Philadelphia Magazine just released their Top 50 Restaurants in the city. Some of the favorites, including the top spot, are found in South Philadelphia. The list has been known to create some controversy, purposely-favoring newer spots over the older and tried but true. Philadelphia Magazine Editor in Chief Tom McGrath admits that this may be true writing:

”I’ve occasionally heard criticism that our lists skew towards newer places, ignoring some great restaurants that have been around for years. I’ve never done the math but I suspect there is some truth in that – if only because part of what we give credit for is how current a restaurant is when it comes to food trends, and how it’s pushed Philadelphia’s food scene forward.”

With nine of the top ten restaurants being in Washington Square and South Philly, we can conclude that our zip codes are where the food scene in Philadelphia is flocking. When reading the addresses, the words South and Passyunk continue to pop up. Passyunk Avenue has become a true foodie’s destination, lined with superb gastronomical laboratories that continue to expand our culinary horizons.  Live Love Philly has listed Philadelphia Magazines Top Ten here with some shout outs to our other local favorites that made the list.

1. Stateside – 1536 East Passyunk Avenue – 215.551.2500
2. Marigold Kitchen
3. Vedge – 1221 Locust Street – 215.320.7500
4. The Farm and Fisherman – 267.987.1555
5. Le Virtu – 1927 East Passyunk Avenue – 215.271.5626
6. Sbraga – 440 South Broad Street – 215.735.1913
7. Fond – 1537 South 11^th Street – 215.551.5000
8. Amis – 412 South 13^th Street – 215.732.2647
9. Vetri – 1312 Spruce Street – 215.732.3478
10. Bibou – 1009 South 8^th Street – 215.965.8290

16. Will – 1911 East Passyunk Avenue – 215.271. 7683

23. Tashan – 777 South Broad Street – 267.687.2170

28. Jamonera – 105 South 13^th Street – 215.568.1027

46. Federal Donuts – 1219 South 2^nd Street – 267.687.8258

Related articles

• East Passyunk Avenue Restaurant Week (livelovephilly.wordpress.com)
• Local Groups Head Passyunk Avenue Clean Up (livelovephilly.wordpress.com)
• Food And Wine Magazine Awards East Passyunk Avenue A Spot On Its List Of 10 Best Foodie Streets In America (uwishunu.com)

But then, a friend introduced me to Le Virtu on East Passyunk Ave. When I walked in, a beautiful, Mediterranean style dining room welcomed me with low lighting and soft music. I sat at the bar and received a basket of crunchy, Tuscan style bread with a plate of olive oil, ordered up a glass of Pinot Grigio and sunk into the menu. No fried cutlets slathered in sauce and cheese. No kids in high chairs crying while eating spaghetti and meatballs. This was exactly the kind of place I was looking for.

The special salad for the evening was topped with cherry tomatoes, roasted peppers, topped with shaved mozzarella (!) and dressed in a balsamic reduction. I was originally only planning on getting pasta but this sounded amazing. It tasted even better. The fresh mozzarella really made the dish. I know salads are supposed to be “healthy” and all, but to me – the more cheese, the better!

For my main course, I went with the Maccheroni alla mugnaia: A hand-pulled, single-strand of pasta, tossed with garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, hot pepper and sprinkled with pecorino. They also provide a basket of various peppers if you’d like to spice it up even more. I am a baby when it comes to spicy and hot things, so I left it as is (plus, I figured it was better to try it in it’s “virgin” state ). The pasta had a wonderful flavor and consistency. I had heard about this dish – and the uniqueness of the single strand pasta in the Abruzzo region – for quite some time and was excited to finally try it; it exceeded all my expectations.

But wait, there’s more! What Italian dinner wouldn’t be complete without dessert and an espresso? Don’t expect tiramisu or cannoli here, but definitely try the Semifreddo al torrone di cioccolato if you’re looking for something sweet and delicious: It’s a dark chocolate semifreddo, torrone crumble, drizzled with salted caramel sauce. It was so rich and creamy, it’s a good thing I was splitting it with a friend.

Molto bene! È squisito!

Le Virtu immediately reminded me of the the rustic vibe of the osteria that I’d worked at, and when I’d finished my meal, I knew that this would instantly become my favorite dinner spot. It was like finding a lake after so many years scouring the desert. I can’t wait to come back again (my skinny jeans are already quivering in fear!).

By Hadas Kuznits

.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A Dutch and Northern European restaurant joins the East Passyunk restaurant scene this spring when Noord Eetcafe comes to 1046 Tasker Street.

“We’re doing a Northern European concept,” says chef-owner Joncarl Lachman (top photo).  “My family is of Dutch descent.  I’ve spent a lot of time in the Netherlands, and in northern Europe as well.  If you go out for a fancy dinner in the Netherlands, it’s kind of Frenchy.  If you go out for something at an eetcafe, it’s almost like an English pub-style thing.”

Hear the full “Noord Eetcafe” interview (runs 6:53)…

[cbs-audio url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d2/dG/d9/dH/12G9H_3.MP3" size="normal" download="true" name="Noord Eetcafe" artist="Hadas Kuznits / Joncarl Lachman"]

.

And elsewhere in the East Passyunk neighborhood, chef Joe Cicala of Le Virtù restaurant (1927 East Passyunk Avenue) is getting ready to lead a weeklong culinary tour of the Abruzzo region of Italy, starting April 18th.

(Kuznits:)  “And you’re basically gonna eat your way through Italy?”

(Cicala:)  “Pretty much.  We’re gonna stay at some pretty signature places.  We’ll be visiting a few different towns, everywhere from the mountains to down by the ocean.”

(Joe Cicala of Le Virtù. Credit: Hadas Kuznits)

—-

Hear the full “Abruzzo Tour” interview (runs 4:19)…

[cbs-audio url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d2/dG/d9/dE/12G9E_3.MP3" size="normal" download="true" name="Le Virtù in Abruzzo" artist="Hadas Kuznits / Joe Cicala"]

.

Meanwhile, Bryn Mawr native and television cooking personality Hope Cohen has published her first cookbook, Fast, Fresh + Simple.

(Hope Cohen, with her new cookbook. Photo provided)

—-

“I wanted to make something really great tasting, but it also had to be fast because the kids had homework to do and I wasn’t going to get home until late,” Cohen tells What’s Cooking.  “So these were the recipes that I cooked every night for my kids, but I also found that I was cooking the same recipes on the weekend when I was entertaining.”

—-

Hear the full “Fast, Fresh + Simple” interview (runs 11:54)…

[cbs-audio url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d2/dG/d9/dF/12G9F_3.MP3" size="normal" download="true" name="New Cookbook" artist="Hadas Kuznits / Hope Cohen"]

.

And for this week, that’s “What’s Cooking on 1060!”

—–

“What’s Cooking on 1060″ main page

Follow Hadas Kuznits on Twitter!

We were waiting for some friends, so I sat down at the bar and ordered a drink.  I observed an official document on the wall.  I scan over and my eyes widened to find this restaurant has some distinction.  Hilary Rodham Clinton, the current Secretary of State, is honoring the chef (Joe Cicla) as one of the 80 Culinary diplomats in the American Chef Corps.  I am impressed, however, I will let my mouth decide.

One unique feature about this restaurant is the chef’s inspiration.  The Abruzzo region, a region east of Rome bordered by the Adriatic, is the inspiration for the cuisine.  Whenever possible, they use ingredients from the local area (such as Lancaster and Berks County) and if not available, imported from Abruzzo directly.

For our meal, we start with the Scrippelle m’busse.  If you like Wonton soup, this may be in your alley.  The chicken broth is very flavorful with delicate crepes floating in it.  The crepes are very light, which doesn’t make you feel guilty as you chow them down.  The pecorino inside gives it a bit of a bite to give your appetite more flavor than just the broth.

Next, I went with something that looked really good to me, Agnolotti alla porchetta.

Sometimes, I’d rather go with the less gravy dishes and go for more of the olive oil based dishes.  For me, this had a lot of flavors I enjoy.  First, the porchetta instead of the pasta was mouth-melting.  Paired with the sage and butter, it was a sweet ride into my stomach.  For me, this is one of those sweet pastas that you can continue to eat until you realize you can’t eat any more.

My wife went for one of the specials.  It was a beef ragu on top of some polenta.  This was just as delicious, if you wanted to opt for a tomato-based dish and stay away from pasta or dare to be different.

Hungry for more, we decided to dive into dessert.  We went with the Semifreddo al torrone di cioccolato.  This dessert delighted our sweet tooths.  The creamy chocolate was light like mousse and was brilliantly topped with whipped cream.  If you wanted a break from the chocolate, a nice hardened caramel disc pierces the whipping cream. The dessert made a wonderful ending to the meal.

In the end, I walked out satisfied and wanting more.  Nothing on the menu look familiar, so I would highly recommend this for locals and travelers.

Keep Wandering,

@RT_WS

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The owner of Ralic’s Steakhouse, in Haddonfield, NJ (see related stories), is opening a new restaurant at 119 South Street in Philadelphia, with an entirely different cuisine.

“Seafood, seafood, and seafood,” says David Ralic (top photo).  “We feel there’s a big void in Philadelphia for a seafood restaurant, and we’re ready to serve that up to the city.  A commercial fisherman is our chef, so if anybody knows seafood, it’s that guy.”

Hear the full Ralic’s Seafood interview in this CBS Philly podcast (runs 4:42)…

[audio_link url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d1/dT/dP/dL/11TPL_3.MP3" name="David Ralic" artist="Hadas Kuznits"]

.

Over at Beck’s Cajun Café in the Reading Terminal Market, owner Bill Beck says his shop is churning out seasonal dishes from the bayou.

“Creole Christmas is a celebration otherwise known as ‘Reveillon,’ for the Christmas holidays,” Beck says.  “It involves most of the foods that are indigenous to Louisiana, andouille sausage, oysters, game, sweet potatoes, all sorts of wonderful things.”

(Bill Beck of Beck’s Cajun Café. Photo provided)

—

Hear the full Bill Beck Cajun Café interview (runs 4:00)…

[audio_link url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d1/dT/dP/dN/11TPN_3.MP3" name="Beck's Cajun Café" artist="Hadas Kuznits"]

.

And speaking of feasts, chef Joe Cicala of Le Virtù on East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia, celebrates “La Panarda” with a 40-course (!) menu this Sunday.

(Chef Joe Cicala of Le Virtù restaurant.   Credit: Hadas Kuznits

—–

“It’s kind of built in waves,” Cicala says. “The menu was built in stanzas of five courses, where each course is its own little meal, so to speak.  It starts off very light and it gets very rich and heavy, and it goes down to light again, so you’re constantly refreshing your palate and easing your stomach for digestion purposes.”

Hear the full Le Virtù interview in this CBS Philly podcast (runs 3:45)…

[audio_link url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d1/dT/dP/dO/11TPO_3.MP3" name="Joe Cicala" artist="Hadas Kuznits"]

.

And for this week, that’s “What’s Cooking on 1060!”

—–

“What’s Cooking on 1060″ main page

Follow Hadas Kuznits on Twitter!

Forget the cookies and milk! This year, St. Nick is getting his jolly on with seasonal craft beer and merry cocktails during East Passyunk’s “Spirits & Suds with Santa Bar Crawl,” on Wednesday, December 12, 2012, from 5:30pm to 10:00pm.  Enter to win a pair of tickets to become Santa’s new drinking BFF!  Three easy and quick ways to enter.. 

Join Santa and his South Philly friends as they visit 12 award-winning, buzz-worthy bars, pubs and restaurants. Enjoy $3 seasonal craft beers, $4 merry cocktails and discounted snacks (select locations), a Santa or Elf hat, and a Santa’s Sipping Stamp Card. Stamps are earned by purchasing a drink or food item at 12 bars and restaurants along East Passyunk Avenue.  Collect five or more stamps to be entered to win a gift certificate prize package worth $300.00.  Registration takes place at Urban Jungle (1526-30 EPA) from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Stamp cards will be collected at Cantina Los Caballitos (1651 EPA) by 10:00pm.

Full listing of locations, drinks and food:

• Adobe Cafe (1919 EPA) – PBC Commonwealth Cider + Red (strawberry) and Green (apple) Margaritas + $5 Nachos
• Birra (1700 EPA) – Great Lakes Commodore Perry IPA + Art in the Ages cocktails
• Bottle Shop (1837 EPA) – Fegleys Rude Elf and Thomas Hooker IPA + Yuletide Cider
• Cantina Los Caballitos (1651 EPA) – Anderson Valley Winter Solstice drafts + Cranberry-Ginger Margaritas made with house-made cranberry puree
• Le Virtu (1927 EPA) – Sly Fox O’Reilly’s Stout + Vin Brulee (mulled wine)
• Lucky 13 (1820 S 13th Street) – Sly Fox Christmas Ale + The Grinch + $3 Pita Pizzas
• Noir Philadelphia (1909 EPA) – Sierra Nevada Celebration + Black Cherry Eggnog + $5 Sausage Poutine (french fries with squeaky cheese and gravy)
• Paradiso (1627 EPA) – Troegs Dreamweaver and Victory Prima Pils + the Suckerpunch: Bacardi Blackheart spiced rum, apple cider, orange & clove
• Pub On Passyunk East (1501 EPA) – Sierra Nevada Celebration + The Farmer’s Daughter: Snap, apple cider, a squeeze of lemon & a cinnamon stick + $2.50 Wilma’s Smokey Deviled Eggs, named after the chef’s mother
• South Philly Bar & Grill (1235-37 EPA) – Blue Moon Winter Abbey Ale + Poinsettia + $5 Cheese Steaks
• Stateside (1536 EPA) – Jolly Pumpkin Noel Sour Ale + Bourbon Flip + $5 Pork Rillettes (Korean bbq style pulled pork)
• Stogie Joe’s (1801 EPA) – Bells Christmas Ale (16 oz draft) + Chocolate Martini + $5 Meatball Sandwich

“Spirits & Suds with Santa” is presented by East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District and sponsor Drink Philly.   Lady luck not on your side? Buy advance tickets now for only $5.00 at www.visiteastpassyunk.com. All proceeds will benefit local needy families this holiday season through East Passyunk Crossing’s holiday giving program.

FREE & QUICK TO ENTER

Two winners will be selected at random from the entries and receive tickets to Spirits & Suds with Santa Bar Crawl. Entering is easy with three ways to win. Enter as much as you like!

• Send out this Tweet: We’re getting our jolly on with @phillylovesfun at #Santa Bar Crawl on @epassunkave on Dec 12th. Tix info: http://ow.ly/fUOV5
• Comment on our Facebook wall and tell us about your favorite local holiday drink (and make sure to tell us where it comes from)
• Visit our contest page and fill out simple entry form

Deadline:  For more details (AND UPDATES) visit our official contest page. Spirits & Suds with Santa winners will be selected on Tuesday, December 11th at 9am. We will announce the winners in the comment section below, in our Twitter feed and on our Facebook page!

Disclaimer: No compensation was received in exchange for this blog post. Facebook, Twitter and Google are not affiliated with this giveaway. Data collected will not be shared. Event and contest are 21 and up. Event is not sponsored by Philly Loves Fun.

Related articles

• East Passyunk Avenue Keeps The Holiday Cheer Going With A “Spirits & Suds With Santa Bar Crawl,” Wednesday, December 12 (uwishunu.com)
• A Haunting You Will Go: East Passyunk Ave Presents Spooky Saturday and Fall Festival (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• New Contest: Tickets to Witch CRAFT Beer Crawl and Tippler’s Tour (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• The Third Annual Witch Craft Beer Crawl Hits East Passyunk Avenue Wednesday, October 24 (uwishunu.com)

Philly Loves Fun is giving away tickets to both seasonal bar crawls. Two winners selected. Free to enter. 

WITCH CRAFT BEER CRAWL 

On Wednesday, October 24th, seasonal brews bubble up in 12 cauldrons along East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District.  Admission is only $6.66 and include $3.00 craft beers, a witch hat and a Witch CRAFT stamp card. Earn a stamp by purchasing a craft beer, food or other beverage at participating locations.  Collect five or more stamps to be entered to win a gift certificate prize package worth $300.00. Advance tickets are on sale now at www.visiteastpassyunk.com.  Bars and beer lists:

• Birra (1700 EPA) – Neshaminy Creek County Line IPA
• The Bottle Shop (1837 EPA) – Free Fright Night tasting 5:30pm to 8:30pm, plus a wide selection of $3.00 craft beers (too many to list!)
• Cantina Los Caballitos (1651 EPA) – Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter
• Le Virtu (1927 EPA) – Ommegang Scythe & Sickle Harvest Ale and all drafts
• Lucky 13 Pub (1820 EPA) – Southampton Pumpkin Ale
• Noir Philadelphia (1909 EPA) – Woodchuck Private Reserve Pumpkin Cider and Victory Braumeister Pilsner
• Paradiso (1627 EPA) – to be announced
• POPE (1501 EPA) – Philadelphia Brewing Company Kenzo’lantern
• Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar (1200 EPA) – Philadelphia Brewing Company, variety to be announced
• South Philly Bar & Grill (1235-37 EPA) – Woodchuck Amber Cider and Blue Moon Pumpkin
• Stateside (1536 EPA) – Southern Tier Pumpking
• Stogie Joe’s (1801 EPA) – All craft beers

TIPPLER’S TOUR: GHOSTS & TOASTS

Every Thursday through November 8th, Historic Philadelphia raises a glass to the spirits of ’76 on this Colonial pub crawl. Sing songs, learn toasts and find out what taverns and brewing was like during the 18th-century. Start off at the Christ Church Burial Ground as guide staff present Brew ‘n History, telling the tales of the founding Fathers and tavern owners buried there and their connection to Philly Beer History.  The adventure continues with pumpkin ale, alcoholic cider and raspberry shrub at Triumph Brewing Company, City Tavern and National Mechanics.  Tickets are available now at www.historicphiladelphia.org.

ENTER TO WIN
Visit our contest page for entry information and prize details.

DEADLINE

Witch CRAFT Beer Crawl winner selected Tuesday, October 23th at 11:59 PM.  Tippler’s Tour winner selected on Friday, October 26th. We will announce the winners in the comment section below and on our Facebook page!

Disclaimer: No compensation was received in exchange for this blog post. Facebook, Twitter and Google are not affiliated with this giveaway. Data collected will not be shared.

Related articles

• A Haunting You Will Go: East Passyunk Ave Presents Spooky Saturday and Fall Festival (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• East Passyunk Avenue’s Spooky Saturday And Fall Festival Set For Saturday, October 27 (uwishunu.com)

East Passyunk Avenue

More than 140 muscle, classic, antique, custom and show cars, trucks and motorcycles will line the five blocks between Broad and Dickinson streets.  Trophies will be awarded in dozens of categories, including: Top 50, Best Stock, Best Modified, Best Engine, Best Paint, Best 50’s Custom, Best Street Rod, Best Low Rider, Best Truck, Best Motorcycle, and Best of Show Car and Motorcycle.   The most coveted trophy, however, promises to be the brand spanking new “People’s Choice” award.  Festival attendees and social media followers will flock to Facebook and Twitter the week after the event and pick their winner. Talk about fun for the masses! 

Mixed in between the cars, enjoy live music with a different band on each block.  The line-up is as follows:

• 12:30pm to 2:00pm – Los Kilates (El Zarape, 12th and Morris streets)
• 1:00pm to 2:30pm – East Coastamite (Le Virtu, EPA and Juniper Street)
• 2pm – DooWop Band (Stogie Joe’s, EPA and Moore Street)
• 2:00pm to 3:00pm – Pan Labyrinth (Birra, EPA and 12th Street)
• 2:30pm – Furious George (Stogie Joe’s, EPA and Moore Street)
• 3:00pm to 4:30pm – We Are Fauna (Le Virtu, EPA and Juniper Street)
• 3:00pm to 4:30pm – Steve Cal Blues Band (Mamma Maria, EPA between Tasker and Morris streets)

For food lovers, East Passyunk Avenue unleashes its award-winning restaurants serving up authentic Italian eats and other great street food.  Cold brews and summertime cocktails will be flowing inside our favorite pubs and on the street. The line-up has us salivating already, check it out…

• Birra – Outdoor beer garden and slices
• Cantina – Regular menu in the outdoor yard with brunch and margarita specials
• El Zarape – Tacos al pastor on the outdoor spit and other Mexican favorites
• Le Virtu – Outdoor grill and beer garden
• Mamma Maria – Gnocchi, chicken cutlets, sausage and peppers
• Marra’s – Pizza, sausage and peppers, meatball sandwiches
• Ms Goody Cupcake – Special festival flavors (Classic Car, Doo Wop, Taste of Summer, Margarita)
• Noir – Montreal-style hot dogs, poutine and arancini
• Plenty – Sandwiches and panini including pesto chicken, tasso ham and portabello mushrooms
• Stogie Joe’s – Outdoor craft beer bar

Classic photos, children’s activities, a free moon bounce, ice cream from Little Baby’s Ice Cream and a coloring contest at Ms Goody Cupcake will provide fun for the whole family.  Philadelphia School of Circus Arts will spring forth from their Germantown location with ground skills and tightwire performances.  The Bang! Boom! CRAFT! Show at the Fountain will showcase handmade items from 30 crafters and artists.   Street vendors will sell car accessories and products, jewelry, sunglasses, Italian clothing and more.

Other festivities will include “Cupcakes & Cars: One Year Anniversary Party” at Ms Goody Cupcake from 11:30am to 5:00pm.  South Philly’s only cupcakery will celebrate one year on EPA with a cupcake samples, door prizes and a custom car-themed cake cutting ceremony at 2:00pm.  After the cars cruise into the sunset, Stogie Joe’s keeps the party rocking with live music until 9:00pm.

The 7^th Annual Car Show and Street Festival, formerly known as the Doo Wop, is hosted by the Northeast Muscle Car Club and presented by East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District.  Sponsors include Yelp, City Paper, Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation, South Philly Review and WOGL.  For more information and directions, go to www.visiteastpassyunk.com.

Make sure to pull over and say hi if you see us at the show. We will be covering it live all day on Twitter and Facebook. Watch out for an album of the cars, food and fun after the last ride pulls off into the sunset.  Stay tuned… 

Disclaimer: No compensation was received in exchange for this blog post. Facebook, Twitter and Google are not affiliated with this giveaway. Data collected will not be shared. 

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — In Riva has a new addition to their restaurant at 4116 Ridge Avenue.

“Yeah,” says Arthur Cavaliere with In Riva. “We just opened our new outdoor bar called Bar Fiume.”

Cavaliere says the Tiki Bar was made in-house out of reclaimed wood, stone and cement.

“It’s full service dining and bar located right on the river on Kelly Drive,” he says.

Play or download the full Arthur Cavaliere podcast (runs 2:04)…

[audio_link url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d0/dS/dY/d4/10SY4_3.MP3" name="Arthur Cavaliere, In Riva" artist="Hadas Kuznits"]

———-

Over at World Cafe Live, Brewery Omegang hosts a chef competition on July 10th.  Megan McGuire with the brewery says the challenge is for chefs to incorporate their Belgian beers in their dishes; and she says they have a Philly superstar chef line-up.

“We have Joe Cicalla of Le Virtu,” McGuire says. “Jon Cochon of Lacroix, Jason Cichonski of Ela, George Sabotino of Stateside, Nicolas Elmi of Rittenhouse Tavern and Scott Schroeder from South Philly Tap Room.”

Megan McGuire with Brewery Omegang visits the newsroom at KYW Newsradio.
(credit: Hadas Kuznits)

Play or download the full Megan McGuire podcast (runs 5:07)…

[audio_link url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d0/dS/dY/d2/10SY2_3.MP3" name="Megan McGuire, Brewery Omegang" artist="Hadas Kuznits"]

———–

And Andy Kamaratos of Andy’s Diner in Conshohocken, Bensalem, Springfield and Wyncote celebrates summer with throw-back prices to their opening year, 1976.

“We want to celebrate this month of National Ice Cream Month,” says Kamaratos. “We’re doing the $1 ice cream Sundae every day for the whole month of July!”

Andy Kamaratos of Andy’s Diner visits the KYW Newsradio studio. (credit: Hadas Kuznits)

Play or download the full Andy Kamaratos podcast (runs 4:27)…

[audio_link url="http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/nyc.podcast.play.it/media/d0/d0/d1/d0/dS/dY/d3/10SY3_3.MP3" name="Andy Kamaratos, Andy's Diner" artist="Hadas Kuznits"]

And for this week, that’s “What’s Cooking on 1060!”

—–

“What’s Cooking on 1060″ main page

Follow Hadas Kuznits on Twitter!

[listicle id=55129 align=left show_title=true]

Each of the six chefs will be creating two dishes to pair with beer, which will be served to a panel of judges as well as to all attendees.  The truly impressive line-up of chefs features Joe Cicala of Le Virtu, Jon Cichon of LaCroix, Jason Cichonski of Ela, Nicholas Elmi of Rittenhouse Tavern, George Sabatino of Stateside and Scott Schroeder of South Philadelphia Tap Room and American Sardine Bar.  You can follow the chefs on Twitter via the #HopChef hashtag as they taste beers and create dishes, which will be judged based on five pairing principles:

Simple Pairing: a direct interaction between food and beer;
Incorporation: utilizing beer in the cooking process;
Mimicking: matching the flavor profile of a dish with the flavor profile of a beer;
Story Telling: tracing the history of the dish and the beer;
Experimental: making beer the star of the dish.

The Philadelphia event is the final Hop Chef event in a series of cook-offs across the country, which will culminate in the Grand Hop Chef cookoff at Brewery Ommegang’s Belgium Comes to Cooperstown on August 4.  The competition is also part of the Ommegang program “Great Beer Deserves Great Food,” a national initiative dedicated to the idea that fine beer deserves its rightful place at the table with fine food.

“Beer and food belong together,” says Megan Maguire, Ommegang Market Manager.  “We can’t wait to see what the chefs will dream up.”  If you’d like to see what the chefs are able to dream up (and why wouldn’t you?), you can check the Hop Chef section of the Great Beer Deserves Great Food website or purchase tickets for $55 at the Brown Paper Tickets website.  You can also follow Ommegang on Twitter at @BreweryOmmegang and @OmmegangPhilly.

Photo by uwishunu http://www.uwishunu.com/tag/standard-tap/

When I first moved to Philadelphia, more than a decade ago, I envied those who got to flee the city for the Jersey shore or Poconos.  Those feelings quickly disappeared as I soon discovered that those “left behind” are actually the lucky ones – as summer in the city is really where it’s at!

Nearly every weekend residents and tourists get treated to what seems like an endless lineup of festivals, events and activities in all of Philly’s unique neighborhoods.   This year, it seems like summer has already started with big press underway for Welcome America, Jay-Z Music Festival, Barnes Museum opening and Longwood Gardens’ Light Installation opening.   The popular Night Market series and Farmers’ Markets around the city have opened for business.  Last, but not least, Philly Beer Week, Philadelphia Pride and the Philadelphia’s Q-Fest prepare to entertainment the masses.  Every year I wonder, “What will I do this summer and where will I go?”  I then wake up and find my calendar already says its September.  Boy how the time flies when you are having fun!

Get a taste of the summertime fun to come with early festivities this Sunday, June 3, 2012, with a triple threat on East Passyunk Avenue.  South Philly’s “it” street will be jamming with everything from fruit beer “floats,” beer and chocolate cupcakes, free prizes, live music, Italian sausage – even a moon bounce for the kids!  Pack you bags and head South as this party is about to get started….

Copyright © filitaliainternational.com

#1 La Festa Della Repubblica/Italian National Day
Sunday, June 3, 2012, 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM

East Passyunk Avenue is kicking off Philly Beer Week with 15 thirst-quenching hours at 9 EPA bars & restaurants. For a full list of Philly Beer Week events, go towww.phillybeerweek.org.  This year’s EPA line-up includes:

Philly Beer Week Cupcake – “Take Me Out to the Ballpark”

Ms Goody Cupcake celebrates Craft Beer Day/Philly Beer Week and La Festa Della Repubblica (Italian Day Festival) with their first special open house.  Enjoy a FREE cake truffle tasting*, $2.00 cupcakes (normally $2.50), FREE mini-cupcake tastings, fun themed flavors and FREE door prizes.  Party goers can even win six months of free cupcakes by entering the in-store contest of “Liking” Ms Goody Cupcake on Facebook during the event.   For CRAFT BEER DAY, Owner Gigi Andrew’s will serve her own specially “brewed” cupcake: “Take Me Out to the Ballpark!” Enjoy this beer and chocolate cake, with peanut butter filling, chocolate fudge topping, with peanuts on top. It’s a home run! We will also debut a chocolate and beer cake truffle mini.   For LA FESTA, Ms Goody Cupcake will serve up Italian flavors and favorites, such as our Tiramisu, Limoncello, Holy Cannoli and 4th of July (Ricotta triple layer with berries).

THIS YEAR, DON’T MISS A BEAT!  Philly Loves Fun is happy to kickoff our summertime preview by covering all three events above.  Stay tuned with posts and photos from these and other great activities.  Make us your “it” place to find out what to do, eat and experience in Philly!

Disclaimer: No compensation was received in exchange for this blog post. Facebook, Twitter and Google are not affiliated with this giveaway. Data collected will not be shared. 

After eating, I went to check out the craft market hosted by Crafty Balboa.  I will admit that I am not easily impressed by a craft show.  However, I was pleasantly surprised at the interesting twists and turns in this hipster-style craft bazaar.    Some of the more interesting finds included mini-pins imprinted with circus mustache  (only a $1!), and “Hipster” edition bingo games.  I then joined the crowd to watch Johnny Showcase, but I didn’t last long.  My couch was calling as the food comma was about to kick-in…. (I could have slept the entire weekend!)

 Check out my photo gallery from the 2012 Flavors of the Avenue:

Disclaimer:  This post and contest is brought to you with support from East Passyunk Avenue!  Facebook, Twitter and Google are not affiliated with any giveaways. Data collected may be shared with East Passyunk Avenue. 

Related articles

• Finger Licking Good! Flavors of Avenue Dishes on Menu Item’s for Saturday’s Food Fest (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• Food Preview: East Passyunk Avenue Dishes Up Best “Flavors” (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• WINNERS: Congrats to the Winners of our APRIL Contests! (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• South Philly Gets a Little Sweeter with Cupcakery on East Passyunk Avenue (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)

This Saturday, I’ll join over 500 foodies that have already purchased their tickets to Flavors of the Avenue.  South Philly’s food fest is Saturday, April 28^th, from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM, on East Passyunk Avenue (EPA) between Dickinson and Morris Streets.   I can’t wait to mix and mingle with twenty-one chef’s that will help EPA raise money for its public safety program by dishing up their signature food and drinks.  Flavors is held under a big top tent, making the event rain or shine.  Although shine is certainly preferred!  Advance ticket sales end at Midnight on Wednesday, April 25, 2012 (unless tickets sell out first).  Visit www.visiteastpassyunk.com or call 215-336-1455.

If you are still on the fence, check out my album from 2011 below, and check out these menu items — just announced! 

• Grappa-Cured Salmon with Marscapone from Paradiso
• Chicken Skewers from Garage
• Porchetta Sandwiches with Arugula Pesto from Birra
• Grilled Wings and Yuengling Lager from South Philly Bar & Grill
• Gazpacho and Chicken Salad with Green Tea Juice from Fuel
• Meatball Sandwiches from Stogie Joe’s
• Poached Shrimp with White Bean Salad from Kris
• Sweet Ravioli from Mamma Maria Ristorante
• Penne with Blush Sauce and Eggplant Rollitini from Chiarella’s
• Lemon Poppyseed Cake for dessert from Belle Cakery
• Tacos Al Pastor from El Zarape
• Sausage Gravy Waffles from Chhaya
• Wild Boar Pate from Fond

In addition to the Flavors food tent, EPA BID will host a free street festival with vendors, a craft market hosted by Crafty Balboa, and a live outdoor concert at 12th & Morris from 3:30-6 PM with special guests Johnny Showcase and Cheers Elephant.  The last time I went I said I was going to leave at 3:00 PM, then 4:00 PM, then 5:00 PM then 10:00 PM!  Once you get there, you will want to stay all day to experience everything EPA has to offer! 

Food, drinks, music and fun — pictures from 2011 Flavors of the Avenue: 

Disclaimer:  This post and contest is brought to you with support from East Passyunk Avenue!  Facebook, Twitter and Google are not affiliated with any giveaways. Data collected may be shared with East Passyunk Avenue. 

Related articles

• WINNERS: Congrats to the Winners of our APRIL Contests! (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• New Contest: Free Tickets to Next Big Food Fest, Flavors on the Avenue (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• South Philly Gets a Little Sweeter with Cupcakery on East Passyunk Avenue (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• Flavors of the Avenue answers appetites | South Philly Review (gloucestercitynews.net)

Philadelphia Science Festival Contest 

Winner:   Congrats to Jeff Jenne for winning  two tickets to “Extraction: Food and Flavor,” on Tuesday, April 24 and some great swag. Thanks to the festival and MVPR for hooking us with the prizes!  The Philadelphia Science Festival continues this week with tons of amazing activities from the Robot Expo (today), Extraction tomorrow, to many other great events. Check out the full list on their website.  For our top picks and review, visit here.

Flavors of the Avenue Contest

Bella Cakery - Lemon Poppyseed Cake

Winner: Congrats to Kathy Herman for winning two tickets to “Flavors of the Avenue,” on Saturday, April 28, 2012 on East Passyunk Avenue.  Want to join Kathy for the fun this Saturday?  You can still buy tickets – but they are going fast!  They are nearly 3/4 sold out as of today, and the advance sales stop Wednesday.  Don’t miss South Philly’s BIGGEST PREMIERE food fest!  Foodies, buy tickets here.  

SPECIAL:  Preview menu items this week by following @koryaversa and @epassyunkave on Twitter.  New items will be announced daily! 

WHAT’S NEXT:  Our first May contest is already posted here!  PLUS, stay tuned for pictures of these great events! 

Related articles

• Food Preview: East Passyunk Avenue Dishes Up Best “Flavors” (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• Science Festival Preview: Serving Up 33 Events About Science and FOOD (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)

My favorite dishes of the night were from unexpected sources.  I am a regular at FUEL and Stogie Joes, but had never ordered Stogie’s meatball sandwich nor had I ordered FUEL’s summer gazpacho.  The big winner of the night was El Zarape and their Tacos Al Pastor.  It was so tasty, in fact, I already went back for more after the preview!  I can’t to try all three dishes at the main event, on Saturday, April 28, 2012.  Check out my album of photos below – as well as the full scoop!  

LAST CALL:  SAVE $5 today only (On 4/19/2012!  WIN TICKETS today only!

Flavors Details:

Flavors will take place on Saturday, April 28, 2012, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on East Passyunk Avenue.   Twenty-one award-winning restaurants and bars will be on hand sampling their signature dishes and drinks under the cover of a big top tent, making the event rain or shine!  Tickets are only $30 (or $25 TODAY ONLY, 4/19/2012) and include wine and craft beer.

This year’s participating restaurants are:

Belle Cakery * Birra * Cantina Los Caballitos * Chhaya
Chiarella’s * El Zarape * Fond * Fuel * Garage
Green Olives Café * Izumi * Kris * Le Virtù * Marra’s
Mamma Maria Ristorante * Ms. Goody Cupcake * Noir
Paradiso * South Philly Bar & Grill * Stogie Joe’s * Tre Scalini

Outside of the Flavors tent, enjoy a free street festival with vendors, live music, and a craft market at the Singing Fountain hosted by Crafty Balboa with DJ Linz&Mars spinning eclectic electronic music. Then head down to Birra at EPA & Morris for a free outdoor concert from 4-6pm with Cheers Elephant and Johnny Showcase! Tickets are limited so don’t wait until they sell out!  After Cheers Elephant, head down to Stogie Joe’s for live music til 9pm and The Bottle Shop for a Flavors after-party.

Proceeds from Flavors of the Avenue support EPABID’s public safety program – thank you for your contribution! Special thanks to our Partner Sponsor: Philadelphia Weekly; Premier Sponsor: Yelp and our Sponsors: Bai, Cavit, Couvoisier, Gold Medal Disposal, Passyunk Avenue Revitalization Corporation, Philadelphia Brewing Company, Sazerac, South Philly Review, Urban Jungle and Wells Fargo.

Disclaimer:  This post and contest is brought to you with support from East Passyunk Avenue!  Facebook, Twitter and Google are not affiliated with this giveaway. Data collected may be shared with East Passyunk Avenue. 

Related articles

• New Contest: Free Tickets to Next Big Food Fest, Flavors on the Avenue (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• South Philly Gets a Little Sweeter with Cupcakery on East Passyunk Avenue (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• What’s Been Happening in Passyunk Square Real Estate? (mickeyknowsphilly.com)

Flavors of the Avenue

Enjoy a true taste of East Passyunk Avenue from 21 award-winning restaurants, all offering samples of their signature dishes and drinks under the cover of a big top tent, making the event rain or shine! Outside of the Flavors tent, enjoy a free street festival with vendors, live music, and a craft market at the Singing Fountain hosted by Crafty Balboa with DJ Linz&Mars spinning eclectic electronic music. After Flavors, head down to Birra (pictured from last year) for a free outdoor concert featuring Cheers Elephant until 6pm.

For a list of restaurants, and to enter, visit our CONTEST PAGE.  There are SIX ways to enter!  One winner will be selected to win two tickets. The last day to enter is Thursday, April 19 at 11:59 PM. The winner will be announced on Monday, April 23, 2012 on our Philly Loves Fun Facebook page!

Coming Soon: I will preview Flavors with a blog post from the preview event.  Watch for pictures!  Also, stay tuned for ANOTHER APRIL CONTEST for the Philadelphia Science Festival! Double the fun this month!

Disclaimer: This post and contest is brought to you with support from East Passyunk Avenue! Facebook, Twitter and Google are not affiliated with this giveaway. Data collected may be shared with East Passyunk Avenue.

Related articles

• New Contest: Free Tickets to Next Big Food Fest, Flavors on the Avenue (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)
• East Passyunk Ave Hosts Annual Egg Hunt with a Special Surprise (phillylovesfun.wordpress.com)

• 11am – ages 4 & under
• 12 noon – ages 5 to 7
• 1pm – ages 8 to 10

Some lucky egg hunters will find “golden ticket” eggs with certificates for one-pound Zitner’s Chocolate Eggs (zitners.com), goody bags from Rita’s Water Ice + cupcakes, cake truffles and other treats from Ms. Goody Cupcake.  Ms Goody Cupcake will bring a special new surprise with her — Philadelphia’s brand new cupcake truck.  The truck is preparing to bring cupcakes to local campuses this Spring.  Today, the truck is out of the shop – and when we say “Pretty in Pink” we don’t exaggerate!  In celebration, Ms Goody Cupcake will have 15 flavors at the store today for only 6/$10, and she will give out 10% off coupons at the truck. Come on down! 

Other fun includes kid-friendly brunch after the Egg Hunt at select restaurants, including $1 pancakes at Fuel.  Many shops will have special Easter sales.

This event is FREE and RAIN or SHINE! If the weather is really bad we will just hand out bags of candy at 11am, so come on down!!!

For more info, visit the Facebook invite, or East Passyunk website.

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Joe Cicala of Le Virtù (below) is bringing pasta alla mugnaia to his Passyunk Avenue restaurant, made in one strand the way he recently learned in Italy.

“It’s almost on its way to extinction because there’s only a few families that know how to make it anymore, and the next generation doesn’t really have an interest in doing it,” he says.  “So if you do find one of the handful of families in Abruzzo that make it, it’s really cool to see them do this.”

Story continues below photo…

(Joe Cicala of Le Virtù. Credit: Hadas Kuznits)

—–

Cicala says the single-strand pasta is traditionally eaten off the table or a board on the table, and shared by everyone in your group:

“Everyone has their own little ‘real estate’ at the table, and you just pick your own little pile and you eat from that.”

Listen to Hadas Kuznits’ full interview with Joe Cicala of Le Virtù in this CBS Philly podcast…

Download the Joe Cicala podcast

—–

Over at Sbraga Restaurant, chef-owner Kevin Sbraga (below) hosts a special wine dinner on Tuesday.

Story continues below photo…

(Kevin Sbraga of Sbraga restaurant. Credit: Hadas Kuznits)

—–

“We have to think of the wines — and the wines come first and the food comes second,” Sbraga says.  “Think of the wines, what goes well with it, and then pair the food with that.  We don’t normally get to do that.  Normally we create the food and then hope the wine matches.”

Listen to Hadas Kuznits’ full interview with Kevin Sbraga in this CBS Philly podcast…

Download the Kevin Sbraga podcast

—–

And on Sunday night, you can watch Lou Campanaro of Village Belle restaurant on “Iron Chef America.”

(Chef brothers Joey and Lou Campanaro. Photo provided)

“We did our best and made some really, really interesting dishes,” Lou (far right) says.  “I’m even thinking about running them all week at the restaurant.”

How did he do?

“It was a quick hour.  I didn’t think an hour went by that fast.”

Listen to Hadas Kuznits’ full interview with Lou Campanaro of Village Belle restaurant in this CBS Philly podcast…

Download the Lou Campanaro podcast

For this week, that’s “What’s Cooking on 1060!”

—–

“What’s Cooking on 1060″ main page

Follow Hadas Kuznits on Twitter!

But sometimes, our lives are graced with the presence of warmth and goodness and passion – moments we too often squander hastily in some masochistic favor of “the grindstone.”

Luckily, that horrid vapid abomination of a holiday called Valentine’s Day managed to get me thinking about the people around me that spur those moments of almost tangible optimism, most of them so distractedly and unintentionally that it’s hard to appreciate. There are so many people that put so much love into what they do that just being around them and the products of their passionate pursuits makes me feel like there’s something worth living for. And here are just a few of them:

At the South Philadelphia Tap Room, Chefs Scott Schroeder and Mark Regan reign over an ever-evolving menu of specials that keeps it real with classics like fried chicken and eggplant parm, but also delves into the deep dark corners of the culinary world…and that is why I go back again and again and again. Be it head cheese, monkfish liver or just a spectacularly-prepared cevice, Scott and Mark’s dedication to serving fresh, fun, honest, diverse and delicious food has got me hooked. Well, that plus their usually stellar draft list and gang of wicked cool servers. To the SPTR crew: YOU RULE.

I learned a lot during my first visit to Le Virtù. After a long-overdue foray to their cozy bar for wine (yes I drank wine!) and an unbelievable plate of a variety of house-cured salumi, Chef Joe Cicala had the good grace to show us where the magic happens. In the nondescript basement of this quiet Italian oasis, Joe is truly working miracles. Their small in-house salumeria houses row after row of beautifully marbled cuts of meat, each seasoned simply and traditionally (as per Joe’s regular training trips to Abruzzo), dangling tauntingly, aging to perfection. Right there in South Philadelphia. It is a sight to behold. So much love. To the Le Virtù crew: YOU RULE.

Sometimes produce speaks for itself. Sometimes a farmer speaks too. One look at Culton Organic’s produce and one chat with farmer Tom Culton were enough to hook me on this Lancaster farm’s artisan goods. Like the regular table at Headhouse Square wasn’t enough, I was lucky enough to visit the farm, which Tom manages almost single-handedly. His dedication to the preservation of heirloom varietals of game and produce and his almost aggressively frank passion for living with and not on the land (not to mention his impressive collection of colorful satin scarves) is contagious. What a dude and what a farm. To the Culton crew: YOU RULE.

Here are just a handful of the other people and places that make me all warm and fuzzy on the inside because of how much they rule:

• Catherine and Al Renzi and their dedication to Yellow Springs Farm in Chester County,
• Jean Broillet and his unwavering commitment to the blossoming Tired Hands Brewing,
• Marisa McClellan and her amazing preserving and lifestyle blog Food in Jars,
• Fair Food (Farmstand) and everything they do to bring local farmers and local consumers one step closer together,
• and so many more.

So who for you?

A good friend of ours from Philadelphia, Joe Cicala, came to NYC to visit with the Men Who Dine recently.  Joe is the executive chef at Le Virtù, an authentic and traditional Abruzzese restaurant on East Passyunk Avenue in South Philly.  It is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. 

It was a Wednesday that Alan, Gennaro, Joe and I got together for an afternoon on the town.  It was actually the same day I was participating as a contestant in a qualifying round for the World Pesto Championships.  The event was held at La Piazza inside one of my favorite Italian superstores, Eataly.  I unfortunately did not win the competition, but it was a great event that I was honored to be a part of.  Joe had actually met Alan and me at Eataly as the competition was winding down.  Once we took leave of Eataly, we headed to Alan’s car and downtown to pick up our dining partner, Gennaro. 

Alan and Anthony

Gennaro, Joe and the Sushi Boat

Once the four of us were together in the car, the next order of business was figuring out where we were going to dine.  We decided almost unanimously that Italian was out, only because we generally eat, breath and live Italian food.  We settled on sushi, but the next question to answer was where we would go.  Gennaro suggested a place right off Irving Place on East 17^th Street called Yama.  And a damn good suggestion it was. 

Making our rolls

We pulled up right in front of Yama and descended the stairs to the basement restaurant.  The restaurant is located in the same house that Washington Irving (author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”) supposedly lived in.  Upon entering Yama, we were greeted warmly by a group of workers.  We were guided to a table for four and presented with menus.  The restaurant was slowly emptying out as it was getting close to their closing time between lunch and dinner.  As we were perusing the menu, we all thought it would be a better strategy for the sushi chefs to choose a bunch of rolls for us, instead of us fumbling through the menu.  We told the waiter to have the chefs surprise us and surprise us they did. 

Sushi Boat

The Life Raft

By this time, the patrons that were left in the restaurant were either finishing up their desserts or settling their bill.  Behind the counter there was a flurry of activity as four sushi chefs were working feverishly.  That’s right all four chefs were working to fulfill our order.  We saw one of the chefs put a boat, that’s right a boat onto the counter.  The boat was about two feet long and about 1 foot wide.  The chef started loading the boat with the rolls.  After about 15 minutes of nonstop sushi making the boat was overflowing with rolls.  The waiter picked up the boat and delivered it to our table.  We were mesmerized by the unbelievable amount of sushi before us.  We were surprised and taken aback a bit when the server returned with two more rolls on what he called the life raft.  There were eight rolls along with a total of eight types of sushi and sashimi.  This was a gargantuan feast.  I will be honest I do not remember every kind of roll, sushi or sashimi that I consumed that day, but I remember them all tasting phenomenally fresh and delicious.  I do remember the sweet crunch of the soft shell crab; the salty, creaminess of the uni; the silkiness of the salmon and the fatty goodness of the tuna belly or toro. 

Close up on some of the sushi

It took us a good 45 minutes to get through the boat and the life raft, but we did it.  The group of people next to us watched in amazement as the contents dwindled down.  When we were finally finished, we sat back and marveled with pride the sheer amount of eating we accomplished.  The quality and quantity of sushi we had at Yama was impressive and outstanding.  This is definitely one of those places I highly recommend to sushi lovers everywhere. 

Yama Sushi
122 E 17th St
New York, NY 10003
(212) 475-0969   

By: Anthony Scillia 

Le Virtù Campo Beer Garden Launch
Le Virtù
1927 E. Passyunk Ave.
Philadelphia, Pa.
215-271-5626
www.levirtu.com
6 – 10 p.m., $40 in advance ($45 at door)

Not feeling in the Cinco de Mayo spirit? Join Le Virtù for an Italian festa instead! The restaurant is celebrating the opening of their new Campo beer garden, featuring numerous regional and local craft breweries, including Sly Fox and Stoudt’s, and Dreadnought Wines will offer delish reds and whites for the sampling. Chef Cicala will also introduce his new outdoor menu, including items like arancini (fried rice balls), panini di porchetta (roast pork finger sandwiches) and piadine (Italian flatbread sandwiches). Yum!

Cinco de Mayo with Debi Shawcross
Viking Culinary Arts Center
1 Town Place
Bryn Mawr, Pa.
610-526-9020
www.vikingcookingschool.com
6:30 – 8:30 p.m., $59

If you’re more interested in cooking your own Cinco de Mayo feast, then check out cookbook author Debi Shawcross at the Viking Culinary Center tonight. Debi, who’s written Simply Salads and Friends at the Table: The Ultimate Supper Club Cookbook, will be whipping up a Cinco de Mayo dinner while offering up valuable tips. Each guest will also receive a tasting portion of the meal and a glass of wine, so you won’t go home absolutely starving.

Jennifer Weiner
Gershman Y
401 S. Broad St.
Philadelphia, Pa.
215-545-4400
www.gershmany.org
7 – 9 p.m., FREE

I remember reading Good in Bed in high school (I borrowed it from my mom, eek!), and loving it, and since then, best-selling author Jennifer Weiner has released a slew of smart chick lit. Tonight, she’ll be reading an excerpt from her new book, Fly Away Home, which focuses on a prominent family after an extramarital affair. Pick up your own copy of the book, and Jennifer will sign it, too.

To view more events, click here.
To submit your events, click here.

[listicle id=55129 align=left show_title=true]

There are many lists, invitations, birth announcements, recipes and pictures on our fridge. One of these items is Our List — a compilation of all the restaurants we want to eat at.

It is a work in progress, but one by one, we are slowly whittling it down. And adding to it at the same time.

Some of the best eateries we’ve crossed out lately were Amis and White Dog Cafe. After reading Craig LaBan’s review of Le Virtu a few weeks ago, I am pushing for that to be next.

So, do you have a compilation of restaurants you want to try, and if so, what’s at the top of your list?

The 2^nd annual Dish It Up event benefiting the

 Well organized and with purposely purpled décor the room was full and lively. Purple outfits paraded the scene, danceable music moved attendees to the dance floor, purple cocktails were flowing from ice-cold cocktail shakers, and wafts of purple-colored, chef created dishes perfumed the air. 

 Upon arrival we were handed the Lavender Infused Cocktail provided by Chick’s Café and Wine Bar.  This cocktail got its purple hue from a

Lavender Infused Vodka Cocktail

homemade blueberry simple syrup.  Blueberries when cooked and crushed are really purple in color rather than blue.  What a great way to start the evening.  As ‘Thriller’ pumped through the speakers (appropriate for the Halloween Holiday) we made our way around the edges of the room to see what the Chefs had found to use in their purple-driven plates.  This was afterall, a competition to see who could prepare the best tasting purple-hued dish with the winner receiving The Purple Dish Award!

 Ane Ormaechea from Café apamate went for the familiar purple beet, but presented it appetizer style.  Rounds of bright purple beets poached in OJ, ginger and sherry vinegar stacked with pear, Capricho goat cheese, micro greens, applewood smoked bacon, candied Marcona almonds and a drizzle of Hazelnut vinaigrette.  For those of you who aren’t beet lovers, this little tower of flavor would sure change your mind.

 Moon Krapugthong of MangoMoon and Chabaa Thai Bistro was all smiles at the event providing us with two tastes of Thai spices.  Japanese eggplant salad with coconut milk, and a green curry beef with purple potato.  As tasty as the curry was, the green definitely was the dominate color in this dish.

 Effie’s Restaurant represented themselves appropriately with the Greek style meat pastry  Bourekas- minced beef, spices, tomato, and dark olives (which we were told when cooked, gave the meat a purple hue- okay sounds good, but really no sight of purple here) all wrapped in filo dough and served with a mustard-ketchup sauce.  These were tasty little treats, but I preferred them without the overwhelming sauce.  Sometimes simple is better.

 On to Marathon Grill.  At the M tasting table, poached salmon was served in a charming presentation with garnishes of lemon cream, pickled cabbage and beet mustard.  I loved the brightness of the purple garnishes here, and they stood out in flavor much more so than the salmon itself.

 E’punk was in the house with Lynn Marie Rinaldi owner/chef of Paradiso plating an ultra-tender, slow cooked, porchetta nestled on a scoop of pureed purple potatoes as smooth as silk ,and topped off with pickled purple cabbage that gave the dish a brightness of acidity to balance out the stick-to-your-ribs components!  What a dish, comfort in every bite!

 Le Virtu, one of my favorite restaurants in E’punk was there representin’ too, but only in flavor- not in color.  Not a dash of purple anywhere in the dish….nadda, nothing!  What happened Catherine and Luciana???  Don’t get me wrong, your Handmade lasagna in white ragu with sausage and cheese was decadent, maybe even too decadent, but purple was the most important element here….even I was WEARING purple!

 We had two celebrity Chefs in the competition, yes two! Jennifer Carroll of 10 Arts, our well-known cheftestant on Wednesday’s Top Chef, and Katie Cavuto of Healthy Bites who was a finalist on The Next Food Network Star that aired in June.  Jennifer, had the same protein base idea as Marathon, but prepared her salmon in 10 Arts fashion- upscale.  Jen poached it in red wine (which actually gave the fish a purple hue), then served it with a beet puree, tarragon beurre noir, picked red onions and beet caviar.  This was the most creative dish of them all for sure, but the fish didn’t seem to come together well with the other components, and I don’t know if it’s just me, but salmon, when not wild, has too strong of a fishy taste for my palate. An overwhelming taste that totally overpowers anything you try to use to cover it up.

Katie Cavuto (center)

Our other TV star, Katie Cavuto delivered her promise: “healthy but decadent”.  Her vegetable sauté of local and seasonal veggies joined purple Peruvian potatoes, purple cauliflower, purple beets and baby purple pearl onions, with a few carrots to break up the color monotony.  This, the healthy part, was served beside the decadent part: melt-in-your-mouth, tender balsamic braised shortribs.  “Green Cuisine” (her signature style) never tasted so good!

 Only one contestant braved into the dessert world, Delilah Winder Chef/owner of Delilah’s Southern Cuisine.  A wild blueberry and apple cobbler with fresh whipped cream.  Sweet as pie.

 So who was the winner of The Dish It Up Award? Around 8:30 it was announced that the numbers were close, very close, but there was a clear winner!  Bet you could have guessed it…..Jennifer Carroll took home the prize….surprise, surprise.  We’re hoping that she has the same luck on Top Chef! Congrats Jen- keep up the cook work!

Jen Carroll plating her dish

 As you probably know, I was not one of the judges, but I will tell you my favorite dish, just in case you couldn’t tell from my reviews. Yep, Paradiso you had me at PORK!  Overall it was a really fun event.  I think everyone had a great time and it was all for a good cause- the most important element of the evening.  And don’t worry if you missed out on all the fun this year because WAA will be Dishing It Up again next year!!

How many red-gravy eaters have managed to get a table at Vetri? More importantly, even if they could get in, would they or could they afford the high price tag?

Vetri is a brilliant restauranteur, no doubt, carving out a niche market in the most savvy of ways. He’s also one of our country’s most talented chefs: a modern alchemist well-versed in Italian traditions he drives towards highly creative practice. His creations represent a lifetime of experience, much like Paola Navone’s Andaman bed, yet remain largely inaccessible to the average Philadelphian (whose median family income is less than $50K), and just about all “real” Italians I know living here. Pazienza! 

Isn’t it high time for LaBan to storyboard some of the city’s “real Italian” chefs: Luciana Spurio of Le Virtu or Luca Garutti of L’Oca? While Vetri may very well be a Pied Piper of Philadelphia’s culinary Renaissance, tell me: how many of the city’s one and a half million has he “brought real Italian” to?