MarketStEl

Re: Dixie flags: Have you ever driven US 40 across the state's southern reaches from Atlantic City to the Delaware Memorial Bridge? About halfway across the state, you will encounter a small crossroads where the highway makes a 90-degree turn (to the right westbound). That town, whose name I forget, looks like it had been pulled up from the Mississippi soil and plunked down intact in the Middle of Nowhere, Cumberland County. As for Philly road trips: Howzabout a heads up?

← Y'know, it's almost as if the coastal folk don't want to associate foodstuffs with the Midwest! It seems that only Kansas Citians call that cut of steak a "Kansas City strip," even though I will wager that it was first trimmed there and not in New York.

Over in a post I made to the "20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die" thread in Food Media and News, I raised a slight diversion relating to the birthplace of White Castle in Wichita, Kan.: Specifically, I had asked whether the State of Kansas had put up a historical marker at the site. I then noted that my home state, Pennsylvania, is very aggressive about erecting historical markers to commemorate people, places and events great and small all over the Commonwealth. This then got me to thinking: Has the Keystone State recognized food history with its trademark(ed) historical markers? (Yes, trademarked: the marker design is a registered trademark of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.) So I decided I'd do a little search through the PHMC's database of state historical markers. The database can be searched by subject category, but "Food" is not among the subjects. There are at least three, though, that touch on food, cooking, dining and hospitality: "Agriculture," "Inns" and "Taverns." Given this state's manufacturing heritage, it's quite likely that food-historical markers can also be found in categories like "Business & Industry" or "Entrepreneurs." So what food milestones from the past might we find commemorated along Pennsylvania's highways and byways? In "Agriculture," we find, among others, Johnny Appleseed (in Franklin, Venango County, commemorated in 1982), the Neshannock potato (in New Wilmington, Lawrence County, commemorated in 1948), W. Atlee Burpee (in Doylestown's Burpee Park, Bucks County, commemorated in 2000) and the York Imperial apple (just south of its namesake city, commemorated in 1948). The pickings are scarcer in the "Inns" category. All of these are commemorated for the historical personages who stayed there, and yes, there is one where George Washington stayed (the Federal Inn in Reading). Under "Taverns" we find one that is both Washington- and food-related: Fraunces Tavern (310 S. 2d in Philadelphia), owned by the man who ran the famous New York establishment of the same name and who served as Washington's chief cook when the President lived in Philadelphia from 1790 to 1794. In "Business & Industry" we find one commemorating John Wagner, the man who brewed America's first lager beer, near the site of his brewery off American Street in Philly; one outside the now-shuttered General Wayne Inn in Narberth; one commemorating the first Girl Scout Cookie sale, at 1401 Arch Street; one honoring Henry J. Heinz on the north side of Pittsburgh's 16th Street Bridge, one in Hershey, at 19 E. Chocolate Ave., honoring the man, his works (including the chocolate factory) and the town that now bears his name; one in front of the Reading Terminal and Market (1133 Market Street); and one in the town of Saltsburg, a leader in the production of salt in the 19th century. I'm sure that further rummaging through the database would produce more markers for people and places that have some significance in the history of food in America. And what about your state? What food-related people and places does it see fit to commemorate?

U.S. copyright law these days is written for the benefit of the Walt Disney Company. That's why it's almost impossible to determine now when something will enter the public domain, because whenever Mickey Mouse is on the verge of doing so, another extension bill sails through Congress. Rant over--back to the chow in Cali.

Make that two of us now. He was one of the people I most enjoyed interviewing for the Current. It took place one afternoon at Dahlak, over glasses of mango juice and a few samples of his fare. I hope his wife is doing fine and glad to see that the restaurant continues to thrive. I assume she runs it all herself now.

Oh, I can match that. But what's that jar of peanut butter doing inside it? That stuff will keep just fine at room temperature. BTW, Ellen, you're too funky and clever to be truly Caucasian. Besides, you don't eat or make Green Bean Casserole. Edited to add: I can relate. But the commute to work can't be beat! --Sandy, not working on two resumes, a cover letter and two job applications as he types this

(Author's note: If some of the comments on the design make their way into the CityPaper at some future date, remember, you read them here first.) So, last night, courtesy of a friend whom we entertained on the day after Christmas (pictured in the "Dinner!" thread) and again on New Year's, Mr. Smith had dinner at Jones along with his partner Mr. Mullin. I must say that I have yet to have a bad overall experience eating at a Stephen Starr restaurant, and last night's meal was no exception. It helped that the company was entertaining: our host--who is a big fan of Starr's Mom-food establishment--is a delightful conversationalist and movie maven, and we spent much of the evening discussing TV shows and movies old and new, especially this year's Golden Globe winner for best dramatic film, "Brokeback Mountain." Our waiter broke the plane of professionalism to kibitz on our conversation about "Brokeback," offering his opinion of the film (like me, he found it touching; our host was a little less impressed), and thereafter showed us a good bit of attention. I guess we should have gotten his phone number! But enough about dessert. We were there for dinner. And as has been the case at every Stephen Starr restaurant I've eaten in so far, the food there was decent. Not fabulous, not great--decent. We certainly got in the spirit of the place with our orders. For starters, our host ordered deviled eggs, which we all shared. The filling was like whipped cream, only denser, with a touch of mustard along with the egg yolk, mayonnaise and paprika. This was followed by two bowls of chicken noodle soup--one for my host and one for my partner--and an order of chicken and rock shrimp dumplings with sweet soy and chili oil: something my Mom would have fixed if she had been Chinese, I guess. Partner ordered meatloaf, as he is often wont to do whenever it is on the menu. Host had the pistachio-crusted tilapia, another of the handful of menu items that are cast against type here. And as for me: I resisted the strong temptation to see whether Stephen Starr could emulate LA's legendary Roscoe's Chicken 'n' Waffles and ordered the beef brisket with vegetable medley instead. The brisket had been braised perfectly--it flaked apart with a fork and was almost melt-in-your-mouth tender. The root vegetables that lay under the brisket, which was drenched in a tomatoey gravy, had obviously also shared space in the Dutch oven with the brisket. Piling things on, I ordered a side of boursin mashed potatoes as well; these were very creamy, and the cheese only barely announced its presence. Our host had warned us that the meatloaf had an odd taste to it, something he described as tasting like liver, but I couldn't taste any liver flavor in the dish. The sauce covering the meatloaf, however, was closer to barbecue sauce in flavor than to tomato sauce or ketchup--a variation that met with my approval. The tilapia was firm but flaky and the pistachio crust added a nice flavor and texture to the fish. After all this, we ordered dessert (the edible kind). I burst out laughing when the waiter handed me the dessert menu. The second item on the list was Duncan Hines chocolate layer cake with a cold glass of milk--only $5. I decided I would be a good little boy and order some. The cake tasted just like I remember it, but the frosting was definitely not from a mix--it was dense and very chocolatey. It was with dessert that the essence of Jones hit me. Like El Vez, and like the Continentals--both original and Mid-town--Jones is actually a camp restaurant. The decor sealed it. Katie Loeb described it as "like the Bradys' rec room," and it is that. But it's also something else. The space is a higher-ceilinged version of a West Coast or Midwest "coffee shop" out of the 1950s or 1960s. The kitchen is visible through a slit-like window at the rear of the dining room, and about the only thing missing from this window to complete the illusion is the rotating clipboard on which waitresses placed order slips. That plus a counter in front of this window for seating--but then again, there's a bar along the west wall that replaces the counter. The modernist design, medium tan wood, square-cut sandstone and large wall clock with "Eat @ Jones" spelled out around its edge all took me back to spaces like Pustch's Coffee House, a low-slung, California-modern diner on Kansas City's Country Club Plaza that opened in 1963, or the restaurant in "Pulp Fiction" where Samuel L. Jackson's character tells John Travolta's that he's ready to quit this business before Travolta heads off to meet the fate we've already been shown. But amidst all these displays of fidelity to an all-American archetype, Jones inserts a wink and a knowing smile. That Duncan Hines cake is on the menu mainly to elicit a laugh, just like the chicken and waffles and those little night-light pictures of American landmarks at the outer-wall booths. This sort of self-parody can be found in many of Starr's restaurants, and it may be one reason why he hasn't quite achieved the level of respect he deserves in some circles. That, and the food, which, while good, is not up to the level of his design.

Northern Liberties has been up-and-coming for just about as long as I've lived in this city, and I moved here in 1983. Sort of reminds me (switching passions momentarily) of the witticism about the monorail: "The monorail is the transportation system of the future. Always has been, always will be." I'd second Katie on her suggestions, but add that since Metropolitan Bakery sold their original retail shop on Pine Street's Antique Row, Wash West has also been without an artisan bakery of its own. Yes, many of us can go up to their store in the RTM, where there's also a LeBus outlet, but I know that there are some Wash West folk who are not so enterprising. And I don't think Whole Foods' in-store bakery is all that hot.

True, all true, but WFM and TJ's have been in Philly for some time now, and there's the Reading Terminal Market to boot. That new DiBruno's has also closed the gap somewhat in terms of specialty foods. Sure, there's no place quite like New York, but your new home isn't too shabby either.

I make pretty good fried chicken, and I too "love that chicken from Popeyes." I'd say they're one of the best national fast-food chains, hands down. (Though I groan whenever I see that slogan on their signs: "We Do Good Ba-You.") However, I note that the Chicago pizza chain in question is a local one. Local chains, as has already been suggested here, occupy a sort of grey zone in the continuum that has independent restaruants over Here in Heaven and the chains over There in Hell. But my own experience tells me that simply because a restaurant is a chain operation is no guarantee that its food will suck, just as the fact that a restaurant is a unique local institution is no guarantee that it will serve good food. And that value proposition can't be dismissed either. I was having dinner out tonight at Jones on Chestnut Street with my partner and a friend, and in the course of the conversation, the friend--who lives alone, does not cook and thus eats out most of the time--mentioned that he dined at the Olive Garden regularly. "Why," I asked, "in a city with so many good Italian restaurants--at all price points, both red-gravy and fancy--would anyone want to eat at the Olive Garden?" The friend replied, "Because they have a good veal parmesan special for $15.95." The fact of the matter is, dining out at most of the good Italian restaurants in Center City Philadelphia will set you back more than that, and many of the Center City Italian restaurants in the Olive Garden's price range--including a local chain, the Italian Bistro--are not that much better than the Olive Garden. I'd choose the Italian Bistro over the Olive Garden only because it's a hometown operation; otherwise, I'd avoid both. The really good inexpensive Italian places are mainly in South Philadelphia, well away from where my friend lives--and me, for that matter. Local chains do have the advantage of knowing the area in which they operate better, but unless their owners know their food too, they won't necessarily be better than their national counterparts. In Philadelphia, for instance, there are two regional chains that sell hoagies--Lee's Hoagie House and Wawa, the region's dominant convenience-store chain. Even though both have won local "Best of" awards, if popular conversation is any guide, Wawa's are considered quite good--surprisingly so for convenience-store fare (note what Wawa features on its home page)--while Lee's, though quite satisfactory, don't quite earn that same level of praise, perhaps because they are judged against such hoagie specialists as Primo's and Sarcone's. (OTOH, to be fair, both chains are better than Subway or Blimpie.) And while I'm thinking of it, Jones is also a "chain" operation. However, it's one of those other types of "chain"--a collection of distinctive individual restaurants owned by the same company. In this case, it's a local outfit, the Starr Restaurant Organization, which has a reputation for operating stylish, theatrical restaurants that offer solid and occasionally great fare along with fun scenes. I guess my point is this: Chain eateries are as varied as the independents are, united perhaps only in their consistency across locations within chains. (Yes, this statement even applies to an operator like Starr to the extent that the theatricality itself becomes a trademark that patrons can count on no matter what type of cuisine is being served or in what sort of setting it is being offered--and the two are usually married to each other in a Starr restaurant).

It's also part of the railroad tradition. Fred Harvey and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway--which contracted with Harvey to operate restaurants in its stations--built their respective reputations together. Eventually, Harvey came to run the railroad's own food service operation--Fred Harvey food in the dining cars was a big selling point. There used to be several Harvey Houses in the Kansas City area, including one in Union Station itself. --Sandy, train buff food lover

Boy, it has been a while since I was in the area. Comments on the substance of this thread to follow.

And I wouldn't even have to have it shipped...I could just go there and pick one up. I do note that Fante's charges the same price (OK, $0.01 less) for the Kyocera slicer as Williams-Sonoma. I don't know if this is true across the board, but it suggests to me that W-S may not be as outrageous as I thought it was. At least not on widely available or relatively inexpensive items. Their exclusives are probably another story.

I hope that when it came to barbecue, you weren't implying that I couldn't tell the difference between the genuine article and the quick-and-dirty imitation. But I would note that the price of admission for producing decent barbecue is a charcoal grill with a lid, nothing more. As long as you can arrange it so that the meat is not directly over the coals, you can produce very good barbecue with a Weber kettle or something similar. You can do more, and better, with one of those fancy New Braunfels smokers, but it's not absolutely necessary to have one in order to do barbecue. Similarly, there may not be as good a food processor as those $250-plus Cuisinarts, but you can get a serviceable one for under $100. I may have chosen the wrong appliances as my analogy for sous vide, but I refuse to believe that you must shell out hundreds of dollars just to be able to cook in this fashion. (How much do those Japanese vacuum cookers cost in US dollars?)

What????? You started blogging and didn't give me a heads-up? *pout* (can't find an emoticon for this one) I'm looking forward to more of your missives from disgustingly sunny San Diego. See if you can't work the San Diego Trolley into one of your pix. Pleeeeease? (Or are they like most transit systems and don't allow eating on the trains?)

The collegan dissolved in the stock is what makes it gelatinous when you store it, not emulsified fat. Well made, perfectly clear and defatted stock should be gelatinous when chilled. ← Hmmm. This stuff's still liquid. So once again, I have to wonder just what was in those solids.

I get your point, Vadouvan. Did you say "circulating"? Can't even approximate that with a Crock-Pot.* And yes, I do see the distinction between this method and, say, boil-in-bag cooking, which is closer to what's going on at Wawa. Just as I am well aware of the distinction between parboiled baked ribs covered with barbecue sauce and real barbecue. I'd say that most people aren't that picky--they're not looking for the smoke ring, and if you've got a little liquid smoke flavoring in the sauce, that'll do for many. But hey, lots of people call parboiling ribs and then nuking them on an open grill or baking them in an oven "barbecue,"** so calling boil-in-bag "sous vide" would fit right in. *Edited to add: Though a Crock-Pot can maintain a constant temperature over a long period if you leave the lid off. However, that temperature is not variable--it will either be about 140F (IIRC) on Low or 200F on High. And, of course, with the lid on, the pressure and temperature rise will eventually produce boiling on High with a full pot. *As always, reality gets complicated. I've been known to serve "barbecue chicken breast" that isn't really barbecued, just baked in an oven. But it's covered with barbecue sauce, so... Probably the proper term would be "chicken in barbecue sauce."

I'm not sure this is the same thing, but it certainly looks like it's in the general category: I just went out and bought one of those Kyocera ceramic julienne slicers. I haven't tested it yet, but you use it as you would a mandoline, except that this is a handheld item--one hand holds the slicer and the other presses on the hand guard over the food. There's a regular slicer too that I intend to go back to get. ($25 each at Williams-Sonoma; haven't seen them at Fante's yet.) The advantage of the ceramic blade is that it holds its edge much, much longer than steel. (It came with a leaflet touting Kyocera's ceramic kitchen knives, which I have yet to see around these parts.)

Oh, I know I'm losing some flavor when I get rid of that first batch of hamhock broth, but I have a choice of either doing that, or never being able to eat hamhocks at all for fear of my feet and ankles puffing up like little dirigibles (which they *will* do, as I've discovered from painful experience ). Fortunately, the hocks still seem to have plenty of flavor (and saltiness) left even after that first round of simmering. ← BTW, there's a "low-fat" option for cooking greens Southern style now: Smoked turkey parts. Not quite the same flavor, but it's good in its own right. And you can eat the neck or butt as well. I once bought some chard at Iovine's in the RTM and ended up discarding it because I couldn't figure out what to do with it. This thread has given me some ideas. Edited to add: Oh, and one more thing--I know that broccoli is green, but even green cruciferous vegetables are not usually what I think of when I hear the word "greens." And broccoli is my favorite vegetable too.

Hey, at least your hubby has picked the right package!

21st? I know there's one on 11th just above Chestnut, across from the Foerderer Pavilion at Jefferson Hospital. As for one of Furious Flav-or's other suggestions--"moderately dangerous dining"--how about some of the other, newer ethnic enclaves around town? Pho on Washington Avenue? Ethiopian on Baltimore? Oh, one more thing: Of course, you won't find poutine here, but we do have cheese fries.

Thanks for the explanation, Scott. I use the stock mainly as a gravy or soup base. As such, the vegetable flavor is not really a big issue for soup, which is likely to have veggies in it anyway. As a gravy base, it probably should taste more like turkey. Edited to add: In gravies, the emulsified fat is not really a problem; in soup, it turns the soup gelatinous when I store it. So next time: Into the Crock-Pot on Low for no more than 8-10 hours, I guess.

However: I don't think the Crock-Pot cost all that much when Rival Manufacturing Company (another fine Kansas City firm swallowed up by some global conglomerate) introduced it in the late 1960s. It was certainly easy to find at the local Kmart or catalog showroom. A comment for Bryan: If you've read enough of my posts on eG, you should have picked up by now that I'm very price-conscious--cheap, some would call me. I will agree that there are times when you really must spend the money to do things right--the $90-plus I spent on a quality chef's knife is the best investment I've ever made in the kitchen--but I tend to be skeptical of anything that says that you can't do it at all without spending a heap o' money. That cheap kitchen knife will slice the veggies, just not as quickly or easily, and you will have to sharpen it much more often. If I understand sous vide correctly, all it is is cooking food in vacuum-sealed pouches in a bath of very warm, but not boiling, water. You won't get the precise temperature control or ability to vary it with a Crock-Pot that you would with jsolomon's admittedly inexpensive setup (his cost of materials is about the same as what you would spend on a Crock-Pot), but you will have the basic ability to heat the water somewhere below boiling and keep it there. You may not get as long-lasting a vacuum seal with a Seal-a-Meal as you would with a higher-quality vacuum sealer, but you will get one. What got me was the implication in doc's post that sous vide requires all that expense. Unless I've got the physics of the method all wrong, it seems to me that it doesn't, at least not at the outset.

Here's our bible.

"Good Things to Eat" since 1888. I see they still produce a wide variety of baked goods, though not the cakes my Grandma used to buy. Not as much of a household word as Hallmark or Russell Stover, but definitely an outstanding hometown product (and as far as food goes, better than Russell Stover. Whether they're up there with Gates' Bar-B-Q Sauce is an open question, I'm afraid. )