Deep in South Philly lies a Mexican restaurant called Los Jalapenos. The Daily News recently paid it a visit and found quite a few good dishes worth trying out:

"A good appetizer dish for sharing was the Queso Fundido ($6.50). Think a little grilled cheese, a little fondue, all topped off with spicy chorizo sausage. Rip off pieces of tortilla and dig in. The accompanying flour tortillas were light, with just enough chewiness for texture.

The Pico de Gallo Nachos ($4.50) also made my list of favorites. A mound of crispy tortilla chips was covered with beans, cheese, pickled jalapenos and sour cream. [...]

Another sauce hit at Los Jalapenos was the salsa. I have heard a rumor that it regularly inspired thievery at an Italian Market watering hole when a bartender would order a delivery for his break. He would often find this spicy, tart, chunky tomato-cilantro concoction had gone missing, along with the tortilla chips.

I will say, it is good enough to let one's moral compass wander."

You hear that, people? Good salsa.

Los Jalapenos masters most Mexican dishes [DN]

[Photo: Christina Mazza/Daily News]

It's official: The late, lamented Broad Street Diner has been purchased by Stephen Starr. Michael Klein over at Food & Drinq broke the news.

Blogalicious: "Tell you what we’d lovelovelove to see… something like Fatty Crab in New York, a Malaysian hole-in-the-wall with a hipstery backpacking-through-Asia vibe. Far East beers. Colonial Brit cocktails. Whole chili crabs served wayyy late into the evening. Oh yeah, we’d go there so much we’d practically be a stool. Or maybe Starr and David Chang’s Buddakan dinner back in January was more than just a date… Dare to dream."

Foobooz: "As much as we’ve had a love-hate relationship with SRO, Starr’s restaurants are undeniably catalysts for neighborhood change. It wasn’t so long ago that Starr took over another former diner and breathed the sweet, revitalizing breath of the hospitality industry into a neighborhood - and a city - that badly needed it. South Broad Street below Washington is in dire need of a similar strong anchor - and what could be better to encourage other business owners with deep pockets to take notice of what could be on South Broad than a high-profile restaurateur with a proven track record?"

Stay tuned for further developments.

Previous coverage.

Starr into the Broad Street Diner [Food & Drinq]

This is poutine. Freshly made french fries covered in gravy and melted white cheddar cheese curds. Food of the gods.

Back in November of 2007, we posted about how poutine was added to the menu at Kildare's.

Now we just learned that the South Philadelphia Tap Room has updated their menu to include poutine.

This means that, at this moment, poutine is easier to find in Philadelphia than it is in New York. Philly's Quebecois expats and lovers of killer cheese fries are all very lucky right now.

South Philadelphia Tap Room [MenuPages]
South Philadelphia Tap Room [Official Site]

Rich Freedman (pictured) of South Philly gastro pub Sidecar Bar & Grille has just found himself a new gig: Chef de cuisine at Harry the K's in Citizens Bank Park.

Now, here's the thing... Harry the K's menu sticks to the traditional side of things. The most exotic items on their menu are:

• Chicken flatbread sandwiches
• Crab soup
• Chimichurri-laced skirt steak with sweet potato and yucca fries

Yes, we love contemporary ballpark food. Meanwhile, here are the most exotic items on Sidecar's menu:

• A "Sidecar Burger" topped with tasso and Marchand de Vin sauce
• House-made Cajun sausages (see pic)
• Crawfish-potato hash eggs benedict

So will Freedman's Cajun sensibility work well at Harry's? We think so.

Sidecar Chef Heads to the Stadium [The Clog/CityPaper]
Sidecar Bar & Grille [MenuPages]
Sidecar Bar & Grille [Official Site]

New York Times cheap eats guru Peter Meehan just went on a comprehensive tour of America's ballparks to find the best stadium eats around. Hell, the poor bastard even had to sit through a few Cardinals games and even try the abomination known as a "Dodger Dog."

(A note to our readers, should they ever go to Dodger Stadium: Sell out to the chains and get a Carl's Jr. It'll help you make the best out of a bad situation.)

But the important thing is that he is all about Citizen's Bank food:

shburn Alley is home to hoagies, Chickie & Pete’s crab fries (French fries dusted with Old Bay seasoning) and two of the city’s respected cheese steak purveyors, Rick’s Steaks and Tony Luke’s. Tony Luke’s had the better cheese steak of the two (though their other locations are notably superior). Even better is Tony Luke’s juicy roasted pork and provolone sandwich, dressed with tender broccoli rabe, as good a meat sandwich as there is in the majors.

Also not to be missed is the Schmitter sandwich from McNally’s, an outpost of an 87-year-old Germantown tavern at the end of Ashburn Alley. It’s not named for the Phillies legend Mike Schmidt, but rather, I was told, after a long-gone McNally’s customer who always ordered it with Schmidt’s Beer, the now-defunct Pennsylvania brand.

The Schmitter packs, from top to bottom: melted cheese, a generous squirt of a “special sauce,” griddled salami, more cheese, sliced tomato, fried onions, griddled steak and another slice of cheese, just to help keep the beef in place. It was the unhealthiest thing I encountered on my cholesterol-gathering trip, an unholy alliance of meats, cheese and mayonnaise tucked into a Kaiser roll. It was also impossible to stop eating after the first bite.

Mmm... heart attack on a plate.

Baseball Park Food Reaches Big League Status [NY Times]

Queens Village offal-and-swine mecca Ansill is throwing an event that, to our ears, sounds friggin' awesome.

On Friday, June 20th, the restaurant is holding a "Euro-style" barbecue. What does that mean? Here's the word straight from the press release:

$30 gets you a heaping plate for two. Chow down on roasted pig, assorted grilled meats, marinated vegetables, various salads, antipasti and a glass of house wine (red or white) or draft beer.

So it's $15 a head for roast pork, fancy bourgie-style barbecue, booze and sides? Sweet.

For reservations, call Ansill at (215) 627-2485.

Ansill [MenuPages]
Ansill [Official Site]

Legendary South Philadelphia shack John's Roast Pork is famous for some of the best cheesesteaks and roast pork in the city.

The Inquirer just broke it to the general public that JRP's chief operator, 42-year-old John Bucci Jr., is battling agressive prelukemia and is receiving a bone marrow transplant:

Just a month ago, Bucci was pumping his fists and giving a teary-eyed acceptance speech after winning a cheesesteak competition run by Glen Macnow, a host at WIP-AM (610) who, after eating at 44 other places, declared John's "the greatest cheesesteak I've ever had."

And that was only the latest honor. Under Bucci's watch, this 78-year-old pork shack, a humble truck stop for most of its years, has been catapulted into the city's pantheon for destination cheesesteaks. The Inquirer chose John's as its ultimate cheesesteak in 2002, and articles in Gourmet and Esquire and a James Beard Foundation Award as an "American Classic" followed.

Yet as Bucci competed in the final WIP cook-off, his spleen was swelling with cancer. His bone-marrow cells had just acquired a second DNA mutation, Klumpp said, that showed Bucci's condition, chronic myeloproliferative disease, was rapidly heading toward acute leukemia, which could become lethal in weeks.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bucci and his family.

John's Roast Pork [MenuPages]
John's Roast Pork [Official Site]
The tender and the tough

[Image via Philadelphia Inquirer]

The Ugly American, the six-month old Pennsport gastropub, just got LaBaned this weekend. So... here's the deal. The Ugly American is located on Front Street not too far away from the Wal-Mart, the Riverview and the whole Souf Philly Columbus Boulevard strip. Foodwise, it does regional American cuisine (muffalettas! garbage plates!) and a mean homemade hot pocket. So what did the good man of the Inky have to say? It's less about the food and more about the waitstaff:

"Our server certainly had that genuine friendly Philly-ness. Where else can a waiter expound upon the fine points of beef butchery, his position against the Barnes Foundation move, his high school and art school pedigrees, slip us his Jersey Shore Realtor's card, mention his contacts in the local porno biz, and offer solid cabernet recommendations all in one visit? (Did he just name-drop Ginger Lynn?)"

Oh yeah. The beef-on-weck (or "wick") is good and so are the toasted ravioli. However LaBan wasn't keen on the duck nachos, which he said used poorly fried chips.

The Ugly American [Inquirer]
The Ugly American [Official Site]

Good news for Northeast Philadelphia fans of Shank and Evelyn's sausage and chicken-and-broccoli rabe sandwiches: A branch of the restaurant is opening inside Cappy's — a popular neighborhood bar over in Tacony.

Michael Klein broke the news at Food & Drinq:

"Jerry Volpe, who's a partner, says he'll do the same sandwich menu: cheesesteaks, roast beef, roast pork, sausage and peppers, hoagies, fried eggplant and chicken cutlet , plus sides. None of the breakfast items, because he'll serve from noon to 10 p.m. daily."

Cappy's is located at 6901 Frankford Ave. (Longshore Avenue).

Shank's in the Northeast [Food & Drinq]
Shank and Evelyn's [MenuPages]

[Image via Holly Eats]

In case you might not have heard, it's primary season in Pennsylvania. The good folks at the Inquirer, always eager to gauge the local mood towards Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, decided to stop by a Philly lunch truck.

The lunch truck of choice? Mike's Lunch, located on Front and Pattison hard up by by South Philly' s warehouses and by-the-river factories:

"As for Obama, the Illinois Democrat, a few pollsters suggest that the racial element may influence how this group votes. Sonny Russino, a 47-year-old short-order cook in Mike's truck who seems heated by something other than his grill, comes close to articulating the argument. "This country isn't ready for a black president," he says. "Obama has too much luggage. He is bringing too much of the past - racism and slavery - into the future. And his pastor says bad things about America. "There's too much of this Afro-American thing in the country these days. Like in the music world, with rap. It seems to me they all want to take charge."

In the stark world of race and politics, two African American fruit packers have a different reason for eschewing Obama.

Sheila McClain, 47, of Frankford, and Karen Baker Williams, 48, of North Philadelphia, hit Mike's for lunch and did the "I am woman" thing. "Obama's too inexperienced," Williams says. "And a woman's point of view is better." "You're right. She's OK," McClain agrees. "Her being a woman, she'll do a good job."
"You know, I was holding a Hillary poster getting on a bus the other night," Williams explains, "and the bus driver says: 'Don't you get on this bus holding that. I'll beat you up.' "I told him: 'You try it. I'm still going to vote for this female.'"

Thus, another day of South Philly life was captured by the Inky.

At the lunch truck, taste for the familiar [Inquirer]

[Image via Inquirer]

Work as a Philadelphia food writer and you write about Joey Vento. Cause and effect.

Yesterday, we wrote that the Geno's Steaks owner was holding a press conference. The Daily News's Damon C. Williams stopped by and found out that Vento wants the city's Fair Practices Ordinance changed, claiming it violates his rights to hang his sign demanding patrons order their steaks in English only:

The sign - "This is America . . . when ordering, please speak English" - was hung more than two years ago. Since then, Vento has been on the defensive, saying that he has tons of support and that he isn't the racist that the news coverage made him out to be.

Vento and his lawyers intend to bring the fight to City Hall.

"We are sending a formal letter to the mayor on [Mayor Nutter's] comments that Vento was a 'black eye on the city,' and we want a one-on-one conference," said Vento's co-counsel, Shannon L. Goessling, of the Southeastern Legal Foundation. "We also want the appointing of a special panel that will help rewrite the law so it won't be unconstitutional."

Philebrity has a different take.

Sequel to Geno's sign flap: Vento wants apology & rewrite of law [Daily News]
Geno's Steaks [MenuPages]
Geno's Steaks [Official Site]

Meet Joey Vento, publicity hound.

We all know the Geno's Steaks owner likes being in the spotlight. There's the famous "This is America. When ordering, please speak English" sign and, of course, a Fox News appearance or three. Not to mention the endless media mentions in the Inky and Daily News related to his pet issue of immigration.

But today, Vento is holding one of his rare press conferences. He hopes to present proposals to alter Philly's Fair Practices ordinance — the one he was charged with discrimination over:

The changes Vento seeks were not available yesterday. That he's not in the mood to be rejected was apparent from the headline on the release sent to the media announcing today's event: "Change Rules or Face Lawsuit."

Oy. If anyone wants to liveblog this for us, they're more than welcome to. The press conference takes place at 11:30 at Geno's.

Vento to hold press conference on 'please speak English' ruling [Inquirer]
Geno's Steaks [MenuPages]
Geno's Steaks [Official Site]

Good magazine just published their list of America's Tastiest Streets — and Philadelphia is nowhere to be seen on it.

The winners were Queens, New York's Roosevelt Avenue (Korean-style fried chicken, tamales, Cuban food, Filipino cafeterias, northern Thai food and the esteemed Arepa Lady), Houston's Travis Street (New Texan restaurant T'afia, Mexican standby Tacos A Go-Go, kitschy AM joint the Breakfast Klub and plenty of Vietnamese food), Seattle's Fremont Avenue North (Thai, Greek, Japanese and Puerto Rican), Chicago's Broadway (seafood restaurants, Thai bakeries and ethiopian cuisine) and quite a few more in Miami, Nashville and Los Angeles.

So that got us thinking... What are Philadelphia's tastiest streets?

Our choices:

1) Bustleton Avenue

The Northeast does not nearly get the love it should. Just off the top of our head... Angelo's Pizza Kitchen is a killer old school Philly-style pizzeria that for some reason has a healthy sideline in barbecue ribs. Cafe Zohar is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Israeli restaurant that's so authentic that even their website is registered in Israel. Steve's Prince of Steaks is the archetype of neighborhood Philly cheesesteak spots. And then there's Stolovaya, a Russian shrine to all things deep-fried. Fried potato and deep fried chicken in garlic crust? Yes, please.

2) North Fifth Street

Yeah, we were thinking of that episode of Parking Wars where that parking inspector stops at a random corner in the Badlands to pick up grilled chicken sticks for a dollar from some Puerto Rican lady. We admit it. A drive (or SEPTA run) up North Fifth Street means a drive from San Juan to Santo Domingo to Mexico City to Seoul. Over by Girard Avenue, Taco Riendo bridges the gulf between Boricua and Mexicano with pork chop tacos. Further up, Porky's Point keeps the faith with mofongo, tostones and PR-style roast pork sandwiches to go. Tierra Colombiana is an upscale restaurant whose menu combines South American and Caribbean items. Then as you get closer to the MontCo border, Korean restaurants like Jong Ja Jip suddenly pop up.

3) South Ninth Street

We're saving the obvious choice for last. But for optimum deliciousness, this is the place to be. A fresh-baked Italian loaf or homemade broccoli rabe pizza from Sarcone's Bakery. Chicken parmigiana from Villa di Roma. Pepperoni slices from Lorenzo Pizza. An Angelo Cataldi sandwich (extra Armenian cheese and grilled chicken, please) from Bitar's. The heart-stopping La Lupe torta with beef milenesa, chorizo, roast pork, mozzarella cheese and American cheese (!) from La Lupe. A combo banh mi from O Sandwiches. A pain bagnat and cafe au lait from Rim Cafe. And a cheesesteak from Pat's King of Steaks. Face it people, this one wins hands down.

Have a better idea for Philadelphia's tastiest street? Let us know.

America's Tastiest Streets [Good]

Over at Serious Eats, there's a fairly comprehensive guide to the roast pork sandwiches of Philly. The source is credible (Philadelphia magazine food critic Joy Manning) and the coverage is completely in line with how 2008 is turning out to be roast pork's media year.

Manning's picks include all the usual suspects: DiNic's, John's Roast Pork and Tony Luke's. However, there are a few unexpected surprises on the list: DiBruno Brothers' Pronto and Chickie's Italian Deli.

In the piece, she also gives Chickie's vegetarian hoagie props and we've gotta agree. That thing is, vegetarian or not, a work of art. Garlicky broccoli rabe, baked eggplant, homemade roasted peppers and sharp provolone cheese? Hells yes.

The Best Roast Pork Sandwiches in Philly [Serious Eats]

Food & Wine just released their annual Best New Chefs in America list and Jim Burke of James made the list. Here's what the mag had to say about the Bella Vista restaurateur:

Jim Burke, 34, is the owner and chef of James, a seasonally-focused, modern Italian restaurant in the Bella Vista neighborhood. Before opening James with his wife, Kristina, in 2006, Burke worked with top Philadelphia chefs Marc Vetri of Vetri (a Best New Chef 1999) and Vince Alberici of The Marker. He later headed the kitchen at Stephen Starr’s Angelina. He also did a stint at the Michelin-starred Ristorante Frosio in Almè, Italy.

Other winners include Tim Cushman of Boston's O Ya, Jeremy Fox of Ubuntu in the California wine country and Michael Psilakis of Anthos in NYC.

Food & Wine appears to like James: Their risotta was previously named one of the best restaurant dishes of the year.

The full press release can be found here.

Food & Wine Magazine Names Best New Chefs in America 2008 [F&W]
James [MenuPages]
James [Official Site]

We just got the beer list for newly opened South Philly restaurant Devil's Den courtesy of newspaper columnist Joe Sixpack. Although the restaurant name might be all-American, the 16 draft beers are heavily Teutonic. Here's the debut list:

Dogfish Head Red & White
Schneider Aventinus
Spaten Lager
Ommegang Rare Vos
Founders Devil Dancer
Lucifer
Ayinger Celebrator
Blanche de Bruxelles
Yards Philly Pale Ale
Philly Rowhouse Red
Victory HopDevil
St. Druon French Abbey
Gaffel Kolsch
Franziskaner Hefeweisse

New taps [Joe Sixpack]

Basbeball season is (finally) here. Forbes just came out with a list of America's healthiest and unhealthiest ballpark snacks... and we're proud to say that Citizens' Bank Park has made the unhealthy list.

C'mon. This is Philadelphia. Did you seriously expect that we'd make the list of healthiest ballpark snacks? You know better than that. Seriously.

From the magazine:

Don't think you're doing yourself any favors by skipping the hot dog if, instead, you opt for a deep-fried ballpark treat. Country-fried chicken, sold at Angel Stadium, and panzarotti, deep-fried pockets of dough filled with cheese, available at Citizens Bank Park, are full of oil, fat and calories.

There you have it. Panzarotti will kill us all.

Healthiest and Unhealthiest Ballpark Snacks [Forbes]

This week's entry in the Craig LaBan review sweepstakes is Le Virtu in deep South Philly. He calls it "one of the most pleasant new restaurants I've visited this year" and gives it some more kudos:

If you've had a chance to savor the homespun Abruzzese pastas topped with lamb and duck ragus, or to nibble on deep-fried olives stuffed with braised meat, then you'll know we're the lucky ones, too.

As for the restaurant itself, it serves food from Italy's Abruzzi region and got a respectable two bells. LaBan gave a special shoutout to the restaurant's fried foods (including complimentary fried dough balls stuffed with mozzarella and sage!) but he said the potato gnocchi and cauliflower pasta were sort of... meh.

Le Virtu [MenuPages]
Le Virtu [Official Site]

We'll say it one more time: We hate writing about cheesesteaks. But since this is Philadelphia and cheesesteaks stalk us like some Freddy Kreuger-like monster, despite all the other great food out there, we've gotta cope with it.

So it turns out that, in a court decision, Joey Vento of Geno's Steaks was allowed to keep his "This is America When Ordering: Speak English" sign.

Says the Philadelphia Daily News:

Critics charged that Vento had put up the signs because an increasing number of Mexicans had moved into the neighborhood around the steak shop. Vento said that he was disturbed only by "illegals," who were taking jobs from Americans. Vento acknowledged that his grandparents were Italian immigrants, but said that the family was forced to learn English when they came here. He said he'd gotten a lot of support via letters and e-mail, but others had harassed him. "They come by, call me a racist," he said. In addition to yesterday's vindication, Vento said that he'd like just one more thing: an "apology" from Mayor Nutter. Vento said that Nutter had declared during his election campaign that the signs should be taken down.

Next, we contemplate whether "wiz," "wit" or "witout" are part of the English language or not.

Geno's Steaks [MenuPages]
Geno's Steaks [Official Site]

Is South Philly's legendary (and recently resold) Melrose Diner up for sale yet again?

Kirsten Henri over at Foobooz seems to think so. She found this Craigslist ad filed by a spelling-impaired realtor:

A welknown eatery of Philly has a history of over seven decate of excellent service. 110 customer seats covenient for relaxing in the city and a team of delivery plus a bakery in the premise that bring warm food to customers 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Customers of this restaurant could be the most of popular people in the city, in the nation and even in the world. Available for sale is the turn key operation business and the property the business on it. This is an opportunity of a lifetime for anyone who loves the city and want to own a profit restaurant business. Own it and proud to be an owner of one of the nicest of historic Philadelphia. Please sign BFI and Confidential letter before appoitment to show. listing Broker must present.

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Everybody Who Knows... [Foobooz]
Melrose Diner [MenuPages]
Melrose Diner [Official Site]

[Image via The American Roadside]

The last time we wrote about Tony Luke's was... four days ago. But it's not just because Philadelphians love their roast pork and chicken cutlet italianos.

Proprietor Tony Luke Jr. is starring in an indie film about boxing:

Northeast/Trenton-raised Leo Rossi is producing and co-starring in the picture, written by Jason Noto and directed by James Quattrochi. Luke has slimmed down considerably recently, but has not been able to work out for a few weeks due to surgery on a deviated septum. Luke, who has appeared in "10th & Wolf," and "Invincible," has a background in boxing and karate and feels he'll be able to pull off playing fighter Joey "The Nail" Nardone, who is trying to rebuild his life after being released from prison.

Rossi, who plays Luke's trainer in the film, just produced "Wisegal," a Lifetime original movie that stars Alyssa Milano and James Caan. It airs at 9 tonight. Rossi worked with Milano in "Casualties of Love: The Long Island Lolita Story," a 1993 television movie.

Related: Alyssa Milano and James Caan starred in a Lifetime made-for-tv movie?

Tony's in the big screen ring [DN/Dan Gross]
Tony Luke's [MenuPages]
Tony Luke's [Official Site]

Philly's most unlikely tourist destination, Tony Luke's, just got some more love from an equally unlikely source — the Washington Post.

The WaPo's Tim Warren made the I-95 trip north to sample the goods:

The meat is a ham that has been slow-roasted for eight hours. Once cooked, it doesn't rest in its juices; "that makes it dry and stringy," Tony says. The provolone is not your usual fare: "We're talking about a very hard, sharp cheese, with some snap." As for the greens, broccoli rabe gives bite, as it were, to the sandwich; spinach is milder. You can order pork sandwiches without greens at sub places, but I can't imagine why you wouldn't want that interplay of ingredients.

And the bread, so important in any Philly sub, must be soft on the inside but crispy on the outside, to hold the cup of juices that is added when the sub is made.

Yeah, we love those sandwiches too.

Gee Whiz, Cheesesteak Isn't Philly's Best Sub [WaPo]
Tony Luke's [MenuPages]
Tony Luke's [Official Site]

South Philly Love Child (N): A chicken cutlet with broccoli rabe from Tony Luke's stuffed between two slices from Lorenzo's. Check it out.

The South Philly Love Child, y'all [The Clog]
Tony Luke's [MenuPages]
Tony Luke's [Official Site]

G-Ho's combination coffee shop/tapas bar Apamate just got the Criag LaBan treatment. Here's what we learned from Craig's piece:

1. There are damn good churros there.
2. Get the scallops.
3. The tortilla espanola is damn good.
4. The lamb meatball kebab? Not so good.

Cafe Apamate [Inky]
Apamate [MenuPages]
Apamate [Official Site]

So Bill Clinton walks into the Penrose Diner...

But it's not a joke. It's real life. The ex-president was working the room on behalf of Hillary Clinton's campaign on Thursday morning. Thanks to the heated competition between Clinton and Obama, Pennsylvania (and its upcoming primary) has become the latest battleground between the two. Here's how the Daily News put it:

Wonder what a seven-week Pennsylvania primary campaign will be like? Ask Nick Poppa.

Sitting on a stool at the Penrose Diner counter trying to finish his eggs and home fries yesterday, the South Philadelphia retiree looked up and saw former President Bill Clinton standing next to him, working the room for his wife - presidential candidate, Sen. Hillary Clinton.

"I was making money while you were in there," a stunned and smiling Poppa told Clinton. "No question, things were going good."

The Penrose Diner, located beautifully between I-95 and the Sunoco Refinery in South Philly, was chock full of the working class voters Clinton is aiming for. Following breakfast at the diner, he went on to meet with Governor Ed Rendell and Mayor Michael Nutter.

Something tells us that Bill Clinton is a Greek omlette fan.

At South Philadelphia diner, Bill scrambles for Hill [DN]

[Image via Daily News]

You can't make this kind of thing up — twin gay-porn stars were arrested in the robbery of a South Philly buffalo wing takeout. Brothers Keyontyli and Taleon Goffney area accused of breaking into the Wings and More and 9th and Washington in the Italian Market and robbing the store along with a beauty shop next door. They're also suspected of robbing a South Philadelphia Rite Aid and two suburban Wawas.

The twins recently starred in a gay hardcore-porn internet film called "Marc and the Twins." Philadelphia Daily News reporters Stephanie Farr & Dan Gross managed to land one of the weirdest quotes we've ever read in the newspaper as a result:

In "Marc and the Twins," which was distributed only online, the Goffneys are hanging out on the Las Vegas strip when they offer to audition for "Marc," a chiseled black porn star who happens to pass by. The three take the "audition" to a seedy hotel room. Although "Marc" is the focus of the encounter, the twins can be seen rubbing each other's chests and getting cozy. "Marc and the Twins" seems to be the most popular of the online porn films that star Taleon and Keyontyli. Their co-star in the film, Marc Williams, is a fairly big name in gay porn, according to Erik Schut, editorial director of Philadelphia-based TLA Entertainment Group. The company's Web site, TLAVideo.com, is the nation's largest retailer of gay porn DVDs. To Schut's knowledge, the twins have not appeared in any porn films available on DVD, but he said if they had chosen to further their career in porn, "They could have been huge." "Two incredibly beautiful black men and twins - it's unprecedented," Schut said. "Ethnic, gay models are rare."

Yeah, we learn something new everyday.

Twin gay-porn stars arrested in rooftop burglaries [Daily News]

[Image via Daily News]

Upscale sushi is coming to South Philadelphia. Taste Daily is reporting that Paradiso owner Lynn Rinaldi is opening a BYOB Japanese at Passyunk and Tasker.

The menu will lean towards sushi and tempura. Executive chef Corey Baver (also of Paradiso) is also going to have complimentary beer at the BYOB courtesy of brother Scott Baver - brew master for Reading's Legacy Brew Master. All patrons will be treated to a free glass of Baver's ginger-laced beer.

Sushi heads South [Taste Daily]

Popular Queens Village restaurant Ansill has just introduced a new late night menu. That's not all: Chef David Ansill has also decided to resurrect dishes from his old restaurant, Ansill, every Sunday. But here's a sample late night menu for your entertainment and edification:

Sample Late-Night Menu: (served Monday - Saturday from 10:00pm - 1:00am) OYSTERS (1/2 doz)horseradish mignonette $14 HOUSE CURED SALMON mustard oil, dill $9 STEAK TARTAR cognac, purple mustard $12 MIXED GREENS SALAD sherry vinaigrette $7 TOMATO BREAD garlic and sea salt $5 add boar prosciutto $10 ANTIPASTI assorted vegetables $9 ROASTED BEETS blood orange $7 MARINATED OLIVES $1/$3/$5 SPICED ALMONDS $5 BONE MARROW parsley salad, capers $6 PIGS TROTTERS pickled red onion $8 TUNA BAGUETTE olive, egg $9 SERRANO HAM PANINO roasted red pepper $10 VEGETABLE PANINO chef’s selection $9 TWO LITTLE BURGERS potato gaufrettes $12 CHEESE SAMPLER $18

Ansill [MenuPages]
Ansill [Official Site]
Ansill's 2nd Anniversary Party [The Latest Dish]

Over at Gridskipper, they just ran an interview with our buddies over at the Space 1026 art collective. How is that relevant to MP? Well, in the i-vew, 1026 member Crystal Sokowski mused on Philly's best banh mis:

For food, this is a little secret I'm going to expose; Café Nhuy is this great Vietnamese hoagie spot... giant hoagies for $2.50. A lot of people go there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Crystal forgot to mention the address, so we'll chime in with it: Café Nhuy is at 8th & Christian. Get the veggie hoagie — that smoked tofu even makes carnivores like us happy. Go go go.

Is Philadelphia the next Williamsburg [Gridskipper]

[Banh mi image via Disneymike]

The good folks at Uwishunu recently interviewed chef Jim Burke of James. We recommend checking it out.

All Up In Their Grills: James [Blip.tv]

The two suspects in the Geno's beating case have seen their trial set back until June. Here's the word from the Daily News:

Geno's Steaks employee Tony Chestnut, writhing in pain, his left arm in a sling, could hardly talk as he leaned against a wall outside a courtroom yesterday. A preliminary hearing in Municipal Court for two Chester County men who are charged with attempted murder - Kevin Bacci, 19, and Michael Morrison, 21 - was delayed until June 2 after a change in attorneys. While Chestnut, 32, did not speak outside court, he talked later by phone from his South Philadelphia home, reacting to allegations by a defense attorney that Chestnut started the fight. "Not even close," Chestnut replied.

Hearing for 2 in Geno's assault case off until June 2 [Philadelphia Daily News]

Any lingering fears you might have about South Philadelphia's inevitable gentrification can be put aside for the moment. Over at the Daily News, Dan Gross brings us word that Northeast Philly's most politically incorrect restaurant, Chink's Steaks, is expanding to South Philly:

Chink's Steaks (6030 Torresdale) is taking over Tugboat Annie's (901 S. Columbus) and opening a smaller take-out-only Chink's Steaks there in late March, says Chink's owner Joseph Groh. He takes over the property March 1 and says he will be up and running by the beginning of Phillies season. He may put in some outside tables. Groh says he's not too worried about any backlash about the shop's name, which had drawn ire from Asian-Americans several years back.

Chink's was the childhood nickname given to the restaurant's late former owner Samuel Sherman.

Score another one for Philly race relations.

Restaurant report [Dan Gross/DN]

[Image via HollyEats]

The upcoming Philly Craft Beer Festival at the Navy Yard looks... freakin' brilliant, as this guy might say. A partial lineup of breweries participating?

• Blue Point
• Stone
• Dogfish Head
• He'brew
• Nodding Head
• Sly Fox
• Yards
• Stoudt's
• Brooklyn Brewery
• Straub

Philly Craft Beer Festival [Official Site]

Over at the Daily News, they've got a pretty good rundown of Valentine's Day dining options. We'd say that author Lari Robling is bitter:

Valentine's Day. The restaurant is totally overbooked, the kitchen staff is unhappy about the specials and your server is annoyed at having nothing but clueless deuces all night.

Yeah, damn those high-tipping two tops. Among Robling's recommendations are gourmet Old City takeaway Fork: etc., South Philly's Rim Cafe and the bar at the Ritz Carlton.

Eating out for Valentine's Day? Why? [Daily News]

Two different sandwiches from two different South Philly institutions got written up by uber-excellent Philly food writer Francine Maroukian in Esquire this month:

• The roast pork-and-provolone at John's Roast Pork.

• Shank and Evelyn's chicken cutlet sandwich.

Two Entries in the Encyclopedia of Sandwiches [Foobooz]

Over at the Metro's food column, The Bite, we just found out about some going-ons over at the South Philadelphia Tap Room:

In other gastropub news, the South Philadelphia Taproom (1509 Mifflin St., 215-271-SPTR, www.southphiladelphia taproom.com) is days away from doubling in size. They’ve knocked out a wall and are just about set with a new dining room and kitchen. Hopefully this will mean the return of the sinfully delicious Newbold spuds (fried-to-order potato chips served with a spicy mayo, which are inexcusably off the menu). There’s some story about only having one fryer in the current kitchen. We hope the spuds will return with the new kitchen, but will make our way back regardless for the wild boar burrito.

Sounds good to us.

The Bite [Metro]
South Philadelphia Tap Room [MenuPages]
South Philadelphia Tap Room [Official Site]

Though this isn't restaurant news, it's tangentially food related... The good folks over at the Philadelphia KiXX are offering a dollar hot dog night on Saturday, February 23rd at the Spectrum. So if indoor soccer is your thing... go for it.

Philadelphia KiXX [Official Site]

South Philly topless bar Crazy Horse Too (pictured) has just been sold to New York "upscale gentmen's club" chain Rick's Cabaret, who plan to turn it into a combination steakhouse/upscale strip club. The New York Post's Page Six reports that owner Vince Piazza (father of baseball player Mike Piazza) is selling Crazy Horse to Rick's for $7.9 million. That's a lot of money, kids.

Topless Riches [NY Post]

The legendary Broad Street Diner is up for sale. A cool $1.9 million earns you the 144 seat diner, a 140 seat banquet area, a liquor license and a legacy of one of Philadelphia's classic drunkard/wino magnets. We're talking Tom Waits-style atmosphere here, folks. The full ad is below:

Just 1 minute from center city of Philadelphia, Well-known "Broad St Diner" facility is on 14,171 sqft lot right on Broad street with parking in front and in the rear. Super location with walking distance to Kimmel center, Theaters, Avenue of the Arts, High rise condos, Shopping, schools…public transportation is right at the front. Dining area with capacity for 144 people . Banquet area for 140 has been rented for parties, special events… for weekend. Large 3 offices and 2 full baths can be used for office or apartment. Golden opportunities for Developer, Investor, or Family run business.

South Broad street diner for sale [Craigslist]
Matchmaking: Restaurants & Real Estate [Foobooz]

A 19 year-old Chester County man has been arrested in the December attack on a Geno's Steaks employee. Kevin Bacci of Devon has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and related offenses; he turned himself in. Here's the story via the Daily News:

The attack came after two men began shouting insults at employees inside Geno's. Chestnut, who was outside power-washing the restaurant's exterior walls, intervened and implored the men to stop.

Instead, the duo began arguing with Chestnut, police said. The dispute ended only after one of the men picked Chestnut up and slammed him head-first into the ground twice, knocking him unconscious.

Devon man nabbed in violent Geno's assault [Daily News]
Geno's Steaks [MenuPages]
Geno's Steaks [Official Site]

American regional (beef on weck! garbage plates!) restaurant The Ugly American recently opened in Pennsport. The Daily News just stopped by and gave the resto a mixed review:

So, while I love the fact that the bar menu has the classic Beef-on-Weck sandwich (Buffalo, N.Y.'s, answer to our cheesesteak) and that there are some delicious dishes to be had, there are - like American tourists - some real loud and boorish ones to be found.

The Roasted Oysters ($8) were disappointing. Although the oysters were plump and briny, the cream sauce was thin and flavorless.

I noticed, on a paper menu, the option of Fried Chesapeake Oysters with apple-celery root slaw and bacon dressing. Somehow that sounds more promising.

The Daily News calls the mash-up of American regional styles served at the restaurant "confusion cuisine."

Ugly American could use a little restraint [Daily News]

[Image via Daily News]

South Philly coffeeshop E's Passyunk (located around the corner from the Passyunk Ave. Acme) just got purchased by Benna's Cafe, The Clog reports. Here's the official word:

It'll all become official on Thursday, Jan. 31; the space will undergo extensive renovations (including the installation of equipment to offer pressed juices and smoothies). It's tentatively being called B2.

Benna's buys E's Passyunk [The Clog]

Awesome. Michael Klein just tipped us off in his Inquirer column that Tony Luke's is offering a nationally distributed line of frozen foods in partnership with Rastelli Foods. No word yet on which stores will be targeted or the official roll-out date, but here's what Michael has to say:

The South Philly-rooted sandwichery is working with South Jersey's Rastelli Foods to launch a nationally distributed line of Tony Luke's products - steaks, roast pork, broccoli rabe, rolls - into supermarkets, home-shopping TV and through an online store.

Sounds good to us.

Inqlings [Inquirer]

This flashback from sportswriter Kerith Gabriel reminded us of exactly how much we love the Wing Bowl:

Finally, we're not the only person at the Daily News who takes the Wing Bowl seriously.

Sportswriter Kerith Gabriel shares his tale of how he came to appreciate the contest:

"I was 19, and he was a contestant named Sloth. And I attribute my passion for Wing Bowl to him.

"For me and I am sure countless others, one of the highlights of being at the annual glutton festival is the anticipation of an eater saying 'uncle' by way of spewing partially digested chicken all over the stage. And to this day for me, no one did it better than Sloth. I remember being up for most of the night, catching a minute or two of sleep between underage binge drinking and listening to 50 Cent. It was my first Wing Bowl, me a sophomore at Drexel and three dorm buddies who convinced me that the daylong fiesta of chicken, alcohol and scantily clad women was worth the price of the already free admission. But by mid-morning, I was too tired to care.

"However, leave it to the exploitation of one's weaknesses to add to the excitement, and there on the jumbo screen was Sloth, gurgling and covering his mouth, his face mixed with the agony of indigestion and the determination of a pseudo-athlete. At that moment when I realized his plight, so did he and the next thing I remember is