Andrew Fenton

I'm going to be having a party, and I want to get a keg. Thing is, I'd like to get something good: say, a small (half or quarter) keg of Yards, Victory or the like. I've been happy in the past with Springfield Beer Distributor, but that's been buying bottles; I've no idea what the keg situation is (there or anywhere else) in terms of availabilty or price. What's my best bet for a beer distributor in Center City?

I also like Satellite Sushi. Satellites are hi-tech, shiny and clean, all things I associate with Japan. They go round and round, obviously. And they're sorta cute, which is super-Japanese. Sushi Nation is a good name, but it'd be better for a book than a restaurant (I suppose I'm thinking of Prozac Nation here): what are the visa requirements to enter the Sushi Nation? "The Nation of Sushi"? No, that could get you into trouble, I think. I also sort of liked Sushi Revolver: "do ya feel lucky, punk?" Okay, maybe that's not the image you want. See, it's just so much easier to think of bad names for a sushi restaurant: Discount Sushi Sushi Barn Cap'n Paul's Sushi Shanty Tickle Me Fugu Arkansas Sushi Kitchen (credit: herbacidal) and so on.

Hellz yeah! 12:30 at Zep's: 9965 b-b-b-b-b-b-BUSTLETON Avenue. Don't be distracted by the Georgian pastry shop next door, folks, or the picklearamas nearby: we're on a mission. From the pizza gods.

Well yeah, I never bring fancy-schmancy glasses to a restaurant. But then again, when I'm at home I usually drink out of a dog bowl on the floor, so just about anything is a step up.

What mrbigjas said, of course. One point: Django is notorious for using crappy stemware. If you won't be happy without GIANT RIEDEL GLASSES or whatever, you could probably bring your own, though I've never seen anybody do that.

you're drinking the pink grapefruit 20/20 with the fish chowder? philistine. everyone knows that the kiwi-strawberry night train is the wine of choice for that. ← Dude, I was made to break all the rules. Except, of course, "Pantera Rules!"

Usually I prefer to drink directly from the keg, like the sweet sweet mother's nipple that it is.

No, no, the important thing to do is to make sure your server removes the paper bag from your bottle of Mad Dog 20/20. Then you can ask, "hey, would the goat cheese gnocchi or the fish chowder go better with this fine bottle of Pink Grapefruit?"

It all depends. If you have a particularly good bottle, you should stride boldly into the center of the restaurant, proudly lift your bottle into the air and shout "I am Bilrus, King of Kings! Look on my liquor, ye mighty, and despair!" Then everybody will know just how cool you are.

What does it mean to describe a wine as "gritty"? Is there sediment in it, or is this a metaphor?

I'm happy to see the case made for canned beer, and would be happy to see more microbrews switch over, for all the reasons given in the thread, plus another: cans are much easier to clean up and dispose of. Cleaning up after a party where people have been drinking from bottles is a way bigger hassle than cleaning up cans. That said, I don't really like drinking out of cans. Something about putting cold metal to my lips just creeps me out; for the same reason, I don't like drinking out of metal cups. So when I buy canned drinks, I usually pour them into a glass.

Ha! I walked by this evening and thought, "ooh! Greek church lady cookin' this weekend! How many times can I eat there before Monday?" Unfortunately, I was still full-- six hours later-- from the lima bean hoagie, so no Greek delicacies tonight. And then I thought, "gotta post to eGullet when I get home! I wonder if anybody will want to have lunch there on Sunday?" But you beat me to it. Anyway, in past years, I've found the lamb shanks to be a consistent winner. Here's a post from a couple of years back and Holly's description of the doin's.

I believe the term of art is "stunt hoagie". Anyway, I tried Salumeria's lima bean hoagie today. I confess, it's a pretty damn good sandwich. First, I think (but wouldn't swear to it) that the limas are Greek gigantes. They're more like that than normal limas, at any rate. I was worried that the hoagie would be dry and/or mealy, on account of all that starch. Not to worry, though! The marination made the beans pretty tender and relatively moist. Also, Salumeria makes a really wet hoagie: the house spread, the pepper spreads and the artichokes all make for sloppy, oily, wet deliciousness, which are a good complement to the limas. Actually, I'd be tempted to just order a platter with limas and maybe their antipasto salad. While I like Salumeria's hoagies, their bread isn't anything special, and I'd be just as happy with a plate of beans and cheese.

Whoo hoo! I'm-a goin' to Disneyworld! Yeah, that's the picture I remember from the eG barbecue back in the fall. The calves seemed pretty content, gamboling in the fields and all that. I didn't know at the time that they were being raised for meat. (and, I suppose, neither did they...)

Well, if we wanted to be picky, we might point out that "grammer" with an "e" isn't so much an incorrect spelling as an archaic one-- it was spelt that way at least as late as Shakespeare. "Accept" and "except", on the other hand, are almost antonyms. (But we don't want to be picky, so we won't point that out.)

Dude, veal is just meat from a baby cow. People have been eating veal for thousands of years now. You don't have to keep a calf in a box to raise an animal that will produce tasty meat; and not everybody has a Joe Pesci-in-Casino-like fetish about pure white veal. I'm willing to lay some heavy odds that Bobolink doesn't keep its calves in tiny cages and doesn't raise anemic calves either. But if you're concerned, why don't you email or call the dairy and ask? Or go visit?

And they have zuppa Inglese gelato! I don't think I've ever seen that in the US.

Bobolink online: cowsoutside.com

What Rosie said. A visit to the farm makes it obvious that the animals at Bobolink are treated with respect, care and love.

I'd actually recommend steering away from the vegetarian Chinese places, which in my experience run the from "disappointing" to "sucky", and instead recommend Charles Plaza. It's not the greatest Chinese in the city by a long shot, but it's respectable, and a place where the vegetarian and the omnivore, like the farmer and the cowman, can be friends. Lots of meat-free options, as well as good seafood (I like the steamed fish) and poultry. They can also easily handle a big group, if that's an issue. Rangoon is really good too, and some of their best dishes (tofu triangles, 1000 layer bread) are meat-free. But make sure your friends ask before ordering: some of the tofu dishes, for example, also contan meaty goodness. If your in-laws aren't the type to get snippy about limited options, you'll find that most of the BYOBs will have one or two vegetarian dishes on the menu as well. Rx is pretty good in this regard, as I recall. The veggie burgers at Monk's are awfully good. The usual caveats (hard to get a table, smoky) apply, though. edit: Afghan is a good bet, either Ariana, Kabul or Sansom Kebab House. Also, while the in-laws clearly won't be eating a roast pork sandwich, Tony Luke's has a vegetarian version (aged provolone, greens, maybe peppers) that's killer. double edit: Y'all should totally go to Tria. Terrific wine and beer selection, great cheeses and a menu that's heavy on meat-free options. It's perfect for a light, moderately-upscale meal.

Anybody who's concerned about protecting their ice cream should walk, nay, run, nay... er, CLICK on this page selling the Ben and Jerry's Pint Lock. Guaranteed to keep your chubby hubby's paws off of your Chubby Hubby.

It's not that hard to set up a dinner at Studiokitchen. Seriously, just email Shola (studiokitchen@gmail.com) to find a date, and then get seven or nine friends to join you.

Barbarian.

I just had frozen lemonade for the first time this weekend. It's clearly related to water ice-- let's call them first cousins-- but water ice is less icy and slushy. It's firmer, too: you can drink frozen lemonade, but good water ice has that creamy texture, and you need a spoon to eat it.

Welcome, Paul! I'm looking forward to reading about your experiences. There are all kinds of interesting issues that will, I'm sure, come up. I'd be interested to hear other local restaurateurs chime in, especially on Philadelphia-specific issues.