Malarkey Conquers Philly

[Rich Pawlak]

We had a great time hosting Malarkey around town last week, well, for the Memoral Day weekend at least, taking our beer and food friend to as many places as she could reasonably digest. I can report that she has quite an appetite and really was a trooper with the heavy schedule we put her through. As well as being a regular contributor here, in the Pac NW, Beer and Wine forums at least, she is also one of the regulars in our weekly beer chats on Friday nights (No Bull Inn, starchat.net), so we felt obliged, nay determined, to make sure she drank some lager beer while she was here. We gave her a modified Golden Age of Beer in Phila. tour last Sunday, with stops at Monk's for brunch, Ludwig's, Ten Stone, Bridgid's, Standard Tap, the Grey Lodge and Nodding Head, all in one day (McGillin's and McMenamin's were oddly closed that day), and she was able to partake of some of Philly finest, including Yards, Sly Fox, McKenzie's, Iron Hill, Victory, as well as some good German stuff and the requisite Belgian selection at Monk's.

In between there were also stops at Pasion for dinner, La Colombe for coffee, Bonte for Belgian waffles, Geno's for cheesesteaks, a rainy lunch at Rouge on Memorial Day, and a plenty more places Mal got to with out any of us, like Reading Terminal Market, Caribou Cafe. Even a last-minute trip to Tacconnelli's for pizza just before her plane left. I was particularly negligent in my picture taking, but she wasn't, so I'd expect her follow-up to be pretty colorful and inormative.

Mal with Mike Gates, enjoying beers at Ludwig's

The prodigious beer menu at Ludwig's (well whataya want, I'm a beer geek...)

Our mid-tour stop at Geno's where the lines were unusually long, even at Pat's across the street

The equally impressive menu at Ten Stone, about when my batteries ran out in my camera...

But I know Malarkey took a ton of pics both in Philly and at the Devon Horse Show, the other reason she paid our fair area a visit, so I'm sure she'll be posting those here soon. It was fun to play tour guide and show off the town, however brief the stay for her.

Mal, it's all yours.

[KatieLoeb]

Sorry I missed y'all on Memorial Day. I was getting rained on down the shore. How was your rainy lunch? If I'd know you were coming I'd have sent you a round on me!

[malarkey]

well I didn't do THAT great at taking pix either, but here goes for the whole trip....

Dinner at ¡Pasión! - did the Chef's Menu, of course . Amuse: Wild Boar Ham, Melon Salad, and chile garlic lime sauce; Ceviche: Big Eye Tuna, coconut, Ginger and chile sauce (this was incredible); App: crab meat stuffed zucchini flower, morels, salsa limón (this was a fabulous dish that would have been elevated to perfect if they'd used fresh morels instead of dried, as it was, it was still the best dish of the whole chef's menu and I ain't complaining that loudly); salad: heirloom tomato, wild asparagus and baby arugula, spanish aged sherry and raisin vinaigrette; entree: pan roasted prawns, hearts of palm, bananas and red curry cashew sauce (for as delish as this sounded it was fairly bland); dessert: frozen peach soufflé, apricot rosemary sauce, peach escabeche; Petit Fours: banana, chocolate tres leches truffles. We also did the flight of wines that go with, but unfortunately I failed to take notes about them so can't mention them here. Things were getting a little blurry by the end of the meal but I do seem to recall a dessert wine and the petit fours I don't remember at all LOL

To make sure that I didn't become any more coherent the next day, I was taken on THE TOUR and treated to a session of the NBI Live. The pic that Rich posted is early on when we were still behaving and just before our breakfast of cheesesteaks at Geno's.

this, however, is Malarkey about 5 beers into the Tour:

...with Scoats probably thinking "who the hell is this chick?!"

The crew totally responsible for my irresponsibility hanging outside of the Grey Lodge...

from L to R: Rich Pawlak, Dave aka Bluebomber, Lew Bryson aka Beerfly, Scoats (owner of the GL) and Mike Gates aka Beerhuntor.

A few notables: A beer called Alba Pine Scots Ale, brewed with spruce tips in the mix. It didn't really taste piney though, but it did taste sorta juniper-ish and very berry like and just wonderful. Yard's American Pale Ale, Nodding Head's 3C Extreme, (er, pretty much everything at NH) Bell's Two Hearted Ale, Bell's Double Cream Stout (wow).

It was really great to be able to sample so many brews I don't normally have access to. Many thanks to Rich who was the designated driver for the day, no simple feat with that rowdy bunch, and special thanks to Lew Bryson who came out to join us for a couple even though he was under the gun with a book deadline. Thanks to Dave for the nifty shirt from Lancaster Brewing and the bottle of Milk Stout (which was tasty) and most importantly, for sharing his FABULOUS homebrewed IPA, which was totally knocked out. And last but not least, thanks to Mike Gates for just being who he is It was really great ya'll took the time to drag me all over the place and keep me fed and yes, I obeyed Rich by drinking all the water he put in front of me.. well most of it. it did help the next day...

..Along with a much needed and very restorative brunch at Rouge. It was JUST what the doctor ordered. After the bread, the scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, chives and gooey melted brie and 2 champagne cocktails I was good to go again. That night we had dinner at Fork (one of the ONLY places open on Mem Day) and it was indeed lovely. Had a wonderful salad which was Branch Creek Farm lettuce & micro celery with a perfectly balanced vinagrette of olive oil and lemon juice. This was so simple but just fantastic. this feast also included grilled sardines w/ warm fennel salad & pine nuts, duck confit (YES!) striped bass with salpicôn sauce tomatoes & asparagus w/braised saffron potatoes, chimichurri hanger steak with aioli, sautéed swiss chard and yucca frites, and dessert was a passion fruit crème brulée with berries. Wines, once again, I failed to note. I let the waiter pick and I wasn't disappointed Great place, I really liked it.

One of the things that I adored was Bonté, and their gaufres chaud. Oh My God, Seattle needs one of these. These were exact duplicates of what I had in Paris and have longed for ever since.

Did the tourist thing and went to Reading Terminal Market. Where I had to indulge myself with another cheesesteak this time one from Rick's.

The guy there told me american cheese is the way to go (does this make anyone gnash their teeth?!) I liked it, but liked the one at Geno's better. While there I picked up bread from Metropolitan Bakery and a few other goodies. This place is very much like our own Pike Place Market in Seattle. It even has hams for the camera LOL

(the guys at Rocco's)

My GF Leslie and I having dinner at Caribou. We're shifting into high party gear now.

Stuffed pork loin with garlic mashers, moules frites and a brioche bread pudding with caramel sauce that knocked our socks OFF. I'm a sucker for good bread pudding and this one was stellar.

Trips to DiBruno's on 18th (missed you both times I was there Lisa!) got us hot sopressata, catalan olives, saucisson sec, stuffed cherry peppers, and various cheeses for the road (how nice to let d'Affinois melt in the sun and then spread it like butter...)

Then, off to the show. We put on quite a spread for Grand Prix night at Devon, good enough to get invited back next year

We had champagne, truffled duck liver pâté, rosemary bread, chive crackers, salmon pâté, several kinds of olives, all kinds of cheeses, crab cakes, and MORE.

In New Hope/Lambertville we dined at Manon with our hosts and a couple of old friends...

among the goodies were duck with lentils, shrimp with avocado sauce, steamed mussels and a lovely chocolate cake with caramel sauce.

Also eaten locally: Lilly's on the Canal (quiche, sammies & frites) Gerenser's Ice Cream - African Violet with cherries & chocolate chips, I was apprehensive about this combo but this was fantastic ice cream. They were out of the rose petal

And last but certainly not least, before hopping on my plane, a trip to Tacconelli's with Rich (who, incidently, confided to me that not only can he eat pizza non-stop, but that he might have trouble choosing between pizza and... well, you know)

*whew* what a week. crikey, this is a goddam novel! It was awesome. Love your city. Love your state. Thanks for everything!

[Behemoth]

What great pictures! Boy am I feeling nostalgic.

My favorite memory of Ludwigs was waking up at 6:30 am and biking down from West Philly to catch the world cup on the big screen TV. I had always kinda liked the place, but after they did that they were elevated to the level of greatness, in my book.

[KatieLoeb]

Malarkey:

You got a great gastronomic tour of the City of Brotherly Love. Awe inspiring. Hit a lot of my favorite places and I'm delighted you got your Tacconelli's fix in before getting on the plane! There is no pizza like it and none better.

Glad you enjoyed your brunch at my humble place 'o employ. Those champagne cocktails are occasionally applied as an "attitude adjustment agent" after a long day, so I can totally relate.

You couldn't have asked for a better beer crew than that bunch of hooligans you were with. What fun. And sorry I missed it.

Come back soon! There are so many places that you missed...

[Rich Pawlak]

not only can he eat pizza non-stop, but that he might have trouble choosing between pizza and... well, you know)

it's beer, right? Gotta be beer.

Whew.

[mrbigjas]

Did the tourist thing and went to Reading Terminal Market.  Where I had to indulge myself with another cheesesteak this time one from Rick's.

The guy there told me american cheese is the way to go (does this make anyone gnash their teeth?!)

Don't worry, the Terminal is not a tourist thing. Well, it is, but it's way more than that. I mean, it's not like you went to Hard Rock Cafe or something.

I am personally a proponent of american on cheesesteaks, although almost everyone here disagrees with me.

[Rich Pawlak]

Did the tourist thing and went to Reading Terminal Market.  Where I had to indulge myself with another cheesesteak this time one from Rick's.

The guy there told me american cheese is the way to go (does this make anyone gnash their teeth?!)

Don't worry, the Terminal is not a tourist thing. Well, it is, but it's way more than that. I mean, it's not like you went to Hard Rock Cafe or something.

I am personally a proponent of american on cheesesteaks, although almost everyone here disagrees with me.

When you finally get to have a cheesesteak at Chink's on Torresdale Ave. in NE Philly, you'll get why American can work on a steak; it's the only way they serve em.

I dont know what Mal did to her steak at Rick's, but with us at Geno's she did whiz and onions and those evil cherry peppers from the big jar. Girl has major brass ones.

[herbacidal]

not only can he eat pizza non-stop, but that he might have trouble choosing between pizza and... well, you know)

it's beer, right? Gotta be beer.

Whew.

Hmm, so it's a PG site, eh?

[mrbigjas]

I am personally a proponent of american on cheesesteaks, although almost everyone here disagrees with me.

When you finally get to have a cheesesteak at Chink's on Torresdale Ave. in NE Philly, you'll get why American can work on a steak; it's the only way they serve em.

American with, no ketchup is my preference. I could go for one RIGHT NOW.

[malarkey]

American with, no ketchup is my preference. I could go for one RIGHT NOW.

I'm with you on the no ketchup *bleah* but I generally don't do ketchup on anything.

The "tourist" thing also included going to Independance Hall, the Liberty Bell, City Tavern, (where I had another lovely Yard's ale, before being caught in a downpour) etc etc & blah blah. I'm not saying it disparagingly, by any means. Hey, I like being a tourist.