KatieLoeb

Everything mentioned above is close by if taking public transportation or a cab ride doesn't faze you. Check out some of the other threads on Philly dining and let us know what sounds intriguing. We can tell you how to get there. You should most definitely make it to Reading Terminal Market at some point. You can also feel free to stop by Oyster House for some bivalves and a cocktail on my watch if you'd like. PM me and I'll let you know my schedule for that week.

Great episode of Meat & Potatoes featuring Han Dynasty as well as one of my other all time faves, my "Death Row Meal" restaurant, Cochon in New Orleans. The Dry Pepper Lamb looked delicious. Didn't realize there were quite so many ingredients in there. Perennial fave Dan Dan Noodles also make an appearance. And Han managed to slip in an insult to the host by telling him he was ugly. Awesome. Congrats to Han and the staff on their TV debut!

Dan: I think I'm too late to pry it out of his hands. I'm not condemning Rose's wholesale, just remarking that once you've had the fresher tasting homemade alternative it's hard to go back to the lime flavored Pledge. That is all. Steven - the usual 1:1 balance of sweet to sour works with fresh citrus (lemon or lime) and simple syrup. Rose's being already pre-sweetened makes me question the balance in the final drink with the proportions you've given. Especially if the Monin syrup is sweet as well. I still think you need something to tip the balance toward a "drier" drink. Like adding tonic or bitter lemon, a splash of dry vermouth, more fresh citrus, less simple, etc. Make sense?

Sort of a lateral idea, but the Ransom Old Tom gin subs really well into a Sazerac or a Brooklyn. Not at all the same drink, but truly delicious nonetheless.

DVR set for Monday's upcoming "Meat with Heat" episode. I can hardly wait to see Han on TV. This should be most intriguing.

I agree with EvergreenDan. Skip the Rose's and go for fresh lime juice. Rose's is awful. Or if you're feeling so inclined, make a batch of fresh lime cordial, but skip the Rose's. Fresher is better. You could always try this with Bitter Lemon soda as a mixer. Everything tastes good with that...

I have a jar of Death Rain in the spice cabinet I'm fond of. A little sprinkle goes a long way. I always thought Acid Rain would be a good name for a hot sauce with a healthy vinegar component... I miss Inner Beauty Sauce. It was one of the first I fell in love with when I became a hot sauce junkie decades ago. I might have to make me some of that just to have it around again.

Shellfish. Most particularly raw bar items. Uni for sure. The first time I ever had uni it was definitely past its short window of opportunity and it was like waking up face down on the beach at low tide. It was a revelation when I had the good stuff.

Just had a situation where a customer wanted the octopus that came with a red pepper and chorizo saute without pork (it's pre-batched so the pork can't be left out) made without the chorizo and with the piquillo peppers that were listed with another dish. Expected everything in the restaurant to grind to a screeching halt while someone came off the line at 8:30pm on a Saturday to go run down to the walk-in, get the raw piquillo peppers that we have for a different dish, seed and shred them and make her a personal portion of something that simply didn't exist on the menu. To hell with the other 120 customers in the restaurant. Because her wants are just that important. Sorry. That's just WRONG. Her husband was mortified when she insisted on speaking to the manager and tipped the poor server that had to deal with this lunatic very well. And the server earned it. I'm all for being accommodating within reason, but this beyotch was just delusional. And sadly, that's often the case. "I'd like the Seven Grain bread with no oats, please..." "I'll have the seasonal field green salad with no Autumn. I'm allergic to Autumn..."

Mike: You flatter me. And you're right, I can't afford to just go out and buy a store. But there's another alternative I'm waiting to hear back about. I've been floated as a possible member of the Southeastern PA "Regional Advisory Panel", one of three that are statewide. The idea is that actual professional functioning members of the community provide feedback to the PLCB on existing PLCB operations and on proposed changes and modernizations. So I can actually get our complaints heard. In theory. I would be delighted to give them an idea of just how difficult it is to function as a professional craft bartender/spirits enthusiast in the current environment. I suspect the bureaucrats don't really have any idea how it works at the other end of the food chain. I'll keep you posted on whether this pans out or not. My real suspicion is that this will go the way that all rumblings about privatization of the liquor stores in the Commonwealth have gone before. The way of the dodo. And some valid points have been made about stores in the hinterlands of Pennsyltucky getting short shrift. I still think there are too many union employees and folks with heavy benefits and light work loads that have no intention of giving up their jobs and pensions...

"If it grows together, it goes together..." Most definitely true. Think of all of the classic pairings and they are the wines and foods of the same areas. Muscadet and oysters. Sancerre and goat cheese. Tempranillo and Iberico ham. Prosecco and prosciutto and melon. And so on...

What he said. Food (what remained) was quite delicious and I am certainly excited for having a real ramen restaurant in town as an alternative to Pho or Chinese noodle soups on those nights I am craving a big bowl of brothy goodness and warmth. Kudos to management at Khyber for presence of forethought on this under-served need in our food pantheon. If tonight's turnout was any indication I'd say there's plenty of interest in ramen if anyone was wondering...

Chick-Fil-A is the only fast food that I will go out of my way for. Their politics leave a bit to be desired, but the product is solid.

Only a win for those that don't know better. Sadly, that's a big proportion of folks. But I try to be as in the know about those things that effect my industry and job as much as possible. If I have to be good at anything, it might as well be my job, yes? Not so much a "win" to me...

Tommy Up of PYT has apparently been giving Matt Levin and Kar Vivekananthan of Adsum a hard time about this via Twitter, claiming that they're copycats and that he's the first to use some sweet pastry as a foil for a protein. Apparently he's backtracking now via Twitter as well , having had the error of his ways pointed out to him that there are places that got press for this sort of thing at least as early as 2006. Not for nothing, but seriously there's just not that much new under the sun. The world doesn't end at the tip of anyone's nose who is paying attention and isn't just being an ass. No Tommy, you didn't "invent" the Krispy Kreme bun. Someone beat you to it. Just like I didn't "invent" the Manhattan by putting whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters into a glass together. Doesn't mean I can't have my own spin on it, but that's a far cry from being an originator...

Oh man. That was so funny we couldn't stop giggling about it. The idea was definitely the cross between the Widow's Kiss and the Harvey Wallbanger, but I don't think the Galliano was the only swap out. I'll have to look at both recipes side by side again and see if the same streak of inspiration strikes me again...But the name HAS to stay the same. That was the funniest part!

I'm another with a hiatal hernia. Not sure how I got it, but there it is. The Zegerid OTC first thing in the morning seems to work for me. The problem has lessened since I've lost some weight, but if I forget to take my pill, I am eventually reminded by mid-afternoon that I have because I can feel the acidity creeping up my throat and my stomach starts to do flips. I keep one bottle in my purse at all times and one on the sink to try and remind me to take it right after I've brushed my teeth. When I've taken it religiously I can eat anything I want.

Thanks you guys! This was such fun, living vicariously through your shopping, cooking, eating and drinking exploits. Love the pics of Russ & Daughters, one of my favorite stops when in NYC. Their cream cheese with caviar is a decadent treat on a bagel or thinned with a bit of creme fraiche or sour cream and piped into celery logs. Yum! And the cocktails were inspiring. Thanks for that! I just spent half the day rearranging my bar and unpacking boxes of booze that were all over the place. Lots of small quantities of a lot of random sample bottles doled out to me by various liquor reps. I'm feeling inspired to make some of those go away now in a productive/creative way, rather than simply drinking stuff straight just to get rid of it. It's nice to get a figurative sail full of wind just when you need one. Thanks for that too.

My mom's picadillo (which I used to describe to friends as "Cuban Sloppy Joe") was always ground beef, diced onions, diced red and/or green bell pepper, minced garlic, slivered pimento stuffed olives, capers, golden raisins, tomato sauce, lots of cumin and oregano and just a little cinnamon all simmered with several bay leaves. I liked a little shot of hot sauce on mine at the end, but mom didn't like spicy food so it couldn't go in the pot. Good stuff. I haven't made it in a while so perhaps I needed this thread to bump it up in my brain. Maybe I'll make some this weekend...

John: Pea green with envy over those Old Fashioned spoons!! Simply magnificent piece of cocktailiana you have there. I collect shakers and glassware but might have to start combing eBay myself for a set of those. They're just gorgeous! And I prefer to think of you three as profound thinkers distinguished by your wisdom and sound judgment in the fine art of spirits and drink. Lushes just sounds so déclassé.

This is definitely going to be fun. Looking forward to the cocktail portion of the festivities. I love Hathor's suggestion of the Martinez as the second drink du soir (and completely agree it needs more attention because it's a damned fine cocktail), but the Old Fashioned has so many interpretations I'd be quite curious what the finer establishments are calling their "house" preparation. What about a Manhattan? What base spirit, which vermouth, which bitter/bitters, garnish of choice and proportions? Lots of room for interpretation there as well.

Holly: The "sammies" reference was for everyone else, not for us local yokels. Perhaps it's just that I'm not a fan of the cheesesteak in general. Much more so of the Roast Pork Italiano. But if I am going to eat one I'm far likelier to get it at Steve's in the Northeast or at Tony Lukes. Never a fan of either of the neon bastions, even less so of Geno's after the "English only" debacle. Your additions to the thriving sandwich culture here are totally worthy. I'm a big fan of the spicy veal sandwich at George's. So much so that I still get the filling in a container without the bread since I've been low carb dieting. I think Philly may have the best sandwich culture around. There's an awful lot of good stuff on bread here. And a awful lot of good places to get it. There's a lot of good stuff here in general as well as places to get it. But we've known that for a long time. Seems the rest of the world is still catching up.

I think morning news/variety programs appeal to a certain audience. In my experience that tends to be stay at home moms, retirees, etc. Everyone else is out earning a living at 11am, no? But if it got a few of them into the restaurant, their money is just as green as anyone else's, and they talk to their friends and recommend places too, so there's nothing wrong with that. Glad I could be entertaining, even peripherally.

Again, we are forever the redheaded stepchild. They just can't seem to get the idea that the scene here is and has been excellent for QUITE SOME TIME NOW. And cheesesteaks are so passe. And so NOT the best thing available here. It's Roast Pork Italiano sammies for sure, and if they'd bothered to even check, they'd see that the sandwich category is getting plenty of props nationally for Paesano's, John's Roast Pork, places at the RTM, etc. not just the neon tourist traps at that certain intersection in South Philly. Jeezus! Get a clue already. It frustrates me that they refuse to get it or even bother to do a quick Google search before they make sweeping generalizations, but if it keeps them from becoming Philly's equivalent of the B&T crowd and I can still get reservations at my favorite places or a shorter line at those places that don't take them, I'm totally fine with that.

I guess that pretty much covers it. However, I will say that the regulations on shellfish are very stringent. I know we have to keep all the "batch" tags from each and every bag/box of shellfish at our restaurant. The waters are tested. The product is tested. Everything is shipped refrigerated every minute. We don't serve any Gulf oysters from warm waters. Everything tends to be Mid-Atlantic and northward on the east coast, and Northern California and northward for the west coast. Certainly we don't close from May-August, but we're dealing with reputable vendors. Not sure if one could trust what one finds further steps away on the supply chain or from the guys at the side of road.