WHAT: The Vendy Awards are back in town and the trucks are gearing up to be this year's top curbside chef. Whether you want to feast on Yumtown's Southern/Mexican/Asian cuisine, The King of Falafel's healthy Middle Eastern cuisine, Delicias' Venezuelan fare, Lil Dan’s Gourmet Italian and American grub, Lil Pop Shop's innovative popsicles (like cantaloupe rose with goat cheese), or Sugar Philly's French macarons, there are sure to be multiple dishes to your liking. This annual event organized by The Street Vendor Project is a fundraiser for The Food Trust, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization that strives to make healthy food available to all. Follow the Vendy Awards on Twitter for the latest news and announcements @vendysphilly and like them on Facebook at Vendy Awards. Who will win the coveted Vendy Cup, Best Dessert, and People's Choice? Be there this Saturday to find out!
WHEN: Saturday, July 28, 2012, 3:00-7:00 p.m.
WHERE: The Lot @ 39th and Market.
COST: $55 in advance and $60 day of event; purchase tickets online for the all-you-can-eat event inclusive of beer and wine
WHAT: 34 restaurants in the University City neighborhood are offering three-course prix-fixe menus at either the $15, $25 or $30 price point, so it’s a great chance to taste some of West Philadelphia’s great restaurants without the steep price tag that usually accompanies a three-course meal anywhere. Some of our favorites are Marigold Kitchen, Sabrina's Cafe, Dock Street Brewery, and Tria Wine Room. Take a look at the complete list of participating restaurants online.
WHERE: University City, various restaurants
WHEN: now through Thursday, July 26
COST: Varies
WHAT: With the combination of Ben Franklin’s invention of ice cream in 1787 and Franklin Fountain’s nod to the forgotten flavors of Philly’s past, “The Craft of Ice Cream” will prove to be an interesting history tale of sweets. Beginning with an optional burger and fries dinner, tickets are $35 (drinks not included) and grab you a 5:30 p.m. reservation at Rittenhouse Tavern, the Art Alliance’s restaurant serving contemporary American fare from Chef Nicholas Elmi. If you’re skipping dinner and heading straight for dessert, admission is a cool $20 and buys you a front row seat to Berley’s ice cream chat and tasting from 7-8:30 p.m. More information here.
WHERE: 251 S. 18th Street
WHEN: Thursday, July 26, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m.
COST: $35 dinner and admission; $20 admission only
WHAT: A week of shopping, dining and giving back to the community. Participating shops and restaurants in Northern Liberties will feature sales of up to 75% off. Each purchase will also enter you into a raffle for a chance to win a NoLibs shopping spree. Participating businesses will also be collecting canned goods and dry foods for Philabundance to stop hunger in our communities. A full list of participating businesses can be found online.
WHERE: Various locations in Northern Liberties
WHEN: now through Sunday, July 29
COST: Varies
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Philly Food Events
Thursday, July 12, 2012
LA's the Place (to eat)
Earlier this summer I explored Los Angeles, with a focus on food. My host and I ate mostly outside, puncturing our afternoons with iced coffee and pastries. What follows is a highlight reel of the bites of Los Angeles, with an eye towards the unique, the summery, and the fun.
The Sweet:
I’m a firm believer in multiple dessert days during vacation months. Los Angeles, land of yoga and coconut water, also has a sweet tooth.
Grab ice cream at Sweet Rose Creamery in Brentwood. They’re known for salted caramel, but you can get salt as a topping on any flavor. The blueberry muffin flavor that I tried was excellent and unusual. The crumbly muffin and blueberry bits fit nicely into an ice cream.
Most cakes are a little dull, a little dry, and rely heavily on icing. Not so at Sweet Lady Jane bakery on Melrose (they also have a Santa Monica location). This bakery is open late and serves HUGE slices of cake, from vegan berry to cappuccino cheesecake. We tried red velvet and chocolate almond mocha, and could not stop raving about the moist cakes and their flavorful frostings. These cakes are decadent, but not too sweet. Bonus: We were there near closing, so they offered us some free day-old bread and croissants. Breakfast the next morning was excellent!
Short Cake Bakery at the Original Farmer's Market
This relatively new stand came recommended from The Amateur Gourmet, so we had to check it out. The decor is adorable and there are lots of sweet food and drink options. We had a peanut butter bar that was good, but not revelatory. I'd try something different next time (we came late in the day so choices were limited).
Cool Haus Ice Cream Sandwiches
This food truck (which exists in multiple cities) was at the Yamashiro Farmer's Market, a wonderful summer Thursday confluence of food trucks, farm stands, live music, and views of the Hollywood Hills. There are even shuttles to take you to the top! Coincidentally, I went on the same day as Philly's Night Market and it was a great substitute. At Cool Haus you design your own ice cream sandwich with their array of cookies and ice creams. We tried chocolate chip sea salt cookies with red velvet ice cream! So decadent, and so good.
Fruit grows better in a warm climate. California nectarines, cherries, and strawberries are sweet and juicy, begging to freshen a hot afternoon. Farmers markets proliferate widely, and Mexican food back east just can’t compare.
The Savory:
In-N-Out: One of the first things I ate in LA was In-N-Out. This West Coast Burger Stand deserves all the press it receives. The burgers are so fresh and the animal style toppings (a special sauce and pickles) are delicious. I don't eat red meat often but I had no regrets about my animal style cheeseburger. I didn't even mind eating it at 11 AM.
Cube: My first dinner in LA was at Cube, a restaurant that bases its ever changing menu on different regions of Italy. I was there for Umbria and had a lovely dinner. They greet each diner with a special cheese pairing presented on a cute chalkboard. Also, their onion rings were amazing (they served them with a special spicy ketchup).
Loteria Grill at the Original Farmer's Market
Loteria Grill was some of the best Mexican food I've ever had. They have a menu that goes way beyond tacos and burritos. I ordered chilequiles, a Mexican breakfast dish that consists of layered tortilla strips, eggs, and various sauces. I first tried the dish in rural Mexico over 6 years ago and it's something I could eat for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Lasagna Cupcakes from Heirloom LA. Heirloom LA had a truck at the Yamashiro Farmer's Market and everyone was talking about their lasagna cupcakes. They had lots of flavors (the person in front of us on line got the last heirloom tomato) and the size was perfect. We had the roasted vegetable one and it was, aside from the cute presentation, very good lasagna.
Los Angeles may be the cleanse capital of the world but it's also a diverse place full of great food, creative chefs, and some of the best desserts I've had in a while. Maybe a good slice of cake is just the ticket to enduring Los Angeles' crazy traffic!
For more LA suggestions, check out our foursquare list of suggestions. We have ideas for New York and DC too.
Monday, July 2, 2012
Greensgrow Farms' LIFE Program
Beginning on July 14, 2012, Greensgrow Farms will embark on its annual initiative, Local Initiative for Food Education (LIFE). LIFE aims to provide community members with better access to local fresh fruits and vegetables, nutritional education, and food preparation training. Participating families in the program receive a share of fresh vegetables and fruit each week at the farm (see right), which they pay for with SNAP benefits, and attend weekly cooking and nutrition classes to learn recipes and skills for preparing meals with the contents of that week’s farm share. In addition, as a participant, for every $5 spent using the ACCESS card, earn a $2 coupon in Philly Food Bucks towards purchasing more fruits and vegetables. Greensgrow’s LIFE Program provides a heavily discounted 100% local farm share exclusively for low-income families living in the city who use SNAP benefits, making LIFE a unique program in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia lacks access to fresh food despite the fact that it is one of the most prolific farming regions in the world. LIFE aims to break down barriers – financial, logistical, and educational – that contribute to the deteriorating health of our communities. The program is designed to increase participant’s household food security, their knowledge about local food and nutrition, and empower them to take charge of their health while supporting local farms and our local economy. To this end, Greensgrow has revamped elements of the program to make it more convenient and more rewarding than ever for LIFE participants.
Every Saturday starting on July 14 and ending September 29, farm share pickups (10-11:30 am) and classes (11:30 am-12:15 pm) (see left) will be held at Greensgrow Farms (2501 E. Cumberland St, Philadelphia, PA 19125). For more information, please email life@greensgrow.org, call at (267) 496-0148 (ask for Dee), or visit www.greensgrow.org/life.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Philly Food Events
Qdoba's Summer Savings
WHAT: Philadelphia residents can enjoy their favorite Qdoba entrées for only $6 with Qdoba’s Summer Savings Pass. Qdoba guests can print their Summer Savings Pass by visiting the Qdoba Philadelphia-area Facebook page and use it an unlimited number of times through Sunday, July 8.
WHERE: All of Qdoba’s Philadelphia-area restaurant locations. To find the Qdoba closest to you, visit here.
WHEN: Monday, June 11 – Sunday, July 8, 2012. Hours of operation vary by restaurant location.
COST: $6
WHAT: In honor of the PMA's summer exhibit "Gauguin, Cezanne, Matisse: Visions of Arcadia," STARR events and Granite Hill restaurant host a tiki feast appropriately including a whole roasted pig, Hawaiian coffee-smoked baby back ribs, butterfish and macadamia pesto wrapped in banana leaves, molokai sweet potato with caramelized onion and cinnamon rum butter, and pineapple upside down cake. Make reservations by calling (215) 684-7990.
WHERE: The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s East Terrace, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
WHEN: Thursday, June 28-Sunday, July 1, 6-9 p.m.
COST: $48 excluding tax/tip; 10% off with museum membership
WHAT: Enjoy food, live music performances at the city's annual event. Feast on dishes from restaurants around the city (i.e. Darling’s Diner, Gigi Restaurant & Lounge, Keatings River Grill and Marabella Meatball Company) and city food trucks (i.e. Sweet Box, Lil Dan’s Food Truck, Say Cheese, Gozen Yogurt, Gigi & Big R’s and Vernalicious Lunch Truck). Wine from Blue Mountain Vineyard and beers will also be available for purchase.
WHERE: Penn’s Landing, 201 S. Columbus Boulevard
WHEN: June 29, 5-10 p.m.; June 30, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; July 1, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
COST: Free admission, food costs between $1-$5
WHAT: The third annual Hop Chef Competition is back, featuring Joe Cicala of Le Virtu, Scott Schroeder of South Philly Taproom, Stateside’s George Sabatino, Jason Cichonski of Ela, Rittenhouse Tavern’s Nick Elmi and Jon Cichon of Lacroix. Each chef is required to create and prepare two dishes using Ommegang beers to be judged on five pairing principles: simple pairing, incorporation, mimicking, story telling and experimental.
WHEN: Tuesday, July 10, 7-10 p.m.
WHERE: World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut Street (upstairs)
COST: $57.92 with service fees
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Summer Farmer's Markets
--Post and photos by Leyla Mocan
A Reason to Shout "Opa!"
Move over, Greek Lady: Uncle Nick's in New York, NY, proves that Greek cuisine is so much more than gyros and souvlaki.
Nothing much has changed since Uncle Nick's first opened its doors in the 1980s, vowing to bring fresh, moderately priced Greek food to the island of Manhattan. The menu boasts a mix of familiar and exotic Greek specialties with plenty of carnivorous and vegetarian options to boot. Family-size portions are large and can easily be shared, making this a true "big fat Greek" experience!
While the meat selection--sliced directly off the spit or pulled straight from the grill--is succulent and flavorful, Uncle Nick's does its seafood best.
Since the true stars of this meal take about 30 minutes for the kitchen to prepare, appetizers are key. Swirling tentacles and chunky rings of barely-dusted baby squid take a dip in the fryer, ready to be popped into your mouth at a moment's notice; the accompanying marinara sauce is an unnecessary addition to these light bite-size pieces. The inherent smokiness imbued in the tender grilled octopus harmonizes well with the sweet and tangy notes of an inky balsamic dressing. Thick slices of fried peppers and eggplant grace the top of a heap of scordalia dip, a a savory potato- and garlic-based blend studded with kalamata olives. The biggest spectacle by far, though, is the Saganaki-Tiri, a wedge of sharp goat's milk cheese that is lit on fire before being placed ceremonially on your table. Perhaps more for theatrics, the cheese is still decadently rich and the perfect warm, creamy spread for the standard bread basket.
What makes the seafood at Uncle Nick's so special is--perhaps surprisingly--the inherent simplicity: your fish of choice for eating; lemon, oil, salt, and pepper for taste; and a charcoal grill for cooking. Fillets and steak cuts of fish are readily available (and excellent choices), but the best way to experience Uncle Nick's is to truly "order a fish": head to tail, skin, bone, and all. As if that wasn't enough food, the gargantuan platter of fish is joined by plates of potatoes, mixed vegetables, and rice. Picking the buttery-soft flesh from the fish bones is half the fun; simply dine on the meat on one side, cleanly remove the spinal cord, and finish it off! For a true delicacy, nosh on the fish's cheeks, which offer the most tender and succulent meat. Devouring the delectable feast makes up the other half. Each bite evokes images of Greece's cerulean coastline, brightened by a sunny sparkle of fresh lemon. The species of fish also contributes its own unique flavor, from the the mild and delicate red snapper to the robust and hearty swordfish.
After cleaning your plate, you surely won't be left hungry, but you'll be ready to come back and try another of their authentic dishes. With two locations in New York (one in Hell's Kitchen and one in Chelsea), there's no excuse to not check out Uncle Nick's.
Check this out for more pictures from my dining experience!
~~
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Homemade Pizza
When I was little, my family used to regularly make pizza together on Friday nights. My mother would make the dough from scratch and would give me a little bit to “knead” which, as a three year-old, really just meant playing with it like Play-Doh. As I got older and life got busier we eventually let go of the ritual of Friday night pizza. On a recent visit home, however, my mother and I once again made pizza from scratch together. Though this dough recipe is not the one that we used when I was a child, we were both really pleased with the results (as were our guests who shared the meal!). Homemade pizza is also incredibly fun because of the opportunity to use any topping that you can dream up. (The pizza pictured features fresh mozzarella and caramelized onion.) Enjoy!
Homemade Pizza (adapted from Rocco Dispirito)
Makes 2 pizzas
Ingredients:
½ tsp molasses
¾ cup warm water
1 packet active dry yeast
½ tsp salt
1 ¾ cup flour (I used half whole wheat and half white)
1 can Muir Glen pizza sauce (I think the canned sauce is good but you can use homemade tomato sauce as well)
Fresh mozzarella (or any other cheese you like)
Other toppings: caramelized onion, olive oil, basil, fresh tomatoes, artichokes, other vegetables, sausage etc.
Directions:
In a bowl, dissolve the molasses in the warm water. When the water is cool enough to keep your finger in but still warm, add the yeast and mix. Let sit for about 10 minutes, or until the yeast starts to bubble. Add the salt and mix. Add the flour and combine with the liquid. Then, remove the dough from the bowl and turn onto a floured surface. Knead for about 10 minutes or until the dough is smooth like a baby’s bottom. Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil and place dough inside. Cover with a towel and let sit in a warm place for about an hour or until dough has doubled in size.
Divide the dough into two equal sized pieces. Roll into a ball in the palm of your hand and then place each ball onto a lightly oiled baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit until it doubles again, about 45 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees and place a pizza stone inside to heat. Let sit for about 20 minutes until the stone is nice and warm. On a lightly floured surface take the dough and roll it out as thin as possible. Place onto the pizza stone, prick the dough in several places with a fork and then put into the over for 2-3 minutes. Flip and bake for another 2-3 minutes until the crust is nice and crisp.
Remove crust from the oven, take several tablespoons of sauce and spread to the edges of the crust. Add all your other desired toppings. Place the pizza back into the oven for 6-10 minutes or until the cheese is well melted. Let sit for one or two minutes then slice and serve!
--Article and photos by Leyla Mocan
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Chez Yasmine
Because food trucks are such a large part of Philly’s food culture, it’s always exciting when a new one pops up. Chez Yasmine isn’t so new anymore, but it is certainly one of the newer ones, having only been around for a few months. And it’s on Penn campus, which is even more exciting because it is so accessible to students. So when I received an email about it from the Penn Gastronomy Club, I searched the food truck online, looked over the menu, and finally decided to check it out.
The owner, Jihed Chehimi, was extremely friendly. He welcomed me to the truck with a warm smile, while continuing his conversation with the three people ahead of me in line and putting together a sandwich. He chatted with regulars as if they were old school friends, knowing what they wanted and addressing them by name. He also explained to newcomers the inspiration behind his truck; both the names and the ingredients of each dish represent the places he has lived, worked, studied, and traveled— like Tunisia, France, and Philadelphia. After he finished preparing each customer’s order, he told them to pick a fruit and a mini water bottle to make their sandwich or salad a meal for no extra charge. He then took a picture of his new customers. I honestly found the photo a little strange, but he said he wanted it for a keepsake.
Unfortunately, the food wasn’t as outstanding as the service. I ordered the Wistar: Brie, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, basil/walnut pesto, and herbes de Provence on a baguette. When I got it, I thought it would be warm, like a French twist on a grilled cheese sandwich. But it wasn’t. So the brie was cold, not soft and melted. It was tasty, as well as smooth and creamy. But the rind was left on, which gave it a very pungent flavor. Although the rind is edible, I personally think it overpowers the flavor of the actual cheese, especially brie because it has a mild flavor. However, the mushrooms were seasoned well and the texture was agreeable because they were cooked. But again, I think that they would have been better warm, especially because they weren’t raw. The avocado would have provided a nice cool contrast to the warm, melted brie and mushrooms. However, since the cheese and mushrooms were as cold as the avocado, there was no variation in temperature. Also, the avocado was not evenly distributed, but randomly placed throughout the sandwich, providing either a mouthful of smashed avocado or a mouthful completely void of the ingredient. Finally, the baguette had a nice crunch on the outside, but the inside was a little tough instead of soft and tender. To fix this, I think the bread should have been toasted. On the other hand, the pesto sauce was tasty. It had a bold garlic flavor and was distributed evenly and generously. But the herbes de Provence shaken on top of the pesto sauce were overwhelming. There were too many, providing a grainy texture on your tongue, and tasted heavy on the thyme. Overall, I think that the Wistar is the right blend of ingredients, sans the herbes de Provence, but would only make me come try it again if the mushrooms were warm, the brie melted, and the baguette toasted.
At Chez Yasmine, the food truck experience was much better than the food itself. I would go back only because I would like to support Mr. Chehimi since he seems so good-hearted. You can tell that he really puts his heart and soul into his enterprise. Perhaps something other than the Wistar would be more satisfying. After all, the dishes are very innovative, which I admire. For now though, it is really the owner that has left an impression on me, not so much the food.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Seattle's Best
Ever since Starbucks' global explosion, Seattle has become synonymous with coffee. But there is more to the city than the purveyor of burnt beans and Norah Jones. A longtime tea lover, I asked friends for suggestions on where to truly find Seattle's best coffee, in the hopes of becoming the stereotypical Seattleite: a java-drinking bean snob. While I didn't succeed in the latter, I still managed to discover three fantastic Starbucks alternatives.
Lighthouse Roasters
Lighthouse Roasters is located in Fremont, the quirky Seattle neighborhood that calls itself "The Center of the Universe". Among the many oddities found in Fremont include a Soviet-era statue of Lenin from Slovakia and an eighteen-foot troll statue under a bridge, clutching a real Volkswagen Beetle in his hand. In comparison, Lighthouse Roasters seems quite tame. The shop is open, spacious, and sparsely decorated. As it was a balmy day, I ordered an iced Americano. It was rich without being overpowering, and not even a bit acidic. Usually I have to add sugar and lots of cream to make coffee palatable, but with this Americano I added only a splash of half-and-half and that was all I needed.
Lighthouse Roasters roasts their beans daily in small, vintage cast-iron roasters. You can order their blends and varietals from their website.
Stumptown Coffee
First let me add a disclaimer: Stumptown isn't a Seattle-based coffee shop. It started in Portland, before opening two locations in Seattle and one in Manhattan. I'm still a bit sore about that, since when it comes to Northwest subculture, Seattle is often overshadowed by its hipper city to the south. And for good reason, Portland has Powell's Books and Voodoo Donuts and even inspired the comedy-show Portlandia. I was really hoping Seattle could beat Portland with coffee, but I guess not.
Despite its "Portlandishness", many Seattleites believe that Stumptown has the best beans in the city, and they certainly win for their sheer number of varieties, from South America to Africa to Indonesia.
When I stopped by the Stumptown on Capitol Hill, I was feeling a bit over-adventurous and ordered a con panna, an espresso shot topped with whipped cream. Big mistake. I'm not very good at stomaching incredibly bitter things, even in small quantities. I was about to call my trip to Stumptown a failure, when the barista mentioned they were roasting beans in the basement if I wanted to go see. Turns out I had also arrived just in time for a free cupping, where a barista walks you through the roasting process and lets you try some of Stumptown's different blends. Mission Stumptown: success!
You can order Stumptown's coffees online, or if you're on the East Coast check out their Manhattan location at 29th and Broadway.
Local Color
Another disclaimer: I had already been to Local Color. In fact, it's my favorite coffee shop in Seattle, and I always make sure to hit it up when I'm in my hometown. No, they don't roast their own beans. However, their ambiance and location can't be beat.
Local Color is located within a stone's throw of the original Starbucks in the Pike Place Market, one of the nation's oldest and largest public markets. I think it's this proximity to Starbucks that keeps Local Color practically devoid of tourists in one of the city's top tourist destinations, making the experience at Local Color "local" indeed.
However, I hold Local Color near-and-dear to my heart for two other reasons. Firstly, it's also an art gallery, and I always enjoy looking at the selected artists works displayed in the back. Secondly, they serve my favorite coffee drink in the city, their Aztec mocha. True, I don't like their Aztec mocha because of the quality of their coffee, but because of the added chocolate and spices (add enough chocolate and spices and I'll drink anything!) Nevertheless, all my friends have agreed the Aztec mocha is quite decadent, and certainly worth trying if you're ever in the great tourist-trap Pike Place Market.
-Elliott Brooks
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Northern Liberties Night Market
I had the pleasure of kicking off my summer with the Philadelphia Night Market! One Thursday a month, May through October, food trucks, bands and beer stands colonize a Philadelphia neighborhood for the ultimate summertime experience. This month the market was held in Northern Liberties at 2nd and Market. When my friends and I arrived we were overwhelmed with all the people and activities (not to mention long lines!) because the Night Market draws quite a large crowd.
While we were walking, we got to sample some Frobana. As we were all trying to figure out what flavor of ice cream we were tasting, the lady handing it out shocked us all by informing us that it was not ice cream but was 
actually frozen banana with nothing else added! Indeed, they were putting frozen bananas through a machine on the spot and offering it with chocolate and other toppings.
The only complaint that I have about the whole experience was that the lines were excruciatingly long. There were so many choices of food trucks - from kabobs to tacos to wood oven pizza - all with long lines of people waiting to grab a bite.
Because two of my friends had recently lived in Chile, we decided to wait for over half an hour in line for the Delicias food truck (normally located at 34th and Market) which makes Chilean and Venezuelan fare. We ordered a chorpian and a sweet plantain arepa. The choripan was basically a sausage sandwich with spicy chorizo, caramelized onions and some pico de gallo. The sandwich had just the amount of spice and the pico de gallo was a nice and refreshing addition. The arepas were little sandwiches made from corn patties and different fillings. Ours was filled with sweet plantains and a cheese that tasted like a crumbled queso blanco. I thought the arepa was more interesting than the choripan – sweet, a tiny bit salty, and extremely satisfying. Even now, a few days later, we've been scheming to get back to the food truck and have such tasty treats again. The combination of having the spicy and then the sweeter sandwich while sitting on a stoop was a perfect pair for a surreal summer night.
Don't miss the next Night Market on June 28th at 9th and Washington!
- Leyla Mocan
Tweet
