weeare138's Profile
Hill Farmstead Beer this Thursday, 1/6 @ Capone's in East Norriton
Come out to Capone's in Norristown this Thursday, January 6. I'll be on hand to chat about the 5 Hill Farmstead beers on draft, including Arthur Saison, Citra IPA, James Black IPA, Holger Danske Smoked Brown Ale, and Earl Oatmeal Coffee Stout. Beers will be tapped at 11:30 but I'll be there from 6pm - 9:30pm.
If you plan to try each of the beers to pair with your meal, I would recommend the following:
Arthur Saison with either the French Onion Soup, or a Salad
Citra IPA with the Pasta Alfredo
James Black IPA with the Chicken Marsala
Holger Danske Smoked Brown with the Ribeye Sandwich, or Mesquite Porterhouse.
And the Earl Oatmeal Coffee Stout with the dessert of the day.
If not, you can get a sampler of 4 of the 5 beers listed above.
Capone's will have 25 cent wings from 4 to 6 and mussels for $4.95 from 5 to 10. See you there!
BBQ Collegeville PA Phamous Phil
I finally got out to Phamous Phils and enjoyed it! Great brisket sandwich and the fries were some of the best I've had. I can't wait to check out the wings. I'll be back, along with some beers to go with the smokey treats. It's always nice to have a bbq place within driving distance to home.
Hill Farmstead Beer makes it's PA restaurant debut at Capone's 7/22
Hey fellow chowhounds. Just wanted to let you know that I'll be at Capone's in East Norriton this Thursday, 7/22 to talk about Hill Farmstead(from VT) Beer. I had originally planned a food and beer pairing but I was only able to secure 2 different kinds of beer for this event for now, so the pairing event will have to wait. In the meantime, if any of you would like to check out the newest beer in the Philly market, they will tap the 2 kegs at noon. I'll personally be on hand at around 7 pm - 9 pm if anyone would like to chat about the beer, or any of the future releases that we'll see down here.
My recommendations for these 2 beers with Capone's menu?
Edward Pale Ale - The Hot Ham and Brie sandwich. The sweet and salty ham combined with the subtle brie and lightly spiced mustard will go well with the aggressively hopped beer with notes of citrus, herbs, and spices.
Harlan IPA - Try the seared Ahi Tuna with horseradish sauce. The hoppy aromatics and flavors of this IPA will clean the palate in between bites of the succulant fish and heat of the sauce. The spicey hops and heat play off each other nicely.
I look forward to seeing some of you there! Please stop by and say hello.
Cheers,
Mike
Dim Sum places in the suburbs
Sadly, there few choices. At one time, there was a terrific place in Montgomeryville's Five Point Plaza (restaurant name excapes me) that had Dim Sum every Sunday. We would attend every week and get a handful of items off the menu, along with their sweet & sour chicken, which they would put in a half of a pineapple doused with rum and set on fire. That place was OUTSTANDING but sadly, they closed a few years back.
As mentioned, Susanna Foo has a few dim sum items, as does Margaret Kuo's but you won't find any place like the now defunct restaurant in Montgomeryville.
Not to hijack-- but does anyone know if those guys ever opened up another place anywhere, or what it was called?
Philly Chinatown Dim Sum
Ocean Harbor is my pick for Hong Kong style grub but I'm pretty sure Dim Sum is only swerved on Sundays there. If you guys are really itching for Chinese finger foods, you can check out Dim Sum Garden, though they cater more to the Shanghai style Dim Sum.
Rocco's Steaks in Paoli
Matt, you just made me want to squeeze these guys in before 2010 for the blog! I'm going to try to get there next week...maybe follow it up with a trip to TJ's after lunch.
-Mike
http://phillysteaks.blogspot.com
Brauhauss Schmitz: Philly
That's great news! We've been waiting for a viable replacement since Ludwig's Garten went belly up last year.
...and yes, that Hopfenweisse is a good one. Check out my review:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/72/37774/?ba=weeare138
A- / 4.2
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | drink: 4
rDev: +3.6%
Appears a densely cloudy dark golden bronze with a 3 finger head of off-white fluff that slowly fades away. Streams of CO2 quickly rise to the top upon first pouring this nectar before being phased out by the heavy amount of yeast that soon follows. Rich, spotty lacing is left all around the weizen glass. A real beauty to look at IMO…if you can appreciate Bavarian wheats.
Smell is truly original in this one. Bananas, vanilla wafers, and clove greet you as always but wait…it’s followed up with BIG, bold, ballsy amounts of citrus(lemon, grapefruit, orange), pineapple, and herbs. If anyone has wondered what a tour-de-force of estery yeast and juicy hops would turn out like…look no further. It’s here.
Taste is of the mentioned aromas with an ultra high amount of zesty, herbal hops unlocking the door to the palate’s sensory threshold.
Mouthfeel is smooth and velvety up front with a touch of sugary grapefruit easing down the back of the tongue for a nice, enjoyable, relaxing finish.
Ask yourself three vital questions before indulging in this beer. Are you a fan of Schneider Weisse beers? Are you a fan of hops being profiled in any beer style? Have you enjoyed any of the other Garrett Oliver projects, such as Blast? If so, this will be a pleasant surprise on all levels. If not, it will be an adventure for your taste buds that they most likely haven’t been through before. Personally, pour me another!
Best of the Trappist Beers
I think the constant confusion is due to Koningshoeven Brewery in The Netherlands, who were off of the Trappist Brewery list for 6 years. A few years ago I once again saw the logo on one of their bottles and wondered when the heck that happened.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brouwerij_De_Koningshoeven
Good cheesesteaks near 95?
My take on Steve's...
http://phillysteaks.blogspot.com/2009/03/steves-prince-of-steaks-philadelphia.html
My take on Tony Luke's...
http://phillysteaks.blogspot.com/2009/06/tony-lukes-south-philadelphia.html
My rating scale has Tony Luke's only beating out Steve's by 1/10 of a point. Both are great. The Tony Luke's roll is unbeatable.
Penny's Pizza (Limerick) Re-opening?
I can't wait to add them to my blog! It's been a long time since I've had one of their pies. I hope it'll still be as good as I remember.
Lunch today? Between West Norriton and the outlets near Limerick?
Oaks Italian Pizzeria is good, which is right near 422. Not too far off the Limerick exit you can hit Sonny's Italian Deli, Thai Spice, or Craft Ale House.
Phoenixville
I haven't been there but my wife has been and pretty much echoes your opinion. Very pricey and wasn't totally blown away by the food.
On another note, we finally got a chance to check out The Crazy Cactus sharing the Bull Tavern building with La Taverna. It's about what I expected. My wife thought it was terrible. Said her margarita didn't have any tequila in it. I thought the Fundido Cheese w/ Chorizo was ok, though a bit small for the price. We were going to order guacamole before we saw another table get theirs and it was the same size as the salsa we were given and I think they wanted 6 bucks for that. I got the chicken enchilladas. I thought they were decent. I liked the mole sauce they came with. The rice served with them was completely cold. My wife got the chicken burrito, which she wasn't happy with at all. She said that it was bland, didn't have any cheese, or sauce on the inside, as advertised. She also said that her rice was just rice-a-roni boxed rice. Sloppy. We were confused a few times when a runner/busser would come over a minute after the waitress would leave and would ask us if we were doing ok, or needed anything. Huh? Weird. The other strange part is that they wouldn't take our empty plates unless we actually handed the plates to them. I dunno. It was just a strange experience. I wasn't as disgusted as my wife but I've eaten in dives before with decent results. When all was said and done...
1 - margarita (didn't like)
2 - dos equis drafts
1 - Fundido & Chorizo dip (ok - & had for free with coupon)
1 - kids quesadilla
1 - enchilladas entre (ok)
1 - chicken burrito (didn't like)
---------
$41 + tip
Maybe give 'em another shot but I think I could be flying solo.
Philly Beer Week Is Upon Us
I was at The Devil's Den on Friday for the Bella Vista event. It was a great time. Here's what else I have on the agenda...
03.09 Philly Beer Week: Meet the Brewers Night Part 1, with Dark Horse & Voodoo Breweries
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2 Philly Beer Week: Meet the Brewers Night Part 2, with Hook & Ladder
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
03.10 Oskar Blues Draft Promo @ Capones
Norristown, Pennsylvania
03.12 Philly Beer Week: Meet The Brewer Session 1 with Tomme Arthur of Port Brewing & Lost Abbey
Norristown, Pennsylvania
03.14 Philly Beer Week Event. SIX POINT takes over FERGIES!
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Great Beer Restaurant in Limerick
Sounds like your friend faired as well as I did with the burger...see my posting above regarding the charred outside and raw inside. I'm eager to get back, as I'm a lover of fine beers. I've been involved with the seen for a good number of years now and always welcome new places like this when they come around. The fact that they're a beer destination is a gimme. It's the food issues and speed of service that threw up a red flag for me. I'll give 'em a few more shots and a little more time. I'm just not sure if it'll get more speedy. Tiny kitchen right now back there with about a 6 foot hood to work with. If they're able to expand that, it would make things better.
The other problem that nobody has mentioned...what's up with the bathroom situation and the waiting in line back in the hallway?
Here's my full review of the place:
http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/19047/?view=beerfly&ba=weeare138
I get a bit skeptical at reviews where several people have rated them as highly as they have and most of the raters have never posted, or rated any establishments before. IDK. Maybe it's just me.
Great Beer Restaurant in Limerick
The original Ortino's is still great. I started going there when John Ortino first started getting some exciting beers in years ago. I even remember he had a small Belgian Beer tasting, which was hosted by Ed Friedland. My wife and I were about 2 of 10 attendees. The Northside is a regular stop, as well. I too love Union Jack's in the Summer. We go outside and sit during the warm weather and enjoy the scenery. Outstanding beer selection for beer geeks, like us. Sly Fox...wow, I've been going there since '98. At one time, they had the best nachos and potato skins around. They changed suppliers, or chefs and they went the way of the canned cheese...blech. Their food is ok but it's not going to knock anybody's socks off. Capone's...I've known Matt Capone for a long time and he credits me as being one of the people who pushed him towards the craft beer scene. He first started bringing stuff in for me back in the late 90's but never put it out on the shelves. He would leave it for me in the cooler b/c I would be the only one who would buy it. My, how things have changed. I used to write all the beer descriptions for the menu when he first started having monthly Beer Advocate/Rate Beer events and help put tap list, and bottle shop orders together. I would also be the on site(in bottle shop) beer sommelier in making suggestions, explaining pairings, explaining styles, flavors, etc. I would pop in from time to time and work for beer. It's strictly a part time gig now, whenever I feel like it, or whenever I'm in the area. Capone's was rated the 2008 number 1 Beer Bar in the world by Ratebeer.com, and the 2008 number 6 Best Beer Bar on the Planet Earth by Beer Advocate.
As far as C.A.H. is concerned...I think it's decent but they've got some work to do(food wise) to be on par with a few of my other local favorite places like Theresa's Next Door, and T.J.'s Everyday. I'm sure they'll be there soon. The good news is that they're in a location where there was basically no beer buzz going on and now there's a place for people to talk shop. I wish them luck in their endeavors.
Great Beer Restaurant in Limerick
It's funny that you mention this place. I've now had mussels there twice, though they've been far from the best I've ever had. In fact, the first time, the ones I got were lukewarm with some undercooked ones in the batch. I thought the broth was a bit bland in that one(can't remember which mix it was). The second time, they were decent. I got the ones with the blue cheese, which were tasty. I wouldn't say that they were in the upper echelon though, either. Maybe I'm just hitting them on off nights. I do agree with you on the fries being seasoned great. The buger I got was charred on the outside and completely raw inside. I'm a bit of a burger snob, too. Beer selection is very nice.
I keep hearing good things about the food though, so it's worth at least another visit, or two.
Mussels in Montco.?
The place at Old Broad Axe fell through. They were the same owners of Eulogy.
I really like Chick's in Bridgeport's Mussels. I haven't had them in a few years but they were always some of the best ones in Montco.
Best tomato pies in Philly area?
Agreed. Corropolese in Norristown, and Limerick have a terrific tomato pie. Compared to Marchiano's and Conshohocken, it's golden. I believe a full sheet pie is $13. Very well worth it.
Morimoto?
Just went over the weekend. Morimoto wasn't there when we were there. We spent $175. We split an appetizer of shrimp/veggie tempura. We each got a soup. I got a glass of sake, my wife got a champagne. We each got a glass of the pinot noir. I got a softshell crab roll, and 1 red snapper sushi, she got a california roll, and a softshell crab roll. I'm still trying to figure out how we spent that much. The sushi was ok but I've actually gotten better locally in the burbs at a much reasonable price. I guess I learned my lesson. For less than half the price, I could've gotten a small bottle of sake, a decent bottle of wine, and gotten virtually the same thing at a local byob without the neon lights in the seats.
Asian/Oriental/Chinese grocery in MontCo?
There's an Asian Market on Township Line Road near the Giant Supermarket in Blue Bell.
Can Pizza Be Better in Burbs than Center City?
I'm going to give a few suggestions of what I consider my "best of pizza". I'm a bit of a pizza junkie and I've had it from all over with many great ones coming to mind. Here is my list of great places in the burbs.
Best Sauce: Franzone's in Bridgeport & Plymouth. They make a sweet sauce with a ton of basil. If you like your pizza sauce sweet and you like basil, this is a must. I always get a pie with extra sauce, or ask for more on the side.
Best Crust: Charlie's Pizza in East Norriton. Charlie's uses corn meal to keep this crispy pie from sticking to the hot oven. Try it with the "red top".
Best Sicilian Pie: Via Veneto on Markley Street in Norristown. Perfect combination of crispy outer layer, soft, doughy inside, perfect acid/sweet balance of the sauce, mozzerella cooked just enough. If anyone knows of a better Sicilian pie, please let me know. This one is really tough to beat.
Best Spicing: Pepper Mill in West Goshen. It's been a few years but they had a nice, oily, spicing that they did on the cheese. I would hope that they wouldn't have changed that up.
Another place to check out is Oaks Italian Deli and Pizzeria in Oaks, PA. They have a well done, crispy crust that is hard to recreate outside of a brick oven.
Can Pizza Be Better in Burbs than Center City?
Last time I had Mama's was back when I was going to school on City Ave...and it was really good stuff then.
Best Burger in the Burbs?
I agree with Jason that Capone's has great Angus beef burgers. I would also shoot a vote for(though they're a chain) Five Guys in the Gateway Shopping Center.
General Lafayette Brewpub to Bottle Their Beer?!
Not sure about which ones they will bottle. I haven't seen anything from them for label applications on the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau site. They bottled an English Barleywine in 22 ounce bottles in celebration for the 275th Anniversary. They were going for around $20 at the brewpub but they may be out of them for the time being. I was told after the first batch sold out, they were going to rebottle more. They also have vintage cellared bottles available for "on premesis" consumption only. It's usually Barley Wines, Imperial Stouts, Belgian Ales, or other high gravity beers that are suitable for aging. Just ask the wait staff, or bartender to see the vintage beer list.
