KatieLoeb

Made it down to the festival earlier today. I did indeed have my Mango-on-a-stick and would have traded a kidney for some dental floss afterward. Very yummy, if predictably a bit fibrous. Found I_Call-the_Duck and Mr. Duck briefly and then walked around with Mrbigjas, Mrsbigjas and MrLittlejas for a brief respite. It was mightily crowded down 9th Street today, much like the Rittenhouse Row fest a couple of weeks ago. Have a nice day, good food and entertainment and it becomes a clusterf*&k of people in no time flat. Caught a couple of minutes of the Blue Notes singing on the main stage at 9th & Washington. No Harold Melvin apparently, just the Blue Notes. Anyone know where Harold is these days? I had to have a roast pork sandwich today, and all the reports about Esposito's got me to stop at their booth. Sadly, they had no sharp provolone or greens of any sort. I had to make do with the "gravy" (pork jus) and hot peppers they were offering. The meat was moist and tender and deliciously seasoned with garlic and rosemary. So even without the cheese and greens it was pretty good. Here's a pic of my glorious feast. The real prize is up there in front. Big beautiful lacquered piece of skin. Glistening in the sunshine with pork fat and so crispy it literally shattered in your mouth when you bit down on it. Oh yeah. I know it's bad for me. But I only eat it once or twice per year. So tomorrow morning I'll take TWO Novastatin, OK?

Nice gift idea Jeff! In case you're a plan ahead type, my birthday is in March.

Philistines! D'oh! I'll wander through there Sunday and find me some Mango-on-a-stick that's properly seasoned if it kills me. It's just not interesting without the "stuff" on it.

THIS particular post about a salmon dish with fennel and strawberries in my local forum got my mind reeling with possibilities for those flavors juxtaposed together in a glass as opposed to on a plate. Here's what I came up with: one teaspoon Pernod Two large strawberries - diced .75 oz. tarragon syrup (a weak simple syrup with strong tarragon flavor) 1 oz. fresh lemon juice 2 oz. Bluecoat gin .5 oz. Creme de Strawberry liqueur Club soda Rinse a Collins glass with the Pernod and dump out the excess. Muddle strawberries, tarragon syrup and lemon juice together in shaker. Add ice, then gin and strawberry liqueur. Shake vigorously and dump all into Pernod rinsed glass. Top with a bit of club soda and stir. Garnish with a strawberry or a sprig of tarragon. I'll have to try and take a picture of this next time so I can post it. It looks really pretty in the glass and is really a delicious flavor combination. The kitchen staff and the manager thought it my best effort to date. I'm not so sure I agree, but it'll definitely agree it's one of my better efforts.

I wouldn't call this rough, or even unexpected, but it is outside New York or LA: Koch's Deli, in the 4300 block of Locust Street in University City. Dave Koch is no longer with us, but I understand his son carries on the traditions, which include lots of samples passed along the line as folks wait for their sandwiches and generous helpings of wisecracks on the side. Not having worked at Penn (it's a favorite of students, faculty and staff who live in the neighborhood just west of campus) since 2004, I can't vouch for how well it has preserved Dave's spirit. ← Sandy: Do you mean Bob and Lou Koch are no longer with us? Bob and Lou took over for their parents Sid and Frances and ran Koch's for years. Lou Koch passed away in November 1995, and brother Bobby passed more recently in August of 2005. Koch's Deli is a one-of-a-kind sort of shop that can never be replicated anywhere else. The level of hospitality and sincerity, and the amazing sandwiches just don't translate. Something about that tiny shotgun shop with the line snaking through and out the door. Pieces of waxed paper with slices of cheese or deli meat getting passed around. The bad jokes behind the counter. The milk shakes you could stand a spoon up in. I have never walked in there, no matter how much time had passed, without a warm welcome and a "Hi Katie. How've you been?" They never EVER forgot your name. They'd likely remember your order too, if you weren't feeling like a different sandwich that day than the one you had last time. The walls of the shop are papered with letters from all over the world from former customers that have moved on, but never forgotten the kindness and nourishment that Koch's brought to the their lives. That's what I'll always remember about the place. There's more tributes to Koch's Deli HERE, in the thread following the sad announcement of Bobby's death. Some nice photos too. This place is truly unique and definitely deserving of a place in the Deli Hall of Fame.

Riiiiggghht. I forgot for a minute. Carry on. I'll go back to finding new uses for 15 flavors of vodka.

Please do! I'm a fan of long drinks, especially in the warmer weather, and working somewhere that has prime outdoor seating makes me want to serve less purely boozy beverages in cocktail glasses and more refreshing alternatives in Collins glasses to my guests sitting out in the hot sun.

The strawberry and fennel garnish on that fish dish got my brain reeling on an idea for a cocktail. I made tarragon simple syrup last night and will be fooling with this idea a little more when I get to work today. Amazing where inspiration comes from sometimes...

Suzi: Dang! We've crossed like ships in the night again! Thanks for the info on the Bayview Inn. Sounds like a winner. I'll definitely check that out later this summer.

Welcome Ian! I hope you'll share your finds with us. As Capaneus said, we're often available to help polish off a bottle of wine in the name of "research". Tell us about your favorite places in some of the other threads...

Rick: That's OK. I confess I've had a few Diablos tonight at various venues (including my own kitchen) so I understand how that happens. Don't know what the deal is with the SLO situation and individual bottles of cassis. When one looks up "cassis" on the PLCB website, none of the available SLO products list a minimum number of bottles per order, which some SLO's do, so I have to believe that one can just order one bottle of whichever cassis strikes their fancy. I just had this conversation at the bar at Southwark earlier tonight, and the concensus is that any SLO cassis that's costs more than about $20/bottle is bound to be good. I'm sure there are subtle differences, but they probably aren't worth exploring in this context. Andy - I suspect you won't need the girlfriend around to finish that Diablo for you. They go down pretty easy and I think you'll enjoy it just fine on it's own. If it's too sweet for you just up the lime juice a bit to balance. The flavors go very well together.

Wow. Those Dry Sodas sound like the cat's meow for someone that was feeling adventurous. I'll have to look for those locally. I'm a big fan of both the less utilized sodas like Fresca (grapefruit - which can be effectively faked with grapefruit juice and Sprite) or Bitter Lemon, which I just love with bourbon and herbed simple syrup. Cel-Ray could be interesting, although I've always found it to be a little salty to my taste on it's own. Might be really interesting with tequila and maybe a splash of Cassis - kind of an alternative Diablo. I tend to have better luck finding purees and flavored syrups at my local ethnic markets, so I've gone down that path. Sour Cherry syrup from Croatia lends itself well to Sour Cherry margaritas and Tamarind and Apricot syrups have been interesting non-alcoholic additions to various cocktail experiments.

Mazel Tov to you Rae! I skipped my Bat Mitvah too, so I guess there's still hope for me as an adult. I got a big Sweet Sixteen party instead, to assuage my mother's guilt, more than my own. Good on 'ya for the follow through. All excellent suggestions so far. I'd be one to lean toward the Asian suggestions just because most of them have a separate "banquet" room and are accustomed to handling groups. 15 people may seem like a small group, but is better serviced by a place that handles larger parties effectively. Places with smaller kitchens are hard pressed to get that many plates out at once.

A spin, perhaps. But the Cassis is so much thicker and sweeter than the Pama that it's really an entirely different drink. I have Pama on my bar at work. I like it OK. But I qualify that by saying I find that Pama adds about the same amount of flavor to a drink as an equal sized splash of cranberry juice, whose flavor I find indistinguishable from the Pama at many times the price. I've never heard of anyone ordering Pama neat or on the rocks, it just seems to be one of those products that was produced because Pomegranate was a "fashionable" flavor last year. <shrug> At about $26/bottle (at least in PA where I live and buy liquor) the Pama is just expensive. I use it for color and flavor because I have it available to me, but it seems very cost ineffective in terms of what it provides to a cocktail. I'd rather use a splash of POM juice and get better color and flavor at a fraction of the cost. I'll have to experiment with a POM based or enhanced tequila cocktail next time I'm at work.

Hi Rick: I'm assuming you meant me in your post to "Karen". The Diablo is quite tasty. I have to thank my local barkeep for introducing me to that old classic. Quite the refreshing and easy summer beverage. As for Creme de Cassis, I have a bit at home from an old bottle procured from a former employer, but as for a reliable source, I usually have the real Cassis de Bourgogne at work and have it ordered SLO when necessary. A quick search indicates that only the Jacquin's low end cassis is available in the PLCB stores, and any of the better more authentic stuff is all SLO. The price point for the Marie Brizard and the Maison de Lamartine Cassis de Bourgogne is almost identical at $21.89 and $22.19 respectively. I understand that the Guyot Creme de Cassis de Dijon at $29.19 is also quite delicious, although I don't think I've tasted that one. Not certain about the finer points of Cassis de Bourgogne vs. Cassis de Dijon. I'm sure there's a difference and an explanation, but I don't know it.

Bob, our friendly bartender, was highly amusing. I was having a hard time today trying to remember the nickname he gave me. I kept thinking it was "Bitchy knickers" but it was actually "Naggy Britches". And that Corazon Reposado made a righteous 'rita. I went out today and snapped up a bottle with a quickness. I'm enjoying the fruits of that purchase this evening in a homemade maragarita that's pretty tasty. I cheat and use frozen Limeade in my home 'ritas. It's quicker than juicing all that fruit since I took my juicer to work with me for use at the bar. I really enjoyed the apps a Xochitl. And the tastes of everyone else's entrees and dessert were quite enjoyable, with the exception of the utterly tasteless cola ice cream. The "INteresting" service (and I mean that in a Bugs Bunny and Gossamer kind of way) from Bob, as well as the food and drinks are well worth exploring. Tequila aficionados beware. This place could keep you busy for quite awhile.

It goes either way. I've seen folks in flip flops and tank tops as well as some other folks pretty decked out. Casual but neat would probably get you in the door almost anywhere. It is the beach, after all.

Cut him a little slack. He just dropped me off a couple of minutes ago and is winging his way home to post photos I'm sure. We just had a lovely meal/drinks at Xochitl which I'm certain will yield some great pics as well.

Mr. Sprat: I certainly hope you'll pop into the bar next time and introduce yourself! Thank you for the compliment! I'm delighted you enjoyed the punch. It seemed appropriate to the setting that we serve a proper punch in the garden of the Morris House (built 1789), so I set about recreating the famous Philadelphia Fish House Punch recipe that I'd unearthed in my research for a punch article I wrote last month for Main Line Magazine. I substituted Apricot brandy and puree instead of peach brandy, but for all intents it's the same beverage that would have been served in that very garden a couple of centuries ago. I can almost feel the ghosts watching. I hope they approve.

Not oily olives, but regular brined olives should most certainly be muddled for a dirty martini. Do you think just dumping in that dishwater brine from the olive jar makes for a dirty martini? My suspicion is that the dirty martini drinker likes the taste of olives, not salt water, so to me a proper dirty should be muddled then strained to make the drink more "olive-y" rather than simply saltier. To get back on topic, I just had two customers this week that asked for Pimm's. One had it with a splash of fresh lemon, club soda and an orange twist, the other with a splash of fresh lime, ginger ale and an orange twist. Both seemed happy enough with their variants. Pimm's strikes me a a nice low alcohol alternative on a hot summer's day.

Oh. Well that's enitrely different, a Miss Emily Litella would say. I guess I didn't read the link too closely. If it's pricier than a brand new one then it's really not worth it, good skillet karma or not.

The Rangpur is very limey and botanical. Tasty, but needs the proper applications to really shine. It's pretty great in a Gin and Tonic obviously. Probably less so in an Aviation because it would throw off the balance of lemon:maraschino. You can test drive it at Southwark before committing to purchase if you want. I know they have it behind the bar. The Hendrick's is a great buy at that price. I've been doing variations on French martinis with it with either lavender or thyme syrup, fresh lemon and a dash of lemon bitters in addition to the Hendrick's and Lillet. They've been quite popular.

Actually, dialysis patients are allowed a very limited liquid intake daily, so Szechuan food would probably not be a good choice since you do need so much water/wine/beer to quench the flames.

I humbly confess I've done the "cheater's method" with juleps and made minted simple syrup in advance by adding 1 part freshly picked mint leaves to 3 parts hot boiled simple syrup in the blender and whirring it all to a pulp. I let it cool overnight in the fridge and then strain it the next day. Leaves tiny little green fleks in the simple without big chunks of leafy detritus in the glass. It works fine on it's own or with a small number of freshly torn mint leaves lightly muddled to have some vegetation in the glass if you're feeling it's utterly necessary.

Funny - I've had several customers notice the Pimm's behind me at the bar ths week. I've served it on the rocks with a squirt of fresh lemon juice, and filled with club soda and an orange twist for a "purist" who likes things on the more bitter side, or tonight with a squirt of fresh lime juice and filled with ginger ale and an orange twist for a lady guest that asked me to "surprise her". She liked it as prepared. No borage in either preparation, I'm afeared. Sorry to hijack your thread.