KatieLoeb

Thanks everyone! It's been a good couple of weeks press-wise for Chick's. Aside from being one of the winners at the Bluecoat Bartender Battle at the Loew's hotel on 4/14 (the Front Stoop Lemonade that everyone is enjoying so much was my winning entry), we got a shout out today on Craig Laban's chat and also a mention on Foobooz. We're being reviewed by the Philadelphia Weekly next week and some coverage in Philadelphia Magazine is also on the horizon. I've been jumping up and down like a Who screaming "We are Here! We are Here!". I guess the Hortons of the local press finally heard me.

This past weekend held a Two Bell review for Ugly American from Craig Laban. Sort of a mixed bag of comments - some stuff is great and other things sound badly prepared, overpriced, etc. I'm deeply disappointed that the cheddar cheese ice cream isn't being lauded as very good. I was definitely planning to try that apple pie with the cheddar ice cream on it on my next trip there.

Andrew, if it's good soups you're after you should try the non-pho soups at Pho Xe Lua (Beef Satay with Noodle is awesome), any of the soups at Xiao Guan Garden or the soups (pho in particular) at Cafe Viet Huong.

When you say "not a shaken drink," I assume you mean not exclusively shaken? What about something like an El Diablo where you would shake the tequila, lime juice and creme de cassis and strain them into a highball glass, and then top up with ginger ale? ← The Diablo is on my current spring cocktail menu and I'm building it in the glass, tossing a couple of times and filling with ginger ale. Shaking and straining onto fresh ice seems like more work than is required. I always thought a highball was any spirit + mixer(s) over ice in a tall/Collins glass.

I was purging the freezer tonight and realized I had a half can of Minute Maid frozen limeade. I made a lazy girl's frozen daiquiri out of it with Appleton Estate V/X, frozen limeade, Cointreau, a little agave nectar, a splash of fresh lime juice and some ice. It's quite refreshing and almost like a tiny vacation in a glass.

Happy Birthday Rehovot! Thanks for the window into your life and thank you so very much for the views of a city I have always longed to visit properly. It's lovely in so many ways. I hope to be able to see it in person some day. I got stuck in the airport in Prague once on the way to Vienna on a Christmas Eve. The airline management was less than helpful. Your take on the city makes it seem so much more appealing than my memory of being stuck there waiting for a flight.

The annual 8 Days of Eats festival is fast approaching. Restaurants in the South Street/Headhouse district will be offering special $30 menus from April 30-May 7. Some of the participating restaurants include Bridget Foys, Las Bugambilias, Django, Xochitl, Zot and of course, Chick's Cafe & Wine Bar. There's a kickoff party next Tuesday evening at 2nd & Lombard under the Headhouse shambles from 7-9 pm that will have some samples and refreshments being offered. More info available HERE. Dinner at Xochitl or trying out Las Bugambilias sounds like a good idea...

Exactly. So we all need to get a clue what we're pairing with here. A better idea of the strength and flavor profile would be much appreciated.

Perhaps a recipe for said Limoncello Martini would give all of us a better idea of what we're dealing with. I'm imagining something like chilled vodka up with a splash of limoncello, but I could be totally wrong. How sweet is it? How strong is it? All these things matter when pairing cuisine to match a cocktail. I've done several cocktails-paired-with-food dinners (clickety HERE to see one I did last summer), and while it's a little tougher than matching wine or beer, it is perfectly doable. But pairing a strong cocktail like a martini or manhattan is quite different than pairing a mimosa with food.

Howzabout a white clam pizza?

Fritto Misto that includes some thinly sliced and fried battered lemon slices, thinly sliced eggplant, zucchini (and blossoms if possible), sardines, smelts, scampi and calamari.

That sucks. Several years ago I had some minor surgery that required an overnight stay for observation at Roxborough Hospital. First thing I did when I was released the next day was go over to D'Alessandro's for a cheesesteak. I was starving! Hospital food is horrid and I was pretty hungry after eating jello and soup the night before. I really wanted something to sink my teeth into and a D'Alessandro's steak was truly a life affirming meal. Sad that the new owners don't have the common sense to leave it alone and let the folks that know the score run it for them. Fools.

Tria is good for the trio of fermented things they offer - wine, beer and cheese. Other than that it doesn't sound at all like what you're looking for. Menu is quite limited (except for the cheese) and no full bar if anyone wants a cocktail. No TVs as I recall at either location. Stick with the gastropubs - St. Stephen's Green, Standard Tap, etc. and you'll definitely find something for everyone.

Excellent! You're on. That's an excuse in itself for a trip. Hopefully I can walk the two blocks and try one of Donbert's as well. I'll let you know when to expect me.

Excellent! Nicely done Don and Damon! Congrats to both of you!

I keep an index card file in the drawer under the register. As new cocktails make the list they are typed up and glued onto the index cards which are alphabetized. That way the other bartenders can make the drinks the same way when I'm not around. Some of the other ones are just in my head. But the "substitution game" way of remembering things is handy for some things.

St. Stephen's Green has been the best pub grub I've had lately, or in a while for that matter. Catfish BLT, Lamb tacos, great salads, lots of good beer and a full bar. TV's in the bar area. I seem to recall a steak frite or something similar on the menu. 1701 Green Street in the Fairmount area. Not hard to find. An easy couple of turns off of Spring Garden Street. Parking is on the street.

Jeff: Do you know if any of the Joe Canal's that are closer to the city stock the Luxardo products? It'd be easier to get them when running errands in that neighboring state than doing the SLO thing. Not that I would ever consider transporting alcohol across state lines...

I too am a horseradish lover, but the pistou from Food & Wine didn't pack the punch I had hoped. It was ok but not the really yummy addition I was looking for. Maybe that was because I make vegetarian matzoh ball soup, and it is already very vegetal. ← That sounds right. I think the dill-horseradish pistou needs chicken stock to play against, just like regular soupe au pistou would. The vegetal broth would only seem more so with the addition of dill and horseradish, which is quite vegetal in addition to being hot and a little bitter. Sorry it didn't work for you. I might try it later on and report back.

Awesome. Speaking as one of those lucky friends/guinea pig chocolate tasters, I couldn't be happier about Rae and David getting their due in the local press. The chocolates are amazing. The fleur de sel caramels are bliss inducing. Congrats to both of them for a job well done! Couldn't happen to nicer folks.

I call these the "review lemmings." You see them everywhere, tattered review clutched in their sweaty little fists. It's kind of amusing.

A noble first attempt jsmeeker! And you even got floaters! Nicely done. I've had two different versions of matzoh ball soup over the last two days and both were delicious. Good strong broth, and light and fluffy knaidlach. Just as it ought to be. I still want to attempt that dill-horseradish pistou recipe for the matzoh ball soup in the latest edition of Food & Wine. It looks really interesting and I can never eat too much horseradish or matzoh ball soup.

6 pounds!! That's an awful lot of sinus clearing. I roast the beets and then dice them into the already finished horseradish in the processor. Two minutes more and everything is bright fuschia. Have fun being fearless leader. The seder I am attending this evening is with the family of my college roommate. I've been their guest for first seder for going on 25 years or so, and am more or less the spare daughter they never asked for. Uncle Bill, our fearless leader, passed away several months ago and this will be the first seder without him. We will undoubtedly raise a glass to him and other absent friends. L'chaim and Happy Passover everyone! Next year in Jerusalem!

Wow! Really? Better than the al Pastor?? I'll have to check that out soon. The fish tacos at the Cantina have been reliably delicious whenever I've ordered tham, as well as the ceviche. Goat tacos, eh?

Finished the charoset and the horseradish tonight. Horseradish is chemical weapon strength. My eyes are still tearing up. Looking forward to having some gefilte fish tomorrow evening with this.