Thursday, April 30, 2009

Church sign debate

I don't have time to make a real post. But I just found this, and it made me laugh. This is a chronological debate between two churches across the street from each other. I rarely laugh out loud when I'm online, but this did it. Notice how the Catholics seems to have a much better sense of humor. These people might have been serious though, which says a few things about the state of denominations and the apparent lack of unity in the church. Or maybe I'm just reading into things...










Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Race Street Cafe

I would have never thought the Race street cafe was a serious bar or restaurant. I passed by it dozens of time without even realizing so. With its proximity to the major tourist district, it could stay probably in business with mediocrity made unimportant by prime location. Race Street is an easy place to get to if you're on a bicycle, kind of inconvenient otherwise. The guys working there were nice enough to make change for the meter. A quarter only gets you 7.5 minutes now, so there's a real need to stock up.

There is an impressive tap menu with 15 taps, one being a hand pump. There was a great mix of all kinds of different beers, and I love a place that strives to have a few brews that aren't found elsewhere in the city. I had a Summit Pale Ale, which I've never even heard of before, and it complemented my food well.

For atmosphere, the bar is really nice. There are three tables outside, and I think it's really nice to eat outside when the weather is great. They even have a dish for water for dogs when you're outside. There is a nice wooden bar, and although I was barely inside, it seemed like a great spot. I went with Jonny and we arrived shortly after the opening time, so the waiters weren't too attentive. The menu had a good mix; this is a great brunch spot, and I image it's even better for dinner. I ordered a frittata, which came with their "brunch salad." My meal was excellent. Jonny had some kind of Mexican themed breakfast, which also looked good. I was really impressed with the food.

Bottom Line: This is easily one of the best bars in the Olde City area. Still, it's not remarkable. I'd like to give it a shot again, and see how it is on a weekend night. With a great menu, and an ample supply of beer, Race Street could be a regular spot for almost anyone.

Essentials:
208 Race St (2nd and Race)
(215) 627-6181
Avg Ent: 8-13
Cash Only: No
Reservations: No

Monday, April 27, 2009

Cafe Estelle

Because Cafe Estelle is already one of the highest regarded brunch spots in the city, I went there skeptical. It couldn't be that good, right? Even with my skepticism and high standards in tow, I left impressed.

I hit up Estelle with my friend Holly. We rode our bikes down to this spot, which is weirdly tucked under the 444 lofts on north 4th st. Estelle packs a good amount of tables into an open room with some cool wall decorations and modern loft type construction. Even on a Sunday around noon, it didn't have an unreasonable wait. Under twenty minutes, and once we were seated we had great service for our whole meal. Despite the fact that there was steady business, the servers didn't seem to be frazzled or rushing anyone.

The coffee was probably my favorite part of the experience. When you order, the server brings a mug and you're allowed to hit up the coffee bar, which has four different blends from around the globe. All fair trade and organic; you can try them all until you leave. Also, iced coffee is bottomless as well. I can't remember if I've ever had a brunch place offer that. To top it off, they offered us to-go cups for the rest of our drinks as we were leaving. These facts alone are enough to make me like, but not love, Cafe Estelle.

The food was excellent. The menu had a good mix of sweet and savory brunch dishes. I had shirred eggs, soft cooked eggs with truffle oil, mushrooms and spinach while Holly had a great looking omelet. The portions seem to be just right for a nice brunch. All of the food that I saw coming out around me looked really good, especially the french toast. There were easily a few things that I wanted to try when I was looking over the menu. $12 steak and eggs surely tempted me.

Bottom line: I can't exactly place while I liked this place so much. It was a beautiful day out, and the coffee was great, and our server was super cute (call me), but really, Estelle has a good grasp on every single aspect of breakfast making. And when you combine all of them together, Estelle manages to be a excellent spot. I will definitely be making regular stops here, and expect is to have wait times approaching Sabrina's in the near future. Estelle also has a great to-go menu and a buy 10 get one free coffee punch card.

Essentials:
444 N 4th St (4th between Spring Garden and Callowhill)
(215) 925-5080
Avg Ent: 8-12
Cash Only: No
Reservations: No

BOYB: Yes

Friday, April 24, 2009

Homebuying week 10

House things have been going crazy this week. As much as everyone seemed to be pushing for an early closing, it's not going to happen. I initially thought I could close April 17, then hoped for today, and am now looking at April 30; but this date seems firm.

Over the last few weeks I have been working on some grant applications. Largely due to ignorance on my part, I may have invalidated some of these grants. The lender and title company are very involved in the grant process. I thought I just showed up ready to close and it didn't matter where the money came from, whether 100% from me, or 50% me and 50% grants, ect. Not true. Also, the bank was slow with everything, and two grants needed a settlement notice to finish processing, which I didn't get until this week. Still, the ultimate responsibility falls to me.

So, Wednesday when I found out that there was a lack of information about the grants for the title company and the bank, things blew up. I sent 27 emails over the course of the day, in addition to a bunch of phone calls, about house related things.

I still am unsure if I am going to be eligible for all of the grants. The good news is that the house stuff, aside from what I've said above, seems to be moving. Still, settlement on April 30th could get really crazy, and probably will if the last week and month are any indication of my luck in the homebuying process. Best part: Jonny and I have a lease that ends April 30th, so if settlement gets pushed, things will get quite interesting.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Earth Bread and Brewery

Last weekend, Saturday was a perfect day. I joined Jesse's Beer by Bike (photo credits) ride to do a 25 mile-ish bike ride out to Earth Bread and Brewery in Mt. Airy. As the name states , Earth only really serves up flat bread pizza and beer. They are a microbrewery, and only had two of their own beers available. Despite that, they have a decent selection.

For lunch, I had the seed flatbread. The pizza was topped with pine nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, and roasted garlic. It was delicious, and a great deal at $6. The rest of the group ordered all different kinds of flatbread, and with the exception of the traditional (which just looked like a tomato pie with a small pile of basil in the middle) everything looked great. I followed up my pizza with a cheese plate appetizer. It was mediocre, and at $9, I was wishing I has ordered more pizza instead.

For beer, I tried both of Earth's brews. They serve up two sizes of everything; 13 oz for $3.75 and 20oz for $5. For the beers on tap, these are decent prices. Monkey Brain Tonic (terrible name) was my first beer, which is a light Belgian ale at 2.8%. Since we had just taken the huge bike ride, this beer was so refreshing. I had their barley wine also, which was fine. It was nothing remarkable, but I was impressed since it was made in house.

Earth has a small bar and a few tables. There is also an upstairs dining area, but it wasn't open while I was there. There is an open brewing and kitchen area, complete with the brick oven right out in the open. It has a very cool atmosphere, and would be a great place to take kids. Jesse's kids, Jane and Maruke, watched the cook making pizza for quite some time. The one thing that I loved is that they are really working with the Earth theme. There were a few full cool maps covering the walls and some globes in strategic locations around the restaurant. The theme is right up my alley.

The bartender was cool, pretty diligent for how many people he was serving, and did a great job keeping all of the checks separate. For some reason, however, I have the feeling (and have heard) that Earth doesn't have very good service.

Bottom Line: I was pleased with Earth, but with the lack of variety, it will be a long time before I visit again. Earth is fine, and if it was around the corner I'd stop by every now and again. It's definitely good enough to check out at least once.

Essentials:
7136 Germantown Ave (Germantown and Durham)
215.242.MOON (6666)
Avg Ent: 6-15
Cash Only: No
Reservations: No

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Fishtown Kensington Restaurant Week


Jonny told me a few days ago that a local restaurant week was being organized. I love the idea of Philadelphia's restaurant week: literally hundreds of restaurants that I normally wouldn't go to offering fixed prices menus at $30. It's a great deal, especially when a restaurant is more pricey than I want to pay.

An organized restaurant week for Fishtown, Kensington and Port Richmond could be great.But I checked out the list of participating restaurants, and I was pretty disappointed.

I don't believe that a $30 meal at Hinge Cafe or Johnny Brenda's is any kind of deal. Further, with only twelve restaurants participating, there's not even much variety.

To be fair, I still love the idea. Because this is the first year, it is possible that the concept could catch on. But there isn't a single deal listed that is worth making a special trip.

I'm not going to bash any of the establishments because I like supporting local businesses. Hinge Cafe is a great spot, and Jonny Brenda's is far too popular for anything I say to make a difference (JB is overrated).

Put me on the committee to organize next years week. Off the top of my head, I think Memphis Taproom, Tachonelli's and Ekta would all hop on this. And there's plenty more to tap in to.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

House and Dog

I have been visiting the SPCA in the past few weeks in the hopes of getting a dog, and I finally went through with it last week. I adopted a 7 month Siberian husky/pit bull mix and changed his name from Ethan Zachary to Crosby.

He is working on the house training. He hasn't barked since I got him, and he hasn't chewed anything either. He's loves the ladies, and I think I totally won the doggy lottery.

I've always loved playing with my friends' dogs, and finally getting into my own home means that I don't have to deal with any restrictions of landlords and leases. I'm trying to enjoy all of the perks.

On the house front, the appraiser has been back to inspect the repairs and has submitted the final report. I am still working on two grant applications. I am hoping to close on Friday and will find out by the end of the day.


Monday, April 20, 2009

Sketch Burger

Before going to Sketch, I heard a lot of talk about the place. The general consensus was that they have good burgers, good shakes, and are bit pricey. I have wanted to check this place out ever since I heard they serve up Kobe-style burgers. Kobe cows are fed a beer a day, receive daily massages, and are raised and killed humanly. This is all done under the pretense that happy cows taste better.

Sketch is a tiny joint with three booths and a small bar running along the wall. It's painted with bright colors and has chalk boards along the walls (hence the name). You order at the counter and the servers bring out each item as soon as it's ready. It's a really fun way to enjoy the meal, although it was a bit awkward with my burger coming out first, and the fifth and last burger coming out about ten minutes later. I still think it's the best way to operate though. It also helps that ever single person working at Sketch is incredibly nice and seems like they're having a great time. Despite the small size, the atmosphere is great.

Even though Sketch is establishing itself as a burger joint, the menu is quite varied. In addition to their regular fare, they have rotating specials that include a salad, pulled pork, brisket and more. Sketch is also vegan friendly, and is willing to whip up a vegan shake or burger on request, and they looked delicious. Further, Sketch was right up my alley with fresh and locally sourced ingredients brought in daily. They are really striving to do everything correctly to create the most excellent burger.

I am constantly on the search for the best burger in Philadelphia, and I think I may have found it. I went with the Kobe beef, but I'm honestly not sure if I would be able to taste the difference between that and their regular burger. Next time I'll have to do a taste test. Everything, from my burger, to the shake, and the fries was so full of flavor.

Here's my note on the prices. Burgers are about $6, the Kobe burgers are $9.60. Cheese is $1 extra. A huge order of fries is $3, and shakes are $4.50. While that does sound a bit pricey, all of these are large enough that almost any normal person could fill up on half of the portion. Then, splitting a burger, shake and fries could be less than $20. Even if you want to eat the massive portions, the quality easily makes up for the price.

Bottom Line: I wrote so much more than usual because this is the most exciting new place I've been in a while. The are serious contenders for the best burger in town, and being within walking distance of my house makes this place just that much better. I highly recommend this place for anyone, and with all of the veg options, you really have no excuse not to go. (Unless you hate fun and/or delicious things.) Enjoy.

Essentials:
413 E Girard Ave (Girard and Columbia, near Bank of America)
(215) 634-3466
Avg Burger: 6-10
Cash Only: Yes, ATM on site
Reservations: No
BYOB: Sadly, no

Friday, April 17, 2009

No new posts

Sadly, I've been too busy with work and my life otherwise to go out to eat this week. I made a Gouda and spinach omelet this morning though, which was delicious. Last night I had Oscar Blue's Dale's Old Chub, a Scottish style ale aged in whiskey barrels. It probably my favorite beer aged using whiskey barrels, besting my previous first choice, Founder's Backwoods Bastard.

In meantime until I can get back to "Weeg Eats," enjoy this image. NASA released it and is calling the image "The Hand of God." It really does look like a hand holding some cosmic fireballs. The image is a x-ray nebula 150 light years away. It's fascinating.
Next week I hope to post about Earth Bread and Brewery and Cafe Sketch featuring their Kobe beef burgers. Cheers.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

North Star Bar

North Star Bar has done it: best happy hour in the city of Philadelphia. Four reasons: First, 5:30-7:30. Far too many bars cut happy hour at 6pm. It is hard to find many bars that go until 7pm, and North Star even exceeds that. The time slot is excellent. Second, it's available everyday of the week. Understandably, a lot of bars run happy hour during the week, when the need the boost in business the most. North Star bucks the trend again. Third, $.25 wings, and they are good. When you can get two dozen wings for $6, it's surely a decent joint. Lastly, and most importantly, beer. 1/2 off drafts of a good beer selection that is moderately priced in the first place. I had a Rouge Dead Guy, Stone's Arrogant Bastard, Yard's ESA, and Sierra Nevada Pale ale, and they were all $2 or $2.50.

Other than the wings, I've never had food at North Star, and I will assume that it's good, and nothing more. As far as location goes, North Star is a bit off the beaten path, which isn't too bad and makes parking easy to find. Inside, there are a decent amount of tables and a small bar, all with a nice neighborhood bar atmosphere. They recently opened an upstairs dining room that looks really nice. To top it off, the bartender and the waitress were providing great service.

Last but not least, the North Star bar is an excellent venue. They have a mix of all ages and 21+ shows that are usually in the 8 to 12 dollar range. It has a small stage with an upstairs balcony that gives you a great view. They specialize in intimate and cozy shows, and it's great. I've been to a handful of shows here over the last 4 years and always leave thinking how great a spot this is.

Bottom Line: When compared to the best of the city, the North Star Bar does not hold up. But with awesome shows and happy hour filling the week, and it's gritty local attitude, the North Star Bar manages to establish itself as a stable in Philadelphia, especially the north Fairmount/Brewerytown section of the city, which is starved for decent spots. I'm a fan.

Essentials:
2639 Poplar St (27th and Poplar)
(215) 787-0488
Avg Ent: 6-9
Cash Only: No
Reservations: No

Monday, April 13, 2009

Too busy to write today, but...

While cooking at home the other morning, I got a twin egg! Two yokes in one egg. Has this happened to anyone else? I thought it was pretty cool.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Homebuying week 8

It's been a long time since I've updated on the housing process. That's largely because there hasn't been much going on. About a month ago, I received a large packet in the mail from the bank that had the best rates and fees for me, which was TD bank. It included a conditional approval to loan, and the next month consisted of compiling and faxing a lot of documents to the loan processor. These included things like bank statement, paystubs, addendums to the agreement, employment verification, canceled checks, and a lot of other boring things. The bank also was much slower in correspondence and processing everything than I was used to, and that's why it took roughly 5 weeks to get to a point where the bank was okay with giving me 100,000 plus dollars.

While doing all of this work for the bank, I checked interest rates daily. they were hovering around 5.25% for about two weeks, with slight changes up and down. I was holding out for a 5.0% rate, but also understood that rates could go up and stay up at any time. Then, suddenly rates bottomed out one day (March 19). I scrambled to get all my paperwork in and locked the rate in at 4.99%. The rates stayed there for one more day, and then went back, and stayed, to where they've been for most of the year. Patience=win.

Also during this time, the bank schedule the appraisal. An appraisal is like a home inspection for the bank; it focuses more on the value of the property as an investment for the bank. The appraisal came in slightly higher than the price I am paying, which is great. Further, the calculation on the square footage was 1248, as opposed to the 1090 that was advertised on the listing for the house. It's just another way that I feel I got a great deal.

On Tuesday, the bank gave me a call and finally told me that I am approved for a loan. There are still a few small conditions, but they are things that are not problem to finish up between now and closing.

They was some miscommunication on my part about the closing date. I've been thinking it was April 17th, but it's slated for the 30th. I called the bank to see if it could moved up. They said yes, but I'm still in a holding pattern. The seller needs to complete (start) the repairs agreed upon in the addendum sent over after the inspection. Once this is done, the appraiser needs to get back out there and verify, and then the bank, and everyone else, is ready to go. I don't think we'll make it for the 17th, but I'm hopeful for the week after, possibly April 24.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Sidecar Bar and Grill

Although I don't use Citysearch anymore, I used to frequently check out their top ten lists. The Sidecar consistently hung onto the list of best brunch spots in the city. It took me far too long to eat here and realize this place definitely deserves the distinction.

Tim Reardon and I brunched Saturday afternoon, right around noon, and the place wasn't crowded at all. It's a great spot and I like the setup of the bar and tables. Overall, it had nice atmosphere. The service was excellent. It seemed like all of the workers split tips and each chip in to bus all of the tables. Generally, this works out best for the workers and customers, and we received great service the whole time we were there.

The beer selection was excellent. While not extensive (7 or so beers on tap), The Sidecar managed to provide a range of great beers that are not easily found elsewhere in the city. I had the Sixpoint Sweet Action, an American blonde ale, and I loved it. Both Tim and I felt that our beers were served too cold, and mine came in a frosted glass. Minus two points. Further, the beer prices were not advertised at the bar or on the menu. They may have all been $5 (both of ours were) but I thought that was a weird way to (not) advertise.

Overall, our meals were delicious. As with the beer, The Sidecar has a great selection, and also provides enough vegetarian options to please. The brunch menu consists of variations on a few themes: poached eggs, panini, and breakfast burrito all made with a variety of ingredients. They were quite accommodating about me wanting to mix it up. Beyond breakfast, there's a great selection of lunch food. Portions were perfect, enough to fill me up, and nothing more. I had a sharp cheddar and mushroom panini with home fries and was completely satisfied.

Bottom Line: The Sidecar is a great brunch spot. It seems like a great bar, too, but I haven't evaluated that yet. I wish it was closer to my house, but I will still make it out here again in the near future.

Essentials:
2201 Christian St (22nd and Christian)
215-732-3429
Avg Ent: 9-12
Cash only: No
Reservations: No

Monday, April 6, 2009

Jose's Mexican Food

I like Mexican food a lot, so I'm naturally going to gravitate toward a place that is rumored to have the best burritos in town. Because of Jose's weird location and hours, I hadn't made it out there until recently. To be fair, the advertised hours are reasonable, but I went around 1pm on a Saturday before and found the place closed up tight.

Jose's is a tiny place with a great deal of character. Four small tables fill the space not occupied by the kitchen. Meanwhile, a TV in the corner of the room blares Telemundo (or another Spanish TV station. I'll admit I'm quite ignorant in this department). The service was a bit weird with some confusion whether we should order at the counter or wait for someone to come over. Jose's doesn't really focus on service or decor, so I won't either.

Really, the reason to come here is the food. Jose's also serves up Mexican Coke and Pepsi, which is made with real cane sugar. I couldn't taste much of a difference though. I ordered a chicken burrito, and it was well made and stuffed with fresh ingredients. On the downside, the meat was a bit dry. Also, the burrito came served alone, and I wished I had a bit of rice or a small salad to spruce my meal. I was with Ethan and Jonny and they both seemed to enjoy their meals.

Normally I would have been very happy with Jose's, but Que Chula has raised my standards for great, cheap Mexican food. Full disclosure: Jonny R prefers Jose's. Overall, it was a good meal, especially for under $10. Ethan and I rounded out our meals with homemade chocolate chip cookies ($.60) and that brought the whole experience up a notch.

Bottom Line: Jose's is good and has some exceptional lunch specials at $5 and $6. You might like Jose's a lot and I believe it's worth a least one try. I think tacos may be the best choice here. If nothing else, this place serves up authenticity in many ways.

Essentials:
469 N 10th St (10th and Buttonwood)
215-765-2369
Avg Ent: 6-8
Cash only: Yes
Reservations: No
BYOB: I'm not sure, but I think no.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Minature Earth

This video is a bit outdated, skewed, and I don't want to support the organization that put it out. That being said, I think it's an important reminder of where most of us fall on a global scale.




Considering "The text that originated this webmovie was published on May 29, 1990 with the title “State of the Village Report”, and it was written by Donella Meadows..." I think the internet and computer stats are especially deceptive.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Iovine Brothers

I've always been a huge fan of Iovine Brothers and the Reading Terminal Market in general. There is so much to like about this place. Their whole goal is to sell fresh and local produce at great prices. Every single time I go there I come home and want people to guess how little I spent because I think I got such a great deal.

Also, I just discovered their "grab bags." These are slightly damaged, or older, and just not great looking fruits and veggies they put into bags and sell for $1 each. That being said, the stuff is still great. There was a lot of good stuff yesterday, and there's nothing wrong with it; especially if you're going to use it the same day.

So, for under $7, I got:
10 Tangerines
3 Asian Pears
1.72 lbs of green beans
6 bananas
and 2 tomatoes

The food is much fresher than produce at local grocery stores, and I love going through the market on a busy weekday. I plan to check out other businesses there, and will hopefully get some delicious meat, cheese, and coffee in the future.

Essentials:
1136 Arch St (Reading Terminal Market)
215-928-4366