urbanfabric

Heard today that Hausbrandt is opening up a second Philly location in the Widener Building, presumably in the old "Mum's & Pop's". South Penn Square and Juniper St. South side of City Hall. As I work in the Widener Bldg, it is excellent news for me!

Those pics are making my mouth water! It's not even 9am and I could totally go for some of that Fundido! This morning, around 7:20am, I walked by "grocery" (the prepared foods/gourmet grocery stores being opened by Valerie & Marcie of Open House and Lolita at 13th and Chestnut) and it looked like they might be opening today... I'm hoping for some Lolita eats to go!

My fiance and I also had the wonderful pleasure of a lovely summer afternoon lunch at the bar on Friday. It was great to meet both Katie and Holly! We also laughed about feeling like kids at the adult table. When I arrived, my fiance was already there; I sat to his left and then decided I wanted to be a little taller, so I moved around to his right. It was funny to watch Holly come in and spend a little time deciding where to sit too! I also agree that Katie's sangria blanco was the perfect drink for the afternoon! We decided to get a mix of cured meats, a plate of manchego cheese, and, of course, we couldn't resist the fried baby anchovies. Those baby anchovies are seriously tasty. I could eat baskets of those! Thanks for a great afternoon, Katie! Before my month of "half-day" fridays is up, I'm hoping to make it back!

Well, I went to Good Dog, GOOD DOG Winner 2005 Special: Happy Hour $2 (half price) local microbrews Well, the "microbrew special" wasn't during their regularly scheduled happy hour time, but rather from 7-9. I would have stuck around until 7, except that it was about 130 degrees in there.

Had a wonderful corn vichyssoise with warm foie gras at Marigold last night. It was incredible smooth and delicious. Maybe corn's not exactly what you're looking for, but it's really tasty. We went for the Ucity "dining days" and it was an amazing meal for $30/3 courses. My SO wore jeans, many folks were dressed fairly casually/summer-y because of the heat.

Because, unless they can change the smell of that store, there's really no point in adding products. If you shop there you know what I mean, right? There are some days it really just smells like dirty diapers. In the produce section. If I were going to make changes to that store, I would start with: 1. making it smell better 2. ending the practice of refilling the empty lemon and lime baskets with those plastic containers of lemon and lime juice that are shaped like the fruits. 3. requiring that cashiers stop yelling at each other and start making eye contact with and greeting customers... the first words out of their mouths shouldn't be "debit or credit?!"

Of course it's not a personal attack... it's the internet, you can't even reach me from where you're sitting! I entirely realize that my efforts aren't very noble at all, because why pick food... right? I could decide that I'm only buying local furniture from local trees and local furniture makers and not from Ikea... but I really don't buy that much furniture. And, you're right about the car, but I don't own one of those. You're right, people don't have a clue where their food comes from.... or where anything comes from. And, that's what scares me. I think it's important that we are able to keep farming a viable profession... otherwise, what's to stop them from selling it to someone who thinks that paving it over isn't a big deal. I think that if a "buy local" campaign makes local farmers competitive with large companies, then it is a good thing. Does it make their produce necessarily "better", no. Does it solve the world's problems, no.

I don't think that I view buying local as anti-industrialism... I think that the density (and buying power) of the urban center is critical to the urban-rural relationship. My worry is that we aren't paying the full cost of our purchasing and land use practices and will be burdened with them in the future. I do take some issue with some suburban development because it is often a practice of short-sighted land use and transportation planning. You don't have to be a "new urbanist" to think that people should lessen their dependency on cars... there are a lot more ideals that come with that label. If anything maybe the "buy local" campaign is anti-globalization... just because we can get things cheaper from [fill in developing nation here], is that the really the best choice? Things are cheaper at Walmart, at the expense of the companies it's putting out of business and the children of the employees without health insurance. So, what's the point of a community having access to cheaper goods when it may just mean that its residents are pushed further into poverty? In some ways I think the "buy organic" movement was anti-industrialism... but now some of those organic companies are enormous!

I agree that the "buy local" movement is often muddled with a "buy organic" movement or a "buy from small farmers" movement or a "buy expensive/better" movement... Okay, now I'm just making stuff up. (And, now that Walmart has jumped on the "organic" truck, it's all making it even more confusing.) One reason that I like to buy local because it looks at a bigger picture. I'm paying for the product (and whatever profit is built in) and minimal shipping costs. I'm not paying for jet fuel to bring my baby organic micro whatever greens from California or diesel fuel to bring some similarly coddled product from North Dakota, and therefore, in theory, will not have to pay the future cost of this country using too much fuel today. What does this have to do with food? I don't know, mabye it doesn't. But I'm an urban planner, not a chef.

The red sangria was so fabulous... the cinnamon made it out of this world! I will try to try the white next time. We went a few weeks ago. I haven't stopped thinking about the fried anchovies with the (quail?) egg on top and the montaditos... oh, the montaditos. What a comfortable and welcoming place. I liked that everyone was busy checking out everyone else's table to see what to order. We weren't planning on the ordering lamb until it arrived at the table next to us. I think a lunch at the bar is next for us, but we'll have to figure out how to sneak away from work and not come back!

I've found that grabbing a slice at Lazaro's is a lot different than having them deliver a pie... a slice will be twice-baked (and crispy) and a pie only once (and floppy). A delicious modification: have them deliver a pie, toss on some arugula and throw the whole thing in the oven. Yum. Someone mentioned Towne Pizza... entirely different, much doughier, fresh toppings (mushrooms, spinach, etc), and a great sauce with a bit of a spice. Used to run around the corner when I first moved to Philly, and pick it up myself. When we moved EOB (east of Broad), we tried the around the corner places, and then decided it was worth it to have it delivered from Towne. A pizza competition? What a fabulous idea!

A Philly dive bar with excellent food... Tritone. I wouldn't call it a gastropub (ala Royal Tavern, Standard Tap, etc), but a really great dive bar with cheap, phenomenal eats: fried pickles, gumbo, grilled gator, mac and cheese, and fried candy bars for dessert! Because it doesn't open until 5pm and there's usually some sort of crazy rock and roll that starts around 9, most people would never think that there were good, inexpensive eats to be had. Plus it has the added benefit of serving "the special" (also served across the street at Bob & Barbara's), a shot of jim beam and a can of PBR for $3! Best of luck with the show!

Hiked down to the Cantina last night for dinner. We are big fans and fairly regular diners of the Royal Tavern, so I think we expected a lot. The margaritas, guac and salsas (fiesta) were really excellent. Slow service we should be used to from going to the Royal, but it was really slow service. Pleasant, though. I don't know if it was a function of the actual servers being slow or new, or the kitchen and bar being overwhelmed. As we were waiting for our pitcher of margaritas, I decided that it would have been much easier to sit there and wait for our margaritas if we had margaritas while we were waiting. Apps came out first, followed by drinks, followed by a long wait for entrees. Next time we go back, I think we'll try more of the apps and salads, the entrees were tasty, but not spectacular as we expected from the quality of food at the Royal. I thought the mole was a little thin and was a little underwhelmed by the other entrees. Maybe over time they will bring on a few "specials" each evening? I'd go back to try those. I liked the feel of the place, the tables along the street, and mismatched chairs, it definitely gave it a lived in, less "brand new" atmosphere. The mismatched glasses and silverware were a fun touch, but the fact that a few of us ended up with tiny dessert forks instead of dinner forks seemed odd. Now, if they could move the place a few blocks closer to my apartment, I would settle in as a bar regular. A few margaritas, some guac and maybe some of those beef empanadas that everyone mentioned over a long evening would be ideal. If they could keep my glass full, I would never care how long the food took.

Last time I went, Morton's had discountinued their $5 martinis on Thursdays. They still had the free sandwiches, though... but it wasn't the big bargain that it used to be!

Once I saw that Tria is serving the Kaiken Malbec, I figured my chances of ever finding it in the (Philly) 12xx Chestnut Street super store again were gone forever. Oh, and I'm pretty sure they're selling it for $8/glass at Tria. Speaking of the super store... does anyone know what's going on there? The space that used to be crowded with Chairman's selections is virtually bare and even the shelves of wine have been looking sparse for the last couple of months.

Stopped in the 13th Street location today for a sandwich and tried a spoonful of the champagne mango sorbetto. It was heavenly. Not too sweet, very creamy! Get it while the champagne mangos are in season!

Like I said, we'll definitely be back.

After all the rave reviews, my SO and I stopped in on Friday after work. We tried to sit at the bar, but an overzealous hostess zipped us to a two-top in the back of the empty elevated section. Oh well, it was quiet... The space is sharp, very well designed... it looks like there's a door to an outdoor area, will that be an outdoor dining space any time soon? I thought the service was great! Our server was friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgable. We were extremely impressed not only with the selection of sake, but also the descriptions, it made it really easy to select something to our taste. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the gyoza... it seems silly to say that ours didn't look like the picture, but they were undercooked/gummy around the seal, and positively charred on the bottom. The sushi was another story. It was really remarkable. We just had a small sampling of ala carte pieces, octopus, snapper, sea scallop, salmon roe, and they were all fantastic! The sea scallop was the best we've ever had! So, we'll definitely be back for more sushi and to try some of the other small dishes... I can't wait for the lunch time hours, it will be a great place for lunch on the company!

I suspect there are a lot of great places even closer than the City Hall stop. I'm no expert on South Philly, but there are definitely places near the first three stops away from the stadiums. L'Angolo comes to mind, as does Tre Scalini. Both are BYOB, I believe, if that makes a difference to you. L'Angolo: 1415 W Porter St, Philadelphia, 19145 - (215) 389-4252 (Oregon Avenue station) Tre Scalini: 1533 S 11th St, Philadelphia, 19147 - (215) 551-3870 (Tasker-Morris station)

My fiance and I ate at Lacroix for our anniversary this past Saturday (not a restaurant week night). It was unbelievable. Far surpassed any other dining experience in my life. We went last time around for Restaurant Week and were impressed, but this experience was ten times better. We both had three plates and a cheese plate.... I'll do my best to describe, but this is my first post to eGullet, so pardon me if I break any unwritten rules of the board: I started with a scallop "ravioli", thin slices of scallop used in place of ravioli sheets, stuffed with some type of shellfish, squash and paddlefish roe. Really unusual taste, good, but you wouldn't want a plate much larger. It was intense. My fiance started with a raw trout dish (I really wished I'd taken notes or pictures), that focused on three cubes of raw fish topped with roe. Melted in your mouth. Next up for me was the slow-cooked halibut, encrusted with nuts, on a bed of veal sweetbreads. The sweetbreads were first for me and so tasty. The fish was cooked perfectly. Translucent, almost opaque, but not overcooked or too flaky. My fiance had the scallop ravioli for his second plate. My third plate was the wild boar, mashed purple potatoes, and mushrooms (earthy, hearty, not shittakes or criminis, not sure what they were). I expected the boar to be game-y, but it was really mild... the mushrooms made the dish more earthy than the boar. My fiance's third dish was the rabbit. Chunks of tender rabbit in a salty glaze. Wonderful. We both finished with a cheese plate (could have gotten away with sharing one, but we love cheese almost as much as we love each other). We were allowed to select 4-5 cheeses from a board of about 15. They had a good selection, heavy on the goat, but I love it, so I didn't mind. Cheeses were served with more crusty bread slices, water crackers, and a tray of mashes of quince and pear, and a little bit of wild flower honey. I was in HEAVEN. The person who served our cheeses was very knowledgable and friendly. Overall the service was impeccable. Polite, but not pretentious. Friendly and attentive, but not obtrusive. Chef Lacroix came out to greet us and was extremely welcoming. After the cheese were the included desserts. We were stuffed, but managed a little room for dark chocolate ice cream (me) and pinapple-cilantro sorbet (him). Because we had told them it was our anniversary, we also received a tiny chocolate cake with fondant icing to replicate a tiffany box and the words "happy anniversary" written in chocolate across the plate. As if that weren't enough, we also received a small tray with three types of little chocolates and gummy candies. Too much! After over three hours of dining, we slowly made our way out to the square. If we can ever afford it again, we'll definitely be back.