Andrew Fenton

Sure, Southwark (corner of 4th and Bainbridge) is great. See you at 8:30!

Chris, make a suggestion and I can probably get over there early. I'd be happy to meet up for a drink.

As far as food for Sat goes: I smoked some homemade sausage yesterday along with some meatballs. I'll bring those along with baba ganoush (if we're not tired of it from Zahav) as appetizers while we're waiting for the rest of the meal.

I believe that the root beer at Percy St. is brewed by Yard's (a Philadelphia brewery). I'm sure it's good, though I'll go on record as saying I don't think the food at Percy St. is that good. Listen to Holly when he recommends Hot Diggity! Their sodas are great- I just tried their plum ginger ale last week. Not too sweet, with a real ginger bite and plum flavor. And the dogs are terrific; don't miss the Philly surf n' turf.

OK, in spite of the Hennes cuisine, it looks as if I'll be there (+1 adult and 2 kids) on Saturday night. (For part of it, anyway; if the kids get cranky we'll leave early, and will go by 8 or so anyhow.)

Since I can't edit my old post: a change. It'll just be me at Zahav (too late for my +1). Han Dynasty will be me +1.

So if it's meat that provides flavor, and bones are there to provide gelatin, why not make a meat stock and add gelatin (as a powder, sheet or whatever)?

You should be able to find it at places where you buy other flavored syrups (Torani, Monin, etc.) Or you could try making your own- eGullet's own Katie Loeb has a recipe in her book (http://tinyurl.com/bqorybt) which I'm sure is better than anything you can buy.

I'll be at Zahav (+1) and Han Dynasty (maybe +1; will confirm later) for sure. Thursday is a maybe, and I'll try to meet up in the Italian Market but don't know for sure whether I'll be free then.

Clicking through to the link, it's clear that the claim isn't that these olives are healthy (as opposed to other olives); it's that these olives are healthy (as opposed to other snacks.) Of course as with many other things, you could just put olives in a plastic bag or Tupperware container, but these presumably come in a handy package. I don't know who Cat Cora is, but presumably her brand adds something as well.

I'm a teacher, and have a Keurig in my classroom. I agree with all your cons, but will add a big pro: it doesn't require any cleanup. That's huge if you don't have access to a kitchen.

Ooh, sounds like a fun evening out...

Do try Beck's again! They do credible po'boys and muffalettas that, while probably not as good as Cajun Kate's, are still pretty darn good. I've never tried the beignets there; in fact, I've only had them once, at Cafe du Monde. But I really oughta give them a try one of these days. It's sure a lot closer to home than Boothwyn, or New Orleans...

I ate the last of my Gold Rushes (from Beechwood Orchards, I think) a couple of weeks back. It had been hiding in the drawer in the back of the fridge, but was just as good as its brethren that I ate back in the fall.

Sorry, David! I'm stymied by not having been to any of those places for years (probably eight years in the case of Porcini and La Baia, and five in the case of Salento). Also, Restaurant Week; so who knows what the menu is, and whether it's any good, etc...

Thanks for the insights, folks. As I said, I don't plan to bring children to any of the restaurant events. I wouldn't enjoy Zahav if I had to be watching my kids. And they like the food at Han Dynasty, but I wouldn't take them there as part of a big event. I can't imagine the potluck being a problem. Honestly, I've been to enough eGullet events to know that my kids are better behaved than some of the grownups they'll meet. If they get bored, the Reading Terminal Market is great to walk around and look at stuff. And if they're tired or grumpy or whatever, it's like an eight block walk for us to get home; we'll just peel out. Should be fine.

This looks like a lot of fun; you couldn't ask for better hosts than Katie and Phil! Obviously very early for this sort of thing, but on the subject of kids- I'll get a babysitter for the restaurant events. But what about the potluck? Do folks bring kids along?

Isn't venison a really lean meat? Unless you're trying to make leather, I wouldn't smoke it at all.

Chris, have you read this thread from the eGCI on smoking meat? I agree that getting started on barbecuing is intimidating; I certainly was intimidated when I was getting started, but Klink's guidance is really good and a lot of your questions are answered there. Bear in mind that this: is the single most important thing to remember when it comes to BBQ. Really, everything else is commentary. Oh, and you most definitely can smoke vegetables- fruits, too! I often toss an eggplant into the smoker, for outrageously good baba ganoush. Or red peppers. I've also smoked sliced apples (think smoked apple pie) and pineapple. Have fun! And be sure to post about the reactions of your antipodean friends and neighbors when they try (American-style) barbecue.

I've had Ekta. It's fine. I didn't like it enough to replace Tiffin, but I'll give it a try again. Or maybe the reopened Minar Palace? Or maybe I should just accept that the only really good Indian in Philadelphia is in the 'burbs...

Is it just me, or has Tiffin been slippin' over the last few months? They've always been inconsistent with delivery, often forgetting an item (last night, none of the chutneys came with the meal.) But the food quality is seemingly going downhill too. Two of our standbys, dal makhani and baigan bharta, were disappointingly bland. I think it's time to find another Indian delivery option...

Yes, the limited chicken production (and the limited hours) are maddening. I suppose if I have the day off work sometime, I'll get to try it; I don't know whether I'll have the opportunity otherwise. But if their goal is to build buzz, then limiting the amount of chicken is definitely doing the trick.

The hot donuts at Federal Donuts(Indian cinnamon, vanilla lavender, and Prince's squeeze, Apollonia) are insanely good; crispy, sweet and light. I haven't tried their fancy donuts- or the fried chicken- but look forward to giving those a go when I get the chance.

Do you ever use white whole wheat flour? I make no-knead bread with it, and it gets a nice crust.

I'd also be interested to know if you bought the ham, and what it turned out like. Personally, I'd be deeply, deeply suspicious. $45 seems too good to be true; and we all know about things that seem too good to be true...