sockii

Never say never, Shola has a guest chef gig coming up next month at Blackfish: http://www.phoodie.info/2009/02/12/shola-t...one-night-only/ ← anybody have any idea what the menu looks like? ← When I made my reservation they said it should be on the website the week before the dinner.

Never say never, Shola has a guest chef gig coming up next month at Blackfish: http://www.phoodie.info/2009/02/12/shola-t...one-night-only/ ← So who else is going to be there? I just managed to get a 6:30 reservation. Quite excited as I've never had the chance to sample Shola's cooking before. I "bribed" a friend into driving me out for it by promising to provide the wine...

Made it to Melograno this past Sunday for the first time since their move to the new location. We were smart to show up just after opening time - by 5:30 every table had been claimed, even in the new, larger space. It still lacks for much ambiance, but the food more than made up for it. The warm, right-from-the-oven-tasting bread was a great opener. I had the evening's special appetizer, grilled langoustine, which was close it not quite as good as I remember enjoying in Venice on my last trip to Italy. But a great light starter. My sweetie had the artichoke and scallop dish, which I've had in the past and was just as tasty as before. For entree, I went with the quail, and was glad I did. I'm not always a huge fan of "little birds" but absolutely loved this dish, with the sweetness of the stuffing a perfect match for the quail which didn't taste gamey in the slightest. Wonderfully deboned for easy eating, though I still had to gnaw every last bit of crunchy meat I could get from the bones. Sweetie had the Bisteak Florentine and asked for it to be prepared authentic Italian style - that is, as raw as possible, barely seared on the surface. It wasn't quite the buttery-smooth, honking huge chunk of meat we enjoyed in Florence in the past, but it was sufficiently rare and tasty, and our server quickly dashed out with a plate of lemon slices to accompany it on our request. Dessert was an acceptable, if not extraordinary, chocolate cake. With coffee & espresso, total bill was just about $100 before tip. We left about 7pm without feeling as though we'd been rushed or hurried at all and found the service completely acceptable from the hostess on down, despite numerous complaints about their staff I keep seeing on-line. Oh well, if the place got any MORE popular I don't think we'd ever have a chance of getting in! So let the nay-sayers keep whining. I've yet to have anything close to a bad experience here.

Lots of great suggestions in this thread already, and things I definitely do. My mother sometimes teases me that I've become a lot like an "old italian mama" in that I spend so much of my day both shopping and preparing food, but if you have the time to do so, you can really save a lot of money in the long run. A few things I'll re-iterate or throw into the mix: - Buy in bulk. Even if you live and cook solo, buy family packs of meat. Take them home, re-wrap and freeze items into single-serving sized portions. - Make your own "snack foods". Instead of spending upwards of $4-5 on a bag of Tostitos, I can buy 2 pounds of fresh corn tortillas from my local grocer for maybe $2, and fry them up fresh when I want them. Not only are they cheaper chips, but they taste far better than anything out of a bag, and I can control exactly what kind of oil they're cooked in (or bake/flame-heat as I wish). - I'll also make veggie snacks by "pickling" baby carrots, daikon, and other veggies using Japanese recipes (my favorite sourcebook for this is Japanese Country Cookbook, which you can buy used on Amazon for less than $3. A good solution to using up veggies you might have bought but didn't use right away, and don't want to let spoil. - Clean out your fridge regularly - and make use of what's there before buying more! I always find it a good move to "inventory" my fridge before going shopping. Do I really need to get fresh mushrooms tonight, or do I already have a package on hand to use up first? - Corollary to the last point, but make up shopping lists based on what you actually plan to cook, and stick to them. Not to say you should turn your nose up at a great deal you find at the supermarket, but don't buy something you just happen to pass by and think, "Oh, I *could* make..." Stick with the things you definitely *plan* to make in the next few days or so. This will help cut down on wasted food that just ends up spoiling in your fridge or on the shelf. - Freeze leftovers in single-serving containers. A lot of folks I know complain about eating leftovers because they "don't want to eat the same thing for an entire week." I can definitely sympathize with that, so when I make a big pot of soup or stew or anything else, I'll leave in the fridge what I think I'll eat in the next day or two, and save the rest. It's much more efficient to heat up some homemade fish or bean soup out of a big batch that only cost a few dollars to make than to waste $4-5 on a stingy little serving of Lean Cuisine, or something similar.

Glad to see Ants Pants get a mention, but I'll never go in there on Sunday mornings unless I'm there right at opening as it becomes SUCH a mob scene and service suffers greatly for it. But it's become a ritual pitstop otherwise for me and a friend who visits occasionally from out of town during the week; a bacon stack and the sweet potato fries and I'm set for the day. If I want a nice and quieter brunch in the area, I'll usually end up either at Cafe Apamate or Black Sheep...

Thanks to our office closing early tonight due to both the weather and a plumbing problem, the sweetie and I were able to sneak into Matyson for the first time in a good couple years and it was an outstanding meal all around. David went for the tasting menu which this week was in celebration of the Chinese New Year: Oxtail wontons, pickled peking cabbage, lotus chips, mushroom broth Chinese noodles, shrimp, snap peas, chili & garlic Five spice duck breast, sweet potato & bok choy, tangerine-soy reduction Grilled whole red mullet, bamboo shoots, scallion, black bean sauce Green tea ice cream & lemon cookies ($45) These were all excellent, especially to my mind the oxtail wontons (wonderfully earthy and it went perfectly with the Calabrian red wine we'd brought) and the grilled red mullet (rich grilled flavor, nice touch of black bean sauce without drowning out the flavor of the fish.) I had the Herb Crusted Ahi Tuna ($13) - lovely light starter with a great salad of fennel and watercress Crispy Skinned Wild Salmon with curried green lentils, pineapple salsa, mussel-coconut nage ($25) - very subtle curry flavor, but extremely filling Coconut Cream Pie ($8) Total bill was about $125 with t/t. If I compare it with the meal we had 2 weeks ago at Tangerine, it really blew Tangerine out of the water. Everything was much more about subtlety and delicacy, beautiful blends of flavors and excellent execution. We'd definitely be going here more often if it wasn't so rare of a chance for us to eat out on weeknights, when it's easier to secure a table.

Just posting a follow-up: We ended up deciding on Tangerine and went last Sunday night. If I'd been on the ball and realized it was the start of Restaurant Week, I probably would have booked another night, just because it meant the place was pretty jam-packed even from the first seatings at 5:30 when we got there, and I felt the service was a wee-bit rushed despite the fact that we were ordering off the regular menu and not the Restaurant Week "special" (which was kind of blah looking to me). Not that ordering off the regular menu was a problem, though we were told that we'd have to order at least $25 worth of food a person (um, not really a problem here...) Overall I'd say it was good but not somewhere I'd rush back to, at least not on my own dime. The shortrub spanikopita appetizer was excellent and would have been enough to feed me on its own; in contrast, the calamari appetizer was very disappointing to me--very greasy and heavy, the "red pepper aioli" having no notable heat to my tastebuds. I know it's not an earth-shattering dish, but fried calamari is one of my favorite things when done well and a dish I can rarely resist when I see it on a menu. This was one of the more disappointing preparations I've had of it in Philly. I had the grilled pomegranate pork chop for an entree, which was significantly better though I thought the escarole in garlic oil didn't mesh well at all with the sweet pomegranate sauce for the pork chop (both very tasty, yes, not not a great flavor combination together.) My SO had the grilled "whole" fish of the day, which was probably the best part of the meal, especially the lovely plate of various vegetable sides and relishes. Although we did ask for it whole (head & tail on), as we were told was possible, but it came out filleted. We shared an Apple Streusel Tart for dessert, which was really nice in a "deconstructed" way. With 2 drinks each (the sangria being the best), the bill with tip was $185. So, considering we technically only paid $85 of that, I won't complain too much, but I don't know that I'd go rushing back again if we'd had to pay the entire thing ourselves.

Ah. That's...pretty big. And more than a place like La Fourno could handle...

How big of a group are you looking to accommodate? For the last two years, La Fourno @ 6th & South has been VERY accomodating for a group of my friends for our holiday party, and on a Saturday night as well. They basically give us the entire upstairs (we're about 20 in number, but there's room in the upstairs for more than that) and let us run rampant/stay as long as we like (as long as some folks are still ordering drinks, which at least with my group is never a problem!) And for a group meal it's been excellent all around, with few complaints. This past year they gave us a deal for $35 a person (tip included) including 1 drink, salad, choice of 4 entrees, coffee & dessert--and we were able to add appetizers off their regular menu with no problem at all (god I love their grilled calamari). Just don't take our group's mid-December Saturday night.

Any chance you'd ever share that chili recipe here?

Budget, timing, and a slew of other reasons. We just did a NYC weekend a while ago, so...sticking close to home at this point. Thanks for the links to the other threads, though. I think we're leaning towards Tangerine or Buddakan at this point in time.

It kind of depends on the value of the GC. If it's big, I'd go to Barclay Prime or Buddakan. If it's not so big, I'd go to Parc. I would not go to Alma de Cuba, Jones, or Pod. ← It's for $100. Hoping to choose somewhere to use the GC for the food part of the bill, and then just have to cover our own on drinks & tip.

So, the fiance and I got a fairly ample gift certificate to any Starr Restaurant from a colleague, which is lovely but now we're trying to decide where to use it. We've both been to Continental many times, El Vez, and Morimoto, but figure we'd like to try something different. Just about any kind of food is good to us, so I'm wondering what others might recommend as the best & most enjoyable bang for the (in this case, mostly-free) buck.

I was bummed the last time I stopped in Capogiro that I was told they're no longer offering the single-scoop cones I enjoy their gelato but a lot of times even the smallest cup is too much/too rich for me, and a bit too expensive as well, especially these days. Wish they would bring the cones back. I used to love those for a mid-day sweet snack.

My pasta bible is Pasta: Every Way for Every Day by Anna Del Conte & Eric Treuille. It covers all the basics extremely well, and I like that they offer a lot of simple variations on most recipes to expand upon the flavors presented. A book I'd recommend for both novice and more experienced cooks; I probably use it at least once a week myself.

The fiance and I stopped in last weekend for the first time, after meaning to check out the space for a while. I'll admit, I was a little dubious at first -- though it had never been a great culinary experience, we had both been fond of the old Chaucers at that location as a cheap neighborhood hangout space, and the burgers there in the past had been some of our favorites in the city. So we both had to try the Windsor Burger, and an order of the onion rings (and some broccoli rabe to pretend to be healthy.) We started with the Cape May salts - lovely oysters, though I preferred mine plain with just lemon juice to their dipping sauce (maybe I'm weird but the only sauce I really like on good oysters is a nice hot cocktail sauce. Nothing fancy for me.) The burgers were as good as the raves lead me to suspect, and I liked the shoestring fries with them (though once cold they were pretty well inedible.) The onion rings were good but I could only manage about 2 of them as I think it was a bit more frying oil and batter than my system can handle in large quantities. I do think they should offer the onion rings as a substitute - even with a surcharge - for the fries with a burger. I overheard them not allowing another customer a substitute of fries for mashed potatoes or something similar, which seems a bit weird to me. Even with lofty aspirations, it's still "bar food". I don't see what harm there is in allowing starch substitutions when, if the place is as packed as it was when we were there, the food is all going to be flying out of the kitchen pretty quick. We also had one of the dessert specials of the night, which I can't recall much of beyond it involved peaches, crumbled pastry, and was pretty good. The total bill (with one beer and 3 house wines) was about $92 before tip, which did leave the fiance blinking a bit considering it was, well, burgers and fries. And we both went home and collapsed into a complete carb-and-meat-induced coma for the rest of the night. All in all, I'll definitely be interested in trying some of their other dishes, though it won't be quite the regular "place up the street" for us since we can pay the same or less and go, if we want, to one of the byobs in the neighborhood that we enjoy for food that won't quite have us passing out to digest afterwards. But the next time I get a serious, major craving for a burger, I probably know where I'll go...

"Greens with Envy" is the veggie mix with the edamame, spinach, and beans. Really, really good, a great simple base that I usually spice up with some olive oil and garlic. I keep a supply of the TJ's frozen veggie mixes in my freezer for quick side dishes when making a time-consuming main dish (or for a quick light meal). The Thai Green Beans, Balsamic Vegetables, Potato Medley, and this one with yellow and orange carrots & almonds are my favorites. I also like most of their Mexican frozen foods - the taquitos and burritos especially. I haven't been as crazy about their rice bowls (too bland, not enough meat or seafood) and other asian dishes. I also keep a supply of their flash frozen fish in my freezer for "emergency" meals. The way they're sealed, they really DO taste pretty fresh when prepared, and hold up better to long-term storage. Nice deal for the price, especially for making dishes like fish soup or stew.

To the best of my knowledge (from some conversations with the folks up the street on 20th), same owners as before after quite a few months of very quiet rennovations. So not surprised with the lack of real interpersonal skills.

Went to Bonefish for the first time last night (the one in Depford, NJ). I've actually had much better meals at the local Red Lobster. The Ceviche Martini appetizer they're pushing right now? OK ceviche, HORRIBLE tortilla chips served with it. Either soggy or terribly oversalted and overseasoned. My "ahi" tuna was cooked to my preference (just seared) but terribly cut - instead of a steak as I was expecting I got these big awkward-to-eat chunks that were chewy from tendons--one of the worst presented pieces of tuna I've ever seen. Bananas Foster dessert - great ice cream but overly sauced and too sweet otherwise. All in all quite disappointing for a meal for 2 that came out to over $100 with 2 drinks each. I won't be rushing back.

Yes, it really is that bad. At least nowadays. There was a time when they made a terrific Chili Shrimp, but then it got hit-or-miss, and now it's simply a miss. Square on Square is definitely a step above for the neighborhood. Jade Garden on 2200 block of South can be good but avoid the slow times of the day--best when busy and everything is getting a quick turnover. I remember really liking JoJo Place when it first opened (at 2000 Chestnut), but admit I haven't tried these in a long time and these places can change quickly, so who knows. For the most part I've just sworn off take-out Chinese in this city as it so rarely agrees with me after the fact...

I was sorry to get an email announcement yesterday that Astral Plane has closed for good, and their building is up for sale. While the service could be (extremely) spotty (especially during brunch) and the food perhaps not cutting edge these days, I will always have very fond memories of the place and some of the great times I had there. My sweetie and I had one of our first dates at Astral Plane and it's still one of the most romantic evenings I can remember. Anyway, here's the text of the announcement...

I like Cafe Habana most of the time, though the service is unpredictable (generally good on busy nights, spotty on slow nights). La Castagne was good the one night I went, but pricey. A few more unusual dishes including a chestnut pasta I remember being excellent. Porcini - zero atmosphere, cramped, but I liked the food. Limited fairly traditional Italian menu. Fuji Mountain - decent, fairly standard Japanese. I much prefer the rolls at Sushi on the Square, though (20th & Locust). No too far from Snackbar (20th & Rittenhouse) for something more adventurous

Had them there last night. They were tasty - nice, small delicate mussels (no grit or sand in sight) in some kind of super light "white beer"(?) broth. Served with excellent dipping bread that I could have easily eaten a loaf of by itself. I wouldn't say, though, that it was the most memorable or spetacular mussels I've ever had -- the broth was so delicate in flavor to almost make me crave a little extra something. But I'd go back to have some more of that bread anytime.

My grandmother always stays at the Rittenhouse when she comes to visit and loves it there--it's her big treat once or twice a year. The rooms are quite gorgeous and spacious and the service great. She never ate there, though, except for room service breakfast which only got a mediocre review from her. But the nice thing about there, or any of the other hotels in the Rittenhouse Square area, is that there are tons of wonderful restaurants all within walking distance, no matter what your prefernce in style, food, BYOB vs. interesting wine lists, etc. I'd say your best bet is to simply read through the many restaurant threads here and see what strikes your fancy. Some of us would argue (forever, I'm sure), that Vietnam Palace is better...

I've become a big TJ's fan of late, especially -- gasp! -- their frozen food products. When I need a quick lunch fix, I love their chicken enchiladas or grilled vegetable burritos; the egg rolls are better tasting and far less greasy than from my local takeout place; the coconut chicken stixs and shu mai are great party food when I have friends over. I also like the quesadillas...7 minutes in the oven and I'm set to go. And for the record, I'm not one of these folks who just pops all her food in the microwave...I cook dinner with family or the SO at least 5-6 nights a week, mostly using fresh ingredients from my local produce stand, Reading Terminal Market, Whole Foods...whichever place gives me the best quality for what I need to cook with. But even then, some nights if I've just spend 2 hours putting together a stuffed pork roast from scratch, it's nice to be able to grab a bag of TJ's great Balsamic Grilled Vegetables for on the side. TJ's are about the only frozen veggies and fruits I'll use, they're so much better than the standard supermarket brands and I feel no shame serving them In my house we've been eating a lot better and spending a lot less each week since discovering TJs, so...no complaints from me about them (except the frozen rice bowls...ick...about the only thing I've had from there that I really *haven't* liked at all.)