A few Philadelphia restaurant micro-reviews

I've hit up several very good to great restaurants in Philadelphia the last few months, so I figured I would post some quick thoughts.

Will: This French-inspired BYOB on Passyunk Avenue features a seasonal menu with really well prepared food.  Nothing outrageous, just very, very good.

Townsend: Another French restaurant on Passyunk Avenue, but this one features an interesting wine list and a very wine-savvy staff.  Great food, but my favorite part might have been the wine descriptions offered by our server.

Le Virtu: I've been meaning to visit this Passyunk Avenue Italian restaurant for some time now (this Passyunk Avenue sure has a lot of great places to eat).  It did not disappoint.  For places known for their pasta, like Le Virtu, I often go whatever pasta con vongole dish they offer.  At Le Virtu, the maccheroni alla chitarra con vongole was outstanding.  Chitarra is "guitar cut" pasta, basically like spaghetti but with a square cross-section.  This dish had a little bit of heat and the pasta was perfectly cooked.

Lo Spiedo: One of Marc Vetri's newest ventures, this restaurant located in the old gatehouse of the Naval Yard specializes in grilled and spit-roasted meats.  The menu is pretty funky -- it reads like Italian grilling meets Southern classics.  I really enjoyed the polenta cornbread (with fatty meat drippings), the grilled chicken wings, and the pork ribs with rosemary.

Buena Onda: Buena Onda is Jose Garces's taco joint and my new favorite local place to eat.  They specialize in fish tacos -- my go-to so far are the grilled mahi mahi tacos.  Big bonus: they have a soda fountain stocked with Boylan sodas.

Van Gogh, and Getting Back on the Horse

It has been a long, long time since I last posted -- I wondered for awhile if I would ever post again.  But I recently visited the Van Gogh Up Close exhibition at the wonderful Philadelphia Museum of Art, and I had to give a shout out for this show. 

The exhibition contains pieces from museums and private collections from all over the world, and highlights Van Gogh's work during the last four years of his life.  In particular, the exhibition focuses on his intense, close-up studies of the natural world -- irises, wheat, grass, and of course some of those famous tournesols.  What really stood out to me, more than anything else, was just how much paint Van Gogh applied to his canvases, and texture and three-dimensionality that creates when you view the paintings live.

If you live in or near Philadelphia, I strongly urge you to go (and make sure to buy tickets ahead of time), it is well worth the money.  Plus, your ticket includes admission into the rest of the museum, which is a standout in its own right.

Before or after visiting the exhibition, I recommend having brunch, lunch, or dinner at the Belgian Cafe, which is just a short walk from the Art Museum.

Excitement at 600 N. Broad

Months ago, work started on the old automotive shop at 600 N. Broad St., just across from my apartment building.  I saw liquor license notices in the windows, so I knew bars or restaurants were coming...but I did not know what they were going to be until now.

Three different spaces are opening up in the old building.  One is a catering/event space called Vie, which looks to be already good to go.  I am pretty disappointed about this one -- the location is perfect for a coffee shop or patisserie, and instead we get a place for wedding receptions and charity dinners.  Oh well. 

However, I am excited by the other two places: a New England-inspired seafood restaurant from Stephen Starr called Route 6, and a Marc Vetri gastropub called Alla Spina (formerly Birreria 600).

These developments complement the 98 loft apartments built just off of Broad Street.  Exciting times in my neck of the woods.

Three More Reviews

I am way behind the ball, but I wanted to mention three restaurants that I ate at with a friend over the course of three days in mid-July, mainly because they are all recommended:

Barbuzzo: Barbuzzo has been on my list to try for awhile.  Located in that stretch of 13th Street that is so replete with good eateries, Barbuzzo serves Mediterranean small plates, with a definite emphasis on Italian cuisine.  We tried a variety of dishes, including the vegetable board (which was very good, but not as good as Osteria's vegetable antipasto, see below) and their coniglio pizza, which has rabbit-hazelnut sausage on it.  It did not quite live up to some of the hype I had heard, but the pizza was very, very good, and I think with another go at the menu, I could probably find a combination of dishes that would really sing to me.

Fond: Fond is one of these Passyunk Avenue BYOBs that seems so popular in Philadelphia these days.  And when it comes to Fond, there is a good reason for this.  They have a pretty small menu, and when we were there they offered only a couple of specials, but the result are dishes cooked to perfection.  We enjoyed the veal sweetbreads and the hiramasu crudo, but the highlight was definitely the main course.  My friend ordered the salmon, but she could not stop raving about the house-made fettucine, which tasted like pure buttery goodness.  I ordered the swordfish, which was quite honestly the best rendition of swordfish I have ever had.  Fond is definitely top ten material in this city, and could push into my top five.

Osteria: This is the third time I have been to Osteria, and the second time I have had something other than its signature pizzas.  Every time I have been, however, I have had the seasonal vegetable antipasto, and it is definitely a must have.  Fresh, colorful, simple, and just downright delicious.  The grilled pork belly, served with melon balls and mint, is also excellent.  The pasta changes from time to time, but this time I enjoyed ravioli with peaches and guanciale.  It was a small portion, but perfectly delicious, and left plenty of room for a killer white chocolate lavender mousse with blackberries.  Osteria has cemented itself as one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia, and is definitely in my top ten, and another worthy challenger for top five.

In short: Osteria and Fond are must-trys, and Barbuzzo is certainly worthy of much (but not all) of its buzz.

Pumpkin

Today my dad and I hit up Pumpkin, a BYOB on South Street.  It is a small, ten table restaurant whose hook is serving food made from seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.  We started with grilled shrimp and a plate of raw, pickled, or slightly cooked summer vegetables.  The colors of the vegetable plate were killer, and the shrimp was very well prepared.  For the main course, my dad had skate served with hearts of palm and a Meyer lemon sauce -- not overpowering, and the fish was again simple but superbly prepared.  I had duck -- seared breast along with leg meat wrapped in pastry.  It was very tasty.  For dessert, I had a warm chocolate cake with coconut ice cream, accented with some cardamom and lemon.  Again, very well done, and I enjoyed the reasonable size of the dessert.

Pros: Very colorful and pleasing plating, fresh flavors, exceptional culinary skill
Cons: Cash only (why do such places exist in the 21st century?), food could be a bit more daring

I'd give Pumpkin a 7 out of 10**, and I would definitely come back to try something from their ever-changing menu.



**Have I rated restaurants like this before on my website?  I don't think so.  So, as a reference, on a scale of 1 to 10, I would put Vetri at 9.5 (the best restaurant I have eaten at in Philadelphia -- not a 10 because I assume that worldwide there is better), most of my top 10 restaurants in Philadelphia around 8 or so, and TGI Fridays around -2.

11 days on the Philly food scene

Over the last eleven days, I have eaten at three exceptional restaurants in Philadelphia, so I thought I'd post three nano-reviews:

Amada: Jose Garces's Philly flagship, serves high-end Spanish (and Spanish-inspired) tapas.  We had the chef's tasting menu paired with wine.  Overall it was very good, though I can't help thinking that compared to his other small plates restaurants, Tinto is a bit tastier and Distrito is more creative.  The standout dish of the night, in my mind, was some amazing grilled Spanish rock octopus -- perfectly charred yet still marvelously tender.  Runner-up were raw oysters with strawberry escabeche.

Zinc: Zinc is a French neighborhood bistro, and walking into the place it certainly felt that way, all the way from the decor and the music playing to the menu itself.  It was my dad's birthday, and he loves duck, so I had ordered ahead of time Zinc's signature pressed duck dinner.  The stars of this show are the duck, the antique press, and the chef.  The chef came out and showed us the duck, which had been roasted for 14 minutes at 500F (260C).  He removed the breasts and placed them in a pan tableside, then removed the wings and legs (sending them back to the kitchen for the second course).  Then he chopped up the carcass and placed it into the press, while sauteing the breasts.  Then the chef pressed the carcass, collecting a steady stream of red liquid in a saucepan.  After flambeing the breasts and setting them aside, he reduced the liquid into a sauce, strained it once, and then continued reducing.  Finally, the crisp duck breasts are served with the dark, rich sauce (which includes blood, other juices, marrow, and I think some of the organs).  The sauce was rich and decadent, and went perfectly with the duck.  The second course consisted of the grilled wings and legs.  They were a bit chewy, but even more flavorful than the duck breast.  If I lived closer to this place, I would probably go once a month.

Adsum: A newer bistro in Queen Village, Adsum has a quirky, sometimes daring, and always decadent menu.  The signature is poutine made with foie gras -- I passed this time, saving it for another occasion when I am dining with someone who would actually help me finish it :)  Instead, we started with grilled rock octopus in a black pepper caramel sauce (really good, though not quite as perfect as Amada) and fried oysters with a pickle juice remoulade, which my dad adored.  For our main courses, my dad had the pork belly and I had the fried chicken, which is apparently cooked sous vide before frying.  The fried chicken came with some amazingly buttery cornbread.  For dessert, my dad had vanilla sugar doughnuts and I had mint panna cotta with a hard chocolate layer topping it.  The panna cotta had an incredible fresh mint flavor that I am still thinking dreamily about.

So those are my most recent excursions in the Philadelphia food scene.  I would highly recommend all three -- I know my dad wants to go back to Zinc for the pressed lobster (!) dinner, and Adsum has a few menu items, including the pig tails (which they were out of) and the poutine that I must try.

My Top 5 Philly Restaurants

Over the last ten and a half years, even though I've been away, I've had many occasions to dine in Philadelphia.  I've eaten at some of the fine dining establishments this city has to offer, and I finally feel like I can give a solid top-something list.  Note that these are all fine dining establishments -- places like John's Roast Pork, Paesano's, and the Nanzhou Hand Drawn Noodle House really belong in a different conversation, though you could argue they are every bit as awesome.

1. Vetri: I said pretty much everything I wanted to say in my blog post.
2. Morimoto: I have been there three times, once for lunch, twice for dinner, and I always had the omakase.  The cool decor, the fact that I loved watching Masaharu Morimoto on Iron Chef (the original Japanese series), and fusion-style Japanese cuisine really made this restaurant for me.  Memorable dishes include Kobe beef served atop foie gras, amazing yellowtail sashimi drizzled with hot oil and soy sauce, and some sort of crazy addictive chocolate malt sauce (I can't even remember the rest of the dessert).
3. Fountain: Visited once with my brother, contemporary French cuisine prepared and served with care.  The one dish I remember involved salsify cream, and since then I have been obsessed with salsify.
4. Zahav: Israeli haute cuisine?  Yes please!  The pomegranate-marinated lamb shank was killer.  So were the salatim and hummus.
5. Tinto: I've not been to Amada, but Tinto had amazing tapas.  Most recently, I really enjoyed their duck montadido.

Some of my favorites that finish just outside the top 5 and probably could be exchanged with Tinto or even Zahav: Osteria, Amis (Marc Vetri's other two Philadelphia joints), Distrito, JG Domestic (two other Jose Garces restaurants), and the reinvented Philadelphia institution Fork.

I am looking forward to trying Amada in June, and hopefully Bibou and/or Barbuzzo (Philadelphia's current restaurant darlings) in July, so this list may change -- or expand.

I is for Italian Hoagie

I have a thing for sandwiches.  I attribute it to growing up outside Philadelphia, where hoagies, cheesesteaks, and roast pork sandwiches.  My formative sandwich experience (I know this is a bit bizarre - people don't usually talk about formative sandwich experiences) was at the preeminent local sandwich shop in my hometown of Wayne, a place called John's Village Market.  They have an amazing Italian hoagie (still my favorite), which is the subject of today's blog post.

For those unfamiliar with a hoagie, it is a sandwich served on a long Italian roll and topped with cold cuts, vegetables, and cheese.  "Hoagie" is a regional term -- I pretty much only hear people from southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey use that name; elsewhere names like submarine sandwich, grinder, or hero can be used, though oftentimes these names have additional nuanced meanings.  In Philadelphia, the hoagie reigns supreme, and at the top of that pile is the Italian hoagie. 

An Italian hoagie is dressed with oil, sometimes oil and vinegar or a special house Italian dressing (but never, EVER, mayonnaise), loaded with Italian-style deli meats -- capicola, some sort of ham (I like pepper ham), and Genoa salami are nearly givens, while pepperoni, and occasionally mortadella and prosciutto are used -- and then topped with Provolone cheese, lettuce (romaine or Boston is the best, though iceberg is still used way too often), tomato, onion, and quite often pickled peppers (usually sweet, though you can get hot -- I always go sweet peppers).  Sometimes you get a shake of oregano or "spices" to top it off.  The bread is very important -- an Italian long roll (sometimes seeded) either makes or breaks the sandwich.  The result looks something like this:

An Italian hoagie from Dalessandro's (from Roadfood.com)

See how much stuff is in there?  That is important -- this is not some French baguette with one slice of cheese and one slice of meat artfully hidden within the bread.  The secret of the Italian hoagie is all the different textures and flavors mashed into a single sandwich that you can barely fit into your mouth -- but when you do it is an experience that really cannot be topped by any other sandwich.

I actually have not had Italian hoagies from very many different places, and I know I've missed some standouts in Philadelphia, but my top Italian hoagie list currently looks something like this:

1. John's Village Market, Wayne: The meats they use on the hoagie are spicy like no other Italian hoagie I've had, and they are very generously sized.
2. Salumeria, Reading Terminal Market: I only recently had their Italian hoagie, and it was fantastic.  They eschew the traditional pickled peppers for roasted red peppers and artichoke hearts, if you want them.  At the suggestion of a friend, I also had their prosciutto hoagie with the house dressing and artichoke hearts, and that may even be better!
3. Paesano's, Philadelphia: Their Daddy Wad is a fancier Italian hoagie (mortadella, sopressata, and prosciutto, among others) topped with arugula instead of lettuce.  A great sandwich from Philly's best sandwich shop.
4. A Cut Above Deli, Newtown Square: I mentioned this deli in a previous post about Ridley Creek, and they did not disappoint.  The hoagie is served on a seeded roll.

So there you go.  I'd love to hear about more places I should visit to have Italian hoagies -- Sarcone's is a glaring omission here and is definitely on the list.  If you've never had an Italian hoagie, you need to have one at least once -- but unless you find a place in the Philadelphia area or nearby New Jersey, it just isn't going to be the real thing.

Ridley Creek State Park

I decided to go for a short hike on the March equinox, and opted for Ridley Creek State Park, near Newtown Square in the western suburbs of Philadelphia.

Ridley Creek State Park
Location: Glen Mills, PA
Description: An easy hike through Ridley Creek State Park.
Distance: 5.9 km
Net Elevation Change: 55 m
Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Technical Difficulty: Easy
Physical Difficulty: Easy
Rating (out of 5): 2.5


I think I've been to Ridley Creek before, but after walking through it today, it did not seem familiar.  I did not take any pictures, since the bare trees were not very picturesque, but I can imagine the park being very nice later in the spring, during the summer, and during the leaf change in the fall.  The eponymous creek is lower than the surrounding terrain, including the nearby roads, so you do not hear the sounds of traffic, even though you are never far from cars.  There is some nice (though not drastic) elevation change, and the creek itself is very pleasant.

After my hike/walk, I went to Newtown Square's A Cut Above Deli, which according to many reviews on Yelp has one of the best hoagies in the western 'burbs.  After sampling their Italian hoagie (on a seeded roll), I would have to agree, though I think John's is still better.

Check out a Google Maps track of my walk.

Epic Fail -- and Win!

It is January 29, and I think I have broken all but one of my New Year's resolutions.  Which one am I keeping?  Well, I am trying to become a tea connoisseur (because of my brother and sister-in-law, thanks you two!), and I think that, so far, I am doing a bang-up job.

One of the resolutions I have failed at already is posting more regularly to my blog.  I imagine this is a common problem for neophyte bloggers, but I still feel bad about it.  But here I am now, blogging for the first time in 2011, and guess what my subject is?  The Philly food scene, of course, and one of the reasons why I am failing some of my other resolutions...

Since 2011 started, I have eaten at JG Domestic (Jose Garces's newest joint), Estia, and Tinto.  The visits to Estia and Tinto were part of Philadelphia Restaurant Week, while JG Domestic was before that.  JG Domestic was fantastic -- the theme of JG Domestic seems to be American-sourced ingredients of the highest quality, and my dad and definitely took advantage.  Highlights included Hudson Valley duck rillette, Texas wild boar, and California squab.  Like almost all of Jose Garces's establishments, JG Domestic features small plates, so there are so many more dishes that I need to try.

My dad and I also visited Estia, which is an upscale Greek restaurant.  Their signature dish is whole fish, cooked simply but superbly.  My dad had loup de mer, while I had dorade, and they were both exceptional (the nod goes to the loup de mer, I think).  They have more exotic fish on the menu, and the octopus appetizer was also a standout -- grilled to perfection, tender instead of the often chewy texture that octopus can suffer from.

Tinto is one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia, and yet another Joses Garces standout.  The small plates here are inspired by Basque cuisine, and just like the first time I was there, Tinto did not disappoint.  This time around, I particularly enjoyed the duck, the saucisson sec, and the idiazabal cheese.

While Restaurant Week is over, I was telling a friend that, for me, every week in Philadelphia is Restaurant Week.  I still have a long list of restaurants to visit -- led by Amada, Bibou, and Fork -- and I can't wait to keep breaking those New Year's resolutions...

A Christmas Miracle

They're already calling it the "Miracle at the New Meadowlands" or the "New Miracle at the Meadowlands," but any way you slice it, yesterday's Eagles-Giants thriller was amazing.  It featured the most flawlessly executed onsides kick I have ever seen (the Saints' onsides kick to open the 2nd half in the Super Bowl was better because of the situation, but not in its execution) and the second-greatest Eagles play I've seen personally (not from highlights or NFL Films), in DeSean Jackson's walk-off 65-yard punt return.  Incredible.

Wait, you ask, what is the greatest Eagles play you've seen?  Eric Allen's 94-yard interception return against the Jets in 1993, hands down.  If anyone can find a video for this play, I'd love to watch it again. 

I am still smiling about this game :)

Degustazione

That is what chef Marc Vetri's tasting menu at Vetri is called.  My friend and I went there on Saturday night, and what an experience it was.  To preface, Vetri is in the very top echelon of Philadelphia restaurants; I would hazard to guess that most critics, and people familiar with the Philly restaurant scene, would place it in the top five without a second thought.  I have been wanting to go for several years, and this dinner was a celebration of sorts -- I hadn't seen my friend in two years, and she and I both recently started our first real jobs this September.

The degustazione is a multi-course meal, prepared using seasonal ingredients, and in our case, complemented by a selection of wines paired with each individual dish.  Below is a picture of the menu; we were given a copy of the evening's menu, along with two huckleberry muffins for breakfast, which is pretty awesome if you ask me:

  

We did not have everything on the menu, just almost everything.  Again, nearly each dish (not course) was paired with a different wine (all from Italty).  Here is a quick rundown:

• Prosecco as an aperitif
• Three amuse-bouche: burrata wrapped in Kindai tuna; purple cauliflower dressed with olive oil; and brussel sprouts cooked with brown butter
• Shrimp a la plancha on zolfini beans -- paired with a 2006 Cantina Terlano Pinot Bianco (Alto Adige)
• Persimmon and scallop crudo -- paired with a 2009 Abbazia di Novacella Kerner (Alto Adige), a Riesling/Trollinger hybrid
• Sweet onion crepe -- paired with a 2008 Paitin Dolcetto d'Alba (Piedmont)
• Smoked pork shank, barley, and cabbage soup -- paired with a 2008 Tenuta Luisa Cabernet Franc (Friuli)
• Spinach gnocchi -- paired with a 2007 Bramosia Chianti Classico (Tuscany)
• Farfalle with lentil veloute and kale -- paired with a 2006 Iuli Barbera del Monferrato Superiore (Piedmont)
• Cardoon risotto with castelmagno cheese -- paired with a 2008 Germano Ettore Nebbiolo d'Alba (Piedmont)
• Pork belly ravioli with apples and brown butter -- paired with a 2008 Farnese Pecorino (Abruzzo)
• Venison (cooked sous vide) with pear crema -- paired with a 2004 Bussola "L'errante" (Veneto), a Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend
• Dover sole alla mugnaia ("miller's style") with spinach -- paired with a 2009 Niedrist Sauvignon Terlaner (Alto Adige)
• A mango creme brulee as an intermezzo, pre-dessert!
• Chocolate polenta souffle and butterscotch pudding with chocolate and streusel -- both paired with a 2009 Elio Perrone "Bigaro" frizzante rosato dessert wine (Piedmont)

So, if you include the amuse-bouche, we had 16 different dishes and 12 different wines over a three hour dining experience -- that borders on ridiculous (your borders for the ridiculous may vary).  My favorite dishes were the pork belly ravioli (ldo), pork shank soup, the spinach gnocchi, and the shrimp.  My favorite wines were the Germano Ettore Nebbiolo d'Alba and the Bussola "L'errante".  But I enjoyed every dish and every wine.   

Fantastic dining company, wonderful food and drink, a very knowledgeable, friendly, and sometimes quirky staff, all resulted in one of the best dining experiences I've had.  And now I feel ready to make a top-10 Philly restaurant list -- watch for that post soon!  

Pennypack Park

Another weekend, another hike.  This time I headed to northeast Philadelphia, in the Rhawnhurst neighborhood, to Pennypack Park.

Also, my hiking reports are going all metric!  It is part of my own private war against the US customary system.

Pennypack Park
Location: Philadelphia, PA (Rhawnhurst)
Description: An easy hike along the Pennypack Creek.
Distance: 12.1 km
Net Elevation Change: 52 m
Duration: 2 hours, 15 minutes
Technical Difficulty: Easy
Physical Difficulty: Easy
Rating (out of 5): 2.5

Much like Wissahickon Valley Park, Pennypack Park is part of the Fairmount Park System and is nestled within the city of Philadelphia.  Unlike Wissahickon, this particular trail is less traveled.  The hike itself follows the Pennypack Creek -- going out I followed the horse trail, which is higher and dirt, and coming back I walked along the multiuse trail, which is paved and usually right beside the creek.

After the fall colors and variety of Wissahickon Valley Park, I was expecting more from Pennypack.  The hike is very flat, and the fall colors were very muted.  Is this the effects of being just one week later, or maybe the lesser variety of tree species here (it seemed that way, to my untrained eye).  Being an out-and-back hike, I was worried that the return trip would be boring, but the difference in eye level between the horse trail and multiuse path made it rather pleasant.  Overall, an average hike, but certainly a decent option for being in the city limits.

Check out the path on Google Maps, created using my Droid X and the My Tracks app.

As an aside, I stopped at a Brazilian buffet place in Rhawnhurst called Cantinho Brasileiro Restaurante, based on that Yelp review.  It was really good!  Everyone was, surprise, Brazilian, and seemed only to speak Portuguese.  The food included several excellent braised meat dishes, an odd salad, a variety of potatoes, and something that looked and tasted like the Brazilian version of pico de gallo.  Add a guarana soda, and it was a neat and tasty experience.  If you happen to be out in Rhawnhurst, give this place a try!

I Heart Burgers

All the American ex-pats (and former ex-pats) will agree with me -- burgers in continental Europe are suckface.  Since returning to the US, I've found myself eating far more burgers than I ever did before, even when I was living in beef-loving Texas.  Since this blog is rapidly evolving into a "what has Adrian eaten recently" deal, I thought I would drop some more of my mad gastronomical stylings on you.

Here are the best burgers I've had in the Philadelphia area.  I don't claim they are the best in Philly, since I still have a long way to go to try them all.  These burgers share one thing in common -- being juicy, fatty, and actually cooked medium-rare -- and I can't understate how important that is.  Well-done burgers are for chumps.

Belgian Cafe -- I mentioned this one in a previous blog post.  I had the Bruegl, which comes with a really nice sharp cheddar.  The sharp cheddar made this one stand out, along with the fantastic selection of beer to go along with it.
Bobby's Burger Palace -- This Bobby Flay joint cooks a mean burger.  I've tried several, but my favorite on their menu so far is the LA Burger (though November's Burger of the Month is topped with a fried egg...mmm, fried egg).
Village Whiskey -- In addition to a very nice selection of bourbon, Jose Garces's whiskey bar also boasts a nice burger.  The straight up Village Burger can be topped with all sorts of things, or you can opt for the $26 Whiskey King, topped with bleu cheese, bacon, and FOIE GRAS.  I was there for lunch, so I had the regular burger, but I am definitely going to return to ruin my cardiovascular system.  The burger was flavorful and given a heavy (and appreciated) dose of salt.  To top it all off, they have fries fried in duck fat, basically a new twist on the French classic pommes de terre sarladaise.

I recommend all three burgers, both on their own and with the various sides and beverages that make each place stand out.  And I will continue to eat burgers until I make up for my four year burger exile.

These Boots are Made for Walking

I went on my first hike in Philadelphia yesterday, and what a perfect day for it: the morning was just a bit on the chilly side, but within an hour it is sunny with highs in the 60s.

Those that know me from Lausanne know that I have a passion for hiking.  I only discovered this passion when I moved to Switzerland -- Houston, surprisingly, did not awake any yearnings to go hiking.  As much as Philadelphia is better than Switzerland in terms of the food scene (especially the sandwiches), so is Switzerland that much better than Philadelphia and its environs for hiking.  Nevertheless, I decided I would give it my best try, and purchased AMC's Best Day Hikes Near Philadelphia to guide my explorations of the hiking possibilities within driving distance of the city.  My first hike was through Wissahickon Valley Park, a beautiful section of Fairmount Park near Chestnut Hill.  I wish now I had gone earlier, as the fall foliage was still wonderful, but clearly a mere shadow of what must have been a striking display in October.  So, without further ado, my first hiking report!

Wissahickon Valley Park
Location: Philadelphia, PA (Chestnut Hill)
Description: A hike along and through the forested Wissahickon Valley gorge.
Distance (approximate): 7 miles
Elevation Change (approximate): 250 feet
Duration: 3 hours, 10 minutes
Technical Difficulty: Easy to medium (a few steep sections, could be tricky in wet or icy conditions)
Physical Difficulty: Easy
Rating (out of 5): 3.5

I enjoyed this hike a lot, partly because of the weather, partly because it had been too long since I had gotten outdoors like this, and partly because Wissahickon Valley is a beautiful sanctuary of forests and water that sits within the city of Philadelphia.  I saw many people with dogs, all off leashes, but the good news the dogs were very well behaved, and either having too much fun running about to bother with you, or were very friendly.

The first third of the hike heads south from the trail head (just off Germantown Avenue), and is probably the most beautiful and quiet portion of the hike.  The last two thirds is more taxing, and passes near and even through settled areas, so the sounds of people, cars, and chainsaws interrupt the idyllic surroundings.  I will definitely go back and check it out in other seasons.  Go here to see more pictures from my hike.

The Belgian Dip

Just got back from lunch at the Belgian Cafe, at 21st and Green Streets.  I'll make this quick: fantastic beer selection (I had a very tasty Left Hand Milk Stout, from Colorado), good pomme frites (came with remoulade and smoked ketchup, mmm), and the burgers are killer.  And it is less than 10 blocks from my apartment.  This should make my cardiologist happy.


No, I don't really have a cardiologist.

Oodles o' Noodles

Just wanted to give a shout out to the Nan Zhou Hand Drawn Noodle House in Philadelphia's Chinatown.  I stopped there for a quick dinner last night.  They make Lanzhou-style la mian, real handmade noodles, and this makes a world of difference.  The bowls are big and pretty cheap ($6), and it tastes just like Chinese soup noodles should taste.  I had the typical Lanzhou-style beef noodles (niu rou mian), but there is a variety on tap.

Since I was alone, I had to sit at a large round table across from a couple and their young son.  They were very nice people, who were also clearly enjoying the noodles.  The woman recommended the noodles in peanut sauce, said it was the best she had ever had.   

Philadelphia food scene

I think nationally, and certainly internationally, people don't realize how good the food scene is in Philadelphia.  It's not just the quality, but also the diversity -- from hole-in-the-wall sandwich shops and streetside food trucks to outrageously trendy restaurants and white tablecloth fine dining.  I want to highlight a few of the places I've visited in just the last week:

Capogiro: Their gelato is fantastic, the best I've had since Perche No in Florence.  Flavors change daily and vary between their four locations: two in Center City, one by Penn, and one on Passyunk.  Highlights: sweet basil, wildflower honey, and gianduja.

DiBruno Bros: After living in Switzerland, I've developed a real taste for fine cheeses and charcuterie.  This shop in the Italian Market is going to be my salvation.  Something to try: duck prosciutto made in Warminster, PA.

Giwa: A small Korean restaurant near Rittenhouse Square that I recently visited with my friend Katie for lunch.  They have a really nice dol sot bibim bap.

Paesano's: I'd heard so much about this sandwich shop (actually two locations, one near the Italian Market, one on Girard) that I had to go.  After all, who can resist the Arista, a roast pork sandwich piled high with roast suckling pig.  I plan on going back -- I have, conservatively, five more sandwiches I absolutely must try.

Nan: This is a Thai-French BYO at the western edge of Penn's campus.  Really nice food (my dad's black cod was expertly prepared), with a nice neighborhood feel to it.