Holly Moore

In the do as I say and not as I always did department, clean as you go.

Maybe even cheaper than the rolls from Artisian - 53 cents each including priority mail. Pricey for a $2.00 hot dog, but not all that bad for a $26.00 lobster roll. New England Hot Dog Rolls

The subject of today's whining is the Lobster Roll. Actually this is more about defining expectations than whining as I have yet to try the Oyster House's lobster roll. Why such peremptory action? Reading with alarm this comment to the Philadadining Blog review of the Oyster house. "I work there" wrote: I know there is a problem obtaining proper New England top sliced, side uncrusted hot dog rolls. When I was trying to open a hot dog place here I looked all over and couldn't find a dependable source. Closest I could get was a Pepperidge Farms top sliced bun and then slicing of the sides myself. Labor intensive, but worth it, especially for a lobster roll where the toasted buttered sides are essential - the warm crunch of the sides of the roll playing off the sweet chilled lobster.. Above is Red's Eats' lobster roll, perhaps the finest in the state of Maine. The recipe is Downeast straightforward: 1 ea - New England style hot dog roll, sides toasted and buttered 1 1/4 lbs - Lobster meat, pulled not chopped On the side - melted butter and/or mayonnaise. That is all. A lobster roll = lobster meat and a roll.

Stopped by today for a 5 PM lunch - a dozen oysters on the half shell and a plate of fried clams. I ordered local oysters - from Chesapeake Bay (Choptank Sweet) and Delaware Bay (East Points). Both were large, well-iced and eminently slurpable. Too late I realized that during cocktail hour the Oyster House offers a variety of oysters for $1 each. The full belly fried clams were perfectly fried and nicely tender, lightly breaded. Some things have changed though, and I am not totally adjusting. I will go to my grave calling the place the Samson Street Oyster House. I also will be cursing out the health department for requiring a glass partition between the oyster shuckers and me. That is just not right. I have to go through a middle man to get my oysters - like sitting at the bar and ordering a cocktail from a server rather than the bartender. It is still a good show - three shuckers going full shuck - but I miss keeping a conversation going with the shucker as he keeps my oysters coming. I know legally you can't Sam, but in the words of Ronald Regan, "Tear down that wall..." Finally there is Greg Ling's take on snapper soup. It is an excellent soup - a full flavored turtle stock, large chunks of turtle. I can see myself ordering it regularly. But without a super-rich veal stock it is not classic snapper soup. I will miss that. At the same time, a chef who uses double cream for his oyster stew can do no serious wrong in my eyes.

I wish LaBan had included breakfast in his review. The Philadelphia Four Season's serves one of the finest in the US. There are few greater dining experiences than a perfectly executed hotel breakfast.

I'm driving from Philadelphia to Lake Placid over 4th July weekend. Would appreciate suggestions for HollyEats places along the route. Also for Lake Placid. Nothing wrong with a 20 or 30 mile side trip for some good eating. Thanks

I am hoping that the sequel will be "Top Chef: Critics" where the contestants are restaurant critics and the judges are chefs. Best for me was the chefs adapting/improvising when things went wrong. Before it started I thought the Dorm/microwave/hot plate competition was too cliche Top Cheffy and limiting, but it was fun to watch and the results were impressive.

The crackers found hereabouts are traditionally O.T.C. oyster crackers as manufactured by the Original Cracker Company in Trenton. The brand is now owned by Speciality Brands of America From their site: I would not muck up the Oyster House's oyster stew with them. Rather they are great to nibble with a smear of horseradish while sitting at the bar, sipping a beer or cocktail and to tide you over until the shucked oysters arrive.

Knowing Katie's prowess, should not the quest be to see if the negroni's even better than the ones at Piazza Vittorio in Turin?

Are the fries typical shoestring to proper cut?

If you mean Glen Mills I stopped by last year. It was good, not great. In that area I prefer Mabel's in West Chester or Pig Daddy's in Drexel Hill. I was a little put off that the smoking is done for them, off premises. They do offer a "Redneck Cheesesteak" using smoked brisket. Sounds interesting but haven't tried it yet.

I recently spent a week eating Texas barbecue at the rural smokehouses and "markets" that surround Austin. I will try to approach this with an open mind. Nope, I can't. Southside Market, Elgin TX While Steven Cook's and Michael Solomonov's new venture may offer decent barbecue I just can not accept it will be Texas class Texas barbecue. A Texas pit master is bred into the job and has been working it since he was a kid. Texas barbecue isn't just a trendy concept, it is generational - as much prairie culture as it is smoking. Just like a an Austin restaurant shouldn't be attempting a cheesesteak... Here's hoping I am wrong. But, if it were my place - I wouldn't raise expectations by boasting "Texas Barbecue." Great barbecue is a sufficiently lofty goal.

Just happened upon Boston's Hidden Restaurants while doing a search for Lawton's Hot Dogs in Lawrence. Lots of great info.

For what appears to be a very successful model, research Metropolitan Bakery in Philadelphia.

Which brings to mind, though not edible, Mummers.

The oyster stew is the best I've ever had. Ever. An oyster house classic made even better by Chef Greg Ling - he uses double cream for the base and adds sauteed fennel. Perfection. Seriously, I'm not sure I'll be able to get past the oyster stew and sample the rest of the menu. The renovation is total. They have recreated the oyster house of my mind's eye. Tile walls, marble counter, wood floors - the history of Philadelphia. The marble is from Independence Mall. The floors milled from the beams of the Academy of Music. The glass counter tops facing the front windows from Kelly's of Mole Street where the Mink family oyster house tradition began. Oyster Plates from the Mink's collection line the walls. Again, a classic. Katie invited me to stop by. She is doing great things with the bar. I had a Rose's Lime-less gimlet made with homemade lime cordial. Visions of honeysuckle and wild raspberries are dancing through Katie's mind. Katie's version of fish house punch, renamed Oyster House punch, is a modern day classic. There's that word again. Classic. The cocktail sampling menu today - Negroni's, Side Cars, Gimlets, and Manhattans. Classics done extraordinarily well. "Classics done extraordinarily well." That pretty much defines everything about the Oyster House. The only thing not pinned down is the opening date.

Re Reiker's: Reiker's is in the vast and mysterious Northeast Philadelphia - a definite car trip, though Sandy could probably get you there by bus.

First off, I am perfectly capable of splattering my shirt with the fallout from a Katz's pastrami sandwich. I am not sure of better articulation, though I do not think of a cheesesteak or a pork sandwich in terms of the category "juicy, hot, meat sandwiches." I see them as two distinct sandwiches and both totally unrelated to a pastrami on rye or a diner hot roast beef sandwich. I might put Chicago's Italian Beef and Philadelphia's pork sandwich in the same family, but cheesesteaks are cheesesteaks and unique to themselves.

I do love Taconelli's but I'd put it in round two. If the mission is to go to Philadelphia for the stuff that's better than New York, the list is fairly short -- at least based on what I've experienced in Philadelphia thanks to guidance from several Philadelphia-based eG people. If it's more a question of going to Philadelphia to experience a variant of something both cities do well, then the list gets a lot longer and includes Taconelli's and a lot of the other suggestions that have been made on this topic. ← By that criterion, should not Philadelphia's Italian pork sandwich with greens and aged provolone be on your list? Also I'm not up on New York city subs or whatever they are called there. Are there any options that surpass Sarcone's Deli or Salumeria? If either or both have yet to be experienced, I will be glad to show you what you are missing.

Re charcuterie - I was speaking of a charcuterie where pates and non-mundane prepared foods are offered for take-out. The other places Philadining shows are dine-in (take-out plates available maybe), but I am checking out Fork's Fork:etc. in a few minutes. Dare I hope?

Me too. And I think this has been a Philadelphia weakness forever or at least since the closing of the market at the Commissary long, long ago. Salamis, hams, cheeses, olives are easy. But salads beyond the basics, not so much. And pates. My country for a great country pate made on premises. Pumpkin market had an excellent country pate for a while. Then no more. Not sure if it has ever returned. How nice it would be to pop out to a charcuterie on a summer day for a selection of pates, fruit salads not loaded with watermelon and unripe honeydew and cantelope, jellied madrilène, Russian salad and such.

Yo Mr. Stein - ain't no dollops of anything on a Philadelphia pork sandwich.

Good grief, she'll kill me for omitting it from my earlier post.. Breakfast at Carman's Country Kitchen - 11th and Wharton. Friday thru Monday, 8 AM til 2 PM. You can call for reservations the day of and should Saturday or Sunday. Just be on time and check any Puritan sensibilities at the door. A group of you can reserve the chef's table - ie the table set up in the bed of the chef's pick-up truck Nothing approaching Carman's Country Kitchen in NY or anywhere else.

Reading Terminal Market (RTM) for breakfast, lunch and pretzels. Hoagies at Sarcone's Deli and/or Chick's. An upscale hoagie at Salumeria in the RTM. Roasted pork sandwiches with aged provolone and greens at Dinics (RTM) or John's. Also at a REAL Tony Luke's. Texas wieners at Texas Wieners. A hot sausage with Philadelphia pepper hash from the hot dog truck on Passyunk between 23rd and 24th. All manner of Italian sandwiches from Paesano's on the 100 block of Girard Taconelli's for pizza made Alan Richmond's Top 25 pizza list - you call ahead to reserve your dough. Ask to look at the immense oven. La Columbe coffee from the source - La Columbe on 19th between Sansom and Walnut. Not sure what's up with Studio Kitchen - it is mostly closed. Check the site, though. Shola may be doing a meal at a restaurant. Maybe others will come up with fine dining options. I can't think of any in Philadelphia that are not available in NYC. I'm not sure why you're focusing on "best" in any cuisine. For one thing "best" is usually less expensive (ie a better value) in Philadelphia. Whether or not NY has a "better tapas place" you will do very well at Amada or Tinto. You'll also do very well at Cochen or Zahav. And Vetri and/or Osteria should be on your list. Chef's aren't carbon copies of each. Every chef of note in a cuisine will have his/her point of view. And Steves Prince of Steaks for cheesesteaks.

You did well, for sure. Wonderful pics. Olympic level eating. Motivated me to head to Cajun Kate's in about an hour. Soft Shell Crab poboys are on the menu.