chowfun

You could try the Valley Green Inn. I would recommend calling and making a reservation It is right in the middle of one of the nicest parts of Fairmount park and they do standard brunch fare. Does anyone know if the Mosholu still does brunch? This would be fun because it is on a beautifully restored old ship in the Delaware river. Jacks Firehouse does brunch. This is also a fun spot in a restored old firehouse.

We tried Ludwig's tonight for the first time. Not haute cuisine, but very tasty. The kids enjoyed their beef soup that was like a beef stew. The cream of mushroom soup was good as was my green salad with pickled onions and balsalmic vinagrette. My son got the lunch portion of spaetzle with pulled pork topped with broiled smoked cheese. It was a very big portion. I had the wienerschnitzel (topped with fried eggs, capers and anchovies) with spaeztle and red cabbage. My husband had the farmers feast which was a platter with knockwurst, another wurst, and a smoked pork chop with their excellent saurkraut. The alsatian bread was good and served with herbed butter. The beers were great. We left very full and happy with leftovers.

I would like to second the suggestion of the Standard Tap for dinner. They have an excellent beer selection on tap, many of them local brewerys and really good food. Monks has a mind boggling selection Belgian beer on tap and good food. It is very smokey and crowded at times. A good place to visit at an off-hour. The same owners have another restaurant called Nodding Head that is a brew pub and their food is also good. Chloe and Bistro 7 are 2 very good "new American" Byo's in Old City, for dinner. Chloe takes no reservations, Bistro 7 does. We have good authentic Mexican. I think there are a few threads describing the choices. I dont remember what Chinese food is like in Montreal. I havent been there since 1986 or so, but if you want some dim sum suggestions or lunch or dinner suggestions just ask, or search the board. For something really different there is a Laotian restaurant in South Philly, Cafe de Laos. We also have a good burmese restaurant in chinatown, Rangoon. What about Barbecue? We suddenly have two good ones in Center City, The Smoked Joint and Tommy Gunn's. In the far northeast I hear there is an even better one called Sweet Lucy's. Maybe you'd better plan a second trip!

I finally found Aman's in east Norriton. It is hard to find because it is in a strip mall at an intersection that is strip malls on all sides that are L shaped and T shaped and go on and on and on. To find it turn left on Dekalb Pike from Germantown Pike (going west) make a left into the strip mall on the left and go all the way to the back of the strip mall to a section that is perpendicular to Dekalb and Amans is there. They are definately open for business and I hope to try them soon since this is in my neck of the woods. Here is a link to a citysearch review of Aman's. We tried to eat there on the afternoon of Christmas eve, but they were closed for a private party. We headed down to Norristown and ate at Taqueria Michoacana instead. It was full of Mexican people out for lunch before Christmas and it was fantastic. I guess I should put this on a mexican thread, but I have to say right here that the Lengua tacos were amazing. Even los ninos loved them. Someone at another table ordered seafood soup that was huge, a meal for two. It looked great.

There may still be tickets left to see the Radiators in Ardmore, PA on NYE. They are playing at a private club and there will be open bar and a buffet. I cant vouch for the food, but the music will be great! Its a small venue and I have always had a great time seeing them there. Check their website for information on getting tickets. the radiators in ardmore

All this talk of falafel and no one has mentioned Mama's on 20th just south of Market! Their felafel is very tasty. It is a small restaurant run by Israelis that has felafel, fried eggplant, hummus, and potato pancakes. It has a nice fixings bar with pickled veggies, pan fried hot pepper and cauliflower. It is kosher and not open Friday night and Saturday. I wonder if they are any relation to the people at Philly Falafel.

Taqueria La Michoacana in Norristown is really good. They have excellent soup and entrees. They also have very good tres leches cake. I am partial to the tacos at Taqueria Veracruzana especially the chile rellenos tacos, the carnitas tacos, and the chorizo tacos. I had a recent frustrating experience calling there to order take-out. I have ordered from them over the phone many times in the past. I called one week night about a month ago to order and the woman who answered the phone told me she didnt speak English. I had my husband call to order in Spanish and when he said he wanted to order take out she said in English "we dont have that." I havent been back since then because I was pretty angry.

We ended up trying Abe's for break the fast. The lox was good, sliced a little too thick and a little oily, but very fresh. Not as flavorful as what we have gotten at Russ and daughters. The herring was great. We got chopped herring and herring in cream sauce. The herring in cream sauce was hand sliced while you wait and the cream sauce and onions was placed on top of the slices in the container, not ahead of time. Kippered salmon was great, and sable very fresh, and very good whitefish salad. My husband said that the place was not much to look at, no beautiful displays, very small, you cant eat in there, but we were very happy with our fish. I am very curious about all of the other places mentioned. Maybe I'll try them all! Fish oil is healthy, right?

I meant Murray's in Bala Cynwyd. Really not so good. 2 years ago they charged my mother in law $40 per pound or thereabouts for lox during the holidays

That's it!

Wow, that sounds intriguing. The place in Jenkintown is called the something market and I think it is a kind of fancy foods and catering store. I think the name was the same as the road it was on. We actually got fish from them for my now almost 7 year old's bris and I cant remember their name! Luckily I still remember his name.

Thank you. Abe's sounds good. I'd like to get some of the more nostalgic fishes for this holiday meal like sturgeon, sable, different types of herring along with the lox and whitefish. It reminds me of my grandparents who brought delicacies to my house from Riverdale NY every Sunday when I was growing up. I read about a place in the northeast called Steve's Famous Deli on Krewstown Rd. Any information about them? I think that is further out in the northeast.

Help! We need smoked fish for break the fast and didnt order from New York early enough for the holiday. Any really good places for lox, herring, sturgeon etc... The delis in Bala Cynwyd are out for us. Poor quality and two years ago they tripled the price of lox during the holidays claiming this is what it cost them. Anyone try the fish at famous 4th street? We have had lox from Kibbitz in the city and it was ok, but not great. I wonder if they upgraded the fish for famous 4th street, since they likely sell more of it than Kibbitz does. Anyone know about any delis in the northeast? Anything on Castor Ave? There used to be a place in Jenkintown, but I cant remember its name. The choices in Lafayette Hill where we live are pretty mediocre, Izenberg's deli and the Market at Lafayette Hill.

I want to thank everyone for their advice. It really is true that there is very little inexpensive dining in Old City. We ended up getting a much later start than I wanted to so we decided against Radiccio and walked from Old City to Northern Liberties to the Standard Tap. On the way we had some beers at Sugarmoms. It has a decent beer selection and is a pretty cool place to hang out for a while. We saw some art, music, dance, architecture and finally ended up at the Standard Tap at about 9 and it was a mob scene. We jumped in a cab and went to Chinatown. Its great to have a backup! Saturday my husband and I returned to the Standard Tap at about 7 in a pouring rainstorm and there were many tables to be had in the upstairs dining room. The food and beer there is very good. My husband had boar loin in a mustard sauce with haricots vert, pan fried potatoes and butternut squash. It was tender, rich, and delicious. I had a whole black bass cooked so that the skin was crispy and lightly coated with a salt rub, and the meat was moist and perfectly cooked, topped with lump crab meat and served with greens and red and yellow pear tomatoes. Their food rivals many of the higher end places in town in quality and execution. The service is friendly and fast. I noticed that they have numerous wines by the glass. We never get past the beers on tap to order wine, but maybe next time...

I have two friends coming to visit from out of town. They are on a budget, so I need to find an inexpensive or moderately priced place to take them for dinner. I was thinking that Chinatown would be a good back-up if I cant come up with something more exciting. I am going to take them to first Friday in Old City and I will likely have them meet me at my office at 7th and Walnut. I think we are going to get drenched. Aside from dinner suggestions, any suggestions for drinks, dessert, coffee, anything else? So far I dont have reservations anywhere. I was thinking that if we get an early start that likely wont be an issue.

Zwahlen's is really, really good. Their custard is creamy and rich, never frozen after it comes out of the machine, made fresh every 3 hours. The toppings are out of this world. I do not usually like nuts on or in my ice cream, but I make the exception here where the pecans in the butter pecan or topped on my tubby turtle sundae are so fresh and so crunchy they shatter in your mouth. They have chocolate and vanilla every day, and a different special flavor daily. I'd like to go back on butter pecan day, it was awesome. My kids are partial to their caramel apples. The apples are tart and juicy, large granny smiths and they are very good and very fresh, and the caramel is really good. We have also sampled their turtles, made with cashews, almonds or pecans all delicious. Definately worth checking out when you are venturing near Norristown, or a place worthy of a pilgramage. They are on Trooper Road in Audobon, PA. Holly Moore did a review on his website with great pictures. Review by Holly Moore

My husband and I loved Kabuto when it was accross the street from its current location. We used to visit SF frequently in the 1980's and early 1990's. We hadnt been back for a while, and took a whole crew there last December. We ordered a lot of food. We were not at the sushi bar, but I still thought the chef should acknowledge us in some way. He didnt even make eye contact or say goodbye when we left. The service wasnt good. The sushi was good but not spectacular and it wasnt served beautifully, it was just plunked down on large plates. It was very disappointing.

There is a much better place for kabobs than the Persian Grill within a stones throw from it. The Caspian Grill in is on Germantown Pike in Lafayette Hill in a small strip mall right next to the Persian Grill. The kabobs there are much less salty and dry and a much better buy. They do take out only, but the owner is trying to get zoning for a sit down restaurant.

The corn is sugar sweet and juicy bursting in your mouth as you bite it, no need for butter or salt. Bicolor and white picked fresh daily. They grow their own heirloom tomatoes and they are fantastic. I love the peach tomatoes, yellow and fuzzy on the outside, sweet, fruity and not too acidic on the inside. They also grow eggplant in all shapes and colors of the rainbow, kelly green, bright orange turkish eggplants, violet japanese eggplants, white etc... They grow many kinds of fresh beans, root vegetables, exceedingly fresh okra, cabbage, canteloupes, herbs. They carry some local produce that they dont grow themselves such as peaches, blueberrys, jersey tomatoes and some produce from other places (so that you can do all of your produce shopping there if you want), It is also a beautiful place to visit, surrounded by fields of flowers in which you can cut your own bouquet and a nice garden store with plants, pots and ornaments. About 30 minutes from center city with no traffic, it is located on Narcissa road near where it intersects with Butler Pike.

Cake in Chestnut Hill makes the best buttercream layer cakes. I like to get the golden cake with rasberry mousse between the layers and buttercream icing.

Rhubarb and the Yogurt flavor were good together. They are both a little tart. The yogurt tasted like the yogurt cream you get on top of Seven Stars farm yogurt, so decadent, so good!

Do they have regular retail hours or do you just have to be lucky when you get there?

They make really good pies. On Thanksgiving someone brought us an apple pie and an apple walnut caramel (?) pie from The Bakery House and they were great. I think the name of the place needs some work, though. Reminds me of "Birthday House" a kiddie show when I was growing up.

At Lee How Fook I love their chow fun! Get it with beef, dry style. They will make it with anything else you like. The peking spare ribs are great. Their dumplings are very good, too. My favorite place in Chinatown is Tai Lake. That would be my choice for a group dinner (I have taken large groups of family there many times). They make great Salt baked squid, clams or oysters with black bean sauce, steamed live shrimp with a chili dipping sauce. They also do a good job with chow fun, especially good there with jumbo shrimp. The fried rice with crab and dried scallops is really good.

Sacrilege! Bassett's banana is my favorite ice cream on the planet (and I've had Coldstone's banana on a few occasions--it's good when mixed with brownies and peanuts). Coldstone ice cream is too cold, so it freezes your tastebuds, and it's not as creamy or banana-y as Bassett's, IMNSHO. ← I disagree. Stone Cold could use a little defrosting, but the banana tastes just like unripe bananas, you know, when they still have a little green on them and are tangy and not perfumey and cloyingly sweet (the only acceptable ripeness for bananas for me). And unlike bassetts there are chunks of real banana in it. Bassetts tastes like it has a smoothing, softening agent in it like careegenan or something and is too sweet. My husband loves it, though.