MarketStEl

A friend and former neighbor of mine told me that the sudden demise of the Nifty Fifty's at 10th/Reed/Passyunk was the fault of a greedy landlord. The owners of Nifty Fifty's were doing great business at that site, and so the owner of the building jacked up the rent. It's now been two years since Nifty Fifty's vacated that space (directing patrons to another location in (IIRC) Sicklerville, NJ in the process--right, as if we could walk or take SEPTA there!), and the space still remains vacant. And it's a high-visibility site at a fairly high-traffic intersection. I hope that landlord has recurring nightmares over his bad business decision.

And pasta, too, if I'm not mistaken. At least I believe my partner brought some of their pasta home one day after a stop at DiBruno's on Rittenhouse Square. Speaking of DiBruno's: Took a peek at the new Rittenhouse location taking shape a couple of nights back on my way home from the all-night CVS @ 19th and Chestnut. This place is going to be dynamite when it opens, judging from the work in progress. Who needs Dean & DeLuca?

And did they serve the soda in a glass or in a pitcher? Glad to see I'm not alone in this assessment. I didn't detect much smoke flavor in TSJ's ribs either, again unlike LaBan. Tomato-based, I assume? Aside: Belmont Bar-B-Q -- the place at 55th and Baltimore that I have mentioned here on occasion -- is the only Philly 'cue joint I've yet run across that uses a vinegar-based sauce. It's also the most pungent local sauce I've yet run across, though it's not as searing as Gates' Extra Hot. Second aside: What I identified as paprika in TSJ's sauce LaBan says is chipotle. On further reflection, he might be right. I will give TSJ this much: Their sampler platter, though pricey, gives you enough meat for two people. The sides that come with it are skimpy, though. Agreed on LaBan, and I know at least one other eG'er on this board who was similarly unimpressed by TSJ. Then again, LaBan came here from New Orleans. They do Creole and Cajun down there. They don't do 'cue. You gotta go upriver at least to Memphis for that.

And LaBan gave The Smoked Joint two bells. I wonder whether he ordered the same ribs I did. I certainly didn't detect a rich smoky flavor. Then again, he might wonder whether I had the same pulled pork he did, since he found his on the dry side--though he does write that they have switched their cut of meat for the pork since he ate there. His tastes in barbecue appear not to be influenced by exposure to the Kansas City variety: he found the beans too sweet, I thought they were just right. I guess once again, there's no accounting for taste.

Is your grocery store for real, or an inside foodtrade joke? ← An outside-foodtrade joke, probably. Yet another nickname for Whole Foods Market, which is often referred to as "Whole Paycheck."

It's been there for years? I just noticed it last year. ← If he's referring to Caribbean Delight, it's been there at least four years.

And I finally got to meet Holly Moore! Certainly better "barbecue" than I had at The Smoked Joint. The "chicken large intestine" was pretty good; the squid (seasoned with the beef seasonings or the chicken seasonings) was even better; the pork belly was yummy [and the stimulus for some comments about pork belly futures being another way to "bring home the bacon"]; the marinated beef was excellent (so someone tell us again what's the difference between marinated prime rib and marinated rib eye). Didn't have the "tripe of an ox's tongue." Did have the fruits, and Katie is right about the effect of grilling on the pineapple. Herb pointed out that since grilling caramelizes the sugar, the melon chunks should be similarly improved, but I didn't think the transformation was as compelling as with the pineapple. Grilling the broccoli spears did a pleasant number on those, too. I imagine I'll be back here again. Comment on the name: "Porky & Porkie" seems a little misleading, as pork makes up only a very small part of the buffet menu. Unless, that is, the name is supposed to conjure up "barbede."

You're the guy who recommended Capriotti's over on the DC/Delmarva board. Unfortunately for me, I suspect that at best, I'd have to phone in an order to go and hurry back to the office, for I'd be riding the bus from Rodney Square over to their shop on Wilmington's west side. Frankly, if I had the time and the means of transportation, I'd go down to the Delaware Sub Shop in Rehoboth on my lunch hour. As for mustard, I definitely am a hoagie heretic there, for I often request it on my sandwiches. But your Maryland horror story is truly disturbing. May God save their benighted souls. I'm sure that a mediocre supplier in Chicago would have better kielbasa than I could hope to find anywhere around here except maybe Bridesburg. But I'll keep that Baltimore recommendation in my mental file should I find myself down that way.

Is that in fact all it takes to succeed in the hot sauce business? McIlhenny's, the maker of Tabasco Sauce, which I figure is the most famous of all hot sauces, emphasizes selective, artisanal procedures and quality control on its History Tent Perfect Peppers page. In order to get the true flavor of the page, you really have to read the whole thing from beginning to end, but here's the conclusion: Does such a large company really adhere to such strict quality controls, and is that what accounts for its enduring reputation and market share? Please share your opinions and wisdom here. ← Well, maybe the McIlhenny family emphasizes the TLC part of the business far more than Huy Fong does, but is there really that great a difference between the McIlhennys' careful nurturing of the Tabasco pepper and Huy Fong's insistence on using the best ingredients while keeping the price low? It's quite clear that, in a very short time, Huy Fong's Sriracha sauce--the one in the bottle with the rooster on the label, aka "Tuong Ot Sriracha" after the Vietnamese text over the rooster--has become a staple in many kitchens, including places where very few Asian dishes are served. And I suspect this is the case because the Sriracha is a flavorful hot sauce that works well as both a condiment and an ingredient in a wide variety of dishes. (Did you see the page with the letter warning against purchasing imitators?) Tabasco's been around a heckuva lot longer, but it too has a distinctive taste. I don't think it's as versatile as Huy Fong Sriracha, but it's indispensable for a number of dishes, including scrambled eggs. In both cases, the owners are committed to producing a superior product. That, not the cost or the methods of production, is the key ingredient.

I've had Cacciocavallo, and now that you mention it, it should make a dynamite grilled cheese sandwich. I hope DiBruno's has some around on my next trip down there.

But they don't have huge mothballed ocean liners parked by the side of DeKalb Pike. At this rate, the S.S. United States will in all likelihood end up as a Costco.

I hope you weren't going to Applebee's for the 'cue. Applebee's isn't really about 'cue--it's about generic casual dining. Though a chain headquartered in the 'cue capital of America, as Applebee's is (the family who founded it used to own Kansas City's leading home electronics retailer), should be able to do better. The non-'cue chain that I recall making much ado about its ribs is Chili's ("I want my baby back, baby back, baby back..."). Never had 'em on any of my visits there.

The Smoked Joint's better than no 'cue at all, but I've had better, even in Philly. I have a strong suspicion that many reading this post would not want to venture to 55th and Baltimore to have some, though. (Speaking of DelCo: I said to my friend over dinner last night at The Smoked Joint, "This place wants to be a roadhouse, but it's in a very un-roadhousey space. I guess they couldn't find a suitable site on Baltimore Pike or MacDade Boulevard.")

The food looks like it's only somewhat unique. But if Dave is as good as barbecuing as he is at promotion (both himself and his enterprises), then this 'cue chain might just be worth the trip. I don't find it hard to imagine that there's no better 'cue in Minnesota, where fish soaked in lye is a delicacy. But the man has an American Royal Barbecue first-place award to his credit (in 1995, for his barbecue sauce--it took the mild-sauce category), so he's obviously not just, shall we say, blowin' smoke.

Several states already severely restrict or ban outright the sale of raw milk and raw milk products for human consumption, and have for years. If you think back to the first several decades of this century, when most of these laws were enacted, the safety of our food supply was not as sure a thing as it is now. Farmers didn't test their dairy herds for bacteria the way many do now, nor were there any reasonably accurate tests available. The easiest and most effective way to protect the public was for the government to mandate certain procedures and ban the sale of good.

I finally dropped in on The Smoked Joint for dinner tonight. I was underwhelmed. The ribs were tender, but dry, as though they'd been kept warm in an oven for too long. The chicken and brisket were all right, as was the pulled pork. Their barbecue rub struck me as all paprika and pepper. Where's the sweetness to go along with the spiciness (which was muted)? No brown sugar or molasses handy? And even though "smoke" is part of this place's name, I didn't detect that much of a smoky flavor in any of the meats. The sauce was interesting--vinegary and tomatoey at the same time. Again, there was a strong paprika taste. The coleslaw was crunchy, but bland. The beans were quite good, though, and the mac and cheese was excellent--maybe not quite to die for, but certainly worth coming down with a long and serious illness. Service was attentive and friendly. But they should warn you about what your soft drinks come in. (At $3.50 for the pitcher, though, this was one of the real bargains in a place whose fare is a bit pricey for a 'cue joint.) Atmosphere-wise, this place wants to be a roadhouse, but it's in a decidedly un-roadhousey space--one that is also, unfortunately, known for eating restaurants. There hasn't been a really successful eatery in this space since the original Marabella's, almost two decades ago. I would seriously consider relocating to South Street for that reason alone. It seems to me that the Smoked Joint crew get the idea of barbecue, but need to play with their food more to get it right.

I'm game to give Porky and Porkie a shot--I've passed by the place enough Saturdays, wondering if a restaurant was ever going to open in that space, the sign had been up so long. Saturdays would be ideal for me to go on a group outing as well. After I've done my grocery shopping.

I usually cook on five of the seven days of the week, and occasionally on Friday and Saturday as well. My main Sunday meal is as reliable as a quartz watch: Breakfast served at brunch time, consisting of bacon, sausage patties, hash brown potatoes (sometimes with regular onions, sometimes with Vidalias, sometimes with cheddar cheese), and eggs any style, including omelets. Partner likes eggs sunny-side up, roommate likes either scrambled eggs or an omelet, nearly everyone else (the guest list varies each week) goes for an omelet. My standard version is ham, Cheddar cheese, Pepper Jack cheese, onions and bell peppers (usually red ones). The only other thing I "cooked from scratch" yesterday was a snack platter: Take 8 Triscuit crackers. Top each with a slice of cheese, then a slice of pepperoni. Nuke for 20-30 seconds. Enjoy. My other meals this past week weren't terribly creative: Strip steaks, asparagus with hollandaise sauce (from a mix packet) and baked potato on Tuesday, soup and sandwiches Wednesday and Thursday. As I don't get home from work until 7 p.m. these days, unless I can toss it in a Crock-Pot before I leave around 6:45 a.m. or fix it real fast afterwards, I don't make it. (One of my meals last week was a Crock-Pot recipe: Hungarian goulash, served over egg noodles. That was also my Friday lunch, augmented by cubes of leftover strip steak, over ramen.) What did I fix for dinner Monday? Must not have been anything special, for I can't remember what it was at all, except that it required my using my countertop grill. Now that I've been informed that I'll be on a three-days-a-week work schedule starting today, I will have time to do up something special on Tuesdays and Thursdays again.

If you are looking for this one in the product search I think we have it as Las Brisus at $10.99?? Las Brisas sounded like a winner to me at that price.....so I played around in the product search and came up with this I'm not sure its the same wine but will try a bottle at that price. ← It is Las Brisas. It's $10.99 a bottle currently at 1218 Chestnut. I picked up another bottle yesterday (Sunday 3/20). It's a real buy at that price. I absolutely love it. I've now begun looking for Chairman's Selections in the $10-$15/bottle range when I'm sent out by my partner for wine. Although given how and when he drinks it, most of the time, I should probably buy the cheap jug stuff. (In case you haven't guessed, I no longer completely abstain from alcohol. I now allow myself wine with meals on occasion and an occasional cocktail when out. I figure I can manage that without ramping up my depression or other ill effects--and I can get the benefits that come from moderate wine consumption as well.)

I was chowing down on a Melino's hoagie with my roommate (while simultaneously engaging in a discussion of food preparation hygiene with his cousin that did not reflect well on that establishment) last Saturday when I realized that not only am I apparently a hoagie heretic, I seem to pay attention to the meat more than the bread. I had been under the impression that Melino's, like most of the better hoagie shops in Philadelphia, used Dietz & Watson as their meat supplier. I was wrong. Like Planet Hoagie--whose sandwiches have underwhelmed everyone else on this board who's tried them, but which I love--their meats come from Hatfield. And over on the DC/Delmarva board, where I asked for recommendations on places to lunch in Wilmington, one DTBarton recommended Capriotti's, on the city's west side, as a place where I could get good sandwiches in Wilmington. I checked out their Web site, and right on the front page is the legend: "Capriotti's Is Proud To Use Hatfield Products" and a link to Hatfield's corporate Web site. (How they get them to their West Coast locations is a mystery to me.) When buying kielbasa or smoked sausage now, I usually wait until I can get to the South Philly Acme, because they stock Hatfield while the Super Cruise only carries Hillshire Farm, which I consider inferior. I think I see a pattern here. And Hatfield is a local company, like Dietz & Watson, but I don't see their products in as many places as I do D&W. So: Does the meat matter in a hoagie? And are people overlooking an excellent local purveyor whose name and reputation may not be as well known or established? And whose kielbasa should I buy, while we're at it?

According to the Italian Market website, it's on 9th between Wharton and Fitzwater. Fitzwater, IMO, is stretching it a bit, as the blocks above Christian are mostly residential, but if they're going to claim Sarcone's as part of the market, they have to stretch it a bit. This also ropes in Ralph's and ?Mezza Notte? --the place at Catherine that was once called Ristorante Longano... There are still enough Italian merchants to justify the historic name, but the rising presence of Mexican/Latin American and Asian businesses is turning the Italian Market into more of a United Nations of food. Now if we could just convince Amare Solomon to open an in-town outpost of Dahlak on 9th Street--or maybe convince someone else to open an African food market there...

Please come back again soon and often, Erica, and check out some of our other excellent eateries, both up- and downscale. But do me another favor, willya? Don't let your New York friends learn too much about this place, and if they're thinking of moving out of NYC, trash this place a bit. The rents in Center City are already heading for the stratosphere, and the last thing we need is an influx of bargain-hunting New Yorkers bidding up the prices.

Perhaps the Pizza Club should have a memorial outing before it closes?

On second thought, maybe I will play the race card on one comment: That neighbor of Tom Ferrick's who is anonymously quoted as objecting to a plan to locate a State Store closer to the Italian Market, on the grounds that it would encourage them to cross 11th Street. That guy must not shop the Italian Market on Saturdays. Ever. They have been crossing 11th to go there for years--certainly as long as I've lived in Philly (21 years).

Food-wise, definitely. And by and large, all other aspects-wise too, except for a rather nice article about the new housing development at the former Tasker Homes. As for why this is the case: No, not gonna play the race card. No siree.