Rich Pawlak

One of the events featuring Lew Bryson has been "rightsized", according to Bryson's website: Upstate Beer Dinner -- Rightsized Well, the people have spoken. Seems that not many of you -- except for some "upstaters," a couple locals, and one truly devoted pair from Montreal -- wanted to pay $80 for the Upstate Beer Game Dinner at the Grey Lodge. We don't have enough tickets sold to do the event. Rather than scratch the event, though, Scoats and I decided to downsize it (or "rightsize it", as the current corporate cant goes) to a pay-as-you-go event featuring the four beers promised (I'm heading upstate to pick them up today) and buffalo burgers. If we're lucky, maybe the kitchen can still make those apple fritters... If you want to try these beers, never before seen in Philly, we'll still have them. And it all starts at 5:00 this Sunday night. The Pilsner Festival scheduled on March 13 has also been changed to a Lager Festival at Triumph brewpub in Old City: Pilsner Gala is now a LAGER Gala We had some folks who wanted to play with us in the Pilsner Gala we have planned at Triumph for Philly Beer Week who didn't have what were quite exactly pilsners...but Jay decided we should let them in anyway. So here is the final list (er...probably final) of Lagers for the Gala at Triumph on March 13, 6-10 PM. Triumph - German Pils, Dunkel, Kellerbier, Blonde Doppelbock, and Rauchbock (all from the Philly location) Iron Hill - Vienna Lager (which, if you ain't had it yet, you should) Victory - Braumeister Pils (Tettnanger?) and Prima Sly Fox - Pikeland Pils, and a special amber Rauchbier Ramstein - Vienna Lager Appalachian - Zoigl Star Lager (unfiltered kellerbier-type) Lancaster - Franklinfest (a change from Gold Star Pilsner) Troegs - unfiltered Sunshine Pils Stoudt's - Pils (this may be unfiltered; waiting to hear on that) And if you're hungry, Jay is lining up serious German beerhall eats: smoked sausage, meat patties, pfefferwurst, sliders (okay, German-American), and lots of meat. There will probably be some vegetable stuff too. No, really! This is all pay-as-you-go, most (but not all) breweries are sending people, and you will have an almost unprecedented opportunity to compare these local lagers side-by-side. I'm really looking forward to this.

Sierra Nevada Schwarzbier., Chico, CA A silky malt monster, yet not cloying or sticky on the palate. Victory Baltic Thunder, Downingtown, PA The resurrection (and preservation) of the original Perkuno's Hammer Baltic Porter from the now closed (R.I.P) Heavyweight Brewing Co. of NJ, this was a rich, plummy, chewy brew with cabernet sauvingnon complexity and dark coffee undertones. Two lovely fireplace beers.

What two events, Guy, because I DEFINITELY want to be at those!

I've never had the red clam pie, only the white, and I still think it is a better clam pie than the one at Pepe's in New Haven, with a lighter crust and a cleaner taste.

Whenever we've oreder a clam pie at Delorenzo's Gary's wife has always asked us "red or white?", so I'm guessing they just remembered your preference.

Yee hah! Finally, a review visit. Indeed, what a great Valentine's Day dinner! Over the years I have learned that if you ordered a clam pie at Delorenzo's you got a red pie with clams, unless you specified a WHITE clam pie. Did you happen to notice any of the salads or antipasti now being served?

Tarantino, you did it again! It was a fabulous Chinese new year Banquet at Joe Poon's studio. Pics to follow. Anyone else take pics beside me? I think I missed some of the courses! I am a poor food pornographer. Damn near 70 of us (and about 20 newbies) partied, laughed and ate and just devoured the heck out of Joe Poon's hospitality. What a great DDC night. Kudos, Jim!

OOOOoh forgot about Deanna's as well as Rick's right around the corner; both are very very good casual BYOB places with earthy Italian food.

I very much recommend 5 DE MAYO, on N. Main St, a few steps away from the quite good SIAM Thai restaurant. 5 DE MAYO however , serves the food of the owners' native Oacxa, and just about everything I tried was a home run, from the really good salsa (and homemade chips) to the stuffed red chile relleno. A great lunch stop. BELL'S TAVERN a few blocks away on N. Union is also a very good bar (with very good beers on tap), as well as good burgers, soups and sandwiches.

That's interesting news. I didn't know Terhune made donuts. I've never seen them at their stand in the Trenton Farmers market before. Their cider is top notch though ← Yea, what Ali said. Cider donuts are always available at the Trenton Farmers Markets stand, but they sell out quickly and are usually gone by lunchtime; but do travel to the Terhune orchard and you have a good chance of snagging the cider donuts still warm. Extraordinary.

Well there are 4 Events at the Grey Lodge in NE Philly that all look like standouts, along with the Fork event and the XIX event. And a great-sounding event at Chick's Wine Bar! Yowza. And I may still be able to crank out a Golden Age of Beer Tour, God willin'...

This week's Princeton Packete magazine has a decent review of Chick and Nello's, with the caveat that the reviewers in questions wqere discovered at the outset of their dinner.

Havent been able to find the time to get there yet! The anticipation is killin me!

See the post and thread further down the page for info on the DDC's Chinese New Year dinner at Joe Poon's studio. First night is sold out, looks like we're going to be adding another night.

I forgot to mention that Guy is an eGullet member and contributor, known by his nickname "Pennbrew" in these parts.

Grew up with speidies made by an uncle from Endicott, NY, and if this Phoenixville operation hopes to get it right, they'll serve it on a slice of Battaglini's bread from Endicott. That is the true, old school spiedie sandwich. I cannot WAIT to visit this new place, though.

Truly a one-man operation; he's the brewer---and a hell of a brewer at that---,chef, bartender, janitor, CEO...and publicist! From a press release in my inbox today: NE Pennsylvania’s newest brewery to open Saturday BERWICK, PA (January 21, 2008): One Guy Brewing Company, located at 328 W. Front St., Berwick PA 18603 will host its Grand Opening on Saturday January 26th. The “first keg”, a traditional German wood barrel, will be tapped at 1:00pm. One Guy Brewing was founded by beer industry veteran Guy Hagner. The name reflects the nature of the operation—from Brewmaster to Glass Washer, Hagner is the sole employee. “This business is a dream come true,” states Hagner. “My main focus is to brew a wide variety of fresh, delicious beers for local beer lovers.” The brewery is very small—2 barrels (62 gallons) per batch, and initially all sales will be conducted through the brewery’s on-site taproom. Customers are able to enjoy a glass in the taproom and can purchase a growler (1/2 gallon refillable bottle) of brewery-fresh beer to take home GOOD LUCK, Guy!

For years I have bugged certain Philly-area chefs who smoke (as well as a besotted Tony Bourdain once during a press party for Philadelphia's The Book and The Cook), regarding their nasty habit and its effect on their palates. It has always been my contention that these chefs cannot possibly taste the flavors that a non-smoker can, so that in the creation of their cuisine , for the sake of the argument, they are working with different equipment. To that last one, they have ridiculed my argument and told me that their palates are every bit as good as mine, if not more sensitive. But doesnt my argument make sense?

Yes they do, Tommy.

I had the Wildflowers tomato pie ovr the summer and found the crust althought crisp on the bottom, , too doughy to be considered a true tomato pie. Good flavor, good composition, b ut really just abetter version of pizza.

Sweet Lucy's sets the bar pretty high for 'cue in our area, and it's pretty average stuff everywhere else. Phoebe's has never been the same since its original owner passed away. When I was an undergraduate at Penn, whenever a group of us visited , she would come over to our tables and bring additional ribs and such, syaing that we still looked hungry. Miss Phoebe was an angel to us. About two years ago, I grabbed a rack of ribs at The rib Crib in Germantown, and they were quite good, decent ribs, but not nearly as good as Sweet Lucy's.

I would add to your impressive list: the tomato pie at the new Peasants restaurant in Hamilton; the tomato pie at Palermo's in Ewing; the tomato pie at Pete's Steaks in Ewing, and in Chambersburg

We tried. We really tried. But it was a mob scene. The place is big and roomy, airy even, with spacious booths, lots of 4-seat tables and plenty of high chairs for the kiddies. Waiters are in white shirts and black neckties, looking smart. But the wait at 7PM was over an hour, with about 25 people ahead of us. We said hi to Sam and Gary, with best wishes and hoped for another lucky day. It's not smart to wait in line with 21/2 yr old twins.

News that brings mixed emotions , for sure. But I'll be in Robbinsville Wednesday night. Wouldnt miss an opening night for anything!!

Outside of the Thistle Bar in Kearny, NJ perhaps the best version of fish and chips anywhere, I'd second Holly's rec of Stoney's , and add two places, The Whip in Coatesville, PA and, my favorite version in Philly, the fish and chips at the Grey Lodge. At the GL you happen to get truly excellent hand-cut fries, which is often not the case with other versions of the dish. And a killer beer menu.