Buddakan

Buddakan is the quintessential Steven Starr restaurant. The food is goodish, and the atmosphere is great. The price is more than it should be, especially for drinks, but the majority of your money is going to decor and ambiance.

Nonetheless, I have been looking forward to dining here for a while. I was treating myself, and really wanted to enjoy the whole experience. I made my way to the bar and ordered a cocktail, awakening. It was made with Jose Cuervo, a thai chili, and pineapple juice, and was well made. Still, cocktails here are 10-13, plus tax and tip, which seems to be a bit much. There are some decent beer options available, I remember 60 IPA being $6. I was out with my friend Lena, and once I got to the table I split a pitcher of sangria, which was good an lasted the whole meal. Our server was attentive about filling up our glasses through out the night.

The service over all is good here. All of the dishes come out with good timing and are set in the middle for sharing. For starters we ordered the Kobe beef skewers and dumplings. Both of these were fine, nothing amazing, didn't have incredible flavor. My favorite part of the whole meal was my entree. I ordered the sea bass; it had great flavor, and was served with butternut squash. Lena ordered the Asian Pork BBQ, which was served medium rare and was good. The BBQ flavor was light but tasty. The weird thing about this dish was it was served with huge onion rings, and they seemed out of place.

For dessert we both went with a dish called Crying Chocolate. It was a small lava cake served with a dollop of Vietnamese coffee ice cream. We both really liked the dessert, Lena said the ice cream had a really authentic flavor; it was strong. I liked the cake a lot and it was a great way to finish out dinner.

Bottom Line: Service is decent, and atmosphere is great. The food isn't going to amaze you, but like all Starr restaurants, it's a nice experience.

White Manna

I love history. I also love good food. And burgers....and when all three can be worked into one, well, I'm pretty excited. The book Hamburger America again shed light on the amazing White Manna location in Hackensack, NJ.

I almost couldn't believe the place when I saw it from my car. It's a tiny building, maybe around 600 sq ft. When you walk in there door, there is a griddle in the center of the room fenced off by a counter. At max capacity, you can't fit more than maybe fifteen people. There are two employees, the grill man, and another person taking care of fries, drinks, and the register. To order, you must wait until the grill man makes eye contact with you, and then, you tell him your order. The menu is small, but that doesn't matter, because the look no further than the double cheeseburger.

When you order you double cheeseburger, the grill man will take two small wads of meat and flatten them on the griddle. He'll top it with american cheese and onions. And then you'll see his meticulous work while he manages the griddle filled with upwards of twenty burgers. The bun is set on top to steam and soak up the grease and onion flavor. And once it's cooked, he expertly slides the spatula under the patty, grabs half the bun, and uses the bun to pull the whole thing off the spatula. The result is a messy, gooey concoction of beef, onions and cheese. It doesn't look pretty, but it tastes amazing. Pickles, mustard, and ketchup are on the side, and like traditional cheeseburgers, this tastes best with pickles and mustard. The double cheeseburger is highly recommended as it offers the perfect bun-cheese-meat ratio.

The decor is also great. The joint was designed after the 1939 World's Fair Diner of the Future, and it doesn't look like much has changed since then. Everyone converges here, from travellers, to business men, to highschoolers. It's fun.

Bottom Line: Eating at White Manna is an experience. From the ordering, to cooking, to decor, this place stands out. And to top it off, you're going to have some of the best cheeseburgers you will ever eat.

Fork and Barrel

There are two reasons to go to Fork and Barrel: beer and atmosphere. With how well they present these two things, it's no surprise that Fork and Barrel are opening a location in Center City. It will thrive.

I must talk about beer first. The selection here in amazing. They have stuff that is just so rare, unique, and unavailable. Flights are $16 and come with five 5.5 oz pours, which for the quality of beer is an excellent deal.

I'm going to talk about all the beers I drank, and I expect most people to completely skip this paragraph. I'm not going to go into much detail, because we tried a lot of different beers. Gaspar Ale Picobrouwerij Alvinne was a Belgian IPA, finished too dry and sour. Didn't enjoy this one. Porterhouse Oyster Stout was on Nitro and was great. It was thick and incredibly flavorful, almost a dessert beer. Oyster flavor wasn't strong however. Wintercoat Cockney Imperial Stout was probably my favorite of the night, this Danish stout was strong and was so flavorful and smooth. 't browkot Netebuk was a smooth Belgian ale, we ordered this one twice. It's what Six Point Sweet Action wants to be. Schlenkerla Helles was a standard but delicious Helles lager. Gasser Huppendorfer Vollbier was on gravity tap and had a great thick, smokey flavor.

I was out with Rachel. For dinner, she had the lamb burger, and I had the duck confit. All of the entrees here are pretty small, but flavorful. The sandwiches were served on rectangular pieces of slate with small sides of coleslaw. We also ordered salt potatoes, which were small red potatoes covered with kosher salt. They were okay, I'm sure another side would have been more satisfying. The dishes here are small, but not too small. To finish the meal, we had the cranberry crisp for dessert. This was incredibly tart, and didn't taste much like a dessert at all. We both concluded that it needed more sugar and didn't finish it.

The service here wasn't great the night when we dined. Empty plates and dishes stayed on our table for a while. Our server seemed to have too many tables for her to handle. The decor is the downstairs is beautiful, it's entirely lit by candlelight, and they have a whole wall of beer bottles boasting some of the best and most rare beers in the world. There's hundreds. It's almost like eating in the most beautiful museum on beer you're likely to ever see. I didn't go upstairs, but they focus on American craft beer there, while downstairs is focused on the imports.
Bottom Line: Despite everything, we had a great night. Fork and Barrel has incredible beer selection, and the prices are pretty good too. Food is missable, but it's got to be one of the best spots in East Falls.

Bridgid's

Almost 3 years had lapsed between meals at Bridgid's. I remember really liking this spot, but honestly, my standards have gone up since my last visit here. I was under the impression that it was a Belgain joint, but they only had one Belgain on tap. The beer list here is solid, but not stellar. They're all $5 or $6.

As far as a bar goes, they do offer two unique things. First, although small, the U shaped bar is great. Many bars could take cues on how to effectively use a small space. Secondly, the gravity tap is great. When I visited with Dan they had Yard's ESA on. The gravity tap comes from the uninsulated attic. The winter air chills the beer and the gravity forces out through the tap. The result is a beer that has the mouth feel of a beer engine and the temperature of a keg. It made the ESA even better.

I ordered the burger, and this came stuffed with bacon, bleu cheese and onions. It sounded good, but in reality, its a disaster. The burger came out pretty well done, which it needed to be to hold all of the ingredients together. The flavors tripping over each other, and the distribution of the filling was all wrong; they all were concentrated at the center and the edges of the burger were woefully plain. That being said, they do serve the most perfectly crispy fries. They're truly excellent.

Bottom Line: This spot didn't live up to my memory. That said, I still think it's one of, if not the, best in Fairmount. I like the gravity tap, but if you're going to dine here I recommend it for dinner rather than lunch. I still am planning on going back in the near future.

Devil's Den

Last time I went to Devil's Den I remember horrible service, okay food and 3 lines tapped with no replacements in sight. My last visit, however, was much improved. This place first landed on my radar for the happy hour. M-F 5-7 gets you half priced drinks. And that's on top of the already reasonable prices. For beer selection, Devil's Den doesn't disappoint. Even though I don't go often, they always have something new for me to try, and I really appreciate that.

The decor here is great, I really like this place and it has a great long wooden bar. There are a few large screen TVs. I went here to watch a hockey game, and while there was music playing all night, the bartender turned up the TV's audio all the way so I could here the game a little bit. The service here does need some work. Everyone just seems to be moving on a slower pace, but it wasn't horrible.

I like the menu here. Dan ordered a raw meat platter and he enjoyed that. It had a lot of interesting different pairings, and the only complaint would be that it wasn't very filling for $15. I ordered the burger, my standard go-to. I ordered a cheeseburger, but it came out without my cheese. It was a few minutes before I could even get the bartender's attention to get it fixed, but I got a free beer for the ordeal. No harm, ho foul. There was harm in how it was cooked. I ordered medium rare, and it wasn't even close. No part of the inside of my burger was pink. The bread is great, the fries are good, and its served with a great aioli. If it came out with my cheese and cooked to order, I would be pretty satisfied. I was also out with Quinn, who is a lover of well done burgers, and she was still talking about it a few days later. I'm definitely willing to give it another go.

Bottom Line: They have a great happy hour here, good beer selection, and reasonable prices. It's not amazing, but Devil's Den is a welcomed retreat, especially in winter when you cozy up next to the fireplace, which brings the whole place up a notch on a blustery evening.

Catahoula

I visited last night with my good friend Lauren. I heard about the "My burger" and wanted to check it out. Catahoula is a small, welcoming bar tucked away on south front street. The beer list has some good craft beers on tap; its nothing you won't around the city but even with six taps we were both able to find something to enjoy. Straub, Six Point, Dark Horse and Abita were all represented.

The atmosphere here is great. Its not a big place, but there a nice long bar with about six tall four top tables around the rest of the room. There are several large flat screens, and all were playing sports while we were eating. This would be a great place to causally catch a game if you want to escape the normal monotony of a sports bar. The service was good, and the bar tender was helpful and welcoming. I can't completely put my finger on it, but something about Catahoula is welcoming and inviting.

The menu here is great and I'd like to visit again to try some of the Cajun offerings. But the purpose of this visit was to try the "My burger." Its a massive 9 oz patty cooked to order topped with goat cheese, bacon a fried green tomato and some kind of aioli. I generally don't go for goat cheese on a burger, or in general, but I was really surprised by it. I highly recommend trying it when you visit.

Honestly, this burger has too much going on. I recommend getting something more simple. One of the reasons is because the meat is delicious. It's excellently prepared ground beef, and my medium-rare was as truly cooked as medium-rare can be. The bun was a large, squishy buttery role that was the prefect delivery method for the patty. The bacon and fried tomato were a little bit of flavor overkill. THe cajun fries served with the burger are strong and flavorful. My only other complaint is that at 9 oz, even I had trouble polishing it off.

Bottom Line: Catahoula servers a great burger, and I like this spot. It's a little more pricey than I would like, but I'm still going to make this a to go spot.

Tessaro's

I'm always trying to hit up places that are listed in the fantastic book "Hamburger America." Tessaro's is one of two places to be listed for Pennsylvania. I visited while in Pittsburgh a few weeks ago with high expectations. I like the joint, it seems like a family run business, and there's a lot of people coming and going. We didn't have to wait long for a table, and the service was fine. I do like the atmosphere, but I just had so many better burgers that I just can't rave about this place.

They don't have a frier, so your burger comes with home fries or potato salad. This wasn't bad, but I really love the classic combination of burgers and fries. Maybe it was an off day. I know they have their own butcher who works in house, and that is exciting. But the burger wasn't memorable at all.

Bottom Line: I've had better.

Where did I eat?

Guinea Pig

I wish this picture was better, but it's the only evidence I have of my meal of fried guinea pig. I had it this summer while visiting peru with my two sister. If you look closely, you can see his head between my fingers. I'm about to bite into his skull and get an eyeball.

A quick google image search pulled up this image that it pretty much exacty what I ate. It looks like an entire guinea pig was skinned and then thrown into a deep frier. It comes out still with it's head, eyes, claws, teeth.

Guinea pig should not be eaten. There's not much meat on it, and what you can pull off is gamey, dark, tough, and salt. I'm glad I tried it, but I won't have it again. Not that I could find it within 3000 miles if I DID want it....

Osteria

Does Osteria have the best pizza in Philly? I think so.

I'm so glad I waited to visit this place until my Mom and sisters were in town. Not only are they a blast to go out with, but this place in certainly best experienced with a group of four to eight. The menu is set up to encourage sharing, and there's so many mouth watering entrees on the menu that it is difficult to settle on just one or two choices.

We only had wine, but Osteria boasts an incredible beer list as well. There are several Italian craft beers on tap; you won't find them anywhere else in the city, or even the state. It's not cheap though, most bottles of wine are $45-65 or more.

The way the menu is set up is a bit confusing. There are the pizzas, a large list of appetizers, first (pasta) courses, and then entrees. We wanted to try a lot of different things, and ended up with two pizzas, one app, two first courses and two entrees.

The pizzas came out first. The margherita is a simple pleasure. The thin crust, sweet sauce, melted mozzarella topped with basil leaf is a delight; it's the definition of thin crust brick oven pizza. While I liked this, the toppings on all of the pizzas are well thought out, and out other choice had fig, prosciutto, and Gorgonzola. This pizza was pretty incredible, and combination of toppings shows that Osteria crafts pizza, they don't simple "make" them.

Our appetizer was the "mozzarella is carrozza," which Craig LeBan hailed as the reinvention of fried cheese. But no one at our table was buying that moniker. Yes, it's the restaurants take on mozzarella sticks, but it most closely resembled stuffed french toast. It was the low point of the meal.

Pasta dishes came out just as we were finishing the pizzas. One was stuffed with sausage, which was a favorite with the girls, and the other with cauliflower. This second one was excellent, my fav, and is a strong case for anyone who thinks they don't like the vegetable.

The first main was rabbit "casalinga" with pancetta, sage, brown butter and soft polenta. Rabbit is delicious, and this was a great dish that was a hit with everyone. We also ordered cod, which was served on a bed of greens and topped with braised pork belly. I'm a big fan of pork belly, and this dish perfectly paired it with seafood. Our entrees, like seemingly everything at Osteria, were put together with care and expertise. But I think I enjoyed getting to this point more than I did eating it.

The service is what you would expect of a place in the price range. I like the atmosphere too. We were seated out on the patio extension, which is a glass-room extension with a great view of the adjacent church. I love the touch of one of the walls covered in old wine crates. My only complaint is that we weren't given the reservation we wanted when we called in, although the restaurant didn't ever come close to capacity all night.

Bottom Line: This is a top notch dining experience. It's authentic northern Italian food, and the brick oven pizza is simply delicious. While the price can be prohibitive, I'm looking forward to my next visit, even if I'm sitting alone at the bar and dropping around $50 for a pizza and some craft Italian beer.

Swift Half Closed for good

This new came quickly and was under my radar, but as of 1/1/11, Swift Half is closed for good. I'm not sure the reason, and even though I gave the pub a hard time, it's certainly one of the better choices in the area. I'd love to believe this is a chance for a really great spot to open up, but I fear we'll see something along the lines of PYT, or worse...

Taqueria Veracruzana

Following a lead on the best Mexican food in Philly, I wondered in here for lunch on New Years Eve with my friend Rickey and his sister, Ashley. I expected it to be a tiny hole in the wall that had only enough room for a table or two and served mostly take out. And while the atmoshpere isn't much, it's better than I expected. There are about ten tables in a small dining area, and we seated ourselves. After a few moments, a waitress came over with chips and salsa. We looked over the menu, which was larger than I expected. From what we ordered, and seemingly everyone else, the tacos seem to be the obvious choice.

Three tacos are priced at $6. There are several different choices on kinds, and mix-and-match is no problem. I had a hard time narrowing it down, but finally went with chorizo, stuffed jalapeno, and pork. They are all simple tacos, with the meat sitting atop small steamed corn tortillas and garnished with raw onions and cilantro. The pork was simple, unmatinated, but flavorful. I would order it again. The jalapeno taco was interesting. It contained one large jalepeno stuffed with cheese and then breaded and fried. It was a good option, and has a decent amount of heat to it as well. The chorizo was served in crumbles, and left something to be desired. It was my lease favorite choice.

Rickey and Ashely had steak and and chicken tacos, and they both enjoyed their choices as well. When we recieved our food, the platters looked quite small. I didn't believe that it would fill me up, but we we all left satiated thanks to the surprisngly filling tacos. Veracruzana also offers imported Coke products (glass bottles and real sugar) and this is a plus.

Bottom Line: This is great Mexican, hole-in-the-wall food. Still, I have my preferences for other places that are closer to me. I don't think it's worth going out of your way, but you certainly won't be disappointed either. The price is right, and it's a BYOB with a six pack store four doors away. Still, an hour after much lunch there was the distinctive flavor of Taqueria Veracruzana lingering, and I loved it.