Rich Pawlak

Happy Anniversary!! 22 years?!? You kids don't seem old enough for 22 yrs! Sorry to hear about Patou, but I had a miserable meal there about a year ago and will never return either. So just remember: never pass up an opportunity to eat at Caribou Cafe, and always mention the DDC to chef/owner Olivier de St. Martin, and you will be treated like royalty. I've already had several people tell me that they dined there after our winter DDC repast, chatted with Olivier, and were just treated like the biggest VIPs in the city. But I would also second Katie's rec of Chez Colette; never had a bad meal there and it's wonderfully romantic.

I STILL find it very very hard to believe that Cheez Whiz preceded provalone or any iother sliced cheese in the creation of the cheesesteak. How old is Cheez Whiz anyway??

If Port Matilda is the one near State College, I must respectfully disagree based on the 2 visits I've made. Both times it was awful--I had the chicken leg quarter and pulled pork sandwich. The meat (both chicken and pork) was soggy and stringy, and the pork had an odd gamy flavor that was quite unpleasant. Just my experience there... ---Guy ← Methinks you had a unique, bad experience. Every visit to Clem's for me has meant superior 'cue.

Clem's is as good as you will ever have. Go for it!

I will be away at the Oregon Brewers Festival in Portland from 7/27-30, and will be trying the city's highest-rated pizza joint, Apizza Scholls, a mere hour after I land. One has to have one's priorities straight!

From today's Daily News: "Tonight's the last chance for karaoke at the Smoked Joint (1420 Locust). The barbecue spot, which opened in September 2004, will close Friday, but hopes to re-open soon in a new location." Famous last words. I hope they do, in fact, re-open. I thought most of their food was pretty damn good actually.

I received a bottle of North Carolina's Duck Rabbit Scottish Wee Heavy from Ray McCoy and Cornelia Corey when they visited Philly this past week. Pure silk sweetness and rich malt. Delicious.

Thanks for the tips in general. I'm supposed to go to Rembrandt's tonight to meet up with a friend and former Penn colleague who is one of a few friends who also enjoys jazz; pianist Sid Simmons is playing there tonight. I'll keep that in mind, and if I decide to order one, I'll report back to this board. So far, the vote tally is South Philly 2, Center City 0--though it also sounds like the Center City stop on the tour should also be split in two, West and East. Keep in mind that except for the Didn't Deserve the Honor to Begin With places (e.g., Pizza Hut, the winner in the all-'burbs 1982 BoP, or Pizzeria Uno, the winner in that same year's sidebar "for diehard city lovers"), our aim is to visit all of the past winners, even the ones that have gone downhill, as it appears Towne Pizza and Apollo in Media may have. (See the Northeast report for an example from this category.) The polls are still open through the weekend. After that, we will settle on a date. Weekday evenings are okay too. Edited to add: IMO, Pietro's is not so much more upscale that it cannot be compared to the more prosaic places. Patou in Old City, OTOH, is. I've eaten at both. ← In previous Pizza Clubs we have split CC into East and West; ist the only way to do it. I'm all for more South Philly stops. That is the real pizza treasure trove of the city, IMHO.

Okay, take a step back. A brew-pub? In Selinsgrove? Might as well wander down 522 and set one up in Beaver Springs. ← Selin's Grove brewpub may very well be the finest brewpub in the state. Extraordinary beers. And kick ass birch beer to boot. It is an absolute treasure.

And that reminds me: Whose whole bean coffee should I take back with me? I'd like to take back a few pounds of good coffee. I can't recall the names of the roasters whose coffee I purchased 2 years ago, but most of it was pretty damn good.

Chink's Steaks on 6000 block of Torresdale Ave in the Northeast serves up classic milkshakes of heart-stopping potency and richness. The absolute real deal.

I had a friend from Las Cruces who was working here. Her comment about her local cuisine (?) reminded me of my youth in Utah. They eat a lot of Jello. I think UT is Jello's per capita capital. So what is New Mexican food? ← I know from a previous trip to Salt Lake City that Utah has the largest per capita consumption of ice cream in the world. And I'll bet they lead in orange soda consumption too. Lotsa green chiles in New Mexican cuisine, if I recall correctly.

And that reminds me: I stopped by Johnny's Hots on Delaware Ave. a few weeks back, and sated my hot dog, pepper hash and Philly Surf & Turf jones (and introduced my friend, the Angry Dwarf, to these aforementioned delicacies), but couldn't resist ordering up a hot roast beef sandwich, about which the owner so proudly and lovingly described its preparation to Holly and me a while back. Seems he orders a roast from a hanging side of beef at George Wells Meats a few blocks down the street, and then roasts it seasoned with herbs, olive oil and garlic. It is one of the best beef sammies I've ever had. This guy is one fanatical perfectionist and it shows. I ordered mine "wet" with some sharp provalone atop. Sheer beef bliss on a flawless roll.

The last remaining brother is running the joint now, I read a while back.

ABSOLUTELY!

When Sono Motoyama left the Daily News, taking a buyout as well as maternity leave, the Daily News had to offer, by union (guild) rules the restaurant critic position to an existing union member at the paper before they could consider a writer (like me, for example) outside of the union. That is why I can only freelance there. Had no existing writers for the paper responded to the restaurant critic opportunity, the DN would have been able to consider a non-union writer. That's how it was explained to me anyway.....

The sweet potato fries at both Smoked Joint and the new Mantra at 18th and Sansom are done perfectly, as in perfectly crisp and crunchy. How they do it is a mystery to me, but they succeed.

DDC worthy?

I have complained to the food editor of the Daily News, April Lisante, but to no avail. Lucey was a hire necessitated by the rules of the writers guild. As for the weeklies, well, you get what you pay for. I do think Kirsten Henri is a good food writer (great write-up of the Grey Lodge this week!!!! yay!) but I think the quality of writers after her drop precipitously low at the weeklies.

Old Bruahaus will be closing soon for good, as the family has decided that enough is enough, and none of the children wish to carry on the family business. Very good place in its day. Last shreds of decent German cooking in Philly remain at Ludwig's Garten in Center City, Otto's in Horhsam, Pa, and Austrian Village in Rockledge, PA.

Loved Park Kitchen on my first visit 2 years ago, as well as St Honore, clarklewis, Noble Rot, Lucky Labrador and Mother's for breakfast, and the Heathman's Sunday brunch. Paley's interested me, as well as Wildwood, but I am still in the planning stages and really enjoying all of the suggestions so far.

Beer quality was not part of the question, Chas, and this will be my second trip to Portland. What I was looking for were the current must-go dining spots as well as opinions on some landmark places like Stanich's and Apizza Scholls, etc. I will not be short of beer during Oregon Brewers Fest weekend, as well as my own beer travels in PDX. But there is a famous strip joint I've heard about that serves a a=great slection of microbrews as well as a good steak. Anyone know what that place is called?

Oh, there are some very good fries in Philly: 1. the aforementioned fries at Matyson; 2. the fries at Rouge, positively addictive 3. the basket of plan or spicy fries at the Grey Lodge; 4. the crab fries at Chickie & Pete's; 5. Sweet potato fries at The Smoked Joint; 6. the fries at Standard Tap

Damn! Cant make it this weekend; have a flurry of graduation parties in my family to attend! And I'll bet NONE of them will have any pizza!

Well lets get to the Drafting Room for a ceegar or two ---and some killer beers---real soon then!