I know as soon as I publish this I'll remember something I left out. But I thought I'd take a crack at it anyhow. Here are my top ten favorite places to eat in Philadelphia, in ascending order. There is not necessarily a distinction between highbrow and lowbrow, just taste.
11. Adobe Cafe-I can't legitimately put Adobe in my top ten, but this 11th spot is a shout out to my favorite hole in the wall watering hole. In a building that used to be an Italian night club in it's heyday, Adobe offers low key Tex Mex. The wings are great, the bartenders are friendly. There's always a place for you at Adobe. http://www.adobecafephilly.com/
10. Los Gallos Tacos-This hole in the wall South Philly gem that serves double duty as a Mexican grocer is authentic mexican for cheap. The tacos pastor (pork with pineapple) are awesome, as is the squash blossom quesadilla. This food blows away Xochitl, Cantina, Distrito, El Rey, and El Vez, in my opinion. None of those are bad options, but none come close to cracking my top ten. http://losgallosphilly.com/
9. Han Dynasty-"What do you call a restaurant with American waiters and Mexican chefs? PF Changs!"-Chef Han. Han serves up authentic Schezuan cuisine. It's hot. Chili oil and black pepper, so overpowering, yet if you've eaten the Mapo Tofu or Kung Pao chicken with peanuts, you know that it's oh so addictive. For a fun night, make a reservation for one of his 2x a month tastings, and try 20 menu items for about $25 bucks and byo, and be entertained by Han's humor. But the takeout is just as good any other night. http://handynasty.net/
8. Stateside-Just got the number one spot on the Philly mag list. It doesn't hit my top spot, even though it's within walking distance of my house, but Stateside is killer. The cocktails are expertly prepared and under 10 bucks (try the clover club if you aren't afraid of raw egg), all the food and drinks are U.S. sourced (that means great bourbon list), and the steak tartare is phenomenol. The menu changes seasonally of course. The bar features giant open windows which overlook the fountain on East Passyunk. http://statesidephilly.com/
7. Tinto-This is the only Jose Garces entry on my list. I am partial to Northern Spanish cuisine simply because I've been to the Basque country, where the bar snacks are called pintxos instead of tapas (okay I really don't know all that much about it but it tastes damn good). I mimicked Garces's serrano ham wrapped duck confit with la peral blue cheese and a cherry for my father in law's 60th birthday feast. Good food, good beer and wine, great atmosphere. Right next to Garces's Village Whisky. http://www.tintorestaurant.com/
6. Osteria-This Marc Vetri spot on North Broad St. makes the best pizza in the whole city, I had the one with octopus. The brick oven crisps the pizza so nicely. Great Italian from one of the U.S.'s best Italian chefs. http://www.osteriaphilly.com/
5. Penang-My wife grew up in Southeast Asia, and this Malaysian spot in Chinatown is the closest thing to comfort food she can get. The roti canai is a fried pancake that you dip in curry sauce, a must have. Beef rendang, coconut rice, beef chow fun, mee siam. Cheap prices, great service, open kitchen with flames dancing around. Drink a Tiger beer from Singapore to wash it all down. http://penangusa.com/backup/archive082205/location_philly.html
4. Le Virtu-This Abruzze Italian restaurant is literally around the corner from my house. It's fantastic. The housemade charcuterie plate is a great place to start. Wine on tap is fun. Nice little beer list with Ommegang Hennepin Saison as a staple. The pastas are out of this world, try the one with rabbit. I had some dish that was basically a bowl of assorted pig meat that was incredible. During Beer Week they do a cool grilling event in their lawn area that's pay as you go. http://www.levirtu.com/
3. Zahav-Michael Solomonov's Israeli restaurant features a great atmosphere, good cocktails, great hummus, and fun tasting menu. If Zahav is the jewel of Old City, then the pomegranate braised lamb shoulder is the jewel of Zahav. To me this restaurant represents why the Philly dining scene can match up with anyone. It's unique, special, and delicious. http://www.zahavrestaurant.com/
If you have a half day to kill try Solomonov's Federal Donuts--you have to get there early to reserve some fried chicken.
2. South Philadelphia Taproom-Scott Schroeder's bar menu has a way of making the simplest foods excellent. The North Carolina BBQ chicken sandwich is my favorite item, when available, and I'd rarely choose chicken over beef or seafood. Grilled Pocono trout is a great special, as is the fried chicken. I like the burger even though it's grass fed beef. The eggplant parm is amazing. I could go on and on. There special events are so much fun, none more fun than the Wheaties/Wheat Beer fest each spring. (It's tomorrow!) For Beer week 2011 they had a pig roast, a plate of pig and a beer for 9 bucks, with asian inspired cole slaw on the side. Can't beat it. The beer list is always solid, both draft and bottles. They have the largest Founders account outside of Michigan, so count on some Kentucky Breakfast Stout and other rare brews popping up now and then. And if nothing jumps out at you, you could do worse than a $3 Kenzinger, always available. This is the quintessential neighborhood bar, elevated. If Schroeder wanted to do fine dining I feel he could do any cuisine he wanted and succeed. Thankfully for us he seems content to make pig head cheese tacos for a buck and a half a pop (as seen on Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives). http://www.southphiladelphiataproom.com/
1. Fond-Fond means "pan scrapings." Fond is my favorite restaurant in any city. The food is incredible. The chef was trained at Le Bec Fin, as was his wife, the pastry chef, who has her own storefront, Belle Cakery, just down the street. Pan seared skate wing over brown butter risotto, pork belly with Okinawan sweet potatoes, house made sambuca. They just moved to a new location and now have a bar, but you can still byo for free in the week or pay a corkage fee on weekends. This is a special occasion restaurant. It is one of a ton of BYOBs in Philly (Little Fish, Farm and Fisherman, Will, Cochon) but what sets it apart from these, as well as the Garces and Starr places, is the service. Attentive, helpful, and out of their way to make you feel comfortable. One time a server made a minor mistake at our table and the person running the front of the house practically ran over to correct it. http://fondphilly.com/
Runners Up: Royal Tavern, Tiffin, Brauhaus Schmitz, Green Eggs Cafe, Talula's Garden, Pho Saigon, John's Roast Pork, Farm and Fisherman, Slice, Mazza
Friday, May 17, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
Pappy V All
When I was a kid, a few friends of mine had a running joke called, “I’ll take you both on in Madden.” The joke was that in Madden video games, it was much easier to win the game as a single player controlling the whole team rather than trying to coordinate complicated passing plays. But the concept of taking on more than your fair share is always desirable if you are a really a competitor, like trying to win a pickup basketball game 2 on 3. Pappy Van Winkle may be shorthanded, but he always wins. Okay, I’m not sure how well that analogy worked, but I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about Pappy Van Winkle 15, my favorite all time whisky. He’s too intimidating to do a review on. But I do want to share some thoughts about him, and his place relative to my whisky journey. The Van Winkle line has everything, flavor, richness, complexity, cache, uniqueness, everything except for availability. Julian Van Winkle has said, or at least implied, that the mystique of the brand is protected by making it a bit hard to get, but I do think it’s gone beyond what their business model predicted. Just a couple of years ago, you would see some Van Winkle sitting on shelves now and then, and the 15 year sold for about $60. Now, it is sold before it even reaches the sales floor (I bought my last bottle for $120 bucks, limit one per customer, and the whisky manager went into the back to get it. Mind you, the warehouse that stored the Van Winkles was damaged by Hurricane Sandy; we were lucky to get any in this area at all). I am hoping that the new ebay policy shrinks the black market markups on it a bit, and therefore increases its availability). I have a small stash of some Van Winkle bourbons which I drink on special occasions. And I do share with friends, because that’s what bourbon lovers do. All this to say, despite Pappy’s greatness, there are so many great whiskies out there, of all styles and at all price points. It’s a practically limitless world of flavors and experiences. It’s silly to get hung up on one specific bottling. I still consider it my “high water mark,” and will work hard to get a bottle every time it’s released, but I won’t lose any more sleep over it. Life’s too short and the whisky world is too grand.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Interesting Whiskies
This week I had the chance to try two interesting whiskies. I won’t be doing a full review on either, but rather brief descriptions and a few thoughts.
Bruichladdich “The Laddie 10” (pronounced “Brook-laddy”)
The New Yorker magazine recently had a really interesting article on this distillery, which was mothballed for years before being revived by some creative, independent folks. The owners and distillers did such a good job that they were ultimately bought out by a large beverage brand. Because the distillery was low on quality stock, they had to put out all sorts of interesting releases to keep the buzz going, because their new make was too young for age statements. For example, their entry level whisky is called “Rocks,” a nod to the ancient rocks the water runs through before the distillery turns it into the “water of life.” The Laddie Ten represents a benchmark in the distillery’s history, a standard 10 year bottling that won Islay whisky of the year in Whisky Advocate Magazine when it was released. Some reviewers say it was overhyped due to the distillery’s interesting story, but by all accounts it’s a fine whisky, and a good value at about $45. What’s interesting about it is that thought it’s an Islay, it’s “unpeated,” meaning the barley is not dried over peat smoke, and yet it’s fairly peaty in character due to the water source. In any case, it’s a nice pour, a bit of peat but nothing like a Laphroaig, Lagavulin, etc. Creamy and malty, but not the smoothest whisky around, with a bit of bite at 92 proof.
New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon
Many of you will have had a bourbon barrel age beer, this bottling flips that concept on its head. New Holland is a craft brewer that added a distillery more recently. They distill all sorts of spirits, including a hopped whisky they call Hopquila. The whisky I had is a sourced whisky, it’s bourbon distilled and aged by Indiana Distillers, and New Holland ages it for several months longer in casks that held their Dragon’s Milk beer, casks which originally held bourbon. Talk about full circle. One reviewer called this a novelty whisky, but at $30 I felt it worth a try. It’s not a bad whisky. I found it a bit simpleminded, but there is definitely some sort of beer influence that enhances the flavor. A nice change-up, and I always like supporting the craft movement.
Bruichladdich “The Laddie 10” (pronounced “Brook-laddy”)
The New Yorker magazine recently had a really interesting article on this distillery, which was mothballed for years before being revived by some creative, independent folks. The owners and distillers did such a good job that they were ultimately bought out by a large beverage brand. Because the distillery was low on quality stock, they had to put out all sorts of interesting releases to keep the buzz going, because their new make was too young for age statements. For example, their entry level whisky is called “Rocks,” a nod to the ancient rocks the water runs through before the distillery turns it into the “water of life.” The Laddie Ten represents a benchmark in the distillery’s history, a standard 10 year bottling that won Islay whisky of the year in Whisky Advocate Magazine when it was released. Some reviewers say it was overhyped due to the distillery’s interesting story, but by all accounts it’s a fine whisky, and a good value at about $45. What’s interesting about it is that thought it’s an Islay, it’s “unpeated,” meaning the barley is not dried over peat smoke, and yet it’s fairly peaty in character due to the water source. In any case, it’s a nice pour, a bit of peat but nothing like a Laphroaig, Lagavulin, etc. Creamy and malty, but not the smoothest whisky around, with a bit of bite at 92 proof.
New Holland Beer Barrel Bourbon
Many of you will have had a bourbon barrel age beer, this bottling flips that concept on its head. New Holland is a craft brewer that added a distillery more recently. They distill all sorts of spirits, including a hopped whisky they call Hopquila. The whisky I had is a sourced whisky, it’s bourbon distilled and aged by Indiana Distillers, and New Holland ages it for several months longer in casks that held their Dragon’s Milk beer, casks which originally held bourbon. Talk about full circle. One reviewer called this a novelty whisky, but at $30 I felt it worth a try. It’s not a bad whisky. I found it a bit simpleminded, but there is definitely some sort of beer influence that enhances the flavor. A nice change-up, and I always like supporting the craft movement.
Friday, March 29, 2013
TV and Drink Pairing
Note: I am re-posting this as I had some glitches with Blogger and not sure if it was every posted the first time. Sorry if you've already read this.
TV is the new great American art form. It's more versatile for telling stories than film, and allows for rich character development. But with scene after scene of hour long dramas, directors have to use plenty of scenarios and props to keep the story moving along. One of those props is alcohol. How many times have you seen one of your favorite characters sipping a drink, and you suddenly have the urge to join him/her? This post serves as lighthearted guide to what to drink with some of the best shows on television, and why.
Mad Men
While Don and Roger pound straight pours of brown and clear liquids, respectively, you'll want a classic cocktail in your hand while you follow the exploits of Madison Ave. advertising executives and their lackeys. A few suggestions: Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Martini, Aviation, Gimlet, Negroni, Daiquiri.
Breaking Bad
Unless you want to become a meth head, than have some whisky to steel your nerves while on this thrilling show that seems to ratchet up the tension, scene after scene, through the whole series. Whistlepig Rye is a Canadian rye out of Vermont that has been featured on the program, but any brown pour will do. Alternately, staring at the desert of the American southwest might cause you to get thirsty for something quenching like a wheat beer or a crisp IPA.
The Walking Dead
Anything you can get your hands on. In the zombie apocalypse, anything goes, and any booze counts as premium.
Top Chef
Here I'd say something modern and creative to match the efforts of the cheftestants. A cocktail like the Porch Swing, which is like a grown up lemonade. Or perhaps the Rubicon, which involves lighting rosemary on fire. There are cocktails that involve food, one that I saw uses chorizo as a garnish. Or make a Dark and Stormy with homeade ginger beer by making a batch of ginger syrup and mixing with club soda.
The Americans
This new FX drama is quite promising. A Cold War tale of KGB living undercover as average Americans. If you like spy stuff this one is pretty neat. I would recommend incorporating some kind of drinking game involving potato vodka shots. Maybe a shot for each time the main characters put on a new wig.
Any Medical Drama
The Penicillin cocktail.
Justified
Timothy Olyphant plays U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens, a modern day gunslinger. At one point he says, "I'm going to go home, open a bottle of Jim Bean." Yes he seems to pronounce it "bean." Jim Beam white is pretty boring stuff though. I'd recommend spending the extra few bucks for the black label, or the new Devil's Cut. The bad guys generally drink Wild Turkey 101 on the show, but when they run their own bar Boyd, the main criminal, says "give us a pour of that "Elmer T" (Elmer T. Lee is a Buffalo Trace single barrel hand selected by it's namesake, one of only two living men with bourbons named after them). Raylan's boss drinks Blanton's in his office. Yeah, you can pretty much drink any bourbon with this show.
Parks and Recreation
Ron Swanson's favorite is Lagavulin 16 year single malt. But I'd say the show would pair best with a fizzy, bubbly cocktail. Gin rickey, or champagne with hibiscus flowers. Fun and light.
Amazing Race
Something with exotic ingredients to savor as the contestants travel the globe. We made a cocktail with blood orange and tamarind paste. It wasn't my favorite, but fun to try new things.
Dexter
Bloody Mary. Alternately, Dexter drinks a lot of Presidente Beer in early seasons. Anything that would help with the stifling Miami heat and pair well with lots of blood.
TV is the new great American art form. It's more versatile for telling stories than film, and allows for rich character development. But with scene after scene of hour long dramas, directors have to use plenty of scenarios and props to keep the story moving along. One of those props is alcohol. How many times have you seen one of your favorite characters sipping a drink, and you suddenly have the urge to join him/her? This post serves as lighthearted guide to what to drink with some of the best shows on television, and why.
Mad Men
While Don and Roger pound straight pours of brown and clear liquids, respectively, you'll want a classic cocktail in your hand while you follow the exploits of Madison Ave. advertising executives and their lackeys. A few suggestions: Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Martini, Aviation, Gimlet, Negroni, Daiquiri.
Breaking Bad
Unless you want to become a meth head, than have some whisky to steel your nerves while on this thrilling show that seems to ratchet up the tension, scene after scene, through the whole series. Whistlepig Rye is a Canadian rye out of Vermont that has been featured on the program, but any brown pour will do. Alternately, staring at the desert of the American southwest might cause you to get thirsty for something quenching like a wheat beer or a crisp IPA.
The Walking Dead
Anything you can get your hands on. In the zombie apocalypse, anything goes, and any booze counts as premium.
Top Chef
Here I'd say something modern and creative to match the efforts of the cheftestants. A cocktail like the Porch Swing, which is like a grown up lemonade. Or perhaps the Rubicon, which involves lighting rosemary on fire. There are cocktails that involve food, one that I saw uses chorizo as a garnish. Or make a Dark and Stormy with homeade ginger beer by making a batch of ginger syrup and mixing with club soda.
The Americans
This new FX drama is quite promising. A Cold War tale of KGB living undercover as average Americans. If you like spy stuff this one is pretty neat. I would recommend incorporating some kind of drinking game involving potato vodka shots. Maybe a shot for each time the main characters put on a new wig.
Any Medical Drama
The Penicillin cocktail.
Justified
Timothy Olyphant plays U.S. Marshall Raylan Givens, a modern day gunslinger. At one point he says, "I'm going to go home, open a bottle of Jim Bean." Yes he seems to pronounce it "bean." Jim Beam white is pretty boring stuff though. I'd recommend spending the extra few bucks for the black label, or the new Devil's Cut. The bad guys generally drink Wild Turkey 101 on the show, but when they run their own bar Boyd, the main criminal, says "give us a pour of that "Elmer T" (Elmer T. Lee is a Buffalo Trace single barrel hand selected by it's namesake, one of only two living men with bourbons named after them). Raylan's boss drinks Blanton's in his office. Yeah, you can pretty much drink any bourbon with this show.
Parks and Recreation
Ron Swanson's favorite is Lagavulin 16 year single malt. But I'd say the show would pair best with a fizzy, bubbly cocktail. Gin rickey, or champagne with hibiscus flowers. Fun and light.
Amazing Race
Something with exotic ingredients to savor as the contestants travel the globe. We made a cocktail with blood orange and tamarind paste. It wasn't my favorite, but fun to try new things.
Dexter
Bloody Mary. Alternately, Dexter drinks a lot of Presidente Beer in early seasons. Anything that would help with the stifling Miami heat and pair well with lots of blood.
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