Philly Soft Pretzel Factory

October 17, 2006 Cuisine: Philadelphian

1532 Sansom Street Philadelphia, PA 19102

Phone: 215-569-3988 Website: http://www.phillysoftpretzelfactory.com/

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There are a number of foods that are distinctly Philadelphian: cheesesteaks, scrapple, cream cheese, TastyKakes, Herr's Potato Chips, hoagies, and soft pretzels. I felt like a true Philadelphian (if only for a fleeting 15 minutes) yesterday when I had a fresh soft pretzel with yellow mustard drizzled all over.

The true Philadelphia soft pretzel:

• is usually bought from a street vendor or small "mom and pop" shop - seldom from a chain store
• is fresh, soft, and chewy
• comes in a sort of slab in which a number of pretzels are stuck together
• is sprinkled with just the right amount of coarse salt

My pretzel was warm out of the oven and provided an excellent pre-dinner snack. I've had Philly soft pretzels before while at Swarthmore, but never fresh ones. Since the pretzels have no preservatives it makes a huge difference eating them when they have just been baked.

And the best part is that three pretzels go for $1. You can also get a single pretzel for 45 cents.

A box of 100 pretzels goes for $20.

Philly pretzel with yellow mustard.

Maggiano's Little Italy

October 13, 2006 Cuisine: Italian 1201 Filbert St, Philadelphia 19107 At N 12th St Phone: 215-567-2020 Website: www.maggianos.com -- Appetizer: Parmesan Garlic Bread Entree I: Lobster Ravioli - Pasta stuffed with fresh Maine lobster, roasted corn, garlic and basil, topped with Parmesan and Romano cheese baked in a light cream sauce with roasted peppers and applewood smoked bacon Entree II: Chianti Beef Stew - Tender cuts of sirloin with onions in a Chianti wine sauce, finished with portobello and button mushrooms served over a bed of pappardelle pasta -- While I generally frown upon chain restaurants, my frown is always turned upside down at Maggiano's. The Astronomer and I, along with the entire Swarthmore Cross Country team, dined at Maggiano's for a pre-meet dinner. I tagged along to take advantage of the Fall Harvest Specials. I had a small order of the Chianti Beef Stew ($12.95), while Vernon had a large order of the Lobster Ravioli ($21.95). We shared a large order of the garlic bread ($4.95) with five others at our table. Appetizer: Gastronomer: First off, I'd just like to say what a pleasure it is dining with runners. They are SUCH good eaters! Love it! Okay, now on to the food... We've had the garlic bread on many occasions. The Astronomer always orders it even though Maggiano's serves bread on the table for free. While I find ordering extra bread sort of redundant, I must admit the garlic bread is very tasty. It's moist yet crispy, not greasy, and so savory. The Parmesan cheese and parsley sprinkled on top intensifies the flavor. Astronomer: Maggiano's may well be my favorite restaurant ever, so needless to say I enjoyed the meal. Most of our party was new to the Maggiano's experience, so I felt it was imperative that they try the amazing Parmesan garlic bread--a Maggiano's staple. The garlic bread is always succulent and perfectly flavored. We gobbled it up in no time. Entree I: Astronomer: I was feeling "hungry hungry," so I attacked the complementary breads. I ate so much that I was worried I might be overwhelmed by my pasta, but fortunately the full order of lobster ravioli was not too large. Unfortunately, actually. There were only THREE ravioli. They were large and delicious, and there was plentiful cream sauce and lots of bacon bits, but still, I expected a bit more from Maggiano's. I managed to leave the restaurant feeling pleasantly stuffed, but only after dipping large quantities of bread in my extra sauce and helping to finish some leftover ice cream. Complaints about quantity aside, my ravioli was everything I had hoped for. The lobster flavor really came through nicely, and the bacon and cheese were excellent complements. I'm glad I took advantage of the Fall Harvest menu, but from now on I vow to abstain from ravioli at Maggiano for the foreseeable future. Gastronomer: Since the ravioli portions were a bit on the skimpy side, I only had one small bite of the dish. While Maggiano's flavors generally consist of salty and cheesy, I found the ravioli quite mild. Entree II: Gastronomer: I loved my pasta! I wish the Chianti Beef Stew were a menu mainstay rather than a fleeting special. Sigh... The fall harvest menu ends on the 25th, so I have about a week left to indulge. The stew was perfectly seasoned, the meat was tender and plentiful, and the vegetables (carrots and mushrooms) were lovely foils. Pappardelle is my favorite pasta shape and went perfectly with the flavorful stew. So hearty and delicious. Astronomer: I tried a couple of bites of the Gastronomer's beef stew. It was pretty awesome--I would consider ordering it myself if it ever becomes a permanent fixture on the menu.

Pappardelle Pasta

Paninoteca

October 12, 2006 Cuisine: Mediterranean, Sandwiches, Italian 120 S 18th St, Philadelphia 19103 Btwn Chestnut St & Sansom St Phone: 215-568-0077 Website: none -- Panino I: Smoked Salmon - spicy hummus, mesclun greens, capers on black bread Panino II: Honey Roasted Turkey - sharp provolone, sweet onions cranberry-pear relish, mesclun greens on baguette -- My co-worker Ricky and I went to Paninoteca for lunch. We both ordered sandwiches and had them wrapped up "to go" so that we could enjoy them in Rittenhouse Square. I ordered the Smoked Salmon and Ricky chose the Honey Roasted Turkey. The Smoked Salmon was very tasty, but I wouldn't characterize it as a panino. For one thing, there were no grill marks and another thing, there wasn't any melted cheese. I think grill marks and melted cheese are key elements of panini. Unfortunately, the chef's vision couldn't be fully actualized during my visit because Paninoteca ran out of black bread. My sandwich was made on a baguette instead. Other than that minor technicality, my sandwich totally rocked. The size of the sandwich was surprisingly robust, the greens were tossed in a light vinaigrette, the hummus was on point, and the smoked salmon was excellent. The baguette held the contents in nicely and had a lovely, chewy texture. All the ingredients worked together very well. My only complaint was that the ratio of greens to salmon was 10:1, so I had to eat the salmon separately to fully take in the flavor. While I never thought I'd ever say this, perhaps the sandwich could use less greens in the future. Ricky's choice was definitely a panino. Grill marks? Check. Melted cheese? Check! I only had one bite of the Honey Roasted Turkey and thought that it was a good combination of flavors overall. Ricky thought that the relish could've used more sugar. I thought the panino could do with less relish because the tartness of the pears and cranberries overwhelmed the milder flavors such as the onions and turkey. Paninoteca is a delicious establishment, but with so many eateries in Center City, I probably won't return anytime soon. Ricky on the other hand said he would definitely return to try some other offerings.

Farmicia

October 7, 2006 Cuisine: American (New), Bistro 15 S 3rd St, Philadelphia 19106 Btwn Market St & Chestnut St Phone: 215-627-6274 Website: www.farmiciarestaurant.com -- Appetizer I: French Lentil Salad - baked goat cheese, greens, sherry dressing Appetizer II: Crispy Fried Shrimp - sweet corn fritters, lemon horseradish sauce, and microgreens Entree I: Duck Breast - crisped skin, raspberry basil sauce, steamed carrots & fennel, wild rice w/almonds Entree II: Roasted Eggplant - Cannelloni Italian grain & home-made ricotta filling, roasted tomato sauce, spinach -- At Farmacia the emphasis is on "great tasting food crafted from local, organic, and artisanal producers." The Astronomer and I dined at Farmicia before the Built to Spill show and found it to be a wonderful eatery. Farmicia's pre-meal bread is from the Metropolitan Bakery and is served with a fantastic butter with chives. On the evening that we dined we were offered three types of bread: New York Rye, White, and Baguette. We tried all three. My favorites were the baguette (crisp outside and soft inside) and the Rye (great contrast to the butter). We asked for seconds and thirds. Appetizer I: Gastronomer: I picked out the salad appetizer and left the second appetizer up to the Astronomer. For the salad appetizer I chose the French Lentil Salad because goat cheese, greens and lentils are a few of my favorite things. The sherry dressing was perfectly tart and not too sour as vinaigrettes sometimes tend to be. The goat cheese made the dish spectacular because of its intrinsic rich creaminess. The lentils were mixed with small diced vegetables such as carrot and zucchini. Very tasty. Astronomer: Our meal got off to a fantastic start with a French Lentil Salad. My mom began incorporating lentils into her cooking sometime during high school, and I used to look scornfully upon them. However, they have grown on me, particularly when they are accompanied by massive quantities of goat cheese. All in all, the combination of flavors in the Farmicia salad was delightful. Appetizer II: Gastronomer: The shrimp appetizer came with five good-sized crispy shrimp (perhaps they were dusted with cornmeal), placed on a "corn fritter" (more like a pancake), drizzled with a lemon horseradish sauce and topped off with greens. I loved the flavor of the horseradish sauce, especially paired with the pancake. The shrimp were warm from the deep fryer. Oh boy! Astronomer: The crispy fried shrimp were delicious. I made a split-second decision to order them, and for a second afterwards I was scared I might actually not like horseradish sauce, but they turned out to be as tasty as I had hoped. The sauce was good enough to warrant sponging up with bread. Entree I: Astronomer: Despite the success of the appetizers, the true highlight of the meal was my entree: duck breast with raspberry basil sauce. It was some of the most delicious meat I have ever enjoyed. It was somewhat questionable how much it actually tasted like raspberry, but whatever it was, it was good. The duck came with carrots and fennel and wild rice with almonds. All of them were well executed, and I even enjoyed the wild rice. In all honesty, however, during the time I was eating the side dishes I was usually anticipating my next bite of duck. Needless to say, at the end of the meal, bread was a good vehicle for raspberry sauce. Gastronomer: I had one bite of the duck (prepared medium rare) and found it moist, tender and down right perfect! The wild rice was nothing special, but to be fair, it is pretty much impossible to compete with an amazing duck. Entree II: Gastronomer: I chose the eggplant cannelloni for my entree. The dish was served in a TV dinner like platter. The side dishes were in little compartments on the "tray," which is perfect for a girl who hates "contaminated" food. The cannelloni was fantastic! The filling really made the dish; the ricotta cheese was mixed with spelt and had the most wonderful texture. The eggplant and marinara sauce were pretty basic, which let the filling shine. I was served three cannelloni, but could only finish two. The cannelloni came with three side dishes: firstly a carrot, mushroom and onion mixture, secondly some white beans in a vinaigrette, and thirdly some sauteed broccoli rabe. I adored the mushroom dish the most, even though it was on the oily side. I hated the broccoli rabe because it was extremely bitter. Two for three isn't terrible. Astronomer: The Gastronomer ordered roasted eggplant cannelloni. I steered clear, as I am afraid of eggplants and tomato sauce. Perhaps I should have helped her out--there were leftovers, but unfortunately the last cannelloni was eaten by Chinatown. The food at Farmicia is very delicious, well thought out, and presented beautifully. Our only complaint was the pacing of the meal. The appetizers were brought out quickly and our entrees soon followed. As a result, I couldn't finish my entree and had no room for desert. What a shame.

Smile Cafe

October 6, 2006 Cuisine: Thai 105 S 22nd St, Philadelphia 19103 Btwn Chestnut St & Sansom St Phone: 215-564-2502 Website: http://www.thaismilecafe.com/ -- Appetizer I: Lemongrass Soup Appetizer II: Steamed Dumpling - Shrimp and corn with garlic Thai spice with sweet soy vinegar Entree: Pad Thai - Stir-fried rice noodle w/ shrimp, bean sprouts, tofu, egg and peanuts. -- Smile Cafe is a quaint (read: small) restaurant around the corner from my apartment. I've wanted to try it for sometime but am generally hesitant about Thai food in Philly. I went for lunch with some co-workers and had a surpisingly pleasant experience. The restaurant has an incredible lunch special - two small appetizers and an entree for $7.95. Whatta steal! The appetizer choices I didn't pick were the salad and spring roll. One of my co-workers ordered the salad and it looked great. No sign of iceberg anywhere; just lovely greens and other vegetables. A few co-workers opted for the "spring roll" option. It was deep fried and therefore an egg roll, but they seemed to dig it just fine. My lemongrass soup was flavorful and mild. There were veggies in the soup including broccoli, yellow squash, and mushrooms. Very tasty, but could've been more spicy. I was served two good-sized dumplings. They were steamed to perfection and quite yummy especially with the sweet soy vinegar. The dumplings reminded me of dim sum, which is somewhat troubling because I was in a Thai restaurant. That's the problem with Thai restaurants in Philadelphia; they cater to the white man's love for Chinese food. My Pad Thai entree was very good and the portion was quite large. I was a bit disappointed that I had to ask for limes (there should ALWAYS be limes on the side) and the waitress brought out lemons! South East Asian cuisine does not use lemons. Overall, I found the food to be very tasty, but questionably Thai.

Irish Pub

October 5, 2006 Cuisine: American (Traditional), Bar Food, Irish 2007 Walnut St, At S 20th St Philadelphia 19103 At S 20th St Phone: 215-568-5603 Website: www.irishpubphilly.com -- Entree I: Old World Meatloaf Melt - Thick slices of original recipe sirloin served on a Brick Oven Steak Roll with smokehouse bacon, melted FarmHouse Cheddar, and Caramelized Onion Bourginone sauce. Served with our house fries and crisp dill pickle slices. Entree II: Crab Cake Sandwich - A Maryland style crab cake served on a pub roll served with tartar sauce and Honey Dijon Garden slaw. Served with our house fries and crisp dill pickle slices. -- I love bar food. I really do. I think I adore it because my everyday fare lacks hardcore greasy and salty goodness. As I watched the Cardinals bury the poor Padres during game two of the national league division series, I enjoyed the crab cake sandwich. The Astronomer went for my old favorite, the meatloaf melt. Both sandwiches were super salty, super greasy and thus, super tasty. First up, the crab cake sandwich. I smeared ketchup on my sandwich rather than tartar sauce because I prefer tangy straight up over tangy and creamy. The sandwich was piled high with lettuce, pickles, and a tomato. The "pub roll" was perfectly moist and held the contents well. A regular hamburger bun would not have been able to hold all the fixins nicely. The pub roll came through like a champ. All of the flavors melded together beautifully and I scarfed it down pretty quickly. The fries were thickly cut and decent. I gave most of them to the carb-seeking Astronomer. The meatloaf melt is a lot like the Double Double from In and Out and maybe even a little better because it comes with BACON! There really isn't much to say about this gem except that it's really delicious and hits the spot like few can. Yah, it's not all that healthy, but who cares? I'm in a pub and red meat rules (and cheese too)! The "IP" is a three minute walk from my apartment. I'll be returning the next time the Astronomer wants to watch some cable-only sports and my greasy spot needs its fill.