Diann

Tony Luke's is open 6AM-midnight Monday-Thursday and 6AM-2AM Friday and Saturday. Closed Sundays.

you know what was DELICIOUS? they have this pizza -- and damn me, I can't remember the name! -- but it's a pizza crust, split in half, stuffed with robiola, very light and tangy, and then they drizzle truffle oil over the top crust. the salumi plate arrived simultaneously, so I took some of the lardo and draped it over the cheese inside the warm pizza crust. the lardo got all creamy and melty, the cheese was light and fluffy, the crust was crispy, and the truffle scent hit you in the face all at once -- it was tasty.

Some ideas: - Italian with wine list: Osteria (GO! It's delicious.) Nicer and more expensive -- Vetri. They're related... - Italian BYO: Melograno - American with wine list: Restaurant M - American BYO: Matyson (also, I hear Mandoline rocks, but I personally haven't been there yet) - Small plates: Ansill - Tapas: Amada - French (BYO): Pif - Gastropub: Standard Tap (duck confit salad...mmmm), Good Dog - Vaguely Mexican, maybe not "authentic" but tasty and gussied-up: Xochitl, Cantina los Caballitos, Lolita (BYO) - Lunch: Reading Terminal - More lunch: Sarcone's Deli for more hoagies - Cheesesteak: I hear Steve's in Northeast Philly is good? Tony Luke's does have the benefit of (a) being open almost 24/7 and (b) serving my favorite roast pork sandwich ever. And if you do decide to hit up a BYO or two, there's a nice wine & spirits store at 12th and Chestnut (assuming you're staying downtown).

what about lolita, 13th and sansom? also check out the romantic restaurants for valentine's day thread.

I don't think this is a relevant argument. Di Bruno's, etc. are already selling meat at these prices; it's just not very good meat. Therefore, it is a matter of getting them to change their suppliers -- not asking them to introduce a product that isn't in the marketplace yet (the $20+ per pound steak).

I'm echoing a point already made here BUT: the rastelli (I won't call it a di bruno's steak), ochs, and whole foods steaks were serious losers, in any context. the whole foods steak reminded me of what you would probably get if you went to chili's or applebee's or TGI friday's and ordered steak. the och's was unappetizingly pale pink (bland-looking) uncooked, and gristly when cooked. the rastelli was unpleasantly grainy and flavorless. -- james: I know people were pretty split about the esposito's, but I personally enjoyed it. it wasn't straight-ahead beefy, but I thought it was meaty and had an awesome tangy funk to it. and I believe esposito's dry-aged is readily available, retail, correct? so maybe try that for your next piece of I-want-it-NOW steak. -- thoughts about value: I think we figured out that the wolfe neck wholesales for about $12 a steak? under $10 a pound? clearly the winner. it was my third favorite steak of the night (#1 by far, lobel's, #2 esposito's) and i would like to try it again -- especially cooked with a ton of butter and thyme and garlic... mmm... tasty. the esposito -- if it wholesaled mid-$20s I guess that means I'd buy it for maybe $40 a steak? at that point, my opinion of the deliciousness of the steak goes down. meanwhile, I just looked up a 16 oz. lobel's dry-aged bone-in ribeye. $30.98! downright reasonable!

Looks like I’m late for the tasting note tea party – let me throw out some observations about the olive oil and then we can get back to the serious business of BEEF. - The amplifier was a great idea; in many cases, I thought the oil’s “nose” was more distinctive than the taste. Olfactorily speaking (yeah… that’s probably not a word) my favorite, by far, was the Aguibal Manzanilla, which smelled like oil-cured black olives (or art supplies if you ask dagordon’s girlfriend ). - I was surprised by how much I liked the Frutatto. It’s snobbery – you see all those other expensive oils on the table and you expect the “house brand” to be pleasant but undistinguished. But I’d be totally happy using the Frutatto all day, every day… generally speaking, I like my olive oils grassy and peppery (vs. fruity/buttery/creamy), and like others have said before, this one had a loooong pepper finish. - Other personal favorites: Novello (once you shake it up – I have to taste more of this stuff so I can properly describe it); the Aguibal Arbequina (I love arbequina olive oils – they are so floral and pretty-tasting); and the Planeta, which was big and brawny, but also, interestingly, dry. If oils can be dry. - By the way, the ceviche was damn tasty on its own. The onaga (red snapper) was firm and slightly chewy, almost like octopus, and the sorbet (cold, bright, sweet) made the perfect match. The olive oil just rounded out some of the sharper flavors of citrus. Other thoughts on food -- - Buratta, lots of rich, creamy, buttery Carm, sprinkle of sea salt, drizzle of balsamic vinegar: totally luxurious. - Risotto: I used Per Me -- delicate, didn't overwhelm the simple/pure flavors of the rice -- this dish was so ridiculously tasty. Just good stock and properly cooked rice, but good risotto is so hard to find... - Intensely flavored stew (lots of smoked paprika) needed a big olive oil, so I went with the Planeta. Makes sense to use a spanish olive oil for that one, though... - Mozz ice cream: Opened up new… eating experience territory for me. As mrbigjas said, this stuff is more mozzarella-y than actual mozzarella. To sum it up? TOTALLY awesome night. Thank you so much to V for researching, organizing, cooking, hosting, etc. P.S. Lesson learned: apparently I’ve never eaten real chicken; I’ve just been eating watery chicken-flavored protein substances for 23 years. The bluefoot was more intensely chickeny than any chicken I’ve ever had before (and also physically denser). I know I’m being harsh on the Eberly, which is a perfectly good bird, but I can’t wait to roast a bluefoot… P.P.S. I really like scase's idea about using varietal olive oils in the next tasting; I can tell the difference between olives when it comes to single-varietal oils, but I have no idea what causes the peppery finish or grassy nose or whathaveyou when it comes to a blended oil.

I'll chime in on the suggestion of M for Valentine's Day (not a business dinner, though) -- I ate there a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed everything. The cooking is reminiscent of the late lamented Studiokitchen and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Menu: www.mrestaurant.com Bar menu also looks interesting, I've been meaning to stop by one day.

I love loquats! According to my searches, the season is early summer (around May). And I'm sure they sell them in Chinatown.

There... happy now?

Indeed, and I wouldn't rule out lobel's donating a steak, it couldn't hurt to ask... with V at the helm the steak tasting would be much more professional. ← That would be awesome. I'm just sayin' -- I'm certainly willing to pay for this kind of experiment.

I agree -- steak served vaguely Florentine style is a completely different beast from a truly transcendent steakhouse experience (I had that once, in Texas, of course) -- I was just trying to think of places in Philadelphia where I've ordered steak and really enjoyed it. No steakhouses come to mind. Andrew -- I'm sure eating Chiannina beef IN Florence actually sitting UNDER the Tuscan sun enhances the experience of eating bistecca alla fiorentina -- so maybe don't get your hopes up too high for Melograno's version, but I do really like it. We should go sometime...

as dagordon proposed, round II could be steaks (which would involve tasters chipping in, since I doubt you could source from lobel's for free.)

I'm not a big steak eater either -- as dagordon is saying, if you can find the right cut of meat it's something you can make almost as well just at home -- but have you tried (a) the porterhouse at melograno or (b) the ribeye (entrecote, but I think that translates roughly to ribeye) at pif? Mmmm... beefy...

Phil! When were you there? I was there Friday night -- I wonder if we just missed each other? I was glad to be able to grab a few seats at the bar -- the rest of the place was packed by 7:30. Lots of neighborhood folk were dropping by for a drink and to check the place out... everyone was ordering the pork shank, which looked and smelled really good. I tried: - The house-made (?) horchata. Maybe my tastebuds are perverted by the cheap sugary and possibly fake (but addictive) stuff they sell at hole-in-the-wall taquerias in Texas, but I thought the horchata at Xochitl was a bit chalky. - A blood orange margarita (the house tequila is Hornitos, which is my personal favorite). This isn't on the menu but I noticed that they were using blood orange as a garnish so I asked for one. Smooth and tasty. - A glass of gruner veltliner to go with my scallop and watermelon ceviche (when watermelon is in season, this will be awesome; it was still pretty good) and the sopes, which I will definitely order again. - The chocolate y churros with some Patron coffee liquor thrown in for good measure. So good! I figured Steven Cook would not disappoint, and I was right.

Yeah, I specifically didn't mention the wine because there's no point in making me (and others) sad that WE CAN'T GET ANY MORE OF IT. I really loved all three of those bottles, though. Le sigh...

since Phil and Pedro are slacking off, those pics are of: 1. escargot, roasted garlic, hazelnuts(?) -- my favorite version of escargot ever. 2. foie gras torchon -- super-sweet and P&P's least favorite of the appetizers that night, though I liked it a lot. I'm not normally a foie gras person (except at the late lamented Studiokitchen) but this dish reminded me why people like it -- it's like creamy duck butter with a deep liver-y undertone. 3. beets and goat cheese. simple, delightful; with some bread and butter and a glass of wine, what more could you want from the world? (we also ordered the charcuterie plate -- good pre-appetizer appetizer) 4. the famed and justifiably loved entrecote with anchovy butter. this was nicely rare -- all charred and crispy on the outside but pink-red and meaty inside. also, the dish combines three things I love: ribeye, anchovies, butter. and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. 5. duck in port sauce with an arugula/duck confit salad -- I stole bites from this dish and they were perfect (sweet duck, almost smoky confit, peppery arugula, bright vinaigrette). 6. cheeses -- roquefort I believe (intense!), morbier (ashy!), and something else. 7. poached pear in a fascinating sauce -- star anise, ginger, vanilla(?), cinnamon(?)... the sauce went well with the roquefort, actually. 8. pistachio creme brulee. whew! all in all, a truly soul-satisfying meal.

See, that's interesting, because I had a completely unmemorable experience at Ocean Harbor -- which I'm willing to write off because we went super-late (2, maybe 3PM) and they were almost shutting down for the day, so things weren't as fresh as they could have been. That is the main reason I'm a fan of Lakeside (in small groups!) -- relative freshness of product compared to the other places I've been (Imperial Inn, Ocean Harbor, Ocean City, Joy Tsin Lau). Nothing beats the Bay Area for American dim sum, but Lakeside satisfies my jones... especially the steamed BBQ pork buns, lotus leaf-wrapped sticky rice, and har gow. I had a bowl of the bigjases' congee, which was tasty as well (and it comes with the crullers and stuff already mixed in, which isn't true at all the Chinatown places). I'll have to try Ocean Harbor earlier in the day. Also, I hate translating Chinese dishes into awkward English phrases, cause, well, it's awkward. ("Cruller" is better than "fried dough", though.) And finally, I promise to stop ordering everything all at once -- I will learn to pace myself!

Bumping this topic back up... I want to buy a gift certificate for a friend of mine living in Seattle -- he and his girlfriend love sushi, although unfortunately, I don't know the name of their favorite place. I don't think environment is that important; they just like good fish. Where should I send them? I'd prefer something mid-tier and not outrageously expensive, but if Nishino or something else is really heads and shoulders above the rest, that's fine too. Thanks! (And if you ever need reciprocal advice about Philadelphia, just ask. Although, in my opinion, we don't really have good sushi...) ETA: How about Shiro's? The consensus on it back in 2002 was that it was good, albeit expensive... I'm getting hungry (and jealous) just looking at the menu.

Went there last night since it's right by my Pilates studio, and it was tasty. I can't speak to the authenticity, but we ordered some aloo gobhi, which was fresh and clean-tasting -- big chunks of cauliflower and potatoes, not cauliflower mush. $6.95, including rice, dal (also very good), a little bit of raita, some pickles, and mango chutney. The menu is at www.tiffinstore.com, and it's different from the daily tiffin offerings at tiffin.com. I was in a rush, so I didn't ask, but I'd like to know if I could also order the tiffins to go or if you have to do the whole delivery thing to get those entree choices. Also, the people behind the counter are nice folks. I don't think Tiffin is going to revolutionize Indian food in Philadelphia, but it's in an under-served neighborhood, the prices are right, and the food is good.

haven't been, but I want to do the wine of Germany or Austria classes - anyone wanna come with me?

We had the holiday party there last week, and this is what we ate: 1. Soup: Mushroom-barley with a pile of sauteed mushrooms on the side 2. Salad: "Caesar" -- romaine, fried crouton balls, battered and fried anchovies 3. Entrees: Choice of red snapper, veal chop, or filet mignon/short rib/marrow ravioli 4. Dessert: Chocolate sampler, with a shot of cold white chocolate, chocolate rice krispy treats, and about four other chocolate things I'll edit this once I get home to reflect the actual menu descriptions, since I snagged a catering brochure. The soup was probably the highlight of the night -- deep and woodsy and totally appropriate for the cold weather last week. Everything else was good, but not particularly memorable (as you could probably tell from my descriptions). I can see Rae fitting perfectly into its niche, though -- with entrees in the $30-$50 range, I would imagine that most of its business is going to be corporate/expense-account meals. And the food is more interesting and tastier than the upper-end chain steakhouses where we'd typically do company dinners. So on that count, Rae succeeds. Non-food stuff: Service was gracious, but the kitchen had a few glitches -- half of the tables had finished eating their entrees by the time the other half were served -- but that kind of thing will probably be fixed in time. The banquet spaces are below-ground -- I'm not a big fan of windowless spaces, especially when I think about the views we could have had of the Center City skyline from, like, the 19th floor -- but from the landlord's perspective, the basement is the perfect place to put them. So those are my limited impressions, based on one meal at one party while the restaurant was still in its infancy. I'd like to go back -- I want to see the inside of the restaurant, and I'd like to order off of the full menu/wine list. Is anyone planning on going to the grand opening tonight?

Good Dog's burger is pretty ridiculously good, but it is still a bar, so if your wife wants an upgrade, I'd go to Matyson or Amada -- both nicer weekday lunch options. Here are links to sample lunch menus: Matyson and Amada. If I were in town on a weekday before 2PM, though, I'd hie myself over to John's Roast Pork to figure out what the fuss is all about.

It's a little late, but I just saw that Fork is hosting a Beaujolais Nouveau wine dinner tonight at the Fork Etc. chef's table: http://www.forkrestaurant.com/

Any Chairman's Selection recommendations for Thanksgiving dinner? My guests mostly drink red... so... a pinot noir? Grenache?