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Everything posted by Bluehensfan
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iirc, that's been done before, so it's not a trial balloon. ← RTM always tries to be accomodating during the Flower Show week. They have been open on Sundays during the Flower Show for at least the past few years now, as it is a real money-maker for the market (and a real headache for market regulars like myself). I wonder what sights I will witness this year. Last year featured a couple of 70+ year-olders deciding that they did not want to wait in line for a particular sit-down restaurant. They just skipped the line entirely, plopped their padded behinds down and refused to vacate their spots when management (no doubt prompted by the many annoyed customers who had waited) pointed them out. Interestingly enough, the old folks still refused to get up when their error was pointed out, as their response was merely that they "didn't feel like waiting." Perhaps SEPTA will offer a Bouquet Pass for these folks to another state this year...I'd chip in a few bucks!
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Reliable sources tell me that, if they're not hot, those donuts are nothing special. But you know, I'll give them a try and report back... ← Although everyone and their brother raves about the hot donuts that Beiler's cranks out for the Pennsylvania Dutch Festival, I am not a fan of them. To me they taste like downing hot shots of lard, so that probably explains my preference for the cold variety. Lately Beiler's has also been stocking munchkin-like holes (that are not made in-house) at the top of the counter. I tried some apple cider ones but was not all that thrilled with them.
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Termini's used to make great cream filled donuts but they nave not made them (nor the cinnamon buns or danishes unfortunately) in the past few years. The donuts at Beiler's in Reading Terminal are pretty good and they have great pumpkin ones at that time of year. Personally I miss the munchkin-type things at Lil' Spot!
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Estia has great Greek cuisine in a lovely setting. Make sure to try the fresh fish by the pound (it can get pricy so beware!) and the grilled octpous. http://www.estiaestiatorio.com/home.htm There are a few middle eastern places in Philly but I have never been to them. There is a poorly reviewed Portuguese restaurant in the Old City section of town that I'd probably steer clear of. As far as spanish options, Amada and Tinto should probably fit the bill. The former of the two has flamenco dancers one night. I'd third (are we up to three?) the recommendations for Reading Terminal Market, especially the sandwich at DiNic's (which is also great with broccoli rabe). They also have great pancakes at the market at the Dutch Eating Place from Weds through Sat. Finally, a unique Philly treat is the Naked Chocolate Cafe. Great Aztec hot chocolate... http://www.nakedchocolatecafe.com/
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thanks for the recommendation. I will be near there Tuesday and will give them a try. I am a big fan of Fat Jack's beef ribs - does Sunset do beef ribs, or pork only? ← They only do pork spare ribs, but the racks are nice size. ← I tried Sunset today and was underwhelmed. The ribs were unseasoned, had no smoke flavor (they barely had any pork flavor) and were gray in appearance. ← I'm not at all surprised seeing the state of dining in the First State. At least you lived to tell your tale, seeing where the place is located!
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All this is certainly disappointing to hear. Yet, I've eaten there twice in the last six months and did not encounter any of the problems GordonCooks specifies. Still, Gordon Cooks' experience indicates a clear problem with consistency, and that's a serious issue. Bluehensfan's snide and untrue remark about the Down Home Diner "keeping the health department busy" has been shown before to be not based in fact. Since the poster's comments are unsubstantiated, I thought I'd double-check what the actual findings of the Health Department are. You can see them yourself by pulling up the restaurant inspection reports in PDF format, but here's the skinny: The Down Home diner was inspected twice last year. The only "critical violation" was found in June, when inspectors spotted some mouse feces on lower shelving on the front counter and instructed it be sanitized. No such critical violation was found upon reinspection in September. The only exception the Health Department found during its September inspection was the lack of a particular certificate. In June the department found that a "food safety certifieid individual not present". That's the entirety of 2007 Health Department inspections of the Down Home diner. If Bluehensfan thinks that's keeping the Health Department busy, he's mistaken. If Bluehensan or anyone is going to post negative remarks about a purveyor or restaurant, I would hope they would be more specific in their complaints so the truth can be tested. One has to wonder why Bluehensfan feels compelled to take a crack at Down Home Diner but praises Rick's, whose health violation was no less critical. ← Bob, Thanks for posting the Philadelphia Health Department link. Admittedly I have not rechecked the Down Home Diner's health reports lately, but you're right, they do seem to be showing some improvements over 2006 with concern to the numerous health complaints they had that calendar year. Off the record, I have eaten at places numerous times in Philly with less-than-stellar health department findings over the years (the Smoked Joint and its fly infestation seems to keep popping up in my brain). While I won't avoid eating at an establishment per se based upon it's health department report, it would seem commonsense that repeated violations would typically indicate a problem somewhere. My real "beef" with the Down Home Diner, is that I have never had a good meal there. Granted, that opinion is based on a sampling of two meals I have had over the last five plus years there, but those experiences (one for breakfast and the other for lunch) were so disappointing that I wish that they could do better given the caliber of the other food establishments in the market. A quick glance at Philadelphia Citysearch seems to indicate that other patrons have encountered similar results: CitySearch Profile for the Down Home Diner
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The Down Home Diner has really gotten pretty bad (for lack of a better word) lately. It's too bad given that it *looks* more appetizing than a number of the other places in the market but the service is poor as is the food. It's sad they are not the merchant in question whose lease is not being renewed, because the quality of the fare served is not doing much for the market...other than keeping the health department busy. Trust me, a DiNic's sandwich will cure all of your ills.
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If you don't mind a long drive to Kennett, Firehouse is generally very good.
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Firehouse BBQ is the best by far in the area if you ask me: Firehouse BBQ I still miss the Smoked Joint! Famous Dave's is OK (and a chain). Tried Sweet Lucy's and was very underwhelmed (but I am sure there are a number of fans out there for Sweet Lucy's) except for the great cornbread.
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Bag the bag...Tommy has "to-go" containers allowing you to assemble the sandwich a few hours later without getting the bread all soggy. Personally I bring a few small tupperware containers to the market when I am taking out (for say a UD Football game) and put them in one of those car cooler/heaters that plug into the 12 volt outlet in your car so your sandwich will still be hot at your destination.
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Having done their "take out" foods a number of times, they are mostly hits, mostly very good overall, and almost always well-prepared, admittedly a bit pricey, but I would not wait in line for hours for them. I have noticed (unfortunately) that the variety of take-out offerings in the cases has seemed to have diminshed recently, perhaps because more energy is being focused on the dinners themselves, as I have seen the BBQ'd salmon in the cases more than a few times of late.
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Made a quick stop at Firehouse BBQ for a small sample. Tried the ribs and the brisket, jalapeno cornbread, fried mac and cheese, and coleslaw. The Ribs had a bold smokiness, but oddly didn't taste like much else, except for what came from an unpleasant sugary glaze. We figured one of the many sauces provided on the table might help, but all of those, even the ones marked spicy, were extremely sweet. And not spicy. And not that good. The meat was very tender, but pulled completely off the bone upon the first bite, and had receded pretty far up each bone, each a sure sign of being cooked too long. They were also pretty tiny, but as they're sold by the pound, I suppose that's OK. The Brisket was moist and tender, but as with the ribs, just didn't taste like much. We got one nice slice, and one strange mass of shredded edges. To be fair, it is early days, and pretty much the whole staff seemed very young, so maybe they're just not quite in the groove yet, both with the cooking and the cutting. Fried Mac and Cheese was quite tasty, 2-inch cubes of their regular mac and cheese, breaded and fried to order, resulting in a crispy crust and oozing, cheesey center. Coleslaw was OK. Cornbread was on the dry side, but had a pleasant-enough flavor. So I can't say we were thrilled by the Firehouse, but it might be worth letting them settle-in a little before passing final judgement. ← From our past few visits to Firehouse, it seems that things have improved immensely there in terms of consistency thanks to a new chef and manager (Gus) they brought in. The ribs, seasoned chicken, baked beans, and sweet cornbread have been very impressive and keep us coming back every few weeks (yikes!).
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late notice: staying in philly for a few days
Bluehensfan replied to a topic in Pennsylvania: Dining
I never was a fan of Delilah's either. DiNic's is the greatest though. Get the roast pork with provolone and spinach greens or broccoli rabe (or half and half like I do). It's the best sandwich in the city. The pancakes are great at the Dutch Eating Place. I eat them weekly as a part of my balanced diet... Even better than Dotson's in Franklin! For dessert, they have very good pastries at Termini's bakery. My favorites are the peanut butter and chocolate mouse nirvana and the chocolate ganache and buttercream almond soucce (I have no idea how to spell it...) Also, Fisher's soft pretzels are very good as are the peanut butter chocolate covered pretzels from Mueller's. And the buns at Beiler's are great too. By the way avoid the crepes (not all that special at all) and avoid the Down Home Diner like the plague. Unless you want it or some other intestinal ailment. -
I went about three years ago. I thought the view was beautiful. sadly, i don't remember any tastes and flavours, but everything looked very beautiful. and then the aforementioned view. i was as greedy as i could be, but just don't remember much. this is not a good sign. but it was a long time ago. and its kinda chilly, good weather for snarfing up chocolate and pastry....... let us know how it is, i'm curious as might want to revisit. ← I went there about five plus years ago for it. It looked a lot better than it tasted to be honest with you (think more style than substance....) ← ugh bluehens fan that is what i was afraid of. well i will report back either way ← Sorry...I just call 'em as I taste 'em. The Ritz Carlton has done this thing in past winters where they make pretty decent hot chocolate though (granted not nearly as good as the Naked Chocolate Cafe a few blocks away) if it helps.
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I went about three years ago. I thought the view was beautiful. sadly, i don't remember any tastes and flavours, but everything looked very beautiful. and then the aforementioned view. i was as greedy as i could be, but just don't remember much. this is not a good sign. but it was a long time ago. and its kinda chilly, good weather for snarfing up chocolate and pastry....... let us know how it is, i'm curious as might want to revisit. ← I went there about five plus years ago for it. It looked a lot better than it tasted to be honest with you (think more style than substance....)
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Wow Joe you got your computer fixed? Welcome back to the real world. The pork belly sandwich sounds good to me. But is there a way to do it so it's not deep fried? And greens or broccoli rabe?
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Made a quick stop at Firehouse BBQ for a small sample. Tried the ribs and the brisket, jalapeno cornbread, fried mac and cheese, and coleslaw. The Ribs had a bold smokiness, but oddly didn't taste like much else, except for what came from an unpleasant sugary glaze. We figured one of the many sauces provided on the table might help, but all of those, even the ones marked spicy, were extremely sweet. And not spicy. And not that good. The meat was very tender, but pulled completely off the bone upon the first bite, and had receded pretty far up each bone, each a sure sign of being cooked too long. They were also pretty tiny, but as they're sold by the pound, I suppose that's OK. The Brisket was moist and tender, but as with the ribs, just didn't taste like much. We got one nice slice, and one strange mass of shredded edges. To be fair, it is early days, and pretty much the whole staff seemed very young, so maybe they're just not quite in the groove yet, both with the cooking and the cutting. Fried Mac and Cheese was quite tasty, 2-inch cubes of their regular mac and cheese, breaded and fried to order, resulting in a crispy crust and oozing, cheesey center. Coleslaw was OK. Cornbread was on the dry side, but had a pleasant-enough flavor. So I can't say we were thrilled by the Firehouse, but it might be worth letting them settle-in a little before passing final judgement. ← You may want to stop back and try Firehouse soon. They have brought in a manager from their other location who has done a fabulous job to make sure everything is freshly prepared and done correctly, as that seemed to be a problem with the start-up crew they had working (many of whom have moved ovn it seems), since some menu items were sometimes not available or were sitting out a while. They also brought in a chef from another local restaurant of theirs to help out as well. The last two visits we've made have been fabulous, especially the ribs with the Cattleman's smoky BBQ sauce, the sweet cornbread, the baked beans, and the pulled pork on Texas toast.
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I suppose I could have been more clear, Rob. I'm glad wkl set things straight. And I'd have to agree, all, that it would be a shame to miss out on the take-out goodies in the shop, much less a dinner if you can eke out a reservation, just because LaBan glowed a bit too brightly (I probably did too...). ← My many (probably over 10) visits to Talula's have been worthy of praise too. Almost everything we've eaten there has been absoultely fabulous from the breads to the entrees to the desserts (well usually the desserts). The only downside was our last visit was a bit pricey...over $70 for two entrees, two sandwiches, a few sides, and three desserts. For what's around the Kennett area, though, the quality of the ingredients and the food itself is far and away above what else is close by (but that new BBQ place down the road can be darn good!) Granted we never did the meal after they close for the night (we only do take out or have the stuff heated up there at dinner there on Fridays).
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Hmm, some way indeed. Like Googling "990"? 990 finder here. However, it'll be a couple years before you'll find out the details of this particular fiscal year. (I'm impressed that even 2006's statement is available, honestly.) ← I'm no lawyer but you figure that Sprague's representation of the market is not pro-bono, so he's probably billing in excess of at least a few hundred dollars an hour. To be honest with you, I have no clue how many hours this case is taking up, but assuming that he will bill for at least 200 hours of work, that's over 60K right there. And that's probably an understated bill. Rick must be the Prince of pains in the rear to the market for them to be spending that kind of money on getting him out. Seems to me that the money could be spent in better ways, but who am I to talk, having just blown over $200. on those bone cookies they have at Termini's...
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Over seven months of presumably pricey lawyer retention fees would seem to me a high price to pay to evict a merchant, and I really wonder if the money could be better spent on other market improvements to better the market in other ways. I do notice that there do not seem to be people lined up at the door to fill larger vacant stalls at the market (sans the mini stalls at the former Amy's) and wonder if all this publicity is making potential renters from shying away... Not to seem like the village idiot (granted it could be because I reside out of state), but where's all this money coming from anyway?
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I think they decided to duke it out at the market this week. It doesn't really look like Rick, but I forget what that Feeley guy looks like so who knows. Wonder who won? Scorll down the page for photos
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There's an article in the inquirer about this today (presumably you saw it...) http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20071...ing_Market.html
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Ladies and gentlemen, it is time...I just hope they have the lamb (as expertly photographed by Holly) again this go-round! http://stgeorgecathedralfestival.com/fallfest.htm Fall Festival Thursday Sept. 27 11AM – till Friday Sept. 28 11AM – till Saturday Sept. 29 11AM – till Featuring: • Delicious Greek Food • Greek Pastries • Greek Music, DJ & Dancing Friday & Saturday • Jewelry, Souvenirs & Gifts • Greek CDs & Videos • Fun for All Ages • Saturday from 8 – 10 PM all Entrees are 50% off
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Wasn't that the one where the vendors would wipe their noses and sell pretzels in the same breath? Some things are hard to forget. And as far as the cleanliness of the market, it seems pretty good to me, particularly when hearing stories of how it was essentially a smelly, fly-ridden place like 20 or 30 years ago. Of course (not that you'd know) the mens room could use some updating...
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here's my problem with nanee's kitchen: several times i've been there, and she's making samosas, and someone wants to pay, and she stops making samosas, takes the money, gives the change, and goes right back to it. no handwashing, no gloves or anything. and really i'm not someone who stresses about those things that much, but it's like, come on, at least make a half-assed attempt to follow some of the standard health codes. that's kinda gross. ← Yeah that is pretty gross. I saw another merchant drop a plastic plate on the floor, pick it up, and use it for someone's lunch. At least you can see the food being prepared in front of you at Nanee's and many other places at the market. Just imagine what you're missing in many kitchens!