Entries from January 2008
I’ve written about this place before, but I didn’t have any good pictures of the food. Now I have good pictures but not much to say.
I always order the Mama’s Platter, which is more food than the average human needs. Even though it’s more traditional to eat falafel as part of sandwich - “the cheesburger of the Middle East” - I like using a fork. Because I’m a rebel.
Here’s what comes with the platter:
- Veggies - diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, and pickled cabbage
- Falafel - eight nicely fried balls of chickpea meal
- Hummus - with a little bit of tahini sauce
- Pita bread - not pictured, but homemade and excellent
The only thing I don’t get is why Mama’s uses styrofoam trays. Aren’t vegetarians and environmentalists supposed to be best friends?
Categories: My Lunch · Philadelphia · To Go
Tagged: falafel, hummus, mama's vegetarian, Philadelphia, styrofoam, tahini sauce
This post is woefully late mostly because, well… I was drinking. Now, before you drive yourself into a tizzy (as my cherished elders would say), let me explain:
1. It was my birthday.
2. I was at a brewpub called Nodding Head.
I figured that since the fine folks at Nodding Head went through all the trouble of brewing seven different beers (on the second floor of row house in the middle of Philadelphia no less!), it would be just plain rude for me to not partake.
I’m not sure how often they change the brew (it may be daily, although I think it’s weekly), but all of the selected seven dominate the nationally distributed stuff in color, taste, texture and any other drinking category you can imagine.
There are a few standards that seem to never leave (including 60 Shilling Ale, Grog and IPA), some utility players (like Doc, 700 Level and BPA), and the rare experiments (such as the awesomely named Hoptimus Prime, Monkey Knife Fight and Lead Pipe Lager) that keep things lively.
As for the night… it was a lot of fun. We even had the dartboard all to ourselves for the last couple hours.
And, miraculously, no one was hurt.
Categories: Drinks · Events
Tagged: bar, beer, birthday, brewpub, Drinks, grog, microbrew, nodding head, Philadelphia
So lately, I’ve been wrestling with the decision to rename this site.
You see, www.foodood.com is already taken by some foreign entity (I wonder what it translates as), forcing yours truly into a similar bind as our favorite math-test-skipping nerd, Bastian from The Neverending Story.
If you recall, to stop the Nothing, young Bastian had to give the princess a new name. He screamed out something at the climax of the movie, although you’d need a gazillion sound filters to try and figure it out. (Or just a quick visit to Wikipedia.)
Anyway, the purpose of this post is to warn you that Foodood (The Site) may change its moniker in the near future. I think I know what I’m going to call it, but if you have any good suggestions, I’m all ears.
And yes, I do realize that my dog looks like Falcor.
Categories: Announcements · Curiosities
Tagged: falcor, foodood, neverending story, new name, sebastian
For my first, and thus far only attempt at this recipe, the one decision I had to make was which cooking alcohol to use. I chose the Vermouth, but I think Marsala would be just as good… although, perhaps, a bit sweeter.
I don’t have much more to say about this dish except that it’s easy and awesome! It is probably the safest, simplest and tastiest way to use artichokes, the forgotten vegetable.
By the way: if the frozen artichokes don’t cook properly in the allotted time, feel free to cover the pot. I won’t tell if you don’t.
Categories: Cooking · Recipes - Observations
Tagged: artichokes, marsala, vermouth
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken tenders (or strip-cut breasts)
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 TBSP butter
- 1 package frozen artichoke hearts
- 2 cups sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup dry Vermouth or Marsala
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1/4 cup water
Directions
Cut up chicken into 2 inch strips. Dip pieces in egg and cover with breadcrumbs. Brown in olive oil/butter mixture. Remove to warm dish.
Scrape bottom of pan and add chicken bouillon (dissolved in water). Add Vermouth or Marsala. Cook 2 minutes and put return chicken to pan. Cover with sliced mushrooms, artichoke hearts and lemon slices.
Cook 10 - 15 minutes uncovered and mix before serving with rice or couscous.
Categories: Recipes
Tagged: artichokes, bouillon cube, chicken, lemon, marsala, mushrooms, recipe, vermouth
Holy crow! I didn’t know how many broken links I had up in this blog.
Well, I think I just took care of them all and everything should be right with the universe again. But please, if you find a link that doesn’t bring you where you think you should go, drop me a line.
Direct all complaints about broken links and misunderstood visual metaphors to foodood@gmail.com.
Categories: Announcements
Tagged: broken links
So, I made that new “old standby” recipe from Prevention again, but instead of serving it with a starch and salad on the side, I reversed it. See that small bowl where the salad normally goes? That’s right… it’s filled with pasta ceci.
I wouldn’t normally serve fish over salad (especially in the winter) but this somehow just felt right. And, oddly, the leftover pasta went quite well on the side.
In the words of Bizarro: “Me am not happy me didn’t try something new.”
Categories: Cooking · Curiosities · Leftovers
Tagged: bizarro, prevention, salmon, side salad
DISCLAIMER: The below list is NOT current. For the final Philly 15, click here.
Before we proceed, a little warning: this list is shamefully biased toward the Rittenhouse Square area of the city (where I live), as well as restaurants that I’ve visited multiple times. It is neither fair, nor objective.
1. Melograno (BYOB)
I’ve never had a bad meal at Melograno, the best of both the oodles of BYOBs and plethora of Italian restaurants I’ve been to in Philly. The space is small and it can be hell trying to get a seat (especially on a weekend), but you’re in for a treat when the food finally arrives. The open kitchen is foodie heaven, and the food is top-notch. Never overlook the specials.
2. Tinto
You can read more about this excellent tapas joint elsewhere on the site, but suffice to say, you can’t go wrong. Bold flavors, inventive dishes and a great wine list make this new Jose Garces restaurant a place to beat in 2008.
3. Matyson (BYOB)
It is virtually unnoticeable on the ugly block where it resides, but if you find it, thank your lucky stars. The nouveau-American cuisine is beyond tasty and, like Melograno, you can’t go wrong with the specials. It may be a little more expensive than it should be, but you can’t complain about the ROI (return on investment).
(more…)
Categories: Philadelphia · Restaurants
Tagged: alma de cuba, audrie claire, best restaurants, burgers, byob, Caffe Casta Diva, cheesesteaks, friday saturday sunday, Fuji Mountain, jim's steaks, marathon grill, matyson, melograno, Philadelphia, standard tap, Tinto, tria
It still baffles me why Tinto, the second Philadelphia restaurant by Chef Jose Garces, is so much better than Amada, his debut restaurant that I gave a lukewarm review only a few months back.
Granted, I may be bias because Tinto is less than a hundred steps from my apartment. However, I think it also has some objective advantages:
1. It’s small. Although the construction next door seems to be an obvious attempt to increase the serving space, right now the restaurant is small and cozy, with mesmerizing views of the cooks in action (if you’re lucky enough to be seated on the main floor).
2. It’s new. It’s been open a couple months, but people are continuing to discover it. The menu is still somewhat fresh to the cooks and they probably put a little more effort into preparing the food. After all, it hasn’t been reviewed by everyone yet.
3. It’s subtle. Maybe this is also because of its size, but I like that the decor is bit more understated. I just don’t get that super-trendy vibe that Amada puts off. The concentration is on the food.
Our first time in the restaurant was the second night it was open. This time, it was my birthday, and despite the rain and a somewhat foul mood, my wife dragged me down the street to what would be an outstanding dinner.
(more…)
Categories: Events · Philadelphia · Restaurants
Tagged: Amada, chicken skewers, chocolate, Jose Garces, mushrooms. seared scallop, Philadelphia, tapas, Tinto
January 16, 2008 · 1 Comment
So here’s a mystery for you: why does the Pad Thai made by Chinese places taste better than Pad Thai made by Thai restaurants?
Maybe this is not a universal rule, but it sure holds true in Philly. I’ve been to at least three Thai joints here, and only two Chinese places (one of which is our regular: Square on Square), and I have to give it to world’s oldest civilization: they know how to culture-hop.
For anyone unfamiliar with the dish, Pad Thai is a stir-fry noodle dish that usually has some combination of a meat (usually shrimp), tofu, peanut crumbles and egg. It’s usually served with bean sprouts and a wedge of lemon or lime and can be considered, along with fried rice, the very definition of Asian comfort food.
This weird contradiction of tastes, in which I prefer the “fake” version over the authentically prepared food, got me thinking about other such anomalies. The only one that popped into my head was syrup.
Am I the only one that prefers to drown my waffles in Aunt Jemima rather than natural tree blood?
I think not.
Categories: Curiosities · Products · To Go
Tagged: asian comfort food, aunt jemima, authentic, chinese food, fake food, maple syrup, original, pad thai, square on square, thai food
