philadining

It really depends on the flavor. It's true that many of the Capogiro concoctions are pretty intense, and in fact those are usually my favorites, but I guess that just comes down to personal preference. I've had Il Laboratorio gelato, and I liked it a lot, and look forward to having more, but the flavors I tried seemed a bit TOO subtle. But that's just my taste. This summer, Capogiro has been making some very elegant fruit gelatos, like a yellow plum or a white peach, that really sneak up softly on your palate. And some of the herby sorbettos are quite delicate as well (although it's true, the cilantro lime really whacks you over the head, for better or worse!) I'm not sure how wide a range of flavors are making their way north, but if you want to slog through over 150 posts, mostly swooning love-letters, there's a whole topic on the Philly board here, which might clue you in to which varieties to keep an eye out for. Any time I'm in NY's Chinatown, I find it impossible to get out without a scoop or two of ginger ice cream from the Chinatown Ice Cream Factory. It's not especially unique, but I love that stuff. I don't plan to give that up, but maybe follow it up with a side-trip to Il Laboratorio...

I've never had their wings, but I really like the food at North Third. So far, I haven't ended up drunk on the floor, but give me time...

Hey more power to ya! But if we catch you waxing rhapsodic about great Rachel Ray is, we're coming up to Ithaca and deprogramming you. As for your tech problems, domain name-servers do flake out every once in a while, but usually not as much as you're experiencing.... you could write all your links with the absolute URLs, eg -http://www.prettytothink.typepad.com/pagename.html- etc, instead of using minorgourmandry.com if that's causing problems. In any case, keep blogging, hopefully the IT guys will straighten the rest out! Sorry, I'n getting further OT than chefzadi! (But while we're off track, "hits" doesn't tell you much, "page views" might actually have some meaning....)

Back when it was Le Cyclo, I too was impressed at the variety, and more importantly, the quality, of those summer rolls. They were freaking huge, and stuffed with good stuff, including lots of herbs. I thought I had read somewhere that the kitchen was pretty much the same, that they just changed the name, but I don't know for sure if that's true. Has anyone had the summer rolls recently? Are they still good?

Michael Klein reports in today's Inky that the Black Widow will be a few states away eating crabcakes on the 21st...

Dunno, maybe I'm living a charmed life, all the links are working for me at 11pm on saturday. Anyway, this is the first time I noticed the "sponsors" box on the right... Andy, are you really getting sponsorship from the Food Network, or Iron Chef America? Or do they just kick you something if people click through your link? Heck, I'll click through and watch the clam video if it might buy you a textbook or something, or a nice veggie burger at the Moosewood....

This just happens sometimes, I expect it's the typepad server getting crushed by access to various blogs, not just his... He's not hosting it on his own machine. http://prettytothink.typepad.com/minor_gourmandry/ is working fine a minute ago. But I have seen it down, or reduced to text-only on occasion. I suppose some day when he sells the movie rights to his story, he can host it on a more reliable server!

That's what was impressive about Pedro's technique, we had the whole fish and with a flick of the wrist, he had the skeleton out of there. He didn't need no steenking spoons!! I guess I'd be a little freaked if my waiter reached in and ripped the bones from my fish with his bare hands, so I guess, in many cases, spoons are good...

i've got a bunch; i'll give you some. hmmm... imagining infusing them in vodka for a three-pepper bloody mary! PATENT PENDING PATENT PENDING ← Hot Rabbits, I'd drink one of those in a second, and I don't even love the whole Bloody Mary thing. Do it, report back!!! And BTW, it was indeed $18 per person after I added what was either a 20% -ish tip to the $14.50 each, or a voluntary adjustment for them forgetting the second Golden Coins, or the Beans, or something! The check was in Chinese, so I couldn't really audit it really well... I think we actually left a little more than that, a few folks didn't bother with change from a 20, all the better for prompting them to reveal the secret dishes next time!

Pineapple-Sage Sorbetto: good, refreshing, not as herby as I had hoped. Apricot Sorbetto: good match with the Pineapple, nice and intense, liked it, but not rushing back for it.

Sorry to ruin my reputation, I really was trying to get this up last night, but the imageGullet pages were not reloading... A just-barely-too-big-for-one-table crowd of eGuleteers descended on the Szechuan Tasty House last night. They were happy to let us try to construct a bizarre new geometric form that combined a big round table and a rectangular annex. Can't say it really worked too well, we probably should have abandoned the round table and just chained a series of the conventional tables. The round ones really only handle 8 people comfortably, 10 in a pinch. Coincidentally, there was another large group right behind us, and they somehow seemed to have packed about 20 people around the same table we were having trouble getting 10 around... And another table of 6 (and about 347 kids if I recall correctly) occupied the front. Despite this relatively dense crowd for this small restaurant, the kitchen handled it pretty well. The air conditioner was having a little trouble keeping up, but then maybe some of the sweating at our table was from the hot pepper! But it is worth keeping in mind that on a very hot day, with a lot of people in the restaurant their one little window-style air conditioner is a touch under-powered (I had never encountered a problem previously). I fell victim to the feeding frenzy at the beginning our meal and failed to get photos of the appetizers, but we started with a few bowls of the dumplings in a spicy sauce, which I had snapped at an earlier dinner. And we had a couple of servings of the Chicken in a Spicy Sauce which consisted of cold chicken breast in a bright red, peppery glaze. Sorry for missing the photo op, this is actually an attractive and tasty dish, one of my favorites, we were too busy eating it. This seemed to be a popular dish. Because mrbigjas was there, I knew there'd be trouble if we didn't get the Fu Qi Fei Pan which consisted of cold slices of tripe and kidney with a bit of spice. Here's a shot from my last trip: We then moved onto the Golden Coins another one of my favorite things: discs of eggplant stuffed with ground pork,, battered and deep-fried, served with a dipping sauce. We flamed through these with such speed that they promised to make some more. We didn’t see them for some time, so I don’t know if they forgot, or if the kitchen just hadn’t had a chance to make them yet, but after some whining, we managed to get another plate later on. The Twice-Cooked Pork was good as always, if you go for that combo of really fatty pork belly and hot peppers. I do…. Appearing much the same was the Three Pepper Chicken but that third pepper makes a difference! The fresh chiles, and dried chiles were joined by szechuan peppercorns, which give that weird, numbing, medicinal thing that’s unique to this style of food. It’s weird, but I like it… As has happened several times now, the waitress recommended something that I wouldn’t have bothered with, the Pork with Garlic Sauce. Sounded pretty pedestrian, but ended up as one of my faves. We had an order of Shrimp with Spicy and Tangy Sauce which I didn't eat, and apparently subconsciously avoided altogether, because I didn't get a picture of it either. I've had this made with chicken and liked it a lot. I really like the Braised Beef filet in Szechuan Style, which is a bit soupy, but features very tender slices of beef in a flavorful peppery sauce. I have no idea what kind of fish the Whole Fish in Spicy Sauce was, but I found it quite tasty. I want to thank mr and mrs bigjas for throwing themselves on the grenade, so to speak, taking the brunt of the peppery assault sprinkled on top. A little further down, the sauce was just good and spicy, not weaponized. (And Pedro, artful deboning, man!) The Dragon and Phoenix was from the still-handwritten new specials list, which should be added to the regular menu soon. Sadly, most of these new specials seem a little conventional, and even this, while tasty, was basically just a heap of decent General Tso’s Chicken, and some spicy shrimp. Most of the rest of the new specials seem to be small variations on that theme. (BTW I’m kicking myself, in the chaos of ordering all this food, I forgot to add the Shredded Duck with Ginger, I meant to….) They're a little light on the veggies here, other than chile peppers. But mrbigjas made an excellent suggestion of getting a plate of green beans which were simple, but good, and made me feel a tiny bit less depraved, while lusting after that last piece of pork belly. We had requests for Pork Lo Mein and Egg Foo Young, which I didn’t take pictures of, because: A) you already know what pork Lo Mein looks like. B) Egg Foo Young is just one of the ugliest-looking things you can possibly eat. (Incidentally, I don’t think they normally make this dish, I don’t see it on their menu anywhere, but I give them a lot of credit for catering to this request of one of our party. I hate egg foo young, so I didn’t have any…) They brought us a daunting pile of sliced watermelon, which was the perfect salve for tingling tastebuds. Not that it dissuaded us from hitting Capogiro too… Pedro and I actually laughed out loud when the check came, it added up to about $14 per person before tip. The more I think of it, I wonder if some sort of math error was involved, or if they were nice enough to toss-in a few dishes for free? That was 6 appetizers (3 orders of dumplings two of chicken one of tripe) and 12 entrees by my count. For $145 ?!? Well, we tipped nicely, maybe that will help when they discovered they forgot to charge us for half our food! I’ve been a big booster of this place, so you know that I liked it, I hope others will chime-in with positive or negative critiques. I heard some folks say they thought many things tasted the same, or decried the lack of sauce on the pepper-based dishes. This didn’t bother me, but hey, different strokes…. I still wish there were a few more unconventional things to order, but then again, maybe there are, hiding under dull names: the Pork with Garlic Sauce is one of my new faves. I’ll go back any time for the dumplings in spicy sauce, the cold chicken with spicy sauce, the three pepper chicken, the double cooked pork, the golden coins, the duck with ginger (sorry again!) Despite the good crowd last night, they told me that things are still a little slow, “not too bad for just opening” is their rationalization, but I think the location is tricky, and their sign is ambiguous. So next time you’re down that way, stop by 902 Arch, there’s plenty of tasty dishes you won’t find elsewhere in Chinatown.

It was mentioned in Table Talk in the Inky that Alan Richman will say Vetri is the best Italian restaurant in the country in Bon Appetit mag. So, if you were thinking of going, get a reservation now.... it's going to be even tougher soon!

Holly, thanks for the notice. You're right, it's hard to picture the place being the same without Bobby behind the counter. It felt weird to me without Lou... It might be largely sentimental, but Koch's was/is my favorite deli anywhere. I hope it stays open, but it certainly feels like the end of an era. My heartfelt sympathies to the extended Koch family, genetic and beyond.

It's true, remember how he was raving about Shola's smoked white beans? Jeeze you should have seen the area around where he was sitting: beans everywhere, as well as rice, smears of foie gras, little scraps of Berkshire Pork... it was like a Jackson Pollack painting. Oh, no, wait, that wasn't jas, that was me... sorry. Nevermind...

Andy, you totally should keep Minor Gourmandry going while you're at school. (Maybe it gets temporarily retitled Minor Dormandry while living on campus.) Even though you'll probably only have access to some microscopic shared oven, i suspect you're still going to bake, you're still going to eat out, you'll be right near some pretty good wineries so, eventually, ahem, when it's legal of course, you'll sample their product. There's plenty of gourmandizing to do, even around Ithaca. And you'll have vacations and take trips, so you'll experience more restaurants and bakeries and farm markets and want to write about it. Of course you'll be busy with school, but trust me on this, you'll still have some down time. So maybe your blog entries will be less monumental, but you're still going to eat. Tell us about it! There's no reason it has to be Philly-centric. So again, congrats on the award, (and congrats on getting into Cornell by the way, that's not exactly a cakewalk either.) And I say keep blogging. Gourmandry never sleeps...

Slightly OT, that women's wine club that I encountered at Studio Kitchen is called "Cencibel". There's information about the group on their website. There's a page there explaining what the club's about. I figure any organization that has their chairpersons' dinner at Studio Kitchen is our kind of group...

"best" is such a tricky term... best on their own merits, or best example of a traditional Buffalo prep? The most enjoyable, tasty, satisfying wings I've had in a long time were at The Smoked Joint, but they're not even vaguely traditional Buffalo wings, aside from being made from that part of a chicken, and served with celery and blue cheese dip. I grew up in Upstate NY, so I've had enough Buffalo wings to last me a lifetime, I rarely order them any more. But I really liked the Smoked Joint versions, I'd eat those again.

Peanut Butter gelato: excellent. Probably should have had it with the dark chocolate, but that's a bit obvious, isn't it.... Yellow Plumb gelato: great texture, with bits of skin, tasted great. And it's nice to have a really fruity gelato, not just sorbettos. It kind-of worked as a PBJ sandwich, if one used plumb jelly...

I agree with this argument, but the phenomenon Holly refers to is probably an element in Lombardi's not relocating in Philly, to give a concrete example. I know that rent was not the only factor, and I'm not sure we can blame rent increases completely on chain restaurants, but it is a factor that makes it harder for the independent locals. But this is the way of urban cycles, isn't it? Creative pioneers stake out an area, make it attractive, soon they can't afford it any more. That's happened to most of Center City now, can't be long before Northern Liberties gets an Olive Garden. I'm not sure the chains are causing it, they're probably more of a symptom....

Indeed, thanks Stephen, I never would have gone in Tifco's if it weren't for your post here on eGullet. I hope they get busy, but not TOO busy... And congrats Shinyboots! And good point, Rich (and Lew). This is an unmistakably great beer town, it's just weird for that aspect to be overlooked.

I'm pretty sure The New Orleans Cafe closed sometime this summer (2005) I don't know if it's temporary, if it's reopening as itself, or something else... but I don't think you can get cajun food there right now.

I haven't been to either of these, but there's a little place called "Serenitea" in Phoenixville, on Main Street, just a few doors up from Bridge street. And I also have driven by a place in Paoli, right on rt30, just a little east of the train station. I don't know if this is it: Tea Moments but I think I read a good review of this Tea Moments place. But you might just want to use this Tea Map tearoom locator (who knew?)

Thanks, and seriously, I really wouldn't want to try to devote this level of attention to getting the pix right while in "full-contact" wine mode, or even just trying to fully engage socially! Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, this was one of the more enjoyable tasks I've had in a while... There was liberal use of a dump bucket for extra wine. And --What's that sound? Oh it's just Pedro weeping and banging his head on the table. Yes, sadly, there was a bit of spillage, but this group was all about tasting and discussing each wine, the similarities and differences among the samples poured, the various consonances with the food and relative success of matching, not about bacchanalian quaffing. Nobody was staggering out of there from over-indulgence. And this is the problem for our eGullet crew trying this model: I suspect our dump bucket would stay pretty dry, and those stairs would look pretty daunting at the end of the night. I think they are! I'll find their info for you. This was a meeting of the central organizers, not the general membership, I believe they have larger events at restaurants around the area as their regular functions. They are very serious and knowledgeable, but not joylessly over-intellectual about it, everyone was clearly enjoying the wine and food, not just lecturing about it. I was very impressed. I'll get more info.

I had the great fortune to sit-in on a recent Studio Kitchen dinner, helping to document some of the really incredible dishes that Shola was putting out, with the significant benefit of being able to eat them too. Big thanks to the truly impressive wine club whose dinner this was, for putting up with my repeated camera-flashing, and lamp tweaking, and for being so kind as to share some of their excellent wine with me. Eavesdropping on their wine descriptions was enjoyable and educational too. (Katie, Percy, Pedro, I am humbled to report that these women outclass us by several laps, in quality of wine as well as sheer volume - how’s 3 bottles per course? We really have something to aspire to!) Sadly, I had my hands full taking pictures and didn’t manage to document any of the quite accomplished wine pairings, so I’ll just talk about the food. Peach Carpaccio, Lobster Fennel Salad, Yellow Brandywine Tomato Sorbet, Shisito Pepper Relish, California Meyer Lemon Oil, Blood Orange Vinaigrette, Lemon Balm This might be the best thing I’ve eaten at Studio Kitchen, which by extension would make it one of the best things I’ve ever eaten anywhere. A paper-thin layer of ripe peaches was topped by a cool tangle of even thinner fennel and tender lobster. The tomato sorbet perked-up the flavors underneath, its coldness and sweetness flattering the other tastes and textures. The Pepper relish on the rim of the plate was a dramatic savory counterpoint, not spicy, but carrying just enough acidity and piquant kick to balance the ethereal salad. This might be the perfect summer dish: serious but light, refreshing and satisfying. Rainwater Madeira Risotto, Roasted mushrooms, Petit Pois, Bay Leaf Emulsion I doubt anything can beat the tomato-water risotto we had at a previous dinner, but this is just barely behind it in the risotto hall-of-fame. With fresh mushroom stock as the liquid, and roasted wild mushrooms in chunks, this had a very deep forest taste, burnished with the subtle but unmistakable gloss of Madiera. The light froth on top carried just a hint of Laurel, but enough to add that extra small dimension that distinguishes Shola’s food. I promised not to reveal his secret technique of stirring a spoonful of marscapone into the rice right at the very end, so keep it to yourself. We’ve been trying to convince Shola to open a drive-through (I’m thinking “RisotTo-Go”) but he’s not going for it…. Pacific Halibut Poached In Olive Oil, Nicoise Relish, Brandade Stuffed Piquillo Peppers, Tomato – Mussel Emulsion, Esplette Pepper I’ve been getting a lot of Halibut lately that doesn’t taste like much of anything, but this had a nice full flavor, and a wonderful firm texture. The Nicoise relish, singing with olives and capers, was assertive, but not overbearing, putting a welcome salty spin on the fish. The mild Piquillo Pepper was an excellent vessel for conveying the elegantly light stuffing of potato and salt cod. I have never been fond of Brandade, but this was really delicious, just barely salty and complex. Japanese Cherrywood Smoked Wagyu Hanger Steak, Wagyu Short Rib and Maui Onion Croquette, Shiitake Marmalade, Jus of Cepes Just when I thought I’d had the ultimate beef course at Studio Kitchen a while back, Shola found a way to make it even more amazing. This time the full-flavored hanger steak spent some time in a cold smoker before being sautéed to a juicy medium rare. The result was that same luxurious Waygu beef, but crossbred with bacon, the light smoke ephemeral but undeniable. And if that weren’t enough, he seems to have perfected the art of the beef croquette, this one was actually airy and light and crunchy and soft and warm and juicy and vibrantly beefy all at once. I could eat a pile of these. I’m still thinking about that croquette. I want another one, like, now… Yeah, yeah, the soft, caramelized Shiitake jam was amazing, as was the tiny sweet onion, cooked down in the mushroom jus, but can we get back to the croquette? Did I mention how airy it was? And crispy? I did? Sarabeth's Peach-Apricot and Mascarpone Pain Perdu, Sous Vide Vanilla Scented Peaches, Lavender Honey Ice Cream, Black Pepper-Almond Croustillant, Gingered Peach Cider In a weird twist of fate, this was the second night in a row that I was served French Toast for dessert, but Shola’s version has really changed my definition. Here’s my new standard: Split open a thin slice of brioche, spread one inside surface with the world's best Peach-Apricot preserves, the other surface with marscapone. Close the slice back up and put it under pressure for a while, then dip in an egg batter. By the way, if you have some Thai Long pepper laying around, grate a little of that into the batter. Then coat it with crumbled frosted flakes, and grill. Then, just for good measure serve it with a slow-poached peach and lavender ice cream so fragrant you’d swear you were rolling around on a hillside in Provence. Amazing... So, no big surprise, but this was yet another really thrilling meal, with exciting flavor combinations combining to create a greater whole. This was probably the most elaborate and sophisticated meal I’ve had yet at Studio Kitchen, and some might notice that there was no amuse-bouche, nor a cheese course, and no need for either. What we had was more than complete. It seems impossible that these dinners just keep getting better and better, having started from such a high level, but they seem to, and I'm happy to see how far it can possibly go!

No problem, just order the 'steak' only, here that's called 'without' (meaning you order your cheesesteak without cheese, cheese whiz that is). ← Careful, you're going to accidentally poison our lactose-intolerant friend! At almost all cheesesteak stands, the "with" or "without" refers to onions, not cheese. Cheese is indicated by "cheese". As in, "Cheese wid" or "Whiz wid" or "provelone widout"However, you will not need to know this terminology at Fork. Although it can't hurt.