Rich Pawlak

I would be remiss if I didnt give kudos to Jim Tarantino (marinade) for designing and hosting a fabulous Gascony dinner at Caribou Cafe last night. His enthusiasm for the dinner, coupled with Chef Olivier de St. Martin's passion for this cuisine made for a transcendent meal. Decadent foie gras mousse appetizer with a bright, light salad; a homey, rich cabbage soup, and a body-warming classic cassoulet, complete with duck confit leg, sausage and lardons; a surprise palate cleanser of rosemary sorbet, made by Tarantino himself (!); and a buttery evil apple tart for dessert. Lovely wines as well. The perfect dinner on a snowy, cold winter night. And the best 40 dining companions anyone could ask for. Kudos, Jim!

Craig may well lurk here, but tomorrow's article is no proof. He does one like that every year to explain his criteria. Besides, last week's article included a note announcing this week's subject. ← And he writes the articles WEEKS in advance. Sure, he may lurk, but he leaves no clues to that fact in any of his writings.

You have it all wrong Mummser. Dining clubs lead to pizza clubs and burger clubs and mayonnaise clubs and.... uh, forget that last one.

Ted Briggs is the brewer at Tun Tavern, and his beers alone are well worth the trip; he makes superb ales, and his strengths are with British style beers. His barleywine, Freedom Ale, is worth the trip alone. For a brewpub, the food is quite good, but I think the service is lacking. If you dive into a couple of beer samples before lunch/dinner, it may make the time pass more pleasantly.

I concur; some of the very best fries in Philly can be had at the Grey Lodge.

I feel very confident adding the burger at the the GREY LODGE to the consideration forum. Very juicy, beefy and served on a flawless Depalma's roll.

Dont pass up the opportunity to dine at CHEF VOLA'S. Nothing in AC compares to the fun and private club feeling and superb food at this place. And worth the ridiculous effort to find the place.

I really should look at the calendar before announcing dates, shouldn't I? How about March 11, then? I should be getting paid for resume work that week. ← How about a little space between gorging events? I'm other wise occupied on 3/18 and 3/25 hosting my Beer Tours during The Book and The Cook.

Our faithful Dangerous Dining Club scouts were so impressed with Brasilia, that we've scheduled a Philly area DDC road trip there on March 4. I can't wait. If it's as good as any of my meals at Fernandez, Seabra's in Perth Amboy or Iberia, it's gonna be fabulous.

My new hot bar in town is the re-opened Society Hill Hotel at 3rd and Chestnut. Food and beers and wines all top notch. And comfy room to hang casually.

I think a "zep" is a hoagie if you live out in Norristown. Stick with hoagie and you won't get hurt. ← Your answer is partly true; in Norristown and environs, a "zep" is a hoagie of breath-refreshing salami, provalone and onions, oil and vinegar; others add lettuce and tomatoes, but the true "zep" is that one simple combo sandwich.

And, hey, we've never tried a PASSOVER dinner either! Now whoever pulls that one off is a true Jedi master.

A March DDC has been booked and invites for that event have just gone out. So April is practical, and hopefully in the true original spirit of DDC, affordable to everyone. Any suggestions for May, June, July, etc.? We STILL , after 4 years, have yet to try Ethiopian, Korean, German/Austrian, Japanese, red gravy Italian, Vegetarian, Jamaican, West Indian, Senegalese, Soul Food, or even a joint venture of Pizza Club and DDC.

In Philadelphia, that path has been started by a charming new cafe, TRIA. They offer some startlingly good beer and cheese pairings. Also, The General Lafayette Inn and Brewery has experimented with beer and cheese pairings as promotions and special events, with the guidance of brewer Chris Leonard.

Barley Creek Brewery at Camelback has decent food and very good beers. Try Black Widow, a delicious black lager, and a plate of nachos.

Why do we CARE what some New Yorkers think? Do we need their approval? Validation? Cmon, we're better than that.

I've just read the Star-Ledger piece on AHD, and have just seen the WABC-Ch. 7 story by Laura Glassberg. Great synergy. And having the 4 anchor desk people sampling hot dogs after the piece was sheer genius. Speaking as a food a beverage PR pro for the last 20 years, I have to say that you couldn't have done better and gotten a better 1-2 punch than a newpaper piece backed up by a TV feature. God help you tomorrow. I hope you're prepared for a huge wave of Saturday business.

Sullivan's Steak House would be perfect; swank, nice bar, good wine, very good steaks and seafood. Never ever had a bad meal there. Have sent several small groups there as well, and have only received good reports back.

Worth the wait, in my opinion. Well, except in bitterly cold weather. No restaurant is worth the wait outside on a cold winter night.

First, CONGRATULATIONS! Suggestions: 1. Bowl of mussels, red or white or both, with good bread for dunking; 2. Bowl of clams, with a different fragrant fume than the mussels; 3. Fish tacos, with a sp;icy remoulade or salsa, a lot of versatility when it comes to utilizing fish on hand; 4. A decent handmade burger, at least 1/3 lb.., with a turkey version at least the same size; 5. Hand-cut fries; 6. A bowl of pasta, with a changing variety of sauces, something I wish more gastropubs would offer; 7. Sausages, either in sandwich form or as a platter with mustards, salsas or sauces to play with; 8. At least one really good salad with good fresh quality ingredients; 9. Good local beers and inexpesnive wines, because they do complete the meal.

That also reminds me of the new Philly Felafel at 18th and Sansom, which would be a fabulous $25 and under bargain.

I have to add the upstairs Grey Lodge kitchen to this category. Some of the most satisfying and surprising food I've had anywhere in years. Perhaps the city's best cheesesteak, red curry mussels to die for, a brilliant deconstructed take on the spinach salad, fish and chips worthy of a British pub, gorgeous quesadillas, that wacky upside-down tomato pie, and the always-difficult-to-choose-from tap beer menu.

I have always contended that Ludwig's is an unrecognized bargain in Center City. The beer selection alone merits praise, but the food there is superb. That's why Ludwig's is where we begin my annual Golden Age of Beer Tours with lunch there every year.

I did manage to snap a few pics of the famous mosaic tiled mens room on the lower level:

Some scenes from the latest Friday the Firkinteenth at the Grey Lodge: Beer writer Lew Bryson (c.) surveys the scene The crowd at 4PM The crowd at 5PM, with eG contributor Gary Bredebenner (c.) flashing a contented smile The crowd at 5PM, including Grey Lodge owner Scoats (lower l.) a pic of Gary taking MY pic! LOL I must say, it was another really successful FTF. Highlights for me were Heavyweight Brewing's Black Ocean, a deliciously nutty session beer; Middle Ages 10th Anniversary, a hoppy monster at 10%ABV, and worth every percentile; and Flying Fish Brewing's Hophish, a brilliantly snappy but balanced brew. I didnt get to try all 18 beers being poured, but perhaps others who were there, like Bryson and Bredbenner, can fill in the gaps. I cant wait for the next FTF in October.