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 Erin Zimmer, April 25, 2008 at 6:15 PM
The eternal Pat's vs. Geno's question entered the Pennsylvania political dialogue on Tuesday, and Geno's owner Joey Vento is still cranky. Obama chose archrival Pat's across the street instead, and Hillary got hers in the 'burbs (with Italian greens). "If they don't have the guts to come here and talk about the immigration problem, they're not capable of running our country," Vento said. Tomorrow, Vento will put down the Whiz for a sold-out debate on immigration at the Philadelphia Inquirer building.
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 23, 2008 at 1:30 AM
Forget Hillary and Barack. (That news is so five hours ago anyway.) The real "bitter" rivalry in Pennsylvania is between Pat's and Geno's in South Philly. The Colbert Report investigates the feud and determines that the across-the-street contest is only hurting cheesesteakdom as a whole.
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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.
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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 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, August 21, 2007 at 4:05 PM
Looks like Di Bruno Bros. in Philadelphia has gotten its hands on a shipment of mangosteens.
In the coming weeks, Di Bruno Bros. (1730 Chestnut Street; 215-665-9220) will carry a very, very limited supply of the fruit, at an intriguing/slightly frightening price of $45 per pound (the average mangosteen weighs about a third of a pound).
That's about $15 a 'steen, for those of you slow on the math tip. [via Don Luis]
Earlier: Mangosteens in the U.S., The Mangosteens Are Coming
Posted by Robyn Lee, June 19, 2007 at 10:00 AM
John of Cho Tabetai outlines the steps for properly constructing and eating a Philly Taco, down to the eateries from which you must source your key ingredients: cheesesteak houses and pizzerias. Although beer is not an ingredient in the taco, it's necessary to produce the state of drunkenness required to appreciate the essence of the Philly Taco. For those of us who don't live in Philly, you can make an imitation by following these steps:
1. Get hammered.
2. Obtain cheesesteak.
3. Obtain plain slice of pizza.
4. Roll the cheesesteak into the slice.
5. If you have managed to get to this step while intoxicated, reward yourself by eating your "taco."
Gross or intriguing? I'll try anything once.
Posted by Adam Kuban, May 31, 2007 at 7:40 PM
Craig LaBan, food critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, was so inspired by the blue cheese–stuffed burgers at Philly's Good Dog Bar & Restaurant that he wrote a song about it. No truer words have been sung about burgers:
All my life, I’ve been a burger chaser
That perfect simple sandwich shouldn’t be so hard to find
But how many times have I been sorry, after just one bite
To find a fraud between the buns
And it looks like LaBan's roundup of Philly's best burgers also doubled as an excuse to shoot footage for a wacky video to illustrate his song.
Posted by Ed Levine, May 23, 2007 at 7:38 AM
A few months ago I wrote about my delicious dinner at Vetri, a stunningly good Italian restaurant on the ground floor of a townhouse on an unassuming street in Philadelphia. Last Friday I was supposed to meet Philadelphia Inquirer restaurant critic Craig Laban at Mark Vetri's new pizzeria-trattoria Osteria. I had to cancel (too much work to do at Serious Eats, and I feared Serious Eaters Adam and Alaina would yell at their overlord).
Now, Mr. Bruni has beaten me and Serious Eats to the punch with a long piece on Vetri in today's New York Times. After reading his account of his meals at Osteria, which sounded like works in progress, I decided that postponing my trip to Philly was providential. By the time Mr. Laban and I reschedule, Osteria will, one hopes, be in full flight, and it will definitely be on my one-day Philly eating adventure. Currently these places are on my dancecard:
Continue reading »
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 Lia Bulaong, April 20, 2007 at 1:00 PM
The Philadelphia City Paper's Margaret Battistelli lists five delicious Amish treats and where best to get them in the area. My tastebuds are all a-flutter at her description of the Stoltzfus Bakery's wet-bottom shoofly pie, "like two desserts in one — a buttery coffee cake laid over a thick, sweet sludge made of brown sugar, butter and molasses. It's better than the cakier dry-bottom version, and sweet enough to make your teeth ache on contact."
Posted by Adam Kuban, April 17, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Menu reference site MenuPages has launched a network of food blogs to go along with the more utilitarian fare there. Cities covered so far are Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco. Pretty entertaining reads.
Cheesesteak mention from Philly? Check. Burrito mention from the City by the Bay? Check. Boston and Chicago, however, are remiss in their iconic food references. All in good time, I'm sure.
Posted by Alaina Browne, February 16, 2007 at 6:00 AM
Photograph by Adam Kuban, Serious Eats
Chinese New Year and the year of the pig according to the Chinese zodiac, begins this Sunday, February 18. Because Chinese New Year is tied to the lunar calendar, it falls on a different date every year, usually between January 19 and February 23. It begins on the second new moon after the winter solstice and ends 15 days later with the Lantern Festival. According to tradition, the celebration gets under way on New Year's Eve with a family dinner hosted at the eldest family member's home; it is considered the most important annual family tradition. Family members travel from near and far to attend. A family's given menu will vary by region, but here are some of the more popular dishes and their symbolism:
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Posted by Ed Levine, November 15, 2006 at 9:46 AM
What's the best piece of pie you've ever eaten?
Karen Barker, pastry chef and co-owner of the Magnolia Grill, 1002 Ninth Street, 919-286-3609, Durham, NC), makes the best pies I've ever eaten. Karen made all the pies for a pie breakfast at a Barbecue Conference I went to a few years ago In Oxford, Mississippi, and I'm afraid I singlehandedly decimated her supply of pies. She wrote a terrific cookbook a few years ago, and tomorrow or the next day I will put her pie recipe up on Ed Levine Eats.
In New York, as I mentioned yesterday, my two favorite pie bakers are Two Little Red Hens (1112 8th Ave. (11th St.), Park Slope, 718-499-8108, 1652 2nd Ave. (85th St.) 212-452-0476, and Yura & Company, 1650 Third Ave. (92nd St.),212-860-8060. If you haven't ordered your pies for Thanksgiving this year, and you live in New York, get your pies from one of these places.
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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
