mrsry's Profile
Saxby's Coffee?
Probably not the same location, but I had the chance to try Saxby's in the Philadelphia airport. If I had to compare it with Starbuck's, I'd prefer Starbucks by a long shot. And like ABCD above, I'm not saying that as a Starbucks fan.
rice cooker cup volume
It's actually just over 3/4 cup. Funny how a rice scooper cup is a standard size!
Meju - Korean-lite Any real Koreans in Philly?
You don't know how much I appreciate the suggestions, guys! I moved to the area 9 years ago from CA and never quite figured out where the good Korean food was. I've been going to NJ for the last few years, but my favorite place is giving me the foreign husband punishment now that I'm married...no matter how much "real" Korean food he eats!
Bootsie's
I wanted to update that I'm not going to Bootsie's anymore. Last time I went, they cut my hot dog in half before cooking it, which resulted in a severely dry, tasteless hot dog. It had about the same taste and texture as the whole wheat bun it came on. After we brought this to their attention and specifically requested that they not do this again, the hot dog showed up in exactly the same way. I went up to them and said that they were taking hot dogs that tasted good and ruining them by cutting them in half. The people at the counter said that the cook never does this, and they didn't know why he was doing that to me. But of course, I was not offered my money back and I got to eat nothing.
Good concept, poor execution.
Philly bakery recommendation?
You're right; their cupcakes are a little too dry. Meanwhile, the frosting is way too sweet, which I find overwhelming on top of the dry-textured cake. I've switched over to Flying Monkey, which is also a little dry and dense, but at least the flavor is more mild and unique.
forks placed tines down - has anyone seen this? [moved from Manhattan board]
Haven't seen this anywhere, but I do this once in a while because I've always felt that it keeps more of the surface that touches my mouth from touching the table. My parents eventually made me stop because they said it was bad luck (according to an Asian tradition), but I kept doing it on my own once I grew up and moved out.
How you ate as a child Vs. How you eat now
As I read what people are writing, I'm realizing that what you ate as a kid is closely linked to the time and place in which you grew up. If you grew up in a rural area several decades ago, you may have been more likely to eat fresh food as a child, and less likely to eat food from a diverse selection of cultures/subcultures. If you grew up in the suburbs in the 80's (as I did), you were much more likely to have encountered McDonald's and Taco Bell at major intersections as well as the very processed foods people now love so much in supermarkets.
I think what the kids in this article are eating is also linked to the time and place in which they are growing up--a city or near a city in the early 21st century. The parents are feeding the kids what fits their lifestyle and beliefs just as our parents did for us, although the ones here are more outspoken.
How you ate as a child Vs. How you eat now
Oh, I remember evenings in my home that ended with me crying because I refused to eat horribly cooked liver drowned in A1 sauce, and my dad would yell at me until I choked down every last bite. To this day I cannot eat or smell A1 sauce. Or liver.
How you ate as a child Vs. How you eat now
The NY Times article about parents who pressure their nannies to provide organic/healthy food to the kids contained a quote from a mother who was absolutely convinced that however her child ate determined the way he or she was going to eat forever. Sure, it could have some influence. But is it really that much? I'm curious how many Chowhounds out there grew up with would be considered the average American diet and came to be more conscious of what they eat on their own.
As for me, I certainly ate my fair share of fast food and then some. It definitely showed. But my parents came from a country and a culture where people often didn't have enough to eat, so they thought feeding me all the American food I wanted was a great thing. I always ate ethnic food at home, though, which set me up to be more receptive to "different" foods. When I left for college, my parents and I simultaneously went for healthier food. They worked more legumes and exotic grains into their food while I cut out sugars and started eating organic.
Is Pasion! going downhill with the new chef?
I dined at Pasion Friday evening, and found it to be unlike my previous great experiences. The ceviches were much spicier than usual (I had tuna and mahi mahi), and there was an incredibly long wait between the appetizer and main course. They never gave us an explanation, either--just sent out the server to tell us it would be "just another minute", which of course means another long wait.
When I finally got to try the merluza that I had ordered, I found it to be inedible. It was a piece of cod on top of what they called risotto (although really paella). The server discussed with me the fact that the cod would be salty, and I said I understood and expected this. But when I got the food, I found that both the fish and paella underneath were permeated with an awful "off" fishy taste. I tried to explain this to her, and she insisted that she had warned me about the saltiness, and would not acknowledge that it was more than just that.
I remembered reading that Guillermo Pernot was leaving Pasion to work with Cuba Libre, and I overheard an employee tell someone else that someone else was in charge of the kitchen that night. Come to think of it, the spread for the bread tasted much spicier than usual, and I have a high tolerance for spiciness. What is going on there??
Myth or Boulevard for a private party?
I'm trying to decide on a place to have a reception for about 15-20 people, and have boiled it down to Myth and Boulevard. I don't live in CA, so I haven't had a chance to dine at either restaurant! Which would you recommend in terms of food, service, and (if you have any knowledge on this topic) their private party area? I have noticed that Myth hasn't been the easiest place to work with so far.
korean barbecue in Philly?
Forgot about Miran; I went there once and for some reason never went back.
Porky and Porkie's is awful; there is no flavor to the meat. I got the impression that it was owned by Vietnamese people. Some of the things they offer shouldn't be necessary if they were truly a good Korean BBQ. I do remember their banchan being particularly unappetizing and the kimchi tasting strange. I'm not that well-versed in the subtleties of whether or not kimchi is homemade and how well it is made, but theirs is pretty obviously bad.
korean barbecue in Philly?
I'm sorry, but the offerings in Center City are pretty bad. If you're willing to go over the bridge to Cherry Hill, there's a good place on Route 70 called Beawon. If you absolutely have to stay in Center City, you may end up going to Pastoral on 13th just south of Walnut, although I would really not recommend it as their food is not the greatest.
Does anybody else not "get" chocolate?
I completely agree with the bafflement over chocoholics. I'm really not so into sweets to begin with, and I too am disgusted when I see other women go crazy over chocolate. As a woman there are a lot of things I don't understand about other women, and this only makes things worse. I really hate it when someone assumes that I should want a chocolate-laden dessert, when actually I hate dessert and especially anything chocolate! Then they think there's something wrong with me for not raving about chocolate.
I rarely eat candy, and when I eat candy with chocolate, it's usually something like Twix or Kit Kats, where something crunchy and cookie-like is the focus.
'dry' cake
I think the point is that the OP wishes more people would appreciate good cake without needing things added to it, on it, etc. In my opinion, being able to appreciate the flavors that are in food without adding all kinds of extras may be something that comes along with being a foodie, whether it is conscious or not. For example, the same person who loves frosting and insists on birthday cake being a flavor (which I wrote about above) can't bear to watch me eat salmon that has only a hint of flavor without begging me to glop all kinds of sauce on it. She thinks I should taste the sauce, not the salmon.
Likewise, I think the OP is saying that people should try to focus on tasting cake, not tasting whatever liquid/cream/frosting that can be added to it.
Bootsie's
I tried out Bootsie's (on 19th St. between Chestnut and Market) over the weekend, and enjoyed the experience.
When Bootsie's opened, we were eager to try hot dogs from a place that seemed to care about the types of meat that was going into its hamburgers and hot dogs (that's basically all they offer). I had an organic hot dog and my companion had a kobe beef hot dog. Although there were an overwhelming number of toppings (many of them gourmet-sounding) to choose from, we got ours plain in order to enjoy the meat.
I have to admit that it took a while to get our food. That was probably the only negative aspect of this trip. The food, though, was great. The hot dogs were served on what appeared to be hearty multi-grain rolls, and the kobe beef hot dog actually spanned the whole length of the roll. (The organic hot dog didn't, but it was still larger than the average hot dog.) The taste and texture were outstanding and really something to be experienced.
We noticed some people walking into the place, looking at the menu, and then walking out. Too bad for them...maybe they didn't understand the significance of eating specialty hamburgers and hot dogs, and thought the price was too high. Or maybe the concept just seemed strange.
'dry' cake
I know someone who refers to any kind of light-colored cake with a light-colored frosting as "birthday cake". It doesn't matter what type of cake it really is; she thinks this is an official name for a type of cake. Whenever she offers me "birthday cake" for dessert, I want to tell her that for my birthday as a kid, I always got strawberry-filled white chocolate mousse cake--so that frosted cardboard mess could not possibly be MY birthday cake.
Grocery (on 13th St)
I'm sorry, my post assumed that the person reading it knew which place I was talking about.
'dry' cake
Oh, don't get me started on people and their reliance on frosting. I watched recently as my future in-laws and their daughter argued over who got the frosting on a mediocre slice of cake, and saw that they couldn't eat a bite of cake without frosting. They wouldn't touch the carrot cake because it didn't have frosting layered between every inch.
I don't really understand how a person can stand eating those frosting flowers.
Not Oreo, Not Hydrox... Name this sandwich cookie!
Giggles! These and Teddy Grahams really did it for me around that time.
Grocery (on 13th St)
I haven't heard much about this place on this board, but I tried it out earlier this afternoon. Every time I walk by, I comment that I like the clean, slightly retro-looking interior. They were serving breakfast sandwiches until 3 and I hadn't eaten anything yet, so I had a breakfast sandwich with salsa, oaxaca cheese, avocado, and chorizo on pressed bread. I'm not big on sandwiches, but this was excellent! It was a million times better than Marathon. When I took the sandwich apart at the end to eat with a fork, it didn't taste the same, so I'm guessing there was something about the bread that made it even better.
They felt bad that they gave me my companion's sandwich when they called me up (even though I really didn't care), so they brought my sandwich out to me. My companion wanted a sandwich with aioli but is lactose intolerant, so one of the employees went downstairs to make sure the aioli didn't contain milk products.
I also loved the drink selections. The well-selected juices/teas/waters/lemonades look enticing with their beautiful packaging. They made a good choice to put them out in the open instead of behind the counter.
Recipes You've Never Heard of Outside Your Family
Mary Kitchen corned beef hash cooked in a skillet with steamed white rice and chopped kimchi, either the normal version or the radish version. As an adult I've made it and improved on it by adding a little minced garlic.
How to eat Korean BBQ? [Moved from the LA Board]
I agree about the potato salad--never seen it with raisins.
My mom used to make mussels that I think are like the oysters you're talking about. She even once sent me back to college with them, which I thought was crazy, but eventually I appreciated it!
Which fruits would be in season around the beginning of August?
I'm not sure if I'm purchasing it in SF or in Sacramento. Sorry about the ambiguity!
Which fruits would be in season around the beginning of August?
I'm planning a wedding in SF for the first weekend of August next year, and I'm thinking of having baskets of fruit as the centerpieces. It would be great if people could take some home as favors. I only want to feature local produce that is truly in season and don't live in the area anymore, so could someone fill me in on what would be at its peak? I seem to recall threads about peaches from a few weeks ago?
Bonte's belgian waffle
What exactly is different about a belgian sugar waffle? I feel like I've been hearing about Bonte waffles a lot lately and I'll have to try one soon!
Can you name 3 things you like about Starbucks?
I never go to Starbucks, but...I like their Tarragon Chicken sandwiches. And I am not a sandwich fan either.
The little bear finger puppets they used to sell.
They always tell you what kind of neighborhood you're in.
How to eat Korean BBQ? [Moved from the LA Board]
That's jja jang myun. Noodles with a black bean sauce, and generally vegetables and seafood and/or pork/beef in the sauce. It's considered Korean-style chinese. The scissors were for cutting up the noodles; otherwise you run the risk of splattering the sauce everywhere and making a mess. The proper way to cut the noodles (or at least the way I've seen it done) is to open the scissors all the way across the bowl, cut through once, turn the bowl 90 degrees and do it again. Before you eat the dish, you're also supposed to distribute the sauce well. It takes a while to figure out how to do this with chopsticks; the sauce gets all over the sticks.
interesting food in downtown philadelphia
I think I had a different spread, with some kind of red pepper paste (?) swirled in. Not a hot red pepper, though. I could be completely wrong. I just remember it was red and it was good. You were probably right about what you had, as they seem to change up the spreads! I love that place and plan to go back soon. I also enjoy their empanadas! We've often said that we could make an entire meal out of their appetizers.
