The best date of our life involved pizza on South Street, then a concert at Swarthmore College, followed by a dance party at Transit, but many years have passed since then, and we tend to seek out more grown-up date spots these days.

Center City has myriad great restaurants for whatever kind of mood you are trying to set, be it high romance or carefree fun, but it’s not the only game in town! Even If you didn't make it during University City Dining Days, we recommend checking out Marigold Kitchen in West Philadelphia for a chic-but-not-fussy meal. Although off the beaten path, there is something immensely appealing about making a night of it in West Philly, probably because it is quieter and more laid back, and not in spite of it.

Continue reading "Date Night: West Philadelphia Is For Lovers" »

We're not trying to be your social engagements secretary, but if you're looking for a pleasant way to spend a summer eve, here's one: Shakespeare in Clark Park, from now through August 3rd. "As You Like It" is the play, and verdant and vital Clark Park is the site. One of the lovely things about outdoor theater is that there is no fussy theater district to deal with or pricey pre-theater prix fixe menus. No, indeed! With this kind of event, you can be as casual as you want to be, and show up with nothing more than a picnic blanket, some chairs, if you are fancy like that, and some awesome food to munch on while you take in all the culture. So, without further ado, here's what we might go for as our take-out "pre-theater" meal.

• Beloved Koch's Deli is but a few blocks away, and will satisfy the most ardent meat-eaters in the audience. The fare isn't exactly refined, but oh my goodness does it taste good. They often give out samples of cold cuts or cheeses for those waiting in line, so you can find out what you're getting into before ordering your sandwich. We haven't been to Koch's in a while, because of that whole trying-to-be-heart-healthy thing, but if you're going to indulge, we should admit that we think about the "Lou Koch Special," which involves lofty layers of roast beef, turkey, and chopped liver more than we'd like to say.

• Gojjo is a hop, skip, and a jump away from the park, and a good bet if Ethiopian food sounds just right. Some might call it too messy for take-out, but we don't see any need to be prim about this whole affair! The fact is, that besides being thoroughly toothsome, Ethiopian is good for sharing, and we would be happy as a clam digging into one of the combination plates from Gojjo, especially if one of the dishes was the flavorful okra. Plus doesn't it seem fittingly Shakespearean to eat with one's hands?

• Finally, before we ever sunk our teeth into a banh mi, we were completely obsessed with the tofu hoagies at Fu-Wah Mini Market, which is right up the street on Baltimore and 47th. The fried tofu comes on a crispy hoagie roll and is topped with a generous dose of sriracha sauce, as well as a smattering of jalapeños. It is truly the stuff of dreams.

More info on the production is available at Shakespeare in Clark Park.

Koch's Deli [MenuPages]
Gojjo [MenuPages]

[Photo: freeformkatia/flickr]

Jose Garces has shown up in this blog twenty times in the past year and a half. He's been nominated for James Beard Foundation Awawrds and been feted by, among others, the New York Times and Food & Wine. In other words, he's one third of the Philly celebrity chef trinity alongside fellow partners in crime Marc Vetri and Michael Solomonov.

Garces new restaurant, Distrito, is opening on Monday in University City. The Clog has plenty of details for all you hungry folks, as does Phoodie. Here's The Clog:

"The staircase to the second floor is where designer Jun Aizaki (Amada, Tinto, Alma de Cuba, Pod) really starts killing it. On the left as you ascend — a wall featuring hundreds of insanely detailed Mexican luchador wrestling masks. On the right — lit-up effervescent movie posters. The pink square surrounded by lights? That's going to house a gigantic screen that'll play loops of luchador wrestling clips."

So in other words, you got Garces riffing on Mexican food accompanied by plenty of campy Mexican pro-wrestling stuff. Yeah, we're good on this.

Inside Distrito [The Clog/CityPaper]
Jose Garces Reveals Details for West Philly's Distrito [Phoodie.info]

Kaffa Crossing, a small West Philly coffee shop, also happens to serve a whole lot of Ethiopian food. In that, it's like a number of other Philadelphia Ethiopian and Eritrean establishments. Center City's Almaz Cafe is also a coffee shop Ethopian and Brewerytown's Era hides top notch Ethiopian behind a neighborhood bar.

But, boy oh boy, Craig LaBan is crazy for Kaffa Crossing's food. Especially the raw beef:

Tasting the kitfo raw is the ultimate barometer for the level of an Ethiopian kitchen - where the true quality of its meat and the chef's mastery in spicing are put on naked display. And Kaffa's kitfo was an adventure eater's delight. The finely chopped beef, mounded over injera next to some pleasantly bitter steamed collard greens, was so fresh it was almost like an exotic melon. Glossed to a deep ruby hue by clarified butter infused with a musky spice called "mitmita," a complex and traditional seasoning blend, each bite rang with shades of ginger, cloves, cardamom and a finishing snap of chile spice.

It sounds like this coffee shop will have a lot more customers in the future, if the LaBan effect is any indication.

Kaffa Crossing [MenuPages]
crazy for Kaffa Crossing's food [Inky]

The Locust Street branch of West Philly coffee shop mini-chain Green Line Cafe has moved a block west to 4426 Locust Street. Says the City Paper:

The new space is twice as big (plenty of sidewalk seating, too) and will soon serve as the primary performance venue for the West Philly baby chain, taking over for the original Green Line location at 43rd and Baltimore. When musicians aren’t gigging, Witmer says GLoL’s carpeted "stage" will double as a kids’ play area. Other big developments are in the works, as well: All three Green Line cafes will soon roll out a fresh-made salad and sandwich menu.

The Other Green Line [MenuPages]
The Other Green Line [Official Site]

And we're aware that by using "Southern Comfort" in the headline, we just committed journalistic cliche atrocity...

The new Southern fried incarnation of Marigold Kitchen was the proud recipient of the Craig LaB treatment this week. We've covered their goings-on before, but suffice to say they do an amazing modern incarnation of southern American cooking. What chef Erin O'Shea does over there is similar to what you'll find in high-end restaurants in, among others, Charleston and Savannah — and can't even really be found in NYC for chrissakes.

Tell us this doesn't sound awesome:

Mashed sweet potatoes come tucked inside mustard-scented pasta raviolis over peppery mustard greens scattered with crisp fried okra. Smoky trout salad mounded in the center of a bowl mingles with a silky puree of asparagus soup poured tableside. Bright buttermilk vinaigrette and fried green tomatoes add a vivacious spark to olive oil-poached salmon touched with a whiff of mesquite smoke.

And great cured sausage from Surry County, Va., lends just the right switch of country swagger to a sophisticated roulade of chicken stuffed with pears and cornbread. Paper-thin shavings of velvety Wigwam ham add a salty luster to the sweet cornbread pedastal topped with creamy collards and a sunnyside-up egg which, when broken, becomes a sunny sauce.

TELL US.

Marigold Kitchen [Inky]
Marigold Kitchen [MenuPages]
Marigold Kitchen [Official Site]

[Photo: Michael Bryant/Inky]

1. It's primary season.

2. As the dominant city in the state that will make or break Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, Philly is getting all up in this jawn.

3. Restaurateurs are getting in the act. The picture above of a sign at Tangier was snapped (typo included) by a Phillyist reader. Meanwhile, we just got word that West Philly's Abbraccio is serving as an honest-to-God polling place for its Southwest Philly district. Meanwhile, Silk City Diner is dropping with the pretense and holding three straight nights of Barack Obama events.

Proofreading Philadelphia [Phillyist]
Tangier [MenuPages]
Tangier [Official Site]
Abbraccio [MenuPages]
Abbraccio [Official Site]
Silk City Obama Events [Philebrity]
Silk City Diner [MenuPages]
Silk City Diner [Official Site]

The Philadelphia Business Journal is reporting (behind, alas, a pay wall) that beloved UK noodle chain Wagamama may possibly be searching out a University City location through the Michael Salove Company. Over at Blogalicious, Adam Erace has more information:

In an article detailing the rise of University City’s attractiveness to retailers, Larry Steinberg of Michael Salove Company (the big orange signs you see all around town) says that the UK-based noodle bar are scouting for a University City loc. Well, he doesn’t say that exactly, but if we think it hard enough perhaps it will happen.

We wrote about the glories of Wagamama (check out their Boston menu here) over at our last job. Let's just say that if yasai katsu curry makes it to Philadelphia, we'll be pretty damn happy.

University City draws crowd [PBJ]
Wagamama [MenuPages]
Wagamama [Official Site]

Here's a genius promotion. Southwest Philly Italian joint/grad student watering hole Abbraccio is offering a $40 gift certificate to whoever sends them the best succinct remark.

Last month's winner:

"If I had more time I'd write you a shorter letter."

Abbraccio [MenuPages]
Abbraccio [Official Site]

We just added a number of new menus to MenuPages Philadelphia. Highlights:

• The newly resurrected Astral Plane Millenium

• Northeast Philly's nuevo Thai BYOB Kao Tip

• The PETA-friendly lunch truck cuisine of Viva Las Vegans

• Philadelphia's first Uzbek-Russian restaurant, Stolovaya

Major League Soccer is coming to Phladelphia. At a press conference yesterday, MLS confirmed that a franchise would be awarded to Philadelphia — and word on the street is that they will be playing in an 18,500-seat park in Chester.

That's right... You won't be forced to root for Red Bull New York or DC United anymore.

So in honor of the good news, how about a shortlist of UK-style soccer hooligan food in Philly?

• University City's New Deck Tavern serves some right-on fries in curry sauce. They might just be PHI's best take on curry chips around.

• The Dark Horse Pub in Society Hill offers a traditional breakfast fry-up: $11.25 gets you eggs, sausage, bacon, beans, fried tomato, fried mushrooms, black pudding and white pudding.

• Irish pub The Bards offers up chicken curries and bangers and mash.

• Sitar India serves England's true national dish: Balti.

Philadelphia market to get soccer franchise [Inquirer]

Alright. West Philly's Marigold Kitchen, which we've covered the changes at before, is pretty damn drastically altered now thanks to new chef Erin O'Shea.

They're doing gourmet Southern fare now.

No more Middle East-inflected New America. Check out this description of the dishes, courtesy of Rick Nichols:

The turnip soup, sweet and airy, is poured tableside over a tiny Virginia ham and apple biscuit. Spiced pecans spice up the butter-lettuce salad (but so do pear and aged Gouda). The chiffonade of collard greens, lightly creamed, is an elegant take on the warhorse of greens; sauteed, not stewy, greasy and limp.

Corn bread ennobled with buttermilk and chive is accompanied by slivers of Virginia Wigwam ham (a smoked country ham) and sunny-side-up egg, $7; and it's crumbled in the subtle cornbread-pear stuffing in a roulade of tender chicken breast, $18.

Yeah, we like.

They will serve no grits before their time [Inquirer]

[Image via Inquirer]

The following menus have all been recently added to MenuPages Philadelphia:

• NoLibs bar Irish Times

• Center City Japanese joint Kaizan

• South Street Korean/Japanese Gaja Gaja

• Fairmount Park restaurant Centennial Cafe

• University City takeaway Picnic

West Philly's newest dining option is the Vietnam Cafe, on Baltimore Avenue between 47th & 48th Streets. We'll have their menu shortly... in the meantime, the Daily Pennsylvanian just stopped by the restaurant and found a worthwhile place:

On Baltimore Avenue, Lai is aiming for a calmer experience that brings his cuisine closer to some of his patrons. "Lots of customers of Vietnam live in West Philly, that's why I'm bringing Vietnam close to home," he said. Lai and his family - his father opened the deli located next to the Cafe - have been a fixture in the West Philadelphia neighborhood for over twenty years. Lai said he hopes to bring a low-key, highly tasty atmosphere to the new Vietnam Cafe. He says, "We don't need fast food [here], we need family gourmet."

More business on Baltimore Ave. [Daily Pennsylvanian]

[Image via Daily Pennsylvanian]

The Dock Street Brewpub in West Philly is smack in the middle of a neighborhood that's... a bit different:

There are bright spots: Vientiane Cafe, for instance, the tidy Laotian spot that once operated out of a backyard blue tent. From an alcove, the Satellite Coffee shop winks warmly. Local anarchists do a Wednesday vegetarian lunch at the gritty A Space, inviting the postman to stay for a $4 plate of ginger triple squash, garlic rice, and Brazilian black beans.

But passersby are more likely to register the visible downers - the Soviet-style liquor store (soon to be replaced), sad thrift stores, grated windows, and forbidding steel security doors.

Dock Street's menu indulges the neighborhood anarchos and vegans. The vegan pizza comes topped with pesto, artichoke, mushrooms, spinach, sun dried tomato, onions, peppers and tofu. There's a Sicilian pizza (that can easily be made non-dairy) with black olives, capers, pine nuts, roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes, mozzarella, tomato sauce and bazil. There's a vegetarian spinach pizza with crushed plum tomatoes, spinach and caramelized garlic.

But they don't forget about the meat eaters either. There's a nod to Franco-German soul food with the Flammenkuchen, topped with caramelized onion, bacon, gruyere and creme fraiche and a damn fine white sausage pizza.

Good stuff.

Drafting a course of change [Inquirer]
Dock Street [MenuPages]
Dock Street [Official Site]

[Image via Philadelphia Inquirer]

Over in the Metro, we've got a 2008 restaurant preview. There's Michael O'Halloran of Bistro 7 opening a new restaurant on the 13th Street corridor, a University City Mexican from Jose Garces of Amada/Tinto, Stephen Starr's new bistro and quite a few more. Oh... and Fishtown is getting another hipster booze n' food joint, the Memphis Tap Room, courtesy of the Nodding Head peeps.

2008 in calories [Foobooz]

We might want to cause serious bodily harm to writer Michael Pollan for popularizing the whole locavore thing (seriously... do rich bourgeois bohemians need one more excuse to pat themselves on the bloody back?), but it's big in Philly. Daily Candy has put together a list of local restaurants that emphasize ingredients grown in the greater Philadelphia area. Picks include the White Dog Cafe (pictured), Bistro 7 and Fork.

Die Hard Locavore [Daily Candy]

For this week's Illadate, we've got a delightful jaunt to West Philly. On the agenda: Bubble House, Pattaya and The Metropolitan Bakery.

Illadates Season Finale: West Philly Win A Date [Uwishunu]

This is good. Over at the Daily News, Beth D'Addono went into the trenches to find out what ingredients chefs are looking forward to using in 2008. Here's the count:

• Ari Weiswasser (Pearl): Green Papaya - "Green papaya easily takes on the flavor of a marinade while keeping its textural integrity."

• Marc Plessis (XIX Nineteen): Blue Foot chickens - "They're three times the price of a good chicken... around $4 a pound. But this bird is so juicy and flavorful - it's the Porsche of chickens."

• Roberta Adamo (Penne): Whole grains - "I don't worry about carbs... But I try to eat healthier, add more vegetables in with the sauces, use whole grains."

• Chris Scarduzio (Brasserie Perrier): Lentils

• Michael McNally (London Grill): Duck fat - "It brings flavor to everything - not an overtly duck flavor, just a better flavor, a silkiness on the tongue."

• David Ansill (Ansill): Squid ink - "You can serve fried calamari with a mayonnaise colored with it - that would be a great dish for Halloween."

• Ralph Fernandez (Moshulu): Micro herbs - "We have a standing order with Blue Moon Acres out of Buckingham, Pa... The flavors are so explosive, you really don't expect it."

• Olivier De Saint Martin (Zinc Bar): Roots - "These are noble vegetables... The flavors are simple, you don't need to fuss too much with them. Roots are good for you, and they've been making joy for poor people for so many years."

• Patrice Rames (Patou): Budget cuts - "Due to today's economy, chefs are looking for lower-cost cuts of meat to stay competitive... cooking in wine or liquid for hours breaks down the fibers and brings out wonderful flavors."

• David Wiederholt (Oceanaire Seafood Room): Bacon - "It's just a flavor wow."

That special something [Daily News]

[Image via Daily News]

Uwishunu just tipped us off to the cream cream cheese and pesto topped bagel at the Satellite Cafe in deep West Philly and damn it sounds good:

The “Bike Shop Special” takes its name from Firehouse Bicycles, above Satellite Cafe, but that’s as far as the connection goes, as far as I can tell. It turns out it’s a bagel– I chose poppyseed– spread with both cream cheese and pesto, and topped with spinach and roasted red peppers. The fresh leaves of spinach and the rich blend of basil and cheese make for one satisfying sandwich.

Bagel Sandwiches at Satellite Cafe [Uwishunu]

Foobooz has the scoop on the New Year's Eve dinner at Marigold Kitchen, which will be chef Michael Solomonov's last at the restaurant. As we've previously mentioned, he's opening new restaurant Zahav and chef Erin O'Shea is taking over at the spot. Courtesy of Foobooz, here's the menu:

“Solo’s Last Meal”

1st Course
Sea urchin, scrambled eggs, caviar, virginia ham

2nd Course
Chick-pea cavatelli, lamb bolognese, yemeni spice

3rd Course
Turbot poached in truffle butter, cauliflower, saffron

4th Course
Roasted rib-eye cap, caramelized cepes, foie gras jus

Cheese

Dessert
Warm chocolate cake, toasted sesame ice cream, passionfruit

New Year's Eve Options Updated [Foobooz]
Marigold Kitchen [MenuPages]
Marigold Kitchen [Official Site]

Big news from popular West Philly BYOB Marigold Kitchen. Longtime chef Michael Solomonov is out; he's going to be focusing full-time on cooking at upcoming upscale Israeli spot Zahav while keeping on working on Marigold's business end. Food & Drinq reports that the new chef is Erin O'Shea (pictured). O'Shea is currently sous chef at the restaurant and will be changing the restaurant's menu to "modern southern" come January 2008. Here's a sneak peak at the menu:

Some dishes: Turnip soup with Virginia ham biscuits; seared cornbread with creamy collards and Virginia wigwam ham, topped with a sunny side up egg; pork tenderloin with creamed collards and house-pickled peaches; Virginia stone-ground grits with shrimp; chicken liver toast with house-pickled celery and fig jam; scallops with tapioca pearls, mussels, and sweet potatoes; and chicken with house-made cornbread, pear stuffing, braised cipollini onions and mustard greens.

Sounds good.

Chef change at Marigold [Food & Drinq]
Marigold Kitchen [MenuPages]
Marigold Kitchen [Official Site]

Interesting. We just got word of some new Christmas-themed cocktails at Mad Mex:

The Candy Cane margarita is a minty, twisty, frosty treat that we could only get away with in December. Yes, it comes complete with its namesake sticking smack dab in the middle. The Apple Cider frozen margarita is a rich, tequila-spiked take on the old-time hick-fave. And the Nog-a-Rita takes eggnog to a intriguing new level of adultness with Herradura Añejo, Grand Marnier and Frangelico.

Mad Mex [MenuPages]
Mad Mex [Official Site]

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]

Adam of Blogalicious recently stopped by the Global Tastes benefit dinner at the Penn Museum. Proceeds went to help immigrant communities throughout the Delaware Valley and praticipating restaurants included Shouk, Rangoon, Susanna Foo and the Jamaican Jerk Hut. The food sounded amazing:

Sweet and sour cauliflower from Shouk, pan-fried pork dumplings from Susanna Foo, Our favorite thing of the evening, fresh ginger juice and strawberry lemonade from Jamaican Jerk Hut. We drank seven samples. L.D. would not be pleased.

Night at the Museum [Blogalicious]

ver in West Philly, popular neighborhood Italian spot Abbraccio view themselves as much as a community gathering center as a restaurant. Owing to that, they just tipped us off that they're holding political discussions, book signings and art exhibitions this month:

Sunday, Nov. 11 at 7pm, Health Care Reform discussion. “Neighborhood Networks” presents a discussion and debate by experts on two types of health care reform proposals, including one proposed by Governor Rendell. FREE!

Mon, Nov. 12 6pmDinner/7:30pm Talk by Michael Garrett, author of “Cemetery Promises.”

Cemetery Promises arose from the pent-up anger and frustration of an inner-city teacher who has had enough. Many of our young people are hurting, confused, lonely, searching and looking for someone to step in and make a difference.

Michael will talk about his book and sign copies. Dinner at 6pm, talk at 7:30. Cost is $20 for dinner-talk, and $7 for Dessert-coffee-talk at 7:15.

Fri, Nov. 16 5-7pm Gallery Opening: Images of Halloween: Thanks to Cynthia Preston and Liz Campion. For many years our local neighborhood has been a magnet for “trick or treaters” and no event has been larger than the annual haunted house tour with literally thousands of visitors. This event was originally run by Cyndy Preston at the Squirrel Hill Falls Park; now it’s held at Liz Campion’s house and yard. Liz and Cyndy will share some of their favorite photographs taken from the Haunted House tour. Light refreshments, FREE! The show will remain up for at least a month, and the sale of any photos will help support future events.

Abbraccio [MenuPages]
Abbraccio [Official Site]

• Trying out the goods at the new Dock Street Brewery.

• Drinkin' at Jose Pistolas and waxing bitter at Center City sports bars.

• Hahah, awesome. A new Queens Village restaurant named The Ugly American featuring ex-Loie chef David Gilberg will serve nothing but all-Amierican food.

• Philly's best milkshakes.

• Finally, a reason to go to Peddler's Village if you're under 50.

How's this for esoteric food hunts? Craig LaBan headed to deep Southwest Philly to try out Liberian cuisine, and it's all thanks to LaBan's French skills and some friendly parking attendants:

My African journey began, unexpectedly, in a Center City parking garage. I overheard the banter of French behind the register, where the attendants' conversation had turned to lunch. Of course, I couldn't help butting in.

So where was the best West African cooking in Philly, I wondered. A little fufu or jollof rice, perhaps a spicy mafe peanut and mutton stew? They gave me a startled look, then the cashier gushed: "Oh, there are soooo many! Just go to Woodland Avenue!"

So I left the garage with my car - and a couple of new addresses scribbled on a receipt. The next day, I headed with my colleague and fellow fufu fiend, Rick Nichols, on a quest to the great Southwest, a neighborhood where I hadn't spent nearly enough quality eating time. We turned left from Gray's Ferry onto Woodland Avenue, and a world of diverse storefronts unfurled - Caribbean, Vietnamese, a rib shack, and yes, numerous African eateries.

In case you were wondering, the fufu's awesome.

Memdee's [Inquirer]

We reported a few days back that new-to-Philly burrito chain Chipotle was giving away free burritos at the opening of their City Avenue location. The fearless crew from Foodzings decided to head down and, as you can see from the pic, it was a madhouse:

People Love Them Some Free Burritos... [Foodzings]

[Image via Foodzings]

This is pretty cool. The White Dog Cafe is hosting a Native American Thanksgiving Dinner on November 18th. Here's the official word from the restaurant:

Native American Thanksgiving Dinner co-hosted by the Lenape Nation, Sunday, November 18, 6 pm – Celebrate the many important and delicious foods in our diet that were originally cultivated by Native Americans and join a discussion led by members of the Lenape Nation, the indigenous peoples of our region. Proceeds from the dinner benefit the Lenape Nation to help with the purchase of former homelands.

White Dog Cafe [MenuPages]
White Dog Cafe [Official Site]

One benefit of Philly's current real estate renaissance (well, the ones in those magical neighborhoods that still have functioning city services) is the opening of new amenities. The Cira Center and Rae have done much to liven up the dead zone around 30th Street Station... and now, there's a new gastropub named Slainte that just opened across from 30th Street Station. It's owned by the New Deck Tavern folks and Daily Candy has the (co-branded) scoop:

The new go-to for the after-work crowd, Sláinte will please brew connoisseurs and foodies alike with its European draft beer system and huge drool-worthy menu. Fill up on items such as Prince Edward Island Mussels; bangers and mash; fish ’n’ chips; and, yes, cheddar beer dip made with Harp Lager. Then wash it all down with a massive selection of stouts; lagers; Hefeweizens; and, of course, Guinness. The high arched ceilings, gorgeous woodwork, and handcrafted Irish furniture create a cozy pub feel, while the six high-def TVs keep it modern.

Cheers to That [Daily Candy]

Don't these summer rolls look good? They are. You can find them at Vientiane Cafe in West Philly:

We started with the fresh vegetarian summer rolls ($3.95). Sometimes the fresh summer roll wrapper is too chewy for me, but these are a favorite of Alison's and I enjoyed these rolls at Vientiane Cafe more than I normally do. Rice noodles, along with thinly sliced carrots, baked tofu and cucumber are swaddled inside of a fresh rice paper sheet and served with spicy rice vinegar and plum sauce.

Vientiane Cafe [MenuPages]

Vientiane Cafe [Foodaphilia]

Well, you still have a few hours left to get your free burritos at Chiptole. The Mexican chain recently invaded Philadelphia and to celebrate the opening of their City Avenue location, burritos are on the house until 8pm. We'll have the menu shortly.

New Store Giving Away Free Burritos Today [NBC10]

We recently came across this review of West Philly hippie/punk-loving caffeine joint Satellite Coffeeshop and had to share it:

Having grown up with crusty punx; I barely noticed the customers draped in filthy costumes that are more patches than clothing. It is curious, but hitherto unremarkable that the number of the kids covered with paint is disproportionate to the amount of painting going on in the city. What cinched it for me was the second time I noticed a girl drinking coffee from a pseudo-Mason jar.

I’ve seen a slew of people bring their own travel cups or mugs into all manner of cafes. That is reasonable. In fact, Satellite knocks 50 cents from the price if you bring your own mug. The distinction here is the types of vessels which Satellite clients choose to bring: former containers for peanut butter, beans, or bruschetta. Drinking coffee from a glass jar is preposterous posturing beyond all rationality.

There is a reason that coffee mugs are porcelain or ceramic: thermal conduction. This lesson is not missed by these jar-drinkers, based on the method of gripping the jar by the rim with two finger tips they have developed to avoid a scalding wake up call.

I’ve never spoken to anyone at Satellite, so I merely can presume the motivations of these people. The only purposes I can imagine, based on the political positioning of the typical West Philly Kid, are matters of thrift and of ecology.

Satellite Coffeeshop [Cafe Tableaux]

So you go to Drexel? Cool. Posters at Chowhound are debating cheap eat options near the school. The following all got shout outs:

• Dock Street Brewing Company (50th & Baltimore)
• The Magic Carpet food truck
• The Koja (Korean-Chinese) food truck
• Pattaya
• Mad Mex

Phila University City - (Drexel) cheap eats [Chowhound]

We've found what might be Philadelphia's best tomato salad... and it's at an Ethiopian/Eritrean restaurant. Here's the word from Uwishunu on Dahlak:

The difference between a tomato and a tomato salad is all in the seasoning. Seasoning that emphasizes fresh-tomato-yness rather than covering it up. The tomato salad at Dahlak is drizzled with olive oil, onions, lemon, parsley, and green chili peppers– a brilliant combination.

Dahlak’s original twist is that the chopped tomato is poured right onto the spongy injera bread, which soaks up the spicy cool oil and perfectly complements the flavor of the tomatoes. The Eritrean dishes there are delicious too, but the temptation to always order them paired with the tomato salad is so strong that I’ve yet to overcome it.

Green chili Olive Oil meets the Tomato at Dahlak [Uwishunu]
Dahlak [MenuPages]
Dahlak [Official Site]

Ramadan, the holiest month on the Muslim calendar, started last week. Observant Muslims are required to fast from sunrise to sunset and a special meal called "iftar" is eaten at night. Several restaurants around Philadelphia will be serving food for iftar, including Kabobeesh and Saad's Halal.

Saad's Halal [MenuPages]
Kabobeesh [MenuPages]

[Image via Midtown Lunch]

Over at Gridskipper, there's a fun little guide to vegetarian friendly dining options in Philadelphia. Recently mentioned vegan joint Horizons gets a nod, as does Azure, the newly opened Machismo Burrito Bar, Reading Terminal Market, Singapore, Gianna's Grille and Govinda's Gourmet To Go. To that list, we'd also like to add the gloriously messy veggie sandwiches at Tony Luke's and the vegan-friendly red sauce Italian at Vesuvio.

Top Picks: Going Veggie in Philly [Gridskipper]

This is damn depressing. Philadelphia restaurants are having so many problems with drunk college kids that they're enacting anti-student policies. Center City Texican El Azteca II is making all groups of six or more sign a contract to abide by restaurant regulations... with cash punishments. For instance, guests have to pay $50 if they throw up in the restaurant. There's a reason for that:

"A few people puked at the table last year, and one guy punched a hole in the wall of the bathroom," said Oscar Agular, a manager at El Azteca. College students "are pretty out of control when they start getting drunk. We needed to protect ourselves."

Meanwhile, University City's Ajia Japanese Fusion requires groups of six or more give both the credit card numbers and drivers license numbers before sitting down. The worst part? Penn students don't even get their free birthday sombrero at El Azteca anymore. Blasphemy, yo!

"I once had to chase people down the street for not paying the bill," Agular said. "People started taking our sombreros off the wall; some people started to steal our pitchers." [...] Finally, the birthday sombrero and ice-cream pie, once complementary, are no longer free.

And not everyone is happy about that.

"That's no fun. It's too bad you have to make a down payment to eat in a restaurant," said College senior Katie Duncan. "The whole point is the free sombrero."

[...]

"Penn students in particular take things for granted. They go to this restaurant and don't think about the consequences of their actions," Wharton sophomore Dennie Zastrow. "It ruins the fun for everybody."

Remember, kids: Puking in restaurants is bad.

• Hey, we might finally be able to rejoin the rest of civilization and be able to buy six packs of beer without going to one of the ten delis in Philly that will let us!

• Good news for the troubled 52nd Street strip. A massive new Caribbean restaurant is opening at 52nd & Walnut. Added bonus: The menu will include Trini classics like macaroni pie and doubles. Also on the world cuisine front, a Paraguayan restaurant (!) is opening in NoLibs.

• Wanna have a mole pizza? Why the heck not.

• Sampling dinner at Honey's Sit & Eat. "If something is deep fried at Honey's, you should order it."

• This Monday, XIX is hosting the Argentina Masters of Food & Wine USA Tour.

Hmm. Maybe we misjudged sandwich chain Potbelly Sandwich Works after all. It turns out Food & Wine just waxed rhapsodic about Potbelly's 215 branch, even putting it in the same category as Osteria and Tinto:

"I had a few hours to while away before a good friend’s wedding festivities and would have loved to try any (or several) of the restaurants on my Philly wish list—namely, Marc Vetri’s Osteria and any of Jose Garces’s spots. I even salivated at the sight of Potbelly Sandwich Works, the ultra-cheap sandwich chain that Chicago star chef Grant Achatz told me he’d go to once a week if he could."

In other Potbelly news, Taste Daily just did a feature on them as well.

Potbelly Sandwich Works [MenuPages]
Potbelly Sandwich Works [Official Site]
Top Philly Import [Food & Wine]
Potbelly Sandwich Works [Taste Daily/Philly Mag]

[Image via Taste Daily]

Over at Philadelphia mag's Taste Daily food blog, Ashley Primis went to the trouble of rounding up Philly's top potato skins. The winners:

Around Philly has put together a list of their favorite brunch spots. Passyunk coffee shop Black N Brew gets a shout out for their (admittedly awesome) grape-and-goat-cheese salad; Sabrina's Cafe scores for both the "morning after impress brunch" and the "morning after regret brunch" and