philadining

I've come across a few good reports on the Stone Cat, but haven't managed to try it myself yet, it's on the list... Menu does look interesting: www.stonecatcafe.com

This place is not in Northern Liberties, it's just off of South St, a half a block north on 3rd. It always looks good, there seem to be people in there every time I look longingly in the windows, yet I've never actually eaten there for some reason. So are looking for this place, or maybe Copper Bistro (on the site of the former Aden) in Northern Liberties?

I'm not sure about the number of categories compared to other years, I haven't seen the whole list yet. I'd agree with most of the food ones I've heard about: Osteria as best new restaurant, Jonny Mac as best new chef, even Modo Mio as best new BYOB (it really can be great...) Haven't tried several of the others that were cited, like Blackfish for suburban restaurant, or Seablue for new Atlantic City restaurant. Best burger went to Brandywine Prime - which hasn't seemed to have been on the general radar for burgers, but I'm interested in checking it out.

Shacke, step away from the window ledge, mrbig has it right, it just moved... It's now at 1915 E Passyunk Ave, not far from Marra's - I walked by it just the other day and it was packed early on a sunday, so no worries, they're going strong!

That could be a valid topic on its own: decent Chinese outside of Chinatown. But I'm sure there are some decent neighborhood places, and I actually kind of like the Pagoda Noodle Cafe next to the Ritz Old City Theater, between Front and Second, on "Sansom Walkway." I'm sure there are more...

I've never had anything to eat from there, but wondered about it... thanks for taking a bullet for us! For those trying to avoid it, it's actually on 20th st, isn't it?

While I agree that the Rickviction doesn't quite smell right, the reaction makes me wonder about a few things. Where was the outrage when the last market tenants (A.A. Haltemann, Braverman, etc) were not offered new leases? Were those vendors not counting on those market stands for their livelihood? What's special abut Rick? Braverman's had been there through the dark days, hadn't they? Was there a Braverman's rally we didn't know about? Did the Amish cancel a festival in protest that we didn't notice? It's harsh, but isn't this the way the world works? As Mummer mentioned earlier, it's not always fair, but sometimes businesses make changes. Stores lose their leases all the time, or are forced to give them up due to new conditions. New circumstances cause businesses to do things like change their computer networks (and they can't always keep the guy who's been running it for 25 years, just because he's been running it for 25 years...) One can certainly argue about the wisdom of the various changes that have been made, and will be made, but are we really arguing that no changes should ever be made unless the vendors want to go? I don't have a strong opinion about the quality of Rick's steaks, I haven't had one in years, but I don't dislike him or his product. We've had a couple of reports here on eG that recent samplings indicate that he makes a perfectly passable cheesesteak, and that's fine, but when visitors post on these boards and ask about what to do at the Reading Terminal Market, or even what to do in Philly, I don't recall a SINGLE time that any of our number has recommended that they stop by Rick's. If people ask where to get a good cheesesteak while they're in Philly, Tony Luke's is often mentioned. I honestly have no idea what the motivations of the RTM management were for wanting to replace Rick's with Tony Luke's, but isn't it at least plausible that it could have something to do with that? If the general sense is that Rick's product is OK, but not thrilling, and they could get someone who makes the same thing and receives raves, doesn't that strengthen the market? Is that any different than replacing Braverman's with Flying Monkey? Wouldn't it be nice to tell a tourist that they could get a really rocking good cheesesteak within a few steps of their convention, or within an easy walk from many touristy destinations? Really, when's the last time any of us suggested Rick's to a visitor as the place to get a steak? Holly, your website, with lots of cheesteak reviews, doesn't mention him - why not? I'm not trying to be an apologist for the RTM management, I don't think they handled this really well, but part of the clumsiness of their response could be due to them being surprised that anybody really cared. I mean no insult to Rick's, but I never had the sense of people cherishing that stand as a local treasure. It's possible that they expected a response like when Braverman's was moved out: some folks were disappointed, some remain so, but most visitors to the market see that there's still a bakery, and that's fine. I agree that it really feels unfair that someone can run a successful business, do nothing wrong, then lose his lease. But it happens. Whether it's a commercial landlord simply wanting to move in a better-paying tennant, or a nonprofit board looking to "strengthen" or merely change the balance of a location, it's within their rights. I'm not sure there's indisputable proof that the RTM board has dark motives, that they're motivated merely by a desire to punish an uppity merchant. Should there be a stronger vendor presence on the board? A community/customer voice? Maybe, those might be good ideas, and should probably be suggested to the Mayor or to City Council. In the meantime, complaints on forums like these, petitions, protests, cancellations of festivals, etc. might have some impact, and perhaps the board will be more cautious, and seek more input before making changes. But in the end, these decisions are up to the board. If you're sure they're ruining the market, you need to tell the Mayor to change the board. (edited typo)

That sandwich with the prosciutto, genoa, roasted peppers and fresh mozz is the "San Danielle" and it rocks! That's a cool little place, I'm glad to see them staking-out a serious Italian deli in the midst of the generic strip-mallification of the area. That building used to house Wright's Deli, which made some decent sandwiches, but nothing like the current gourmet vibe. It's really quite a thrill to be able to get Isgro's pastries, breads from a couple of South Philly bakeries, DiBruno cheese and more out in Eagle, PA. You know, with these guys doing Italian grocery, Han Dynasty doing the trad Chinese thing, Los Mariachis covering Mexican, Birchrunville Store Cafe and Majolica for the inventive cooking, Sly Fox for beer... We Chester County folks might not have to come into Philly ever again!

Foobooz just posted a link to some Philly Mag teasers for the Best of Philly issue out soon. Snackbar chef Jonathan McDonald has been named best new chef. Video Preview>> (the video at this link may change... I'm not sure it will always be this announcement, or even if this link will be active for long.) Anyway, congrats!

I saw the taco set-up in Rich Port (which has indeed moved-in next to Java's, who also seemed to be making tacos) but they weren't actively making any while I was there, so I didn't witness any actual tacos being served, but I was intrigued... Good to know they might be worth adding to the empanada fix next time! I had one odd experience at the market that day: inside, there is a vendor with some interesting Eastern-European sausages. I crouched down to take a picture of the refrigerator case with its unique contents, but was quickly told "no pictures!!" by a stern woman with a Russian accent. Hey, I'll happily comply with such requests, but I couldn't help wondering what the issue could be, I was just pointing the camera at some sausages. If I'm not allowed to take a picture, can I tell people about it? Is this some sort of illicit underground sausage ring? Am I in trouble now for tell you about it? I was going to ask her these questions, but she didn't look like she'd think it was funny.

Thanks for the report! I'd laughed at the idea of the Bento Box, but that one you got looks great, a perfect solution for the indecisive. The pork shank that comes with the farmer's platter, or on its own, is much bigger, but that little one looks just right for this combo. We also saw some hefty slices of pork loin that looked absolutely amazing, but I thought it would have been bad manners to tackle the servers and start photographing other people's food... I think you summed-up the Dano's appeal very well: "simple foods cooked perfectly." And if you have success replicating the liptauer, let us know!

Geechee Girl Rice Café 6825 Germantown Ave Philadelphia, PA 19144 P: 215-843-8113 http://www.geecheegirlricecafe.com/ I'm not sure what took us so long to get here, it's been open for several years, and has garnered some good reviews over that time. All I know is that one audacious statement from an advertisement they ran spurred us on: on wednesdays and thursdays they claim to serve the "world's best fried chicken." We felt obliged to go find out. Of course it's impossible to confirm or deny a claim like that, but you know, it was really quite good chicken... For the special, one must choose between white or dark meat, and among 4 sides. We couldn't narrow it down, so we just got two orders, which covered both parts of the bird, as well as the potato salad, sweet corn, coleslaw, and tomato and cucumber salad. The chicken was crisp, with a light, grease-free lightly-spiced breading, and both the breast and leg remained remarkably juicy. The sides were all pretty straightforward, but good for what they were. World's best? I don't know, but it did make me want to go back for more, and more importantly, the restaurant as a whole made me want to go back and try other things. While we were there, we couldn't resist sampling a few more items from the menu. Duck Confit was accompanied by excellent sweet-and-sour red cabbage, and even better "Hoppin' John" which features black eyed peas and Carolina Gold rice. The duck itself was tender and flavorful, and not too salty as some confit can be. It would have been wrong to miss their gumbo. And I'm glad we got it, it was a very flavorful, though not at all spicy, stew of tomatoes, okra, chicken, sausage and shrimp, topped with delicate Carolina Gold rice. The gumbo was hearty and complex, and the short, broken rice grains gave a nice fluffy texture. We also got a side of long-cooked greens. These met with mixed reviews. The sauce had a bold vinegary tang, and the greens themselves still had a bit of spring to them, not having been cooked all the way down to mush. In my book, that's a good thing, I really liked them a lot! But one of our party just didn't care for that style, and didn't care for these at all. Ahh, such is personal taste... We'd also started with a special of corncakes, which were light and airy, and bursting with sweet corn flavor. The chipotle sour cream made a nice dip. We thought the food was all quite good, although everything we had was fairly tamely seasoned, and nothing knocked us right out of our chairs. But it was very tasty and satisfying. The best chicken? I'm not ready to award that prize yet, but I did really like their version. But there's plenty more to try as well. This place offers many choices for vegetarians, as well as plenty of meaty plates. There are several dishes featuring the rice-based cuisine of the lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia, from which most of the inspiration for the menu comes, but it ranges beyond as well, to African and Asian flavors, alongside the southern comfort food. A scroll around the web finds a few complaints about slow service, but we were there on a night that was not crowded, so I can't comment on the pacing when things are hopping. Our food came quite promptly, and service overall was quite good. But this does seem like food that won't be rushed, so I'd just get ready to relax and get it as it comes... It's not a bargain, but not especially expensive either, most entrées are in the teens. We had 4 entrees, a starter, a side, and three beverages and it was about $85. That might be a bit high for a quarter chicken and a couple of sides, but it's a nice place, and fairly inexpensive compared to other good BYOBs in town. I'll go back, maybe for more of that chicken, but more likely to try more of the wide-ranging menu.

Yep, what they said, maybe put Ansill in the mix too. Given your requirements, I'd go to snackbar, they have everything from bold/inventive to comforting. Not sure they actually have Cheerios, but...

Welcome, Bill! Please tell us stories! How's it been going? Any dishes people have been liking especially?

Really interesting new(ish) entry on the list of primi: saffron linguine with sardines, raisins, pinenuts and toasted bread crumbs. The pasta had a great chewiness, the pinenuts adding some richness, the breadcrumbs a little crunch and a pleasing caramelized flavor. The raisins balanced the assertive sardines, which were chopped into small pieces, but whose flavor permeated the oil that served as a sauce. Not for those timid about strong fish, but it was a thrilling combination of tastes and textures. I liked it a lot.

I haven't tried to take them out, and they might still be OK, but given that part of the appeal is the texture, I can't imagine they could be quite as good if they were in an enclosed box, steaming themselves. But perhaps Saluki has found the solution - just eat most of them on the ride home!

Three of us hit Kim's for some real-charcoal barbecue, after some appetite warm-up at SOHO. Kim's 5955 N. 5th St. - Philadelphia, PA.19120 (215) 927-4550 www.jasonflowers.com/kims/index.html The food was great, but almost as important, the service was almost overwhelmingly friendly. Everyone was exceedingly nice, and helpful, even though we were struggling with a little bit of a language barrier. But it's not a big problem, the menu's in English, and the servers speak enough to communicate what needs to be communicated. They checked-in on us often, offering to change the grill, or add new coals, or get us more lettuce, or scold us for not drinking our soju quickly enough! Overall, they just gave the impression of being happy to see us, which is a marked contrast to the somewhat indifferent service I've encountered at similar places. The banchan selection and quality was very good. Maybe it was the SOHO chicken we started with, or maybe it was the fact that we ordered about three times as much food as we should have, but we barely made a dent in these, although they were all quite delicious. This marinated beef and squid combo was more than enough to feed three of us, it somehow seemed to have no bottom, every time we'd load up the grill, it seemed like the heaping pile on the plate hadn't reduced any... Out of an inability to narrow our options, we ALSO got an order of spicy marinated pork, which itself would have fed six amply. I'm simultaneiously proud and ashamed to say that we pretty much plowed through the pork, and most of the beef and squid. The pork was the winner for the night, with just the right thickness, fattiness and tenderness. The beef and squid was quite good too, just overshadowed by the pork. I'm not sure that's ever a fair fight. From a purely technical standpoint, I think these in-table grills are the best I've encountered. I feel that they transfer both the heat and the smoky flavor of the coals better than most. There's a moveable exhaust vent that descends over the grill to suck up the smoke, but it wasn't especially effective. The room itself did not get all that smoky, but we certainly did, not that we minded all that much, I can think of worse things than going home smelling like charcoal and pork. One important warning: we discovered that at least at our table, some fat could drip down from the grill, into the table well, and then drain down onto the floor, so be careful where you put your feet! Oh, and despite the three of us ordering enough meat for an army, we couldn't very well be expected to deprive ourselves of a pajun could we? This was an especially good one, filled with scallions and mild-to-medium-heat fresh chile peppers. Adding-up the quality of the meat, which was quite high, the taste of the marinades, the added flavor from real charcoal, the effectiveness of the grill, the variety and tastiness of the banchan, the excellent pajun, and the friendliness of the service, this ranks as one of the very best Korean Barbecue meals I've had. Prices are in-line with other similar places: a huge plate of meat ranges from the mid-twenties to about $30, depending on the specific meat or combination. Each order is large enough to feed 4-6 normal people, with all the banchan, and maybe adding on a pancake or a stew or something. We spent lots more, getting two large orders of meat, and a pancake, but took lots home, and next time would likely order half as much even with a larger group of people! I haven't had a chance to see whether Kuk-Il has opened back up or not, but even if it has, I think I like the grills at Kim's a little better. The price, variety and all-you-can-eat thing was nice at the buffet at Kuk-Il, but for absolute quality of meats, I think I prefer Kim's. There's plenty more to explore on north 5th street, but it's going to be hard to resist Kim's...

Hit SOHO for some of the famed chicken, and I'll have to agree with the above posters: 1- It's a little pricey 2- It's worth every penny. This is one order, half-and-half. It cost about $20, which seems a little nuts for 16 chicken wings, until you taste them. They're very meaty, juicy, and most distinctively, crisp in a way I've never encountered before. There's no real breading, but there's a light coating of flour, I think, which gives great texture when expertly fried, and also holds the sauce effectively. The one problem with the half-and-half order is that it's pretty hard to eyeball the difference between the hot and sweet ones. We just randomly enjoyed both, but if it's important, you might want two separate orders. The hot had a nice kick, but wasn't painfully spicy, while the sweet ones were a pleasant respite from the burn. There seemed to be two additional varieties on the menu, I've already forgotten what they are... garlic? something else... Oh darn, we'll have to go back to check them out. As you can see, they're pretty standard-sized chicken wings, but somehow seem more substantial. They were served with the crisp, cooling cubes of "Moo" and a small salad of shredded lettuce with a thousand-island-ish dressing. Nothing thrilling, but again, nice for countering the spice if you've got a big pile of hot ones. There's a fairly extensive menu of other items, ranging from typical Korean stews, to a weird version of nachos. Overall, it looks like various food to eat while drinking. And indeed, I can imagine that sitting for a few hours, drinking beer and/or Soju, wolfing down those wings, would be quite enjoyable. As Greg discovered, pricey, but enjoyable... We were seated at one of several couch areas, with two fancy-looking soft couches facing one another with a low table in between. Very comfortable, and fine for this kind of food. There are some more conventional tables and chairs off in a side room. I'm going back to try some of the other chicken, maybe more of the menu. And maybe I won't drive next time, I'm thinking that those wings probably just get better with several beers...

Grabbed some take-out. Noodles in Szechuan Beef Soup Tender, meaty cubes of stewed beef, with a bit of fat, tendon and other stuff to give some chew, in a delicious, spicy broth. Noodles had a great firmness that still soaked up the flavors of the broth. (And for take-out, the noodles were packed separately, so they didn't get soggy, which was nice.) Shredded Pork with Peking Sauce Really nice version of this classic: delicate pork in an almost sweet, tangy sauce, with shreds of scallion. Both were really delicious. This is serious food We totally need to get a big group together, it's really torture trying to narrow down the choices!

This is a really interesting scenario. I'm reminded of some of the fights that local governments have been getting into over exercising eminent domain. Courts generally uphold their right to condemn property for a pretty broad range of uses, but there's a certain line that just doesn't feel right anymore. Need to build a highway? Alright. A School, OK. A golf course and skating rink? Wait a minute... Sure, the RTM has the right to not renew leases, and it's made some dramatic changes several times recently. But this move just doesn't feel "fair" whatever that means. I don't have a strong opinion one way or another about Rick's, and I do like Tony Luke's sandwiches, so you'd think I'd be all for replacing Rick with Tony, but it somehow doesn't feel right. It would be one thing if Rick's stand were redundant, or if he were selling an obviously inferior product, but to replace him with a business so similar, it really does start to look personal. There's no way that the traffic in the market will be significantly improved by putting in a different cheesesteak stand. It wouldn't matter whether it was George Perrier himself making the steaks, or a robotic sandwich machine, tourists will walk in the front doors of the market, see the word cheesesteak, and get one. Does Tony Luke really have more drawing power than The Prince of Steaks? Invincible wasn't that big of a movie... If the two stands were side by side, I don't think I'd hesitate before going to Tony Luke's, but still, it just feels capricious, and mean-spirited to evict a long-time tenant, especially one with a pedigree that the tourists might care about. I agree with Holly, both sides are painted into corners, and the one elegant solution is for Tony Luke's to pull-out, looking to stay out of the big cloud of bad karma. Besides, the Tony Luke's satellites are never quite right. They had a shop located about 150 feet from the front doors of 18 gazillion Penn undergrads and they couldn't make a go of it! Plus, if management ticks-off the Amish too badly, they can deploy a powerful shunning...

I think most people are perfectly happy to have children of any age dining nearby, as long as they're not being disruptive, and I don't think most people find a little noise especially disruptive. And while it's true enough that adults can be annoying on their own, I rarely find them shrieking or running around or throwing stuff... And sure, most parents display the courtesy to take an upset or misbehaving child out for a walk or something, but there is a certain syndrome that I suspect is raising most people's hackles. A few years ago I was at a not-especially-fancy restaurant, and ended up with a baby at a table behind me, only a couple of feet away. He was fine for most of the meal, but at some point began screaming at the top of his lungs. I mean, ear-piercing, actually physically-painful sound levels. Right in my ear. And it just went on and on... after a few minutes, my father made some general expression of disgust, and it was amazing to see the lights go on in the baby's parents' eyes. I don't think they were being jerks, at least not on purpose, I think they'd just gotten so used to this sound that it didn't occur to them that it might be causing permanent hearing damage to those around them, and even if not, it might not be the most polite thing to subject strangers to. I'm sure we wouldn't have cared at all if the baby screamed, and a parent hopped up and calmed the child, or took him for a quick walk outside, whatever... But it was incredible to watch them sit there oblivious, as our glassware was in imminent danger of shattering from the soundwaves. I've eaten with little kids in nice restaurants, and I've seen the looks of trepidation, even scorn, but those attitudes tend to soften, even turn to admiration when the kids behave. So I personally have no problem seeing a child of any age in a restaurant, but if anyone at your table, be it an infant, a toddler, a teen or a parent, starts throwing a loud tantrum, do something about it! Be aware that you might have a higher tolerance for certain noise and behavior than others do. And whether it's a baby crying or Uncle Bob arguing that Elvis is TOO alive, try to be aware that you might be interfering with other customers, and cut it out!

Thanks for the report! Despite the bitchiness here, I think we all want it to be good! Any comments on the Coquilles St. Jacques? Was there a clam-studded sauce or something?

So, is it wrong to go two nights in a row? What about ordering some of the same stuff? Go get those ribs and just try to tell me that you don't have cravings to go back the next night. What really surprised me was that the ribs might have been overshadowed by the Goat Tacos! They were tender, juicy, a little funky, and with a drizzle of chipotle salsa they absolutely glowed. The other shocker was the vegan fajitas. It sounds like such a sad, pale imitation of that lovely sizzle and juiciness of seared meats... But this version, a heaping mound of grilled veggies and seitan, actually looks appealing. Sadly I was too stuffed with goat and ribs and empanadas and suckling pig to cram any of this in my mouth, but it got rave reviews around the table. Oh, and the margaritas: plenty of kick to them tonight. And they're ridiculously cheap by the pitcher. So, see everybody there tomorrow?

That was my first reading too, but I can't tell if it's a clam dish, or scallops accompanied by a clam/corn/cream thing. If it is made with clams instead of scallops, it's a little strange. I guess we'll have to go find out. Holly, I agree it's a little weird for us to be analyzing too closely before actually eating anything. I really hope we're not getting to be music snobs who just look at a score rather than listening! I'm eager to check it out. I can't quite tell if it's open to the public and just not serving liquor yet, or if they're still in pre-opening test mode.

Had an awesomely good meal at the Cantina tonight. It's true, we've been dining-out with one of the owners a bit lately, but he was not with us, nobody else down there knows us, and for you jaded, suspicious cynics out there, yes, we paid for all our food! The pork ribs were just stunning: perfectly tender with a great sweet-sticky tamarind sauce. The pineapple-jalapeno salsa is a perfect accompaniment. They had an empanada special: smoked beef with oaxacan cheese. Delicious. The guacamole that accompanied was a little odd, kind of like Matt's description upthread, just a little too sour or something. Didn't matter, the empanadas were fine without it. They had a tilapia taco special tonight too, and these were almost comically large. Huge filets of fish were breaded and fried to a nice crisp, then just barely tucked into soft tortillas with a creamy vegetable-studded tartar sauce. They were quite tasty, just kind of overwhelming! The fish remained nice and juicy, the outside retained its crunch, the sauce had a nice tang. I think I was expecting smaller pieces of fish, which might have left room for a little more something in the taco, but that's not really a complaint. But the main reason we came was for the Cochinito, shredded roast suckling pig, bathed in a calabaza and hominy stew. Wrap that up in a warm, soft tortilla, and its one of the most satisfying dishes in town. This was WAY too much food for two of us, I don't know what we were thinking. Portions of most things are really quite large. We took some food home, I'm sure that pork is going to rock tomorrow. We had a pitcher of blood orange margaritas, which were tasty, but indeed seemed a little light on the tequila as has been mentioned upthread. I was OK with that, because I was driving, but I could see how it might irritate others. We'll have to find some way to get this message to the owners... But really, Matt, give this place another try, you really must have hit an odd off-moment. Get the ribs. Get the cochinito. Basically, eat more pork. Although the turkey mole is pretty awesome too...