philadining

I actually had a decent meal at Patou shortly after it opened, but it just wasn't quite good enough to cause me to hurry back. I'd assumed I'd try it again, just haven't done so. Sorry to hear about your experience, David, but thanks for the heads-up! I totally know what you mean about the feel of the place, I'm not sure why, but the overall decor was off-putting to me too. It's potentially a dramatic space, but it comes off as kind of cheap. And not to be all gloom and doom, but the last meal I had at Caribou Cafe didn't knock me out either... I missed the DDC dinner, which did indeed receive good reviews, but what I got on my own seemed a bit rote and plain. I can't even remember what I had, just thinking - "ehhh... " not terrible, just kind-of phoned-in. But I'd try it again.

Yeah, theoretically, it should be similar, but it's not - it really had that marshmallow thing going, not just sugary sweet, but more subtle than simply frozen Fluff. Next time I see it, I'm definitely combining it with one of the nut gelatos for a frozen fluffernutter vibe. Hey, it's quite comforting to revert to age 8 every once in a while...

Barbecue Platter at Vietnam: It's a huge amount of food, and all of it good: springrolls, grilled stuffed grape leaves, elongated meatballs, grilled chicken, rice vermicelli, herbs, lettuce, ricepaper wrappers, and two dipping sauces. $25. We were so busy gorging on that platter that I forget to take a photo of the Salt-Baked Squid which was also excellent.

I was feeling a little retro, so, Dark Chocolate and Marshmallow man, I needed a graham cracker... [geek mode]I ate this, like, 2 minutes ago ,and was able to post while finishing up, only getting a little bit of marshmallow gelato smeared on the trackpad. in fact, come by RIGHT NOW and say hi! technology is just freaking me out....[/geek mode]

Some Pics from takeout at Banana Leaf... Tofu Satay Chicken Satay Sweet Glaze, same peanut sauce as Penang... Beef Rendang Tasty, tender, a little soupy....

Yikes, how rude of me! New chef is David Katz, and he's clearly got serious skills, everything we had was beautifully done. Hard to say about the vibe, it was a weeknight when we went, and as you can see from the pix, it was not especially busy. It seemed really quite chill, in good way, the tables are well-spaced, which would give some privacy, it seemed like more of a sophisticated spot, not a wild party patio... I'd be happy to do more research!

In Collegeville, on the basic end, I've always like Marzella's Pizza (5th Ave & Main St, Collegeville, PA 19426 (610) 489-4946) and although I've never made it, I've heard great things about Sonny's deli, up the Ridge Pike toward Limerick, apparently a real SouthPhilly feeling deli (250 W Rdg Pike, Limerick, PA 19468-1764) If you're willing to come down to Phoenixville for the Black Lab, the Cheese shop on Bridge Street sometimes has sandwiches, and there's a little Italian place I haven't tried yet right near there. Also, Nudie's just opened up, around the bend on Bridge Street, but I haven't been in. los Mariachis has lunch specials 11-3, they're at Gay and Washington in P-ville. I don't often eat lunch around there, so my advice is only so good... tell us what you try!

Resisted the siren call of the roast pork, and finally got a cheesesteak at John's Roast Pork. Sharp/with.... holy crap, that was a good sandwich! I happen to like that chopped-up style, and the meat was cooked just right, they've got good cheese (the sharp provolone rocks!) and that roll... the roll is just fantastic. Great balance overall. Interestingly, one of the least greasy/sloppy steaks I've had, I always thought oily messiness correlated directly with goodness, but apparently not!

It's 231 S. Eighth St, on 8th, between Locust and Walnut, on the east side of the street. Sadly, kind of easy to walk right by.

I was going to just tack this onto the previous thread here, but this place bears no resemblance at all to those previous reports, and that thread got a little off-topic, and I was afraid that newer comments would get lost amid the complaining... And indeed there's new talent in the kitchen, and a new attitude overall, it seems. (and yes, the tables were clean!) So it almost seems like a new place. Restaurant M: 231 S. Eighth St., 215-625-2946 We grabbed a couple of bites, and if it can keep going on this path, this could really be a special spot. First of all, it's beautiful, one of the nicest little courtyards I've seen anywhere in the city: There's some unavoidable urban hum, but no traffic noise, no wind-tunnel from the surrounding buildings, just a charming, quiet, green oasis. But it's a restaurant, so, how's the food? Risotto alla "Clams Casino" Littleneck clams, pancetta, parsley, red pepper jus This was really delicious, tender rice with just that right balance of creaminess and brothiness. And when was something not improved by pancetta? The red pepper jus added a nice taste contrast as well as a visual one. Fennel-Dusted Sweetbreads Porcini marmelade, orange confit, marsala sauce The sweetbreads themselves were perfect: crispy, creamy, plump and luxurious. The mushrooms (you know, just cook them like a marmelade...) were slightly sweet, and a lovely contrast. But the best part was the orange rind, which played off the fennel notes of the sweetbreads, and cut through their richness, a great flavor combination I haven't encountered before. I've been having some good sweetbreads lately, and these are my faves. Free Range Chicken Breast Truffled white polenta, slow cooked onions, sherry vinegar jus You know we don't order a lot of chicken these days, but chef recommended it, and indeed, it was rocking good. A tender, juicy breast that served as a great vehicle for the rich winey sauce and the luxuriously sweet onions. But the chicken almost got shown-up by its side, a creamy polenta studded liberally with truffle. It was delicious, and great with the chicken too. Prime N.Y. Strip Steak Sorry, I took a photo of the menu, and I can't read the description, but, you know, it's a freaking steak! There was a very tasty bordelaise-like sauce, well-cooked haricots vertes, and I forget the starch... it was good! In the end, it's nothing innovative, just a well-cooked hgh-quality steak, but sometimes that's just the thing, and if you're in the mood for that, you'll love this. And it's a bargain at $30 for this quality, with good sides. Everything else was reasonably priced as well, most of the entrees are in the low 20s, starters mostly under $10, although the risotto and sweetbreads were $11 and $12, each a steal if you ask me. It was so freaking hot out we just had beers, so I can't comment on the wine list. oh, right, dessert! Kaffir Lime Creme Brulée I'm normally opposed to flavored creme brulée, nothing beats a straight-ahead vanilla for me. But this was very nice, with a subtle lime overtone, which complimented, rather than fought-with, the vanilla flavor of the custard. Perfectly executed too, with a nice crunchy top. In the interest of journalistic disclosure, we were lucky enough to be comped some food, but I'm not that easily bought, it truly was really good! If they can keep putting out dinners like this in such a beautiful space, I'll go back, and keep going back until it starts snowing. I'm normally not a huge fan of outdoor dining, but this place might make me change my mind! (edited to add dessert)

Come on, we can get 10 of us together at $750 a head for this can't we?!?! It'd be a great steak, and some sides, and then we can arm-wrestle over who gets to keep the grill. Who's in?!!? Hello? Anybody?

I agree, I really love Nepenthe. And you're right Abra, it probably has little to do with the food, but those meals still hold a fond spot in my memory, because of the overall experience. So Bryan, you guys have proved that you can eat multiple meals in a short span, so if you're on rt1 in Big Sur, take a few minutes, get a sandwich or a salad or something, take in the view, absorb the vibe. After about 10 minutes, you'll start plotting how to avoid ever leaving Big Sur, but then you'll realize how hard it is to get a water-bath repair guy up there, come to your senses, and continue north to San Francisco.

Wow, it's almost a relief that I've finally found something bad to say about Amada! It just makes me feel a little less like a fawning sycophant, and reminds me that I might actually still have some critical perspective... Anyway, yeah yeah yeah, the food was great, service was really quite extraordinary, paying close attention to how quickly, or in our case, slowly, we were eating, and pacing the dishes well. We had a few faves, like the bacalao croquettes, the Amada empanada (I dream about those empanadas) and the pulpo gallega, all of which were delicious as always. We also tried the roasted vegetables with goat-cheese toasts, which was very nicely done, but in the end not a huge thrill... The scallops with white asparagus and crab cream were rocking good. A tuna special featured good, but slightly plain, medium-seared tuna, and some chicklet-sized "raviolis" made of zucchini, stuffed with mushrooms (which were very tasty, but kind of silly-looking). Oh, and some red sangria, of course. But - we were seated in that back room around to the right, at a table that turned out to be right next to the kitchen. I was not too bummed-out by the crashing and banging and shouting that was really rather distracting, Amada is a pretty loud restaurant in general, so some of that blended into the general din. What did really start to bug me, and was not readily apparent at the time we were seated, was that it eventually became REALLY HOT at that table. I'm assuming we were getting some heat bleed from the kitchen. Wherever it as coming from, by the end of the meal we actually couldn't wait to get out of there. Again, food - fabulous, waitstaff - fabulous, overall experience - not so much. My ears are still ringing and we were literally dripping sweat sitting at that table. It crept up on us: it just seemed a little warm at first, then a bit hot, but not enough to make a big deal about. By the end we were assertively uncomfortable, but it seemed ridiculous to ask to be re-seated as we were mid-way through our final dishes by the time it really crossed the threshold. If it had gotten bad earlier in the meal, I'm confident the very nice service staff would have done something for us, but we didn't even ask, given that we'd be leaving soon anyway. But it's a shame that the noise and heat added a slightly sour note to what was otherwise a great meal. I suspect it's that table in particular, kind of wedged-in at the corner of the bar, separated from the kitchen by some odd corrugated-cardboard-looking divider. I've been seated a few different places in the restaurant, and had always been perfectly content. The whole place is a bit loud for my taste, but previously, I never ended up with one ear ringing louder than the other from the clanging metal in the kitchen, or whatever we were next to. And I'd never walked out of there damp. It's not going to stop me from returning, but they're never going to get me to sit at that table again!

A couple of tips: the post number is in the upper right hand corner of each post, so you could just scroll up a few and you can find it also, Sandy made the post number a clickable link, so you could just click on that text. and finally, if you read through the last few posts, you'll see that H-Mart is the name of the Supermarket near 69th street in Upper Darby that you first asked about. Go, it's a great store!

Nice job with the Wegman's pix, they're strangely nudgey about that and usually within about 4.5 milliseconds of pulling a camera out, there's a staffer there, politely informing you of their no-photo policy. But then, you need to get your outlaw mode revved-up for Z-Kitchen anyway...

Thanks for the update, Michael. That is a problem: that area has a lot of competition in that particular niche. But if everybody can keep going, it's nice to have choices...

I read that the chef recently left, maybe sometime in June (2006), not sure who's cooking right now...

Ahh, that makes sense! Just checked out Rita's Auto Mall Cafe on Holly Eats, and that does look good. I'd never heard of it, but I think you have to go just for the name! But you know, a South Philly wooder ice is not a bad idea... it's the summertime...

I'm ashamed to say that I used Florida corn: I was in upstate NY, and it's just a bit early for the local stuff, but I really wanted that summery flavor for this occasion. I expect to make a bunch more of this soup once there is good local corn.

I think you could efficiently knock-off cheesesteaks and roast pork by going to John's Roast Pork or Tony Luke's. John's is a bit more of a "find" but Tony Luke's is a bit more of a Philly institution kind of place, but just off the beaten path enough to not be touristy. Tony Luke's is also open a lot more that John's is, so it's a more useful recommendation to give people, if that matters... You MUST get a hoagie. Got to Sarcone's, or Chickie's Deli as Katie advised. Asian anything: Nan Zhou hand-drawn noodles. Great, freshly-made, hand stretched noodles, about $5 for a huge bowl of soup. The act of stretching the noodles is inherently telegenic. 927 Race Street, in Chinatown. Italian anything: there are traditional, neighborhoody, basic "red gravy" places like Ralph's, Dante and Luigi's (both have been open since the dawn of time) Villa de Roma, Marra's, etc. Very Philly, hard to go wrong at any of them, they will be thick with neighborhood characters. Less typically Philly Italian-American, Melograno is more of a contemporary, Italian-Italian place, and also happens to be a tiny BYOB run by a husband and wife, which is a very Philly thing these days. Old Time American... there IS the City Tavern which does a colonial shtick for the tourists. I don't know anyone who actually eats there, and I'm not sure anyone goes there for the food. It could be good, I wouldn't know, it's just too corny for me. It's probably not what you're looking for, but the Franklin Fountain is a very authentic-looking retro ice cream place. It's really quite good, but it hasn't actually been around 250 years or anything... The Sansom Street Oyster House is very old-school Philly, but I haven't eaten there in a long time, so I can't comment on it intelligently. Johnnie's Hots: the surf and turf is unique, and reports are they have lots of other good sandwiches, strong contender. Bitars: the grilled felafel is unusual, and really good. Jamacan Jerk Hut: very good place, not sure how unique to philly it is.. Sarcones: yes!! Mofango: is that a restaurant? Never heard of it. Steve's Prince of Steaks: I've never gone because it's geographically out-of-the-way for me, but many in the know insist it's the best of that genre. I don't know if that's a production concern, it's way out in Northeast Philly. Of course compared to LA, that's right around the corner. Rita's Auto Mall: A Philly Water Ice is a good idea, but I'm not sure you have to go to that one in particular... there's lots in South Philly. Melograno: (see above) Good Dog: keeps being mentioned as one of the best burgers in town, but this is not a big burger town. With your limited time, I'd concentrate on the really philly-ish sandwiches. Devi: This is excellent South Indian vegetarian food, but for practical purposes, it's WAY outside the city (45 minutes if you're leading a good life and all the traffic gods are with you - over an hour if you may be carrying around unreconciled sins....) And it's a plain-looking storefront in a suburban strip-mall. Inside, basic tables, a steamtable buffet, etc, nothing too thrilling visually, except for the outrageously big dosas you can order. It's good food, just might be impractical. Sovana Bistro: this is even further away from Philly than Devi is, practically Wilmington Delaware. And I haven't been there, but i get the sense it's good bistro food. Is that worth the trip? Hope that helps.

Cool deal, looking forward to observing your adventures. I'd like to see as many weird, squishy, translucent spheres of unlikely food as your family can tolerate...

Nice! I'm trying that as soon as we get some good local corn here... did you steep on-heat, or just in cold milk? It's funny, I had my hand on the nutmeg, but ended up just sprinkling a touch of pink salt on it.

Here are Shola's instructions: I have to admit that I cheated a little, and heated the milk to just below a simmer, added the corn for a minute or so, whizzed it and let it steep for a couple of minutes before straining it, which worked fine, it still tasted fresh and sweet, and vivid. I had been toying with adding some other ingredients, but it's just so good just like that. Salt, pepper, done. The crabcakes are just something we freestyled. The weird shape is from a thought of presenting them sticking out of the soup, or maybe balanced across the rim, but we thought better of it... The upside is that we got a nice panko crunch from that form! It's just lump crabmeat, a little touch of mayo, a little bit of panko crumbs mixed-in, a tiny bit of corn to tie the cakes to the soup, a dash or two of sriracha, mixed gently then rolled in panko crumbs and fried. They were pretty good, I must say, pretty much all-crab with a nice crunch. Nothing all that creative, just tasty. (The lemon wasabi sauce is a commercial product we stumbled across when we were buying crab.)

Oh, SK, we miss you so... Summer Corn Soup, Panko Crab Cakes, Lemon Wasabi sauce I'm pleased to say the corn soup was pretty close to the SK version, thanks to Shola's instructions. Indian Spiced Chicken, Burmese Ginger Salad, Sesame Asparagus OK, this drew no specific inspiration from Studio Kitchen, but I doubt these combinations and juxtapositions would have come to mind without SK experiences. Thanks Shola!

Yes! High quality fish is going to have a distinct taste. Of course different types will have varying degrees of subtlety and vividness, but even the blandest yellowtail should taste of more than packing peanuts! There's no shame in a little soy (on the fish!!) or a dab of wasabi if needed, but many pieces won't need it. The ginger's really meant as a palate cleanser between fishes. But really, if it doesn't taste like anything unless you soak it in soy and blanket it in wasabi, that's not really good fish...