• MP: Boston had its heart stolen by stollen. Quit stallin'.

• MP: Chicago delved into the chain resto world to discover that Red Lobster has a blog.

• MP: San Francisco is (rightfully) upset that the SF City Council is considering banning late night pizza sales.

• MP: South Florida is all about sliders.

Just don't call it Pizzeria Uno...

The writers of the Chain Gang column in the Daily News articulate our feelings about Uno Chicago Grill (nee Pizzeria Uno) damn near perfectly:

The Chain Gang never really noticed when Pizzeria Uno changed its name to Uno Chicago Grill, but it probably happened when the deep dish pizza maker added about 1,000 items to its menu, turning it into something like Pizzeria Bennigan's.

The service? It's clunky. The food? The pizza is fine, the deep-fried appetizers are better and the main dishes are just alright. But don't go there if you have allergies:

One note about servers (and the Gang has noticed this throughout our travels): With so many people affected by nut and seafood allergies, servers need to know what's in their food.

A simple question about nuts in the apple crisp came back with a "yes," then a "no," then a "maybe," then a "yes." It seems to the Chain Gang that every restaurant in the country should have a laminated list on the wall at the door of the kitchen: These Foods have Nuts! These Foods Have Seafood!

It's one thing to die eating rare sushi. It's another to keel over due to chain restaurant cobbler topping.

The sweet, sweet world of suburban chain restaurants with employee retainment issues and low pay. We wouldn't trade it for anything in the world...

Pizzeria Uno becomes a Grill [Daily News]
Uno Chicago Grill [MenuPages]
Uno Chicago Grill [Official Site]

[Image via Daily News]

In the annals of crap food-related business ideas, Hershey's idea to create breath mints that are visually identical to crack cocaine has gotta be up there.

You see, Hershey's new Ice Breakers Pacs "deliver a revolutionary mint form and eating experience." They do that by filling little plastic baggies with a gritty white powder.

And, hey, the baggies are also tinted — just like most crack bags are these days!

The Philly Daily News went over to a few different judges and cops to get the expected response:

"I thought she confiscated it in the courtroom," said Administrative Judge Kevin Dougherty. No one could believe what the tiny pouch actually was: a new breath mint made by - get this - Hershey's. Ice Breakers Pacs, which hit the stores this month, are dissolvable pouches in blue or orange that look uncannily like tiny heat-sealed bags of cocaine, crack, heroin or any other powdered drug. The Pacs, filled with powdered mint and sweetener, are meant to dissolve on the tongue like breath strips. They're even packaged in a plastic slide-top case similar to the magnetic key cases drug dealers use to hide their wares under cars. "I could not believe it," Judge Dumas Brooks said yesterday. "Who in the world thought of that, and how did it get approved?" The pouches are so realistic, they even fooled Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector William Blackburn. "Being in narcotics the majority of my career, I thought it was the real stuff," said Blackburn.

Now... here's the thing. We have fond memories of candy cigarettes from childhood. But candy crack cocaine? That's taking it way, way too far.

Mint or drug: Is Hershey's cracked? [Daily News]

[Image via Daily News]

The South Jersey liquor baron who stuck it to Pennsylvania's Liquor Control Board has died. Jack Canal, the owner of Joe Canal's Discount Liquor Canal's Discount Liquor Mart has died at age 66 of lung cancer:

Pennsylvanians, offered limited choices with stiffer price tags at state-run liquor stores, flocked to his stores. "For many Philadelphians, there were only two reasons to cross the bridge. The first was to go to the Shore. The second was to buy wine," said Deborah Scoblionkov, The Inquirer's former wine critic. "At Canal's, you could sometimes save 50 percent on a bottle of wine and hundreds of dollars on a case compared to the Pennsylvania stores," Scoblionkov said. Until he became ill, Mr. Canal worked up to 80 hours a week at the chain's flagship store in his native Pennsauken, said manager Gary Brady. "He was a hands-on owner and, no pun intended, a real jack of all trades," Brady said. "He stocked shelves, did the buying - he even did the plumbing."

Mr. Canal: For helping us buy wine that didn't have an insane mark-up, we salute you.

Jack Canal, 66 [Inquirer]

Correction: Jack was the owner of Canal's Discount Liquor Mart, not Joe Canal's. We regret the error.

West Philly Italian spot Abbraccio just contacted us to announce the return of their AYCE brunch on Sunday. For $15.95, you get all the eggs, breakfast meats, omelettes, potatoes, lox, pastries, charcuterie , cheese, waffles and veggies that your heart can desire. There's also live jazz and classical music — jazz this Sunday and classical/flamenco guitar on December 9th. Not too bad at all.

Abbraccio [MenuPages]
Abbraccio [Official Site]

Los Angeles Times op-ed columnist Joel Stein had an interesting idea for a column: Take an anti-immigration politician to a Mexican restaurant.

So he met up with dark horse Republican candidate Tom Tancredo for a Mexican meal while on the Iowa campaign trail. The original plan? Have dinner at Mami's Authentic Mexican Food in the town of Muscatine, IA. Yup, we never heard of it either. But it turns out that one of the restaurant's owners marched in the massive Day Without an Immigrant in 2006.

Instead, they went to a restaurant named (yup) Carlos O'Kelly's Mexican Cafe. We'll let Stein take it from here:

Carlos O'Kelly's makes the finest Mexican food with an Irish flair of any chain restaurant in Iowa. The enchiladas came with a sort of hollandaise sauce that constituted a greater insult to Mexicans than anything Tancredo has ever said. Tancredo, who is a very likable, polite man, gave the food a very generous C+. "I was sick we couldn't go to Mami's. I heard it was good," he said. "But if they're going to boycott America, I'm going to boycott Mami's." Looking at my enchiladas, he sighed. "For all I know, this place is owned by a big liberal." A big liberal who hates food.

[...]

Before we left, I asked Tancredo: Instead of struggling with the problems that stem from illegal immigration, why don't we just let more people in legally? "Just so I can have a good Mexican restaurant?" he asked. How a man who ate the same meal as me can even ask that question is beyond my understanding.

My taco with Tancredo [Los Angeles Times]

Philadelphia has done a roundup of the best turkey sandwiches in the 215 (and the 610). Their picks?

• Hymie's Merion Deli: The Bala Cynwyd Jewish deli institution serves up a "Schlemiel" - roast turkey breast, cole slaw and Russian dressing on rye. It also weighs, in our estimation, about 2 lbs.

• Lucky Strike: They might be a bowling alley in downtown Philly but they also serve a club sandwich with turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, mayo... and avocado and a sunny-side up egg. Mmm... heart attack on toast...

• Dutch Eating Place: Philadelphia broke the rules and nominated the Reading Terminal lunch counter's turkey platter. But who cares? It's probably one of the best $8 meals in the city.

In Search Of... Turkey Sandwiches [Philadelphia]

Our friends at FXCuisine found this amazing example of Scottish street food. Ladies and gentlemen... we proudly present the deep-fried hamburger.

Also, we pray this never makes it to Philly.

Deep-fried Hamburger [FXCuisine]

• Anthony Bourdain on Philly: ""My first impression was that W.C. Fields was right — the place was f***ing closed." Yeah... and Cleveland isn't?

• New restaurants for the new year: Chestnut Hill's getting a Cuban restaurant and Washington Square is getting a Kosher Israeli restaurant.

• Checking out Beneluxx.

• Down Home Diner's catfish po'boy is pretty damn good.

• Citypaper wants Bourdain so much that they made an imaginary itinerary.

• We don't know who would actually want to eat an English pork pie. They're kind of gross. It also appears there are none in Philly.

This is great. If Craigslist is accurate (and, man... just don't answer that), Gordon Ramsay is looking for Philly restaurants for Kitchen Nightmares. That's right — your underperforming South Philly red sauce joint or Center City wine bar can now totally be on Fox with Ramsay cursing up a storm while he points out every one of your failings as a businessman.

Eagle-eyed Drew Lazor at the Citypaper found the Craigslist ad. Choice sample:

Neighborhood locales, Cafes, Pubs, Fine Dining Establishments, Country Clubs, Bistros, Hotels, Family Owned Restaurants, Golf Clubs, etc... Any restaurant that needs helps should apply!! Are you a first time restaurant owner who sunk your life into the restaurant & now need help to make it work? Are you a very experienced restaurateur & your newest venture is not taking off the way it should? Are your food costs, liquor costs and staffing expenses too high to survive? Are you in a fantastic location & you still don't appeal to the customers? Do you use the excuse that you are in a bad location? Does the Chef, Staff & Owner see the vision of the restaurant differently? Are there horrible communication skills within the restaurant? Have you tried everything to increase business and nothing helps? Are you a restaurant that basically survives, but could be doing 3 times the business? Do you own a restaurant that's barely breaking even? Has your restaurant been open for many years and you are no longer doing the same business you used to? If this sounds like you, our culinary mastermind is offering his world famous techniques and management secrets to help turn your business into a profitable & lasting success!

If that appeals to you... Just give Ramsay's production company a call. Really.

Casting-Kitchen Nightmares [Craigslist]
Gordon Ramsay wants to curse at you [The Clog/Citypaper]

• Some people really love cookbooks.

• A guide to winter-friendly beers.

• Spiced peanuts: They're not just for bars anymore.

• England has some good cheeses.

He might look like a mild-mannered journalist, but Bill Buford is the man. Not only did he write the best book on soccer hooligans ever (Among The Thugs), but he's all the author of the book Heat. In it, he chronicles how writing a food story in the New Yorker led him to work as an unpaid "kitchen bitch" in Mario Batali's kitchen and, from there, to apprentice with an eccentric genius of a butcher in Italy's rural boondocks. There's even a mention of Philadelphia's food scene in the book (which we'll get to tomorrow).

But in the meantime, Buford just did another New Yorker piece on the ethics of meat eating and how butchers view their craft. However, the best part is Buford's genius for painting a picture with words:

For Fearnley-Whittingstall, it seems, the most compelling meat comes from a cow, and, to this day, one of the great meals of his life is a standing rib roast he ate four years ago with his family on Boxing Day, the first that had been carved out of an animal he had fed and looked after himself. But meat from just about every other animal is discussed as well—the obvious quadrupeds, domestic and wild fowl—plus various pieces of offal, including lungs (“lights,” in British butcher parlance), brains (a nightmare to extricate and, besides, one animal’s taste pretty much the same as another’s), and the other bits between nose and tail (“I usually have a cooked ear or two in the freezer”). Most of this is photographed—illustration is an essential feature of the book—but so, too, are the meats as they are being consumed. Fearnley-Whittingstall, it’s evident, is still messy. We see a half-eaten steak, the fat congealing; a cassoulet after everyone has helped himself to it; a plate rim smeared with grease; a sideboard stacked higgledy-piggledy with dishes, cutlery, leftovers, and wineglasses cloudy from finger smudges. There is a dog: licking fat that has dripped from a table where a pig has been carved up or sitting on a bench with Fearnley-Whittingstall, having just had a bite of his homemade pork pie. Advocating the flavors of bird jelly—the juices that set after a chicken has been cooked—Fearnley-Whittingstall tells us about the happy “discovery” of the roasting pan “a day or so later” and eating up its unwashed, solidifying, crusty remains. I found myself wondering, Doesn’t anyone do the dishes down there at the cottage? Fearnley-Whittingstall’s occasional efforts to explain butchery, like boning a leg of lamb (encouraging his readers not to bother with a professional but to do the “hatchet job yourself—it’s quite easy to improvise”), reveal a tolerance for chaos (“It’s a bit tricky to explain”) that may be without precedent among people who make a living from preparing food.

In another words... it's a long read, but recommended.

Red, white & bleu [New Yorker]

We admit it, we have relatives who regularly tip 15% and 10% (shudder) whenever we go out to eat. It stinks. It's disturbing. It's depressing. It's something we've always wondered about... you know, how to work around it without embarassing your relative.

But, thankfully, Chow has some ideas:

So what do you do if your dinner companion leaves what you consider to be a tightwad tip? You could preempt him by offering to leave the tip yourself. But then you have to know how much the dinner was—and if he paid for your dinner, that’s like asking to look at the price tag of a gift.

You could also confront your companion directly. But I don’t advise that. For one thing, he just bought dinner (or at least left the tip), so it’s not the best moment to criticize. If you must bring the matter up, do so at another time. But if you don’t have a good relationship with the person, you may prefer to pick your battles.

Dinner with a Tightwad [Chow]

Man. We've got some good, good news for Chinese food lovers in Philly.

Frequent travelers on the Philly-to-New York Chinatown bus are familiar with Dumpling House, the pint-sized dumpling and sesame pancake spot a stone's throw away from the bus stop on Eldridge Street.

Well, Philadining just tipped us off that a branch of Dumpling House has just opened in Philly. We can't explain how great Dumpling House's stuffed sesame pancakes with beef are. Basically, it's a wedge of Beijing-style sesame pancake (think Chinese focaccia) cut through the middle and packed with beef, cilantro, veggies, cilantro and hot peppers. In other words: amazing.

The fried dumplings are damn good too. Prices are more expensive than New York's ($2.50 for a pancake as opposed to $1.50; $2.50 for dumplings as opposed to $1.00)... but are still a ridiculous bargain.

This makes us very happy.

Dumpling House [Philadining]

[Image via Philadining]

With December just around the corner and party season officially starting, it's officially time to gather up the New Year's Eve menus.

After the jump, an exclusive sneak peak at the Thanksgiving menus for Nector in Berwyn and Old City's Cuba Libre.

Nectar New Year's Eve Lobster Menu:

Crispy Potato Lobster Dumplings, Winter Black Truffle Bisque

Lobster Sushi Appetizer, Lobster Tempura Roll, Spicy Lobster Canapé, Lobster Ceviche Canapé

Lobster Bento, Lobster Egg Roll, Steamed Lobster Dumpling, Spicy Crispy Lobster Claws, Chilled Lobster Capriccio

Butter Poached Lobster, Pad Thai, Leek Bisque

Wok Lobster, Winter Black Truffle Tart, White Asparagus

Cuba Libre New Year's Eve Options:

The Cuban-style countdown to 2008 will kick off with a Twilight Dinner from 5:00 p.m. through 8:30 p.m. featuring Concept Chef Pernot’s three-course menu of flavorful Cuban fare. Guests can choose from an array of appetizers and entrées such as Baked Clams on the Half Shell with chorizo sausage, cubanelle peppers and culantro, and Macadamia-crusted Mahi-mahi served with maduros (plaintains) and a mango puree. The meal finale is a dessert sampler including Apple Empanadas with a green apple slaw and spiced crema dipping sauce created by Pastry Chef Jen Martin. The Twilight Dinner is priced at $32 per person, exclusive of tax, gratuity and alcoholic beverages.

Those wishing to feast closer to the midnight hour can take advantage of a Late Dinner package, with seating at 9:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and includes a New Year’s midnight countdown and celebration. Guests will dine on a lavish, four-course menu of Cuban specialities, and will have their choice of appetizer, a soup or salad, and entrée, along with a dessert trio tasting. Highlights of the menu include a Venezuelan Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Ceviche; traditional Cuban Black Bean Soup with cheese-filled rice croquetas; Rum-glazed “Chino Cubano” Pork Chop served with baby bok choy and a wild mushroom stir-fry; and a decadent dessert trio including Coconut and Lemongrass Crème Brulee. Tickets for the dinner must be purchased in advance and are priced at $150 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity. Guests who choose to imbibe can add a $50 per person bar package. The Late Dinner package includes a four-course dinner, reserved table for the evening, champagne toast at midnight, party hats, favors and dancing.

Revelers stopping in for mojitos and a little merengue can purchase a Late Night Bar package, available from 10:00 p.m. until 2:00 a.m. Guests will enjoy a top shelf open bar, signature hors d’oeuvres (10 p.m.-12 a.m.), a champagne toast at midnight, party hats, favors and dancing. The Late Night Bar package is priced at $85 per person, inclusive of tax and gratuity. The package is available at a discounted rate of $60 for guests who enjoy a twilight dinner.

So, as mentioned earlier... Anthony Bourdain's headed to Philly for a reading at the Free Library on Saturday night.

Although he gives the 215 a dis by calling us "two-horse town" (Starr & Perrier) while ignoring the working class and ethnic cuisines that, lets face it, are the true highlights of Philadelphia's dining scene... We're more interested in his thoughts on animals rights groups Hugs for Puppies:

Back to the important stuff, though—like those whom Bourdain refers to as a “plague of vegetarians.”

As things stand, Bourdain has a unilaterally declared truce with the veggies—in that he’s promised not to physically attack them. He’s particularly pissed off with those—like the Philadelphia-based group Hugs for Puppies—who claim that eating foie gras is a threat to society or the environment.

“These fucking people are not really all about us not eating duck liver,” snarls Bourdain. “No, no, no. They don’t want us eating any animal product whatsoever.

“When they win this tiny battle, they’ll move to the next one, like freeing the lobsters.

“These people,” says Bourdain, “are the worst kind of terrorists. And they must be stopped.”

So Bourdain's not a fan of veggie restaurants like Gianna's Grille? Shame.

Chef off and die [Inquirer]

• Checking out the goods at new resto Supper.

• Need some food-related events? How about a five-course, $90 truffled meal at Little Fish or the annual Latkepalooza at the Gershman Y?

• Anthony Bourdain is coming to Philly.

• Winter's here. How about the best soups in Philly?

• A restaurant near the art museum needs a Sushi chef.

• New Japanese restaurant Kaisan needs servers.

• Who else needs servers? Gigi, that's who.

• The newish Cheesecake Factory in Willow Grove is hiring in all areas.

Over in Old City, a new Korean resto named Meju has opened up in the former Mandoline space. We're going to have a menu ready for the site shortly... But, in the meantime, Mac & Cheese review paid a visit:

I came in really seeking a late night snack of kimbap, Korea’s version of sushi. I used to eat kimbap every week at my favorite Korean/Southwestern restaurant (unlikely combination) in my hometown (and, dang, if they aren't closed at Xmas when I go home), so miss kimbap very much. Sliced thinner than sushi, the carrot, pickled daikon, and spinach-filled kimbap is great for people like me with small mouths – tasty, too.

We also ordered the vegetarian dolsot bibimbap, a rice dish served in a scorching-hot stone bowl and topped with vegetables and tofu. Our food came with about eight of so small dishes of spicy banchan, which we polished off. Never once trying to rush our table, the nice server offered us refills of our banchan. We declined, as we were stuffed and didn’t want to take up more of their time.

They arrived at closing time, you see.

Meju [Mac & Cheese Review]

[Image via Mac & Cheese Review]

We remember back when Taqueria La Veracruzana opened. It was late 2001 and we had just moved to Philadelphia from New York. All we wanted were some traditional, Mexican tacos—the kind that come in soft corn tortillas and are garnished with not much more than cilantro and radish on the side. But we couldn't find them without a trip to deep North Philly. We were crushed.

Don't get us wrong... There were some places serving quality American-style tacos. But we wanted more than shredded yellow cheddar cheese and iceberg lettuce.

Than Veracruzana opened and they were just a few blocks away from our apartment in South Philly. We were happy.

Foodzings just stopped by Veracruzana and took some top-notch pictures. Have an al pastor taco for us next time you're there, alright?

Tacos, Tacos, Tacos [Foodzings]

[Image via Foodzings]

Food & Drinq just visited new NoLibs joint Acuna — it's Philly's first Paraguayan restaurant and only the second Paraguayan spot in the Delaware Valley (along with a cafe in Upper Darby).

If you're expecting tacos and burritos... This is Paraguay, kids. Not Mexico. But check out this food:

There's coffee and the usual baked goods at the counter. Acuna's menu is tight and light: There's a sandwich called lomito, which has steak, egg, smoked turkey-ham, letuce, tomato and cheese on brioche. Another sandwich, the palmito, is most interesting, as it's a mixture of crushed hearts of palm and mayo on crust-free white bread. Breakfast sandwiches include "broken eggs" (poor photo below), which Acuna cracks over the pan while allowing the yolk to run into the white for a marble effect; the yolk sets completely.

As for Paraguay, it's a country with a rich history of mind-boggling weirdness. We recommend you read about the war that killed 90% of Paraguay's population, the war over non-existent oil fields, or the story of Eliza Lynch — the Irish courtesan who seduced the prime minister of Paraguay in the 1800s. Ah, sweet, weird history.

Passion of Paraguay [Food & Drinq]

In this age of Tuscan trattorias and upscale, post-Vetri Northern Italian restaurants... it's good to see an old-fashioned red sauce n' mozzarella Italian-American joint opening up. We just got word from Michael Klein of South Philly's new Pat Bombinio's on 9th & Catherine:

Chef/owners Al Paris and Matthew DiNatale are serving such rustic dishes as grappa-cured salmon and beef Brasato in a comfy-elegant dining room decorated in browns, golds and burnt oranges. Entrees are $12 for spaghetti and meatballs to $32 for lobster and artichoke. It's open Tuesdays through Saturdays for dinner; Saturdays and Sundays for a $14.95 fixed-price brunch, and from 3 to 7 p.m. Sundays for what they call Sunday gravy (family-style dinners). It's BYOB, though they're offering wine storage.

Table Talk [Inquirer]

This year, the Wing Bowl is going to have a new propreitor of wings.. and it means that we're getting non-Philly wings. Although Northeast Philly's Rib Ranch has supplied the event in the past, a new contract means the wings will be from PJ Whelihan's Pub — whose nearest location is in Cherry Hill. All the same, we're still looking forward to this January 1 and our little carnivorous repast in that South Philly arena.

Dan Gross [Daily News]

This is a real shame. The bill going through the Pennsylvania State Assembly that would have made it possible to purchase six packs at supermarkets and regular grocery stores died in committee on Saturday night. The bill would have allowed grocery stores and beer distributors to sell six packs.

Pennsylvania Dodges the Bullet, Remains State with Dumbest Beer Law [Seen Through A Glass]

MenuPages HQ is in New York and we're sorry to report that it's just not much of a cheesesteak town. There's a local chain called Cheesesteak Factory (copyright infringement, anyone?) who's sorta ok, the hit-or-miss Carl's Steaks and the revisionist BB Sandwich Bar, who serve their sandwiches on kaiser rolls (horror!) with red pepper relish (double horror!!)

But then there's 99 Miles to Philly, who just got the Roadfood treatment:

99 miles to philly makes the best cheesesteak in New York (it's 99 miles to Philly from their front door). They have a pretty small menu; they know what they are, what they do well, and they stick to it. I'm a purist; I get mine "wit-whiz" (or is it whiz-wit? I can never remember). That means it comes with onions and Cheese Whiz. The steak comes finely chopped with a nice amount of grease, onions that are cooked down on the flattop 'til soft, and a nice thick vein of Whiz in the bottom of the roll. With cheesesteaks, bread is key and these rolls hold up nicely (they use Amoroso's bread, which is what is used in many cheesesteak shops in Philly). They also offer chicken steaks, vegetable "steak" sandwiches and Italian sausage sandwiches, but the classic cheesesteak is what you want here.

A good cheesesteak in NY? Why the hell not.

99 Miles to Philly [MenuPages]
99 Miles to Philly [Official Site]
99 Miles to Philly [Roadfood]

Philebrity recently trawled the minimarts & bodegas of the NoLibs/Fishtown/North Philly borderlands and came back with the amazing tale of... The Reaper:

Apparently, The Reaper is a soft pretzel that’s been sliced in half — horizontally — and refurbed with a few slices of ham and cheese in the middle, put back together, then warmed up again so that the cheese melts. Once it’s reached the right temperature, The Reaper is then wrapped in plastic wrap and placed under a heat lamp until bought and consumed.

Who the hell says working-class cuisine ain't ingenious?

Food Blob Special: The Reaper [Philebrity]

[Image via Philebrity]

We've always been fans of Ong's. The low-profile noodle house always seemed like a bit of New York or San Francisco Chinatown that plopped down in the middle of Philly... By that, we mean that it's a no frills place specializing in dishes that make it to your table in no time and are made for dowsing with lots of hot sauce. In a city dominated by 1960s Chinese relics, vegan Chinese spots filled with crusty punks and overearnest hippies and endless Fujianese joints... It's refreshing. Damn refreshing.

Rick Nichols shares our love for Ong's too:

Ong's began life as the Nice Chinese Noodle House, a nine-table cafe at the foot of Chinatown's ornate Friendship Gate. Ten years ago it moved (and greatly expanded) to the corner of 11th and Race, the eastern, unannounced gateway to Chinatown. And while I've passed it weekly, and even had the occasional big bowl of soup there, it wasn't until recently that I began to explore, to my growing delight, the wider range of the place.

One day there were the House Special Shrimp Rolls ($6.95), exquisite, spongy, soy-wrappered packets of precisely folded and fried shrimp mousse and scallion, a touch of water chestnut (or jicama) providing crunch. Dipped in sweet plum sauce, the rolls have become a recurring distraction: I find it hard not to order them now, even with a bowl of soup large enough to satisfy any normal eater.

Ong's [MenuPages]
The essence of Chou-Jou [Inquirer]

[Image via Inquirer]

This week's Craig LaBanized restaurant is NoLib's Silk City Diner. What did we learn from his review?

• Craig's upset about the state of the Philly dinner scene.

• That Silk City's kitchen may "only just be starting to find its groove."

• New chef Matt Ball is doing a good job.

• The cononut shrimp are too damn sweet.

Money quote of the article?

Silk City's best dishes are the starters, like the quesadillas stuffed with tender pulled BBQ pork and crunchy pickles(!), empanadas stuffed with chipotle-braised chicken, heartily spiced chili, and excellent calamari and rock shrimp fried in a cornmeal crust. The Thai-styled baby back ribs were also great, slicked with a sweet chile sauce and peanuts.

Pickle quesadilla? ...Interesting.

Silk City Diner [MenuPages]
Silk City Diner [Official Site]
Silk City Diner [Inquirer]

The MenuPages Philly Blog will be taking Thursday and Friday off to celebrate Thanksgiving. We're going to be gorging ourselves with the family on turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and all the good stuff.... And however you're planning to spend the holiday, we hope you'll have a great time.

See you on Monday.

South Street falafel n' fries stand Maoz just got a shoutout on Uwishunu. We're big fans of the place for their salad bar, where you can top your falafel with all the veggie toppings your heart can desire. Our personal favorite? The salad combo meal with lots of Moroccan carrot salad, fried cauliflower, hot sauce, cabbage, fried eggplant, garlic sauce, cilanto sauce, hummus and tahini. Damn that stuff is good.

Maoz: Brightly colored and tasty [Uwishunu]
Maoz [MenuPages]
Maoz [Official Site]

Over in the Metro, they're giving late-night eating tips for the annual drunktastic pre-Thanksgiving boozethon. Geno's, Pat's, Jade Harbor, Grace Tavern, Little Pete's, Center City Pretzels, Jim's Steaks and Lorenzo's all get shout-outs.

Satisfy your night cravings [Metro]

The New York Times just reported on the discovery of an 1866 cookbook for free blacks in Michigan. Domestic Cook Book: Containing a Careful Selection of Useful Receipts for the Kitchen, written by Malinda Russel, is the earliest known cookbook by an African-American woman.

The big surprise? Instead of soul food or southern-influenced cooking, the recipes owe more to high fashion European recipes of the time:

Mrs. Russell, who had operated a pastry shop in Tennessee, provided mostly dessert recipes, but they were for puff pastry and delicate rose cake, not sweet potato pie. Her savory recipes included dishes like an elegant catfish fricassee and sweet onion custard — not a mention of lard-fried chicken legs, beaten biscuits or slow-cooked greens. Here was a black cook who was already two generations removed from the plantation kitchen by the time Lincoln died.

A good read and a fascinating look at food history. Recommended.

A 19th-Century Ghost Awakens to Redefine 'Soul' [New York Times]

This is pretty cool. Acording to the Daily News's Dan Gross, Heroes' Hayden Panettiere recently signed autographs at a McDonald's in South Philly as part of a charity event:

"Heroes" hottie Hayden Panettiere took two $50s out of her purse and donated them to the Ron-ald McDonald House yesterday before leaving the McDonald's (914 S. Broad) where she'd signed autographs for fans who bought $1 paper hands to benefit the children's charity.

Hayden; her foxy mom, Lesley, and 13-year-old actor brother Jansen trained down from New York for the afternoon appearance.

Hayden a hero to McD's House [Daily News]

• Chef Tim McGinnis, damn it, is angry.

• Who has a brand new cutesy cooking supplies store? Center City, that's who.

• Just in time for Thanksgiving, a guide to turkey specials in Philly.

This is cool. Ex-Philly chef Joseph Poon has shown up on YouTube.

Chef Joseph Poon [YouTube]

We've got to hand it to the City Paper's blog for really upping their food/dining content. Apart from the sneak preview we mentioned yesterday of South Philly's Ugly American, they decided to do a follow up. Ladies and gentlemen, may we introduce Sonam?

The menu is... puzzling. While it's going to make it onto MP upon opening, here are a few sneak peaks:

Buffalo Falafel 7 Hot Sauce, Gorgonzola Tzatziki, Celery Batonets

Cheese Steak Terrine 12
Cheese Steak Mousse, Shaved Filet, Fried Onion, Mushrooms, Sharp Provolone Whiz, Tomato Molasses, Hot Pepper Duxelle

S’mores 7
Goat cheese Marshmallows, Fig Reduction, Wheat Crackers

It's very, err, pan-ethnic. Ambitious, to say the least. Hot-sauce coated falafel and terrine du fromage boeuf? why the hell not.

First Look: Sonam BYOB [CityPaper]

Here's a new piece of vocabulary that just entered the blogsphere, courtesy of the New York Times' food critic, Frank Bruni.

The Napkin of Shame (n.): A napkin discreetly used by a server to cover the table where you (the sloppy eater) accidentally spilled sauce or wine.

Ah hell, let's hear it in Bruni's words...

The Napkin of Shame, as I have come to think of it, is part of a fancy-restaurant ritual I’ve never made peace with. The Napkin of Shame is what a server carries to a table on which a section of the cloth has been splashed with sauce or speckled with wine. A server unfurls the Napkin of Shame and stretches it over the soiled terrain, a bit of patchwork that makes the table look clean again. And, lying there, the Napkin of Shame amounts to a sign hung around the neck of the diner whose plot of tablecloth required it: here sits a Messy, Piggy Eater. (I’m all about uppercase today.)

So George Costanza-like. So brilliant.

Here Comes the Stain Again [Diner's Journal/NYT]

New South Street Mexican Las Bugambilias (who we'll have a menu for shortly) just got their moment of glory in the South Philly Review and it sounds pretty damn good:

Since my seafood soup was so satisfying, I wanted to try a meat dish for my entrée. Cochinita pibil ($14) is Mexico’s salute to pork. What I like about this meal is the pork is slow-cooked and shredded, marinated in achiote and served with a puree of black beans Molina piped from a pastry bag, as well as rice and marinated onions. I love shredded pork and this dish did not disappoint. It could have been hotter, so our server apologized and brought me another, which came out as steamy as our soups. The portion was so generous, I toted some home for lunch.

Carl went for the beef, specifically molcajete arrachera ($16), which consisted of tender skirt steak simmered in a rich molcajete sauce that imparted a beefy flavor. The dish, served in a hot molcajete, contained cactus leaves, chopped scallions, coriander and Oaxaca cheese. A molcajete is a vessel made from lava rock and it is primarily used to serve guacamole, but also for other dishes. It is a mainstay in the Mexican kitchen and kept Carl’s dinner searing. The dish came with rice, beans and guacamole.

Las Bugambilias [South Philly Review]

Everyone's favorite wine/cheese/beer bar, Tria, has announced a couple of new Tria Fermentation School classes for the winter - check 'em out.

Tria [MenuPages]
Tria [Official Site]

• Over at MP: Boston, we learned some damn good Thanksgiving cooking tips.

• Remember to stop by MP: Chicago for MP: Chicago's greatest hits.

• MP: San Francisco has the scoop on an (allegedly) criminally inclined restaurant owner.

• MP: South Florida is lets us know that Miami's restaurants are eagerly planning how to handle the crowds when Castro dies. As they should be.

Courtesy of the Philly CityPaper, we just got a sneak peak at the menu of upcoming Pennsport spot The Ugly America.

And you know what? They're gonna have garbage plates. Authentic, Rochester-style garbage plates here in Philly.

Yessir, this rocks.

Menu Exclusive: The Ugly American [CityPaper]

Our friends at the East Passyunk BID are throwing a massive pre-Thanksgiving bar and restaurant crawl. Check it out.

East Passyunk Ave Pow Wow [EPABID]

Now this is scary. Wendy's held a contest to create a hambuerger for their 2008 menu. The winner was Los Angeles screenwriter Ian Van Camp's Philly Style Hoagie Burger: Lettuce, onions, tomatoes, 2 hamburgers, 2 slices of cheese, salami, ham and Italian dressing on a bun.

Hamburger? Italian dressing? Err, yeah. Philly deserves better.

Wendy's Unleashes User-Generated Hamburger [A Hamburger Today]

Over at the Inky, Craig LaBan journeyed out to Plymouth Meetings to dig the suburban sushi goodness of Blue Fin:

The Tuesday-nighters at Bluefin appear to be a force of foodie nature. Many restaurants crawl through this usually quiet weeknight restraining a yawn. But the regulars pour into this modest little Japanese BYOB in Plymouth Meeting with such steady and unrelenting force, the room threatens to erupt in spontaneous sushi combustion.

There are the raucous book-club ladies in the corner, downing edamame and colorful maki rolls as they discuss Eat Drink Pray. A pair of moms set up their full bar - big bottle of premium vodka, cranberry juice, shaker and martini glasses - while the teenage daughters debate whether to order the Davitch roll (salmon around crunchy spicy tuna) or the Rosnov (tuna over spicy veggies).

Yup, sounds pretty suburban to us.

Blue Fin [Inquirer]
Blue Fin [MenuPages]
Blue Fin [Official Site]

This weekend's Michael Klein column in the Inky was filled with lots of food-related tidbits.

• Where we come from, "dive bar" is a compliment. It means a homey place to drink our Jim Beams on the rocks, listen to Creedence on the jukebox and chill the hell out after a long week at work. But not to the owners of the Irish Pub. They're suing Philadelphia mag publishers Metrocorp because they called their Atlantic City outpost a "dive bar" in fellow mag AC Now.

• The previously mentioned Del Frisco Double Eagle Steakhouse appears to be opening at 15th and Chestnut instead of the Packard Building. Shed a single tear for North Broad.

• Standard Tap is pro-foie gras and, therefore, we like them.

This shot of a breakfast meal of scrapple at the Trolley Car Diner was found courtesy of Phillyist.

Scrapple for Breakfast [Bluesocks78 / Flickr]

Chow.com bought us the strange tale of Gareth Jones, a Welshman with an irrational fear of Scotch eggs.

As Americans, we'd say a fear of Scotch eggs is perfectly rational — they're hard-boiled eggs that are wrapped in sausage meat and deep fried. You know... not too appetizing.

In any case, Jones is going on national British TV to confront his fear of Scotch eggs.

Mmm... crappy British food. We've found them in Philly at DiBruno Brothers before.

Only in the UK Would This Be Considered Irrational [Chow/The Grinder]

In Outside magazine, Anthony Bourdain discusses his take on some celeb chefs:

The Travel Channel knew what they were getting. Tony has never shied away from verbal fisticuffs, and he seems to take particular joy in sniping at the rogue's gallery of celebrity "chefs." In Kitchen Confidential, he calls Emeril Lagasse "Ewok-like" and says that four-star gourmands like André Soltner would never invite Tony, a chef of minor repute, to go skiing. (As it happened, after Soltner read the book he did invite Tony to the slopes; Tony has also since developed a grudging respect for Lagasse, or at least his cooking.)

Tonight, he'll take aim at Rachael Ray. "She's got a magazine, a television empire, all these bestselling books—I'm guessing she's not hurting for money," Tony will say, his voice rising. "She's hugely influential, particularly with children.

"And she's endorsing Dunkin' Donuts."

A pause.

"It's like endorsing crack for kids! I'm not a very ethical guy. I don't have a lot of principles. But somehow that seems to me over the line. Juvenile diabetes has exploded. Half of Americans don't have necks. And she's up there saying, 'Eat some f******* Dunkin' Donuts. You look great in that swimsuit—eat another donut!' That's evil."

A quality read.