Entries categorized as ‘Events’
Obviously, this post is insanely late. I think we made this visit in early October and you’ve already seen some of the fruits of our labor. (I’m a little rusty with the writing, so please forgive the puns.)
Anyway, Applewood Orchards & Winery was absolutely packed the Saturday we went way back when. It took us close to three hours to get there, thanks to some competition to take advantage of a beautiful day and the back-up caused by the nearby Sugarloaf Fall Festival (which looked like a ton of fun but just wasn’t in the cards for us).
Before setting out into the orchard, we binged on some freshly made doughnuts and apple cider for a late lunch. We also partook (is that a word?) of the fine array of wines available at the on-premise winery. With our bellies satiated and a good buzz on, we took to the trees, opting to skip the hayride express to the pumpkin patch.
Our bag was almost half full with McIntoshes, before we realized that there were other varieties down near the pumpkins. While the wife sleuthed for our jack ‘o lantern-to-be, I hit more apple trees, attempting to add some diversity to our homogeneous bag. I grabbed some Courtlands, a few Macouns, Empires and Honey Crisps, and even a handful of Red and Golden Delicious (although these were small and probably could have used a few more days on the trees).
Meanwhile, my spouse picked a hell of a pumpkin.
Our arms full, and our legs tired, we proceeded to the check out. The whole deal cost $20, which was an absolute steal for a wonderful afternoon outside and some truly excellent produce.
And if you want to see what happened next with this pumpkin, turn the page …
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Categories: Events · Travel
Tagged: new york, pumpkin, apple picking, apple orchard, Applewood, Warwick, Sugarloaf, doughnuts, cider, winery, McIntosh, Courtland, Macoun, Empire, honey crisps, red delicious, golden delicious, jack o' lantern
Although everything was beautiful, the highlight of a recent wedding I attended was the endless amount of cookies. I can count at least 12 varieties in this picture alone, but there had to be more than 20 kinds continuously replenished at the dessert table all night.
It was truly a legendary feat by the mother and aunt of the bride, who must have been baking cookies for nearly a month. The only problem: sickness induced by washing down too many of these treats with open-bar alcohol. Ughhhhhhh.
A couple of my favorites were:
The Mouse
- Hershey’s Kiss face
- Almond ears
- Oreo base
- Chocolate-covered cherry body and tail
The Hamburger
- Shortbread bun with real sesame seeds
- Frosting condiments
- Mint chocolate cookie burger patty
Categories: Baking · Curiosities · Dessert · Events · Travel
Tagged: wedding cookies, mouse cookie, hamburger cookie
Unlike the night before, I had made reservations for graduation dinner months in advance. The location: Rae, a chic, contemporary new restaurant in the chic, contemporary new Cira Centre.
Occupying about a third of the ground floor of this busy skyscraper, Rae seems to be designed for the hip, rich after-work crowd.
Though not exactly a parental utopia in terms of atmosphere, our group was more than pleasantly surprised by Rae’s quality of food. In short, dinner was spectacular.
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Categories: Events · Philadelphia · Restaurants
Tagged: beef tenderloin, caesar salad, caramel apple walnut pie, Cira Centre, horseradish ice cream, Philadelphia, Rae restaurant, raw tuna, risotto fingers, salmon, variations of chocolate, West Philadelphia
I’m not one for fancy salads. If it’s got (non-iceberg) lettuce, fresh tomatoes and a splash of tangy dressing, I’m usually a happy camper.
But sometimes a fancy salad surprises me. For example, the endive/apple/gruyere concoction served at Backals (Scarsdale, NY) this past Easter Sunday.
Maybe it was the setting - the upstairs private room - or the fact that it was taking so long for the food to arrive. Or maybe it was the pre-splitting of the salad into two portions. (I gotta say, I dig this new-found courtesy for notorious appetizer sharers like me.)
Whatever the reason, this super-crunchy combo of veggies truly hit the spot. This Belgian Endive and Apple Salad from Cooking Light is the most comparable recipe I could find, but it doesn’t capture every detail of the restaurant one. For instance, ours came with a surprisingly non-intrusive balsamic vinaigrette that added flavor but didn’t undermine the crunch.
Unfortunately, all of the good vibes built up by the salad were wasted by the tasteless chicken sandwich I ordered as a follow-up. Sometimes, the salad really is mightier than the sandwich.
Categories: Events · Restaurants · Travel
Tagged: apple slices, backals, easter, endive, gruyere cheese, new york, scarsdale
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
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.
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Categories: Events · Philadelphia · Restaurants
Tagged: Amada, chicken skewers, chocolate, Jose Garces, mushrooms. seared scallop, Philadelphia, tapas, Tinto
I just can’t understand why people go ga-ga for the Continental Midtown. For one, what’s with that stupid olive?
On the inside, tackiness is elevated to high art with all manner of overpriced martinis, chic seating arrangements and mediocre food.
Here are a few other reasons this place gets stuck in my craw:
- The waitresses are made to wear these fugly uniforms consisting of blue & pink striped shirts and unforgiving mini-skirts.
- The average drink price hovers around $10… and there ain’t much kick to ‘em.
- The decor might have been hip and cool a decade ago, but its nouveau-diner charm has long since faded.
- The clientele is (usually) so thrilled to just be sitting in a swank Stephen Starr restaurant that they’ll lay down double or triple their usual restaurant budget on a brand-name meal.
Unfortunately, since the Continental is only two blocks from my apartment and two and a half from my office, it will always be a perpetual part of my life.
I went there recently as part of a Christmas thank-you lunch thrown by my boss. Of course, I couldn’t say no, especially since we were beating the lunch rush with an 11:30 reservation. When we sat, the two bored hostesses eagerly sat us, while the army of blue & pink zebras waited for their cue.
Our waiter (the only male) was nice enough, and the lunch menu was fairly diverse. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad. We started with a seafood tempura appetizer which was fairly uninspired, but my lunch entree was quite tasty. Surrounding a not-too-gooey mushroom risotto (topped with some crunchy bean sprouts) were nicely seared slices of ahi tuna with a slight teriyaki flavor.
For a moment, I reconsidered my stance on the Continental. The food was certainly good, the service was reasonable and, during the day, the place didn’t seem as ludicrous.
But then the rush began in earnest and I felt trapped. Resorting to desperate measures, I uttered the two words I try never to combine while eating out: “No dessert.”
And just like that, we were gone.
Categories: Events · Philadelphia · Restaurants
Tagged: Christmas lunch, continental midtown, Philadelphia, restaurant, seared ahi tuna, stephen starr
Happy New Year everybody!
Since everything’s closed today and I’m recuperating from last night’s festivities, I thought I’d give you a quick turnaround review of Bar Ferdinand and their New Year’s Eve pre-fixe dinner.
First, a small disclaimer: I’m not usually in the habit of snapping pics of food at restaurants because 1. it’s kind of weird and 2. it takes away from the event and conversation. However, since we didn’t get our first course until nearly 11:00 pm and the place was packed with boisterous revelers, I decided a few extra flashbulbs wouldn’t hurt.
First Course - Pumpkin Soup
As you can see from their site, Bar Ferdinand specializes in Spanish tapas. However, for New Year’s Eve, they offered a six course pre-fixe menu. While the food took a long time to make it to our table (ensuring that our meal would straddle two separate years), I must admit I was very impressed. A lot of restaurants seem to dip in quality when they switch to pre-fixe, but I enjoyed almost every course. We started with the above pumpkin soup, which was delicate and creamy, offset with a scattering of crunchy pine nuts. It was garnished with a dollop of a creamy cheese (possibly goat) with a strong dill flavor. It was a good start.
Second Course - Arugala Salad
Sorry for the over-flashed picture. The blindingly bright strips on top of the greens are apple. The salad also had some crumbles of roasted chestnut and a tangy vinaigrette. It was remarkably well-balanced and its huge crunch factor made for a good follow-up to the creamy soup.
Third Course - Croquetas
There was a choice here between the roasted pork and cheese variety (which is pictured) and wild mushroom and goat cheese. I went for the meat (mostly because I don’t like goat cheese) and was slightly disappointed. While the pork was perfectly succulent, I was expecting a good dose of salty cheese to kick it up. The cheese, however, was barely noticeable, and thus I found myself eating a dollop of un-flavored roast pork in a pastry cup.
Fourth Course - Steak with Potato/Apple Gratin
Once again, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by a steak dish that I initially assumed would be phoned in. The beef (which I want to say was short rib, but I can’t recall) was very tender and nicely complimented by the port demi-glaze it sat in. The potato/apple gratin had a very unique combination of flavors, making it very difficult to describe. I’m not sure it was the right match for the meat, but I appreciated the interesting flavor interactions.
Fifth Course - Goat Cheese Empanadas
I can’t really comment on this course because I didn’t eat it. I know empanadas are one of the specials of the house, and with the blackberry currant, it looked very appetizing; but the goat cheese again scared me away. Also, I was looking forward to dessert and this course was brought out at an inopportune time - right at midnight. So, feel free to randomly judge this course by the picture alone.
Sixth Course - Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
This was my first food of 2008 and, unfortunately, the least successful of the meal that had begun in 2007. While it looked like what you’d expect (sorry, no picture), the chocolate cake was simply unremarkable. It was not nearly intense enough and was possibly even a little dry. The ice cream was very good, but enough to make up for the cake.
Conclusion
Despite the awful wait and the disappointment of the dessert, I was ultimately impressed with Bar Ferdinand. The place itself is very comfortable, especially for big parties and adventure seekers, while the food was inventive and flavorful. The wines (of which we sampled three) were also excellent.
Let’s hope 2008 holds more good meals, both in and out of the house!
Categories: Events · Philadelphia · Restaurants
Tagged: apple, arugala, bar ferdinand, chocolate cake, croquetas, dill, dulce de leche, empanadas, goat cheese, new years food, philadelphia restaurant, potato gratin, pumpkin soup, roasted pork
December 28, 2007 · 1 Comment
I hope you all had a happy holiday break, whatever (and however) you celebrated. There’s a lot to catch up on, so let’s get to it.
The first dish up is a huge, hardy gumbo, made once again from a recipe appearing in Bon Appetit. I don’t remember exactly how I arrived at this Cajun stew for a Christmas potluck party, but, then again, there were a lot of drinks that night.
Gumbo is a dish of huge proportions in every aspect: volume, prep time, expense and taste. Be prepared to spend upwards of $40 or more to put together all the ingredients (including some not-so-easy-to-get items like clam juice and frozen okra). You’ll be in the kitchen at least an hour (including a huge amount of chopping time) and will be doing a load of stirring.
For a party of upwards of 20, I halved the recipe and still took almost half home at the end of the night. I made six cups of cooked rice to accompany it; I would suggest more like 10 cups for the halved recipe.
It may be a lot of effort, but you’ll eat like a king for days. The stew has amazing resiliency and really does taste better in the days subsequent to its marathon preparation.
As for substitutions, I did use some pre-cooked chicken sausage from Trader Joe’s instead of the andouille (in order to appease my favorite vegetarians). Just remember that since they are pre-cooked, you should only add this kind of sausage at the very end to warm it up. The same rule applies if you’re using already-cooked shrimp, as I did.
Categories: Cooking · Events · Recipes
Tagged: andouille, cajun, chicken, Christmas, clam juice, gumbo, rice, sausage
Welcome back, constant readers. Or semi-constant readers. Or even first-time readers. Or whomever you are.
I’m sure you’re all dying to know how the pizza appetizers turned out. In a word: excellent. Everyone seemed to really dig them… although it was a particularly sympathetic audience.
Next time, however, I’m going to do some things differently. Because the cuts were so sloppy (making for big pieces), I’m going to chop up the pre-cooked crust into smaller pieces, and then top each piece separately. I think this will make them easier to handle and more like true hors d’oeuvres.
As far as the rest of Thanksgiving dishes (made and assembled in various kitchens), here’s how it broke down:
- Turkey with gravy (natch)
- Mashed sweet potato (in hollowed-out orange halves)
- Corn bread
- Stuffing (made by a butcher, with nice pieces of sausage)
- Zucchini pie (made by Mom)
- Apple/cranberry crisp casserole
- Cooked corn
And for dessert:
- Carrot cake (another Mom specialty, pictured above)
- Pumpkin cheesecake
- Macadamia cheesecake
- Pumpkin/ginger mousse (a Mom experiment that didn’t really come together)
- Pecan/chocolate chip pie
Good stuff.
I hope your holiday was just as tasty!
Categories: Events · Roundups
Tagged: carrot cake, pizza, potluck, pumpkin, thanksgiving, turkey
Anyway, Applewood Orchards & Winery was absolutely packed the Saturday we went way back when. It took us close to three hours to get there, thanks to some competition to take advantage of a beautiful day and the back-up caused by the nearby Sugarloaf Fall Festival (which looked like a ton of fun but just wasn’t in the cards for us).
Our bag was almost half full with McIntoshes, before we realized that there were other varieties down near the pumpkins. While the wife sleuthed for our jack ‘o lantern-to-be, I hit more apple trees, attempting to add some diversity to our homogeneous bag. I grabbed some Courtlands, a few Macouns, Empires and Honey Crisps, and even a handful of Red and Golden Delicious (although these were small and probably could have used a few more days on the trees).
