percyn

Tex's brisket sandwich is awesome and I suggest eating it on the spot vs take-out, due to the risk of it drying out a bit.

If it helps, the PoBoy has Crawfish, not shrimp.

Hmmmm...I did notice that they were closed on Sun when I swung by the nearby produce place. I hope they open soon, there are a few items I still need to try ← Thought I would mention that I did notice cars in the parking lot of Speck's, which seemed to be open, on a weekday last week.

I am very pleased to announce that the owners of the French Quarter Bistro have opened a delightful little sandwich shop on Main St in Collegeville, across from the Wawa and Collegeville Diner. 315 E. Main Street, Collegeville, PA 610-489-7282 (Closed Sundays) They opened 12 days ago and I swung by today on a whip to pickup some dinner and boy, am I glad I did !! Started with this Crab & Andouille Gumbo. Terrific flavor and not a bad value for $3.95 when you can see lumps of crab and tons of succulent Andouille in your gumbo. Popcorn PoBoy - fried crawfish tails w/creole mustard, cheddar and sour cream. This was the BEST PoBoy I have ever had...including the ones I had in New Orleans. It is not often that a sandwich gives one that "Make-Your-Eyes-Roll-Back-In-Your-Head" feeling, but this one did it for me. You have an option to get the chef's own voodoo sauce, which has quite a kick. Chicken Cutlet Sandwich for the wife - asparagus, prosciutto, roasted peppers, basil, asiago, olive oil, balsamic vinegar. A perfectly good sandwich, which would otherwise shine, if not overshadowed by the excellent PoBoy. Eye Tests- I was told almost everything is made by the chef with a few exceptions (like blue cheese dressing). There are quite a few things on the menu that I want to try, including the Muffuletta, South Philly (broccoli rabe and sharp provolone), BBQ sandwiched (the French Quarter Bistro team won first place in the Chester County BBQ competition), a few kinds of hot dogs, burgers, etc. If you are the neighborhood, run-don't-walk to this place. I might swing by for lunch tomorrow to try some more goodies. ETA : Since they are relatively new, they only accept cash for now.

Amuse Bouche Carrot Juice with Coconut Froth Spanish Octopus in Chorizo Broth - I was craving the octopus since the last time I was there and it did not disappoint. Diver Scallops in Miso Butter - Scallops cooked to perfection and the sweetness of the miso butter complimented the scallops very well. Shitake mushrooms reinforces the Asian influence of the dish. Artic Char on Polenta with Chives - Compliments of the chef. This might have been the highlight of the entire meal. The fish was moist and flaky, while the skin redefined the word "crispy". It was so crispy that you could hear it crack like a thin potato chip and had a similar crunchy texture. Just amazing. I told Andrew that he should add this to the regular menu and he said he does have a rendition using salmon on the menu. When Andrew learned about my wife fish allergy, he graciously sent out Butternut Squash soup - topped with fried sage. The bold hearty flavors are ideal for this time of the year. Braised leg of lamb with salsify gratin - The braised lamb was simply delicious. It was fork tender, but still had the texture and flavor that one would expect from lamb. The salsify gratin was amazingly delicate and a good contract for the lamb. Hanger steak with roasted tomatoes and chickpea fingers - The steak was tender and flavorful. The most interesting component on the plate was the chickpea fingers, which had a crisp falafel like outside and creamy inside. I loved it, though it might be a bit of an acquired taste, as my wife did not enjoy it as much as I did. In our glasses were a Loius Lator Ardeche and 1999 M Chapoutier Chateauneuf du Pape Barbe Rac We were pretty full, though wanted to try the dessert and settled on the Chocolate Souffle w/Ginger infused Crème Anglaise. What can I saw other than this was a perfectly light, airy souffle. All in all a very good meal as one has come to expect from this little gem in Phoenixville. In fact, a seemingly not-so-food-adventourous couple seated on the table next to us had ordered the 4 course (chef's choice) tasting menu and when presented with the octopus and later sweatbreads, cringed at first but upon tasting a few bites said, and I quote... "...the chef must has some magical powers." If you have not been yet, give it a try, you will not be disappointed. And oh, if you were afraid of the parking, you can park in the lot of the store directly behind Majolica after 6pm. Cheers Percy

that sounds fantastic. Was the pomegranate fresh, juice, or syrup-molasses? ← Klary and Bruce, the primary source of Pomegranate was molasses, though I garnished my wife's version with some fresh pomegranate seeds as well. Its so easy and delicious, you should give it a shot.

Shelby, looks delicious. Are "pickle roll-ups" your own invention or a regional thing?

Braised Chipotle Pomegranate Chicken Serves 4 as Main Dish. This is a variation on a classic braise/stew that I thought of and tried on a whim and it turned out to be delicious. Use the recipe as a rough guide....feel free to experiment with your own variations. 6 chicken thighs (skinned, bone-in preferred) 2 medium onions roughly diced 2 c chicken broth 1 c red wine (optional) 1 bay leaf 2 T tomato paste 3 T pomegranate molasses (to taste) 3 chopped canned chipotle chilies (to taste) 2 cloves garlic chopped or crushed 2 T oil Heat the oil and brown the chicken thighs and remove. Saute the onions and garlic in the same pan. Once softened, deglaze with the wine. Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, chipotle chilies, pomegranate molasses and chicken broth. Return chicken to pot, cover and simmer for an hour or until the desired consistency is met. You can add a touch of the pomegranate molasses to taste at the end for a kick in flavor. Remove the bay leave before serving. Enjoy with rice, pasta / orzo. Keywords: Main Dish, Chicken, Easy, Crock Pot ( RG2085 )

Swung by Jasmine in Trappe/Collegeville for dinner yesterday: Shrimp Tempura Appetizer - 2 pieces of shrimp in a delicate tempura batter. The accompanying vegetables were not as crispy and delicate as the shrimp, which they seem to do very well here. Sushi & Sashimi Combo - No competition for Morimoto or Fuji, but relatively fresh and a good value.

One more tiny piece of advice.... if they offer you the "champagne table" (a very small table just outside of the kitchen, I would skip it unless you are desperate. They offer you a glass of champagne on the house to make up for it, thus the name). If this is your first time there, parking can also be a bit of a challenge (no Valet), so check out the web for nearby parking garages and give yourself a few extra minutes. I don't mean to discourage people from visiting Gilmores....all in all it is a great little gem, but want you to be aware of these if you are a first time guest.

Mole Scrambled Eggs - Scrambled eggs topped with some mole I had left over from a Mexican dinner.

A few days ago I concocted a recipe for Chipotle Pomegranate Braised Chicken - The smoky chipotle flavor went very well with the sweet and tangy pomegranate, if I say so myself

If anyone has a reservation and is looking for an additional person to join your party, PM me

Hmmmm...I did notice that they were closed on Sun when I swung by the nearby produce place. I hope they open soon, there are a few items I still need to try

Osteria has become one of my wife's (and my) favorite restaurant in Philly and though we didn't have a reservation, we were able to grab a seat at the bar around 5:30pm on a Sat (tables were available too but filled up by 6:30pm). We started with a Beer & Pizza - Chimay Ale Grand Reserve and Parma pizza. The Parma is sliced by Chef Michaud in the middle of the restaurant and is so good we lifted and enjoyed a few slices right off the pizza. The crust from the 700 degree oven is light, airy and crunchy. A special of Fennel rubbed spit roasted piglet was too tempting to pass up and was delicious with just the right amount of meat, fat and crackling. I could have eaten another one of these but was starting to get full. Hauntings thoughts of the Polenta Budino over the past few months had made my choice for dessert very easy. Paired it with a 2001 and 1998 Monbazillac which were delightful. The caramel and nutty notes of the amber colored 1998 went especially well with the candied hazelnuts. At first glance, my wife skipped past the "Chocolate Flan" on the menu, until the staff recommended it and explained that it was more of a chocolate cake with a molten center than a typical flan. She was glad we ordered this and the pistachio gelato it was paired with would rival the one from Capogiro. I am also happy to report that my refrigerator is smiling with glee while acting as a steward for the Candele w/Wild Boar Bolognese I got in a to-go container for dinner tonight.

15 S 3rd St Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 627-6274 http://www.farmiciarestaurant.com/ Was in the neighborhood so swung by for brunch (served Sat and Sun). Started with some coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice. Progressed to Mushroom and Caramelized Onions Soup - Surprising lack of Umami for the type of soup it was. Main entree was the Frittata of spinach and goat cheese - this was really delicious and had bold egg and goat cheese flavors. The Crab cake sandwich was a good recommendation by our waiter who claimed this was made with fresh crab and it certainly did not seem to have a lot of "filler" and had a decent amount of crab. Served on a toasted brioche. Diners are offered their homemade(?) strawberry preserve, which was delicious.

Another great lunch at Cosimo... Since it was a chilly day, I started with the Lobster and Crawfish bisque which seemed to have more crawfish flavors than lobster. The toasted sunflower seeds on top gave the bisque some texture, though overall the bisque would benefit from a bit more robustness. This time I decided to try the Angus Burger - which comes with bacon and blue cheese with sides of slaw and kettle chips. The burger was cooked perfectly to order and pink throughout. I was pretty full by now, but you cannot pass up dessert at Cosimo, so I went for the "Chocolate Trio" - Chocolate pot de crème, cake and tart. Serious joy for a chocolate lover and devine with a great cup of coffee.

Happy New Year Everyone!! Felt like some Pancakes today Unsalted Butter on top, Pumpkin butter in the middle and drizzled with maple syrup.

Happy New Year Everyone !! Put my Christmas gifts to use to make some awesome Chicken Soup Also made some Steak (garlic) Frites, topped with shallots reduced in a red wine demi glace.

Salmon Teriyaki Bento box from Bon Jung. Comes with Miso soup and at $8, that makes it one of the best deals in town. For those in Montco not following the Chester County restaurants thread, I recommend reading my post on Thai L'Elephant in Phoenixville.

Went back to Thai L'Elephant yesterday for a wonderful lunch and opted to order from the dinner menu instead of the lunch specials. Started with Thai Treasure - appetizer selection which included Chicken Satay, spring rolls, Tulip rolls, Thai dumplings. Even an otherwise pedestrian dish such as Chicken Satay was bursting with flavor. My favorite was the Thai dumplings, which seemed to be stuffed with chicken and shrimp and had a great texture. Wife ordered Crab Kamakazi - This dish was good, but seemed to exemplify the Chef's French training rather than Thai heritage. It was a giant portobello cap stuffed with lump crabmeat, topped with lemon aioli and crispy noodles. The tomato based sauce provided a little acid to cut through the richness of the aioli. I went for the Scallop and Mangosteen salad - The mangosteens appeard to be canned, but went quite well with the fresh lime and chili dressing.

Used some of the leftover mixture to make the Akoori Eggs mentioned above.

I stopped in once for a breakfast sandwich (more out of curiosity) and it was as no different than a typical, average deli. Haven't tried their roast pork....yet.

Invited a few friends for Brunch yesterday and made... (From Left to Right): Bacon & Smoked Sausage, Blueberry muffins, Fruit salad, Pita chips and Babaganosh (hidden behind), Cinnamon rolls, Muesli in yogurt, Sarrano ham wrapped bread sticks, Cheese plate. Also made Pancakes and guests had choice of Classic Eggs Benedict, Crab Florentine Eggs Benedict or Crab and Lobster Eggs Benedict. Wife wanted hers with a boiled egg instead of poached. Also made Akoori, which is not pictured. Champagne, Mimosas and Martinis throughout

I used to go there frequently for lunch, but for some reason they decided to only serve dinner for a little while and I believe they are back serving lunch again (Tues-Sat). They have good burgers, including a tuna burger and the soups are usually good. You can have a seat by the "kitchen bar" and watch the kitchen in action.