Kobi

Jeff, I graduated a couple years ago, but a few options: 1- The Crepes inside Houston Hall. On the corner of 34th and Spruce. Great, cheap, quick, fresh. 2- Bejing. 38th and Spruce. This may have been the product of being a college student, but I have VERY fond memories of the fresh, (very quick), tasty chinese food. Always packed at lunch and they definitely hurry you out. 3- Tony Luke's. 38th and Spruce. Haven't been to the Penn outpost, but it is an obvious consideration. 4- Greek Lady. 40th and Locust. Used to be (still is also?) a cart with very popular sandwiches. 5- Hemo's Cart. 37th and Spruce. Awesome grilled chicken sandwiches. Ask for extra Hemo's sauce. - KOBI

Daniel: Where else did you eat this weekend? I vaguely remember some discussion- Morimoto, perhaps? Happy New Year, - KOBI

Had an (as always) standout trip to Rutt's last night. I am from one of those "families who have been going to Rutt's for three generations" crews, so I have been indoctrinated with all that is Rutt's for a long, long time. The place never dissapoints, neither in food nor ambiance. This trip I had two rippers, both with mustard and the amazing home made relish, and we split chili, onion rings and fries with brown gravy. An awesome dinner, as always. Pictures to follow (taken on cell phone, sorry). - KOBI

Bob, I thought it had more of a poetic ring than "Maurice Cheeks and Andrew Toney." - KOBI

Had a great dinner at Pod last night. Sorry about the weak picture quality, I only had a disposable camera with me. Appetizers ----------------------- *Pod Caesar* One of my favorite caesar salads. Very basic, but very good. Romaine lettuce, great wonton crisps and a fantastic dressing. The dressing has much "more to it" than most and the added kick is welcome. If someone was going to Pod for the first time it wouldn't be on the top of my list to reccomend, but it is an old-stand by for me and my family. *Tempura Vegetables* This, however, would be at the top of my reccomendation list. An awesome, fresh, light dish that is the perfect appetizer. Comes with two sauces that mesh together perfectly (we usually add a little soy sauce, too) and a variety of vegetables. They are very lightly battered and done just right. Side ----------------------- *Bok Choy* Another dish that wouldn't be at the top of my reccomendation list, but definitely complements everything else well. Wok roasted with a garlic sauce, I actually think it could stand to be a little more strongly seasoned. A nice, solid side dish. Main Courses ------------------------------ *Crab pad thai* A fantastic dish. The presentation isn't as flowery or exciting as some of the other main courses (not sure how pad thai could be) but the end result certainly is. Not a huge fan of crab myself, I still enjoyed this dish, as the rest of it was not at all overpowered. An average sized portion, but very filling (as pad thai generally is). A certain crowd pleaser. *Sesame Crusted Tuna* This was eaten more by my companions as I'm not a huge seafood fan, but I did try and enjoy it. Served with wasabi sushi rice and tempura asparagus. We order it cooked through (and somewhat, gasp, dry) so don't be alarmed by how well done it looks in the pictures. *Wasabi Crusted Filet Mignon* The crown jewel of the meal. One of my favorite dishes, at any restaurant. Period. The wasabi mashed potatoes and filet mignon compliment each other like Clyde Frazier and Earl Monroe, and the presentation is infallible. The filet was ordered medium and probably came out more towards medium rare, but it was perfect. I could eat this dish every night and not get tired of it. Highly, highly reccomended. Capped off by a Big Five game in the Palestra, a great night in Philly was had by all. - KOBI

Breakfast this morning was a great cup of coffee from Blue Spoon Coffee (Chambers and Broadway, NY NY) followed up by a chocolate/peanut butter brownie which was tremendous (sorry for the lack of picture quality, it was with a camera phone): Whole Brownie Bite Shot A great brownie from a promising chef/baker that I work with. - KOBI

Amazing looking meal, Daniel. What was the prep time (if you can even guess)? Do you have any particular tips for scrimping on costs... it looks/feels like this would be an expensive meal? Thanks! KOBI

Daniel we eagerly await the results of your dinner... hope everything went well! - KOBI

She ended up going to Budakhan and loved it, especially the "chocolate box" which she had for dessert. Thanks again everyone. - KOBI

Looks like she settled on Buddakhan... thanks so much for all the help everyone, and I will certainly report back. Thanks again, KOBI

A friend at work from NYC is going down to Philly next wkend to go out to dinner with her boyfriend. They have a gift certificate to any Stephen Starr place. I have been to: Pod, Buddakhan, Jones, Continentals, Alma de Cuba, El Vez. Out of what I have been to, I reccomended Pod or Buddakhan. Money isn't really an issue, as they have a large stipend going in, what would you recommend? I was tempted to blindly suggest Morimoto, but never having been there was somewhat hesitant. They love all kinds of food, want something mildly romantic, and are definitely adventorous eaters. I tried to push a Whiz Wit from Pat's, but it didn't fly. Thanks so much in advance. - KOBI

GREAT Greek place in North Jersey: The Greek Village in Northvale, NJ. 211 Livingston Street, Northvale NJ 201-750-8570 Everything we have had has been phenomenal, but we usually keep it pretty simple with Greek Salads, regular salads, tzatiki and saginaki. - KOBI

Rich: Freta's is a food cart in front of the venerable Palestra on 33rd street. Not a particularly great cheesesteak, but one of my favorite carts- the meatball hero is awesome (ask for hot peppers and extra sauce). The chicken cheesesteak is better than the original, as I personally often find when the meat/chicken is chopped. Next time down I am definitely going to Grey Lodge- it is a cheesesteak or just a steak sandwich? Thanks!! KOBI

Off the top of my head: Pat's, Geno's, Rick's, Steve's, Jim's, D'allesandro's, Abner's, Tony Luke's, Freta's, numerous food carts. In NYC, Carl's, Tony Luke's, and BB sandwich bar. Didn't really like D'allesandro's, liked Jim's only for the atmosphere, so I am certainly a "sliced meat" guy. Otherwise my quick list would be something like: 1) Pat's, 2) Steve's, 3) Rick's, 4) Geno's, 5) Tony Luke's then the others.... - KOBI

Has anyone ever had anything particularly noteworth at "By George," the Italian prepared foods and pizza stand? Everything always looks great, I have never gotten around to going, though. Thanks! KOBI

While I don't know if my stomach will be forgiving me any time soon, I had a great trip to Philly over the last two days. Left Friday morning and returned Saturday night, so it was brief... but bountiful. I took pictures every step of the way. As best I remember it: Friday PM Steve's Prince of Steaks (7200 Bustleton Ave, Philadelphia PA) Had a Provolone/whiz with. Was VERY good.... will probably, however, be my last time having one with two cheeses. As much as I enjoy it, the cheese certainly (and predictably) overpowers the rest of the steak. Love the hot pepper bar and the options it affords. Overall a great steak, very well done meat, great roll, perfectly grilled onions... the only mis-steak was in the order. Friday Night Lolita (BYOB, 13th and Sansom) Was planning to go to El Vez, but it was too crowded so I ended up at Lolita. Had one of the house specials- I don't remember the exact description, but it was filet tips, with a mildly spicy garlic sauce, rice, beans, and other assorted vegetables served with four tortillas, guacamole and a pasty salsa. A very good dish if a little too adventorous- I would have enjoyed it more without the rice and beans, but the flavors all worked well together. A great, fun, loud, exciting place to eat. Saturday Morning La Colombe (18th and Sansom) A great capucinno to start the day. What more can be said about this place than hasn't already been shared? It is a truly special coffee house... just the right amount of pretention, great coffee, a good crowd and fair prices. One of my favorite stops in Philly. Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch) No where I have been compares, even remotely, to RTM. The only challenging part is figuring out where to eat, so I sampled a couple spots. The roast beef from DiNic's is always one of my favorites... I like it more than the roast pork (which I find a little, gasp, bland) and have yet to try the brisket. I apply the horseradish sauce and hot peppers pretty aggresively but the meat never gets overpowered. I then washed it down with a pretzel from Fisher's, with a little mustard for good measure. Saturday Night On my way out of the city, I stopped at the epicenter of all that is good about food: Pat's Cheesesteaks (9th and Passyunk). I know it is taboo to call Pat's the best in the city, but I have sampled them most and would argue until I was blue in the face that they are. Tonight was no exception, as my whiz with onions was as close to perfection as it gets. I would write more, but I am getting too hungry just thinking about it. Overall, a great eating weekend in Philly. I would certainly go back to Lolita, but this time with a group, and the other places are all old time standy slam dunks. A great weekend!!! - KOBI

It was a great day.... we have been to: Di Fara, Lombardi's (NYC and Philly), John's (multiple locations), Grimaldi's, L&B, Totonno's (UES and the original). Next up are Una Pizza Neopolitana, Patsy's and Denino's. - KOBI

Great report, Duke, thanks for sharing.

The old place was called "tea time." They had okay enough food, and it was relatively cheap for the area. They were always open and closed randomly, and would occasionally be packed and occasionally desolate. BSCoffee is not run by the same people, but is in the same spot. Hopefully they will find a much better result. thanks, KOBI

Sign outside of BSC says they will start serving H & H toasted bagels soon, FYI. Another reason to stop in. Kobi

Had a VERY good dinner at G and S tonight. Went with two others. Tried to get a 7 pm reservation, but all available was before 6 or after 9 (i called earlier today). For appetizers we had yin yang rolls and steamed panstickers. Both were very good, and the yin yang rolls are a novel idea and present themselves beautifully. For entrees we split pad thai (fantastic), crab cakes (above average) and pan roasted beef triangle steak (Very good). We got the pad thai with beef, which was great. A large portion, it will definitely be on the table next time I dine there (and there certainly will be a next time). A few observations. First, the dessert menu sounds great, and everything save for the ice cream is made fresh daily on premises. Second, they have a 25% off deal going on take out, which would be a steal. The ambiance was great, although I think the flat screen TVs are a little over the top. Overall, a great meal for 80 dollars including tip (also had a pot of tea). Looking forward to my next visit. PS- the service was fine, even though the waiter forgot to tell us the specials. He was VERY nice and the staff was very attentive and we had a couple people ask us about our meal on the way out.

I don't, and I am not sure if they do (but I think so, as they have lattes and such). Next time I am in I will certainly check. - KOBI

Opened within the last few weeks, Blue Spoon Coffee (on Chambers St. b/w Church and Broadway) is a true find. A small place still seemingly finding its legs, they have GREAT coffee (I am always thrilled to walk past DD and Starbucks on my way to work while enjoying a cup from Blue Spoon) and a great ambiance. I have yet to try any of the food, but all the baked goods look great and I have heard the soup is worth a visit. Add in free wireless internet, a very quaint feel, and a cool story to boot (google the name and the first result is the story, which basically amounts to a 26 year old girl and her two brothers coming up to NYC to open the place up), and BSC has quickly turned into one of my favorite spots in the area. - Kobi

Kosher Nosh in Glen Rock is very good and very popular. (www.koshernosh.com) I personally like their hot brisket with gravy, but also occasionally have a hot dog and sauerkraut, and they have very good catering available for small-ish parties. let me know if you have questions, Kobi

great post, GAF.