Hawk Krall has arranged a hot dog experiment. He’s put water on the stove and Russian dogs out to thaw on the counter. There’s a pink Molochnie Frank, an orange Vienna Sausage, and a rust-colored Parowki Cieleco-Wieprzowe.
Krall is a graphic artist and a recovering chef. He’s all looseness and liberation: a surfer personality who looks like a young Santa. The stove and counter in question are inside of his row house on Rosewood Street, eighteen blocks east of the Schuykill River.
He takes a step back from the franks, stretches his arms wide, and adjusts his spectacles. These Russians could possibly be the well-made, time-honored, natural casing dogs he’s been looking for.
Krall is the hot dog guy at Serious Eats, a food blog with one hundred contributors nationwide. Every week, he finds a new wiener to celebrate through writing and illustration. His cartoons have been featured locally – at Pizza Brain, the nation’s first pizza museum and tube steak haven Hot Diggity – as well as nationally – in Every Day with Rachael Ray. Last August, he hosted a hot dog demonstration at Audrey Claire’s Cook. Label-shedding aside (he’s quick to say the real hot dog authority is living incognito in Jersey) Hawk is a true frankfurter connoisseur.
In Memphis, he found a split dog cooking in one hundred year old grease. In Portland, he found a quarter pound frank being stuffed on site. And in the summer of 2010, Krall drove across South Carolina in pursuit of the best southern dog, only to stumble upon it at a strip mall.
Of course, the hot dog man can’t afford to hit every stand in the nation. But he’s got informants in meaty places who are excited to tell him about their finds. They alert him to rare breeds, like dogs sold in baseball stadiums. A few years ago, Krall heard about a stadium frank slathered in peanut butter and sprinkled with chocolate chips. He couldn’t get close enough to taste it, but his review of it blew up online. “It’s all like gross food, yeah!” he says. “Those are the ones people go crazy about. The editors are like, ‘Do another one of those.’”
The fridge beside the cold dogs is bursting. There are three kinds of pickles, a slew of slaw, a multitude of mayonnaise bottles, and mustards to make your mouth water.
Krall drops the franks in now boiling water. As they cook, he shows off his studio, a happy, cluttered exhibition of his own work and the work of people he admires. His desk is stacked high with Serious Eats wiener cartoons, which he sells on his website as prints and t-shirts.
Krall selects a Coney Island dog illustration and points to a spot where the ink line runs too thick. “I would fix that now,” Krall grins. “I wouldn’t just leave it there.”
While Krall likes food, he loves illustrating. A Jenkintown native and the son of an art director and freelance painter, Krall always knew he was going to be an artist. His mother brought her nine-year-old to Penn’s Landing and Reading Terminal Market to draw. “My mother,” Krall says, “Taught me how to draw from life.” The process taught Hawk everything he knows, but it wasn’t all fun and games. “It was serious,” he says. “It wasn’t like ‘Oh good job, Hawkey, you drew something.’ It was like, ‘You need to fix that perspective.’”
Krall’s adolescence and twenties were Anthony Bourdain meets Robert Crumb. He worked at restaurants – Pizza Hut in Jenkintown at sixteen, Tillie’s in Brooklyn during college, North Star in Philly after graduation, Brasserie Perrier for five years after that – as he refined his illustrating technique - reading the great underground comic artists of the sixties, studying illustration at the Pratt Institute, freelancing whenever possible and coming into his own anarchist, satirical sensibility.
That was back when he had a mohawk. Now, Krall puts the Coney Island illustration back on his desk and jumps down the stairs, two at a time, to his experiment. The Russians are ready, and it’s time to taste them, both plain and with toppings. Turns out they’re delicious, by far tastier than your average super market find. So in a week Krall will post another feature article on Serious Eats, this one endorsing Net Cost, the Eastern European store in northeast Philadelphia where he found these natural casing dogs. A Serious Eats fan will comment on the blog, thanking Hawk for the information. Maybe someone will request he make a Vienna sausage print. Regardless of what the future might hold for Krall, right now he’s chilling out, riding waves of creative inspiration.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Afternoon with a Haute Dog Artist
Friday, November 30, 2012
A Bakery Black Friday
New York is the greatest city in the world. As a boy growing up in the suburbs of Seattle, visiting NYC terrified me. Back then, I was very concerned with cleanliness, and that subway forced me to experience my definition of dirty. Tons of sweaty people crammed together, the force of the train constantly pushing them far closer than any strangers should be…it wasn’t for me.
Now that I am older and I laugh in the face of hypothetical subway germs, I see New York for what it truly is: a paradise for anyone interested in anything, as long as they are willing to travel for it. For me, New York is a food paradise. And what food do I crave while on vacation?....and at all other times in my life? Baked goods! Well, also cheesecake, chocolate, and tons of non-dessert things, but still. I traveled around Brooklyn and Manhattan for five hours with 40 pounds of luggage on my back and in my hands searching for cookies, cakes, and whatever else I could get my hungry hands on. When I finally made it to my cousins’ home in Pelham Manor, my shoulders and arms were about to give out on me and all I had eaten for hours was a giant chocolate chip cookie. I saved the other stuff so I could document everything I bought. At least, the stuff that wasn’t crushed during my journey.
The first place I went was Jacques Torres in DUMBO. I got myself a nice bag of his chocolate disks and one of his famous giant chocolate chip cookies. Warm and gooey, the cookie was pretty great. But the homemade version of the same cookie that I wrote about a few weeks ago is much better.
Next I walked down the street to another bakery called One Girl Cookies. I got my first whoopie pie ever and an assortment of little cookies. Pure deliciousness. I am now a fan of whoopie pies for their delicious frosting and their soft, cakey consistency. The little cookies were each pretty great as well, but none really stood out.
I next stopped in lower Manhattan at Financier Patisserie. Regrettably, I failed to take a picture of the cookie/chocolate/pecan thing that I bought and have no idea what it was. Still, it was excellent and I have a strong desire to return to this bakery for more.
The last stop on my trip was La Maison Du Chocolat, which was by far the most expensive of the places I visited. I bought three dark chocolates, each considered a praline for the nuts inside, a piece of their chocolate almond cake “Pleyel,” and a piece of their “Bresilien Pastry.” The Anastasia and Figaro chocolates were good, but may not have been worth the $2.25 they each cost. They do give out a free chocolate when you buy enough stuff, so that very slightly softens the blow. The Jolika, however, was awesome. If you like pistachio, you will absolutely adore this.
The pleyel had an excellent, extremely light and cakey texture, but was less chocolatey than the last time I had it. The Bresilien Pastry was only okay, possibly due in part to it being a little smooshed when I finally got to it, but I wouldn’t buy it again. It was more cream and less pastry than I expected and the mocha flavor overpowered all the others. All in all though, this awesomely decadent Black Friday perfectly complimented the best Thanksgiving ever.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Waffle Grilled Cheese- a scrumptious pinch
One rather chilly evening last week, I decided that it was utterly impossible to traverse across campus in search of food. Frogro, certainly, was out of the question. That left me with two options: order from Grubhub or eat whatever I had in stock. Unfortunately, any delivery would probably take an hour, and I was far too hungry to wait. So, I ventured to my kitchen in search of something edible. However instead of finding any ingredients that went well together, I was met with a rather eclectic selection: oatmeal, white cheddar cheese, prosciutto, yogurt, expired milk, and pancake mix. Although I had eaten oatmeal for dinner in the past, I really wanted something a little more substantial. And, sadly, none of my other ingredients seemed dinner appropriate.
I dismally reflected on my options, for none of them seemed too appealing. Yet, suddenly, I remembered reading an article a year or two ago about a girl whose mom would often make waffles with cheese for dinner. Since I had pancake mix and a waffle iron, I could try to do the same--and I could add the prosciutto as well! While preparing the waffle batter, I had trouble deciding how I should put the cheese into the waffles. Should I place it into the batter, as I would with blueberries or strawberries? Or, should I first make the waffle and then place the cheese and prosciutto in the middle of the two slices?
I decided on the latter. I poured the waffle mix into the iron and let it cook until the steam disappeared. The waffles looked delicious—light, fluffy, and golden brown. I then transferred one of the waffle quarters into a frying pan and delicately positioned the slices of cheese and prosciutto on top. I took the second waffle quarter and placed it over the cheese and prosciutto. Then, as I would with a grilled cheese, I cooked the waffle sandwich over medium heat, flipping it over to prevent burning. Once the cheese had melted, I transferred the waffle sandwich to a plate and dug in. It was scrumptious. The light and fluffy waffle tasted almost like a biscuit. The cheese sopped into each and every hole, accenting the soft texture of the waffle and the crispy prosciutto. The prosciutto did taste a bit salty, however, so I’m tempted just to use regular ham next time. However, the next time I’m in a pinch for dinner, I know that I’ll first look to see if I have pancake mix and cheese. In fact, I may try to be in a pinch a little more—maybe, once a week. Or, even, once a day!
Photo courtesy of the TasteSpotting blog.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Our Favorite Blondies
I think we should be friends. It’s quite obvious that we both have excellent taste in food, and when it comes right down to it, what better way is there is make a friend than to share a meal? In our case, however, I would recommend sharing dessert. After all, we both have an appreciation for anything chocolate. We both like our desserts warm from the oven – a soft crumb, a moist inside, and a melting scoop of ice cream spreading across the plate. Most importantly, however, we both have the same favorite blondie. It’s true that they were your favorite long before they were mine, but you’ll have to excuse me for spending a few years in the dark. When I saw the post on your wife, Kristen’s blog, and when I saw the photos of the perfect squares flecked with peanuts and oozing chocolate, I didn’t wait long before making them. I assembled the peanut butter and peanuts, the flaked coconut and semisweet chocolate, and I haven’t turned back since. I tasted a tiny square right out of the oven. Yum! I came back for seconds a bit later, and I came back for thirds and fourths and maybe even fifths. (We can keep the exact number to ourselves.) Somewhere in the middle of tasting and savoring and licking the last drop of chocolate off my fork (Yes, I eat blondies with a fork. I hope that’s okay), I realized they were my favorite blondies: that and my favorite bar cookie and maybe even my favorite dessert.
I’m writing this note to say thank you – thank you for having such good taste and thank you for inspiring the post that gave me my favorite blondie. I don’t think I can repay the favor, but if you’d like to be friends, I’ll gladly bake a batch of these blondies. Maybe, if I’m feeling generous, I’ll even let you have more than one.
Happy eating,
Laura
The recipe for Kevin and my favorite blondies is from The Kitchen Sink Recipes blog and can be found here. It is also below with a few of my notes added in.
Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chunk Blondies
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (using half whole wheat pastry flour and half all-purpose flour also works)
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup all-natural peanut butter
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, finely chopped (using other nuts works as well)
1/2 cup flaked coconut
Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9-inch square pan. If you don’t have a 9-in square pan, you can use something that’s approximately the same size. Just be warned that the cooking time will vary accordingly. The blondies are best thick, so I would recommend an 8-in square pan above a 9x13in if you are going to substitute.
In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the butter and peanut butter until fluffy. Make sure that you allow the butter to sit at room temperature for at least 45 minutes ahead of time so that it softens. Add the sugar and mix until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold in the chocolate, peanuts and coconut. Be sure to chop the peanuts very finely. The texture is much better that way. Bake the blondies in the center of the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, or until the blondies have just begun to brown around the edges.
Allow the blondies to cool completely in the pan before cutting. If like me, you’re too impatient to wait, you can cut a piece earlier. Just expect the edges to be rather messy.
TweetTuesday, November 27, 2012
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with Hazelnuts
When it comes to grocery shopping, I would generally consider myself a practical person- I almost always buy the generic brand over name brand, I meticulously write out shopping lists to avoid forgetting an item, I even scan over ingredient labels to check for quality. On the other hand, when it comes to baking, I tend to do things that make people question my sanity.
Today presented a perfect example. While munching on breakfast, my eyes were drawn to the bunch of speckled overripe bananas innocently perched on the dining table. Almost instantly, I was overcome with a baking itch. This is not the kind of itch that you can just scratch and it’ll go away. No, this is like the nastiest mosquito bite you ever had; it only gets worse and worse until you scratch yourself silly. Just the site of overripe bananas screamed banana bread in my mind. I knew that I would not be satisfied until I had transformed those shriveled black bananas into a scrumptious baked treat.
I am the type that will go out and buy flour, eggs, nuts, etc. just to save two black bananas rather than just trashing them or freezing them for smoothies like any rational person. Luckily, today I happened to have just enough ingredients on hand for muffins but this is usually not the case. I usually have to go to great lengths to save a few speckled bananas. Many people do not understand the magic of overripe bananas; no sarcasm intended. The blacker the better! Although they may be past their prime for straight up snacking, there is nothing more perfect for baking. They contribute a fragrant banana-y flavor as well as moisture and natural sweetness to baked goods.
For today’s recipe, I created a twist on classic banana bread and baked the batter into portable muffin form. Banana puree and sour cream add moisture while the vanilla and hint of espresso add depth of flavor. Semi-sweet chips create bursts of rich, chocolaty goodness and perfectly complement the crunchy hazelnut topping. The addition of whole wheat flour adds fiber and antioxidants so you can almost feel virtuous eating them.(I said almost. Just overlook the sour cream and sugar.) These muffins are moist, light, and definitely indulgent. Health conscious or not, they are sure to please.
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins with Hazelnuts
Ingredients:
*1 c. whole wheat pastry flour (can be found in most health food stores)
¾ c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 c. banana puree (about 2 medium bananas)
1/3 c. white sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. sour cream, room temperature
1 egg, lightly beaten, room temperature
1 tsp. instant espresso
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
¾ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ c. chopped hazelnuts
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners and spray with cooking spray.
Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Dissolve instant espresso in vanilla, whisk in banana puree, sugar, sour cream and the egg until smooth.
Gently stir together wet and dry ingredients until just combined.
Fold in chocolate chips. Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Top with hazelnuts and gently press into batter
Bake 16-20 minutes or until lightly browned and toothpick comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan before removing to wire rack to cool completely. Nomnom!
Makes 12 muffins
*Can substitute all white flour or use regular whole wheat flour; if using regular whole wheat flour, only use 1/2 c. whole wheat flour and increase all purpose flour to 1 1/4 c.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Bloggers' Bites: Thanksgiving 2012 Edition
Bloggers' Bites is a series of posts chronicling the foodie adventures and musings of Penn Appétit's blog staff. For this special Thanksgiving edition, Penn Appétit bloggers reflect on their favorite memories from a holiday that's all about good food.
Zoë Kirsch: Thanksgiving Day is all about the day after Thanksgiving. I say this because in my home, Thanksgiving dinner is almost too much. It's a heaven-sent avalanche of food, hell bent on sending you straight into a coma. My Kentucky-born grandmother and mother pull out all the stops. There's the classic: stuffing, two kinds of gravy (vegetarian and meaty), turkey (light and dark), cranberry sauce, and mashed potatoes. There's the Southern regional: pickled peaches, marinated brussels sprouts, and corn pudding. The pair have dessert covered, too, in the form of three pies (Chess, pecan, pumpkin). As the dinner winds down, we pat our bulging tummies and decide no more meals for the next ten years. Cue the next day. The sun has risen, and we can now stand up without falling over. Time for round two. We tell ourselves that the suffering endured last night has made us wiser, and so we help ourselves only to measured portions of stuffing, gravy, turkey, and cranberry sauce. Just those, microwaved and sandwiched between two thick slices of whole grain bread.
Katie Behrman: 10 years ago, my family made a pecan pie for Thanksgiving. I had never had a pecan pie before, but all I had heard that day were my mom’s rave reviews. After consuming a delicious, and plentiful, meal, we first decided to go see the 2nd Harry Potter movie. We left the freshly baked pie on the counter and bid goodbye to my dog. When we returned from the movie, however, we were shocked to see that the pie had fallen to the ground! Its dismantled container rested on the floor, but its contents were nowhere to be found. What could have happened? My dog sulkily came in to greet us, and for good reason. Crumbles of pie had attached themselves to his whiskers and crust lay embedded in his eyelashes. He had eaten the ENTIRE PIE! Crust and all. Somehow, while we were at the movie, my dog had managed to knock the pie off the counter and lick away each and every morsel! Although I was disappointed that I didn’t get to try the pie, I don’t think I would have remembered the taste as much as I remember seeing my dog mope across the room, tail under legs, with little specs of gooey pecan littering his nose.
AJ Winkelman: Thanksgiving, for me, is not about food. Yes, I LOVE ridiculous amounts of moist, healthy turkey meat, but honestly most other Thanksgiving staples are just not that exciting for me. Thus, in my most special Thanksgiving memory, food is an afterthought. That Thanksgiving is the one in which my family and my cousins, who had previously never shared a Thanksgiving, were together. The piles of fluffy mashed potatoes, multiple turkeys, and the pumpkin pie were better than any food I've ever had, not because they tasted better, but because they did what no other food had successfully done before them: they connected our three families, if only for one day.
Laura Sluyter: With all the lore and love surrounding the Thanksgiving turkey, some may find it surprising that my vegetarian aunt always hosts our family's Thanksgiving feast. I, however, think it's the perfect arrangement. My aunt cooks the turkey (and tofurkey) with as much care as anyone, and she takes the sides to a whole new level. Green beans, asparagus, salad, beets, mushrooms, brussel sprouts, creamed onions, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, dressing, homemade bread, and so on. With a side dish to person ratio greater than one, its no surprise we all leave the table stuffed. At least, I tell myself, it's mostly vegetables.
Krystal Bonner: As a vegetarian, my favorite part about Thanksgiving is introducing my extended family to delicious meatless holiday dishes. As a rule, I steer clear of preparing cooking that attempts to mimic meat (anyone who has tried Tofurky can attest to the prudence of this). Instead, I try to utilize seasonable produce and fresh herbs to create flavorful dishes that everyone can enjoy. This year I'm going to attempt a walnut and apple cornbread dressing (some Thanksgiving jargon for you—it's only called "stuffing" if it is cooked while "stuffed" inside the turkey). Of course, my other favorite part of Thanksgiving are the desserts—no dietary restrictions there other than the size of my stomach!
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Uses for Leftover Chocolate (Or: How to make your chocolate chips awesome!)
Last week, when I was writing about my favorite cookies, I shared my disdain for chocolate chips. To reiterate: chocolate chips are too small and result in chocolate being spread too far throughout baked goods. I mentioned that I had a way of transforming these unsubstantial bits of chocolate into something useful. Today I will share that technique.
But you didn’t come here to read my justification for making giant chocolate layers. You came here for the chocolate. Let’s do this:
Chocolate Layers
Required Equipment:
-Baking Sheet
-Parchment Paper
-Large glass bowl + A pot to boil water in
Ingredients:
-At least 5 ounces of chocolate (darker chocolate works better in baked goods)
-Water to be boiled
-Sugar to taste (Optional, only use if using unsweetened chocolate)
Directions:
1. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Fill pot halfway with water. Make sure glass bowl can sit atop pot on its own. Put the pot on the stove and turn the stove to high. Let the water get hot enough to begin steaming (almost a boil) and then turn down the heat just enough to maintain that steam.
2. Add chocolate to glass bowl. If using chocolate bars, chop chocolate into equal sized pieces before adding it. Put glass bowl on top of pot. Note: It is very important that no water touches any of the chocolate. If this happens, it will not melt and the chocolate will be useless.
3. Stir chocolate with a spatula. Do not stop stirring until the chocolate is smooth and completely melted.
4. Pour chocolate from bowl onto parchment paper. Smooth chocolate with spatula to desired thickness.
5. Put baking sheet with chocolate on it into the fridge. After 20 minutes check the chocolate. If it has solidified, it is ready to be used, if not, put it back in the fridge and wait another 10 minutes. Do not leave it in there for too long, it is not good for the chocolate.
6. Chocolate can be used immediately or can be stored for later use. To store it, just put it in a ziplock bag and store it at room temperature. It should not be stored in the refrigerator.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
I Scream, You Scream...
It’s never too cold for ice cream. Even as winter rapidly approaches us, sometimes all you really need is the comfort of a big scoop of your favorite ice cream flavor. Well, look no further than The Franklin Fountain located at 116 Market Street.
New to the Philly scene, I had never heard of this extraordinary place and just happened to stumble upon it by chance. Well, I’m glad I did because never have my taste buds been so happy. From the moment you step foot into this cozy old school ice cream parlor, you are transported back in time—a time when the only kind of ice cream was the homemade kind. So taken aback by the nostalgic atmosphere, I almost forgot to look at the menu. Almost.
Newcomers beware: if you thought choosing what type of ice cream to get was hard before, the Franklin Fountain takes difficulty to a whole new level. First, you have your basic flavors consisting of some classic favorites such as vanilla bean, rocky road, pistachio and rum raisin. If you’re just looking to grab a cup or a cone they are bound to have a flavor for you. Although I must warn you, their portion sizes are quite generous. However, this place gets even more impressive with their selection of sundaes. From the Franklin Mint, which consists of mint chocolate chip ice cream underneath a layer of homemade marshmallow topping, whipped cream, chocolate syrup and a mint infused cherry to top it off, to The Stock Market Crunch, which is a concoction of rocky road ice cream smothered with peanut butter sauce and then showered with pretzel bites, these sundaes are quite the creations. The most impressive has to be their famous Mt. Vesuvius. Living up to its name, the Mt. Vesuvius starts with an enormous bowl of vanilla (or chocolate) ice cream, is then topped with homemade fudgy brownie pieces, bathed in hot fudge, sprinkled with malt powder and then finished off with whipped cream. And if you haven’t satisfied your sweet tooth after conquering one of these enormous sundaes, have no fear because The Franklin Fountain has an array of homemade pies, fudge, an assortment of candies and, of course, fresh from the fountain sodas. I am almost positive that it is impossible to leave this place disappointed.
While there, I opted to get the seasonal flavor of pumpkin ice cream paired with my personal favorite, coffee. It was like a pumpkin spice latte, but so much better. So, fight the dropping temperatures and head over to The Franklin Fountain. If you hurry you may be able to get their latest featured item, The Caramel Apple Pie Milkshake, which is fresh out of the oven warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream all fused into one mouthwatering dessert. I shouldn’t even have to say more.
-- Xandria James
--
Sunday, November 18, 2012
News Feed: A Round-Up of the Week's Top Food Stories
• University City and beyond: The Inquirer profiles the owners of Milk & Honey, located at 44th and Baltimore, who've recently expanded the business over the bridge
• +1: Spencer ETA Burger, the brother restaurant of Sabrina's Cafe at 34th and Powelton, is expanding its hours; check out their eclectic burger menu here
• Thanksgiving Roundup: Seven must-try recipes from The Inquirer, a bizarre vegetarian option called the "Veggieducken" from Slate, and Uwishunu's top picks for Thanksgiving dinner at Philadelphia restaurants
• Closings: Both the Union Trust and Butcher & the Brewer are shutting their doors
• A Thanksgiving miracle? Foobooz reports that Crumbs Bake Shop is aiming to open its first Philadelphia location at 133 S 18th Street before the holiday
• The Fall 2012 Center City District Restaurant Week was the most successful since the biannual event began in 2003; the next Center City District Restaurant Week begins January 20
• Vedge, Chef Greg Vernick winners in Eater's 2012 Awards for Philly
• Food Saga: Part 1: The New York Times pans Guy Fieri's New York restaurant, Part 2: Fieri shoots back calling the review unfair, Stunning Twist: the Times hosted a 160-person party at the restaurant, Guy's American Kitchen and Bar, the same day the review ran in the paper
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Philly Food Events
Beer vs. Wine Pairing Dinner
WHAT: Chef Michael Solomonov and sommelier Marnie Old are pairing up with Brauhaus Schmitz Executive Chef Jeremy Nolen and owner Doug Hager for a night of sips, suds and German-inspired plates. The evening presents passed hors d’oeuvres and five courses each accompanied by one beer chosen by Hager and a wine option selected by Old. A glimpse at the menu reveals chestnut-stuffed pasta with pumpernickel crumbs and aged gouda, chicken liver schnitzel “BLT,” halibut-stuffed cabbage rolls with passion fruit-mango pickle, confit pork belly alongside turnip-sauerkraut gratin and maggi glaze and lastly, malted pot de creme and chocolate covered pretzel sticks for dessert. Reservations can be made via City Eats here. Note: you have to first sign up for a (totally free) City Eats membership. For more information, call (216) 909-8814.
WHERE: Brauhaus Schmitz, 718 South Street
WHEN: Tuesday, November 20, 7 p.m.
COST: $75 plus tax & gratuity
Burger Palooza 2012
WHAT: Meat patty lovers unite as Burger Palooza 2012 stacks up on Wednesday, November 21 at Yards Brewery. Gathering on Thanksgiving eve, this topping-loaded affair will be a warm-up, or stretch if you will, for official gobble day feasts. Participating food trucks include Chewys, Spot, Street Food Philly and The MOO Truck of Bucks County. Each will reveal three entirely new variations of 1/4-lb. gourmet creations. That’s a dozen burgers and three extra pounds to add to your frame. The all-you-can-eat, four-hour event comes in at $35 a ticket and sees you two foamy pours from Yards in addition to live tunes. Starting this Monday, November 12, visit one of the four trucks listed above and purchase a ticket for just $29 in advance.
WHERE: Yards Brewery, 901 N. Delaware Avenue
WHEN: Wednesday, November 21, 5-9 p.m.
COST: $35 at door; $29 at participating food trucks
Christmas Village of Philadelphia
WHAT: It's time again for Philly's annual outdoor holiday market! Modeled after Germany’s traditional open-air Christmas markets, there are plenty of vendors from whom you can buy wares and Christmas-themed goodies. But the food, you ask? Enjoy traditional German and European food, sweets and drinks like bratwurst with sauerkraut, currywurst, strudels, pretzels, potato soup, landjager and more. You can also stay warm with a mug of hot gluhwine (mulled winde) and a cup of hot chocolate with some marshmallows on top for the little ones. In addition to the official food tent, Chaddsford Winery will sell mulled wine in Booth 51, German Grill will have more traditional German fare in Booth 46, Nuts About You will make fresh as-you-wait funnel cakes (Booth 6), and Helmut’s Original Austrian Food will be located at Booth 61. Check out Booth 13 for German Christmas foods like Lebkuchen (Gingerbread Cookies), Stollen (traditional German Holiday Cake), Cinnamon Stars and Spekulatius (traditional German spicy cookies). More info here.
WHEN: November 24-December 24; Sneak Peek on November 22 (Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Christmas Eve: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.)
WHERE: Love Park, 1500 Arch Street
COST: Free admission; pay as you go for shopping and refreshments
