C19

What kind of place can make me wish I ordered the fish over a delicious NY Strip? C19.

There's so much to like about this place.  It has a great atmosphere; there's something intangible about C19 that really makes you feel like they care about their food and the entire dining experience.

I like to take pictures of my food; but I had no chance at C19. I was too busy eating it.

To start, the service was a little slow.  But once we had our orders placed, there weren't any problems.  I highly recommend the wine flights.  The sommelier comes out and chooses several different wines to pair with the food and gives tasting notes on each wine.  He really put effort into explaining and arranging, and not because it was his job; but because he really loves wine and wants to share that.

For starters, I ordered the snails, Nutzle had the beet salad, and we both enjoyed these starters.  She then got the special, local black bass.  It was amazing. I'm salivating just thinking about it.  The NY strip I had was good; a nice dry rub, thick cut served medium rare.  But I wouldn't rave about it.

The only potential downside is that for the portions, the food is a little pricey.  But because of the location in the city, as well as the focus on fresh, local, sustainable ingredients, the prices are warranted.  I will be back soon.

PS, there's a tiny TV in the corner of the bar, so if it's playoff time and you've promised to take someone out for a nice meal, this is the perfect spot!

http://c19philly.com/
267 S 19th St
Reservations via Opentable.com

Paloma

After a long hiatus (thanks grad school) I found some time to write about my best dining experience in a while.

Other than a bit of an identity crisis, Paloma is fantastic.  Honestly, it's been quite some time since I've felt compelled to tell so many people about my dinner.  Paloma defines itself as "Haute Mexican," while Zagat and Yelp both give a nod to French.  Honestly, it's a fusion restaurant that does have leanings towards Mexican with the glazes and spices, whatever you call it: it's damn good.

I dined at Paloma on a thursday night, and it was oddly empty inside; only two other tables.  Still, the decor is nice.  Steve, our server, has an excellent knowledge of wines.  Bring a few bottles and he'll be able to pair one best with whatever you order.  The service overall is fantastic.

During week days, Paloma runs a 3 course fixe prix menu at an even-better-than Restaurant Week $30. it's BYO to boot, so this is really one of the finest places you can dine on a budget.  Even the regular menu is filled with reasonably priced options.

I started with the mushroom flan and my date had the Caesar salad.  Both were great, just depends on how you want to start you meal. The portion on the salad was generous.

I had a 12 oz New York strip in a red wine reduction.  The chef recommends medium rare, and I heartily second that.  This dish is fantastic.  My date had the salmon glazed with hoisin and chipotle, which was also a really great choice.  Any dish will likely be of high quality.

Bottom Line: I can almost taste my food again by just writing this.  Bella Vista BYO offers delicious food with one of the city's best "bang for your buck" deals.  Get here soon.

763 S 8th St (at Christian)
(215) 928-9500
http://www.palomafinedining.com and on opentable
BYO: Yes
Cash Only: No

Stateside

(As this semester gets even more busy, I will neglect writing here.  But here's a recent snippet)

I'm really down with Stateside.  A good happy hour is one of the quickest ways to my heart, and Stateside has one of the best.  5-7 M-F the decent beer list, which is already reasonably priced, is half off.  To top it off, dollar oysters are served up by the plateful.

The atmosphere here is pretty cool, they're going for the classy 1950s era where cocktails were king.  The bartenders are dressed smartly, and the whole concept just seems to work.

For the food, none of the small plates are large enough or tasty enough to leave a memorable impression.  It's good at the time; but that's about the best I can say.  I won't be back for a meal any time soon.

The staff is working out some kinks to this new place, and the space is small, but I'm down.  The new American tapas is an interesting concept, albeit a bit pricey.  At the very least, check it out for happy hour before this place gets mobbed.

*On Passyunk just north of Tasker St.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Slack's Hoagie Shack

I was checking in on a claim that Slack's has an excellent cheesesteak. Since Griladelphia went out of business, I've been craving a good cheesesteak place close to my house.

We ordered cheesesteaks while my mom was in town. She knew I'd be posting arrview, so she took notes as she picked up the food. The place was friendly and busy. There seemed to be a lot of regulars, and everyone behind the counter was at work on the lunch rush. Slacks has a pretty large menu, with subs as the main player, but wings, ect ect.

They charge extra for cheese wiz, which when talking about Philly cheesesteaks should be standard. Other than that, I was quite happy with everything from Slack's. The hoagies are pretty big, and everything here is reasonably priced. The meat is high quality, thin sliced and griddle cooked, as it should be, and it's clearly a good representation of a Philly cheesesteak. It's bigger, better, and cheaper than something you'd grab at Pat's or Geno's.

Bottom Line: There's not too much to say about this place. It doesn't blow me away, nor does it disappoint. Slack's doesn't do anything amazing, but it's a good cheesesteak, and I now know where to go when I need one.

Essentials:

2499 Aramingo Ave

215-423-4020

Avg Ent: 5-8

Cash Only: No

Victory Brewpub

Victory is a great brewery. I'm glad to have it in the area. Still, I wish the brew pub was a bit closer. It's about a 45 minute drive from Philadelphia, but is completely worthwhile. Upon walking in, I was surprised. The brew pub, which is tucked away in a forgotten corner of a suburban housing development, is huge. Despite the size, and I'd guess it seats around 200, the place was packed. I was visiting with my good friends Allie and John and we had to wait almost an hour for a table.

Waiting here isn't really an issue. You can make your way to the bar and order drinks. Everything comes in two different sizes, and the prices on beer are reasonable. Victory boasts an impressive beer list, 22 Victory taps, four of which are hand-pump. While you're ordering at the bar, marvel at the growler filler that seems to have come from the future. Victory has their standard rotation, as well as one offs, rare, and out-of-season beers. I had the delicious Zeltbier, an Octoberfest style lager that is so new that I couldn't find a shred of information about it online. Growlers are on sale on site ($15) and cost between 7 and 11 dollars to fill. It's a great deal on some brewery fresh beer.

You can also visit the on-site store while waiting. They have interesting merchandise for sale, although I'm always confused as to why I can't buy koozies at breweries. The atmosphere overall is a bit weird, it's large and crowded like a beer hall, but filled with families, yuppies, and suburbanites. The service was a bit lacking too. Once we were seated, it wasn't bad, but we saw tables sit dormant for upwards for 20 minutes while parties crowded the door waiting for seats.

The menu here has a lot of interesting options, and I love that they suggest a beer pairing for every menu item. It's divided into two parts, a standard menu that consistently offers traditional bar and pub fare, as well as a large rotating menu that offers seasonal and special dishes.

I opted for the spicy pork loin topped with blue cheese and pear on a bed of sweet potatoes. There was a lot going on with this dish, and the chef perfectly blended the flavors. I was quite happy with my choice, especially considering this is the kind of place where I'll usually ordered a cheeseburger and not expect too much. Allie ordered the same dish I did and was also satisfied with it. John ordered a jerk chicken grinder that was a great rendition on a fairly standard sandwich. As a side we ordered fries, and were served with a bowl of steak and sweet potato fries topped with leeks. The fries, like all the other dishes we had, have an extra touch that put them above what you'd normally expect.

Bottom Line: I like victory's beer, and I like this place. It's way too far out of town for me to become a regular, but the option for limited edition beer and the cheap growler fills are definitely a draw. Everyone should visit at least once.

Essentials:

420 Acorn Lane, Downingtown, PA 19335

610-873-0881

Hours: M-Sat 11:30-12, Sun: 11:30-10

Avg Ent: 10-17

Cash Only: No

Reservation: Not taken

Noble American Cookery

I can't tell you the last time I so quickly decided that I wanted to revisit a restaurant. Noble was one of my picks for this round of restaurant week. I'm not sure how it ended up on my radar, but I'm really happy that I ended up there.

I dined with my good friend Quinn, and we met for dinner on a Friday night. We were seated quickly and began to look at the menu. The decor of the place in simple, earthy and elegant. I didn't see the bar, but I've heard it's also nice.

While we were still looking over the menus, we were brought a small taste, fried haddock with capers. It was good, and piqued my interest for the rest of the meal. For our appetizer, we both ordered the scallops. They were good and well cooked, but they should have more thoroughly washed. They were a still a bit sandy, but this was my biggest complaint of the night.

For my main course, I ordered the hanger steak. I ordered it as the chef recommended, medium rare, and was really happy with this dish. The steak was a good cut, and cooked and seasoned perfectly. It was served with mushrooms which accompanied the steak quite well. Quinn ordered a gnocchi, which was fabulously done. Perfect portion, cooking, and presentation made this tasty dish a real star.

Dessert was good, a great well to end the meal at Noble. I ordered a parfait that came with delicious toffee syrup. Quinn had a Vanilla pana cotta with berries. We both enjoyed our desserts. We swapped for a moment, but we generally like what we order on our own.

Noble also features local and organic food. While this idea can sometimes become a gimmick, it's not at Noble. They are serving excellent food and also happen to be conscientious about where it comes from and how it is grown. Impressively, they have a rooftop garden which features ingredients in several of the dishes. This idea is even extended to the beer selection, which consists of a lot of respectable locals, Yards, Victory, Troegs, PBC, and the likes while also offering featured beers from lesser known breweries in the US. To top it off, some of these featured beers are generally unavailable in the city, which is impressive for Philadelphia.

One of my favorite things about Noble is there is a beer and a wine pairing suggestion for each item on the menu. The pairings are well thought out, and our server was knowledgeable enough to talk about the menu, pairings, and drinks. The service was leisurely, but overall good. Our server was a little goofy, but added to our overall experience.

Bottom Line: Like I said, I can't tell you the last time I so quickly declared I wanted to revisit a place again. There's a lot to like about Noble. It's pretty, the food is good, and the menu has a lot of interesting options. I'm looking forward to my next visit. (Want to go, Mom?)

Essentials:

2025 Sansom St (at 20th)

215-568-7000

Hours: T&W: 5-10; Th&F: 5-11; Sat: 12-11; Sun: 11-9

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Strongly recommended

BYOB: On Sundays!

The Latest Dish

The Latest Dish was on my list for a while. This weekend while my Mom and Charlie were visiting, we had a chance to dine here. The dinner was my thank you for all of the hard work around and on the house, and my good friend Quinn met up with us.

This unassuming spot is right off South Street. They have a decently sized bar with a surprisingly good beer selection. I started off with one of my favorites, Bell's Two Hearted Ale, and then moved on to the wine that we split as a table; a nice white out of California. In addition to the beer list, The Latest Dish has a good selection of reasonably priced wines. I really like the decor and atmosphere of this place. Pounded brass tabletops are complimented by the action of the open kitchen in the back.

Before we ordered, a loaf of bread with pesto olive oil was brought out. Mom loved the olive oil. As another starter, we ordered calamari. The perfectly cooked calamari came with a spicy chili sauce. This was a great way to start the meal. Mom doesn't love calamari, but even she enjoyed the appetizer. Even as a meat eater, she went with the vegan burger made up from black beans and mushroom. The large, crumbly burger was excellent, and she was really pleased with it.

I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich which came topped with caramelized onions, blue cheese,

and bacon on focaccia. It was huge, and I probably should have saved half for lunch the next day. It was too tasty to stop. The fries on the side were great as well. Charlie's chicken tacos were great. The side of guacamole was creamy and well made. The tacos were small, but they're really intended to be a starter.

Taking after their name, The Latest Dish has a great selection of specials. Quinn ordered off of the specials list and got a crab cake. The presentation of all of the dishes is great, and hers was no exception. She was happy with the dish, but it wasn't as flavorful as everything else I sampled.

Bottom Line: I really like this place. It's a great space, the beer, wine and food menus are all varied enough to keep me happy upon multiple trips. It's a great place for dinner, or just a drink. It's one of the best restaurants around for the price range, and the service was great.

Essentials:

613 S 4th St (4th and Bainbridge)

215-629-0565

Hours: M-TH 5-11, F 5-1:30, SAT 3-1:30, SUN 3-11

Avg Ent: 9-18

Cash Only: No

Reservations: Not taken

Village Whiskey

There are only so many ways I can saw wow. From now on, I will question anyone who says "Blah blah blah has my favorite burger..." with "Have you been to Village Whiskey?" Because it's really that good. It's an all around phenomenal burger.

Dan and I had lunch here last week. It was a beautiful day, and Village Whiskey has some great outdoor seating. They run tables along the wall like most places, but they have a bit more room than normal and an awning to provide shade. We didn't step inside, but I'm sure it has a nice atmosphere. The service during our whole meal was good; I'd be surprised to find anything less at a place like this.

True to its name, this spot has an incredible selection of whiskey. We didn't partake, but I'd like to at some point. The beer list is decent, even though everything is one or two more dollars than it should be. There are about six draft beers that rotate, along with a decent bottle list, including about ten large format bottles. We split a 25oz bottle of red and white for $25, which isn't bad at all. This Dogfish Head beer is a a whit aged in pinot noir barrels. I really love it.

We both went with the burger. There's an option to get a $24 burger with blue cheese, bacon

and foie gras on top. It sounds like overkill to me. I went with the regular burger with blue cheese. When it came out, I didn't like the looks of the burger. Large chunks of blue cheese topped a patty that looked larger than a hockey puck. I thought this huge patty was ridiculously oversized. It only took one bite to change my mind. To start, the burger was more tender and juicy than any other I've had. Second, the ground beef was so lightly packed that it was almost barely formed. This gave the meat great texture, and was why the patty seemed so large. The burger was perfectly cooked and seasoned. The blue cheese was a fantastic addition; it's quickly becoming my favorite cheese for burgers.

The burgers don't come with any sides, so we put in an order of fries. We decided to splurge and order the duck fat fries topped with Sly Fox cheddar sauce and braised short ribs. It's a bit of overkill. It's also delicious. Every part of this side dish is well executed. If you can forget that it's well over 1000 calories, you'll be able to enjoy these beefy cheddar fries. To be honest, I think I'll order the plain fries next time.

Bottom Line: The burger here is amazing, and it's reason enough to visit. It's a bit pricey, but that's what you should expect for the area. If you eat meat, I highly recommend coming here. A little more effort in the beer list is desired, but other than that Village Whiskey doesn't disappoint. I look forward to my next visit.

Essentials:

118 S 20th St (20th and Sansom)

215-665-1088

Hours: M-F 11:30-2am, S&S 4pm-2am

Avg Ent: 8-12, with a few crazy outliers

Reservations: Not taken

Cash Only: No

Morning Glory Diner

I wrote off Morning Glory for a while. I think it's because the menu mainstay is the housemade frittata, and over the last year or so I've made some awesome ones at home. So why would I go out to eat at a place that doesn't do anything that I can't do myself? That thinking was a mistake. I brunched with Bryanna last Saturday.

Fair warning: Weekend Morning Glory can cause epic waiting. We were seated in about twenty minutes, which isn't bad at all. The weather is approaching where they can open up the back patio, which is great asset.

My visit reminded me that I love so much about this spot. Coffee is served in stainless steel mugs. They have delicious homemade ketchup. The biscuits served with the meal are thick and buttery, and can be topped with jam. And the rest of the food is fantastic. I ordered a frittata with cremini, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms. I loved every bite, and it was a filling meal. Bryanna had the breakfast sandwich, claiming it was her favorite in the city. It's served on some seriously awesome foccacia.

The service here was pleasant, and the prices are right in line with any diner/brunchery. The menu has a lot of choices, and there are daily specials to supplement the choices.

Bottom Line: Morning Glory is excellent. It's near the top of my list for favorite brunch spots.

Essentials:

735 S 10th St (10th and Fitzwater)

215-413-3999

Hours: M-F 7-4; S&S 8-3

Avg Ent: 7-11

Cash Only: Yes

Reservation: No, sign the sheet when you arrive

A Full Plate

A Full Plate is a nice little BYO cafe in Northern Liberties. I met up with my good friend Manderson for dinner last week. But I'm having a hard time thinking of anything to write, because the overall experience is so...so....extremely mediocre. I hadn't visited in a while, because last time I was less than thrilled. This visit was no exception.

I do like the cool little vibe this cafe has going. It has a great atmosphere, and I like the friendly menu. Vegetarians, vegans, and glutenfrees will have no trouble eating here. Also, all of the food is fresh. The service wasn't great, but there seemed to only be two or three people working; weird for a weeknight dinner.

There was one fantastic part of the meal: The fries. We split a side of fries, which was a mix of hand cut sweet and regular potatoes. They were thick and perfectly cut. They were also a good compliment to my catfish po'boy, which had two huge pieces of fried catfish. Melissa ordered a salad that looked pretty good, but also pretty small. The prices aren't cheap, but they're not unreasonable either.

Bottom Line: I like that this place is BYO. There are also a few other place I'd rather go within walking distance. I know a lot of people who really love this place, so maybe you should talk to them instead of me. I don't see myself visit again. Honey's for dinner seems to be a much better option, and is also BYOB.

Essentials:

1009 N Bodine St (Liberties Walk)

215-627-4068

Hours: M-TH: 11-9, F: 11-10, Sat: 10-10, Sun: 10-3

Cash Only: No

Reservations: No

BYOB: Yes

The Pop Shop, Famous Grilled Cheese?

Last weekend Jonny and I were in the suburban sprawl of New Jersey and pretty hungry. I had heard about a place with a mean grilled cheese, so we made our way over to The Pop Shop in Collingswood. The place was kind of wild inside; I can only assume that at 4pm on each Saturday every seven year old girl in the tri-county area is having their birthday party at the Pop Shop. The place was pretty packed and crazy, like an elementary cafeteria with moms. The decor/theme they're going for is a 1950s diner, and by looks alone, they do an okay job. We didn't have to wait at all for a table, which was a plus.

The host and our server were both really nice, but seemed overworked. I don't fault them; the Pop Shop seems to suffer from poor management. The menu is another problem. We were given mock newspapers made for the restaurant that were the menus. It's a cool idea, it's just a shame that it's about as long as the Inquirer. There are hundreds of items on the menu, and it's overwhelming. The grilled cheese menu alone offers more than thirty choices.

Jonny and I ordered a two sandwiches, the 5 Bs: Brie, goat cheese, applewood smoked bacon and tomato. The other was the East Zane: brie with grilled asparagus and pesto mayo on a baguette. Both sandwiches were disappointing. The goat cheese of the 5 Bs overpowered everything else, which was sad because it sounds so good. For the East Zane, the bread was too hard and the pesto mayo was the only good part. A condiment should not be the best you have to offer. He had a root beer float, which was sadly made with soft serve. I had a malted milkshake which was good, but nothing special.

Bottom Line: The Pop Shop doesn't seem to try at all. They are offering the very lowest quality food that won't cause people to complain. The food could be better made in my own kitchen, and the prices aren't great either. I have no idea why this place has a good reputation.

Varga Bar

Dan and I stopped by Varga for a nice weekday lunch. I knew they started a new "speed lunch" menu. Also, I hadn't been here since summer. During lunch, this spot is pretty slow. Still, the city is in sore need of good bars that serve weekday lunch, so I'm really happy this is open.

The beer list, as always, in incredible. They also standardized the beer list: 3.5 for half pints, 6 for goblets or pints, and $25 growler fill. Between us we tried Bell's Hopslam, Great Divide St. Brigid's Porter, Slyfox Odyssey, Great Divide Old Ruffian barleywine, and St. Victorious Doppelbock. They have so many choices that I really love the new offering of half pints. Varga also keeps their beermenus page and twitter meticulously up to date.

Dan and I were both craving burger, so we skipped the lunch menu. The burger was good; well topped with bacon, aged cheddar, lettuce and tomato. The burger was also served with fries and house made ketchup and mustard. I enjoyed my meal, but it's not my favorite burger in the city, and the $14 price tag is steep despite the Kobe label.

We also split a bowl of spicy gumbo with chirzo and shrimp. This was a good idea because neither of us ate all of our food, and the bowl of soup was $8. Considering the speed lunch includes a bowl of soup and half a sandwich for $9, you almost can't pass up this deal.

Bottom Line: I still like Varga a lot. It's a great choice for good lunch and beer in the neighborhood. When the weather gets nice and you can sit outside, that just another reason to love this place.

Essentials:

10th and Spruce

(215) 627-5200

Reservations: No

Cash Only: No

Avg Ent: 10-16

Percy Street BBQ

Great minds think alike. As I was still digesting my meal from Percy St, Hatchy posted his review. It was nice to go out for dinner, because it's been about a month since my last post. Traveling/holidays will do that for you. I did eat some great food in Costa Rica, but the local food is nothing special.

When I first heard about this spot back in June, I was excited. People from Marigold were in charge. So I met with my good friend Quinn for dinner. and we arrived at 7 pm on a Wednesday. The place was busy, but not full. The atmosphere is great; big wooden tables and benches among other nice decorations. There weren't any two tops open. The hostess walked us through the restaurant and then pushed back two huge barn doors to open an additional seating area. Within ten or twenty minutes the area was packed and pretty hopping.

The menu is deep, but not wide. It's basically meats and sides. There is a lot of choices in those two, with sausage, brisket, chicken, pork belly and spare ribs. Many four to six dollars sides are available: pinto beans, vegan chili, mac and cheese, sweet potatoes, German potato salad, collard greens and more.

The drink section of the menu is a little disappointing. There are several mixed drinks featuring sweet tea, and five to six dollar pints with local beers such as Brooklyn Brown Ale, Yard Philly Pale, Slyfox Rauchbier, Stoutd's Pils, and one rotating tap. There's also Yard's rootbeer, which looked interesting. Oddly, sweet tea isn't on the menu, but it's available in large 24 oz bottles for only $4. Considering the price and how well sweet tea and BBQ go together, I think this is easily the best option.

The service here is great. Sure, it's a new spot and they need to do a good job to jump start business, but the servers are enthusiastic, attentive, and quick. One thing that bothers me is people complaining about the authenticity of this joint. Maybe it's because I'm not a BBQ aficionado, or maybe it's because I realize I'm in Philadelphia and want to take this joint for what it is.

The best options for order here are the "all-in" combos. You can chose one or two meats and also two sides per person. If you have a table of four or more, you can really go for it and get all of the meats and sides at $24 per person. We went with the brisket and spare ribs for meat. The brisket is great, moist, well cooked throughout. It comes in small slices to make your own sandwiches topped with onions, pickles, and BBQ sauce. The spare ribs are also great. They're also excellently cooked, dryer than the brisket. The skin is excellent, nicely charred with great flavor.

Sides: Pinto beans were awesome. More like baked beans cooked with chunks of pork. The vegan chili would have been good if I wasn't comparing it to the pinto beans. The mac and cheese was creamy; nicely topped with breadcrumbs. Not nearly as good as baked mac and cheese made by the unbeatable Rashid-Kealey duo. The German potato salad was also impressive. All of the food ranges from good to excellent. I think it would be hard to make a bad choice. You get a lot of food here, I wish I would have had room for dessert. There are some pretty good choices, including a root-beer float with Yard's brew and homemade ice cream. Yum.

Bottom Line: Percy St slow cooks some awesome meats. The highest temp in the oven is 250F. They are serious about serving up some of the best finger food in the city. There's enough options and the quality is high enough to warrant repeat visits. South St is starting to develop a serious food scene. I just wish the beer list was better.

Essentials:

9th and South

(215) 625-8510

Hours: 5-11pm (currently)

Meats: 8-11, Sides: 4-6 Combos:15-24 per person

Cash only: No

Reservations: Recommended for busy nights

Franklin Mortgage And Investment Company

The Franklin Mortgage and Investment company is so cool. I try not to fall for cool, but this place just oozes it from every corner. If you like cocktails, then this is absolutely the spot from you.

The Franklin is an homage to the prohibition, speakeasy era. The name is the first disguise, and it's only noted by a small sign in front of the door. I scoped out the location from the across the street. The Franklin is a place where once inside, you feel like your in a special club. There are so many people walking by outside, and they don't even know!

Inside, the Franklin looks gorgeous. The keep the lights low in their long, skinny space filled with tables and a small bar. The wait staff here is excellent. They definitely add to to environment in a unique way. Additionally, the drinks are top notch. I'm not big on cocktails, but it seems to be the only thing to order here. The drinks are incredibly well mixed and pack a punch.

I'm not sure how this place gets on a weekend night; probably a bit too packed for my liking. Ideally, this is a spot where you can grab a table and relax with a few friends and share a few laughs over your cocktails.

The daiquiri was all around my favorite, and the least alcoholic tasting. The bartender said he thought it was their best drink, and the standard by which any bar can be judged. "Walk into any bar in the world, and order their daiquiri. If it's good, then you can stay an have a few other drinks without having to worry about the quality." The "Old Fashioned" is a bourbon based drink that comes in a short tumbler with a hulking piece of ice. Approaching only with a fondness toward bourbon. Finally the Seelbach was a bitter champaigne-style cocktail. Good and strong, but not my favorite.

Bottom Line: I'm not going to give you any hints on where the space is. Go find out for yourself. Feel like part of a special club. Close you eyes as you fork over $12 per drink. Enjoy the atmosphere, and take in the aura of a different time where one needed to drink in secrecy.

Essentials:

112 S 18th St

(267) 467-3277

Hours: 5pm-2am

Avg Cocktail: 12

Cash only: No

Reservations: No