The City of Brotherly Love...of Food - Part 3

My last day is Phillie and I know where I have to go. I return to the Reading Terminal Market. I say return because as a foodie, the first place I always go is the market, but with the choices as endless as they were delicious looking, I decided to wait for additional opinions before I dove in.

Not surprisingly, locals all pointed me to Denic’s and their roast port sandwich. Served on a baguette with provolone cheese, broccoli rahb or spinach, sweet and hot banana peppers and horseradish to taste, this gives the iconic cheese steak a run for its money. The pork was warm and leaner that I had imagined which is fine by me. The bread soaked in the juices while the sharp provolone acted as a poignant counterpoint to the pork. I love horseradish, which is most likely why I had some eye-watering nasal flares along the way.

My culinary journey ended in old city at Zahav, an Israeli restaurant I found highly suggested on open table (see previous post). As I walk in, I see the dining room was packed and the smell of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern spices filled the air. I sat down and was treated to a variety of olives, pickles, and pickled eggplant. In addition, there was a spice dish of harissa, hers, and a spicy pepper sauce, all of which were to be used throughout the meal as I found necessary.My waiter suggested that about two dishes from the mezze (appetizer) and one from the Al Ha’esh (grill) would be about enough, so I went for the Tayim tasting menu which allowed me to pick some of my favorites from the menu. What arrived first was my hummus hummus-foul  (pronounced ‘fool’) which was chickpea hummus with lemon and fava beans added. The laffa, the crispy flatbread not unlike naan was fresh from the oven, and had I wanted more, my waiter was happy to accommodate.

My salatim came, which is a tower of the daily eight selections of salads. That day’s consisted of beets, grated, whose sweetness was countered by the bitter saltiness of tahini (sesame seed paste), a Japanese kabotcha mash, soft and light, picked radishes that were still firm and sour, a wilted spinach salad that was topped with pomegranate, some more picked seedless cucumber which was tinted with thyme and was slightly more acidic, and a baby eggplant mash that was bright red due to I don’t know what but was delicious anyway. I think I’m still missing a couple, but I ate them all, and every one of them was excellent.

My first selected mezze came next. The kibbe naya, which is a lamb tartar mixed with bulgar wheat, was served atop golden beets and was accompanied with black harissa. The lamb wasn’t gamey at all and melted in your mouth while the beets added a touch of sweetness that was countered pleasantly by the smoky black harissa.

Next came my bastilla, a crisp and crusty phillo dough that surrounded braised lamb neck, pistachio and apricot. The neck fell apart on my fork and dissolved into meaty sweetness in my mouth due to the fruit and nut that was seamlessly integrated into it.

To my surprise and delight, two additional mezze arrive. Sable (black cod) that has been smoked in house topped a challah (Jewish egg bread ) toast whose center was hollowed out and replaced with a fried egg and green garlic. The smoke truly came through on the firm fish. The crunchy toast was softened by the runny egg yolk. I want this for breakfast everyday.

A grilled lamb tongue came that sat above a bed of black eyed peas and eggplant. The peas still had a remnant of firmness to them that went well with the crisp tongue. “Crispy tongue?” I asked. Usually, tongue has to be cooked low and slow to prevent it from becoming meat leather, but Zahav brines it for three days before giving it the grill treatment to blacken the edges just enough to give it a slight bite of char.

At this point, I thought the night couldn’t get any better, until my duck kebab came. Many might be thinking of a skewer of duck, but no, this was more like a patty that sat on an almond and freekah (grain) square. The duck was mixed with foie gras and seared as to be slightly rare in the center leaving it tender and juicy. The result was a puck of duck that was delicious as f…well, you get the idea.

Dessert consisted of flakey cinnamon and anise rolls paired with a glass of pear reduction puree topped with foamed milk.

City of Brotherly Love...of Food - Part 2

With my training ahead of me, I had precious little time to roam the city streets in search of Philadelphia’s best eats. Thus, I had to do my gastronomic research beforehand. My weapon of choice was OpenTable.com. This website allows you to book restaurant reservations all across the country and accrue points every time you do. Build of enough points and you can get gift cards to any participating restaurant. Check it out.

So, back to the food. Breakfast was at the hotel and was your standard eggs, fruit yogurt, etc. Nothing to write home (or blog) about. Lunch was spent at Cuba Libre in Old City. This Cuban restaurant features a bento-box style lunch for $15. The offerings change from week to week, but this time it started with a shrimp cocktail. Rather than your usual horseradish and ketchup sauce, it came in a onion-spiced tomato broth and was served with popcorn. The shrimp were tender and the tomato did not overpower their natural taste. A Cuban spin on a Caesar salad accompanied this. Rather than parmesan, queso fresco was used. The dressing was heavy on the anchovies and the salad itself came with a pulled pork spring roll. A burger was the main portion of the meal. The patty was a combination of both beef and spicy chorizo. The bun was a baguette and the sandwich was stuffed with mini French fries. The burger was great as the small portion, but I would not have wanted to make a meal out of it. Dessert was flourless chocolate cake with a blueberry fudge base, a decadent end to the meal.

Dinner was a jaunt through China Town. Having been to China and Japan, I immediately threw myself into the establishments that had the least amount of English on the menu and the most amount of Chinese customers. My first stop was Solo, a hole-in-the-wall skewer restaurant. My selection was squid, fish ball, chicken heart, and chicken gizzard. The last was a little crunchy and tough for my tastes, but everything came with a little sauce that had been caramelized by the grill. Four skewers, four dollars.

 

Next was Thai Lake. As you may notice walking around both Philadelphia and New York City, it seems like every restaurant had been Zagat Rated. This being the case, having the red and white, bold lettered sign in your window is no longer a differentiating factor. Thai Lake, on the other hand, won one of the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the country in 2009. Good enough for me. I walked through the front door to encounter numerous tanks of live seafood. Always a good sign. As I took my seat, waiters would frequently run back and forth from the kitchen to the front, retreating with their live capture and a promise of a tasty seafood dinner. Looking at the menu, I channeled Andrew Zimmern and ordered a variety of the most off the beaten taste bud path foods I could find.

First was cold jellyfish head. I assume whatever part of the jellyfish your not supposed to touch is unrelated to the eatability of the head. The noodle-like strips had a crunch to them while the picked daikon, carrot, and cucumber salad acted as a welcomed acidic counterpoint.

Next were snails. I have had escargots before, but lets face it, anything swimming in drawn garlic butter is going to taste good. These were still in the shell and required toothpicks to consume. The snails came in a broth flavored with lemon rind and what appeared to be jalapeño pepper. Like most shelled creatures, half the fun of eating them is the work you have to do to get to them.

Last was a snake and mushroom soup. If you think the picture looks a lot like hot and sour soup that you might find at your local “Chinese” buffet, that because that is exactly how it tasted. The broth was thickened by what seemed to be gelatin, and the snake, which I have had grilled before, did not have any distinctive flavor. No wonder many places use tofu instead. The mushrooms and bamboo shoots were not overcooked as to become limp, but were al dente.

Despite my full stomach, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to grocery shop for a few Asian ingredients and goodies. Matcha flavored pumpkin seeds, dried squid, and the infamously rancid smelling durian all came back with me. For anyone who doesn’t know, durian is a Southeast Asian fruit that is famous for its foul stench. In fact, many public places don’t allow them. I had a smoothie made from it before and even blended it reeked up dirty gym socks. I cant wait to cut it open (outside of course) and try the real fruit. I’ll defiantly let you know how it goes.

City of Brotherly Love…of Food – Day 1

I know I haven’t updated in a while, but it’s because I have been traveling. On Valentine’s Day, I made my way down to the Keswick Theater just outside of Philadelphia to see Anthony Bourdain. The evening was wonderful as no culinary entertainer or television program escaped his commentary. After mentioning numerous anecdotal musings from his newest book, Medium Raw, he opened the floor to questions. Many of them circled around his travels and restaurant recommendations. To these he referred them to his travel log in the Travel Channel website. My question was essentially “How do I get your job?” Bourdain responded that he took advantage of the lucky break that his original book, Kitchen Confidential gave him. As far as the work ethic involved, he cited his days as a dishwasher that gave him his sense of accomplishment.

Tuesday was checking into the hotel, acquainting myself with the Philadelphia office, and exploring the city stomach first. Having had a small breakfast and craving the ethnic foods that are difficult to find in Scranton, I made my way to Sambosa, an Indian restaurant with an $8.99 lunch buffet. As expected, there were a variety of curries to go with freshly made naan and rice along with a salad bar complete with the myriad of sauces and chutneys. There was also a vegetarian vegetable soup that maintained its “meaty-ness” by the curry in the broth. The dhal (lentil soup) was made with yellow lentils and had poppy seeds in it. The soup was pureed such that you could still detect the texture of the lentils. The palak paneer (spinach and cheese) was smooth and creamy without being bitter. Tandoori chicken was bright red and spicy, while the gajar halwa (grated carrots and butter) was dessert-like in its natural sweetness, complete wish pistachios and ghee (clarified butter). Of course there was still mango pudding that went well with the kheer (sweetened, milky rice) and the gulab jamun (milkdough balls and syrup) was, as always, sugary sweet with the syrup being runny enough to add on top of the other two desserts.

My stomach full, I wandered the city, saw the liberty bell, a variety of museums, and after hours and miles, built up my appetite to visit Amada, one of Iron Chef Jose Garces’ restaurants. The place was fairly full at 6:00 on a Tuesday night. The only way I was able to get a seat was because I sat in front of the kitchen (where I would have wanted anyway) and I was a party of one. Instead of bread and butter, you receive crispy garlic chips to dip into a tuna and caper aoli.

Being a Spanish tapas restaurant, the waiter suggested about three dishes. My selections focused on the traditional tapas, especially things I know I couldn’t/wouldn’t make at home. First came oysters. They were served on spoons with a strawberry escabeche and cava granita. The strawberry was a great counterpoint to the salty Atlantic oysters, while the cava granita added that fresh, icy texture. I tried to sample each part, but really, you just need to down the whole spoon.

Next, I selected the grilled Spanish octopus. Served sizzling on a wooden plate, it almost tasted like bacon and was red with the smoked paprika. It was crispy and crunchy without being burnt or rubbery.

Last, I had the clams and chorizo. The chorizo was solidly packed and spiced the oceanic broth that was served boiling. The clams were clean and not gritty at all, but the true selling point was the broth, and I asked for a spoon rather than the toasted and buttered bread slices that came with it. Full, I asked for the bill which came with a large, almond cookie in the shape of an arch.

 

Day one of three complete, and I already had some great meals. I am feelin’ the love

Winter in the City – Part II

Last Friday, the Trolley Museum in downtown Scranton hosted the second of two fundraisers. The event benefits Scranton Tomorrow and features donated food from numerous local vendors, live music, drinks, and a basket auction. All of this is yours for the small sum of $15 at the door, which is probably why both last month and this, the museum was packed with people beyond its usual capacity.

Not all of the restaurants listed in the newspaper had a food offering. In fact, this time had fewer dishes than last. While, as I mentioned, the museum was quite full, there were fewer people this time and one was gratefully able to move around and actually get to the food, unlike last time were it was shoulder to shoulder. Being fashionably late might leave you fashionably hungry as many of the best dishes went fast. As all the food was donated, crowd pleasers like Blue Wasabi/Kyoto’s avocado and roe topped tuna rolls and krab stuffed California rolls were gone in under 30 minutes.

As before, Kildare’s, along with Kelly’s Pub, both brought their chicken wings. The former were larger and featured a whisky-based coating, while the later were smaller, crispier, and had both traditional BBQ and hot wing sauces. There were two varieties of pierogi, traditional with buttered onions, and a cheddar and bacon version brought by the Casey’s at the Hilton. Both of them were soft with butter whipped potatoes in the middle and gut-bustingly filling. A litany of pastas was also available to sample, ranging from a melted cheese-topped gemelli pasta from Pizza Hut, penne and vodka from La Trattoria, shells covered in a Bolognese sauce, and bow tie and cream sauce that also had broccoli, chicken, green beans, yellow carrots, and cauliflower.

Italian food was everywhere with a basic risotto, a chicken and mushroom marsala which went fast yet was heavier than expected with its buttery sauce, eggplant parmesan which was baked such that the eggplant was yielding but the crust started to flake off as the sauce was baked into the vegetable rather than the whole dish being basted in it. A chicken piccatta was covered in olive oil drenched lemons, a chicken parmesan which was pounded flat and lightly breaded then smothered in a glistening red sauce, were accompanied by an antipasto plate complete with peppers, mushrooms, cured meats, and grilled tomatoes, zucchini and squash. Both thin and hand-tossed crust pizza was passed around; both were topped only with cheese, the later have a very doughy crust.

Even chain restaurants had their place. I already mentioned Pizza Hut, but Applebee’s brought hot spinach and artichoke dip, which was velvety and soft, along with visibly salted tortilla chips and a salsa which looked more like a pico de gallo, not having the soupy quality of many blended salsas. Coldstone was also dishing out the desserts with a thick vanilla, crunchy oreo, and chocolate covered strawberry ice creams along with a variety of ice cream cakes.

Thai Rak Thai brought spring rolls that were doughy in the center and came with two dipping sauces, a sweet and sour along with an umeboshi (Japanese picked plum) based sauce. Savory Maza had stuffed samosas, meat pies (both of which were gone in 15 minutes and not replenished), a very lemony hummus, and pita bread. A myriad of cookies, bars, and brownies from Pilosi Catering was matched by Intelligentsia roast coffee from Northern Lights.

Overall, it was a successful and fun night out. As any Scrantonian knows, when going to these events, even without bringing someone, you are sure to either meet people you know, or make new friends. Fortunately for me, both of those happened Friday night.

Prelude: Martini Gras

I friend was planning on having a martini party last night, complete with hired bartender, martini menu, bar snacks, etc. However, due to the weather, many people canceled and the 20+ person rager was demoted to a 12 person delightful night.

Our host lives in a 2 bedroom condo with a basement and a back porch. Most of the party took place in the kitchen (which is all too common) and downstairs at the bar (also all too common). The host, while having some martini ideas in mind, asked that we all bring a recipe to the party. He already furnished himself with a litany of liquors to satisfy any concoction we could create.

After a few of the classics like a dirty martini and a cosmo, our slightly inebriated minds quickly came up with some quizzical combinations. The star of the night was the whipped cream flavored vodka, which, due to our greatest efforts, seemed to find its way into almost every drink we made, even if it was added after the fact just for fun (or alcoholic strength). Here are some of our creations:

Dreamsickle: Orange soda and whipped cream vodka.
                This one was a little too sweet for me. I would have used a diet orange soda with a splash or orange juice. Half and half could also be added for a creamy texture providing for a dessert oriented drink.

Pina Colada: Pineapple juice, coconut rum, coconut vodka (we used UV, which made the whole drink white)
                A summer drink without a doubt. Unlike the iced drink, this one wasn’t full of coconut cream, so you could sip it down without that full feeling from such a sweet drink. Its white color made it stand out. The acidity of the pineapple juice really cut the vodka, making it easy to drink.

Berry Hi-C: Pomegranate/blueberry juice and tropical fruit vodka
                The name really says it all. The drink was very smooth as the alcohol was hidden behind the tartness of the pomegranate. The drink was a light purple color and was asking for some garnish or accent to really bring it to the next level.

Bubble-Yum: Bubblegum flavored vodka and watermelon schnapps
                Sickeningly sweet, this drink brought you back to your childhood. It tasted exactly like that bright red cube of sugary gum you used to pop into your mouth (and perhaps still do). I was glad that there were mini martini glasses because even one of these is too much. A drink to sample, appreciate its artistry, enjoy the nostalgia, then pass to the next person.

Chocoholic: Chocolate cream liquor, crème de cocoa, chocolate flavored vodka
                Needless to say, this was a heavy, dessert martini that many of us (except of course the DDs) tried at the end of the night. We garnished by dipping the rim of the glass in cocoa powder, giving the interior of the glass a swirl a chocolate syrup, pouring in the drink, the dropping in some dark chocolate covered espresso beans. It was sweet, yet not cloying until you got to the bottom where all the syrup had gathered. The alcohol was hidden beneath the blanket of chocolate as the drink tasted like liquid French silk pie.

On the way home, we were discussing how much fun we had and compared it to what the night would have been like had we done it at a bar rather than someone’s house. We all agreed that the likely $50 bar tab per person was far less appealing than night we had all just enjoyed. Thank you Michael, you throw a wonderful party and I can’t wait for Martini Gras. I will make sure to update you on the new martini mixtures.

F3: February First Friday

After a month hiatus, First Friday is back. According to the map, love is in the air, but all I can see is my breath, as it was terribly cold last night. This month featured 28 venues, 9 of which had music. Many of the usual suspects hosted like Anthology, City Lights, Urban Vibe, and The Vintage Theater. The weather didn’t seem to deter too many people, as many of the places I visited seemed to have a decent crowd from 6-9 pm.

During the customary happy hour at Backyard Ale House, I mapped out my course, trying to hit as many spots as possible over the short three hours. I started with Fidelity Bank, who had soda, three kinds of sandwiches (a turkey pesto, sausage, cheese and marinara, and a roast beef and provolone), and pizza. Michaela Moore, a jazzy, female, Frank Sinatra-type singer was the entertainment. Across the street at Creedon’s Flower shop, there was ceramics by Jeff Kutrack, chips, pretzels, and dip.

Heading North, the Laura Craig Galleries had some wine, chips and salsa to go with their variety of paintings, pots, and sculpture, while the Crazy Pineapple only had their fashion accessories, as did Duffy. The Keys was hosting some kind of party, as many people were dressed up when I was there. “Destructive Criticism,” photos by Jenn Grey were on the wall while I had perogies, dripping in butter and onions.

Well-Heeled had a crudités, wine, and cookies, while the real party seemed to be at Vintage Theater. Eat Fresh, Eat Local brought sandwiches, cheese, fruit, veggies, a corn chowder soup from Eden Café (a vegan concoction which was well-spiced and contained no dairy, making it lighter yet still satisfying), wine, pizza, pumpkin cookies (unlike the chowder, the lack of butter and eggs made them dry and lacking taste), homemade brownies (the darkest and most moist of any the whole night) along with a video of local farming, and plenty of schwag for purchase.

Urban Vibe hosted handcrafted jewelry making with chips, dip, drinks, and sandwiches to nosh upon. Just down the street, Nada & Co. had a variety of cheeses and crackers while the staff showed off a assortment of men’s ties. Windsor studio had floral paintings by Jan Mikulski and homemade cookies, pastries, and treats by one of the staff’s mothers.

The Connel Building, which seemed more like an in-process renovation area, showed contemporary oil paintings, sculpture, ceramics, and electronic music with a crudités, wine, cheese, and fruit tray. Anthology Books, along with Marquis Art and Frame, had a mixture of paintings, books, and calligraphy work with cheese, crackers, and some store-bought cakes. A little ways away at the Artworks Gallery and Studio, paintings and photography were matched by some middle-eastern appetizers. Hummus, stuffed grape leaves and olives were accompanied by cheese, cookies, strawberries dipped in chocolate, along with wine.

I ended my night at the AFA Gallery and City Lights Church. The former had a myriad of paintings with a combination of homemade and store bought cookies and desserts with wine, while the latter had coffee (a welcomed belly-warmer), cookies, and cakes.

As always, I had a wonderful time and am already counting the weeks until I can do it again. First Friday is a great place to meet friends and make new ones. I can’t encourage people enough to get out and support this monthly event, despite the weather. I could have titled this post F5 and added “fun” and “fantastic,” but I think three ‘F’ words are enough.

I am the Pasta King

Across the bridge from the Radisson, in the same building as Cosmos Cheesesteaks, there lies a family-owned, Italian restaurant that is home to one of the most rewarding eating challenges in the Scranton area. I speak of La Trattoria and their “Pasta King” challenge.

I was originally attracted to their weekday special. From 11am-1:30, La Trattoria features “Mangia Mangia,” an all-you-can-eat array of soup, salad, soda, pasta, five different entrees like penne and vodka sauce and eggplant parmesan, and dessert for under $10. The soup and salad alone is just $6. However, I learned that they feature an eating challenge that only a handful have accomplished, and hundreds have failed.

The Challenge: Consume 2lbs of pasta. (keep in mind that the pasta is weighed before it is cooked and sauced) You can choose whatever sauce you want, you can choose whatever type of pasta you want. You don’t have to eat the salad, bread, or meatballs that come with it. No time limit.

The Prize: 1 free entrée every month for a year.

I had the afternoon free, and it was already 1:00, and I was starving. I ordered the challenge, and the waitress was both surprised and excited, she has never done this before. I speak with Mike, the owner and manager, about the history of the restaurant, how he came up with the challenge (it came to him in a dream, no joke), the odds, etc. Before I know it, I have this sitting in front of me.

I’m glad I went with the in-house made tomato sauce, as vodka sauce would be too heavy with all the dairy, and any cream sauce would be impossible. I also went with penne, I choice I somewhat regret. I ended up having to eat it with a spoon and was able to swallow a noodle or two without chewing. However, the tubes most likely stacked up in my stomach rather than compacting.

The key to most eating challenges is speed and variety. After 20 minutes, you hit “the wall.” Your stomach tells your brain you’re full and continuing to eat stops sounding like a good idea. Also, when eating so much of the same food, the taste and texture gets boring and repetitive. It is both physically and mentally harder and harder to eat. What made it even harder was that the pasta was hand-made and freshly boiled, so it was both substantial and really hot!

As you can imagine, I attracted the attention of some of the other customers, every one of which cheered me on and told me I could make it. One of the waiters decided he was going to give it a shot and got his own bowl to join me. As I passed the halfway mark, I needed something to cleanse my palate, so I asked for some extra lemon wedges for my water. The sourness and acidity helped cut the taste of the sauce and allowed me to continue.

Have you ever gone for a run, took a little break, and when you started up again your legs felt like jello and you wish you hadn’t stopped in the first place? I encountered this effect, as any break from eating only made its continuation that much more difficult. However, in spite of my red face, bloated guy, and sauce stained maw, I continued on, spoonful after spoonful, carefully ensuring I could keep it all down. As the bowl emptied, I announced my last bite to a cheering audience and, like so many before it, stuffed it in my mouth.

It was odd when, the eating complete, the bowl removed, I felt so much better than a minute earlier. With my picture was taken (not my most photogenic I assure you) and my certificate awarded, I waddled into out of the restaurant. Contrary to what you may think, rather than a long nap, I craved a long walk, as sitting had to appeal to me.

I don’t think I can accurately rate La Trattoria based off of that particular dining experience, so I will do it further justice once I regain my appetite and redeem my free meals. While I am happy with my accomplishment, I must admit, there are certain times when even I have no desire for 1 more bite. J