Diann

Phil has the pictures, of course, but here are the wines: Avondale sauvignon blanc Avondale chenin blanc Avondale rose (made from cabernet sauvignon) Avondale cabernet franc Springfontein pinotage Springfontein shiraz/syrah Avondale reserve syrah Avondale muscat The first wine was of the more complex sauvignon blancs I've had recently, with a somewhat indistinct nose but GREAT flavor (first grassy, then lots of tropical fruit, then a really interesting finish I couldn't identify. Supposedly, it's figs.) My three favorites of the night, though, were the rose, the pinotage and the cabernet franc -- why don't you see more rose made from cabernet sauvignon? And the best news of all, all of the wines RETAIL for under $20! The S.B., chenin blanc, rose, cab franc and muscat are all more like $12. SLO only in Pennsylvania (grumblegrumblegrumble) but worth it, I think... PS. It was lovely to meet you, Mme. TarteTatin, and I wasn't kidding about finagling a seat at your next dinner. It's going to be cassoulet weather soon!

It's not quite the same, but you know you can buy their pickles at Whole Foods, right? The amazing hummus that's sold at the farmers' market is also available at Whole Foods. you mean bobbi's? that's good stuff. they used to make a black bean habanero dip that was awesome, but they don't make it anymore. it was really really hot, but had lots of flavor -- it wasn't just a chili bomb. ← Yup, I mean Bobbi's. Their hummus rocks. The tub size is a little large for one person but it's worth the effort; it's so garlicky and delicious... I think they're local -- maybe you could talk them into making the black bean habanero stuff again. Matt, South Square, really? I always thought they were super-sketch. But they are two blocks from my house so maybe I'll have to venture in there for some Bobbi's... I particularly like the black bean hummus, which looks like disgusting gray putty (spackle?) but is probably my favorite hummus ever.

It's not quite the same, but you know you can buy their pickles at Whole Foods, right? The amazing hummus that's sold at the farmers' market is also available at Whole Foods. I don't know if the producer gets more of the proceeds when you buy the hummus or pickles at Headhouse Square -- the price is the same at Whole Foods and at the market -- but I'm glad they get some additional exposure.

It's where Copa Too used to be - 15th between Locust and Spruce.

This is a great thread -- just when I was running out of new lunch places to try... Other places I like that haven't been mentioned yet: - Persian Grille, Lafayette Hill -- for their kebabs, their vegetarian Persian dishes (one with spinach and eggs and another with eggplant), their hummus and best of all, fantastic rice with a golden-brown crust - Caspian Grille, also in Lafayette Hill - Aman's (Indian buffet in E. Norriton) And Percy, I would add Bluefin to your list of must try's if you haven't been yet. Good sushi -- I need to try some of their more traditional stuff but the Americanized basic stuff I've had (California rolls, unagi, spicy tuna, etc.) has been tasty. I second the mentions of Ray's and Rocco's, too, for diner food and margherita pizzas.

Another outstanding sweetbread dish: warm spinach salad with sweetbreads, snails, pancetta and leeks at Osteria. Hot crispy oozy sweetbreads, wilted spinach, fat plump snails, some pancetta fat mixed in with everything... it's ridiculously delicious. I have never had a bad snail dish there... Oh, and not sweetbreads, but in a similar category, the lamb's tongue at Ansill is amazing!

Thanks for the tips, everyone! We had crab fries and Yards, lots of Yards. I don't think the Johnny Brenda's stand is up yet and I didn't find Shank & Evelyn's, though I wasn't looking hard... our seats were a couple rows back on the 50-yard line (sweet!) so I wasn't focusing too much on food.

I know this thread is all about baseball... but in other ballpark news, is there any good food at the Linc? I'm going to my first Eagles game ever tonight (even though it's just a preseason game, I'm still excited) and I need food. And I would stop by Hardena beforehand, but I think we're just barely going to make it back into the city by the time the game starts. So that means stadium food. Suggestions?

Real butter cream icing? ← Honestly, I can't remember. You should call them and ask. I do remember their cakes being delicious. I second Matt's mention of Brown Betty, too -- the red velvet cupcake is one of my favorites.

Thanks. I totally forgot about them. Now, how about a source for a good and gooey cake? ← What about the Bakery House on Lancaster Ave in Bryn Mawr? It's a great straightforward American bakery: moist and fluffy chocolate cake, brownies, carrot cake... nothing fancy, just down-home and delicious. Does that fit the gooey requirement?

Cafe Lutecia (23rd and Bainbridge) often has vichyssoise as one of their soups of the day ... they also have a croque monsieur I need to try. The sandwiches are delicious!

Does anyone know -- for us poor schlubs who don't work in the city -- if Christos is open on weekends? My bet is no, because there's nothing but offices around 20th and Market, but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

for centrally located, what about tequila's? we've had a couple of work happy hours there and it's worked out well... the bar is rarely crowded (we haven't gone to the trouble of getting a private room) and they do decent pitchers of margaritas. it's more about location and atmosphere than anything else. oh, and I have my own question about work-related happy hours, probably also for a crowd of 15-20. my office is in the suburbs, but some of us occasionally meet up downtown for happy hour. except we never make it to "real" happy hour specials (5-7PM) because almost no one leaves the office before 6 and it's a 30-45 min. drive back to the city. so my question (a two-parter) is, (1) are there any happy hour specials in town that run a little later than 7? I know twenty21 has two happy hours, 5-7 and 9-11, so I might try and organize something for my office targeted at the late happy hour one day. they have various drink specials and I think free hors d'oeuvres. (2) any recommendations for good happy hours near plymouth meeting/conshohocken?

Does anyone have a menu for Salento or any opinions on the place? Thanks in advance!

I've had the same experience with melons from RTM and Headhouse Square, but I'm going to reserve judgment on the cantaloupe season until I get a chance to go to Maple Acres -- I bought some of the best cantaloupes of my life there in 2005 and 2006, so hopefully this year won't be any different.

Tried one a month or so ago, and it was just OK - the flavors didn't work well together for me. The taste was overwhelmingly that of sharp provolone, with bland pork and lots of liquid from the greens. I did like the sautéed spinach, but felt that it made the whole thing unmanageably soggy. Last weekend's jaunt to the Rib Stand for a combo #1 (rib meat sandwich, sides, drink) with cheese and spicy sauce was heavenly. Just a matter of taste, or has anyone else found DiNic's signature sandwich lacking? ← It's not just you. I definitely prefer Tony Luke's roast pork -- I think the pork itself has better flavor and is moister, I like their roll better, and I prefer rabe to spinach on a sandwich. But DiNic's is a Philly classic, and 95% of the people I know seem to like it, so, y'know <shrug>

my boyfriend and I have done the tour of the more gringo-friendly rodizio places in Philly (Picanha, Samba at 7th and Girard, and Fogo de Chao). I'm sure there are many others in the northeast; I just don't know where they are. you should go to Fogo -- it's fun in a chain steakhouse way, and the setting is beautiful (soaring ceilings, great architectural detail, etc.). that said, I think the meat quality is about the same at Picanha and Fogo, and I definitely prefer the rice and beans and more authentic sides at Picanha to the Americanized buffet at Fogo. additional points: - The Fogos in Houston and Dallas are better (larger, more interesting buffets) - The floury stuff you sprinkle on your rice and beans is called farofa (it's manioc/cassava flour) - Next time you go to Picanha, bring a bag of limes and some cachaca (sugarcane rum) and have them make you caprinihas, but bring a designated driver: those Brazilians do NOT screw around when it comes to liquor. I think they used half a bottle of cachaca to make us two drinks.

LION'S HEAD MEATBALLS. I love 'em! Imagine being a kid and having a meatball that feels like it's the size of your head placed in front of you. It's an endless, glorious meatgasm. Anyways, Percy, you should definitely organize a dinner! I'd be curious to see what their other Shanghai/Taiwanese specialties are like. In particular, I wonder if they have beef tendon noodle soup, or oyster pancakes, or fried pork chops.

yup, really. I want to say it's a mainland chinese thing, and maybe specifically a shanghai thing -- there's always a menu of cold appetizers that you can order, including shaved-thin slices of five-spice beef, seaweed salad, various tofu things, and jellyfish. jellyfish doesn't really have a taste on its own (that I can discern, anyways); it tends to taste like its marinade (often sesame oil-based) and it has a crunchy, chewy, slightly slippery texture. it's good! almost like noodles.

Following up on Capaneus' suggestion of sending local cheeses, what about Hendricks Farms cheeses out in Telford, PA? I haven't investigated thoroughly so I don't know if you'd have to drive out to Telford, buy cheeses yourself and ship them, or if they'd do it for you (I suspect the latter) but that would be a good cheese that's probably not easily obtainable in California. As V. mentioned, Cowgirl Creamery really is amazing... so if you want to send something Philly-centric, and if you're going to spend the money, I'd go for overnighting Hendricks' stuff.

I viewed the menus and prices at a few other places while I was in Las Vegas in May. I remember the tasting menu at Alex at the Wynn was about $175 without wines, the tasting menu at Michael Mina (seafood) at Bellagio was in the same range as was the tasting menu at Picasso at Bellagio. Of course if you add in the wines that are paired with each course it raises the ante by up to $75 or so. You might want to try Bradley Ogden at Caesar's. I think you could have an appetizer, entree, dessert and a few glasses of wine for around $125. One drawback to Las Vegas is that the fine dining restaurants have all gotten very expensive. ← I should clarify my question -- how much are the tasting menus at Guy Savoy? Thanks David!

I think Shola posts about them on his blog, but yes, if/when I hear about the next one I will post.

I've been reading about the "king of mangoes" various places and am really curious to know what they're like. (Apparently the Alphonsos are way better than the Tommy Atkins/Haden varieties we're used to eating in the U.S.) Does anyone know where I can get my hands on some? I was thinking the Indian market at 42nd and Walnut would be worth a shot (though doubtful). Percy got them online at approx. $10/mango, which is a bit pricey for just satisfying my curiosity... anyways, suggestions appreciated!

Thanks all for your suggestions -- we will try the Wynn buffet instead of the Bellagio... I would really like to do Guy Savoy but am feeling apprehensive about the cost (we are not just spending money on food... there are show tickets, gambling, drinking, and spa treatments to be paid for). I know there's a cheaper TGV menu, but how much are the other tasting menus?

If I'm understanding your question correctly -- you're having problems picking out the right fruit? Try Aliza Green's Field Guide to Produce (might be available at the cookbook stall at RTM; you can definitely find it on Amazon)... also try following the seasonality rule -- buy what's actually in season (not imported from Chile) as much as possible and generally the produce will be better. For example, if you stop by Fair Food (only open Wed-Sat or Thurs-Sat) or Livengood's and they don't have peaches available, peaches probably aren't in season and the ones you get at Iovine's may not be great. There's also the standard smell test for lots of fruit -- the best strawberries I've gotten this year have had this intense, heady perfumey strawberry smell -- you just KNOW those are going to be good. Peaches, pears, plums -- most stone fruit, if ripe, should smell good... and when buying berries I try to just find the plumpest, largest berries in the right months (strawberries right now, raspberries and blueberries later this summer). For precut fruit, if the watermelon is deep red and doesn't look mushy, it should be fine, although I don't think watermelons really peak until August. Yellow watermelon has been great this year, though, if you have time to buy melons and cut them up yourself at home. Other healthy dining options -- since you're in Chinatown, pho is relatively good for you...