Latest Philadelphia chain invasion

[NulloModo]

I will second the melting pot in Wilmington, DE. It is the only fondue place I have ever been to, but I thought it all tasted incredible, the decor and atmosphere is very nice (lots of dark wood, brass, brick and leather, totally my kinda place), and the service was top notch. Well, the waitress seemed to be under the impression that my best friend and I were lovers and kept asking how long we had been together and making other such comments, but no complaints about the actual food service, heh, I got more of a kick out of that than he did.

The nice thing about the melting pot chain is that from what I understand, each restaurant looks completely different on the inside. I like it when chains at least sorta try to differentiate the locations a bit to the local area. In fact, I think there is a photo of me in a HS marching band uniform in an Applebee's around here somewhere, if only I didn't hate applebee's...

[MarketStEl]

I will second the melting pot in Wilmington, DE.  It is the only fondue place I have ever been to, but I thought it all tasted incredible, the decor and atmosphere is very nice (lots of dark wood, brass, brick and leather, totally my kinda place), and the service was top notch.  Well, the waitress seemed to be under the impression that my best friend and I were lovers and kept asking how long we had been together and making other such comments, but no complaints about the actual food service, heh, I got more of a kick out of that than he did. 

The nice thing about the melting pot chain is that from what I understand, each restaurant looks completely different on the inside.  I like it when chains at least sorta try to differentiate the locations a bit to the local area.  In fact, I think there is a photo of me in a HS marching band uniform in an Applebee's around here somewhere, if only I didn't hate applebee's...

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And how did Applebee's get a hold of this photo? From the newspaper it ran in, perhaps?

[NulloModo]

And how did Applebee's get a hold of this photo?  From the newspaper it ran in, perhaps?

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From what I understand, when one moves into town they contact local high schools, colleges, universities, civic groups, etc, and ask them to just send over random photos, promotional items, cool junk, etc, and then just use it along with all of the corporate junk they toss up on the walls.

[MarketStEl]

And how did Applebee's get a hold of this photo?  From the newspaper it ran in, perhaps?

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From what I understand, when one moves into town they contact local high schools, colleges, universities, civic groups, etc, and ask them to just send over random photos, promotional items, cool junk, etc, and then just use it along with all of the corporate junk they toss up on the walls.

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1) Wonder if the "corporate junk" includes any old Burstein-Applebee ads?

(Burstein-Applebee was a home electronics [back in those days, they called these "hi-fi"] chain in Kansas City. The "Applebee" in B-A is the same family that started the restaurant chain.)

2) I can't wait to see what they throw up on the walls of the forthcoming 15th Street location.

[Andrew Fenton]

2) I can't wait to see what they throw up on the walls of the forthcoming 15th Street location.

My guess is, riblets. (If they can't make it to the toilet, that is.)

[chowfun]

Cold Stone Creamery opened in the Andorra shopping center last weekend. They have high quality house made ice cream and a large array of candy, nuts, marshmallows etc.. that you can have blended into your ice cream (a la Steve's). The ice cream is very good. The banana is better than Bassetts. My mom heartily endorses the peanut butter ice cream and the coffee ice cream.

Per their website there are a couple of other Philly area locations in the works.

[john b]

Cold Stone Creamery opened in the Andorra shopping center last weekend.  They have high quality house made ice cream and a large array of candy, nuts, marshmallows etc.. that you can have blended into your ice cream (a la Steve's).  The ice cream is very good.  The banana is better than Bassetts. My mom heartily endorses the peanut butter ice cream and the coffee ice cream.

Per their website there are a couple of other Philly area locations in the works.

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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.

[phungi]

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.

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Thanks, now I have to stop and pick up some Bassett's banana on the way home after I pick up take-out from all the other suggested locales from the various forums!

[chowfun]

Cold Stone Creamery opened in the Andorra shopping center last weekend.  They have high quality house made ice cream and a large array of candy, nuts, marshmallows etc.. that you can have blended into your ice cream (a la Steve's).  The ice cream is very good.  The banana is better than Bassetts. My mom heartily endorses the peanut butter ice cream and the coffee ice cream.

Per their website there are a couple of other Philly area locations in the works.

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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.

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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.

[MarketStEl]

[Not so.  Those are really old rumors.  New resident of the former Avenue B space will be Ted's Montana Grill, Ted Turner's steakhouse chain.  Opening  in the fall according to Michael Klein's Inqlings column of 3/6/05.[...]

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Oh good, another high end steak house chain West of Broad! Just what we need!! So now within 4 blocks we have: Capital Grill, Palm, Mortons, Prime Rib, Smith and Wolinsky and Ted's Montana Grill. Am I forgetting anyone? Delmonico coming anytime soon or Old Homestead???? I guess you can all tell that I'm not much of a steak house lover.

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Coming back atcha late:

Yep--you left out Ruth's Chris Steak House.

When it opens, Ted's Montana Grill will be right next door in the same building.

Now, as for the local competition: Anyone want to do a compare-and-contrast with Barclay Prime of the $100 cheesesteak? As I noted upthread, Kansas City Prime went past its prime a while back. Those are the only two homegrown ritzy steakhouses I know of. I imagine I've forgotten some.

[shacke]

"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."

Cold stone is my latest curse - it is quite good. Agree on the banana taste - green tipped kind of flavor.

Also opening June 9th, practically next door, is Corner Bakery Cafe. I loved this while in Chicago and have gone once in Center City. They have good breakfast and tasty pastries and cakes. A nice addition to Ardmore. I can see the crowds now - Oy!

Evan

[MarketStEl]

The  Melting Pot in Chestnut Hill is the site of my Worst Service Ever Story. [shudder]

Got a link? I actually have had really good service every time I've been. But then, I've never been to the Chestnut Hill location, only the Wilmington one.

The food, however, is simply forgettable and overpriced.

Though I've never been to the one in Chestnut Hill, I've heard that its prices are higher than the location in Wilmington, so how overpriced it is may depend on which one you go to. 'Forgettable' is too strong a word in my opinion. The entrees aren't fantastic, but the raw meats they use seem to be of good quality, and the relaxed pace of the meal (due to the fact that you cook it yourself at the table) is something I enjoy, but only once every six months or so. What I really go there for are the cheese fondues and the chocolate dessert fondues. The tray of fruits and goodies you get with the dessert fondue is usually excellent.

One thing I hate about the place is that they only have one beer on draft, usually the ubiquitous, forgettable Magic Hat #9. Boo.

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I thought that chains were supposed to be consistent in price and quality from location to location. This sounds like the Melting Pot doesn't follow this axiom.

Their Center City location is opening in the next week or two, in the 1200 block of Filbert Street between Maggiano's and Chili's. For a brief moment, I thought this might be a Brinker International trifecta, but the Melting Pot is not one of their nameplates.

[MarketStEl]

Bringing this back from the dead because that Melting Pot is now open (see my post on the opening elsewhere on the Pennsylvania board).

Going back through the comments on this discussion, if we were to group chains along a scale where Hamburger Mary's is at the "the only thing these places have in common is the name and the type of food they serve" end of the scale and the Olive Garden at the "everything is so standardized, they probably truck your meal in from a central kitchen in Illinois" end, The Melting Pot falls somewhere in between, probably just a little closer to the Hamburger Mary's end.

The same couple--who were friends with the chain's founder when they were all college students in Florida--owns both Philadelphia locations (I didn't get their business cards), but from the comments I heard at the opening, the Chestnut Hill and Center City locations are completely different in atmosphere and character. (I really do like the way they made the Filbert Street space intimate.)

As for the food: It's not great, but it is good--they use very good quality ingredients and have some very tasty cheese and (especially) chocolate sauce recipes.

When I see restaurants with average entree prices somewhere north of $20 listed in magazines as "moderate," I wonder if I don't need to have my price scale recalibrated. Most of The Melting Pot's entrees hover right around this point, but given what they include with most of them, the prices don't strike me as that expensive.

I didn't have a chance to experience the service. That will have to wait for another, quite likely far off, time.

[jelly]

Bringing this back from the dead because that Melting Pot is now open (see my post on the opening elsewhere on the Pennsylvania board).

Going back through the comments on this discussion, if we were to group chains along a scale where Hamburger Mary's is at the "the only thing these places have in common is the name and the type of food they serve" end of the scale and the Olive Garden at the "everything is so standardized, they probably truck your meal in from a central kitchen in Illinois" end, The Melting Pot falls somewhere in between, probably just a little closer to the Hamburger Mary's end.

The same couple--who were friends with the chain's founder when they were all college students in Florida--owns both Philadelphia locations (I didn't get their business cards), but from the comments I heard at the opening, the Chestnut Hill and Center City locations are completely different in atmosphere and character.  (I really do like the way they made the Filbert Street space intimate.)

As for the food:  It's not great, but it is good--they use very good quality ingredients and have some very tasty cheese and (especially) chocolate sauce recipes.

When I see restaurants with average entree prices somewhere north of $20 listed in magazines as "moderate," I wonder if I don't need to have my price scale recalibrated.  Most of The Melting Pot's entrees hover right around this point, but given what they include with most of them, the prices don't strike me as that expensive.

I didn't have a chance to experience the service.  That will have to wait for another, quite likely far off, time.

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Glad to hear the center city location is different in atmosphere from the Chestnut Hill location. Didn't like the atmosphere in Chestnut Hill.