According to today's USA Today Burger King, along with Carl's Jr. and Krystal, is going to start selling an Angus beef burger. Burger King's corporate chef brags, "The burger will have more steak flavor because steak sauce and spices are mixed in with the meat." Two observation: 1. Back in my days with the chains, we would never consider adding anything to a hamburger patty. Too much of a PR risk. "If there is seasoning mixed into the ground beef, what other fillers are they putting into it." 2. Must be a really good grade of Angus beef if it needs to be fortified with A-1 sauce. Perhaps BK now has a fiasco burger to go with their fiasco fries.

Perhaps it is due the the type of place where I usually take pics - anything but high cuisine. My lighting secret is to try to get the food into natural sunlight - either from through a window or by hauling the food outside to shoot it. Also, sometimes, if there is enough interior light, I'll just turn off the flash. I do have one ongoing frustration - light colored food on white plates or paper (ie Crab bisque in a white paper bowl). The whites all seem to blend together. I shoot with either a Canon G5 or a Canon S200 on "Auto" settings" at highest possible resolution.

Very cool series of picks. I've always wanted to ride along on a boat gathering lobster traps. Perhaps there is the makings of a book of photo essays on the reaping of America's harvest Ellen, or did you already sense that? Just one question. Did these manly men get an eyeful of Fat Guy in his fish pants?

With McD and BK, the menu expansion was due mostly to growth and the resultant cannibalization of sales as their restaurants opened closer and closer to each other. As the chains grew, the size of each restaurant's trading area became smaller and smaller. Two McD's five miles apart were joined by a third McD 2 1/2 miles from each. Sales dropped, so menu was expanded to bring back existing customers more often and to appeal to additional non-customers in their trading areas. As you say, it's the natural evolution of things. In a marketing biz school course I took they got into the Wheel of Retailing. It's cyclical. Related to fast food restaurants, the premise is that as McDonald's, Burger King and their cronies grow and mature, and there is greater competition from themselves and from competitors, they expand their menu, fancy up their buildings, and in a few cases add additional services. They become more and more clumsy and sluggish as they approach the top of the wheel. This leaves room at the bottom of the wheel for some ballsy entrepreneur to open up a garish red and white tiled building, with no dining room, that just sells hamburgers, fries and cokes at 20 percent under McD pricing.

I did regional marketing for BK back in the mid-70's and product development for McD's in the late 60's. Got to know their operations pretty well. Good points and bad. I know that McD and BK can produce a decent hamburger and in the case of a BK Double Cheese Whopper, a very good to great hamburger. At least they could, back then, when the menu was limited and when the operations department, not the guys in the green eye shades, had the final say. Back in the golden age of fast food the meat was purchased fresh, and locally. Same for the produce. Way back, the fries were fresh cut and fried twice. Onions and tomatoes were sliced or diced a few times a day. Burger King used real mayonnaise. McDonald's whipped up it's tartar sauce every day. The focus was on how quickly food went from cooked to customer, not on precooking and extending holding times. Staffing was different then too. Mostly high school and college kids. There were waiting lists. Some McD franchisees would only hire A students. The guy working the grill, a spatula in each hand, flipping 6 hamburgers at a time was as much a god as the varsity quarterback and took as much pride in his skill. Back then most everybody in corporate operations came up through the ranks. Many had started as hourly employees, the rest as assistant managers. Never saw a buffalo chopper in McD's or BK. Slicers and tomato kings, but no buffalo chopper. And the produce was prepped at least twice a day. Didn't hang around long enough to go sour. McDonald's and Burger King have both lost it. I blame it most on the expanded menu. Too many ingredients. Too many cooking processes. Too many finished products. Can't keep cooked food fresh. Can't provide quick service. I'd love to see BK or McD open up a retro chain. Same menu as way back when. I'm willing to bet the lines would once again be out the door, but moving fast.

Got me. But "Hellman's Real Mayonnaise."

Burger King zaps Menu, Image Other than a more flavorful bun and more coarsely chopped meat, pretty much the Whopper BK built back in the mid 70's. All the major fast food chains have gotten away from the "Quality" of Ray Kroc's "QSC" - quality, service and cleanliness. A big "duh" to BK management for discovering real mayonnaise and fresh sliced onions. Now if they, and even more so McD's, can only pick up on the "Service" and "Cleanliness" parts too.

My understanding, my source being the son of an original Coney Island wiener guy who located in Northern MD, is that there was a Greek in the Coney Island area, in essence the godfather of Coney Island dogs, who dispatched newly arrived Greek immigrants to various parts of the U.S. to open up a Coney Island dog shop complete with official Coney Island sauce.

Pretty shabby excuse. There's always room for a few hot dogs.

Check out the Southern Kitchen in New Market VA, just off I 81. Fried Chicken, Peanut Soup, Meringue Pies and if you're there come breakfast time, biscuits and gravy.

I've got a long list of Southern California grease stain worthy places that need eatin'. But yes, I'd travel for a burger. A truly great burger.

Any of you left coast burger eaters have a digital camera? Nothing wrong with the words, but a pic or two of those great burgers might just help me rationalize a California junket.

Take him to Price's Chicken Coop and dine in your car.

Yeah, it's a tourist trap in that it's definitely over-priced. But the foods still mighty good. Every time I'm in NoLa I have to at least once do Breakfast at Brennan's and a plate of their Eggs Hussard.

It's been a while since I did such hiring, but the process probably hasn't changed that much. A few thoughts - 1. Before your interview, study the menu. Research the prep process so you can relate your skills to the process. If you don't have those skills, at least understand them. 2. If you can do so without coming off as fawning, let the owner see himself as your mentor. Tell him why, beyond contributing to, you want to learn from him and his restaurant. 3. Make it clear you understand the nature of the restaurant business - that you will be available on your day off, on call, for emergencies and will come early or stay late as needed. 4. Score points by suggesting Sweet Basil puts it address and phone number on the opening page of their web site Amazing how many places make you search that info out.