marianne215's Profile
Puerto Rico (ESJ, OSJ, Condado) Suggestions?
Thanks so much for posting this. We're planning our PR vacation for March 2-12 and looking for all the suggestions we can find!
Don't cringe....Restaurant Week (Jan 25-30)
Chima would be a good deal, if you're into a lot of meat and they're offering their normal menu. I believe it usually runs about $60pp and doesn't include dessert.
Lacroix could also be good, but it would depend on the menu.
The problem we run into for Restaurant Week, especially since it went up to $35, is that we don't order dessert normally so that really decreases the value for us. Have to go someplace that normally very expensive just to get a deal. We went to Oceanaire last time, and were surprised and disappointed to discover that all the entrees came a la carte, so we had to get sides separately. Our bill ended up way more than we expected.
bachelorette party dinner
The cave is closed now. Thank goodness. That place was horrendous.
Lunch in Northern Liberties
I third Honey's (4th & Brown). The fried shrimp po' boy is to die for. Ellen, the owner, is a sweetheart, and if you're dining solo they have a counter to sit at.
I am FINALLY getting a grill -- Please share your favorite grilling recipes
Mixed grilled veggies, done in a grill basket, are delicious, easy, and fast. For the two of us with a bit of leftovers, I usually do a pint of cherry tomatoes; 2 small zucchinis, quartered lengthwise then sliced; a medium red onion, coarsely chopped; a pint of crimini mushroom caps, rinsed and quartered; and 1 each red and green bell peppers coarsely chopped. You can also add eggplant, scallions, fennel, or whole garlic cloves. Toss it all together with a bit of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, oregano, s&p, then grill over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Makes a great fresh side dish without dirtying any pans, and anything left over reheats nicely, as well as being good tossed over lettuce for a hearty salad the next day. Congrats on your grill!
Philadelphia - Staying at Hotel by stadium July 4th
I couldn't agree more. Chickie's has a huge delivery area (they're at 10th & Federal and deliver to my office at Delaware & Spring Garden). I have a fried tomato special at least once a week. :) Fresh mozz, sub long hots for roasted reds, light mayo. Awesome. Now I know what I'm having for lunch tomorrow!
One note to visitors - they close at 4pm on Saturdays and aren't ever open on Sundays. Definitely a must eat.
Has anyone been to peppercorns in Pennsport?
I've only been once, the first day it was open to the public. We were a little disappointed, specifically in the beer selection, but I have heard that they've ironed out some of the (small) issues. Haven't been back since, but they've also recently installed drafts so I am looking forward to a return visit - and another garbage plate!
Has anyone been to peppercorns in Pennsport?
We went the night before Valentine's Day, and I would not recommend it. When we walked in there was only one other table, finishing their dinner. Their beer list is all industrial macro brews, and their wine list is nonexistent - literally. I asked for a wine list and the disinterested server asked me whether I wanted red or white. When I said red, she asked whether I wanted chianti, merlot, or cabernet, then brought a $4 glass of sweet boxed wine.
We started with a salad, which was actually quite good, but huge. Luckily we had ordered it to share. I believe it was butter lettuce, candied walnuts, bacon, and grilled pears, with a light blue cheese dressing. The pears were wonderful and had really just come off the grill - still warm to wilt the lettuce a bit and with actual grill marks on them.
For dinner, I ordered short ribs, which were tough and underdone. On the side came some broccoli rabe with burnt garlic and a grilled polenta cake. My boyfriend first ordered a fish entree, but when the server put in the order the kitchen told her they didn't have any. When she came back he changed his order to a grilled duck breast with cherry sauce and grilled asparagus. It wasn't bad, but for $22 it left something to be desired.
By the time we left two more 2-tops had come in, but for the most part we had the place to ourselves. The server was pretty disinterested in all of her customers, preferring to stand under the flat screen watching "Wife Swap" and sending text messages. Overall, I am sad to say that it was very disappointing. I was looking forward to having a good non-Italian restaurant in the neighborhood, but this isn't it. I don't think it will last very long.
Idea for a good hot spread/dip?
Buffalo Chicken Dip is great.
http://www.franksredhot.com/recipe/rds/franks/?rn=RE1242
If you're not a fan of blue cheese, you can sub ranch, and adjust the spiciness to your liking. It would be great with beer bread, also with celery and carrots!
Hamburgers, Again...
I agree, Five Guys is great. If only In-n-Out would make it this far east...
new asian market in northern liberties
I got a cellophane wrapped package of large shrimp there last week, peeled and deveined but with the tails. They were very fresh and sweet tasting, not fishy at all. I work down the block and have stopped by a few times since they opened, and yes, some produce is not so fresh, but you just have to watch what you're buying. The prices are much more affordable than my usual supermarket (ShopRite in South Philly) so if things don't last as long, I don't really mind.
Sat. Lunch/Early Dinner for 3 Omnivores and 1 Veg
What about individual pot pies? I like to do them in french onion soup crocks. Make the base with vegetables, mushrooms, and veg stock, then for the omni's add cooked shredded or diced chicken. Top each crock with a some puff pastry or (help me Sandra Lee) a bisquick drop biscuit, and brown in the oven. They're easy to prepare ahead and bake when you need them, and just add a green salad for a rounded meal.
Xmas Gifts
Also try Kitchen Kapers at 213 S 17th Street in Rittenhouse Square. A few doors down is an adorable card store with neat paper and stationary. And yes, the new Foster's at 4th & Market rocks.
turkeys?
Thanks for the advice. I've read that heritage birds are something between a wild turkey and the standard commercial broad breasted white. I would never think of roasting a wild turkey because of its leanness, so I think I am going to go down the same road with this bird.
turkeys?
I ordered heritage turkey a few days ago from MB Fairview Farm (http://www.mbfarviewfarm.com/). Picking it up at RTM the day before Thanksgiving. Their website says that they aren't taking anymore orders, but orders put through the White Dog Cafe Foundation's website still go through - www.whitedogcafefoundation.org/purchase-turkey2007.html. I am still undecided though on whether or not to brine the heritage bird. If anyone has any advice, please let me know!
what to do with lentils besides soup?
Lentils topped with Italian Sausage and Fennel. Similar to the recipe here (http://dinewithdonna.blogspot.com/2007/09/sausage-and-lentils-with-fennel.html). Cook the lentils in salted water until tender. Meanwhile, remove sausage from casing and cook over medium heat. When it's about half done add a chopped fennel bulb and chopped white onion, minced garlic clove, a tsp of anise seeds, s&p. Cook together until sausage is cooked through and fennel is tender. Top the lentils with the sausage/fennel mixture and enjoy.
Beau Monde, Favorite Combos
Ratatouille with sausage is my favorite. Also love ham, cheese, and egg. Have to head here soon - it's been a while.
KoolAid Pickles Receipe
I don't have anything tried and true, but a google for Koolickle comes up with lots of references. Let me know how they turn out though - I saw this same episode and am very curious. I love both koolaid and pickles.
freshly picked red and yellow peppers
You could do pepper/onion/other veg kebabs on the grill. No need to peel them, they cook in about 15 minutes on the grill over medium heat. If you have a grill basket it's even easier, just throw everything in the basket and stir frequently for 10-15 minutes. Either way, marinate everything first (I usually use bottled Italian dressing for an easy, flavorful marinade).
Vegetarian Suggestions for Restaurant Week?
A group of friends (including a vegetarian) is heading to Positano Coast at 2nd & Walnut. I think most of the restaurants will make a vegetarian entree selection if you call ahead and request it.
Old Speckled Hen
South Philadelphia Tap Room - 16th & Mifflin Streets. Great food too, and they always have the Phillies game on.
Hanukkah Brunch in December
London Grill in the Art Museum area usually does special menus for the Jewish holidays. I doubt they have anything put together yet, but they do have some private space upstairs. Their food is always delicious.
Looking for moderately priced "unique to Philly" Saturday lunch recs.
They do brunch on the weekends from 11 to 3:30. They're usually busy, and I recommend getting there before 1 to get the best selection. (They only make a limited number of most dishes, and start running out around then.)
Best Friday Happy Hour Food Specials in CC?
The new Mexican Post at 16th and Cherry has $4 food and $3 margaritas on Fridays. It's just across the Parkway from Tir Na Nog. Get there early though, as the place gets packed on Fridays.
Zot: New Belgian off Head House Square
We had dinner here last Thursday and were pretty underwhelmed with the experience. The mussels "Jamaican" with coconut milk, curry, and red stripe had no spice at all, and barely any sweetness from the coconut milk. I did also notice that they were on the small side, but most of ours stayed attached to the shell. For dinner we split the wild boar sausage, with leek stoemp, and delirium tremens cream sauce. The sausage was one of the saltiest things I've ever had! The stoemp was delicious though and I could have eaten an entire plate of it. I definitely need to add this to my repetoire. :)
It's a cute place with an interesting menu concept, but service was a little slow and the food needs some fine-tuning. I think it would be a great place to go with a group.
Happy Hour Suggestion
I think I missed today's Happy Hour (boo for me), but for next time, Philadelphia Weekly has a Happy Hour guide on their website where you can specify neighborhood, day of the week, and time. It can be found at http://philadelphiaweekly.com/happyhour/.
balkan express
We just walked by the place the other day, having never seen it before. Have you been before, and is it worth checking out? The prices looked reasonable and it looked nice inside.
Restaurant Week in Philly... So Who's going where?
We went to Haru Sushi on Sunday night, and it was a little disappointing. My tempura appetizer came out of the kitchen luke-warm at best, but my boyfriends steamed crab dumplings were delicious! I thought the entree portions were appropriate (3 rolls for the sushi entree, 6 pieces of sashimi and a california roll for the other entree) and pretty good. We had the mochi ice cream for dessert, which was a new and interesting flavor/texture. You could tell that the kitchen was on point, but they needed more staff in the front.
The inside of this space is beautiful - they seem to have kept a lot of the original lines, but added many modern touches. The glass-backed bar was nice, and as it was in the middle of the room, really kept it open and airy. Also, I found the ribbed banquettes very comfortable.
Going to XIX on Thursday, and I can't wait!
