North Star Bar has done it: best happy hour in the city of Philadelphia. Four reasons: First, 5:30-7:30. Far too many bars cut happy hour at 6pm. It is hard to find many bars that go until 7pm, and North Star even exceeds that. The time slot is excellent. Second, it's available everyday of the week. Understandably, a lot of bars run happy hour during the week, when the need the boost in business the most. North Star bucks the trend again. Third, $.25 wings, and they are good. When you can get two dozen wings for $6, it's surely a decent joint. Lastly, and most importantly, beer. 1/2 off drafts of a good beer selection that is moderately priced in the first place. I had a Rouge Dead Guy, Stone's Arrogant Bastard, Yard's ESA, and Sierra Nevada Pale ale, and they were all $2 or $2.50.
Other than the wings, I've never had food at North Star, and I will assume that it's good, and nothing more. As far as location goes, North Star is a bit off the beaten path, which isn't too bad and makes parking easy to find. Inside, there are a decent amount of tables and a small bar, all with a nice neighborhood bar atmosphere. They recently opened an upstairs dining room that looks really nice. To top it off, the bartender and the waitress were providing great service.
Last but not least, the North Star bar is an excellent venue. They have a mix of all ages and 21+ shows that are usually in the 8 to 12 dollar range. It has a small stage with an upstairs balcony that gives you a great view. They specialize in intimate and cozy shows, and it's great. I've been to a handful of shows here over the last 4 years and always leave thinking how great a spot this is.
Bottom Line: When compared to the best of the city, the North Star Bar does not hold up. But with awesome shows and happy hour filling the week, and it's gritty local attitude, the North Star Bar manages to establish itself as a stable in Philadelphia, especially the north Fairmount/Brewerytown section of the city, which is starved for decent spots. I'm a fan.
Essentials:
2639 Poplar St (27th and Poplar)
(215) 787-0488
Avg Ent: 6-9
Cash Only: No
Reservations: No
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Too busy to write today, but...
While cooking at home the other morning, I got a twin egg! Two yokes in one egg. Has this happened to anyone else? I thought it was pretty cool.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Homebuying week 8
It's been a long time since I've updated on the housing process. That's largely because there hasn't been much going on. About a month ago, I received a large packet in the mail from the bank that had the best rates and fees for me, which was TD bank. It included a conditional approval to loan, and the next month consisted of compiling and faxing a lot of documents to the loan processor. These included things like bank statement, paystubs, addendums to the agreement, employment verification, canceled checks, and a lot of other boring things. The bank also was much slower in correspondence and processing everything than I was used to, and that's why it took roughly 5 weeks to get to a point where the bank was okay with giving me 100,000 plus dollars.
While doing all of this work for the bank, I checked interest rates daily. they were hovering around 5.25% for about two weeks, with slight changes up and down. I was holding out for a 5.0% rate, but also understood that rates could go up and stay up at any time. Then, suddenly rates bottomed out one day (March 19). I scrambled to get all my paperwork in and locked the rate in at 4.99%. The rates stayed there for one more day, and then went back, and stayed, to where they've been for most of the year. Patience=win.
Also during this time, the bank schedule the appraisal. An appraisal is like a home inspection for the bank; it focuses more on the value of the property as an investment for the bank. The appraisal came in slightly higher than the price I am paying, which is great. Further, the calculation on the square footage was 1248, as opposed to the 1090 that was advertised on the listing for the house. It's just another way that I feel I got a great deal.
On Tuesday, the bank gave me a call and finally told me that I am approved for a loan. There are still a few small conditions, but they are things that are not problem to finish up between now and closing.
They was some miscommunication on my part about the closing date. I've been thinking it was April 17th, but it's slated for the 30th. I called the bank to see if it could moved up. They said yes, but I'm still in a holding pattern. The seller needs to complete (start) the repairs agreed upon in the addendum sent over after the inspection. Once this is done, the appraiser needs to get back out there and verify, and then the bank, and everyone else, is ready to go. I don't think we'll make it for the 17th, but I'm hopeful for the week after, possibly April 24.
While doing all of this work for the bank, I checked interest rates daily. they were hovering around 5.25% for about two weeks, with slight changes up and down. I was holding out for a 5.0% rate, but also understood that rates could go up and stay up at any time. Then, suddenly rates bottomed out one day (March 19). I scrambled to get all my paperwork in and locked the rate in at 4.99%. The rates stayed there for one more day, and then went back, and stayed, to where they've been for most of the year. Patience=win.
Also during this time, the bank schedule the appraisal. An appraisal is like a home inspection for the bank; it focuses more on the value of the property as an investment for the bank. The appraisal came in slightly higher than the price I am paying, which is great. Further, the calculation on the square footage was 1248, as opposed to the 1090 that was advertised on the listing for the house. It's just another way that I feel I got a great deal.
On Tuesday, the bank gave me a call and finally told me that I am approved for a loan. There are still a few small conditions, but they are things that are not problem to finish up between now and closing.
They was some miscommunication on my part about the closing date. I've been thinking it was April 17th, but it's slated for the 30th. I called the bank to see if it could moved up. They said yes, but I'm still in a holding pattern. The seller needs to complete (start) the repairs agreed upon in the addendum sent over after the inspection. Once this is done, the appraiser needs to get back out there and verify, and then the bank, and everyone else, is ready to go. I don't think we'll make it for the 17th, but I'm hopeful for the week after, possibly April 24.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Sidecar Bar and Grill
Although I don't use Citysearch anymore, I used to frequently check out their top ten lists. The Sidecar consistently hung onto the list of best brunch spots in the city. It took me far too long to eat here and realize this place definitely deserves the distinction.
Tim Reardon and I brunched Saturday afternoon, right around noon, and the place wasn't crowded at all. It's a great spot and I like the setup of the bar and tables. Overall, it had nice atmosphere. The service was excellent. It seemed like all of the workers split tips and each chip in to bus all of the tables. Generally, this works out best for the workers and customers, and we received great service the whole time we were there.
The beer selection was excellent. While not extensive (7 or so beers on tap), The Sidecar managed to provide a range of great beers that are not easily found elsewhere in the city. I had the Sixpoint Sweet Action, an American blonde ale, and I loved it. Both Tim and I felt that our beers were served too cold, and mine came in a frosted glass. Minus two points. Further, the beer prices were not advertised at the bar or on the menu. They may have all been $5 (both of ours were) but I thought that was a weird way to (not) advertise.
Overall, our meals were delicious. As with the beer, The Sidecar has a great selection, and also provides enough vegetarian options to please. The brunch menu consists of variations on a few themes: poached eggs, panini, and breakfast burrito all made with a variety of ingredients. They were quite accommodating about me wanting to mix it up. Beyond breakfast, there's a great selection of lunch food. Portions were perfect, enough to fill me up, and nothing more. I had a sharp cheddar and mushroom panini with home fries and was completely satisfied.
Bottom Line: The Sidecar is a great brunch spot. It seems like a great bar, too, but I haven't evaluated that yet. I wish it was closer to my house, but I will still make it out here again in the near future.
Essentials:
Tim Reardon and I brunched Saturday afternoon, right around noon, and the place wasn't crowded at all. It's a great spot and I like the setup of the bar and tables. Overall, it had nice atmosphere. The service was excellent. It seemed like all of the workers split tips and each chip in to bus all of the tables. Generally, this works out best for the workers and customers, and we received great service the whole time we were there.
The beer selection was excellent. While not extensive (7 or so beers on tap), The Sidecar managed to provide a range of great beers that are not easily found elsewhere in the city. I had the Sixpoint Sweet Action, an American blonde ale, and I loved it. Both Tim and I felt that our beers were served too cold, and mine came in a frosted glass. Minus two points. Further, the beer prices were not advertised at the bar or on the menu. They may have all been $5 (both of ours were) but I thought that was a weird way to (not) advertise.
Overall, our meals were delicious. As with the beer, The Sidecar has a great selection, and also provides enough vegetarian options to please. The brunch menu consists of variations on a few themes: poached eggs, panini, and breakfast burrito all made with a variety of ingredients. They were quite accommodating about me wanting to mix it up. Beyond breakfast, there's a great selection of lunch food. Portions were perfect, enough to fill me up, and nothing more. I had a sharp cheddar and mushroom panini with home fries and was completely satisfied.
Bottom Line: The Sidecar is a great brunch spot. It seems like a great bar, too, but I haven't evaluated that yet. I wish it was closer to my house, but I will still make it out here again in the near future.
Essentials:2201 Christian St (22nd and Christian)
215-732-3429
Avg Ent: 9-12
Cash only: No
Reservations: No
Monday, April 6, 2009
Jose's Mexican Food
I like Mexican food a lot, so I'm naturally going to gravitate toward a place that is rumored to have the best burritos in town. Because of Jose's weird location and hours, I hadn't made it out there until recently. To be fair, the advertised hours are reasonable, but I went around 1pm on a Saturday before and found the place closed up tight.
Jose's is a tiny place with a great deal of character. Four small tables fill the space not occupied by the kitchen. Meanwhile, a TV in the corner of the room blares Telemundo (or another Spanish TV station. I'll admit I'm quite ignorant in this department). The service was a bit weird with some confusion whether we should order at the counter or wait for someone to come over. Jose's doesn't really focus on service or decor, so I won't either.
Really, the reason to come here is the food. Jose's also serves up Mexican Coke and Pepsi, which is made with real cane sugar. I couldn't taste much of a difference though. I ordered a chicken burrito, and it was well made and stuffed with fresh ingredients. On the downside, the meat was a bit dry. Also, the burrito came served alone, and I wished I had a bit of rice or a small salad to spruce my meal. I was with Ethan and Jonny and they both seemed to enjoy their meals.
Normally I would have been very happy with Jose's, but Que Chula has raised my standards for great, cheap Mexican food. Full disclosure: Jonny R prefers Jose's. Overall, it was a good meal, especially for under $10. Ethan and I rounded out our meals with homemade chocolate chip cookies ($.60) and that brought the whole experience up a notch.
Bottom Line: Jose's is good and has some exceptional lunch specials at $5 and $6. You might like Jose's a lot and I believe it's worth a least one try. I think tacos may be the best choice here. If nothing else, this place serves up authenticity in many ways.
Essentials:
Jose's is a tiny place with a great deal of character. Four small tables fill the space not occupied by the kitchen. Meanwhile, a TV in the corner of the room blares Telemundo (or another Spanish TV station. I'll admit I'm quite ignorant in this department). The service was a bit weird with some confusion whether we should order at the counter or wait for someone to come over. Jose's doesn't really focus on service or decor, so I won't either.
Really, the reason to come here is the food. Jose's also serves up Mexican Coke and Pepsi, which is made with real cane sugar. I couldn't taste much of a difference though. I ordered a chicken burrito, and it was well made and stuffed with fresh ingredients. On the downside, the meat was a bit dry. Also, the burrito came served alone, and I wished I had a bit of rice or a small salad to spruce my meal. I was with Ethan and Jonny and they both seemed to enjoy their meals.
Normally I would have been very happy with Jose's, but Que Chula has raised my standards for great, cheap Mexican food. Full disclosure: Jonny R prefers Jose's. Overall, it was a good meal, especially for under $10. Ethan and I rounded out our meals with homemade chocolate chip cookies ($.60) and that brought the whole experience up a notch.
Bottom Line: Jose's is good and has some exceptional lunch specials at $5 and $6. You might like Jose's a lot and I believe it's worth a least one try. I think tacos may be the best choice here. If nothing else, this place serves up authenticity in many ways.
Essentials:
469 N 10th St (10th and Buttonwood)
215-765-2369
Avg Ent: 6-8
Cash only: Yes
Reservations: No
BYOB: I'm not sure, but I think no.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Minature Earth
This video is a bit outdated, skewed, and I don't want to support the organization that put it out. That being said, I think it's an important reminder of where most of us fall on a global scale.
Considering "The text that originated this webmovie was published on May 29, 1990 with the title “State of the Village Report”, and it was written by Donella Meadows..." I think the internet and computer stats are especially deceptive.
Considering "The text that originated this webmovie was published on May 29, 1990 with the title “State of the Village Report”, and it was written by Donella Meadows..." I think the internet and computer stats are especially deceptive.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Iovine Brothers
I've always been a huge fan of Iovine Brothers and the Reading Terminal Market in general. There is so much to like about this place. Their whole goal is to sell fresh and local produce at great prices. Every single time I go there I come home and want people to guess how little I spent because I think I got such a great deal.
Also, I just discovered their "grab bags." These are slightly damaged, or older, and just not great looking fruits and veggies they put into bags and sell for $1 each. That being said, the stuff is still great. There was a lot of good stuff yesterday, and there's nothing wrong with it; especially if you're going to use it the same day.
So, for under $7, I got:
10 Tangerines
3 Asian Pears
1.72 lbs of green beans
6 bananas
and 2 tomatoes
The food is much fresher than produce at local grocery stores, and I love going through the market on a busy weekday. I plan to check out other businesses there, and will hopefully get some delicious meat, cheese, and coffee in the future.
Essentials:
1136 Arch St (Reading Terminal Market)
215-928-4366
Also, I just discovered their "grab bags." These are slightly damaged, or older, and just not great looking fruits and veggies they put into bags and sell for $1 each. That being said, the stuff is still great. There was a lot of good stuff yesterday, and there's nothing wrong with it; especially if you're going to use it the same day.
So, for under $7, I got:
10 Tangerines
3 Asian Pears
1.72 lbs of green beans
6 bananas
and 2 tomatoes
The food is much fresher than produce at local grocery stores, and I love going through the market on a busy weekday. I plan to check out other businesses there, and will hopefully get some delicious meat, cheese, and coffee in the future.
Essentials:
1136 Arch St (Reading Terminal Market)
215-928-4366
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