Media Digest for PA Forum

[herbacidal]

The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Craig LaBan heads north to check out Steven Starr’s forays into New York City at Buddakan and Morimoto. and back here in Philly, gazes out at Horizons.

(In previous weeks he reviewed Ansill and taste.)

Rick Nichols funnels information from both sides of the proposed Philadelphia Foie Gras ban.

(In previous weeks he visited Banana Leaf, Vintage, 19, and Young's Candies.)

Michael Klein tells us about Alphabet Soup, Naked Chocolate Café, and more in Table Talk. (In the previous Table Talk he told us about changes at Sola, yet another retirement of Joe Poon, and more. )

City Paper:

Elisa Ludwig finds the south in South Street at Crescent City, and cruises past El Jarocho.

(Previous weeks: A.D. Amorosi meditates on Mantra and Elisa Ludwig chomps down on Champa Laos.)

Gary Kramer lists the Top 5 Dress-up Dinners.

Drew Lazor notes recent openings and closings in Feeding Frenzy.

Termeh Mazari surveys upcoming events in What’s Cooking.

The Philadelphia Weekly

Kirstin Henri plays the numbers at XIX Nineteen Café.

(in earlier issues, she tries

Trio, and goes to Goji.)

Tom Acox corners two Unqualified Reviewers at Johnny Manana’s.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Alice T Carter visits Alfano’s at the Quail.

Karin Welzel toasts Bruschetta’s.

A new outpost of the barbeque chain Red Hot and Blue gets a review.

Kim Lyons and James Knox host a Chana Masala smack-down in Food Fight.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Amy McConnell Schaarsmith reminisces about Belize.

Nancy Anderson surveys upcoming events in Nibbles.

Marline Parrish talks with veterans about Military grub.

The Morning Call (Allentown)

Buon Gusto is featured in Go Eat.

Sasan Gottschall licks her fingers at Fat Daddy’s Barbeque, and shops at The Landis Store Hotel.

[herbacidal]

Philadelphia Inquirer

The Delaware Valley’s favorite boutique wineshop takes on Manhattan as

Moore Brothers opens its E 20th Street store.

Craig Laban adds on another local moniker, as G Ho favorite gets baptized while the Main Line’s unofficial club,

Taquet brings back a veteran of local Francoculinary circles.

Rick Nichols goes off about Geno’s and the English language and the fish du jour, escolar before finding an aspiring restauranteur duo who spurned New York for a city where they could build a restaurant targeting 60% of the covers at 1/3 of the cost.

Edible World debuts an arts festival that starts with cooking.

Philadelphia Weekly

La Fontana Della Citta emerges amidst a sea of Italian BYOBs before we find out about some alternative summer meats. Kirsten Henri addresses how restaurants deal with childish behavior.

Son of Malaysian restaurant is born, as Banana Leaf comes out of the womb serving roti canai and giant crab too, before we get edumicated about

corkage fees.

A brave writer turns into Dr. Jekyll as he turns himself into an Axe body spray guinea pig.

Alfa offers fun food to the Rittenhouse crowd, while Kirsten Henri goes off on a rant (that I have to say I somewhat agree with) on gastropubs in Philly.

One or two twentysomethings do know how to cook, as we learn from a rabid band of stay at home foodies.

Philadelphia City Paper

Divan emerges as a bright new Turkish find, while Apamate offers a more intimate contrast to the tapas available at Amada. Feeding Frenzy points out Bar Ferdinand and Stan’s Deli.

Councilman Jack Kelly points out how trend conscious he is by sponsoring a foie gras ban before our day gets brightened by strawberry season.

Feeding Frenzy spotlights Flying Monkey Patisserie, not to mention how well Philadelphia measures up in beer bars.

Crescent City settles in on a changing South Street, as el Jarocho offers small bites, both taco and otherwise, from its South Philly corner. Feeding Frenzy mentions Northeast Philly’s Smokey Bone as well as Lucky Strike Lanes.

Pittsburgh Tribune

Al’Less offers classic Italian food and wines, while the June 2006 Gourmet magazine offers options galore for summer party foods, drinks and themes.

Lamb and pinot noir are the pair, as three chefs offer up dishes they believe will pair well with the difficult yet rewareding wine.

Strawberry picking is the idea when the cool spring air settles in, although the Sunnyledge Hotel & Tea Room’s 20 year old chef de cuisine Ethan Granberg must spend his time overseeing his busy at all hours kitchen.

Trib staffers sacrifice themselves to report back on the Three Rivers Arts Festival., and Soprano’s offers hearty fare on Penn Avenue.

The coffee shop Aldo is in the unstereotypical center of Mount Lebanon.

Produttori del Barberesco is the exception to the rule, as the cooperative produces quality, traditional Italian wines, while Taste of Art, the restaurant at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, is a place where shows students striving to exceed the grade.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Iovino’s Café is a homecoming, as Beverly Road native Jeff Iovino opens his self-named restaurant a few doors down from where he grew up, although the Three Rivers Arts Festival also manages to stuff many a patron’s stomach.

The Shiloh Inn in Mount Washington pleases its regulars, despite rumors of things that go bump in the night; the Soho, in the Spring Hill Suites across from PNC Park, mixes menu staples with fancier entrees for diners in need of a sustenance.

Morning Call Allentown

The Springtown Inn, Sweet Basil, and Fat Daddy’s all get poked and prodded, before coming out with varying levels of doneness.

[herbacidal]

The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Craig LaBan heads out to Exton for a dose of dosas and more at Devi.

Last week, he cast aspersions on eG fave Raw Sushi and Sake Bar, but still gave it 2-bells…

Rick Nichols goes down the other shore, eating Caramels in L.A. and ventues west of Broad on South Street to Apamate.

Michael Klein tells us about a room with a Vu and more in Table Talk, dials M for Morris and the now-notorious (at least on eGullet) restaurant M in the previous column, and feels under-tattooed at Cantina el Caballito in the column before that…

The Mystery Muncher tries Tomatoes in Doylestown.

Michael Curry Schaeffer covers the Smoking Ban for bars and restaurants.

Marylynn Marter gets lost at the new Cherry Hill Wegmans.

City Paper:

Everybody’s driving to Cherry Hill to shop at Wegmans. It’s Carolyn Wyman’s turn. At least we know she survived the Tippler’s tour.

Elisa Ludwig tackles the sicky subject of gluten-free sweets at Copper Desserts.

A.D. Amorosi feigns enthusiasm about The Cheese Fake.

Kristin Detterline lists the Top 5 Minty-fresh treats. And Termeh Mazhari ranks the Top 5 Chocolate Cakes.

Drew Lazor notes recent openings and closings in Feeding Frenzy (previous week.)

The Philadelphia Weekly

Kirstin Henri revisits Radicchio, keeps her distance from over-familiar servers., taks a splash in la Fontana della Citta, and has had it just about up to here with loud kids in restaurants.

Tom Acox corners two Unqualified Reviewers at Gigi and Maria’s

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Michael Machoski gets some chip-chop ham at The Little Deli.

Honors for a local chef, and a SPAM contest lead the Local Food news.

Alice T Carter visits Ma Provence.

William Loeffler accompanies a Travel Channel TV crew exploring the origins of The Devonshire Sandwich.

Michael Machosky reviews Papa J's Centro.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Teresa Lindeman goes shopping at Giant Eagle.

Mackenzie Carpenter examines Pittsburgh’s Foie Gras controversy.

Nancy Anderson surveys upcoming events in Nibbles.

The Morning Call (Allentown)

Jumbars is profiled in Go Eat.

Buon Gusto is featured in Go Eat.

Sasan Gottschall heads to Coopersburg for Abruzzi on Main.

[herbacidal]

the Philadelphia Inquirer

The annual Fancy Food Show was an embarrassment of eats, as always, dominated this year by cheese in many forms.

Craig Laban makes his regular review of Jersey Shore dining spots. after checking out the high sights at XIX (Nineteen).

Rick Nichols investigates Philadelphia’s little-known vanilla supplier David Michael and remarks on

South Philly’s vibrant Mexican community. after noting the chainification of the city.

Kirsten Henri teaches us a little more about local honey.

Philadelphia Weekly

Sansom Street welcomes its first Chinese vegetarian restaurant as Su Xing House while our city’s second wine bar, Vintage comes out to play.

Hotel bars, sexual relations in restaurants, cursed restaurant locations and food stamps are each their own subject as they’re all shined the spotlight individually.

Philadelphia City Paper

The Keystone State’s reputation grows slightly as Pennsylvania wineries start to represent good quality grape juice, while Mantra gets the short end of its spiritual quest.

Banana Leaf finds its groove amidst a blur of food, and the National Museum of American Jewish History ‘s Forshpeis exhibit gets a little smidgen of love.

We find out about new, old, and changing spots here and there.

The Abbaye and McGillin’s start representing our drinking culture writ large.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Cold soups are great in summer, while the South Side is the host of several events this weekend.

Nine on Nine offers an elegant setting for a delicious cutting-edge menu, while the paper’s resident beer geek ventured into Market Street Ale House.

It’s not every day that a dairy farm is converted to a microbrewery, but that’s what happened at Sprague Farms.

The often overlooked northwestern section of PA gets the spotlight as the many beer destinations emerge as worthy.

Pittsburgh Tribune

The Hard Rock Café honors firefighters as it spotlights its in-house smoker, among other events mentioned.

Greens of all kinds get the thumbs up as Mary Beth Lind and Catherine Hockman-Wert’s book Simply in Season (among others) speaks to the wonderful bounty of green vegetables now available, while

wheat beers vary in flavor and aroma.

Palomino is a horse of a different color with great views of downtown while the Grand Concourse offers unmatched views from Mount Washington.

Morning Call Allentown

Ice, that solid form of water is only underutilized by at-home cooks, but smart kitchen masters know its many uses.

Chef Tom Douglas explores the many secrets of the tastiest crabcakes.

Southampton Fish & Chips brings a little bit of British cuisine to Bethlehem,

[herbacidal]

The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Craig LaBan remains the master of his Domaine at Domaine Hudson in Wilmington, then heads down the shore for dessert.

Rick Nichols discovers an Amish welder fabricating Barbecue grills. and finds an unlikely creperie.

Michael Klein tells us about changes in St Peter’s Village, at Lula, Alphabet Soup and more in Table Talk.

The Mystery Muncher tries Tomatoes in Doylestown.

Bryan Miller samples Rosé wines for the summer.

Diana Marder feeds her mind with summer reading about food.

City Paper:

Mary Armstrong talks to eGullet regular Jim Tarantino about his new book Marinades, Rubs, Brines, Cures & Glazes.

Elisa Ludwig returns to Chloe.

A.D. Amorosi feigns enthusiasm about The Cheese Fake.

Alex Richmond lists the Top 5 Bahn Mi.

Drew Lazor notes recent openings and closings in Feeding Frenzy.

Molly Eichel manages to write an article about Good Dog Bar and Restaurant without saying a single thing about the drinks or food.

The Philadelphia Weekly

Kirstin Henri gets deja-vu at Gigi, and muses about tips.

Brian McManus drinks his way though the King of Prussia Mall.

Tom Acox corners two Unqualified Reviewers at Izzy and Zoe’s.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Ann Haigh checks out Shadyside’s Flair.

Karin Weizel promenades over to Boulevard Bistro in Oakmont.

Sally A Quinn visits Nine on Nine.

The Schenley Plaza Food Kiosks get a visit.

Restauranteur and TV chef Rick Bayless is profiled before a local appearance.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Amy McConnell Schaarsmith mixes up some Summer Cocktails.

From Spain, Marlene Parrish reports on Paella.

Nancy Anderson surveys upcoming events in Nibbles.

The Morning Call (Allentown)

Susan Gottschall finds a chef formerly at Philadelphia’s Azure at Avanti Tuscan Grill.

Southampton Fish and Chips is featured in Go Eat.

[herbacidal]

Philadelphia Inquirer

week ending August 20

Divan Turkish Kitchen gets a thumbs up from Laban, while a South Philly family fig legacy continues.

Two sisters try out community-supported agriculture (CSA), and a cool mistake turns out delicious as granita is made the unintentional way.

week ending August 13

Casona brightens up Collingswood with one of the truer Latin-American restaurants you'll find this side of the equator.

week ending August 6

Pond and Bistro Cassis picks up where Passerelle left off, and gets along swimmingly.

week ending July 30

A neighborhood restaurant opens in that most desirable of new Center City neighborhoods when Trio debuted.

Philadelphia Weekly

August 16

An Indian Affair fails to dazzle, while some of us learn how to dress for dinner , and single guys’fantasies come true as girls who love beer come together.

August 9

Mantra emerges from the shadows where Fishmarket and others are no more, and full-time waitstaff have at least one newspaper writer in their corner, while dairy lovers satisfy that craving in August.

August 2

A Full Plate charms but doesn’t satisfy, we learn how to act sexy , and read a rant against dogs in restaurants.

July 26

Divan teaches us the basics about Turkish cuisine, while box wine rises a notch in status, and the food stamp budget teaches us how the other half lives.

Philadelphia City Paper

August 17

Restaurant M debuts in an easy to overlook historic house just off Washington Square, and Bob Shoudt is our great American hope in competitive eating. [br]

The Bayou remains an ode to the dollar, and tofu (aka bean curd) gets done 5 different ways.

August 10

Weird Asian drinks (most of which I love) get reviewed before Philly’s various crab cakes also go under the microscope.

The London Grill’s exclusive beer reveals itself while 5 of the city’s foodblogs get praise.

August 3

Brews and fromage get paired as DiBruno Brothers pairs its cheeses with local microbrews for First Friday, while Striped Bass pastry chef Carrie Chavenson’s banana split remains fun in a upscale atmosphere.

Doobies is the local bar spotlighted this week, while fries, fries, fries dominate the list.

July 27

Vintage gives us chic yet unpretentious, while food as marketing draw emerges for SEPTA and Brewerytown Square.

Crazy Fish Saloon’s handcut fries are the draw in Fishtown, although Wildwood’s wacky snacks retain their attraction.

Morning Call (Allentown)

August 10 and 17

Creekside Kitchen keeps it a little bit country, while Conway’s BBQ Smokehouse sizzles with Southern style.

July 27 and August 3

Union Station Grill serves up great fare, and

Cactus Blue offers Tex-Mex both fresh and satisfying.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

August 10 and 17

Clark’s has remained friendly and fulfilling through its 2004 ownership change, while the Orchard’s wings are as lip-smacking good as advertised.

Azul Bar & Cantina brings a great Mexican restaurant to the ‘burgh.

August 3

Silk Elephant brings an authentic Thai restaurant to Pittsburghers, while Red Star Brewery & Grille satisfies both food and drink needs admirably.

July 27

La Cucina Dolce is a cozy hideaway, while Sixpax and Dogs makes tasty hot dogs its focus.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

August 17-18

Alla Famiglia serves its eight tables well when it comes to Sicilian veal, while Michele Savoia offers some old-school Sicily by showing off spaghetti with tuna bottarga.

Not to be left out,

Azul Bar y Cantina offers up chiles rellenos, and

Red Hot & Blue made its Pennsylvania debut in Pittsburgh.

Sunseri’s Sunrise Bakery offers superb early eats.

August 9-10

Redfin Blues offers excellent bar food in a riverside locale that can’t be beat, Sun Penang dished up a tasty lunch, and

Blackberry Meadow Farms is a great local farm offering vegetables direct to consumer.

August 2-3

Café Phipps at the Conservatory doles out fantastic munchies.

July 26-30

Ivy’s Café shows us how they make their wonderful crepes, and Mitchell’s Restaurant remains a bastion of Greek hospitality.

Oishii Bento provides the city with simple Japanese lunches, but the Zenith gives vegetarian fare a welcome upgrade.

Stone fruits make their short but yearly emergence and liven up our tables.

[herbacidal]

]The Philadelphia Inquirer:

Craig LaBan’s GPS apparently goes on the fritz, leading him to believe that Elkton Maryland is a suburb of Philly. While there, he finds good crabs at The Howard House.

Previously, he reported from his former home-town of New Orleans.

Rick Nichols gets patriotic with Philly’s own Bluecoat Gin.

And says Ahhh for the tomato, cheese, basil thing. And finds good pizza in Vermont.

Michael Klein name-checks eGullet in a note about Bootsies, and more, in Table Talk. Previously, he clued us into the openings of Spamps, Molcajete Mixto, and more.

The Daily News

Joe Sixpack Celebrates Ten Years.

City Paper:

Carolyn Wyman trips on ‘shrooms in Kennett Square and flashed back to summers past with some Boardwalk Pizza at Joey Mack’s.

Maxine Keyser finds the dining room loud, but the food quietly French at Georges and sips some Cachaca with a local connection.

Elisa Ludwig finds that anyone’s apartment can become Bistro B.

Zach Pontz lists the Top 5 Fish and Chips.

Gary Kramer lists the Top 5 Hotel Bars.

Kelly White lists the Top 5 Waffles.

Drew Lazor notes recent openings and closings in three different Feeding Frenzies 8/24 , 8/31, 9/07.

Gwen Tuxbury tells us What’s Cooking.

The Philadelphia Weekly

Kirstin Henri heads to AC to check out George Perrier’s newest project, Mia, rides into Cantina Los Caballitos, and finds the food spicy, but the service not-so-hot at Chung King Garden.

And she muses about dining alone, portion size and bad service .

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Michael Machowski checks out Café Zao.

Upcoming local events are covered in Food Briefs.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Elizabeth Downer reports on Sonny’s and Ma Provence.

The mysterious Munch visits Benichopsticks , Te Cafe and The Little Brown Jug.

The Morning Call (Allentown)

Sasan Gottschall reviews Café del Mar and The Blue Mountain Summit.

[Rich Pawlak]

Apparently, Herb doesnt care to read the Thursday Yo Food! section of the Philadelphia Daily News.

[Mummer]

Apparently, Herb doesnt care to read the Thursday Yo Food!  section of the Philadelphia Daily News.

←

You mean this one? Perhaps it was the byline.

Interesting 3Ms, those...

[Rich Pawlak]

Apparently, Herb doesnt care to read the Thursday Yo Food!  section of the Philadelphia Daily News.

←

You mean this one? Perhaps it was the byline.

Interesting 3Ms, those...

←

There wasn't a doubt in my mind. And hey, funny about all three places starting with the letter M. Never gave it a thought.

[KatieLoeb]

Great article, Rich. I enjoyed reading about how those chefs are able to squeeze every last drop of utility from every square inch of space. I hope it does wonders for their businesses as well. There's something admirable in knowing that there was a noble struggle to get your plate to you.

[herbacidal]

So the Daily News brought the food section out of hibernation?

Guess I'll have to add it back into the mix.

I note that Rich only brought it up because he's tooting his own horn.

[Rich Pawlak]

So the Daily News brought the food section out of hibernation?

Guess I'll have to add it back into the mix.

I note that Rich only brought it up because he's tooting his own horn.

←

There's a whole section there, beside what I've written. Doof.

And yer damn right I'm tooting. Never ever gonna wait for someone else to do it.

[herbacidal]

Late October 2006

Philadelphia Inquirer

The location and scenery of the Water Works restaurant builds up expectations, and unfortunately (this time) the dining experience disappoints,

but Atlantic City dining brings in 3 celebrity chefs to increase the buzz and (hopefully) the dining quality in some of its casinos.

This just in: fish are good for you! That is, until the next study comes out.

On the other hand, Raymer’s Homemade Candies might not be as good for you, but their custom blends of cream, nougat and chocolate sure do taste good going down.

A new kitchen dominates many a conversation, but Grandma Betty’s secrets are safe despite being the highlight of Brown Betty Dessert Boutique.

Philadelphia City Paper

MarcieTurney and Valerie Safran have quietly put their hold on the 13th Street scene, and tastier fast food has another outlet in Bootsie’s.

The long-delayed Water Works restaurant finally debuts, and we learn more about taxi driver picks for food on the run.

Philadelphia Weekly

A few of Philly’s newest burgers are the spotlight, as new places like Five Guys and Bootsie’s get tasty,

and public displays of affection can be quite the distraction, to waitstaff and other patrons.

Tampopo, version 2 introduces a sizable dining room after taking over the former second edition of Blue in Green but keeps similarly low prices to its original 21st St. hidey-hole,

and some people try to bull over the restaurant reservation system.

The Water Works restaurant brings Schuylkill River-front dining that much closer to downtown, and waitstaff get tired of being asked about their other job.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The number of wineries have exploded in the region as the Chautauqua-Lake Erie Wine Trail makes the county the top grape-growing county outside of California.

Halloween food may be gross, but remains quite tasty.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Yokoso Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar presents a former Applebee’s turned into a hibachi steak and seafood restaurant,

and while Ugly Sports Bar serves up decent enough fare with staff and décor that is not the least bit unattractive.

Morning Call Allentown

Tre Scalini offers a tasty menu exceeded only by its delightful atmosphere,

while One Ten Tavern offers a stylish delicious pub with in downtown Palmerton.

[herbacidal]

Early November 2006

Philadelphia Inquirer

Northern Chester County continues to see interesting restaurants emerge as the Inn at St. Peter’s Village brings in Martin Gagne (formerly of the Loews Hotel,)

while South Philly gets a hip little Mexican joint to go with some of its new residents in Cantina los Caballitos.

Not to be left out of the Spanish trend quietly making its way through Philly, Bar Ferdinand evokes the true spirit of Iberian tapas bars in Northern Liberties.

As the cranberry market has gone through its changes, heirloom cranberries have started to emerge,

and one of Philly’s modern-day restaurant pioneers, Steve Poses takes another stab at restaurants after a long hiatus in catering.

Curry’s place in Japanese cuisine is a mystery to some,

while Michel Richard of Citronelle in Washington DC takes a grand tour of our great city to his north.

Mr. Joe’s Café is nothing more (or less) than a new place for Termini’s lovers and South Philly neighbors to spend a little bit of time,

but the Carversville Church dinner of oysters and pork has been served since 1871 in the middle of Bucks County.

Philadelphia Daily News

Siam Lotus raises the standard for Thai restaurants in the City of Brotherly Love.

Delilah of Bluezette and Delilah’s at the Reading Terminal and 30th Street Station takes time out of her busy schedule to put together a southern Thanksgiving.

Philadelphia City Paper

Copper is a new Northern Liberties BYOB with flashes of brilliance and room for improvement, while Celeste Morello shows us more about Italians and Philadelphia.

Giwa brings a hip, Korean fast food joint to town, and oenophiles might already know about South African pinotages, but the rest of us are starting to notice this country’s wines.

The future Marketplace at East Falls is set to begin its transformation in support of its community, and Delilah Winder begins the second phase of her culinary career with a book tour.

Philadelphia Weekly

Aqua gives us a bright new Malaysian restaurant where everyone feels welcome,

while Celia and Paolo give us a taste of Italian home cooking.

Sorry, we didn’t mean to forget about tips for getting free stuff.

Inflation has crept into chicken entrée prices and some advice: understand both the costs and the benefits of drunk dining.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

With the assistance of some of its African-American employees, Betty Crocker revamped its cornbread packaging.

First-time hosts get a few recipes for the Thanksgiving staples just in case they don’t have any family recipes on which to fall back.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Walnut Grove offers up a casual, contemporary restaurant with generous portions, an inexpensive wine list, and a classy ambiance,

while Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina offers another take on the chain burrito place.

Pickle Barrel is an old-style ‘burgh lunch joint.

Morning Call Allentown

A second visit to Ragona’s Lighthouse shows the same focus on seafood with a much greater depth of flavor,

while Orchard Meat & Fish presents a top-notch steakhouse with prices to match.

[mrbigjas]

ok then, let's continue where herb left off here, with thanksgiving week.

what i can figure from the inquirer and daily news archives, which isn't all that much, really, since some columns are archived sensibly and some aren't

laban two-stars sola in bryn mawr

table talk, complete with a fuji rumor

since i believe that beer falls into the category of food, or at least 'things as necessary as,' i'm gonna include

joe sixpack as well.

city paper

rachel frankford spends a little time killing turkeys for thanksgiving

ralph berarducci, owner of portofino serves thanksgiving to the homeless

feeding frenzy talks about restaurant openings and closings we already know about by this point.

here's a nice article about scoats and grey lodge

philadelphia weekly

kirsten henri likes the ambience but not so much the food at copper bistro in nolibs.

here's a way to cook a turkey

pittsburgh post-gazette

you can make your own panini

pittsburgh tribune-review

lunch at make your mark artspace & coffeehouse

14 kindsa steaks at hyde park prime steakhouse

allentown morning call

ok is it just me, or is there nothing in there for this time period? (we're talking week of 11/16 or so)

i'm kind of picking and choosing here, since a lot of archives aren't really arranged in a way that makes sense, and i don't know how much you guys wanna know, or really if anyone besides me even reads this nice little compendium of who's publishing what and where.

i'll try to do more catchup shortly, and with any luck i'll be able to do this week's tomorrow anyway. heck maybe i'll just skip the catching up--it's all about thanksgiving anyway, and that's over...

[mrbigjas]

OK then week of 12/11:

inquirer/daily news, 12/14 and 12/17

laban on alphabet soup in audubon

lari robling writes about international dining in the northeast

of course there's table talk

joe sixpack writes about good brewpubs in the burbs

philadelphia city paper, 12/14:

drew lazor cooks a meal out of the joy of cooking

frenzy posts about 9th & south, conshohocken, manayunk, snackbar, and nectar

jessica loughery ranks her top five stuffed pastas

philadelphia weekly, 12/13

kirsten henry reviews molcajete mixto in the old nam phuong spot at 8th & christian

mara zepeda writes about men are cookin', a charity scholarship event

pittsburgh tribune-review, 12/14

luma, in aspinwall and soon to be in mt. lebanon

a buncha brunches

bigelow grille for lunch

hey, philadelphia city paper's included, why not pittsburgh's? 12/14:

gullifty's

allentown morning call 12/17

the finland inn in pennsburg.

Edited December 20, 2006 by mrbigjas (log)

[herbacidal]

Mrbigjas is taking over tcompiling and summarizing the media digest for Pennsylvania.

I look forward to his digests from now into the future.

[mrbigjas]

week of 12/18, here's what some of the state's papers had to say:

inquirer and daily news, 12/21 and 12/24

craig laban likes vintage wine bar quite a bit

michael klein's table talk--fogo de chao, l'oca, trattoria alla costiera.

rick nichols writes about tiffin's newfound popularity.

laban again, writes a quick rave about banh mi from huong lan

marialisa calta goes against the 'authenticity' construct and writes about

making cioppino on christmas eve.

finally, joe sixpack writes about what beer rocky would drink

philadelphia city paper 12/21

elisa ludwig has decidedly mixed feelings about snackbar

here's a fun article about catherine gilbert-ansill's homemade jams

drew lazor's feeding frenzy--tiffin, fogo, james restaurant (no relation to me, naturally), avenue north.

ministry of information in northern liberties is serving swanson tv dinners to patrons to keep their food income down and continue to allow smoking. sounds like something that would have happened when it was the old W&J... oh wait, there was no food there.

philadelphia weekly 12/20

kirsten henri talks about 2006's ups and downs

brian mcmanus gets drunked up with the russians at the golden gate

pittsburgh tribune-review

authentic neapolitan pizza at il pizzaiolo in mt. lebanon (with special bonus pictorial on how to make suppli)

UUBU 6 in the south side slopes.

casual italian at isoldi's on strip

not one but two new cupcake cafes

christmas and new year's eve options in food briefs

pittsburgh city paper 12/20

upscale dining at blue in north hills

allentown morning call

a more modern take on a steakhouse at collonnade steakhouse in bethlehem

[mrbigjas]

ok then, let's see what christmas week brought us.

inquirer and daily news, 12/28 and 12/31

craig laban does the year in review.

so does michael klein

joe sixpack says you too can lose 593 pounds on the beer drinker's diet

gnocchetti at l'oca in fairmount

marilynn marter offers up 20 trends for 2007

beth d'addono gets local chefs' new year's resolutions for 2007 (chris scarduzio promises fresh cut fries every day. i've said before that BP can have the best fries in town, when they're on, and i stand by that)

philadelphia weekly 12/27

kirsten henri checks out kitchen 233 in westmont NJ

mara zepeda sings the praises of beets, although her recipe for 'borsch' includes 'bullion'--don't tell goldfinger!

philadelphia city paper 12/28

margaret battistelli tells us how to throw a grown-up NYE party

drew lazor eats at roberto's cafe over here by me and holly, and also writes up his feeding frenzy

pittsburgh tribune-review 12/31

karen welzel writes about ethnic coffee cakes...

...and reviews the quail in north strabane...

...and, i suspect, writes this article about best lunch spots, although it's not attributed to her

pittsburgh city paper 12/28

hyde park steakhouse over near the stadiums

other papers didn't have much this week. and again i say, if there are places/papers you want covered, just let me know.

[mrbigjas]

2007 is upon us, but unfortunately i missed a week of articles here, and now some of them are gone. so it's a seriously shortened inquirer list this week, with just laban:

inquirer and daily news, 1/4 and 1/7

craig laban does aqua

city paper 1/4

maxine keyser loves oceannaire

drew lazor's feeding frenzy, including the yellow bar at 24th & gray's ferry and E's passyunk.

philadelphia power couple's dinner picks

philadelphia weekly 1/3

kirstin henri checks out homestyle spanish food at isla ibiza in northern liberties

liz spikol drinks at abbraccio

pittsburgh tribune-review 1/1-1/7

elbow room in shadyside is nice but the food isn't great

dining notes

karin welzel says we need to eat more greens and really i couldn't agree more

there's a new premium collection store in east liberty

pittsburgh city paper 1/4

karma on eighth in homestead has a nice concept but needs work.

[mrbigjas]

philadelphia inquirer and daily news 1/8-1/14

laban on marshalton inn

are lcb wine deals really all they've cracked up to be?

fogo de chão wins the hearts of the chain gang

joe sixpack writes about finding craft beer everywhere

table talk

rick nichols on k&z pickles

laban: short rib popovers

local chefs on radio

muhammed ali sells healthy snacks

looks like i missed this article about umai umai last week.

city paper 1-11

the crew drinks argentinian malbec

more on fogo de chão

feeding frenzy

philadelphia weekly 1-10

kirsten henri on zento

here's a nice recipe for brussels sprouts from walter staib

pittsburgh tribune review

karin welzel on root vegetables

looks like i missed this article on blue

michael machosky on inauthentic mexican at mexi-casa

mixing it up at iovino's cafe

pittsburgh-born chef brad farmerie makes it big in NYC

pittsburgh city paper

mexico city shows there's more than one kind of salsa

allentown morning call

sogo fusion lounge in easton is packed, and the food's good too

[mrbigjas]

ok then, nearly missed another week. i'm trying here, but things get away from me.

inquirer and daily news, 1/15 - 1/22

laban on copper bistro

table talk

joe sixpack on dogfish head's hops cannon

rick nichols on fogo de chao and on his ongoing kitchen renovation

new chef and owner at happy rooster

city paper 1/18

ashlea halpern starts eating meat again (of course prompting a flood of annoying letters from both sides)

elisa ludwig checks out miraku

feeding frenzy, including king edward's steaks, which replaces the notorious penn steaks at 13th & bainbridge! woo!

philadelphia weekly 1/17

freegans

and learning about your supermarket's dumpster policies

main line magazine, jan/feb

rich pointed out that main line magazine is now on line, so despite its incredibly annoying java interface that prevents you from linking to the the articles themselves, there you have it.

which reminds me, speaking of local magazine writing, why not philadelphia magazine? the answer is because i can't figure out which article was published when, and i'm not gonna hang around on their website trying to keep track of any random update they do. any of the rest of you write for magazines? try to get them to make their online presence reflect their printed content. and then maybe they'll be included in a local media roundup no one reads. <snap snap snap>

same goes for philadelphia style, whose dining section appears to mostly be a blog--although they do link to philadining et al's thread on xochitl in this entry.

(aside: we went out to xochitl last friday and lemme tell ya that cocktail they make with the hibiscus and the pama liquer is fantastic)

ANYWAY, moving across the state...

pittsburgh tribune-review 1/15-1/22

a nice article on rhone wines

karin welzel on curries

lunch review of lucci's in squirrel hill

alice t. carter writes about UUBU 6

and then a couple days later, karin welzel does too

diners!

pittsburgh city paper 1/18

la cucina dolce in monroeville

that's all for now. time to finish up the special jas style...

(shot of bulleit bourbon, washed down with chesterfield ale)

(although i'm out of chesterfield, so tonight it's yuengling premium)

...and it's off to bed...

[mrbigjas]

ok then.

philadelphia inquirer and daily news 1/23-1/29

laban on kitchen 233 in westmont

restaurant week is on now

we missed the belgian style ale party at iron hill on friday

table talk, including carmine's and others

rick nichols complains about not being able to drink coffee on the train

philadelphia city paper 1/25

elisa ludwig on the filipino food at cebu in old city

drew lazor reports on philly cooks

top five polish pit stops

philadelphia weekly 1/24

brook midgely on qvc food styling

pinot, a new shop of wine stuff in old city

pittsburgh tribune-review

karin welzel on chili

lunch review: double-wide grill in south side

karin welzel again, on bravo franco, downtown

pittsburgh city paper 1/25

boulevard bistro in oakmont

[mrbigjas]

inquirer & daily news 1/30 - 2/4

craig laban likes fleming's steakhouse in radnor

lari robling likes tiffin, and really who doesn't?

table talk, including yunique noodle house in the bellevue, and rum bar and a bunch of other stuff.

philadelphia city paper 2/1

lew bryson writes about irish whiskey. he doesn't mention black sheep, though, where they have a truly kickass selection

elisa ludwig on tiffin

top five ethnic grocers

philadelphia weekly 1/31

as we've discussed, snackbar doesn't thrill kirsten henri like it does mister phil, here.

tribune-review 1/30 - 2/4

dave desimone on a wine and cheese tasting

karin welzel on a cuban party

michael machosky lunch-reviews folino's

karin welzel writes about the shiloh

pittsburgh city paper 2/1

angelique bamberg and jason roth get a slightly more authentic chinese meal at little asia in oakland