katbert

Shola's still in town at least occasionally. One of my friends (who had no prior knowledge of studiokitchen) randomly met him in a coffeeshop two weekends ago and they started up talking about food. I'll ask her what he's up to.

No help here, but a random assortment: Ajia Sun-Thu 10pm, Fri-Sat 11pm Maki Rocks -I don't know b/c they didn't put it on their menu. But it's not past 9 or 10 either. Mizu M-F 9pm, Sat 8pm Sansom St Sushi Delight M-Sat 9pm (I haven't actually eaten here) Genji Mon-Sat 10pm, Sun 9pm Miraku I can't find the hours. Can someone closer to 13th & spruce find out? I've heard good things about this place, but haven't been yet... Swanky Bubbles serves sushi, butI don't really think of them as a sushi place, more like a bar. *shrug*

Best news ever. It will give me relief from fighting the crowds at Sabrina's on Sundays...

the eat in only is dol sot bibim bap, you know, the sizzling stone bowl kind where the rice in the bottom of the bowl almost gets fried from the heat of the bowl into a delicious crunchy brown crust. I ALMOST went there tonight, but only got to pick up the menu b/c of a picky friend. Sad. The menu has 6 apps including the seafood pancake, 4 soups including the stew mentioned above, 4 bap options, and then bulgogi (moo, cluck, oink) and the short ribs. Is there any seating past the kitchen? I saw maybe 8 or 10 counter seats and only four tables in the front. hours = M-F 11am-8:30, Sat 11:30-7:30 closed Sun ph 215.557.9830 and they take reservations b/c all the tables in the front were reserved when we passed by....

North Star Orchards had the start of their asian pears and more great honeycrisp apples at the Rittenhouse Square farmer's market yesterday in the pouring rain. They also have two kinds of peaches that have distinctly different flavours than the ones from Fahnestock towards the western side of the market- I don't find any particular type better than the others; they all taste peachy in different delicious ways... Kudos for the vendors for setting up in the downpour.

The kitchen in my last apartment had exactly 0 square feet of counter space, so I would regularly drop my largest wooden cutting board (yay Ikea) across the sink (and sometimes on top of the stovetop for prep). Sometimes, depending on the size of the chopping job, I would put a smaller board on top of the larger one since it was a minor pain to wash the larger board. I've put hot things like lids & cookie trays on the board, although I'd still use a trivet for pots & casseroles. (Current kitchen counter size has improved to ~2 sqft and I still use the cutting board on top of the sink, still fits perfectly.)

No, because $138/pp (LBF's tasting menu) is significantly more than $30/pp. If money were no object, yes I probably would go. On the other hand, South Street was doing its own RW a few weeks back. We went to Gayle, where we had a fantastic meal, and will definitely go again. ← Le Bar would probably only set you back in the $40-50s if you weren't drinking. (*shrug* I don't have an expense account either.) I think return visits depend on restaurant price point, your generic budget for going out, how many clients you have, how many friends you have with expense accounts, how many occasions you might have to celebrate, how many occasions you might make up to celebrate, etc. One of my friends went to Marigold over the University City Restaurant Week and she says she would definitely return. I've gone to Prime Rib for smoky tomato soup and a pound of rare tender beef during Restaurant Week and thought it was a reasonable deal, but probably wouldn't go back unless it was on someone else's tab and I had no say in where to go. Wait, that makes it sound like I'd only go at gunpoint. I take that part back. How about, while it's not the first place I'd choose and I wouldn't mind going there if some large infinitely rich entity were paying, I would probably spend my own $60 elsewhere if it were my money.

So I noticed that DiBrunos does a Kobe burger for $12. And philadining says Deuce has one. I remember Barclay Prime has Kobe sliders. (I don't like the word slider to be used for solid food, but so be it.) A quick Google search says that Moshulu, Barrister's also have Kobe beef burgers. Anywhere else? I'm thinking of doing a little pampered cow burger tour.

... But, as all have mentioned, the fries are indeed quite good: fresh, crisp, yet tender inside. I might go back and just get fries. Or they have hot dogs. One thing that weirded me out was that I noticed all employees were wearing latex gloves, yet a couple of them were trading positions: up working the register, or sweeping-up, putting buns on the grill to toast, assembling burgers, etc. But nobody was changing gloves, it's as if they thought the reason for the gloves was to merely protect us from their hands.... Anyway, not adding it to my regular rotation, but interesting... ← I'm going to third the recommendation for the fries -crispy, burning hot, fresh cut. I went to the Chestnut St location yesterday after a stop at DiBruno's, and the regular sized fries as pictured by philadining come in the styrofoam cup, with at least as much poured into the paper bag on top of the styrofoam cup. In other words, the portion size was twice what fit in the styrofoam cup. $2.03 and they're open late. My friend had the little hamburger (1patty vs regular=2patties) and liked it a lot, especially for the price point ($4.29). fiveguys.com

The original is at 10th & Pine and has been there for a long long time. Yes, it's awesome.

Prix fixe can be hit or miss; the usual caveat emptor applies. Some places like Le Bar Lyonnais (out of Le Bec Fin) are always cheaper during restaurant week than ordering a la carte as usual, and I think you still get fancy service and better than decent food (worth it!) which is usually priced high 20s-mid30s. In most of the byo type places, the prix fixe usually looks like either the appetizer or dessert is a freebie.

Re: the rest of Good Dog's menu Macaroni & cheese comes with a blueberry muffin and it's delicious but not better than the burger. French fries= mix of fresh cut sweet potato and regular white potato fries. Jas will complain that the sweet potato ones don't get crispy enough, but I know ppl who will trade off crispy for the sweet potato flavour. The kitchen will also do ALL sweet potato if you ask, and the portion size for the large plate is quite gigantico. Caesar salad = gigantico portion also with a pretty snappy/sharp dressing. I've had a really nice wobbly just done quiche there, but I forget if there was anything interesting in it. Rice Krispie treat sampler = blah.

Carman's back. The challah french toast this past weekend = blueberries, mango, coconut, lime, chili peppers, cream cheese with a side of the country sausage. And the omelette had greens, yellow squash, shallots, something, smoked gouda, and we added a side of the turkey bratwurst. Surprisingly, the turkey brat (patty format) was juicier than the presumably pork based country sausage (sausage split down the middle). We were there on Sunday from ~11-12ish and it was busy but no one had to do too much waiting.

Friday = tomato and the lemon opal basil at 20th Street. Warning: as of today, their air conditioning still isn't fixed so be prepared to sweat while you sample flavors, and you'll have to eat your gelato quickly before it gets soupy.

Their weekly 5 course prix fixe usually runs $45 and I wouldn't be surprised it it's the same for this 1 day... Do post please.

Last First Friday, dropped by Franklin Fountain. Their ice cream is now made in house according to the twirly moustached brother co-owner, and the blueberry was terrific. My waffle cone was hard, not just crisp, and I would go sugar or cake cone next time. Suggestion: send someone to order and someone else to snag a table outside.

Made it to Penne and tried the cavatelli (ricotta) w/ pancetta, asparagus in a pesto. Quite a giant portion for the entree and just as good the next day for lunch at work. Not quite as pillowy as I think good gnocchi are, but still beautifully balanced against the creamy pesto sauce. Starter of grilled squid salad (perfectly tender and gorgeous squid) and a tart lemon+raspberry tart and warm flourless chocolate cake (light spongy texture, not heavy and gooey) w/ cherries made for a nice dinner. Dessert was just about right, but not amazing. I didn't love the restaurant, but I would go back to see Roberta Adamo in action, and try some of the other pastas.

Ok, I just wanted this topic to show up briefly beside the 100% vegan for Horizon Cafe. Anyway, this out of the (IN) Center City email newsletter: "Barclay Prime, Center City's boutique steakhouse, is now offering guests the opportunity to bring the award-winning restaurant home for the ultimate backyard cookout, with the Barclay Prime Deluxe Grilling Package. The package, priced at $7,500, includes dinner for 10 with their award winning steaks, appetizers, salads, sides and desserts, plus a Viking 30" stainless steel premium gas grill. Barclay Prime's chef will deliver each package and christen the grill by preparing the dinner. Already have your own grill? In addition to the deluxe grilling package, they are also offering 3 Cookouts to Go priced at $150 for two people, $250 for four and $350 for six. Each Cookout to Go includes appetizers, salads, steaks, sides and pie and is adjusted to the number of people per package. It comes in a soft cooler packed with ice and is available for pick-up with in 24 hours of ordering."

It was still in place earlier this summer, one of my friends went before the weekend festival.

I second Katie's suggestion, almost all sushi places offer sushi combos with different kinds of nigiri or rolls, and this is generally an economical way to try a basic assortment (almost always including tuna, salmon, yellowtail). If you're feeling adventurous, nigiri will always give you a much clearer sensory experience (texture, taste, smell) of the fish because you're getting a slice of it on top of the rice. If you're feeling kind of ehh maybe I'll dip my toes in, rolls often have all sorts of other things going on (sesame, nori, flying fish roe, crunchy tempura bits, veggies, etc). This is not to say that rolls aren't delicious in their own right. Personally, I'm not a fan of the spicy tuna roll b/c the filling is almost always a mushed up pasty kind of texture (actually kind of tasty, but I like to see my fish), but Morimoto's is a regular tuna roll with the addition of the spicy slather and it's terrific. Mmm, sushi.

To clarify for Holly, the fries at Grace recently were NOT shoestring, probably 1cm square cross section. They were heavily coated in the powdery seasoning/salt mix and fresh cut. And then contrary to expections, I went to Monk's on Saturday and their shoestring fries were actually really crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and they were good enough that we ordered a second basket. I think that volume might be an issue- we sat down in the nearly empty back bar ~6pm (ok 20min later it was packed). Everyone at my workplace likes the fries from the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia cafeteria upstairs, which are coated in that light battery seasoned stuff, clearly previously frozen and only cost $1.05 for a little paper boatful. Also, the cheese fries at New Deck Tavern @ 34th & Sansom are gigantico portion wise, previously frozen w/ that seasoned light batter type stuff, 1cm across, and consistently crispy. They also do a steak cut french fry (also probably frozen) w/ a curry sauce, usually not fried long enough. About sweet potato fries: I've gotten crispy ones from the Bubble House on Penn's campus at 34th & Sansom, but I haven't been there for a while. I'll put Black Door, Rouge, and BP on the list. The thing about Matyson and other restaurant no bar places is that we'd have to commit to dinner just for the fries. Not that I'm against that.

Thanks for the pasta help everyone, updates when I actually go. Recent french fry experiences: Nodding Head 15th & Sansom-- burning hot out of the deep fryer, with a tender mealy potato center. I like that they really look and taste like they're fresh cut and came from some big potatoes. Not crunchy enough for me, but yummy. And I do like their mayo based roulade. I forget if that's part of the definition for roulade. L'Abbaye in NLibs-- teeny tiny shards of potato that are messy for dipping. Shards is actually a bad description, because the fries weren't crisp enough. Also, they were coated in salt, so I actually had to stop eating them half a beer in. And I like salt. Fox & Hound-- ok ok, stop laughing. I don't have a TV or friends with cable, so I had to go for the Stanley Cup finals. upside: many TV screens downside: french fries middling warm and not crisp on the outside, heartbreaker game 7

hi, I'd like to take my friend's parents out somewhere for Italian, and I'd like to find some fresh pasta in a relaxed not too trendy kind of atmosphere. If there is fabulous pillowy gnocchi that would be terrific, but it's not a necessity. I've thought about Penne w/ Roberta I forget her last name's handmade shapes but that's a little too fancy, and I've really liked the mascarpone beet ravioli at Melograno (and once gnocchi in sage butter). I haven't really explored too many places in the Italian market area (overwhelmed by choice) recently, so that might interesting and we have access to a car as well, so that kind of opens things up. Also, I would like to go somewhere where the tables aren't too tightly crowded together (eg. Porcini) b/c they're a little bit older and would have a tougher time maneuvering in a small space. Ideas?

From the case at the back of the 20th Street store (I typed up the tags below): La Bomba: A bomb of gelato and sorbetto. Serves 12+ $62 Il Mattone: The brick. Serves 10 $52 Della Signora: Homemade lady fingers surrounding layers of gelato. Grande $ 64 serves 16 Piccola $30 serves 6-8 L'Alaska di Forno: Layers of gelato or sorbetto surrounded by Italian meringue with a housemade lady finger base. In a [sic] 450 oven for 4-5 minutes until tips are brown. Serves up to 16 $54 While we were there, they boxed up one of the cakes in some pretty tissue paper and a box w/ a separate lid, but no dry ice or freezy packs. Once when I bought pints from the 13th street location, they put the pints in another bag with ice cubes in an effort to keep things a little bit frozen-- it didn't work that well, although my hands got cold carrying it a few blocks. Lesson: eat your pints in the store.

Last weekend, not this weekend. I really like sitting at the sushi bar rather than the boothy seating if you're a party of 2-3 because you get to see pretty much everything coming off the sushi bar for omakase, as well as interesting interactions between the servers and the sushi chefs. Someone who was someone ordered two $120 omakases and got something special/extra sent out. We also talked to all our neighbors and checked out what everyone else was getting. I sold my friend on the omakase- and they had no problem with a restricted diet: no land animals. Her favorite: more salad: A sashimi sampler that wasn't part of our dinner, but it was beautiful- the nice guy beside us was kind enough to take the photo b/c he was closer. Looking at it, I'd like to crop it a bit, but he did a nice job of reducing hand shake. I am skipping the photos of the sorbet intermezzo even though it was on some very cute dishware, and the popcorn shrimp beside the belgian endive leaf and orchid b/c I find it a pain to put up photos in these posts and something had to go. The neighboring omakase was a step up and they also had half a lobster at some point. black cod. This came out of the kitchen with a slab of foie gras on top- I offered to scarf it, but our server protected it and whisked the plate back to the kitchen for another one minus foie: random sashimi: sushi (my dinner): frozen parfait off the dessert menu (the omakase dessert was a green fluidy almost drink with a pine nut tuile): Apparently Morimoto signed off on some Wagyu cows in Oregon; all the specials (shabu, sashimi and big honking steak) were beefy. Last, our server was well informed and perfectly nice even while I made him describe neighboring dishes that weren't ours, and we waited half an hour after being on time for our friday 8pm res and were comped drinks (apparently it helps to be annoyed).