Yumtown USA

Temple's campus is still not mecca for lunch trucks, but Yumtown is certainly doing their part to bring the environment up a notch.  They prepare fresh, local sandwiches and soups from good ingredients.  And that simple fact means that they're better than most of the other food around. 

It's pricier than the other food trucks, but he meals are well worth the price.  If you're a fan of bread pudding, swing by here to taste the variety of the day for only $4. 

When I visited, I had a pulled pork sandwich with pickled jalapenos and cabbage.  At $7, it was a decently sized sandwich on crunchy french bread.  The meat was good, and the toppings melded together well.

Bottom Line:  Yumtown is a welcomed addition I hope to see for a long time on Temple's campus.  13th and Norris.

Cuba Libre

Late nights are a nightmare here.  Brunch, however, is a real treat.  It's served tapas style, and although you can order all-you-can-eat brunch, you can certainly fill up for less than the $25 price tag. 

The decor here is pretty nice, they definitely spend a good amount of cash making the place look cool. There's even a DJ for Sunday brunch playing easy listening bossa nova.  Coffee is strong and the service is good.  Everything is brought out as it is prepared, and this can sometime be a bit much as you can have four or five dishes suddenly piled up on the table.

I was dining with my friend Holly and we ordered all of our food from the breakfast part of the menu.  We started with the assorted breakfast breads, and this was literally a mixed bag.  Some were awesome (churro) while the muffin was far too sweet.  The mango butter, however, is heavenly. The chorizo omelet was also one of the stars of the menu.

Bottom Line: Lots of small tasting plates makes for a nice, if slightly pricey brunch.  Make sure you visit with someone who likes to share.

Ressurection Ale House

A limited food menu and a good beer selection are the main points of Resurrection Ale House.  There are better spots for food and beer, especially considering the price.

Twice fried chicken is a dark, crunchy and small meal.

If I was a rich yuppie trying to convince myself I was "down with the people" and that I "love craft beer" I probably be a regular.  IF.

Lamb burger's flavor leaves something to be desired.

Trestle Inn

The Trestle Inn is, simply put, a very cool joint.  It boasts a decent beer list, and impressive whiskey list, and decent food to boot.  The decor is perfect. 

Large video projections of black and white go-go dancers play on the wall in the background.  They might make your grandparents blush, but this place is for guys and gals.

Happy hour has some decent specials, $3 Whiskey Sours are the deal.  Some of the other prices, like $7 per oz of Jamison, are flat-out criminal.  The snack plate, with little meat and veggie bites, is a near perfect appetizer and/or bar snack. 

I remember when this was a dirty, shady bar serving underage Temple students.  Other than the storefront, everything has changed.

Bottom Line:  Trestle Inn is swank.  That fact alone will bring hordes of people, including me, back again and again.

@11th and Callowhill.

Molly Malloy's

Already one of my favorite spots in the city, Reading Terminal got an upgrade with the opening of Molly Malloy's.  It's a great use of space, with a huge, long U-shaped bar.

The food menu is extensive, and the prices are pretty good too.  I stopped in here with my buddy Dan. His go to order, fish and chips, was pretty good, but a smallish portion.  I felt the same way about my order, the Irish stew.  We saw a good number of sandwiches come out of the kitchen, and they were pretty big.

The beer list here includes 24 or so taps, and while they didn't present me with anything new, the selection is still good.  The pricing is wonky, with some beers normal prices (Bud $3, blithering idiot $5 wine glass) and some outragous (Rouge Dead Guy $9).  Still, the point is there good beers are available.

Happy hour is from 4 to 6, when the bar closes.  It's a bit odd that the bar closes the same time as the market.

Bottom Line: This spot is a pretty and tasty welcomed addition to reading terminal market.  While its promises to be overcrowded with those on break from jury duty and conventions, it'd still worth a stop for your lunch break.

Polish Foods in Port Richmod

While my friend Brent was visitng a few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of enjoying two Polish joints nearby:

Syrenka Luncheonette at Richmond and Alleghany:

Delicious Polish food served up cafeteria style.  Completely authentic, and in a welcoming environment thanks to the staff willing to explain all of the food.

Pirogis, borsch,  and golapkis were all fantastic.  I believe the best way to order here is with little thought and just pick a few things that looks/sound good.  The adventure will pay off handsomely.

Syrenka is about low prices and hot delicious food.  This place doesn't have much going on besides that, and honestly, what else do you need?

Bottom line: For real Polish food, go here now (unless it's a sunday, or after 6. I failed so many times to eat here due to limited hours.



 Czerw's Kielbasy at 3370 Tilton St

Probably the most delicious kielbasy I've ever had, and I come from a Polish family.  Certainly in the top echelon.

Great selection, reasonable prices, and totally unique.  The food is good enough on its own, but visiting Czerw's (and learning how to say it) and an experience in itself.

For starters, I recommend trying the Bigos (Polish stew with a impressive number of animals included) and the smoked Kielbasy. 

Ippudo

Laura and I looked at each other as soon as we sat down, "This place is so New York."  Sure, Ippudo had a 20 minute wait at 11pm.  And the dark, slick interior is cool as can be.  Thumping club music bounces offs the wall and all the servers and cooks yell out greeting in Japanese to each new party.  The point is, Ippudo oozes atmosphere.  And places that do that usually get by with average or good food.

But Ippudo has amazing food.  Truly delicious.  Japanese gourmet ramen.  A concept that sounds so simple until you taste it. 

My recommendation: Order the pork buns for an appetizers and stick with the classic ramen.  Laura and I both loved our dishes, large bowls filled with noodles and other fresh ingredients.

Bottom Line: Ippudo has top notch food and atmosphere.  It's cool and delicious.  That's rare, and is why there is still a wait for dinner at 11pm.

East Village, on 4th Ave between 9th and 10th

Taco Riendo

After biking past here for years, I finally ventured in!  This little Mexican establishment is weird, ordering is done at a counter and the whole place has a cafeteria feel.  Charlie and I were out after a long day of work on the house, and this meal certainly hit the spot.

We ordered chips and salsa to start, and the salsa was a weak, watery excuse for salsa. Although it provided some good heat, it still left something to be desired.

I ordered a spicy shredded chicken burrito.  Overall, it was filling and quite tasty; my only compliant was that it was not spicy.  Charlie ordered the special: salmon tacos and enjoyed his meal as well.  Portion sizes are decent for the prices.

It's BYOB, they sell Mexican (real cane sugar) soda, they use fresh ingredients, and it's pretty cheap.  To be honest, there are a lot of spots similar, but that doesn't mean Taco Riendo isn't enjoyable.  The service seemed a bit slow though.

Bottom Line: If you want great Mexican food in fancy taco bell atmosphere, this is the spot.  The prices and quality make this a great spot, but I'd opt forgo dine in for to-go next time.

Interstate Draft House

A bright Interstate sign illuminates this great little new spot from an otherwise unremarkable block.  I stopped in the other night to check out what it's all about.

The Interstate Draft House is a beer bar/gastropub rendition by the owner of the late Azure in Northern Liberties.  Great craft beer selection is combined with pub and Mexican food.  The atmosphere here is great; it's really cozy, dim with candles along the bar.  A medium sized wooden bar runs half the length of the building and gives way to a dining room in the back.  Good music plays in the background until the Phillies come on.  And I love when bars play the sound for local sports casts.

There's on HD TV over the bar, and a chalkboard will the current beer selections.  With the exception of the prices noted on the beer list (and this is a welcomed inclusion), many details are reminiscent of Memphis Taproom.  I say this with a note of admiration.  I was hoping this new spot would have a lower price point, but let's face it: Fishtown is expensive now.  This place, in price and a lot of other ways, it right up there with Memphis and Kraftwork.

The staff here is attentive and friendly; more so than I expect.  I did visit while the business was quite new, but these guys still seemed genuine.  For the menu, there are a few options that sound great.  The one downside is that the mains and all sides are separate.  First, ordering a burger and getting just that on a plate is disappointing; somehow just wrong (fries are a right, not a privilege).  Second, a simple meal can inflate to almost $20 with a main and a side.

I ordered the Cubano, and this was a traditional representation of the delicious pressed sandwich.  No complaints here; good ingredients, with special props to the spicy mustard.  Rachel ordered the quesadilla and was happy with her order.  The real treat was our order of fried plantains; sticky-sweet, perfectly cooked, and overall delicious.  The might not be the best food to go with beer, but I'm happy to order them anytime nonetheless.

I like to write a lot when I visit spots and I doubt most anyone reads the whole thing.

The Bottom Line: I like this spot, it will thrive. I hope that it can keep the neighborhood feel and not get overrun.  Interesting beer lists and a tasty, albeit a bit overpriced food menu will keep the folks coming again and again.

Cash only at the moment.  On Palmer, just north of Girard.

Port Richmond Pour House

Short and Sweet:

This place is simple; and I like it.  Cheap craft beer ($4) and even cheaper bad beer.  There isn't any food, just a no frills bar deep in Port Richmond.  Friendly staff, a good mix of locals and hipsters, and a low key spot to catch some baseball.

Head bartender from Swift Half runs this joint.  Hot Dogs coming soon!

2253 East Clearfield Street

Continental Midtown

Continental has a great brunch, who knew?  I visited a few days ago, and I was impressed with the amount of tempting options on the menu.  The atmosphere is trying to be cool, but the open area seating area and large windows make for a pleasant brunch environment.


Despite the fact that our server was completely overworked, she took good care of us and was patient and attentive.  There are a lot of good drink cocktails and other brunch drinks.  The prices are actually reasonable, which I didn't expect.

For my brunch, I ordered an omelet with cheddar, monterrey jack, poblano, and corn.  The ingredients were fresh and made for a delicious omelet.   My omelet can with toast and below average breakfast potatoes.  I was dining with my friends Lacey and Megan.  Lacey ordered the bagel with lox; Megan went with crab, dill, Havarti and leek omelet with egg whites.  All of our dishes were well made and came out quickly.  Portion sizes were decent.

Bottom Line: I feel like a broken record when writing about Starr joints.  There's simply not much to say about the Continental.  He focuses on atmosphere, and the food is just okay.  But with Continental, the food and prices were better than I anticipated.  There are a lot of good food options on the menu, and I'd visit from brunch again if I was in the area.

Frankford Hall

Stephen Starr ventured into two new worlds with his latest venture: Fishtown and a beer focused location.  Last week I had my birthday party at Frankford Hall, this open air German-style beer garden.

For starters, this is a great place to have a gathering.  People can come and go as they please.  There is a lot of space.  If people want to hang out without buying anything, it's not awkward.  It's pay as you go, so at the end of the night there isn't come huge combined bill to fight with.  Friends can order food as they're hungry.  With a group of friends that is hard to co-ordinate (or simply fickle), it's perfect.

Sure, there are a few things that I could complain about.  With post-season baseball around the corner, it's hard not to remark about the lack of TVs.  The prices are a bit high, and the inclusion of valet parking in my neighborhood is laughable.  I suppose it's off set by the decently sized bike rack.

Still, once inside, there's a large indoor and outdoor area filled with large picnic tables.  There's ping pong and trees planted in the courtyard.  Overall, it's a beautiful rehab of the space.

The menu consists mainly of sausages and wursts.  I don't remember my exact choice, but I was happy with it.  Sides of delicious red cabbage or sauerkraut come with the sausages, although bread is $1 per roll.  In the middle of the space is a large condiment stand with several mustard options, which is great.

Another food option is the $5 soft pretzel imported from Germany.  After a few bites, I wished they bought it locally and lowered the price, because the taste couldn't justify the ridiculous shipping distance.

The beer comes in half and full liters.  Aside from the fact that everything is about $1 more than it is most other places, the heavy German influence on the beer list is impressive nonetheless.  When the beers are domestic, they're German influenced.  There is no price discount for buying the liter; they're all simply twice as much as the half.  Stick with the half for the choice of variety and the convenience of your beer still being cool for the last five sips.

Bottom Line: This is an awesome space, and it's good to get a whole bunch of people together.  If crowded, it could be a bit annoying, and the prices certainly deter me from being a regular customer.  But I will definitely visit again.

Blind Pig

I love trying out new spots. I've been here twice, once for drinks, once for dinner. There's a lot of good beer here, some with prices from reasonable to outrageous. Still, the selection gives you options no matter what your goal is, from sipping at heavy stout to drinking cheap pounders. I really liked that they give you a pint glass even when you order can beer.

There is a nice, long wooden bar which is the best spot at The Blind Pig. They have a few TVs, and this is a good place to catch the Phillies. There's also outdoor seating, which is fantastic if the weather cooperates.

The food menu is standard; average. There is nothing that jumps out, although lots of people rave about the Thanksgiving balls: deep fried turkey and mash potatoes served with gravy.

There was one special that I was intrigued by: Alligator sausage. It was a 70-30 blend made with pork, and the meat was delicious and flavorful, like a more gamey chorizo. It was served on a small white roll with a salad on the side. The bread was terrible. Is it too much to ask for Amaroso or Sarcone in Philadelphia? The salad was okay; forgettable.

Emily ordered a beat salad and wasn't thrilled either. The menu, overall, just seems to have little or no effort. The service was ok, but not on par with other spots I usually visit.

Bottom Line: I like the can beer selection, even if some are overpriced. The draft list offers good options, but the food is nothing special. The Blind Pig needs to find it's niche to survive, because right now, there is not much going on. Nothing bad either, but that's usually not enough.

Corner of 2nd and Fairmount.

Circles

When I walked up to Circles, I wondered why I was eating at a dumpy to-go joint. But surprise!, they have a pretty nice dining room just across the street. The food is still cooked at the original spot, and then covered with a plastic tray and carried across the street.

I was out with my friend Cambria, and we both ordered apps and entrees, which was more food than either of us could eat. The prices for all of that food were quite reasonable. Her app, the summer rolls, had a light and crispy skin and was much higher quality than normal spring rolls I've had elsewhere. I ordered the corn and tofu fritters with lump crab dipping sauce, and these were awesome. It sounds like a weird app, but the somewhat bland fritters provide the perfect accompaniment to the crab sauce.

The place is veg friendly, but neither of us explored these options for dinner. All of the choices are available in four spice levels; medium, mild, hot, and Thai hot. I went with hot, and it was manageable and good (which means I wasn't sweating). Maybe next time I'll bump it to the top level.

For my main, I opted for the Chicken Pumpkin curry, and it was awesome. Just the right blend of spices, the pumpkin flavor was subtle, and the dish was enough food for two days. Cambria ordered a simple pad thai and really enjoyed that choice as well.

Even though the dining room is quite new, it doesn't have too much atmosphere. The service was okay during dinner. Nothing much going on in either of these departments.

Bottom Line: It's a bit far for me to be a regular, but the food here is good. Circles is a solid BYO, Thai place and has great prices.

It's at 15th and Tasker.

Liberties

I'm afraid that the secret will get out about this place. Because on Mondays, they have an order of wings and a pitcher of (admittedly cheap) beer for $10. Liberties isn't great, but that's paradoxically what makes it good, especially for Northern Liberties. This is a low key spot, and the beer is always cheap, Rolling Rock pounders go for $2 and Kenzinger pints are only .50 more. I ate here with a bunch of friends, and its a good place for a group. It's not overrun and there's a bunch of space. Several flat screen TVs pump out sports in HD.

The food here is just okay. My friend Chris ordered a Bacon cheeseburger, which came out piled high and looked awesome, but ended up tasting average. The wings were okay, but great for the price. I ordered hot but was disappointed by the lack of heat. There isn't much atmosphere here, but its a small time joint seemingly filled with locals and served only by one bartender, who is chill and accommodating.

Bottom Line: Liberties is a breath of fresh air from the normal No Libs joints. That doesn't make it great, but I reward points for challenging the status quo.

It's at 2nd and Fairmount.

Old City Coffee

Great treats and coffees. It's pricey though. I ordered the old city malted milkshake, and it was awesome, but I think my $6 could be better spent elsewhere. Still, this shake has perfect consistency, and was made with two shots of espresso. I'm sure I drank it much more quickly than I should have.

The atmosphere here is okay, but I wouldn't make it a normal coffee shop for myself, even if I lived close-by. It's not the most cozy. The owner was working when I went in and she was nice. I was out with a few friends and we shared the chocolate chip cookie. It was pretty good, not amazing.

Bottom Line: This place is fine. They have some fun coffee inspired shakes, and tasty baked goods. Just nothing that stands out.

221 Church St (between 2nd and 3rd, market and arch)

Llama Tooth

I hope this place survives. It's quirky, but I like it. There is a beautiful outdoor space where you can eat if it's nice.

The menu doesn't have much of an identity, but that doesn't mean there's not a lot of good options. I guess it would fall under the broad and unhelpful classification of "New American."

The owner really worked on getting a good beer list going, which I appreciate. I do take a few issues, however, like Kenzinger and a 10% imperial stout from Duck Rabbit are both $6. The beer list isn't up to date either, so in our first round of drinks, two of our choices weren't available. These aren't huge issues though.

The food is reasonably priced and quite tasty. I have a hard time ignoring a Cuban sandwich on a menu, so I opted for that. While this is unlike a traditional Cuban, I still enjoyed it. My baguette came out topped with pork, thick slabs of bacon, cheese, and a pickle. The flavors really combined for a great sandwich.

My friends John and Allie both ordered burgers, hers lamb, his beef with bacon, and blue cheese. John's burger had the same thick slabs of bacon as mine and was cooked as ordered, medium rare. His burger also had "blackening spice." Neither of us knew what this was, and he commented that it may have been a bit too strong for a few bites. Allie remarked that her lamb burger was made of flavorful meat.

All our dishes came with fries, John and I went for the sweet potato variety and these thick cut fries were well made and hit the spot.

We were dining inside, and the atmosphere is a little bare. The music played is also a bit weird, but none of this distracted us from our dinner. The service was quick throughout the night, and the owner and chef came over and checked to see how we were enjoying the meal.

It's on Spring Garden between 10th and 11th.

Bill and Krissy's Place

Bill and Krissy's place feels like a forgotten roadside diner on an old US highway. The atmosphere, the menu, the attentive service, mediocre coffee; all of these remind me of the quintessential roadside diner. And the prices! It's all an homage to another time.

I ate here with my friend Rachel for breakfast, and we both really enjoyed ourselves. The menu is really basic; french toast, pancakes, and egg platters are the only breakfast options. Lunch offers similar commonly found fare.

The food is by no means amazing, but it does hit the spot. I ordered an bacon cheese omelet, and I was happy with it. It came with toast and a tiny order of hash browns. Rachel got eggs sunny side, also with a generous serving of bacon. We sat outside on a wonderful morning, and both Bill and Krissy came and checked on us during the meal.

The bill for the two of us came to $13.40. What the heck, that's fantastic. As we were leaving, Bill rushed out to our table with a novelty slot machine. He insisted that we pull it and if we hit the jackpot we'd get a free dinner on the house. If that's not a great unique touch; I don't know what is.

Bottom Line: The charm and effort of the place, along with the rock bottom price, make it a worthwhile venture. You'll never have a wait for a table, even at 11am on the weekend. Unless, that is, people get wise of this location.

2723 E Cumberland St
215-275-1303

Stahley's Cellarette

This place is by no means worth going out of your way for, but if you are nearby, it's certainly worth a stop. Stahley's is cheap. Really cheap. Sandwiches start at $4 and a pint of Yuengling was $1.75. In addition to the beers, they have birch beer on tap, which was really enjoyable.

The service was great; it was like my grandmother became much more sassy and was serving me lunch. I ordered the namesake sandwich, the Stahley's Cellarette. It was an odd sandwich; ham and cheese on a roll topped with pickles, peppers, and tomato sauce. I don't think the flavors complimented each other in any way, but at $4, I was happy with it. I ordered sweet potato fries on the side and they were pretty good.

I was out with my two friends Liz and Emily. Emily ordered a tuna melt that was piled high with enough tuna on it for two sandwiches. Liz went for the buffalo chicken sandwich which was also pretty big. Their sandwiches were also just average.

The atmosphere is pretty fun. Lots of locals, people who have probably been coming here for years upon years, kids running around, neon signs for all of the worst beers: it all combines into an oddly charming environment. Most of the bar patrons were closely following the state little league game. The whole place was quaint and simultaneously divey.

Bottom Line: The food is pretty average, but this is still a fun joint and you will definitely get your money's worth.

The Institute

I'm shocked I haven't written about the Institute, because I've been here tons of times.

There's a lot to like about this bar: It's close to work (for me). It's got a chill atmosphere and is never too crowded. The beer list is good. The happy hour is every day of the week and features $2 off drafts and half priced apps. Most importantly, the Institute is always improving. The bar has expanded along with the number of draft lines, and the kitchen has always been experimenting and getting better ever since they started serving food.

I also finally had dinner here, and the burger is delicious. I'm pretty judgmental when it comes to cheese burgers, and the Institute was impressive. It was perfectly cooked to order, the meat was juicy and flavorful, and the toppings and bun are good quality. All of these are essential for a great burger.

I'll continue to hit up this joint and look forward to seeing how they improve. Maybe Quizzo?

Charlie's Hamburgers

Charlie's hamburgers is a traditional burger stand, the kind that used to dominate before fast food chains took over nearly every roadway in the US and the world. And for this simple nostalgic reason, I'd probably like Carlie's even if they served up mediocre food.

But the burgers here are great. The grill man is a master. If you watch closely, you'll see him with a large slab of beef in one hand while picks off perfectly sized blobs and places them on the grill. The buns are also toasted on the griddle.

I ordered the two special burgers, the bunny special (tomato, lettuce, raw onion, pickles and cheese, and the Charlie special (fried onions, pickles, and cheese). The patties are on the small side, so I recommend ordering a double if you like a heavy meat to bun ratio.

The food isn't amazing, the beef is average, but the Charlie's serves up a gooey, messy burger that truly satisfies. The two burgers I ordered came out to just over $5. I've heard the milkshakes are good, but I can't bring myself to pay for them at $4.35. They don't have a deep fryer, so there aren't any fries.

This place looks more like someone's living room with an indoor grill than a restaurant. It's small, there's lots of locals, but the staff will quickly take care of you and get you fed. If you get the burgers to go, they come in little wax paper sacks, which I found oddly charming.

Bottom Line: It's a bit outside of the city, but if you're headed to/from the airport, it's not that far out of the way. It's a classic American burger stand, and I like it simply for that. But the burgers also hit the spot. Closed Tuesdays.

Distrito

I wanted to check out this Garces restaurant. While dining with my friend Matt, we went to check out his Mexican tapas venture. The meal is good, but doesn't blow one away. To add to the average dining experience, the decor of the entire place is quite kitschy.

Even though the portions are pretty small, they're also pretty filling. The food doesn't come out as quickly as I'd like; dinner took about 90 minutes and we were often sitting without any food on the table.


Overall, the dishes are hit or miss. For the chips and guacamole, the chips were far too salty and I've had better guac from the grocery store. We ordered two ceviches, and neither were as acidic as they should be. I believe ceviche should have a noticeable citrus base, and the shrimp and octopus didn't really. I still enjoyed the octopus, but the shrimp is a miss.
Long time since I've been out to eat!

The fruit salad with lemon sorbet was pretty solid, and overall, the mains were good. The mahi tacos has great, slightly smokey flavor. The chorizo fundido is a cheesy mess that you place on small tortillas, again, pretty good. Scallops were great too.

The best part of the entire meal was the mushroom flatbread, and it's the only thing I ate that left a lasting impression. Dessert was fine but forgettable.



Beer here is disappointing. They have about five drafts, but two were kicked, and charging $6 for Dos Equis and a dollar less for Corona bottles is is huge stretch.

Bottom Line: The meal was pretty good, and the service was good too. I just can get better food at at better price a few other places. I enjoyed dinner but don't see myself ever visiting again.

Beer and Bacon Dinner with 20 Manning Grill and Dock Street Brewing

Dock street and 20 Manning teamed up for a special dinner featuring Dock Streets beer paired with a variety of pork products. I found this idea really exciting.


I met with my good friend Quinn and we were able to snag a seat outside out a perfect spring day. The menu was set, so our first course came out quickly. Chicarones were served up with three different sauces: apple butter, avocado cream, and chipolte. The first two sauces were okay but forgettable. I thought the chipoltle was excellent, and used ever last drop. This course wasn't amazing, but it was a nice was to stoop our meal. The Bohemian Pils was the pairing of choice.

Next came cinnamon braised pork belly served with watermelon, jalapeños, and Kasseri cheese. This course seems have little forethought; the flavors did not mix well. The pork belly could have been much better prepared, but the cheese saved the entire course. I've never heard of Kasseri, but I enjoyed this thick, almost meaty cheese. Dock street summer session was served alongside, and this great beer was a treat.



At this point in the meal, I wasn't thrilled, by anything, but that was all about to change. The next course was simply fantastic. The main course started with a potato roti served with a poached egg. While this wasn't a common dinner item, i enjoyed it. I came with a salad covered in real bacon bits and drizzled with hot bacon cider dressing. Two large cubes of crispy pork were served with the salad, and these flavors together melded into a delicious pork explosion. Salad has never tasted so good. Dock street rye IPA was served with this course.



I was getting full at this point, but dessert was almost as exciting as the main course. The man full o trouble porter was served, which is a great beer for dessert. A "chip which" was served, which is a true culinary delight. Two perfectly chocolate cookies were held together with brandy cherry ice cream with sweet bacon bits infused. If given an unlimited amount, I probably would have eaten these until explosion.

Overall, I really enjoyed this special menu. I believe it gave a good idea of the overall food at 20 Manning. The service was certainly weird, our server talked with a air about him, almost as if it was beneath him to bring us food. It turned into one of our running jokes for evening. I liked that a Dock Street took over the taps for the evening, but the normal beer list is still pretty decent. About five craft taps at reasonable prices. I saw a few burgers come out of the kitchen and they looked great.

Bottom line: I enjoyed my visit, and I would certainly go again. Still, the food by the same owner over at Audrey Claire seems to have a bit more of a flair and is a byob to boot.

Penguin Drive-In

Almost as quickly as a new edition of Hamburger America was released, I was lucky enough to be out and tasting the newest findings. This time, it was the Penguin Drive-In in Charlotte, North Carolina. We walked in shortly before six on a Friday and didn't have any trouble getting a seat. Our server came over quickly, and she was pleasant during our whole visit. She offered us the house special appetizer, fried pickles, but I'm certainly at a loss for shy see are so popular. My hometown favorite, Memphis taproom, blows them out of the water.

The beer selection offered standard big brews from across the us and world, as well three craft beers on Draft. I drank a beer from Old Meck right in Charlotte and Widmer Pale ale. Fat Tire was also on tap. The temperature on these beers was a bit warm, and the pours were anything but generous. Still, when the bill came out and I saw they were $2 each, my complaints vanished.

I was dining with Mom, Charlie ,and Laura, and everyone went for burgers. I stuck with the name sake, which came with lettuce, onions, friend pickles, and smothered in pimento cheese. The cheese isn't bad, but is still a novelty. American would taste be better. George Motts wrote about huge 1/3 pound patties, but these are nowhere to be found. Instead, small, griddle cooked burgers were served. They had that distinctive char taste, and the only disappointment with the patty was that it didn't cover all of the bread. It was a good burger, but certainly doesn't deserve a write up in a book that chronicles the country's best burger joints.


The best burger was ordered by Mom: southern style. Essentially a chili cheeseburger, it was quite tasty. We also ordered a few sides, onion rings and sweet potato fries. The fires were covered in cinnamon and sugar, making them like a dessert and frankly, ruining them. The onion rings weren't terrible , but lacked any real flavor and crispiness.

The atmosphere here is fun. Seat yourself, and look at pictures from the business over the last sixty years. It's part bar, part family restaurant, but it works. There's even a Rockola jukebox in the corner with an impressively bad playlist offered.


The bottom line: it seems this place recently came under new management, and maybe not for the better. Still, the burger is good, the beer, like everything else, is pretty cheap. Worth a stop, but don't go out of your way.

One Shot Coffee

I've been to one shot a few times, and I have mixed feelings. I really believe that I should be able to order a cup of coffee for less than two dollars. I understand that they offer Stumptown, but the prices for drinks here still seem high. That being said, they do brew some delicious coffee, and I'd rather overpay for something I like then get a good deal on something that barely passes as coffee.

One Shot recently moved to a new location on George Street , and that whole place is beautiful. I met with my good friend Bryana and we sat outside and had coffee and breakfast. Charming 1940s music played inside and out, although Bryana told me this wasn't common. Whether inside or out, the atmosphere is great. Some people send hours in a coffee shop working on papers or other work, and one shot is the kind of place where you will almost enjoy yourself while typing away.

The food menu here is small and hit or miss, but there are a few items that really shine. Bryana ordered the bagel topped with creme cheese, crushed nuts, and drizzled with honey. One look brings on a doling mouth and a bit of envy. I ordered a weird sandwich: bacon egg and mac-n-cheese. This sounds odd, but makes the perfect meal, whether breakfast, lunch or dinner. Sure, you quickly become a cheese gooey mess, but I don't remember the last time I had so much fun doing so. I believe that this sandwhich is their flagship food, and certainly should be enjoyed on the fluffy and buttery brioches roll. One shot also offers house made treats like biscotti, cookies, and such.

Bottom line: I think this is a love it or hate it place. Coffee is a bit pricey, while food is reasonable. Its a pretty place, and is certainly worth at least one visit. The mac-n-cheese sandwich is must try, if not for its taste then simply for the originality.

Slyfox Brewey

Sly Fox makes excellent beer. No doubt about that. Visiting the brewery, however, doesn't add much to their product. I do like the extensive tap list they offer, with some special brews that are rarely or never seen in the city.

Other than that, this place is miss-able. Tucked in a strip mall and with the charm of a Denny's, Slyfox fails to impress on several levels. Food is pretty average, although some specials, like $1 tacos on Sunday, are pretty good.

Bottom Line: Good beer, everything else needs improvement. If you plan ahead you can get a standard, but good brewery tour. It's hardly worth the trip outside of Philadelphia to visit Slyfox in person.
That is a good looking Black and Tan.

WMD Hot sauce

Did you know there's a store at 12th and South that sells almost exclusively hot sauce?

I like this place a lot. I simply like the idea of such a specialized store, and I happen to like hot sauce. To top it all off, Bobby the owner is willing to talk to anyone while offering his expertise and samples.

The prices here aren't discount, but basically all of the sauces here are gourmet. I really like the stuff that is made in house, especially the hot sauce made with carrots, resulting in a great spicy-sweet combination.

In terms of hot sauce selection, this place is great. There are also other related items, like dry rubs and hot peanuts. If you love spicy food and are looking for a new kick to add, you must stop by WMD.

JG Domestic

JG Domestic is one of Jose Garces' newest restaurants. It is in the Circa Center, the time crystal looking building attached to 30th Street Station. Set in the lobby of the building, the decor and absence of walls gives the restaurant the feel of a fancy, open air ranch. It's certainly the nicest and probably "best" place to eat if you are waiting at 30th Street Station. I picked up my wonderful mother at the station and we decided to visit while waiting for my sister to get into town.

As expected, JG Domestic offers good service. The beer list is small, but respectable. I ordered the house beer, a Victory brew that bears Garces' name. The style wasn't listed, but this bitter, amber ale is probably an ESB. Mom ordered a glass of house wine and wasn't impressed. Prices here are a bit above average, but within the normal bounds for this type of restaurant.

The lunch menu has a lot of choices, and I opted for the blue plate special. Wednesday's special, fish and chips, was exactly what I was craving. Sadly, it did not live up to my expectations. The amount of fish on my plate was laughable, close to half the normal serving size of a typical fish dish. The fish was breaded in small pieces, a la fish-sticks. These were set on a large bed of well seasoned fries - but fries should never constitute the main portion of a meal. Alongside my meal was a small ramekin of salad with a delicious green goddess dressing. My favorite part of the fish and chips plate was the condiment, a malt vinegar aoili that had the perfect taste and texture to compliment the fried fish.

Mom ordered the Cobb salad, which was topped with blue cheese, avocado, bacon, and grilled chicken. I was a bit jealous when her plate arrived; it looked fantastic and she really enjoyed her order.

Bottom Line: JG Domestic offers decent lunch specials and a good place to eat in a location that's relatively sparse otherwise. It's on par with Garces' other locations, but honestly, if I find myself stuck while waiting in 30^th Street Station again, I'd much rather check out the surprisingly extensive beer list at Bridgewater's.

Cafe Lift

Previously, I'd only been to Cafe Lift for lunch. In addition to the great paninis and sandwhiches they offer, Life has a solid breakfast lineup. I wasn't the first to figure this out; at 10am on a Sunday there were quite a few people waiting to get a table.

The menu, which offers a lot of good choices, is supplemented by a chalkboard boasting about 6 different daily specials. It took me a while to narrow down the choices. I love the open kitchen, because you can get a preview of nearly every dish as it is served up and delivered.

I was out with Carly, and I ordered the panchetta frittata. It was made with sweet onions, kale, gruyere. It was perfectly cooked, the saltiness of the panchetta and cheese complimented the eggs. It was served with multi-grain toast and breakfast potatoes.

Carly also ordered from the specials, granola pancakes. I don't usually enjoy sweet breakfast, but even I had to admit that this dish was delicious. The granola cakes were topped with bananas and raspberries. Local honey and house made whipped cream were served alongside and made for perfect toppings.


The service here is pretty good, not amazing. The coffee is decent and has free refills. The portions at lift are generous, and the ingredients are high qaulity.

Bottom Line: Philly has a lot of good brunch places, and this is certainly in the upper echelon. Lift won't blow you away, but the ever rotating specials and overall cool atmosphere will make Lift an ever popular brunch option.

Shake Shack

Shake Shack may have the best ground beef I've ever eaten. This is perfectly flavorful, juicy, griddle cooked beef that's ground fresh daily. Respectably, cheese is only offered as American, and the meat and cheese combine in a truly delicious fashion. If your lunch is like mine, a double shake burger will come out with lettuce, tomato, cheese, two patties, and "special" (thousand island) sauce on a squishy white bun, wrapped up in a wax paper sleeve.


This is all quite similar to an In-N-Out burger, but doesn't have the same quality of tomato and lettuce that the fantastic West Coast chain offers. In fact, the relative average quality of everything besides than the meat and cheese is what keeps the burger from being truly amazing.

While Corner Bistro still wins in my heart for favorite NYC burger, that's more because of the establishment as a whole. As I've said, the ground beef here is unbeatable.


I didn't partake in the name sake, but I'd like to try a shake at some point. The fries were average crinkle cut potatoes, nothing special. Be prepared for long wait here, or try and time your visit in between lunch and dinner on weekdays.

Bottom Line: These cows make my mouth water.

Marigold Kitchen

It's been a few years since I visited Marigold, but I was skeptical because head chef Erin O'Shea left the restaurant. Much to my surprise, the new chef was able to take everything O'Shea had done and improve upon it, making a place I liked a lot even better.

To start, we ordered the cheese plate. This is one of the true pleasures at Marigold, and the portions are more generous than I remember. The three featured cheeses were a hard, mild cheddar, a blue cheese covered in vinaigrette, and a cheese that was similar to brie; I believe it was a Camembert. All of these were really good and diverse, and paired well with the honey and pears served alongside. A visit here without ordering the cheese plate is incomplete.

Throughout the evening, we had amouse bouche brought over bunches of times. In fact, there were so many that I can't remember them all. Some were really good, others forgettable. Some of my favorites included the chestnut filled ravioli, grapefruit soda, shaved parsnips, and all the desserts (best dessert was salted caramel).

For our appetizer we split General Tso's veal sweetbreads, which was a unique Asian fusion dish that was really tender. The mains were pork tenderloin and scallops with peas, bacon and mushrooms. The menu here has a lot of options, and I honestly had a hard time picking out my dish. Nothing disappointed.

The atmosphere here is nice. It's a converted West Philly house, and the rooms are small and it's a great place to dine. The servers here were fantastic; the manager checked up on us and we were well taken care of all night.

Bottom Line: This BYOB provides a great dining experience. I liked it before, and this last visit exceeded my expectations. It's fantastic food and service, and while it's not the cheapest, it's certainly a great value for a nice dinner.

Santucci's Original Square Pizza

Santucci's is a hole in the wall. A delicious, delicious, hole in the wall. The pizza is unlike any I've ever had, it's square pizza with the sauce on top. Really, there's no point in writing a review, because Santucci's is something you must taste to understand.

The sauce is perfectly sweet, the crust is tasty, and even with the sauce on top its surprisingly not messy. I know down the road I'm going to have cravings for the unique pie. I recommend sticking with the cheese pie; no toppings needed.

Adsum

I made my way here with my good friend Quinn on a Sunday for a quick bite to eat. I heard Adsum has a great burger. So at 5:30 we walk in and are seated at the bar. Sunday happy hour, not bad: $2 cans of Yella Pils and Phoenix pale ale.

The atmosphere here is kind of cool, it's trying to be an old time pharmacy. There are beakers and test tubes, and book shelves behind the bar filled with all kind of gadgets and books. Even though we were there pretty early in the evening and it wasn't busy, the service was surprisingly slack. We were the only people eating dinner and it took about 30 minutes to get our orders.

The burger is served with cheddar, which is not my favorite cheese for a burger. It's congealed before you can finish. The caramelized onions, however, were an excellent topping. But the size of the burger was the most problematic. It more of a ball shape than a patty. It's nearly impossible to fit into your mouth. To boot, my burger wasn't near the medium rare that I ordered. The duck fat fries, which were served on the side, were good and crispy, but had no flavor indication that they were cooked in any special way.

Bottom Line: This place is decent and unique. The service needs a little work, and if I'm back, I won't have the cheeseburger. I'm not going out of my way to visit Adsum again.

Bibou

I don't often use the word charm when talking about restaurants, but Bibou exudes charm. This small, quant BYOB in bella vista is where Carly and I had dinner Friday night. Even with 35 people, this place would be packed. I love that Bibou focuses on the small details. The bathroom was really nice. The butter was imported from France. Our server was attentive and gave in depth explanations of thie entire menu. These little things cultivate a really nice environment for dinner.

We opted for some Cabernet Savignon to go with dinner. The menu here is set up in two courses, and there's a lot of excellent choices. We started with duck heats marinated with mushrooms. This dish had a lot of flavor, and the hearts were tender and succulent.

Main courses came out shortly after. Carly ordered the bone marrow special. Bibou only makes ten bone marrow specials each day, and when they sell out, thats it for the night. Pierre, the head chef, takes a cow bone and splits it down the middle. The marrow is scooped out, and then made into a delicious stuffing with mushrooms and breadcrumbs, and returned to the bone and roasted. Where else can you eat out of a bone? It also came with a side of some of the best roasted potatoes I've had in recent memory.

I ordered seared ahi tuna with cauliflower cuoscous with tomatillos and raisins. The whole dish was topped with a turmeric sauce . I ordered the tuna rare, and it was excellently cooked. My dish wasn't my favorite, but it was still way better than what I expect when I'm out to eat.
After dinner, Pierre had slow moment in the kitchen. He came out to each table individually and asked us about our meal and thanked us for dining with them. This simple gesture was really nice and wins big points in my book.

We also had dessert; a chocolate sampler. Chocolate mousse, a brownie thing and chocolate gealtto. Thses three different things were distinct and tasty, a perfect way to cap off our dinner.

Bottom line: This byob will impress you. Its an intimate place to grab dinner, not too expensive, and a real pleasure to enjoy. Hang around long enough to talk to Pierre and get the full experience.

Allentown Brew Works

I hit up Allentown brew works on a Saturday night with a crew of hungry and thirsty dudes. There was a small wait for our table, so we made our way to the bar. The whole place was pretty packed, but service was still pretty good. The decor is new and modern, but not memorable. The weirdest thing was the club and hip-hop tunes that were loudly pumping all night. Not enough to annoy me, but certainly out of place.

For beer, the brewpub features ten of their own on tap. Four are their flagships, which represent the bar well. The knuckleball is a great session ale with subtle flavor; a good summer beer and a light 4.2 ABV. The wit was also a nice summer beer, very similar to Hoegaarden. Fegley’s Amber Lager went down easy, but didn't have a ton of flavor. Similar to Troegs Hopback. Last of the flagships was the Pawn Shop Porter. It was a bit thin, but had a good flavor and went down more quickly than porters usually do.

My favorite beer of the night was the bourbon aged Insidious. It was a strong, flavorful, well aged beer. The Bushy's Pale ale was a standout as well, a good representation of a West Coast pale ale that is actually balanced instead of crazily overhopped. Brew works offers a beer flight of six 5.5 oz pours for $10. This is an great deal and offers a good sampling of all of the beer available.

We were so hungry that we ordered the appetizer platter to get a good sampling of the food offered. Chicken fingers, wings, and pierogies were all okay.

The app sampler also came with a small order of the bavarian pretzels. They were incredible. Really. The perfect combination of a breadstick and a pretzel covered in a butter garlic sauce. They were so good, in fact, that we immediately ordered a second helping.

For my dinner, I ordered a flatbread: bleu cheese, pear, walnuts, and prosciutto. The combination of these flavor was perfect, and I really loved this dish. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food as well.

Bottom Line: The pretzels alone are reason to come here. For real. The beer is good too. They have some good happy hour specials as well. Dinner won't disappoint. I'm not in Allentown much, but I still have no doubt that this is one of their best offerings.

Johnny's Hots

My experience at Johnny Hots: I pull up to a tiny little stand off Delaware ave. It's populate with a bunch of guys standing around, mostly cops and construction workers, and a few people who have walked over from nearby. The menu has several sandwich options, but everyone seems to be ordering cheesesteaks and "the combo." I ordered the combo, a hot sausage topped with fishcakes on a white roll. I also got onions, long hots, and spicy mustard. My sandwich came out lightening fast, it was waiting for me even before I could put my change in my wallet.

The sandwich was good, and I scarfed it down pretty quickly. I didn't love the combination of sausage and fish cakes. The fish cakes have an okay taste, and the texture of scrapple. I did like the sausage, but nothing was amazing here.

Bottom Line: It's a good place, but not amazing. If I remember correctly, the hours are only breakfast and lunch during the week, and that makes it hard to eat here. The whole operation is really quick in and out, and it's proximity to 95 could make it a good stop if you needed to grab something before hopping on.

Rossi's

I've never lost a battle to a burger until I ordered the Rossi burger. I was fully unprepared for this massive slab of delicious meat. Hamburger America led me to Rossi's for this famed Rossi burger.

Cheeseburgers are $6 and can be topped with a bunch of different options. I was out with Dan. Mine: Lettuce, Tomato, fried onions and American cheese cooked medium rare. Dan: Raw onion and American, also medium rare. The burger comes out on a large white roll, but the bread still can't contain the meat. As I bit into it, the juices began to flow. It was delicious meat and cooked as I ordered. Half way though my burger, it was a mess that's falling apart, and I had a big smile on my face.
We also ordered steak fries and fried zucchini. The fries were standard, and the fried zucchini was a huge order of a surprisingly tasty app. But we should have skipped these and focused on the burger; it was a lot of food.

Beer is pretty standard and nothing special. There are five or so taps; Stella, Yeungling, Miller Lite, Bud, Heineken were all represented, if I remember correctly. $5 for a pint of Stella isn't bad at all.

Most of the reviews on Yelp for Rossi's are silly. If you read most of them, most of the write-ups are about soda and topping prices. If you don't like that, don't get soda. And even with four or five toppings, the burger prices are still below average.

The bartender was nice and attentive, and even warned us that the kitchen was going to be closing down early so that we had enough time to get our order in. He was a fun guy. This place has a weird, but hometown atmosphere.

Bottom Line: The hours of 5-10pm 6 days a week are a downside. This place is still awesome, and completely worth the drive from Philly to try out this burger, which is surely a challenge to finish. I'm looking forward to my next attempt.

Xochitl

Xochitl was my second pick for restaurant week. I don't know why, but this place has been on my list for well over a year. I met up with my good friend Quinn for a Friday night dinner. The menu was exciting, three course plus house made guacamole.

For starters, the drink menu here is decent. There's a large list of house cocktails, a small wine list (36-42 per bottle) and a small, but decent beer list. Drafts are Negro Modello, Dos Eqius Amber and Lager, and Victory Prima Pils and they're all $5.

Throughout the night, our service was just okay, but not what I'd expect of a restaurant this caliber. The one high point of the night though, is when a drink was spilled on our table, someone (the hostess, I think) came over within a minute to help clean up the small mess.

After we ordered our drinks, someone came over and made our order of guacamole table-side. He used a fresh avocado and then asked what we wanted to be added in. We had him add everything, onions, cilantro, some spices, and a few others that I forget. It was good, but certainly not the best I've had.

We split the two appetizers The "Cazuela de chorizo y papas" (casserole of chorizo, potatoes, and kale" sounded really excited but in reality was pretty bland. There's a lot of potential with these ingredients. The same can be said for our other app, the civiche.

The first main was pork tenderloin with Brussel sprouts and turnups. It was a little overdone for my taste, but Quinn really liked it. This dish was decent. Our other main was head on shrimp, and I liked this, but it still lacked a distinct flavor.

Dessert was my favorite part of the meal. I ordered churros and hot chocolate. The churcos were sweet and had a perfect texture. Dipping them in the chocolate was fantastic. Quinn ordered a coconut and quince pie. She liked it a lot, I thought it was okay, but I don't often go for coconut desserts.

Bottom Line: The whole night was good, but not remarkable. I'd rather go to a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place than a fancy one, and I don't even think Xochitl is doing the best Mexican. Still, if you find yourself here, you won't be disappointed.