Hardena: You really can’t beat a place that serves up a mountain of food for $6. They also had a fish curry that I absolutely gobbled up, and I am not typically a fish fan. Follow your instincts on what looks good, or let the guy guide you. Or bring a friend, and try 6 dishes for $12. Thanks, Mark, for the rec.
M Restaurant: It’s an incredibly cute space — a quiet courtyard, set off from the street, with a little garden. Now that it’s cool enough to consider sitting outside without getting heatstroke, it would be a great place for drinks and snacks. None of the food was memorable in any way when we were there, so I’m happy to hear they’ve changed chefs and menus. Let me know what you think if you go by!
Amis: I seriously never recommend Italian places. So, take this with all due seriousness. I have recommended it to people, and I would go back. This probably translates, if you normally dig Italian, to: you will find this restaurant mind-blowingly delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered (the rice balls were my particular favorite.) Also, the people-watching was great. I was very amused by the guy sitting next to us bragging to his date about how he was a regular, and knew all the best dishes, and she should just let him order for her. Then he ordered exactly what we had gotten.
El Rey: It’s fun. It’s kitschy. The chilaquiles were good. The enchiladas were delicious. It was cheaper than El Vez, but even louder. How loud? My waitress repeated my order back to me, and it was loud enough that I couldn’t hear her confirm that she had heard me wrong. Oh well. The carnitas tacos I ended up with were tasty enough; if you actually had the gorditas, tell me if I missed out. I’d probably go back if I were nearby, but wouldn’t make a special trip for it.
Maru Global: Oh, Maru Global, I wanted to like you so much. I love takoyaki! I want so badly for there to be non-sushi Japanese restaurants in Philly! But after you made me and my co-workers wait FORTY minutes from ordering to food on the table, at lunch no less, and offered up not so much as an apology, I will not be back.
I cannot tell a lie. Being pregnant has definitely reduced the number of places I write full-on reviews for. But I do leave the house, more often than you might guess from the posts of late. Here are some 10-second reviews of spots I’ve hit this spring and summer.
Adsum: Their foie gras poutine sparked a heated debate over which was the superior over-the-top fry dish, that or Village Whiskey’s short rib fries. (Me: poutine, Bryan: VW.) The fried chicken was tasty, but Rick Nichols had me expecting mind-blowing. The pickled watermelon is the distillation of all things summer, so go grab a drink and snack at one of their outdoor tables!
Sampan: Their pan-asian fusion food was fine. Maria Valetta from Sips, Bites and Sites raved about their ramen, which I am hot to try when it returns to the menu come fall. But none of the dishes created a burning desire for a return trip, and the world’s most overly solicitous waiter made me feel like my dinner for two was fast on its way to a dinner for 3.
Koo Zee Doo: This was the last place Bryan took me for a date before our wedding, which may have burnished its glow, but I thought this place just had such a warm and wonderful vibe. They were doing lively trade with couples, larger groups… I even saw a few kids there. Being portuguese, the menu is fairly fish-centric, but the Bife à Portuguesa (steak, fried eggs, potatoes, yum!) was on at least a third of the tables, so I don’t think I missed the ultimate experience dining with my seafood-hating husband. Seems likely to get a return visit post-pregnancy.
Sketch Burger: Everything was very tasty, but we had a burger, salad, fries, shake and a soda, and spent more than $30. I probably will not be back.
Paesano’s: OMG. Everything you have heard about Paesano’s is true. If you haven’t heard anything, let me spread to you the glorious word. Their sandwiches are amazing, and I can’t believe I waited this long to go there. Warning: No human being could eat a whole one at once. Their magic: We reheated them in the oven for dinner, and they were JUST AS GOOD as hot at the shop. I might almost say better, because amazement is such a delicious side dish.
A couple of weeks later, I heard someone at Reading Terminal complaining about some lackluster sandwich they had just eaten, saying, “And I could have spent that money getting a sandwich at Paesano’s!” I am with you 100 percent, sir. If they got Paesano’s to open a location in Reading Terminal Market, it could truly seize the title of sandwich mecca. Kick that sushi bar out of center court. Reading Terminal, your destiny is waiting!
For more 10 second reviews, check out my Winter Wrap-up (Part 1 and Part 2).
I lived on 13th Street for 5 years, so I feel a warmth in my heart every time another great neighborhood spot opens. I may not live there anymore, but it still feels like my own. Zavino is a far cry from the greasy tables of Mama Angelina’s and the 13th St. Pizza counter of my day.
The menu has 4 sections: veggies, seasonal specials, meats and cheeses, and pizza. It being the height of the season right now, both the veggies and seasonal specials are wonderful. They love to pair a vegetable with a fruit (as do I) and that is perfect at this time of year. Most of the seasonal specials I have ordered involve mozzarella. Last week, this was pillowy slices of burrata, for those days when fresh mozzarella isn’t quite indulgent enough. If you are cheese resistant, the specials usually include at least one pasta dish daily, pizza specials, salads, and other little things they feel like sticking in there. (all veggies $6, specials $6-$15)
(Kennett pizza. I can only apologize for the quality of this photo; the light was fading.)
The pizzas are my preferred crust type — not paper-thin, practically a flatbread; not overly-thick, “did I get a fancy Boboli?” — but a thin crust, with a nice bit of chew on the ends. The oven is hot, hot, hot, as you will discover heading to the bathroom, so there’s a nice blackening bubbling going on with the crust. All 3 pizzas I have tried have been lovely, but I think the Sopressata, with pickled onions, olives and Claudio’s mozzarella, is my favorite. ($9-$14)
On my last visit, I also saw several of their meat/cheese/veggie tasting boards ($18) go by, and was regretful each time that I had not ordered one. But, I’ve found that for two people, a veggie, special, and pie were the perfect amount of food. If you’re feeling ambitious, I did see several pizza fans finish off their own!
They have plenty of wine choices, all available by the glass, and their seasonal cocktails looked tempting. (Root beer float with ROOT and cream soda? Um, yum!) But Zavino, you won my heart with one simple move.
This is one of Zavino’s tasty housemade sodas. It is $5, a perfect size for sharing, and available flavors vary by day. The lemon-lime is wonderfully tart. The strawberry had nice fresh strawberry flavor. None of them are super sweet. Trey Popp informed me (via Restaurant Club) that they even fizz the water in-house. You know what stinks about being pregnant? Ordering iced tea all the time. You know who feels my pain? Zavino. On behalf of the preggie sisterhood, I thank you for your delightful non-alcoholic options.
Zavino 112 South 13th Street Philadelphia, PA 19107-4532 (215) 732-2400
Zavino is open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week; late-night Friday and Saturday.
I am not a sucker for the over-the-top burger, generally. But it’s like the folks at Frög Burger peeked into my secret heart of hearts, and devised the over-the-top burger guaranteed to melt me into a puddle of joy.
The LOVE Burger is a burger with grilled cheeses for a bun. A patty in TWO grilled cheeses! How has this not already swept the country? How has an abomination like the Double Down preceded the grilled cheese bun burger to the national stage? It matters not. Now you have access to a grilled cheese bun burger, and, well, the rest of the country can just fend for itself. In the dreamy future, I hope they offer an option with bacon in those grilled cheeses. But the LOVE Burger has already stolen my heart, and I expect to eat more than a few this summer. (With a buddy, though — it is 3 sandwiches in one, people.)
Not already drooling at the thought of the LOVE Burger? You’ll still want to get over to Frögburger right away. These dudes hanging out? They have just figured out early what many will soon know. This is the perfect spot for summertime hanging out — you’re right on the edge of Logan Circle, with the grass under your feet, and the breeze off the Parkway in your hair. Frög Burger is serving beer, wine and sangria, and if they get the guy busking with cowbells on the steps of the Franklin Institute to find a new haunt, it will be a terrific place to while away a summer afternoon.
Minor complaints (and I’ll note this was their first day): There was definitely too much special sauce on the LOVE Burger; it took me 7 napkins to eat it. The cheese fries were eh — they were cheesed too soon so it was congealing by the time I got them, and the cheese is just whiz. I found the lemonade too tart. (A personal preference. Bryan said that’s exactly how he likes his lemonade.) The half and half was fine, but both drinks were $2.50, which I think is pretty steep, considering the size of the cups and the $4 Yuenglings available. Also, where were the “Killer Cake” Bars? Tempt me, folks. Put them out where I can see them!
For the burger-haters out there, they are also serving turkey burgers, hot dogs and a Chesapeake “crab roll”, and a bunch of interesting veggie dishes, too. You can check out the full menu on Mealticket’s writeup. Then, make plans to show off this new spot to your friends, before they want to show it off to you!
Initial reviews of Bobby’s Burger Palace had not been so good, so I had more or less ruled it out (who wants to trek out to West Philly to wait a long time for a meh burger?) But one of my co-workers told me he really liked it, and it’s open late, so I swung by one night at 10:30 to give it a shot.
I promptly found myself there TWICE more in the following two weeks. Were the burgers just that good? I actually had chicken sandwiches every time. They are tasty enough, and I really liked the fries, but it was two other elements that brought me back.
1) I love the number system. You go place your order at a register, and they give you a number. Take a seat — they’ll bring you your food when it’s ready. I first encountered this ordering system in Australia, and I thought it was genius from the get-go. There’s no negotiating your bag, your coat, whatever, with a tray in your hand, with its accompanying undertones of your high school cafeteria. Want more food? Stand up and order some more. Want to leave? You paid when you walk in, so you can walk out whenever you want.
2) It’s well suited for solo dining. Bryan was away for a couple of weeks, so I had more opportunities than usual to dine alone. I think my criteria for solo dining is pretty standard — mostly I’m looking for somewhere bright enough to read, with non-hovery wait staff as a plus. Bobby’s is not only delightfully well-lit, but a good third of their seating is at a long serpentine bar, perfect for the solo diner. With a regular flow of wait staff around the bar, I could always find someone if I needed something, but overall, they were pleasantly chit-chat free as I tried to read.
As you can see above, in addition to the fries, I sampled their onion rings and the Bobby’s signature item, the crunch burger (or the crunch chicken sandwich.) The onion rings were of the thick and oniony variety, with 6 or 7 in an order. They were fine, I suppose, but I don’t really consider myself an onion ring lover. I’d get the fries again, or try the sweet potato fries next time. And I cannot tell a lie — I really dug the crunch burger. But I also put Doritos in my hot dog buns as a kid, so take that for what you will.
I will also give them credit for offering their wide variety of burger options as turkey burgers and chicken sandwiches. If you’re in the market for a chicken sandwich, this is actually one of the best selections in town. And the lines have dwindled substantially from the first few weeks. It never took me more than a few minutes to take a seat.
There are a lot of tasty burger options in Philly at this point, ranging from Five Guys/500° to Barclay Prime. Bobby’s may not have blown me away with their food, but they managed to carve out a place on my dining card by differentiating on service style.
Check out the Wrap-up Part 1 for Percy Street Barbecue, Ladder 15 and more!
Lacroix: I love their brunch, absolutely love it. The next time you have a special occasion, treat yourself to it. It is the best $55 you will spend on a meal this year. Their lunch is pretty good. I was not wowed by their dinner. This could be because they are very fish-centric, and Bryan is a fishophobe.
Silk City Diner: Inconsistent. They had a pork belly special that night that was so nice we ordered it twice (one to eat, and one to bring to a friend), and Jenn actually developed a love of brussels sprouts after eating it. But the tuna tacos were nothing to write home about, and the edamame was a disappointment. If you say “soy ginger & sea salt dipping sauces” on your menu, I expect to receive multiple sauces, not one sauce, and edamame with salt on top. It’s just one of those places that rarely comes to mind when I’m thinking food. But outdoor brunch days are nearly upon us, and they certainly have a delightful spot!
10 Arts: We went to 10 Arts the week after Meritage, and had the pork belly appetizer at both. Meritage had a tasty, crispy, fatty, everything-you-expect-pork-belly-to-be dish. 10 Arts was totally, transcendently different. We licked the plate. I have had some things here that were just ok (skip the pasta), but most things I have had here were truly noteworthy. A pricey meal, but worth trying. I’ve heard bad things about the Restaurant Week experience, though.
Le Virtu: As a rule, I don’t go out for Italian. I think I make it pretty well, and I think Italian out is expensive for what you get. Le Virtu did not change my mind. If you go out for Italian, though, I bet you will like it. My dining companions definitely did, and check out how tasty that mozzarella looks!
New Delhi: Though they are not as spicy as when you order off the menu, I dig Indian buffets. Otherwise, with 2 people, you only get to taste 2 dishes, and this makes me very sad. New Delhi is my in-town standby for buffets, almost entirely because they let you pick your dessert. What if I couldn’t have gulab jamun? I might cry. I had a truly awesome Indian buffet in Exton or Pottstown a few months ago. (It had a chaat bar! And mango lassis in the buffet! Well worth the $12 lunch price.) Where do you head when you’re looking for an Indian buffet?
Fond: Do not skip dessert! I had a mascarpone “cannolis” made out of tuile cookies, a hazelnut sauce and raspberry-rhubarb sorbet that was just incredible. Dinner was tasty, service was lovely, and the price was right. It’s a really small place, though, so a table of loud and obnoxious people can spoil your meal. Not that I wasn’t fascinated by their diatribes on the female psyche, but … I can stay home and watch Spike TV for that.
I’m going to be on my honeymoon in Belize next week. So, keep an eye out for posts from Jenn and Michael, and I’ll see you when I get back!
As a rule, I don’t blog dates I go on with Bryan. I’m busy taking pictures and thinking about what I might write, and it seems less like a date and more like … well, let’s just say I don’t do it. But we go out once a week, so that’s a lot of restaurants that I would tell you about in real life, but don’t get mentioned on the blog. So, let’s have a recap episode!
Ladder 15: We had the Korean tacos. They were good. For everything else, Pub and Kitchen does it better, and I actively disliked the goat cheese and potato cigars. But I loved Ansill, and it’s conveniently located. I would give it a shot again in a few months.
Mémé: I really enjoyed Mémé, even after ending up there during restaurant week (by accident.) The sizzling mussels give Fore Street’s wood oven roasted mussels a run for their money. I loved their chocolate cake; it smashed through the Capogiro barrier (as in “I would rather have had…”) Check it out. I’d definitely go back.
Tiffin Etc: I actually liked the murg makhani pizza. I love kati rolls, and was very sad that Tiffin’s were disappointing. The stuffed parathas were meh. It was just two of us, so I didn’t get to try the south indian options. On the upside, it was super cheap, so you don’t feel bad if you don’t love it. And, you can still order off the regular Tiffin menu, So, if you feel like your standard Tiffin order is getting a little stale, you can mix it up with some of the et ceteras on offer next door.
Meritage: When I go out, I like to taste as many things as possible, an occupational hazard developed from years of eating with 8 people when I went out. So, the snacks/small plates/larger plates setup at Meritage really worked for me. We had 3 snacks, 2 small plates, and 1 larger plate, and it was great variety at a great price. Plus, foie gras dumplings! I had a lovely time at Meritage. But, when I got home that night, they had canceled my opentable reservation. A sour note to end a nice evening. I’ve still already recommended it.
Percy Street Barbeque: I was so happy I got the Lockhart when I went! The Lockhart requires 4 or more people to order it, and gives you a taste of everything on the menu. On a return, I would get the brisket, pork belly and chicken, with pinto beans (this is saying something; I am not usually a bean fan), black eyed peas salad, green bean casserole and german potato salad. The root beer chili was also tasty and interesting, but it’s meat in a bowl instead of meat on a plate, and didn’t really feel like a side. The Lockhart comes with dessert, and I had the apple crisp. It was… smoky. Next time, I would get the german chocolate cake. (This was not a date, if you can’t tell from the 4+ people, and the existence of pictures.)
Stay tuned Wednesday for Part 2: Fond, 10Arts and more!
The roving, tweeting food truck may have hit the Philly food scene in 2009, but the stationary food truck has been part of our culinary tradition for time immemorial. So when I turned a corner in Auckland, New Zealand and came upon the White Lady in all her glory, it just seemed required that I stop and eat.
That’s right, for more than 60 years (22,514 nights if you can’t read kiwi), the White Lady has been setting up shop from 7 pm to 7 am in downtown Auckland. Once my burning jealousy over late night food truckery faded, I ordered up a king burger (i.e. crowned with a fried egg) and an L&P.
The White Lady loves you, no matter what your predeliction is — they offer beef patties, chicken, veggie, sausage or steak, even lettuce wraps for the gluten-free folk. Take it on the road, or eat standing up at the counter. Either way, it’s sure to leave you licking your lips!
Should you find yourself in Auckland, New Zealand, the White Lady can be found from 7 pm to 4 am at the corner of Commerce and Fort Streets, 365 days a year, and 24 hours a day on the weekends. That’s dedication to street food!
The White Lady corner of Commerce St. and Fort St. Auckland, New Zealand Phone: 093795803
Regional specialties can be so cruel. How can New York have at least 3 reasonable bagel options per block, yet Philly is such a bagel wasteland?
Here are the places I know of that sell bagels in Center City: South Street Philly Bagels (which I always thought was just called Hot Bagels), Manhattan Bagels and Breugger’s Bagels. There’s also the Bagel Factory on Walnut Steet, but they aren’t open on weekends, which makes them nothing but a cruel tease. Hot Bagels is my go-to Center City option, but they only have 3 seats, and it’s far enough from my home that, at best, they’re Lukewarm Bagels by the time I get to eat them.
And so, though it is vaguely embarrassing to admit it, my actual bagel place of choice is in the suburbs, land of plenty. Delancey Street Bagels has it all in spades — plenty of seating, plenty of parking, and plenty of everything on my everything bagel. And they virtually never run out of my chosen flavors, even when I get there an hour before closing.
And it’s more than just bagels and cream cheese, folks. Want a sandwich? Just look for the words “melted marinated string cheese” on their menu. I prefer the white pizza bagel (shown above), but Meng would trek out there multiple times a week for the tuna melt. The bacon, egg, and cheese on a croissant is so tasty, you won’t even notice it’s turkey bacon. They even have a nice selection of muffins and cookies, in case you walk in half-starved, and you cannot wait another 3 minutes for your bagel (not that I would know anything about that.) I also hear that they have very good coffee (which I really would not know anything about, but I trust that Jenn is not trying to trick you or me.)
If Delancey Street opened a Center City location, it would change my whole weekend structure. Do you have a favorite bagel place in Philly? You can tell me. I promise I won’t buy the last everything bagel out from under you.
Back in my 13th and Locust days, the Tenth Street Pourhouse was one of my favorite brunch spots. Since I have begun railing against the hour-long-brunch-wait, I thought I would stop by one of my old haunts to see how it was doing.
I had a disappointing experience at my last favorite pancake place, which has put me on the hunt for a new favorite pancake. Cybélè has told me that Aunt Jemima mix could stop that hunt at my own front door, but I am dubious of my pancake-making skills. The Pourhouse’s entry was solid, but I found myself using Jane’s A/B/C method. (Cut pieces, which are then rated A, B or C, from most to least number of blueberries. A gets eaten first, then B…. you get the idea.) A truly superlative pancake should not require rating. Next time, I’d go back for my old standby, biscuits and gravy.
The Jefferson, on the other hand….
The Jefferson is the Pourhouse’s turkey, bacon, tomato, cheese masterpiece. It may not look like much in that picture, but my sisters and I have been known to order 3 of them at a meal, because no one wants to share it. Has it stood the test of time? You bet! If you live or work in the vicinity of 10th and Locust, and you have not had the Jefferson, go over and get one today.
The Tenth Street Pourhouse is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch. At about 1:30 when I walked up, there was no wait, but your mileage may vary.
Tenth Street Pourhouse 262 S 10th St Philadelphia, PA 19107 (215) 922-5626
