Food - Philadelphia Weekly

Nomad Pizza In Bella Vista Is as Cozy as a Family Gathering

By Brian Freedman — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:03:43 PDT

Between the dog at my feet, the babies all around the long communal table and the smell of smoldering wood, a recent dinner at Nomad in Bella Vista could easily have been a springtime family gathering at my mother’s house. All that was missing was more yelling, and a bit of guilt for not...

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Local Food & Drink Cravings? There's an App (or Two) for That

By Nicole Finkbiner — Wed, 16 May 2012 06:01:57 PDT

Craving street cuisine on your break or a cold craft beer after work? There’s an app for that! In fact, here are two must-have apps for any Philadelphian who likes to put things in their mouth. Roaming Hunger The cornerstone brand of the street-food movement since 2009, Roaming Hunger serves...

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The Walnut Street Supper Club Opens Its Big Show to a Whimper

By Leah Blewett — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:01:45 PDT

With Don Draper and Co. back on television and a nationwide cocktail renaissance that shows no signs of slowing down, the time couldn’t be riper for a restaurant like the Walnut Street Supper Club. Housed in the space that was known for 38 years as Portofino, this self-consciously swanky...

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Alla Spina Successfully Marries Italy, Bar Snacks and Craft Beer

By Leah Blewett — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:34:04 PDT

If there’s blame to be laid here, it lands squarely at the feet of Marc Vetri (and Chef de Cuisine Damon Menapace): Alla Spina turned me into a man. These are not the pigtails of a youthful maiden skipping through a meadow (though my male friends swear pigtails are right up there with...

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The Battle Between Two Hot Dog Joints: Hot Diggity and Underdogs

By Brian Freedman — Wed, 02 May 2012 07:05:08 PDT

We ate 10 hot dogs from Hot Diggity and Underdogs in one night. (Shout out to Pepto!) Both joints brought it; one reigned supreme. I’m generally not the kind of guy to channel my inner Kobayashi. I have immense respect for the hot-dog-eating legend, and I’ve spent countless...

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Farm-to-Table Fans Will Find Much to Fawn Over at Russet

By Cristina Perachio — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:20:19 PDT

Like cupcakes, food trucks and, um, cupcake food trucks before them, local and sustainable farm-to-table restaurants are currently riding the crest of a food-trend wave that threatens to wash over us all. Whether the myriad Philly restaurants proudly boasting the names of their farmers and...

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Why Chinatown's M Kee Needs to Do Better in a Neighborhood Full of Great Food

By Brian Freedman — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:12:38 PDT

Restaurants are like long-term relationships: There’s comfort in the familiar, but care must be taken to avoid boredom from settling in. The risks of the familiar are even greater when a new restaurant sets down its roots in a neighborhood known for turning out excellent versions of the...

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Pickled Heron in Fishtown Needs to Figure Out Where It's Going

By Leah Blewett — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 06:05:20 PDT

There’s obvious talent in the kitchen and a lot of heart in this little BYOB. Some restaurants are easy to love—they have delicious food served in a great location at an affordable price. Others are more difficult. Perhaps the location is cool, the price is right, but the food falls flat....

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Vedge's Ambitious Vegan Cuisine Raises the Stakes for Everyone

By Brian Freedman — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 12:56:11 PDT

For better or worse—though, really, it’s probably worse—we live in a world that’s perceived as binary. As far as most people are concerned, you’re either a Democrat or a Republican. You like rock or classical music. Drink red or white wine. Eat meat or sustain yourself...

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You’re Quite the Dish: Octopus at Mercato

By Cristina Perachio — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:55:18 PDT

You’re quite the dish, Grilled Octopus at Mercato! Are you good enough to convert even the most stubborn fried-calamari fan? Eating the fried stuff without ever having tried a bite of me just doesn’t seem right! But I know some folks are put off by my nakedness. Naked? You’ve got...

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Eat, Drink & Be Merry at George Sabatino's Stateside on Passyunk Ave.

By Brian Freedman — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 06:39:24 PDT

Spotting the face of a familiar chef, server or manager at a restaurant on a Monday night is generally a good sign that you’re in for an at-least-decent meal. Finding yourself in a dining room full of them is about as confidence-swelling as it gets. On a recent Monday, then, as the evening...

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You're Quite the Dish: S’More Doughnut at Federal Donuts

By Cristina Perachio — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:18:37 PDT

You’re quite the breakfast treat, S’More Doughnut at Federal Donuts! S’Mores are an American institution like apple pie, but please don’t write that down. Pie already gets enough press: it’s doughnut time. Very well. What makes you such a stand-out amongst your...

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Ela in Queen Village Succeeds at Classic Fare With a Modern Touch

By Brian Freedman — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:03:34 PDT

Chef Jason Cichonski is both creative and precise. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Philadelphia chef with as wide a range of references at his disposal as Jason Cichonski. By turns, he channels the creativity of the greats of Europe—Ferran Adria, Rene Redzeki—and the precision...

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El Loco Pez in Fishtown Isn't Just for Cool Kids

By Brian Freedman — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:37:20 PDT

It’s a bar with a sense of inclusion, humor ... and damn good tacos and drinks. Hipster taco bar: Those three simple words have the potential to elicit outsized reactions on both sides of the divide, either making your heart go pitter-patter inside your ironic T-shirt, or all but guaranteeing an...

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Marrakesh Express Is on a Roll

By Brian Freedman — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:11:54 PST

The University City restaurant reinvents itself with a food truck. One of the great benefits of our growing food-truck infatuation is that it allows a chef to dial in on a specific aspect of a cuisine and explore it in depth. When it’s done right, a food truck affords visitors the chance to...

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A Lot to Love About the New J&J Trestle Inn

By Leah Blewett — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:51:03 PST

It's bar food done (mostly) right at the whiskey/go-go joint on 11th and Callowhill. In its heyday, the J&J Trestle Inn featured pregnant strippers with gunshot wounds jiggling their flesh morosely for the marks at the bar, who looked on as they reached distractedly into a foggy jar loaded...

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Neighborhood-Friendly Tapestry on Fifth and Bainbridge Is Drama-Free

By Brian Freedman — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 05:07:34 PST

It was a turbulent ride with Coquette and Adsum. The echo-y, tiled space at Fifth and Bainbridge has been no stranger to drama these past few years. When it was Coquette, a car plowed through the windows. Then, Matt Levin’s Adsum opened with a bang, garnering gobs of critical praise. A...

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The Food & Drink Issue: Soul Food

By PW Staff — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:03:21 PST

BURRRRRRRRPPPPP. Oh, sorry. We’ve been stuffing ourselves to the gills around here with soul food from every corner of this fair city. And in the Food & Drink Issue you can see where, exactly, we’ve been doing it. In “The Place,” we profile a longtime Philly soul staple,...

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Sammy Chon's K-Town BBQ Is a Bust From Start to Finish

By Brian Freedman — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:37:43 PST

At a Korean restaurant, the most anticipated moment comes right before the banchan arrive. The waiter heading to your table with his tray of side dishes—the kimchee, the o-deng rice cakes, perhaps some kaktugi radish cubes and more—is essentially your greeting, and generally a reliable...

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You’re Quite the Dish: Sneaky Spicy Greens at Phoebe’s BBQ

By Cristina Perachio — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:33:46 PST

You’re quite the dish, Sneaky Spicy Greens at Phoebe’s BBQ. Now don’t make any sudden moves. You can relax. It’s my flavor that’s sneaky. OK, but I’ve got my eye on you. What can you tell me about your recipe? I’m over 30 years old and handed down...

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