Tim Dolan

Terry, you don't have to actually comp my burger, but I'll return simply because you extended the courtesy. Thanks, I appreciate it. Besides, everybody deserves a second chance, right? Like I said, I didn't think your burger was bad at all, it just didn't ring my bell. I ran into your bar the night before Valentine's Day to grab a bottle of Lindeman's Framboise for my V-Day dessert, so I owe you one. Jeff, I actually didn't order the fries because I incorrectly assumed that they would come with the burger. However two guys sitting next to us at the bar ordered them as we were leaving, and they did indeed look pretty good. Next time I'm there for the cheesesteak I'll get the fries.

I made it to the Grey Lodge the other night. I think this is a cool bar with a really good beer selection. Me and my girlfriend sat upstairs and had a good meal and chatted with a cool bartender. Basically they serve good bar food. I had the wings and their burger, which were both good, but I'm not sure they warrant a return visit. It wasn't bad, but there are places in my neighborhood that are just as good. Their beer selection definitely gets them extra points, but I don't think the Grey Lodge beats out my neighborhood haunt, CJ and Eck's, which is my barometer for "good" bar food. All that being said, I will give them one more shot for their cheesesteak. This would be my go-to place if it were in my 'hood because of the beer. Magic Hat is about as exotic as it gets in the Manayunk area.

I would like offer a sure-fire slam dunk dessert for all the guys out there (of course ladies you can do this too) who are looking for a sweet finishing touch for Valentine's Day. Go to Capogiro, get a pint of chocolate (or some form of chocolate) gelato and two champange glasses. Now go find a bottle of Lindeman's Raspberry Lambic. Put two scoops of the gelato into the champagne glasses and pour the lambic over the gelato until the glass is half full. If this doesn't do the trick then you must be in more trouble than I can possibly imagine.

I haven't had a lot of time to resume my original post, and I don't have much time now so just a few quick things. mrbigjas, I did have Black Sheep's burger and it's pretty good. I'd put it right behind Rouge, dead even with Bishop's Collar, and ahead of Standard Tap. The Guiness tap was working superbly that day because the bartender poured me a few excellent pints. I don't know why they were so good, but they were. It was a perfect match. This is kind of unfair competition, but I've also had the Kobe sliders at Barclay Prime. I'd say they're as good as you've heard. Very small, but very tasty. I could easily put down about 10 of those bad boys in one sitting cause they're that small. Also, the fact that you could spend a small car payment at BC doesn't really help them though. But they're an entirely different beast, so I digress. My next destination will be Grey Lodge. I can tell from their website that this is my kind of place. I'm actually excited to go there. After that I'll try to make it to Brasserie Perrier.

Since this has been more or less debated in a few other threads I decided why not give it it's own topic. I love burgers. Nothing can quite satisfy a hunger like a nice, big, juicy cheeseburger. Thanks specifically to this website, I've been able to travel around the city and sample burgers from places that I would otherwise probably never stop at. Over the past year I've been at many different establishments trying to see whose burger stands out from the crowd. In the next few weeks I'll certainly be re-visiting some places to jog my memory and also be trying to new places to see how their burger stacks up. For the record, my opinion is very humble, and my culinary knowledge compared to everyone else who posts on this site is very limited. But I know what I like, and I like burgers. As a side note we can include fries too, cause what's a good burger without good fries? I'm sure people will agree that good fries can definitely enhance the burger eating experience. I like my fries with the skin still on, slightly crispy and sprinkled liberally with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Anything else is just second rate. So who has the city's best burger? I should note that I hate onions, so it can be assumed that they're never going to be on a burger that I eat. I also dislike lettuce and tomato (and basically all veggies for that matter), so they're not part of my equation either. I wasn't kidding about my culinary knowledge being very limited, which leads my opinion to be very humble My current favorite is the Good Dog burger, hands down. It's just great. I was just there again on Thursday night and again had a great burger. Everytime I've been there the burger has came out perfectly cooked to order, with piping hot Roquefort cheese oozing out if it. The mix of normal and sweet potato fries are also top notch. The Good Dog burger, along with a Yard's Love Stoudt, is like Mike Tyson in his prime. It will just knock you out. On Katie's recommendation I got myself down to Rouge yesterday to try their burger. While Rouge's offering was damn good, it just didn't wow me like the Good Dog burger. For starters, it's huge. I didn't finish it, which for me is about as rare as a lunar eclipse. The fries, or "pomme frites" as it said on the menu, were excellent. At $15 it wasn't a bargain, but hey when you're eating in the city's ritziest area what do you expect. And this burger is just good enough that they can get away with charging that price for it. To be fair, I was nursing a wicked hangover which may (actually, definitely) have affected my tastebuds (and state of mind,) so I'll be returning to Rouge shortly to give them a more fair shot. A few months ago I had Standard Tap's burger, and to be honest, I was underwhelmed. Many people have given Standard Tap high praise on this site, so maybe I had the bar set too high for them. I doubt everybody could be wrong about ST, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to a bad night. They'll also get another shot in the near future. I've had the burger at London Grill in Fairmount, and the English muffin gimmick doesn't really work for me. The burger itself isn't bad, but it isn't great. The fries were forgettable. I would say that it's not worth returning for. The real place to grab a burger in the "Art Museum Area" (I hate that, it's called Fairmount for ferchrissakes) is down the block at the Bishop's Collar. Everytime I've been to the Bishop's Collar it's packed so they gotta be doing something right. I forgot to say that the only thing that goes better with a burger than fries is bacon. I love bacon cheeseburgers (I'm such a carnivore), and the Bishop's Collar is definitely worth a return visit. Alright I'm out of time for this reviewing session, gotta go get ready for the Super Bowl. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's opinion!

Driving out of Camelback last weekend I almost stopped in there, but was a little too bruised up and just wanted to get home. I'll definitely try it next week time I'm up though, which should be in two weeks. Thanks. I thoroughly enjoy microbrews, by the way.

I've spent the past few weekends up the Poconos trying to learn how to snowboard and I'm pretty tired of packing my own food or ordering from the same lame pizza joint that's closest to my house. Is there anywhere worth stopping at in between the Camelback and Jack Frost ski areas? Any good dinner spots or even a good place to grab a solid sandwich? I understand that, as a Philadelphian, the bar for a "good" sandwich is already high, but I'll take something that passes for Wawa quality, which I still haven't found.

I'm currently in love with Good Dog's self-titled burger (no onions, can't stand 'em). It's amazing. I don't know much, but I do eat an awful lot of burgers and this one, IMveryHO, is the best in the city. I've had burgers from most of the good places(Standard Tap, Black Sheep, among others), and I'd say Good Dog knocks them all off the block. I read on another thread the Rouge makes a killer burger, so in the coming weeks I'll be stopping by to see if they can give the current Champ a challenge.

Don't have much time to post, but my steak from last weekend was excellent. I suspect that it may have been Choice, not Prime, though. No matter, it was still damn good. I think it was Choice because the strip section didn't knock me off my feet as Prime meat would have, but the filet portion was sublime. While the porterhouse itself was very good, I'm going back to rib-eyes, my true love.

rlibkind, I would like to personally thank you for your research. I'm heading up the Poconos tonight and wanted a nice dinner, so I sent my girlfriend, who barely knows anything about food, to get me a porterhouse from Och's this afternoon. She called me from there right after she ordered it and explained that the guy behind the counter had to go in the back and cut it right then and there. He asked her how big, she said "uh, I dunno, like this" and gave him the good old 2 inch-between-your-finger-and-thumb measurement. It cost $38, I just took a peek at it and it's literally the largest piece of meat I think I've ever seen. I'm going to assume that is of the 6 week aging pedigree. I'm so excited to get up there and grill this bad boy I can barely type. I'll be sure to post on how it was when I get back!

Wow. That's intense. I'm DEFINITELY trying this pizza when I go to New York.

I saw Fiamma mentioned above. Does anyone know if they are related to the outpost at the MGM Grad out in Las Vegas? If so, if it's anything like the one at the MGM Grand, it's damn good.

I had the Good Dog burger last night. Onions will ruin a meal for me so I got it without, leaving me with a bun and a patty stuffed with cheese, but let me say that this was damn good. I eat a ton of burgers, and this one was memorable. Definitely better than the burger at Black Sheep. I ordered medium, and it came out between med rare and medium (if that's possible), which is really perfect to me. I pretty much inhaled it, to the shock and awe of the bartender and slightly crazy older guy next to me. I didn't want to put it down because I didn't want the juices and cheese to fall out onto the plate. The mix of sweet potato and regular fries were nice and crisp. Beers on tap that I tried were Sly Fox Pale Ale, Yards Love Stoudt, Flying Fish Grand Cru, and Dogfishhead 60 Min IPA. All were good, but I'd say I like the Love Stoudt the best. Go there, get the burger, enjoy the beer!

I should also note that I am definitely a rookie when it comes to all things wine. This is even more so for my girlfriend. So we're not picky, I just honestly like hearing all of your suggestions.

Can anyone reccomend a good bottle of reisling (apologies for the spelling) in the $10-$30 range? I'm going out to dinner Saturday night with my girlfriend, and she says that she likes everything and tries to be a sport, but I know that she really like reisling. She doesn't have a particular favorite as to who the maker is so I have some latitude with that. Thanks for your suggestions.

Where is the Royal Tavern located? I'd like to give it a try.

A few places in my 'hood have great wings, but Flat Rock bar on Main St. might have everyone beat. Flat Rock has a library-esque collection of bottled beer to go along with a nice big $5 plate of wings. Nice heat and tangy flavor. Very good, cheap beer and very good cheap wings. Can't beat it.

Fido, going to the Coldplay concert? I'll be there, however the only dining I'll be doing will most likely be a hoagie or sandwich to go from somewhere in the Olde City/ Center City area. Haven't narrowed it down yet though. Suggestions anyone?

What Evan said. :)

I took my girlfriend there for her birthday last Friday night. It was really good, also really expensive. I'm a young guy so it's not like I have the cash to be going there to begin with, but being it was a special occasion and I heard all good things about that ribeye, I there caution (and personal finances) to the wind. We had the kobe sliders for our app, which definitely lived up to all the hype you've heard and at $15 a bargain compared to the rest of the menu. Very small though. For entrees we were tipped off by our waiter that we could split our entrees if we wanted, so we did. I was worried that doing that would look cheap, but being that it was about 6pm on Friday and we were only the 2nd table in there I figured why not. Another reason we did this is because my girlfriend's eye got really big when our waiter explained the butter poached lobster to us. My eyes got really big when he mentioned that the market price was $26 and change a pound, and we would be served a 3 and a half pound crustacean. There was no way I was shelling (no pun intended) out $91 for a lobster and not getting any of it. So we split the lobster and the ribeye. In hindsight I'm still kicking myself for this because 1) I'm not a big fan of lobster and 2) they sliced the steak width-wise, not legnth-wise. Basically the steak looked normal but was only about a half inch thick as opposed to maybe a more narrow but still thick steak that I was expecting. The steak was still very good but didn't blow me away like I was expecting, most likely because it was thin. The lobster was ok, but as I mentioned before I'm not really a fan. The girlfriend loved both so it worked out for me. We didn't stay for desert because we had a Phils game to catch (GF wanted to see the fireworks) so we got the check and headed out. I forgot to mention that we also ordered a half bottle of wine due to the fact that there wasn't a normal bottle on the list under $85. We ordered the second-cheapest bottle of pino noir for I think $42. GF isn't a big wine drinker anyway so I didn't feel bad skimping on that. The total bill for the kobe slider app, ribeye, lobster and half bottle of wine with a 20% tip came to $255. It's worth noting that we had two waiters serve us, one to take our orders and the other to explain the menu. Both were nice young fellows I'd say in their late 20's and both were very helpful and attentive. I think there names were Ed and Gary, but don't quote me. I know that Starr waiters/waitresses catch a lot of heat for being ditzy/disrespectful/condescending but these guys were none of the above. The guy who was explaining the menu, a shorter Asian man, seemed genuinley excited about his job but not in an over the top or cheesy way. If the menu wasn't so far out of my price range I would go back just because these two guys are what you should expect when you go out to a very nice place. All in all I'd say that Barcaly Prime is good if you can afford it, but you could probably find the same quality somewhere else for half the price. Let me know how things work out!

Gus' at Broad and Callowhill, right outside the Inquirer/Daily News building. HANDS DOWN the best food truck in the city. It's a tragedy that I work in the suburbs now so it's basically impossible for me to make it there anymore. Man I used to love that place.

I heard that Smith and Wollensky is now selling it's steaks for at-home grilling. Anyone else hear about this? Also I've never been to S & W, how would their meat stand up to my main steak place, Harry Ochs in the RTM? I just bought my dad a big, bad ass grill for Father's Day and would really enjoy some big, bad ass steaks to fire up on that grill.

Mystic those were the good old garlic knots that you were smelling. They keep them (or used to, at least) up next to the salad kitchen, which you will see straight ahead when you walk in. They're little baked knots of dough smothered in garlic and olive oil. And that's just the bread that they bring to the table. Ask for them warm, they're great. On the actually menu though, all of the salads are nice and fresh. They also serve a number of pizzas that will knock the doors off of any local place you can find. Unfortunately I can't remember what else was on the menu because when I went our waitress pointed out that one of their specials that evening was a 12oz filet wrapped in proscuitto, which was all that my carnivorous self needed to hear. My girlfriend had angel hair pasta with shrimp and crab meat and said that she loved it. But all the guys in the kitchen were born and raised in Italy and came to the states in the past 10-15 years, so if you're looking for authentic Italian, look no furhter.

I used to work at Le Bus and it was pretty solid while I was there. It's now owned by a woman named Winnie, can't remember her last name, but she was David Braverman's right hand man. Now he was a weird dude. He'd come in a whip himself some crazy salad, not say a word to anyone and then disappear. He always looked a day past a good shower and shave too. On a completely different topic, why is it that nobody ever talks about Bella Trattoria right next door to Le Bus? IMHO it's a really nice Italian place that is very fairly priced. It started out as a BYO but now they have a license. Give it a shot next time you're in town.

The Bishop's Collar at 24th and Fairmount is a good place is you like upscale bar food. Good stuff. I've recently had burgers from London and Rembrandt's, but Bishop's Collar had them both beat. They also have a very good selection of beers of tap, they even had the Symposium beer from the event that was at the Convention Center a few weeks ago. I'd go there.