Posted by Joy Manning, July 10, 2008 at 8:29 AM
In anticipation of Philly-area geeks showing some brotherly love by camping out for the new iPhone 3G, we asked our Philadelphia correspondent Joy Manning for some restaurant recommendations near the King of Prussia Apple Store.
Most Philadelphians stock up on Apple tech toys at the enormous King of Prussia mall since there's no store downtown. Healthy food is scarce here, like at any food court, but Legal Sea Foods offers a take-out stand with clam chowder available in a still-flavorful “lite” version. Not concerned about staying fit for your wait? Get the lobster roll—the tastiest sandwich at the mall. 690 West Dekalb Pike, King of Prussia PA 19406 (map)
Sweet freaks know Rita’s Water Ice is the source for quick blood sugar rushes and a fat-free boost. Flavors range from chocolate to mango, and a small ice has only 177 calories. (Healthy enough.) 303 Mall Boulevard,
King of Prussia PA 19406 (map)
If you’ve got a buddy to send out while you wait, get him to Desi Village, a secret Indian fave. Inexpensive, authentic curries and tandoori will keep you satisfied no matter how long the wait time. 145 South Gulph Road, King of Prussia PA 19406 (map)
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Serious Eats Mobile
Now's a good time to mention that you can view this guide on Serious Eats Mobile: m.seriouseats.com. And because Serious Eats Mobile supports commenting, you can supply live eats intel from the field, from whatever device you're about to upgrade out of. It's as easy as thumb-thumb-thumb-Post a comment!
Whereas Mitch Hedberg was against picketing but didn't know how to show it, the MenuPages Blog is more inventive. Editor Neal Ungerleider takes a stand against animal rights picketers in Philadelphia by publishing his
guide to the city's best foie gras.
Posted by Joy Manning, April 21, 2008 at 11:00 AM
I like Good magazine. Really, I’m a subscriber. (You might consider subscribing, too. It’s only $20 and it goes directly to a charity of your choice, and one of the options is Slow Food.) But when I read Good’s piece on the tastiest streets in America and saw my beloved Ninth Street—Philadelphia’s treasured Italian Market—left off the list, I wondered how the author could have been so asleep behind the keyboard.
I know I’m somewhat biased. When my husband and I bought our house, proximity to the market was the single nonnegotiable factor. Walking the market, loaded-down shopping bag over my shoulder, is like my Paxil, a moving (and eating) meditation on what makes life worth living. This is my completely personal tour of what I believe is the tastiest street on earth.
Continue reading »
Posted by Joy Manning, April 3, 2008 at 3:00 PM
You may know us for our cheesesteaks. But lately, it seems more and more outsiders are becoming aware of Philly’s real sandwich treasure: roast pork sandwiches. John’s Roast Pork, literally a shack in a lot by the river (and amid a newish cluster of big-box shopping plazas), has been lauded in the pages of Esquire. More recently, the Washington Post pounded the pavement in search of this other Philly favorite.
Just as with the cheesesteak, there are variations. But most aficionados agree that a roast pork sandwich with garlicky broccoli rabe and sharp provolone cheese is a holy trinity of Philly flavors. Next time you are here, skip the partially-hydrogenated cheesefood and that stupid, offensive sign. Chow down on the roast pork instead.
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Posted by Joy Manning, March 27, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Photographs from Horizons, Ansill, and Southwark.
A restaurant crawl—the kind of night where you wander from place to place sampling smallish portions of this and that—can sound great in theory, but from a practical standpoint it can be a hard thing to pull off. Choosing restaurants whose menus might mesh is essential, but so is their proximity to each other. Strolling, not cabbing, is part of the appeal.
There’s some luck involved, because it’s almost impossible to make a bar-stool reservation for a small plate and a glass of wine. Restaurants understandably want to save tables for those ordering full meals. It’s also best to limit your party to two for ease of bar seating—and conversation. Starting early helps a lot.
For a Philly restaurant crawl, your best bet is surprisingly not Center City. Seems like an obvious choice with so many restaurants packed together, but most cater to tourists and the gems are separated by blocks of lackluster places. (Remember, we want stroll-friendly). Head to the Queen Village neighborhood instead, where there's a high concentration of outstanding eateries, many serving small plate options. Here are four spots you must hit along the way.
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Posted by Joy Manning, March 4, 2008 at 10:30 AM
Editor's note: We're pleased to introduce a new voice here to the Serious Eats community. Joy Manning is the restaurant critic for Philadelphia magazine and will be checking in on occasion to bring us all up to speed on Philly eats. Welcome, Joy! —Adam
Philadelphia’s BYOB scene has been well-documented in the past. They have good food and offer the opportunity to enjoy a meal out without a steep markup on wine, but not all BYOs are created equal. Many have mediocre menus and some cost even more than their cocktail-slinging counterparts. Here is my selective list of bargain BYOBs that offer unfussy but fantastic food, unbeatable prices and personality, even if that also means lacking a website.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, February 20, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Cybele of Candy Blog reports that beloved candy store Baldinger's Market is closing in June due to the passing away of owner Lois Dodge. The store has been in operation in Zelienople, Pennsylvania since 1933 and is known for its incredible candy selection. Cybele says,
Baldinger’s boasted an excellent collection of candies. Much of it was bulk items and classic hard-to-find items like anise squares, Nik-l-Nips, wax lips and Mary Janes. They had seasonal candies as well, as that’s half the fun of candy along with candy bars from all over the country, limited editions and not the just the biggies.
Head out to Western Pennsylvania to get your candy fix before it's too late!
Baldinger's Market
Address: 22105 Perry Hwy (Route 19), Zelienople, PA 16063 (map)
Phone: 724-452-9310
Posted by Ed Levine, January 13, 2008 at 1:00 PM
Fishtown, a newly gentrified section of Philadelphia, may have the best cheesesteak in the city—which is saying something—as well as a fine bacon-wrapped meatloaf (Serious Eaters do love their bacon-wrapped meatloaf). The New York Times takes a look at food options in the neighborhood:
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Posted by Adam Kuban, May 1, 2007 at 1:00 PM
Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market held their very first Scrapplefest last month to celebrate the Pennsylvania treat, and the big draw was of course a cooking contest with the winner to be crowned Scrapple King.
Third place went to a pulled-pork and scrapple sandwich with pecorino cheese, and second to crisp-fried scrapple used as toast points with seared tuna, mango and avocado. You'd think the big prize would've gone to the guys who made a sweet scrapple bread pudding, dressed with a white chocolate sauce, or maybe the creator of "Scrapple Nouveau", who made a napoleon of sorts by layering "his homemade scrapple with apricot compote, blood orange sauce, goat cheese, microgreens and a polenta-pig topping." But no, 2007's Scrapple King is Nick Ochs of the highly-esteemed Harry G. Ochs and Sons, recognized for his scrapple burger and fries. It sounds straightforward enough, but I'm guessing the judges were mightily impressed by the fact that his "fries" were actually made out of scrapple too: sliced into strips and deep-fried. Truly a man for the ages.
Posted by Ed Levine, October 31, 2006 at 10:46 AM
I did an insane thing last night. I took the train to Philadelphia to meet some friends at Vetri. Vetri was opened a few years ago by Marc Vetri, a Philly native who had cooked in NY at Bella Blu, an Upper East Side Italian restaurant that serious eaters have never paid much attention to.
Rave reviews greeted Vetri's opening in Philly. Mario Batali raved, saying that Vetri was possibly the best Italian restaurant on the East Coast. My friend Andy Clurfeld of the Asbury Park Press kept telling me that I had to check Vetri out.
So I did, last night, even though my first train was so late I had to buy an Acela ticket in order to be a mere half hour late. And Andy and Mario and everyone else who has been telling me about Vetri are right.
Vetri is a terrific restaurant, serving the kind of simple, gutsy, long deep-flavored Italian food rarely found in this country. People in jeans and jackets and ties seem to be having a terrific time at Vetri eating unpretentious, unbelievably delicious, unapologetically rich food.
What did we eat?
A superb Antipasto plate with little cubes of fried potato, sherry-charred burssels sprouts, grilled fennel, prosciutto, mortadella, grilled scamorza, and a couple of things I can't remember.
Golden sweet onion crepe with white truffle fondue
Chestnut Fettucine with Wild Boar Ragu
Sweetbread Ravioli with Braised Veal Sauce
Spinach Gnocchi with Shaved Ricotta and brown butter
Pappardelle with porcini mushrooms and shaved white truffles
Almond tortellini with white truffle sauce
Smoked pork sausage with mostarda
Roasted baby goat (capretto) with soft polenta
For dessert:
Buttered pear tart with chocolate sorbet
Beignets that we dipped in Italian Hot Chocolate
Ice Cream Sundae with Candied Hazelnuts
Maple Napoleon
I don't know if Vetri is the best Italian restaurant in America, or even the East Coast for that matter. I do know that it was easily worth the trip to Philly, even if your train is an hour late.
Vetri is at 1312 Spruce Street, ph: 215-732-3478
Here's Craig LaBan's review in the Philadelphia Inquirer
