philadining

I've tried several flavors at Capogiro that I felt just didn't work, but when they do, it's the best gelato I've had. I'm willing to bet that the flavors they're shipping up to NY are pretty solid, rather than the more whimsical or experimental concoctions. But that's the beauty of making new stuff every day, you can give some whacky ideas a whirl. I'm confident you wouldn't find the Cioccolato Scuro too sweet. That has displaced the Chocolat noir from Berthillon as the apex of frozen indulgence for me... So please do give them another try, either at Garden of Eden, or on your next trip south.

How about braised in Victory Hop Devil?

Now THAT is impressive sleuthing! Big thanks, spikemom! That's the place, and it's nice to know that I was on the right track. It was indeed a pretty nice spot, a bit more elegant than most Thai restaurants at the time. If only the review had mentioned the chef's name! I really don't think it was the novelty of the food, or my less-experienced palate, but I remember most of the Thai places being a bit more thrilling back in the late 80s. There was another favorite, a couple of years later, on the 100 block of South Street, (which has been through several incarnations since) with another generic Thai name, that our crowd simply referred to as "The BTR" for "bitchin' Thai restaurant." They made a masaman beef curry that was stewed slowly for many hours in a little crockpot, and when they ran out, there was no making more until the next day. The masochist in me keeps ordering this dish everywhere I go, and I'm always disappointed, nothing approaches the richness and texture of the big, falling-apart chunks of meat in their peanutty curry. I know it's only torturing myself to obsess about these things, sometimes one's favorite restaurants close, one's favorite dishes disappear, but I'm sorry, I will NOT go gently into that good night....

I just ate, gee, I lost track, I think it was about 200 dumplings at Mandoo Bar on 32nd. We had the basic (boiled, pork) mool mandoo, vegetable goon mandoo, which had a nice fried crunch on the green dough, and probably my faves, the kimchee mandoo. A big bowl of Dduk-Bok-Ki brought chewy rice cakes, some subtle fish cake and thin noodles in a bright red sauce/broth that had only a little heat, but a really nice full flavor. A seafood pajon pancake was smallish, but good. I really enjoyed everything, especially, appropriately at a place named as it is, the mandoo. I had a rather obscene amount of food and a bottle of OB for $20-something. I too love the tofu at Cho Dang Gol, and sure, Dok Suni's not all that trad, but I love those ribs! But I'm going to have a hard time going to either, or to barbecue places for a while, I think i have developed a mandoo obsession... I think it's probably healthy that I live in Philly, I can measure out doses of these dumplings, rather than just eating them every day until i burn out.

This is one for the, ahem, veteran philly eaters out there. Back in the mid-to-late 1980s, there was a Thai restaurant on South Street, I want to say on the south side of the 500 or 600 block (near Mars!) It had one of those generic Thai restaurant names: "The King of Siam" sticks in my head, but it might have been some variation of that. At some point, it moved to Chinatown, to Arch street between 9th and 10th, on the south side of the street, almost across from "Siam Cuisine" but a little further east, but didn't last long there. That restaurant featured the single best duck preparation I have ever had, and I've made it my lifelong quest to eat just about every duck that appears on a menu. It was a roasted half of a duck, with an intense sauce flavored with szechuan peppercorn, black pepper and garlic. I just can't get that flavor out of my mind. I know this is a LONG shot, but I can't help hoping that by some miracle someone remembers that place and knows that the chef moved to XXX or opened his/her own place called XXX, and of course still serves the duck.... Sound familiar to anyone? Or has anybody spotted a similar item on a menu? There's plenty of duck with garlic sauce around, but it was that combo of szechuan peppercorn and black pepper that made this so memorable. A had a friend who was attending the Restaurant School at the time, and I discovered that her friends would wax rhapsodic about that duck too, so I know it had a bit of a rep in the Philly culinary scene back in those days. I've just made myself really hungry....

If anybody spots a tank with a live tuna, let me know.. I'd go just to see the tank!

There's Marrakesh for the fairly trad set-menu multi-course thing. it's just off of South Street, pretty easy to get to. Only a few blocks away on South 2nd street is Fez which was quite good the last time i was there, although for some reason I haven't been back for a couple of years. They do a multi-course set diner, or you can just order a la carte. But if it doesn't blow his per diem, I really like Tangerinewhich is not traditional, it's more Moroccan-influenced fusion cuisine, although they make a heck of a tagine.

Not to speak for the White Dog, but I've occasionally commandeered the piano bar when dropping in with an ungainly crowd, even without notice. The friday night timeframe could be tricky, but if you could promise to be out by a specific time they might give you that room, or downstairs, which is not always open. You're showing up early enough that the piano bar might not be in action yet. Their main menu is a bit out of your price range, and I don't know if they'd do a custom menu for you, but you could ask if they'd allow you to order from the bar menu. There are some nice choices there, sandwiches, salads, etc. plenty for the veggies. That menu has some of my favorite things, and its reasonably priced. Who knows, maybe they do this kind of thing all the time and have a group menu ready to go. It's worth asking.

Does early January count? I thought it was outstanding. I have a review here. The short version is that it's expensive, but worth it. I found the food to be creative and extremely well-executed. And it's hard to beat the setting, it's spectacular room. It was pretty quiet the night we were there, so I can't say how the service is in a crush, but both our server and the sommeliere were excellent on our visit.

I picked-up take out this weekend for some ill-advised winter camping (yes Katie, yet another alcohol-fueled decision.) And I'm happy to say that brisket, which you can buy by the pound, and pulled-pork, which you can buy in pints or quarts, travels extremely well. It's good warm out of the container in the car (no self-control), good reheated, good cold, and amazingly - pretty good when it's close to frozen from sitting around in 20-degree weather. They need to work a little on packaging: when I picked up my take-out bag, the lid to the pulled-pork container had blown completely off and wedged in a remote corner behind the sauce. The rectangular container with the brisket had kept its lid, but dripped juices into the bottom of the bag. And although I had asked for a bottle of sauce, they gave me two disposable containers, which was fine, except that, again, there was some sort of seal failure and there was sauce all over the inside of the bag. Where I was going, it didn't matter, so I didn't care, but if you're bringing some over to a friends house for a party, beware! As has been commented-on here before, it is a bit pricey for barbeque, but man it's tasty!

It works extremely well, I can testify! Even rejuvenates day-old refrigerated slices pretty well in terms of crust texture, although the sauce density is often negatively impacted...

I know this is veering off topic, so I'll stop after this, but yes, Bully Hill makes some good wines, and deserve props for promoting a local growers and craft oriented method, experimenting with hybrid grapes, fighting the big corporate machine, and being generally silly. Sadly in recent years, especially since Walter S. _____ passed away, the place has gotten a bit slick and schticky, the label artwork isn't as good, and the wine seems a bit more tourist-pleasing. But they do still have a few good offerings hiding among the chaff. And heck, Love My Goat is great on a picnic. And for terroir, Dr Konstantin Frank is just a couple hundred yards up the road, and they make vastly superior wines in general, at least the white ones. And Heron Hill is just another stagger north, and they make a couple credible wines from similar dirt and rain (and occasional sun.) I've ordered Frank's Gewurtz at both Farmicia and Tangerine, and it wasn't too savagely marked-up, so maybe the margins vary with perceived hipness too... And that's just it, there are plenty of little wineries from here and abroad that offer good, crafted wines that would still offer value even at triple mark-ups, and I hope to see a bit more of those on winelists. But then one probably doesn't go to Barclay Prime for bargains.

I had posted earlier with a tongue-in-cheek defense of "Love my Goat" recalling that the irreverence, and borderline psychotic weirdness of Bully Hill had gotten me interested in wine in the first place. There's something about showing up at a party with a bottle of "Space Shuttle Red" or (I'm not kidding) "Missing Children White" whose label bore a photo like you see on the side of a milk carton, that was sure to start a conversation! So that Goat Red has a special spot in my heart (although I can't say I like drinking it much anymore...) But I spaced-out on the quite reasonable site rule about not posting copyrighted images and impulsively included one of their typically odd labels for reference. if you're not familiar with their vibe, you can get a sense on their website. Most of the wine's not that great, but they're an amusing bunch... But of course I agree completely with the actual point of the post. I have occasionally jumped in and ordered a bottle that was priced way higher than I wanted to pay, and I have even occasionally thought it was worth it. But by and large, I would really appreciate a few reasonably-priced bottles on any list, we all know they exist. But the restaurants rely on that margin, so although I don't like it, I can't blame them too much for pushing it as far as they can. This just came up in conversation the other day: the mark-ups generally made on soft drinks and coffee at any restaurant, not just swanky ones, are WAY more insane than even the worst offenders in the wine category, but it's incrementally so small that we don't get too worked up about it. But the theory is the same, it's how restaurants make money, they mark stuff up. I've paid 6 bucks for coffee in a nice restaurant. The fact is that we'd likely scream louder if the wine was cheap but entree prices were even higher. So some marketing-types figured out that making drinks, and wine, and apps and desserts more expensive would be less offensive. There must be a middle ground, and I'd prefer not to have to do as LaBan did and haggle over the price of the wine. So I hope his complaints might help restauranteurs realize that there's a point at which people will resist the mark-ups, or just be dissuaded from eating at that establishment. Until then, I'm going to BYOBs more!

that's an excellent question, but I doubt we'll ever know. I'm sure any disappointments or irritations or thrills a critic reports are experienced by other diners as well and would be reflected in word-of-mouth, or likeliness to return, etc. If a major reviewer totally trashes a place, I'm sure it has some impact. Conversely, 4 bells from LaBan (or 5 grease stains from Holly) probably puts it on a fair number of people's "must go" list. The effects of other gradations are likely too subtle to quantify. Sometimes even lukewarm reviews make a restaurant seem intriguing to me, and I'll go. Sadly complaints about the drink gouging are likely to fall on deaf ears. Maybe because most restaurants are so freaking LOUD!!! Excessive volume has been one of LaBan's pet peeves, but I haven't noticed any improvement in local spots' acoustic design as a result. I once heard Daniel Boulud justify wine mark-ups as simply what had to be done to keep the restaurant economically viable. I'm sure that's true to a degree, and in the end, if people will pay it..... But there has to be a limit, as the wine prices get too high, I increasingly just order a glass. Even if it's a worse bargain, at least the final bill isn't as painful. If the drinks are insane, I skip having a cocktail. If that reduces my enjoyment of a place, I won't go back. I can't be alone. There's some really good cooking going on at area BYOBs, but I think people are also just relieved at not having to sell the family car just to have a nice bottle of wine with dinner. One would hope that more restaurants would take a lesson from this, but I suspect they will only drop drink prices if people stop paying the high prices, not because LaBan complained about it. I do hope his comments at least plant the idea that things are getting out of hand, maybe it will have an effect. I hope so. On a personal level, the prices, and wine prices in particular, make ME reluctant to go to Barclay Prime. (edited to correct grade-school grammar sloppiness)

Either the food or the comraderie alone would have been worth the drive up from Philadelphia, so the combination of the two made for an especially enjoyable evening. All the food was terrific. (I never thought I would utter a phrase like this, but I loved the Dong Poo.) Big thanks to Rachel and Jason for putting this together, and letting a couple of "southerners" crash the party. It was great to meet everybody, and I hope it won't be the last time! --jeff

OK, I've noticed that deconstructing things is all the rage in restaurant kitchens these days, and even eaten a few things that did this interestingly. But how exactly does one deconstruct a spinach salad? Little seperate piles of ingredients quarantined on a big plate? I absolutely believe both of you that it was good, i just can't picture it!

provelone and whiz?!? This is an absolutely brilliant construction, but I think it's prohibited by several city ordinances. It's OK, we won't turn you in. It's already been reported in another thread here somewhere that Pat's and Gino's use rolls from different bakeries, neither of which is Amoroso's. And that's one of the big differences, it's a personal taste thing, but I think Pat's rolls are just perfect for a cheesesteak. And you're a brave man, bringing cheesesteaks home with you. I feel that they have a half-life of about 5 minutes, and decrease in quality simply in the act of being wrapped up (they start to self-steam.) But I suppose a reheated cheesesteak is better than no cheesesteak at all. maybe wrapping them in pizza slices would preserve them somehow... Thanks for your report, we look forward to part 2!

If you can talk him into it, I make a pretty respectable Soupe a L'Oignon Gratinée. I'll bet we could convince someone to make a frisée salad. But your husband is right, it really needs a good snowstorm to complete the picture. Maybe if we all pray for bad weather....

There's no date of this review, but there's a 2004 at the bottom of the page, so I think it's new-ish. Written with the inimitable style of "Fatty R Bockol" here's a review of Chez Colette And if you trust the callow youth up at Penn, here's one from the DP Both make it sound a little swankier than your average bistro, but good.

That's absolutely true. But we're not in France, so I'm not sure it was WAY more contrived than Balthazar or Les Halles or Brasserie Jo or any of the places that are trying to evoke another time and place with menu typography, decor, the long aprons: it's all theater.... But behind the artifice, the Blue Angel had talent in the kitchen, and all my meals there were very good. And the pretense was just effective enough, that (after a little wine) I was always shocked to emerge back on Chestnut Street, somehow I was expecting the Boulevard St Germain or something. And I always laughed at the french lessons playing in the bathrooms. That cassoulet party sounded great! I suspect you'll start to resent us if we show up at your door begging for leftovers, so we'll keep looking for a restaurant that satisfies. I guess the good news is that cassoulet travels pretty well, so maybe I'll just have to get a bucket of it up at Les Halles sometime and auction it off when I get back! (edited for typo, ironically enough, the word "typography")

I'll agree about the desserts, the little almond cake thing that came with the omakase was incredibly dull, and the wasabi tiramisu I had on another visit was downright bizarre. I actually didn't hate the tirimisu, but I wouldn't get it again. I'd take it as a sign that you should saunter up to 13th and Sansom for Capogiro gelato. I'm glad to know you liked Morimoto, where else did you get to?

Thanks Capaneus, that's what I'd been hearing. I totally know what you're saying, and I think i'll go, sometimes I don't need to be wowed if the food's solid and satisfying. Coincidentally I just noticed a review from The Inky's Mystery Muncher that is pretty positive. Those reviews are never super critical, but the descriptions are helpful.

The recent posts about the bar food at Brasserie Perrier are timely, I had just been wondering about local casual French restaurants. I was eating at a nice little brasserie-style place out in San Francisco last weekend, called "Jeanty at Jack's," Philippe Jeanty’s place in the financial district in downtown SF (he also has a couple of restaurants up in Napa.) While sipping a lovely ’01 Gigondas, nibbling on duck and goat cheese pate, frisee with lardons and soft-boiled egg, short ribs, coq au vin, cassoulet, and crepes, I was bemoaning to my friends the loss of the Blue Angel here in Philly, which most closely resembled the overall vibe of this place. As we were finishing up, we were chatting with the waiter, and somehow it came up that I was visiting from Philly. It turns out that our waiter had worked at Brasserie Perrier, a little bit out at Le Mas, as well as the Blue Angel. All sorts of gossiping and reminiscing ensued... most of which I probably shouldn't repeat! But the general jist was that after working several places in several cities, he still thought the Blue Angel's was the best bistro menu he'd ever worked, and had good things to say about his experience there. Sometimes that kind of simple, hearty food is just the perfect thing: the duck “Shepherd’s Pie” at Balthazar in NY saved me from a really savage hangover once… So, I know this gets discussed from time to time, but I didn’t find a good answer from trolling around the topics here, and I haven't found anywhere that's quite right. These days, where does one go in or around philly for simple homey bistro/brasserie French? I hear a range of reactions to Caribou, I haven’t been there in eons (Capaneus, did you go during restaurant week?) Loie vibes me out. It seems like the bar food at Brasserie Perrier gets in the culinary ballpark, but the main dining room is a different thing altogether, despite the name. Pif? The bar at LT’s?

Seriously, I hurt myself laughing at that one. Rockhopper, i think you'd be fun to watch the game with.... But maybe we should turn this around: when the Pats lose, which they surely will, we send Romney a cheeseteak with swiss. Between the inevitable nastiness of a cheesesteak traveling more than 10 or 15 yards away from the grill, the perverse cheese and his innate revulsion at the whole idea, that should be suitable punishment.

it's the High Street Cafe. There's also a little place called Crawdaddy's on Rt 3 a little east of West Chester, 1215 West Chester Pike. Never been there. The last I checked, NOLA was still going in Headhouse square, albeit a shadow of its former self. I ate there sometime in the past year and it was decent, if not thrilling. Although if history is any guide, it might very well have changed locations several times since then. We might need to shoot the maite d' with a tranquilizing dart, then put a tracking collar on him so we can find the place.... Sadly my overall reaction to all the New Orleans-style places I've been around here has been similar: OK, but not great. I think I like like Carmine's the best, but none of them seem to be all that authentic, or as good as NOLA in its heyday. And OK Holly, I guess you were right.... this stuff got lost over in "Where have you been lately". Here's a recent reaction to New Orleans Cafe in Media. Even though the food didn't blow me away, that place would probably be fun around Mardi Gras, I'm sure they have some special festivities, and it's a nice location. (edited for typos)