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rlibkind

eGullet Society staff emeritus
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Everything posted by rlibkind

  1. If you're talking Smithfield type country hams, can't think of anyone who stocks them (though maybe DiBruno on Chestnut does). That said, both Harry Ochs and Giunta Prime Shop at the RTM have some mighty fine no-water added hams. I had a steak cut from one at Harry Ochs' a couple of weeks ago, and it was at least as good as the hams offered by Moyers when they were still at the market.
  2. Just shy of 50 vendors now open on Sundays through the end of the year: Flying Monkey Patisserie LeBus Bakery Metropolitan Bakery Termini Brothers Bakery Cookbook Stall Miscellanea Libri Down Home Diner Profi's Creperie Flower Basket Market Blooms Young Botanicals Andro's Fine Prepared Foods Carmens Famous Italian Hoagies Delilah's Golden Bowl Kamal's Middle Eastern Specialties Olympic Gyro Original Turkey Sang Kee Peking Duck Tokyo Sushi Bar Tootsie's Salad Express Fair Food Farmstand Giunta's Prime Shop Harry G. Ochs & Son Meats Amazulu Amy's Place Don't Forget Your Pet De' Village Foster's Gourmet Cookware Terralyn - Body, Spirit Fair Food Farmstand Iovine Brothers Produce Ok Lee Produce Golden Fish Market John Yi Fish Market Wan's Seafood Andro's Fine Prepared Foods Bassetts Ice Cream Bee Natural Blue Mountain Vineyards Chocolate by Mueller Downtown Cheese Famous 4th St. Cookies Natural Connection Old City Coffee Pennsylvania General Store Salumeria Spice Terminal Tea Leaf
  3. iirc (and I'm not 100% sure), Max and Me just does cold smoked salmon, not hot smoked, which is what phungi is seeking. Kippered salmon is hot smoked. I must confess, as one who prefers cold smoked to hot smoked salmon, that the garlic salmon phungi linked to looks very appetizing.
  4. You can order it online from the Reading Terminal Market's Pennsylvania General Store.
  5. In my 27 years in Philadelphia, two restaurants I frequently enjoyed pulled up stakes in the dark of night and just disappeared without warning. One was Cuvee Notredame on 17th and Green, where Michel Notredame skipped town abruptly. The other was Tivoli, a Danish-inspired restaurant (great herrings) on Front Street in the building now occupied by Fredericks. I learned of its disappearance when I called for a reservation and the landlord answered, who asked whether I knew the proprietor so he could track him down to collect back rent. That was back sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s, I'd guess. Which of your favored restaurants did similar instant vanishing acts? Any good stories behind them?
  6. If it's takeout you want, and you arrive by 3 or 4 p.m., quickly get over to the Reading Terminal Market and stock up. Lots of takeaway options there. Technically the market is open until 6 p.m. on Saturday, but the Pennsylvania Dutch vendors tend to pack up a bit before then. Still, there's plenty available. By George and Mezze (same ownership) offers salads of various Mediterranean varieties, as well as pizza. Breads of all sorts at Metropolitan and Le Bus Bakeries; sweet cupcakes and other goodies at Flying Monkey Patisserie; Pennsylvania Dutch style baked goods at Bielers; hoagies at Salumeria (my fav), Spataro's, and Carmen's; ready-to-eat and/or heat appetizers and entrees at Andro's; Middle Eastern goodies at Kamal's. There's also a salad buffet with salads and hot entrees. And you can always buy good fresh fruit for out-of-hand eating at Iovine Brothers or OK Lee produce stands. In the Pennsylvania Dutch section there's the Rib Stand for ribs and Diener's BBQ Chicken for chicken. Over in Chinatown among establishments favored by denizens of eGullet include Szechuan Tasty House and Chung King, on opposite sides of Arch street between 9th and 10th streets (all of four-five blocks form your hotel); both will set your mouth on fire if you want it hot. I also like Rangoon on 9th Street between Arch and Race for Burmese food. I haven't been there for a few years (I've got to get back), but Indonesia on Arch between 10th and 11th does a rijkstaffel (rice table).
  7. Although the Marriott Courtyard is in the heart of the business district, it's also close by to theater and concert venues, as well as the convention center, so there's plenty of evening dining opportunities. It's located in the very center of town (opposite City Hall which is built atop Center Square at the intersection of Broad & Market streets). Most of the possibilities are east, south and west of your hotel; not much north within walking distance. Some possibilities: The closest group of fun restaurants to your hotel are just three blocks away in the vicinity of 13th Street at Sansom (between Chestnut and Walnut). El Vez, 121 S. 13th St. Stephen Starr's Mexican extravaganza. Catty-corner at 106 S. 13th is Lolita, a BYOT (Bring Your Own Tequila) establishment. After either one, cross the street for Capogiro Gelato. Ludwig's Garden, 1315 Sansom. This German restaurant (lotsa great beer and hearty Deutsche fare) is around the corner from El Vez, Capogiro, etc. Vintage, 129 S. 13th. I haven't tried it yet, but reports are good. It will be very busy, as will most of these establishments on a Friday night. Some nearby pubs include Fergie's at 1214 Sansom and Moriarties at 1116 Walnut. There's also the Independence Brewpub on Filbert (underneath the Reading Terminal) between 11th and 12th Streets, which is probably the closest of all to your hotel. If you can deal with the crowds, one of the best beer selections is at Monk's, 264 S. 16th. The Down Home Diner is open 'til 8 p.m., even though it's within the Reading Terminal Market. Entrance after 6 p.m. is on Filbert between 11th & 12th, opposite Indepence Brewpub. Caribou Cafe, 1126 Walnut is a classic French bistro. With the nip in the air, it's time for cassoulet! Sansom Street Oyster House, 1516 Sansom St. You want oysters? They got 'em. Do a fine job on basic fish of all sorts. Try the snapper soup (with a shot of sherry to cut the richness). Nearby at 211 S. 15th is ¡Pasion! if you've got a hankering for ceviche and neuvo latino fare. Along the Broad Street spine south of City Hall are generally pricier establishments (including high end chains) catering to the expense account crowd, i.e., Ruth's Chris, the Palm, McCormick & Schmitt, Capitol Grille, etc. This is just a start, but all of these are very quick and easy walks from your hotel. And don't forget all the options in Chinatown, also very near. Lots of other options which I'm sure others will pipe in with.
  8. Okay, here are my good, but by no means superlative, results: Crust was certainly crisp -- too, crisp. That was probably the result of my pre-heating to 500F and cooking under lid at that temp; when I removed lid and saw how color was progressing I dropped temp down to 475. But next time I'll just use the recommended 450. My timing was 30 minutes under the lid and 40 minutes uncovered. Bread came out just a tad moist, but not off-puttingly so. My ingredients: 17 oz flour (Whole Foods all purpose 365 brand), 13 oz water, 2 T DC kosher salt, 3/8 tsp long-out of date (would you believe 18 months!) active dry yeast, and coarse cornmeal for dusting, which did a great job in preventing dough sticking to a fairly tight weave cotton kitchen towel. Next time I'll use instant (and fresher) yeast as called for by the recipe. Still, even with the ancient yeast and 20 hours of initial development time I managed to get a bit of a rise (bread baked to 3-inches high at center); probably would have bit a tad higher had I not used a rather broad eight-quart cast iron dutch oven. BTW, absolutely no sticking to this well-seasoned cooking vessel, and it simply needed a dumping of the crumbs and a dry paper towel wipe to clean. The dough didn't seem that wet when I mixed it, but by the time I took it out to fold and then shape the next day, it was as wet as described. Just barely this side of a batter. The flavor was decent, I got nice sized holes and, as I noted, a moist, slightly chewy texture.
  9. Pretty good recommendation from mrbigjas. Keep in mind that the Reading Terminal Market is shuttered by 6 p.m. most days, and the Amish are there Wednesday-Saturday only. But another two blocks away is Chinatown, with lots of spots to get noodle-based dishes and a wider range of hours. Another carb load-up possibility at the RTM is By George: in addition to pizza, they always have some decent lasagna and similar Italian style casseroles for takeout. For lunch there's Nanee's Kitchen, a South Asian (Pakistani) counter offering various fritters and potato/bread based concoctions of high flavor.
  10. Ikea has it.
  11. Earl Livengood has had great chestnuts at all of the markets he serves (RTM, South Street, Fairmount). I've been buying them every week for more than a month now. They are delicious and of exceptionally high quality.
  12. If I didn't have the Reading Terminal Market I'd be commuting to the nearest Wegmans. I learned to love it in Ithaca.
  13. And now that autumn is here, you've got the beginnings of a great shepherd's pie, which must be made with lamb. (If you use beef, it's cottage pie; whoever heard of a cow shepherd?)
  14. I was there last Wednesday evening and went for a combo of Lancaster County Neck Pumpkin and Black Fig, a spot-on autumn celebration. Somehow I managed to pass by my standard: Bitter Chocolate / Nocciola Piedmontese.
  15. I'm gonna be the curmudgeon here (my favorite role). If you live in a city that offers a single food shop on the order of D&D or Zingerman's or DiBruno's, odds are you don't need it. That's because you'll have tons of specialty shops that do what they do better (and most likely cheaper) than the uber-store. What the uber-stores offer is convenience: you want lox and gelato? They'll have them, and they will be good, but at a price. As for me, since I have a surplus of time here in Philadelphia, I'd rather make separate trips to The Famous and Capogiro.
  16. Turned out yummy! The beef took very well to the braise; if it had been any more tender it wouldn't have been there at all. Good deep flavor, to which I'm sure the salt pork and the Ommergang abbey-style ale contributed.
  17. Outside of the apple-smoked bacon I bought two weeks ago (excellent), I made my first major meat purchase at Giunta's Prime Shop today: a chuck roast, just under three pounds, which I'm going to slice and use in a carbonnades flammandes. I'll let you know the results. (I picked up some unsmoked salt pork belly from Dutch Country Meats to use as a fat source and flavor it.) Le Bus begins its move to the new location (opposite Bassett's Ice Cream) next weekend and figures on opening for business there sometime the following week. Work to convert the former Spataro's space to Hershel's East Side Deli should pick up this week, once the tile arrives to place on the newly-installed walls. Add L. Halteman to the purveyor's who will be offering non-factory farm turkey this season. Also, Giunta's has Eberly's capons, which are surgically rather than chemically castrated; it's a perfect roasting bird, especially for those who favor the juicy white meat these big-breasted birds produce.
  18. Katie's pinned this email from Ann Karlen of the Fair Food Farmstand, who each year tries to offered organic and/or natural, pasture-raised turkeys, and sometimes heritage birds, too. I'd suggest stopping by the stand now and making a reservation. The new butcher shop, Giunta's Prime Shop, also offers hormone-free poultry, and may be worth a try. If you patronized A.A. Halteman, just head to the same spot: Giunta's took over the space.
  19. A whole roasted shoulder can be a wonderful thing. An easy and delicious way way to cook it would be as a mechoui, a Morrocan technique. Basically, take a shoulder on the bone, cut away the excess fat (leave at least 1/4 inch, though), and roast it (fattiest/skin side up) under foil in a moderate (350-375) oven for about an hour and a half, then rub with a profuse amount of butter, recover with foil and roast for another two hours, repeating the butter bit every 20 minutes or so. (You'll need at least a quarter of a pound of butter, more if you like to live dangerously.) When the meat is nearly done to your satisfaction (this particular dish works best when cooked to medium well) remove the foil and turn up the heat to 425 for about 10 minutes to crisp it up. When done, let it sit on a platter for five or ten minutes to rest. Serve with salt and freshly ground cumin.
  20. I second James' Godshalls recommendation and would head there first. But if the line is too long, L. Halteman also sells parts.
  21. Green Valley Dairy has added what is, to my taste, an unusual but excellent cheese. It has no name yet, but it's a cheese that tastes like a blue (very similar to flavor to Stilton), but is firm with no visible veining. Cheesemaker John Lohac says that no matter what he does, the one particular cave in which he places this cheese produces mold that creates this flavor. A most wonderful little cheese. Down Home Diner has added a full roster of soups now that the cooler weather has arrived. Six soups were on the menu this Saturday: seafood gumbo, tomato bisque, chicken noodle, potato leek, black eye pea, and beef-barley. The signboard says they are all homemade. Also a sure sign that summer (and gin and tonic season) is over: the price of limes and lemons both 10 for a buck at Iovine Brothers. And yellow and orange bell peppers also a bargain at 99-cents a pound, same price as green peppers; reds were $2.99. Seedless cucumbers also a relative bargain, two for a buck. California seedless grapes a good deal: two-pound clamshell for $1.49. Not too much sign of visible construction at Hershel's East Side Deli yet. Spataro's seems to be settled in nicely at their new location. Flying Monkey added an attractive awning a couple of weeks ago, brightening the look of center court. I wanted to try a ham steak from Giunta's Prime Shop, but so far they only have the spiral cut hams. So, instead I picked up a ham steak at Harry Ochs for the first time. An excellent slice of ham, better than any other I've purchased at the RTM since Moyers left, and, indeed, it at least matched Moyers in flavor and texture. Price was $6.99/pound, iirc, but well worth the premium. Giunta's does have a nice selection of fowl, including Eberly's chickens. The ducks are on my radar for purchase later this fall. What was missing from the produce vendors, imho, are baking apples. Sure, there are varieties available that can be baked in pies, cobblers or by themselves with success (the Jonathons, Winesaps and Romes come to mind), but it would be nice to see some traditional tart baking apples available, like Rhode Island Greenings, Northern Spy, or one of the sweeter Pippins. Dedication of the restored neon sign set for Thursday, Nov. 9, 4 p.m. at the corner of 12th and Harry Ochs Way (Filbert Street). It used to hang on the RTM Headhouse at the corner of 12th and Market. Philadelphia architect Robert Venturi will be keynote speaker.
  22. No argument from me regarding the beer! Much better at Independence. (In fact, it's no contest.) As for the food, it's good pub grub at Independence, but suggesting (as your comments do) that it's better than a Tommy DiNic's roast pork sandwich is itchin' for a fight, Rich.
  23. Kinder and Gentler Gordon? Yeah, kinda. In any event, a very good shew. The comedian who won the bread pudding cookoff, Al Murray, was a "contestant" on the first Hell's Kitchen series in the UK. (Hence the joke he made about Edwinna Curry, another "contestant" on that program.
  24. do they sell food at beer garden? gotta make 30% of your profits from food to have a sunday license, don't you? i've never gotten anything to eat there. ←
  25. Thanks for the update, John. That location isn't at all far away from the Millburn Mall, and still convenient to I-78. I won't have a chance to get up that way for quite a while, so I look forward to your report and those of others once Syd's settles in. It's going to be interesting to see how the two businesses coexist. That's never easy.
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