shacke

Just caught the Lakeside news ..... SonuvabiATCH. Honey - where's my Valium?

Holy smokes dagordon. That looks like a pretty pretty steak. Last one I had was Grade 5 at an LA steakhouse recently. I think I ate 3 oz of the 6 oz steak. Wish there was a happy medium there between uber-wagyu and what I threw out earlier this week. If there is, I am all ears. Granted its $200 l/b but I think a 4 oz steak would make me queazy.

Sorry to drop a cowpie into the wunderthread here but after buying a dry aged ribeye (about 21 days) and some filets based on the opinions here, I must say this place does not measure up. Lobels quality? Uh - no way. The ribeye was not visually appealing and it did not taste any better than Whole Foods meats just a short ways away. If it's prime - it's barely prime. I threw most of it about at $25/lb no less. The filet was tasty but not much above the supermarket. Perhaps this is an exciting new venture for locals but, for me, I will continue to pay the small extra cost to have Bryan Flannery send me his unbelievable beef from California. I am still interested in buying the bison cuts but I don't plan to buy beef there again.

Call me shack-e-dining. I just happen to be heading back from Ikea this afternoon when I noticed that they are open for lunch. Arugula Salad followed by an insanely good seared salmon with chanterelles and spinach - beef jus. Thiswas up there with the best plates I have had all year. Evan

I had a very good meal at Blackfish today, my first visit. Saffron risotto with vanilla foam - other than being a bit too vanilla flavored was quite good. A boulliabase with mixed seafood was also very good - nothing overcooked in the slightest. Our dessert - chocolate lava cake - was cold in the center - but that's what I get for ordering it - heh heh. I lost out though - I wanted the vanilla beignets with spiced anglaise and caramel. I think their surf and turf might be a signature - they were coming out left and right - sea scallops and glazed short ribs. A bottle of Inman Pinot Gris 06 was the perfect pairing for what we ordered. The chef came out - he looked like he wasn't old enough to drive! I will be back - no doubt about that. Evan

Indeed - the breast is smaller and the meat is darker and not typical of what most people think of as turkey. The frame is more reminiscent of a goose with a much longer slender sternum. These breeds were forgotten as farmers developed birds for their large breasts to the point where I hear they can't even mate naturally (can't confirm that ). The number of breeding stocks plummeted to the point of serious concern and ironically it is the recent attempt to get people to eat them that is going to save them. Seems to be working. If someone wants "breast" meat - yes - they will not care for this variety but it's worth a try. It's a bird native to America and the one Ben Franklin wanted as our national bird - so mangi .... Evan

Just an opinionated opinion but unless you get a heritage turkey, all the modern day frankenturkeys mutants are pretty much the same. Is a fresh butterball that different from a local bird you get for twice as much somewhere (other than supporting local farms)? That's why you brine and/or fry them - so they taste like something. Not needed with the heritage turkeys - they are very different animals - that includes the cost! Evan

True to my word, we went back last night and there were no service issues at all, despite the crowd. Food was still very good. Some additional plates we had this time were the sauteed artichokes, papardelle with lamb ragu and potato ravioli with goat. All of these were solid. I could not decide between two pastas to start and the server offered up 1/2 portions of each which was nice (although they were huge!) Orchiette with duck was not as good as I had hoped, although it sounded very appetizing. Someone at the table had the mixed grill that I had ordered last time and it looked just as good. This time, I ordered the veal milanese - desiring something simple. Crispy pan fried cutlet with accompanying greens and roasted potatoes. No room for dessert but, again, I would have gone to Capogiro. It got two bells from the Laban here and I would agree. Nothing earthshattering but a nice addition to the local Italian mob (of restaurants that is). $200 for 4 people including generous tip. Evan

all I can say is: we salute you, hero pork! or to put it another way: that's SOME PIG! ← At least the spirit of 76 now has a cute curly tail.

I have been a huge fan of theirs for years now. Really flies under the radar - go around easter for their holiday items. Evan

Went to supper last night. The service for us was abysmal but that is likely 95% the fault of our specific server, although our water was never refilled the 2 hours we were there. Inattentive would be an understatement. Mitch Prensky was not there - catering a Saturday night affair - which has got to hurt - splitting your responsibilities - go ask David Ansill. Anyway, beyond the service issues, we thought the food was good with some things being much better than others. The bread, baked on premises, was a very welcome touch and good quality. There is a limited wine list but many bottles are reasonably priced and there is a varietal for everyone. We ordered a bottle of 05 Jovino PN. I have never had it before but I have yet to go wrong with a Williamette Valley Pinot from Oregon. More restrained in style than much the over the top Cali Pinot - still bargains abound in the Northwest. The menu is composed of scattered tiny starter plates, a larger cadre of plates described as larger than apps and smaller than entrees, followed by 2 choices of larger sized plates. For starters we opted for the boneless chicken wings (very good), cauliflower fritters (what you would expect - very basic but tasty), poached stuffed figs (fair), mushroom-garrotxa mini sandwich (boring). I ordered an autumn salad, a mixture of raw and cooked veggies along with mixed greens and a poached egg. I thought this was very good. For my second plate I got a red drum filet with clams, ginger and potatoes. I liked it and would recommend it. Also ordered was the squash gnochhi with guanciale which was also really good, especially on a crisp fall night. The other couple we were with had the larger plate of a braised Jamison lamb shank but I did not taste it. They liked it - seemed very much in the style of comfort food - nothing complex. Dessert for me was an apple "crisp" which was a deconstructed dish of sauteed apples and raisins topped with a cookie and creme fraiche ice cream. Boring. They forgot to bring our coffee and tea with dessert. That cut me - real deep. So the food is good but not great. A lot of foam flying around which is a bit yesterday IMO. Service issues for us, although it didn't sound like that was the case with dagordon. Without alcohol (and coffee) , dinner for (4) was $200. Mitch - come back dude. The mice were at play last night.

Mitch Prensky of Globaldish catering opened this restaurant recently and I was wondering if anyone had a skinny on it. A quick eG search came up empty. His catered food was pretty good as I remember it way back. Then as a part of some traveling food show where he cooked at different locations, I was completely unimpressed with the food and outrageous pricing (dinner at Saks IIRC). I plan on going in a couple of weeks. A friend really liked it but I get my scoops in here, thank you very much.

I was tipped off to Salento by somebody and I was immediately interested since I had a good experience, albeit once, at L’angolo which is just too small and far to be a frequent destination site for me. Salento is more convenient, 22nd and Walnut, and BYO. We ate there last night and I am looking forward to returning – but not for the service. The restaurant was crowded and the front portion of the room is cramped. There is a host/hostess desk, a terminal for servers to enter their items and a small space in between for diners to wait or sit. There is no dedicated hostess, just several servers who man the reservation book somewhat haphazardly. They clearly were not comfortable with the pace of the action at 7:30 on a Saturday night. We arrived and saw no one at the front desk and so we proceeded to the back terminal and were shoo’d away and told someone would be with us in a moment. We did not get seated until 7:50 for our reserved table and sat there while we and other waitees heard the gripes of the staff entering their checks – some words about a particular diner, arguing over a table, things like that. We watched as a clearly psychotic vagabond pestered disconcerted clients waiting outside but only until he started picking their flowers did they go outside and ask him to move on. This side of the operation needs some fine tuning. A dedicated hostess and a divider panel would do them wonders. This did not phase us too much, I hope it doesn’t you either - as the food was very very good. Service was inconsistent but friendly. Appetizers arrived within moments but the entrees took an eternity. There were many choices on the menu from which to decide from and I had some trouble picking – next time. We were served a complimentary bruschetta for having waited so long (the diners next to us got dessert for a similar issue). We ordered an octopus and potato salad which was stellar. I ordered a primo size papardelle with wild boar ragu. For me, this missed the mark although it was by no means hard to eat. To my palate, such a dish is a rich, comforting plate. This preparation was too acidic and bright for my expectations – perhaps needing a night in the fridge to help integrate the flavors. It was missing that heartiness you would expect. A bit disappointing - considering I opted out of several very interesting pasta choices I hemmed and hawed over. Both our entrees were just spot on. My wife had the pan roasted gnocchi with mushrooms. I had a mixed grill of lamb on a rosemary skewer, thin sliced beef shoulder and a small medallion of veal. The veal was a bit overcooked but portions are big so at that point I just left it. The plate was served over a delicious salad of sautéed cherry tomatoes, some great roasted potatoes and thyme spiked onions. I thought it was pretty much ‘all that’ in it’s simplicity – something I have paradoxically craved more as I dine out more. Plus, the dish went really well with the wine we brought. As for dessert, if you are 3 blocks away from the Temple of Capogiro, you better have some good dolci to keep me from leaving. Most offerings sounded better than they looked or tasted. I had a pumpkin panna cotta which was very nice. My wife had risotto rice pudding which was the standard cookie cutter version. The diners next to us (or should I say o top of us – some of the tables are that close) who we spoke to during our meal allowed us to sample the mascarpone cheesecake and the chocolate banana bread pudding. Nothing as interesting as the savory choices that are offered. None of these desserts will leave you to spit into a napkin but they are – IMO – no match for awaits you, smart diner, at 20th and Sansom. Dinner was reasonable at $100 for two , apps – entrees – dessert – tax/tip. I am interested in hearing from anyone who goes there so please post if you go. I will definitely be back and hopefully will have a better service experience, although the food more than made up for it. If you are prone to bad moods from poor service, then caveat emptor. Maybe if it wasn’t so crowded, the staff would not have been so pressured and the experience would have been better across the board. You should go. It's not the tiresome "italian" that plagues large swaths of the city and for that I am grateful. It's interesting and it's delicious and it's worth the price. Bring a sangiovese based wine bottle - you can't go wrong. Heck, if you drink a little of it before you arrive, you won't notice the little blips Evan

No trans fats - so where's the beef here?

Hmm. Why have I neglected Rx all this time? Certainly through no fault of theirs. I was there this week with a few wine geeks who overloaded the table with glasses and bottles. This can frequently spook the staff but it was not an issue. The food is actually better than I had recalled. I had a skate and fresh porcini risotto entree and a beet salad to start. Tiramisu for dessert. Cozy is the key word. It's a great little place and I will not take so long to be back there. Next time I am trying the snozberry dessert. What you say? Who ever heard of a snozberry? Well, since I can't ever search the dreaded 2 letter word on eG, next time I know what search term to use to find the Rx thread. Evan

Perhaps it is the curse of the 3 letter eG search here (Vie Pif! Vie Rae!) but I have not heard or read about this Northern Liberties place. Rich P may have since they boast a best BYO of philly style nod. Anyone? http://www.avarestaurant.com/

OK OK. That's what I get for being aloof. Coming back inside.... pulse slowing again. Funny, I noticed the sign for rent on my way home from Marra's last night, on the way to Capogiro of course.

What's up with this city? First Pif closes and now Tre Scalini is gone. F dat. My number 1 and 2 places - both vanished.

Really? I'm not sure I've ever had Marra's mussels; maybe a couple from somebody else's order, but never a full order of my own. Not that lack of direct experience has ever stopped me from sharing my opinion in the past, but I think you may be confusing me with somebody else. Perhaps this Shack attack: Anyway, Evan's recommendation, plus Marra's reputation for mussels suggests that it'd be worth a go; whether or not they're the best mussels per se, they've gotta be the best mussels and pizza combination in the city. ← How did i miss this thread - oh riiiight - I was sittin' on the beach Yes that was me. Don't have much of an expanation since Marra's other fare is not exemplary but indeed the mussels in red sauce are 95% of the time most excellent and as il profesore said - for mussels and pizza - it's worth a try. The pleasing kicker is it's pretty darn cheap a meal too. Evan

Allow me to take this thread down a teeny notch to avoid any Osterification of James. We had a good meal there last night, just "good". Like B/B+. While I enjoyed it, I would not actively plan to go back. I had some of the dishes that were pictured above and I must say Philadining's photos are like Vogue covers. They look better in print than on the table. Not a knock at the food but more a kudos to the snapfish! I had the papardelle. It was interesting and tasty but it made me yearn for the candele at Osteria to be honest. The thickness of the pasta was missing the toothsome texture I like in freshly made pasta and for me it could have been much more enjoyable but the flavor combinations were interesting to try. I am not sure I would keep ordering it on repeat trips though. The halibut was indeed very good and was likely the best dish on the table. Someone had the pink snapper which was definitely overcooked. Crispy outside - and alas crispy inside. The veal loin was really perfectly cooked but IMHO veal needs a particularly good accompaniment as it is fairly bland. There was a tasty jus but not enough to elevate the whole dish. I had the special which was a preparation of suckling pig on a bed of lentials and that was pretty porky and good. The wine list was so so. We had a couple of moore bros bottlings - 2003 Cote du Nuit Rion Villages. (retail $28 there $75 if you are counting). There are wines by the glass as well. Service was friendly and attentive. Portions were fine - thank goodness no supersizing, not small - nothing to yap about as Phil said. Ambience was nice although the Steven Starr esque yuppie techno muzak made me feel like I was in buddakan. So I liked it - kinda sorta - but I had the quasi-experience of seeing a really hyped amazing movie after everyone else so I was expecting more and experienced a let down. Perhaps the crew who preceded me upthread had the opposite setup after the dismal first post and turned out to be pleasantly surprised. So give it a try if you haven't yet. You certainly won't be sorry but you may not see fireworks.

I will be there tomorrow and will report back.

It was nice talking to Shola again and I enjoyed the experience immensely!

Making fresh pasta at home is not hard particularly if you stick to fettucine, papaerdelle, orechiette - easy to do with a rolling pin, pizza cutter and a thumb. Tubes are tough to do manually. you can but it will take you forever - you will be an Italian granma when you are through. The hard part is what to do with the pasta when you are through. I find that fresh pasta is less forgiving than dried and doesnt stand well alone. A bowl of fresh pasta with oil and salt is dwarfed in satisfaction by it's dried cousin. I suspect the flour they use may be Tipo 00 , a lower protein flour that is a staple in Italy. It's hard to get in the US - I used to get it at Caviar Assouline but can't anymore. That explains the need to special order it. IIRC, cake flour and regular all purpose blended together gives you a bastardized substitute.

Matt. Good to see you in here and welcome to egullet! Evan

Man, I wish I was there ...... again. I am volunteering to help with leftovers tonight. I only could bring myself to seconds. I flog myself in retroactive shame. Such food porn, I am shocked my PC at work didn't block those great images.