philadining

Mike, I don't want to get too far off-topic here, but I'd encourage you to step back a second and consider the implications of not liking to do business with "the Amish" because some Amish families run puppy mills. I'm just saying that it's dangerous to generalize about any group, be it ethnic, religious, national, regional, whatever. If you don't like the practices of a particular individual, by all means, you're within your rights to not do business with him. But avoiding others because they share a religious or cultural background seems unfair. I've known some Amish families and I'm distressed by the implication that they are to be avoided because of the behavior of some of their neighbors. I don't mean to come down on you Mike, I can see one would get the sense that the community as a whole is engaged in some sort of practice if you see a lot of it around you, but I just think it's important for all of us to try to remember not to stereotype and assume that all members of some group, whatever that group might be, are the same. I don't mean to imply that the Amish are beyond reproach, if you can show me that the specific Amish vendors at the RTM are engaged in distasteful practices, I might choose to avoid them too. But if not, I'll continue to buy from them, just as I will from any other folks who might share an ethnic, religious or regional heritage with someone I don't agree with.

I don't think it's midway between your two towns, but Alison at Blue Bell is only about 15 minutes from Montgomeryviile, and has gotten good reviews. I haven't been there yet, but I've been meaning to...

I have a psychological block about Sly Fox for exactly the reasons you mentioned above: it's in a nondescript little plaza-ish development on rt. 113, that's just too easy to ignore. I drive by it every day, but it just never feels like a place I need to go. I know they have terrific beer, but the location is just not enticing for some weird reason. I really can't explain it.

This is SUCH a great place for a chilly night... we were warmed back up promptly! Hot and Sour soup was good, but not great, mostly hot, not all that sour. Cantonese Beef Stew (#62) Big chunks of very tender beef, with all kinds of fatty, tendony stuff hanging on, scallions, nice rich brown sauce. I'm just barely not adventurous enough to gnaw at all the fatty stuff, but the meat was really tender, and the sauce was mild, but full, with a very nice flavor. I liked it. Shredded Pork with Long Hot Green Pepper (#53) This became another favorite I'll likely get again soon: the fresh chiles were not all that hot, but had enough of a kick to make it interesting, and to lend a nice spin to the tangy sauce. Two good-sized soups and two entrees: $29 and we've got leftovers.

We've wandered into a murky realm of word usage. "Wonk" and "Geek" have in recent years been used as terms of grudging respect for folks that really know something inside-out. The "policy-wonks" inside the Beltway aren't targets for derision, but folks that actually bothered to learn about issues being debated in Washington. Hence the adoption by the political hipster blogger "Wonkette". And similarly, since computers and high tech in general have so dominated popular culture, I see "geek" often used to indicate someone who has mastered some skill, perhaps with monomaniacal focus, but having actually achieved some respectable level of competence. A decade ago, no doubt, "geek" and "wonk" were meant as insults. Today, I'm not so sure... And I valiantly try to resist, but there ARE 14 little emoticons lined-up right under the window I'm typing in right now... I'm not sure eGullet is any more infested with them than any other online space, but there certainly are a few of the buggers scurrying around here.

I am really, truly, sincerely thankful to have met you fine folks. And for StudioKitchen. And for the Szechuan peppercorn. And for Mole. And for the Chairman's Selection program. And for Moore Brothers. Did I mention StudioKitchen?

Of course you're right Holly, those little throwaway lines about having to post before sleeping or excessive use of emoticons are meant to subtly, or not-so-subtly, imply that we're not serious, that we're just obsessive nerds, not to be confused with big-J Journalists. I'm just saying that we shouldn't let it bother us. And hey, if they can't get the URL right, no biggie, I can never remember which of the weeklies I read something in... I think there's still a place in the world for conventional food writing, and for a while, much of that will still appear in print, created by "professionals". But while there are upsides and downsides of the wild west of forums like ours, I believe it will be increasingly evident that more and more of the best content will be found in places like eGullet, rather than in traditional journalistic outlets, even if they retool for the web. So let those folks throw stones if they feel like it. It will eventually dawn on them that we collectively have knowledge, numbers and heck, budgets, that they can only dream of. So I say, let them tease, I think they're envious of our ability to deploy the well-placed puke-icon, and the capacity to tell folks about something great RIGHT NOW!!

Wow, Paul, sorry to hear that you have to consider walking away. I certainly hope there's some way for you to make the project happen, I think you've got a great concept! But from the details in the article, I can certainly understand how it would look overwhelming. And I think your case should be instructive for the city as a whole, to get the process streamlined a bit, so that you're JUST facing construction delays, not all the other hassles too. Again, I hope that we'll see some more posts here from you saying that things are working out, good luck!!

Jeeze, they're just teasing us, let's not give them grounds to add "thin-skinned" to "emoticon-happy". I think the print folks understand eGullet, that's why they're reading it! If they really thought we were merely a bunch of loonies lobbing smileys at one another, they wouldn't bother checking in.

Diann, I think you have something here...Roast Pork Italian air freshener. Instead of a little pine tree, you have it shaped like what else! Beats the pine tree. Beats the fresh-car leather scent. MARKETING GENIUS!! ← I like the way you women think... but we don't need to stop there, for the high-end market, there's the SK-series: squash soup with lemon vapors, or the 5 bleu cheeses with lavender scent, although the receptacle for the boiling water might be hazardous in traffic. Maybe if there's just some way to fill my backseat with butterscotch foam, I'd be set.But in the short term I think I'll just take the easy route, whenever I'm in south philly, or west philly or the RTM, I'll just get a fresh roast pork sandwich to hang from the rear-view mirror.

Just click on her byline at the top of the on-line article, you'll get a mail-to. That works with many of the on-line columnists at the various publications.

Roast Pork Italian from Tony Lukes in West Philly (Spruce Street just east of 38th) It's not quite the match of the south Philly version, but it's close... the pork was a little chewier than it should have been, but the provelone was sharp, the rabe was bitter, the juice was garlicy, the roll was pretty darn good, and the sandwich was jammed with meat. A pretty respectable offering. They're open until 2am most nights, and often easier to get to than Oregon Ave. The vibe is kind of wrong, but you can't have everything. The place was oddly empty, and the few folks that stumbled in were students ordering chicken steaks. Book-smart, but sandwich stooopid, I guess... I keep forgetting how weird this sandwich smells, between the garlic the sharp cheese and the rabe, it's a bit funky... But tasted good.

Wow, that's pretty cool, thanks!

OK, so maybe I'm getting lazy in my old age. There's little more satisfying than cranking out some homemade pasta on the old Atlas machine, but I've been having a hard time working up the energy (or clearing the counter space). So until I come to my senses and realize that I really ought to work off a couple of those calories by turning the crank on the Atlas, where are the best places to get good fresh pasta? And I'm going to be even more lazy: how about places out in the burbs? OK, yes, I'd be happy to know about the best spots in the Italian Market too, but sometimes I just can't get down there during business hours, so anybody know any good spots outside the city? Might as well make this general, for everybody's use, so where do we get our favorite FRESH pasta to cook at home, in the greater Philly area?

Thank you for your sacrifice - We all appreciate the painful, arduous tasting work you're doing on our behalf! But seriously, that's good to know, I was surprised that this wine had seemed to receive a collective yawn from the folks on this forum.

Glad to hear it! If one orders carefully, one can eat very well at Buddakan, I've had a couple of very enjoyable meals there. But there are some merely OK crowd-pleasing things on the menu too, so it just takes some thought, and some luck, to get the right stuff. And indeed the chocolate box is very good, as are the little donuts... And I'm sure the density of irritating scenester singles fluctuates, it's been rather serene when I've gone. But if she gets another gift certificate, have them go to Tangerine!

Given your location at the convention center, and budget, Chinatown is a good choice. But you do need to be careful about the vegetarian issue at a few of the places we often recommend here. I totally LOVE the Szechuan Tasty House, but I get the feeling that their version of vegetarian fare is a dish with only a little bit of pork in it... There's just not loads of fully veggie stuff their menu. Rangoon is a fave of mine as well, and Burmese food is unusual enough to make it a memorable destination, but it too is tricky for vegetarians. There IS some vegetarian food to choose from there, but just be wary, dried shrimp is a common ingredient even in dishes where you wouldn't expect it. But there are plenty of good places there that would be good for your group, Lee How Fook, Shao Lan Kung, Lakeside Deli, Vietnam, etc.. Some more Chinatown advice here. And just be aware, as in many cities, Monday nights are tricky, many places are closed-up. Almost everything in Chinatown will be open (but not the STH). Elsewhere in town, Radicchio was already recommended. Indeed it's very good Italian, and even better, open on monday. As Katie recommended, the White Dog Cafe is good, veggie-friendly, and open on mondays... Please let us know what you do!

Are you saying you want it, they have it, or something entirely unrelated? ← They have it, I had some, it rocked!

eggnog!!

I found a lot of scattered posts, but no good central repository of our faves. Many of us are fond of Plaza Garibaldi for enchiladas (especially enchiladas de mole), tacos, bistek, and other homey basics. Taqueria Veracruzana was the first of the new influx of simple, authentic spots, and remains a great place for tacos and more. And they're open 7am to midnight, 7 days. There are some mixed feelings about La Lupe and I'll agree that the food has not thrilled me on a couple of recent visits, but it has a great location, an especially nice spot in good weather. Others are big on Lolita for more upscale, modern preparations. Despite the skepticism about flashy Steven Starr restaurants, I've always had good food at El Vez. The original chef, Jose Garces, has left to open the Spanish restaurant Amada, but I found one visit after his departure reassuringly consistent with earlier meals. Thanks to a mention in Michael Kein's Table Talk, I just tried Taco Riendo at 5th and Thompson, one block north of Girard. It's an attractive little place, with most of the usual stuff on the menu, but also some less-common, great-looking soups, stews and specials. I wasn't all that hungry, so just grabbed a couple of tacos, and they were excellent. One with "Choriqueso" (chorizo and melted cheese) from the regular menu was slapped on the grill for a minute to melt the cheese, so the tortillas had a nice crisp but not-quite-crunchy texture. It dripped florescent red grease down my arms, as it should... thumbs up! The other, from the specials board, was "Carne enchiladas" which was not as spicy as some I've had, but featured nicely tender and juicy freshly-grilled and sliced pork. Served with a wedge of lime, radish slices and and some very tasty red salsa, it made a very tasty dinner. $3.50 each for these particular tacos, but the more basic ones are cheaper. I liked it a lot, and look forward to trying more. So, where else do we like?

Hit Nan Zhou for lunch today, absolutely perfect for a chilly afternoon. I think they figured out that people were confused by the nomenclature of the noodles with fried soy sauce, so it's now called fried pork with soy sauce (#14). Whatever the name, it rocks. Great texture on the noodles, the sauce is simple minced pork, scallions, soy sauce, not much else. It's basic, but very satisfying. Best $4.50 I've spent in a long time...

Wait!!! which one of the restaurants has the glowing phallus!!!??? You left out a most important detail!! ← Morimoto features permanently installed, curvy, candle-like lighting fixtures protruding, and I do mean protruding, from the centers of many of the tables. They do elicit frequent giggles...

Morimoto is a safe bet, they'll have a good, and memorable time, and it could border on romantic, the light is low, there are small two-tops along one wall. But if they're thinking romantic, Tangerine is the place. I also happen to like the food there... It's ostensibly Moroccan-fusion, and some of the more Moroccan things are pretty good, like the Tagine. But much of it is more generally Mediterranean, and I've liked most things I've gotten there. It's just a lovely spot, lit in deep blue, a wall of inset candles, generally well-picked music. And it's unusual enough, it might be novel, even for folks from NYC. http://tangerinerestaurant.com/ The one downside is that on a weekend, that whole neighborhood where Tangerine is located gets overrun by a twentysomething party crowd. If they can do dinner earlyish and get out of the neighborhood, they'd be OK. Pod is loads of fun, but I wouldn't call it especially romantic. Striped Bass is elegant, and has great food, but it's not an intimate space. I haven't been to Barclay Prime, but I've heard generally good reports (except a couple of not-so-great couples experiences reported here), and in the end it's a steakhouse, for better or worse. I'd do Morimoto or Tangerine, depending on what type of cuisine appeals.

Hey badsneakers, welcome to eGullet, and thanks for the tip!

So, did anybody go to that pre-Thanksgiving tasting thing? And in some small progress, Their Website: www.marigoldkitchenbyob.com/ at least has a splash screen and some contact info!