A Walk Through Philly

A few sunny Sundays ago, my friend Emily drove in from Westchester and we took advantage of the beautiful day to take an extended walk. The walk started at my apartment, involved some beer drinking at Belgium Cafe, and ended at The Dandelion where we crashed tea and boozed instead.
The tour was dictated by Emily who spent the first few years of her life in Fairmount and hasn't spent too much time there since. She was literally taking me down memory lane.

Here are some images from out walk

A mural by Shepard Fairey

I have no idea how we got lucky enough to have one of these so close to our front door (its located on 26th and Girard), but let's take a closer look:

love it



Part of a mural by Isaiah Zagar

another part: I love how he incorporate broken bits of trash into his art

Deviled eggs at The Dandelion. They were mustard curry delicious and I can honestly say that I've never had better devilled eggs. I didn't even know devilled eggs could be that tasty!! I would go back just for them!

Pho Hoa

Last week involved a lot of Pho (pronounced Fuh, but last week we went to Pho Hao for the first time with some friends. The interior is like a sports bar themed Pho restaurant with big flat screen TVs that were playing Dancing With The Stars and Sports.

We started with some non Vietnamese drinks: Chinese beer and sake.

As pictured above, same and Josh both got the crunchy nest of noodles with various stir fried chicken and veggies instead of the baby birds you typically find in nests. The crunchy noodles softened in a sauce and were quite delicious.

However, I was not very happy with my Pho. Unlike at Pho Nam, it did not come with basil, jalapenos and sprouts. I also went for the adventurous Pho with tripe in it and I was disappointed by the chewy stringy texture that wasn't even accompanied by anything near a tasty taste. The beef in my Pho also could have been rarer.

My Pho

Dylan's Pho

okay, so I didn't love it but as you can see that didn't stop me from devouring most of it

I wouldn't run back to Pho Hoa in a hurry. There are many more Pho restaurants to try and I've already established that I love Pho Nam and will probably run back there before trying any other places without a recommendation!

Lickety Split on South Street

Where can you find the biggest slice of pizza ever and a tall boy for the not so tall price of $4? At Lickety Split on Forth and South, that's where. I spend some quality after work hours there with a few new friends. I filled up on pizza and beer and still had money left over for a cab ride home. On Saturdays they have live music upstairs and on Sunday a comedy show. I wouldn't head all the way over to South Street to experience the establishment first hand, but if you ever happen to be over there and find yourself hankering for a beer and some pizza you will not be disappointed.

Belgium Cafe

Last Sunday my wildest dreams came true. My entire family was in Philly and it was brunch time!! Finding a new brunch place is always a little stressful with the bunch because my dad keeps kosher. That means he eats like a pescatarian when he's out with a meat eater's appetite and desire. I knew I wanted to eat in Fairmont, and while it was risky I chose The Belgian Cafe. Why risky? Because they specialize in mussels, a very non-kosher item.
We walked from our apartment and by the time we got there everyone was too hungry to care that much about the menu. My dad got the veggie burger which he said was good. The only complaint was that it was drowning in bun. In the bun versus burger battle its always good when both sides are tied, but if one has to have the upper hand I prefer it to be the burger.
Josh got the mussels and was very happy. The broth was so good he ordered extra bread to sop it up. Kenny got the Eggs Benedict which came without its ham. The waitress was very apologetic and we were even compted for his meal! My mom, sister and I all ordered the garden fresh eggs which were full of delicious garden fresh items, but overcooked and a little dry. Making up for any problems were the spicy Bloody Marie's, the amazing beer selection, and great service. To top it all off there was a table for six outside and the sun was out. Would I go back? Yes, but without my dad so I can get the mussels!!!!

Tinto

Tapas for three (or more, or less) in Philly? Look no further. Tinto is the place to head for an intimate dinner of shared tapas plates and very strong sangria. Josh, Sam, and I treated ourselves to one more night of restaurant week at this dark, candle lit, restaurant/wine bar decorated with unique wine keys, wine racks full of already enjoyed bottles and their corks.
To begin with, they won major points with our table when they comped our pitcher of sangria (that I couldn't really afford anyway) to make up for our wait and for an incident in which a little bit of dessert was spilled on Josh's pants. A good manager is key to any smooth dining experience, and this guy knew what he was doing.
Then, our waiter was really patient with us, our many questions, and, well, with us in general. In typical tapas fashion, he kept the dishes coming and we were very infrequently without some sort of tasty morsel. He even brought Sam a spicy dipping sauce upon request while we waiting for the cascade of taste to begin.
What we loved:
We went crazy for the Chorizo Pamplona. I've had my fair share of chorizo in my day, but this was by far the tastiest one. It was literally bursting with flavor. We all decided that we would come back just for this juicy item. The assorted cheeses were good and served with honey. Even better though, were the various charcuterie. The jamon serrano was everything Josh could have hoped for, and the saucisson sec was perfect when piled on a crunchy piece of bread with honey and blue cheese.




The Duck was intense, topped with a black cherry that played nicely with the richness of the duck. The Pulpo (octopus) a bit rubbery for me, but this was made up for by the crisp salad of arugula, jamon serrano, mission figs, and fried goat cheese. After all this flavor packed food the bomba rice seemed a bit plain in comparison but it had a lovely texture and plenty of yummy morel mushrooms.
Dessert was a little disappointing, but the coffee and tea we ordered was all I really had room for at this point. The chocolate cake was delicious but so rich I could only eat a few morsels, and the second cake was dry and forgettable.


Would I go back? Yes! However, I would order far less that we were allowed for our $35 fixed menu next time. The food is so rich that a only few dishes would really have sufficed. Anyway, less food leaves more room for the sangria, right?

Zama

Restaurant week, the two weeks where people like me, who have yet to receive a pay check and are waiting desperately for the end of the month when the money starts flowing, can go out to eat like adults. Josh and I decided we could eat at one place each week and picked Zama for our first dinner out in Philly.
When I eat out I like to get something I can’t make, and swanky Japanese seemed way outside the limits of my kitchen. We were not disappointed.
It may or may not be a requirement to sport tattoos if you work at Zama, but almost everyone seemed to have a few of them peeking out of their black uniforms if not crawling all the way down their arms. The vaulted ceiling in the middle of the restaurant was decorated with a pattern of white dots that formed circles and an absence of white dots left the images of koi fish playfully hiding among the dotted design. Light colored wooden bars lined the walls and the atmosphere was swanky but not pretentious.

Jennifer, our waitress, was very helpful with my many questions even after working a double. My miso was one of the best I’ve ever had. It had mtzsuba (a Japanese parsley) instead of the normal Kame seaweed. Josh’s salad was fresh to the max and tasted like greens should taste, not genetically engineered rabbit food. The ginger dressing was tasty too.
My spicy salmon roll was the perfect proportion of spicy, crunch, and fresh salmon, and although Josh had to wait a long time for his pork dumplings he enjoyed them. They tasted spicy and fried to me and not much else.
This lapse in timing was explained to us with apologies. The restaurant has a cold and a hot kitchen, so plates come out staggered, but still tasty and my annoyance changed quickly to delight as my black cod Saikyoyaki came out. It was garnished with a pink pickled scallion (I loooove anything pickled). It was buttery and the perfect balance of fish to ginger soy glaze. Josh’s sushi plate was about as delicious as nagiri and maki rolls can be. He’ll have to tell you about it though; it was so good he was only willing to share one piece.

not actually Josh's plate (thanks Google images while my camera charger remains incognito) but you get the idea

Oh, and then there was dessert. And did I mention that this was all for only 35 dollars? I had the peach bread pudding and Josh had the banana bomb. Yes, it was an explosion of banana, and my peach bread pudding was so soft and delectable that I resolved to find a recipe and attempt a remake at home.
All in all it was a lovely evening, and with the right cash flow I would return in the click of a chop stick! If you get the chance stop by before the end of next week cause these prices won’t last much longer…