jm chen

Soft pretzel at Fisher's, definitely. I think they also have mini pretzel dogs. Tasty. I've not had a problem with lardy/bland/Crisco icing at Flying Monkey, but they usually ask if I'm eating it right away, and if so, they offer to pop it in the microwave for a couple seconds to take the chill off. And different flavors have different types of icing (buttercream vs. cream cheese vs. other), so it can vary from cupcake to cupcake. YMMV. I've never been to Tria for lunch so I don't know how crowded it is then, but it is most certainly casual. Not a "meal" kind of a place. A "let's try the Brie/Allagash/cherry crostini and a glass of the '89 Vouvray, then maybe some tete de moine, a Bluebird Bitter, how's the truffled egg toast?" kind of a place.

RTM-wise, the corned beef sandwich at Herschel's is outrageously good. I can't think of anything else unmissable (like the DiNic's pork) but the cupcakes from Flying Monkey, the turkey sandwich at Original Turkey, the hoagies at Salumeria, and ice cream at Bassett's are all strong choices. It's brunch at Kanella on the weekends, but from the menu I looked at yesterday, we're not talking pancakes and eggs benedict or anything. Some sandwiches and flatbreads in addition to fish, sausage, meat options. I'd still go to Tria. Is Distrito open for lunch on Saturdays? They're near Penn, brand new, and getting more buzz than anybody else except Parc.

The lunch menu is shorter but I think it's a subset of the dinner base: sausages, dips, rabbit, fish. Plus an egg dish I didn't look too closely at since I don't like egg dishes. I walk by all the time since it's in my neighborhood, but I've only been in for dinner once. And that rabbit stew is indeed lovely (if a little sweet), as are the sausages.

If you want a full meal go to Kanella. If you want to experience Philly go to the Italian Market and have a Sarcone's hoagie followed by tacos al pastor at Taqueria La Puebla (someone correct me on the name if needed). If you want to nibble and sip in a cheese-intensive environment, go to Tria. Plenty of good options. It just depends on what you want. [edited to add: CPF is 5-ish blocks for Kanella, 2 for Tria, too far from Italian Market but they do have another gelateria down there]

Dude. Looks like I better get down there and expand my Sarcone's horizons.

That article read like it was slapped together on a deadline to fill half a page. Especially the lame conclusion. "Like small food? Try dim sum!" Ignoring tapas, omakase, the entire existence of tasting menus... the mind boggles.

It's unfortunate that the incident left you feeling maligned, but I think it's not an unusual policy, and I wouldn't feel personally dissed if it happened to me. Surprised. Annoyed. But not dissed. I would have shrugged and tried my luck at Otto. And good on you for contacting the manager immediately, by the way. So many times people have complaints or want clarification and never let the restaurant know.

I wasn't paying close attention -- we were catching up with family friends while one of our party took responsibility for the ordering -- but between the standing in line to order part and the waiting for the food to be ready after that part, it had to be at least an hour, maybe an hour and a half. Again, this was Saturday night around 8, so I imagine other times might be less crazy.

Ate at the Lobster Pool a few days ago and thought it was outrageously good. Lobster, lobster bisque, onion rings were all great, and the person in my party with the lobster roll seemed content too. Loooooong wait, but it was Saturday night, so what can ya do. All I can tell you about the fried clams is that the serving size is absurdly large. Also had a great breakfast at The Greenery... Rockport @ Bearskin Neck? If you don't get enough seafood in your other daily meals their lobster omelet and crab frittata got raves from my fellow breakfasters.

It's not as much food as it sounds like -- a Double Stack consists of a 'shroom and a patty. So I suspect Brian's meal was just that, plus a custard. (Not that it's diet food, of course!) I find it confusing that a Double Stack is smaller than a Shack Stack, what with being called "double". But if I'm remembering right the Shack Stack is a 'shroom and two patties. Waits were 45 minutes the last two times I went (a Friday at 7, July 4th at 4) but well worth it. Though I'm sad the salted caramel custard is not among this month's flavors. Maybe I'll just order a caramel shake and salt it myself.

Interesting -- the other day, I had both (along with Otto's -- it was a busy day, gelato-wise) and agree that the styles are really different, but I felt it was the other way around. I found Grom richer and more ice-cream-like. It was also served substantially colder than Il Lab's, which made the chocolate chips in the Crema de Grom & stracciatella hard to the tooth and not all that flavorful. Suppose I should have waited and let them get warm but I was in a rush. I wish Il Lab had a slightly larger selection (and some way to see the day's flavors before you're all the way at the front of the line) but all told, especially at $3.25 for a small, I'll stick with them over Grom.

Just called to confirm: sounds like they are open tomorrow and the rest of the weekend per usual. T minus 60...

The sea salt is particularly tasty with the cioccolato scuro. Or something nutty and something sweet, if you're investing in a medium. The online flavor report is nice, but not 100% accurate. I have been disappointed a few times to find they don't have salted almond, or Mexican chocolate, or whatever I'm in the mood for. And the 13th street location is using those tiny, messy fluted cups again for the smalls. On the upside: mmm, Single Malt Scotch gelato. It's worth noting that the polenta budino at Osteria is served cold. Or at least I hope it is, because the one I ate sure was!

You know what you need at this point? More options! #1 cheesehead destination in Philly isTria. The 18th & Sansom location is open for lunch during the week and on Saturdays. (Capogiro Proximity Factor: 2 blocks.) Sandwiches (w/cheese) and salads (w/cheese) and cheese (w/condiments). Amada and Tinto are only open for lunch on weekdays. Osteria lunch is Thursdays and Fridays from 11:30 to 2 according to their website. Somehow this is turning into a story problem.

There is no sandwich in America I would rather eat than a Sarcone's Special hoagie. That said, I wouldn't order their antipasto, because it's the bread that makes the sandwich a star.

Not in my opinion. But you could then consider Osteria. Though personally, if this is a Taste Philadelphia trip, I think you need a BYO. Wait, four dinners? Yeah, Vetri, Tinto, Osteria/Cochon/Ansill (haven't been to Cochon or Ansill so can't vouch) and then Matyson if day 4 is a Monday. Their tasting menu is only available Monday-Thursday. It's hardly shabby on other nights, but the tasting menu is a step up. If you're adding a Sunday, I hear the brunch at Lacroix at the Rittenhouse is pretty incredible. Though I'm not sure it leaves a person hungry for dinner. Brunch at Lacroix and then a 10pm pizza at Osteria, maybe? I get so hungry reading this thread.

The "grand tasting" was what we had where we picked some of the dishes and let others be surprises. We were there on a Monday, I think. I did the full wine pairing and my +1, who had somewhere to be early the next day, just asked the sommelier to spread the equivalent of two or three glasses of wine across the whole meal. The only thing I found mildly disappointing was the dessert, and that might have just been palate fatigue. And I'm not generally a foie fan, but the foie gras pastrami is a very unusual (cold, cured) preparation so that was the biggest surprise of the evening for me. Anyway, can't wait for the report.

Is it open yet? No. Then why am I writing about it? Because they served two dishes at the Great Chefs event on Wednesday, and both were SO good, and now I'm counting the days til it does open. Oxtail tacos with radish and cotija, a well-done example of a classic. More unusual was a corn-in-a-plastic-cone dish, based on the traditional street-food preparation of corn on the cob, with mayo, cheese, chili, and lime. They changed up the proportions, took the corn off the cob (and grilled it, judging by the char marks), and layered it in a kind of parfait, served with a spoon. So good you had to up-end the plastic cone to drink the last drops. As a fan of the other Jose Garces places, really looking forward to this one.

But if you can't get into Babbo, Lupa is a very respectable alternative. (Avoid the saltimbocca.)

Alma de Cuba has a private room or two or three. Very close to Susanna Foo geographically.

Honeysuckle, pignoli, sea salt.

Christos' cart at 20th & Market. Grilled chicken, falafel, whatever else he feels like, $8 per platter. Lunchtime, most days. Come at 11:45 or prepare to wait.

I haven't been to Tinto since it expanded, but pre-expansion, they had a downstairs room that was nice and quiet. The main floor was indeed somewhat noisy. Anyone with more recent experience? In the tapas vs. tapas throwdown, I definitely prefer Tinto (like philadining said, just a little more unusual, e.g. a pyramid of potatoes w/a La Peral cheese sauce instead of straight up patatas bravas) to Amada. Also, it's worth repeating once more: Capogiro? Across the street. Amada is about 10 blocks from the Capogiro 13th St location. Zahav, about the same. James and Cochon, farther away.

Throwing a touch more complexity into the mix -- you could, for a Philly experience, head down to the Italian Market midday instead of RTM, or maybe do so before you leave on Sunday. The Sarcone's Special hoagie is tied neck-and-neck with DiNic's roast pork as far as I'm concerned. Very different, very good. Vetri and Osteria aren't supersimilar, exactly, but I think you'd be doing Philly a disservice not to cast the net a little wider.

I applaud your decision. Tinto is right across the street from the 20th & Sansom Capogiro... certainly some of the best food in the city. Duck montadito is a can't-miss. Besides RTM (roast pork at DiNic's, rabe, provolone) the other thing that says Philly to me is the small-delicious-unstuffy BYOB scene. Which you could enjoy at Matyson - which, like Tinto, is not far from the 20th Street Capogiro. Food is modern American. Unfortunately they don't have their tasting menus on weekends but the food's inventive and enjoyable. Good luck with Vetri. It is indeed outrageously good.