Andrew Fenton

A Danish friend of mine infuses vodka with Red Hots candy. Tastes surprisingly good.

The Cook's Illustrated folks insist that there's no difference between pie made with Key limes and that made with Persian limes. I've never noticed a big difference, either; but I haven't done a taste-test. How would you describe the difference between the two?

That's okay, Rich. Philly still loves you too. Even though you abandoned it for Jersey.

And rest assured, Philadelphia loves you back!

I've seen both at Whole Foods on South Street.

Aw man, you mean if I'd been there an hour later, I coulda gotten a shank? All I saw were slices of what looked like roast lamb. Well, all the more reason to go again, maybe for lunch today. Also to try that fava/artichoke tag team combo...

Welcome, katbert! The cost for dinner is an even $10. That gets you an entree (moussaka, pastitsio, roast chicken, etc.), two sides, a salad and bread. That's a LOT of very good food! There are also maybe eight or nine kinds of pastries available, from basic baklava to more exotic choices. I personally recommend the "evil shredded wheat." Whatever the real Greek name is... Here's a photo of last year's lunch menu. I don't think the dishes have changed over the last eight months. Link to HollyEats

You got sharp eyes there, awbrig! The bartender kept playing peek-a-boo, and I had to ask the church ladies to summon somebody so we could get our wine. I think they were still getting the kinks out; there weren't any lamb shanks there either. All the more reason to head over there again tonight...

Yes, I was a little disappointed at the by-the-numbers choices there. Reading Terminal, Gepatjim's for cheesesteaks, blah blah blah. At least there was that (brief) shout-out to the roast pork & greens at Tony Luke's: a much more representative and distinctive example of old-school Philly cuisine. And (not surprisingly, I guess) something the author was pointed toward by a local...

A mistake, in almost any profession. It's always a fun exercise for junior associates at big law firms to calculate what their hourly wage would be...

For you, Katie, I'd suggest showing up as the goddess Athena: I'm thinking you should wear a full set of armor and be carried in a chariot. But if you can't work that, civvies should work out okay...

6:45 is groovy with me. But... togas? [pedant]Those are Roman, people, not Greek! [/pedant] Nonetheless, I should be easily recognizable, given my Greek-godlike physique. (Well, maybe more Buddha-like...)

Katie, I am so there. I'm there already! Really, I'm camped outside, dictating this message by carrier pigeon! Greek on Thursday, and then on to the Italian Market this weekend for that cross-cultural thing. If I'm really good, I can even work this into my dissertation...

And lo, I saw the angel open the seventh seal. And the sky turned black and the earth shook. And behold, a voice spake unto me: "CHICKEN OR FISH?"

Yup, I hear drinking a lot of beer was central to Keanu's training regimen for the movie...

Heh. Well, that still would have gone over better than my other idea for a theme wedding: "The Four Bridesmaids of the Apocalypse."

It's "GONNA Fly Now." And the immortal lyrics: "Trying hard now, its so hard now, trying hard now.. Getting strong now, wont be long now, getting strong now.. Gonna fly now, flying high now, gonna fly, fly, fly." I lobbied hard to make this the song that my wife and I would come down the aisle to at our wedding. Alas, some dreams must remain unfulfilled...

Once again, I see the benefits of having been raised by wolves.

eGullet goes multimedia! Love the sound FX...

No cheese plate? Tut tut.

Good stuff. But she refers to boiling the bones a couple of times. I was under the impression that you should simmer, not boil stock: this helps keep the fat and liquid separate.

It's also very easy and satisfying to make at home...

I love the Philadelphia Java Co.! Good coffee and wonderfully friendly owners who have done a lot to renovate the space; I'm in there two or three days a week. Never tried the labneh, though: maybe next time...

I think you're probably right about the popularity vs. quality problem. I got the sense that they're just swamped-- maybe more so because of when I was there (12:30 on a Friday)-- and that's why the cheese didn't stay on the meat long enough. In theory, you can get around this by putting Cheese Whiz on the steak (insta-melty!) but I'm not sure they have it there. As to the amount of cheese, I'd say there were at least three pieces of provolone on the sandwich.

Herb: I don't know specifically about substitutes for Sarcone's. But I've had bread that's as good, or close to it, and they can't bake enough for all these places. (Or can they?) Anyway, I made it to John's Roast Pork today and had a steak. It's good-- very good in a lot of ways-- but the best in the city? Au contraire, mon frere Laban! Good bread (about a third of an Italian loaf). The steak comes in nice thick slices (sliced not chopped); the meat isn't as greasy as most steaks are. Which is a problem: you want that perfect amount of meat juice and grease blending with the melted cheese, forming a perfect matrix of fats. The really striking thing about John's steaks is just how much cheese they use. Lots of cheese. And the thing is, they put it on the grilling meat just before it all goes into the bread. The result is a sandwich composed of strata of meat and cheese, the latter not fully melted when it comes off the grill. It's like geology on a roll: youy'll be eating through layers of meat and then suddenly hit a pocket of provolone (White Gold! Load up the truck and move to Beverly...) Which is fine, but-- the fat matrix, man! Where's the matrix? The non-melted cheese surprised and bothered me: was it just because they were busy when I was there? Or is that typical? I suppose if you really like a lot of cheese, this is the steak for you. (But I'd recommend letting it sit, tightly wrapped, for a minute or two in order to let the cheese melt fully.) As far as I'm concerned, though, Tony Luke's reigns supreme. Oh! One more thing: John's serves Coke in glass bottles. Which is so cool: scientists have proven that Coke bottled in glass tastes 30% better than Coke in aluminum or plastic. Makes a good accompaniment to cheesesteak.