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Sfuffy

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Everything posted by Sfuffy

  1. Sfuffy

    Bagels

    You've got to give props to any bagel bakery that offers only sesame and poppy seed bagels because they were "the only two varieties that existed over 40 years ago." No onion, garlic, or salt, let alone such atrocities as blueberry and french toast.
  2. Sfuffy

    Bagels

    It seems that a "Hot Bagel" sign is common in these parts - I passed by Philadelphia Bagel on Delaware Ave. today and noticed that "Hot Bagel" is spelled out underneath their name. Is this to somehow distinguish them from the cold bagel bakeries that have escaped my notice? This was the first time I got a puffy bagel at South Street but I've been somewhat disappointed before with poorly shaped and somewhat underbaked bagels. (As well as the fact that they only seem to have bialies 1 out of 3 times I go there. )
  3. Sfuffy

    Bagels

    I don't think it's entirely the water that contributes to NYC bagels being special. It doesn't account for the comparatively large selection of good bagel shops in North Jersey. I think it's due in large part to the common legacy of craftsmanship that's been passed down over the years - until the 1960's (with the advent of the bagel-making machine), the Bagel Bakers' Union had a firm grip over the bagel trade in NYC and parts of North Jersey. Long after the demise of the union, its former members and those who learned at their feet (or hands in this case) spread their bagel-making expertise through the NY metropolitan area.
  4. Sfuffy

    Bagels

    Whaddabout Hot Bagel on S. 4th? I think they're boiled. Got bialys, too. I've always been satisfied. I'm a fan of Essa Bagel in NYC, and Hot Bagel's come pretty close. ← Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you're talking about South Street Bagels on S. 3rd which has the "Hot Bagels" sign out front. That's where I got the disappointing bagels.
  5. I typically get my bagels from South Street Bagel since they're in the neighborhood and are usually more than passable. However, the last few times I've seen a noticeable dimunition in quality and yesterday I got a bunch that were totally wrong. They were much too high for a bagel (almost roll-like in height) and when I cut into them I could immediately see why - the insides were airy and puffy, the total opposite of what a dense, chewy bagel should be. So, I think this is a good time to start exploring my other Philly bagel options. I was raised on NY-style bagels in North Jersey and like a chewy, dense (though not dense like a rock) with a golden brown, crusty (though not crunchy) exterior. Where can I find this (or a close facsimile) around here? (And if anyone knows where I can get tsibele pletzel (sometimes known as onion flatbread to the uninitiated) then you'll have my undying gratitude.)
  6. Actually, The Trentonian is owned by the Journal Register Co.
  7. Sfuffy

    Amada

    All of Jaleo's tapas are under $10 with the majority of selections in the $6 to $8 range - very reasonable. And there seems to be a lot of Spanish imports on the menu. While I can't speak to their quality, Jaleo also has a large variety of wines in the $30 a bottle range.
  8. Sfuffy

    Amada

    Well, except for the fact that such a tapas experience would cost you half the price in Spain. Why is tapas always such a high-end endeavor here in the States instead of the affordable neighborhood staple it is in Spain? (as evidenced by Amada and the recently deceased Mallorca) Not to mention that thanks to the PALCB, a single glass of Marques de Monistrol Cava Brut goes for $9 when I can buy an entire bottle in NJ for $7!)
  9. I seem to recall that the Celentano's had a pasta restaurant about 15 years ago or so (perhaps in Parsippany). Does anyone else remember this or am I mistaken?
  10. Saw the film on Sunday and having eaten at Hikaru about 10 days ago, I don't believe it's the sushi place featured. The restaurant in the film had dark wood (cherry?) banquettes with opaque glass privacy screens above the seats. Hikaru has blonde wood seating and more open seating arrangements.
  11. I wish the LCB had a better way to search for stores which carry a particular item. Instead of having to specify the county, you should be able to do a zip code proximity search to find the closest store with the item is. They also need to fix the zip code search on the Store Locations search page. Right now, it only finds those stores within the exact zip code you enter rather than listing stores by distance from a particular zip code. For example, when I enter my 19147 zip, I only get the South St. and S. 11th St. locations but not the new Columbus Crossing store even though it's only about 1 1/2 miles from me. And if I'm traveling somewhere I'm not familiar with, I can't find the nearest store if there isn't one in the town I'm in. Very frustrating and not very customer-friendly to say the least.
  12. All this talk of Pal's Cabin is making me wistful for the old Pal's Pancake House & the countless dinners of silver dollar pancakes & honey fried chicken of my youth.
  13. there's no Wawa at 4th and Queen - you're probably thinking of the one at 2nd and Christian
  14. The Copa Too doesn't share ownership with the original Copabanana. It was split off a couple of years ago. (One wonders why they didn't realize that letting them keep the name might come back to bite them one day.) The University City Copa is owned by the 4th and South people.
  15. The pickle portion is a big improvement over Famous's old one pickle per plate portion. But I still miss the complimentary steel bowl of pickles (and pickled tomatoes) of my North Jersey deli youth. A big thumbs up for the thick-cut warm brisket - it's the only way to eat it. The rye looks a bit soft (and unfortunately seedless) similar to the bread I had when Russ Cowan owned the Chestnut St. Kibitz in the City. I'd be curious if it held up under the warm juciness. The sandwich looks like just the perfectly sized deli sandwich to me - not at all insanely large (except when compared to the former Famous 4th's stingy size). Looks like I'm gonna have to stop by and give them a try.
  16. Of course, but it's a bit tricky with the rigid, wax-coated paper cups used by water ice purveyors. Back in the day, when I used to get Italian ice as a kid in North Jersey, it came in plain white paper cups with straight fluted sides. They were easy to squeeze and didn't crack or rip when squeezed.
  17. Actually, when Dreyer's & Nestle combined their ice cream operations (Nestle is now the majority owner of Dreyer's and is in the process of buying them up in total), Dreyer's was forced to sell off the Dreamery and Godiva brands. They're now produced by a company call Coolbrands Intl., which produces Eskimo Pies, among other novelties, and is the franchiser for Swensen's and I Can't Believe It's Yogurt. According to this story in today's LA Times, Dreyer's has 23% of the US ice cream market to Unilever's 22%.
  18. It has yet to be updated to account for the influence of the Amish-Quaker axis but this is my earlier exigesis on the subject.
  19. Nice article but I think it's a bit off the mark in putting the blame on PA's archaic liquor laws on the Amish-Quaker axis.
  20. They were open yesterday when I passed by but with nary a sign to indicate any type of Grand Re-opening - perhaps a soft opening while they get things up to speed. Has anyone had a chance to try it? This week's out for me because of Passover.
  21. And the Knave of Hearts' space has sat empty for about two years after the building's new owners totally undid the space.
  22. Having tried the brisket last evening, I have to agree except to say that you besmirch Grandma and Bubbes everywhere by even mentioning their brisket in the same sentence as TG's bland, dry as shoe leather version.
  23. Thanks Katie! I actually just took a trip down there and saw it for myself. I have to say I was somewhat underwhelmed. It uses the same unimaginative signage and inefficient shelving and layout as every other state store. Excepting the Premium Collection (which is still a work in progress), the rest of the store seemed rather limited in its selection of regular wines and no bigger than the average store. It is smaller than both the Franklin Mills outlet store and the Chestnut Street superstore. One would have hoped that with this brand new built-to-order space they might have tried for something more special. Despite the Chairman's yeoman efforts, it seems that the bureaucratic DNA still thrives in some parts of the PLCB.
  24. I'd be curious to know how the PLCB decides where to open new stores (and what type of stores they will be - Outlet, Premium Collection, Regular). Do they have some objective criteria? Do they conduct market research? How much do they respond to politicians' whims (being Philadelphia I have no doubt that the developer of this butt-ugly strip mall has some influence over a State Senator/Representative or two)? And similarly, how do they decide to close a store? The unremarkable store at Columbus and Washington seems redundant being only a mile or so from the new one. (I don't see the even closer store at Snyder and Swanson showing up on the PLCB web site - did it close?)
  25. Or you could just use Bugmenot to see the article without registering.
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