Dim Sum at the Imperial Inn

Last Saturday was perfect weather for anything but being indoors, so we put our lengthy weekend to-do list aside and hopped on a train into Philly, destination: Chinatown.

Philadelphia boasts the fourth largest Chinatown in the country, located in Center City between 11th and 8th streets. Chris is lucky to work nearby, so he and co-workers can pop into Chinatown for delicious and authentic eats. Chris has spoke of the Imperial Inn before, as it's touted as one of the best dim sum establishments in Philly. So Saturday afternoon I went for my first dim sum experience!

My knowledge of dim sum comes from a mix of food and travel shows, so I was expecting a Chinese tapas sort of dining. Close, but not quite. A dim sum experience goes something like this... You are seated and are offered a pot of tea. Waitstaff pushes carts piled high with various small dishes. Much like a Brazilian steak house, as they pass by they offer whatever they have on their cart and then they mark what you've taken on your table's bill. After you've eaten your fill, you take your bill up to the counter to pay.

Here's a Serious Eats article on dim sum etiquette. In short, always share, and when in doubt, just eat it! Because there's no menu, I asked a lot of questions, "what's this, what's that?" But generally it's just fun to go by what looks appealing, and just try it because it's most likely delicious. Since Chris had been before he knew a few staples, wide rice noodles, sticky rice wrapped in lotus leaves and bao, below. We tried to get a variety of dishes, but there is only so much two people can eat. Which is why dim sum is perfect for a group to share dishes.

Shown above; pork and shrimp dumplings, beef rice noodles, and scallion bao. The sticky rice is steamed with various meats and spices inside a giant lotus leaf. This was the one dish that I wasn't too keen on. There was a flavor, I'm assuming from the leaf, that hit me the wrong way. It was reminiscent to an earthy tea aftertaste. My favorite were the scallion bao, oniony pork filling inside a glutinous steamed bun. The photos aren't the best representation because the inside of the restaurant was very dark, no windows, just typically ornately decorated with Chinese artwork. And on a side note, I hate taking photos of my food while I'm out! I feel like it takes away from the dining experience. But what's a blog without photos, right?

The restaurant was pleasantly busy, and you could tell that all the food coming out was fresh from the kitchen. Next to us was a table of older gentlemen that seem to be locals. It looked as if they were already there for hours, conversing, eating and enjoying tea. They seemed know how to spend an afternoon right. It's fitting that dim sum translates to "touch your heart", because isn't that what good food does?

I really wanted to get one of these, maybe next time...

Wurst At It's Best: Brauhaus Schmitz Review

In the past few years my mom and I have started to celebrate birthdays and holidays with a day of shopping and dining, rather than gift-giving. Since it was my mom's birthday last week, we set out last Friday for such an outing. We went to Brauhaus Schmitz (which is conveniently located on the same block as our favorite consignment shop, Greene Street).  I've been here before and I knew my mom would love it, given my parent's recent trip to Munich, and that it's "Philadelphia's only authentic bierhall and restaurant".

Despite my German heritage, I never really got into German food until I was older, besides the Snickerdoodle cookies my grandmother lovingly and expertly made. At age eleven, I went to an International Summer Camp in Hamburg, Germany, and unfortunately my immature palette found German food "yucky". Das ist shade! But now I love all the wursts, the pickles, the cabbage, and potatoes...

Brauhuas Schmitz gives off the German bierhall vibe straight away from it's exterior, with it's wooden arches beckoning you to come in. Inside, it's a towering space, with open second floor seating. The tall walls are bedecked with vintage posters from Germany. The massive bar is the central focus, a mecca of beers on draft and in bottles. Since we were there for lunch, the crowd was low key. But as I've been there on a Saturday night, I know this place gets packed, with traditionally dressed barmaids swinging giant liters of beer to their patrons.

Of course after a laborious day of shopping we needed something to cool of off. A modest half liter of the Hofbrau Original on draft hit the spot, although it was hard to choose from the lengthy beer list. Prost!

We whet our appetite with a cheese plate, including various mustards, pickles, an bread. There was a Limburger, Camembert, a Stilton, and something hard and bitey. I most enjoyed the pine nut and honey spread, sweet and nutty. As well as the Hungarian paprika onion spread, sweet and smokey. We made little work of the cheese while we decided on lunch.

I've mentioned before, there are few times when I like to share food (only child alert!) but meals like these, sharing is the way to go. The waiter informed me that if we got the "Two Wursts and Two Sides" we could choose two different wursts. So we got four different wursts, and sides to share between ourselves!

It's hard to choose favorites, but my mom and I admitted we liked the Ungarischewurst the best. It's description reads "Hungarian paprika, red wine vinegar, and garlic", and you could certainly taste all of these. The Bratwurst was probably the most recognizable of flavors, with caraway and majoram. Speckwurst is made with bacon, and Baurenwurst with beef. I definitely recommend getting the sauerkraut, it's a traditonal side for a reason, it pairs so nicely with the wursts, a little bit with each bite. The Kartoffelpuffer, or potato panacke was dense, in a good way, and not greasy. The Rotkohl, red cabbage, was sweet and delicious, again it pairs nicely with the wursts. And personally, I usually could take or leave Spatzle, which is sort of a noodle dough riced into little nubs, but this was also very tasty.

Needless to say we had a lovely, and filling, lunch. We enjoyed leisurely dining and watching the afternoon happenings of South Street through the large front windows. Our waiter was a superstar, as he was the only one waiting on the entire lunch crowd. And the food was tremendous. I think I prefer to dine here at night with a crowd and the true bierhall experience, but I suppose that's just another reason to come back!

Read more about the Brauhaus here!

North Third: 801 N. 3rd Street, Northern Liberties

Last Friday, we had to take advantage of the daylight hours of Midsummer's Eve, arguably the best day of the year. With Dante in tow we went to the Northern Liberties area of Philly for dinner and a walk. North Third is fabulous restaurant on the corner of 3rd and Brown Street. We got a sunny table outside; a caveat to bringing small children into this establishment; be prepared to explain the female anatomy, because in one room there is a larger than life painting of breasts, just breasts... Anyway, we've eaten here a handful of times, and the food is always superb.

This time I opted for the lamb burger, on special, with arugula, tzatziki, and big chunks of feta. I felt a little silly, this was my first lamb "burger" and I wasn't aware that the inside is meant to be very pink. It alarmed me at first, but our helpful waiter assured me that's how it's meant to be prepared. Whew. That first reaction aside, it was excellent! The tzatziki was fresh and flavorful, and the chunks of feta were a nice salty addition. I know french fries usually are a filler, but I love my fries, especially doused in malt vinegar and an unhealthy amount of salt and pepper. These were also well done, not too greasy (Dante also approved). And of course they have a killer draft line up to match their menu. If you're in the area, I would suggest eating here, slightly away from the busy Piazza on 2nd street.

After dinner we got to mosey on through the park nearby where they were about to show a film. There's a pretty community garden and lot's of artwork nearby. Lovely painted fences and walls. Every time we're in the city like this, it makes me want to flee dull suburbia in the worst way. Or maybe I should just paint a mural on our garage to liven things up.

2013 Philadelphia Vendy Awards

The Vendy Awards are time when people come together to eat and drink amazing culinary delights prepared by the cities finest food trucks. After you sample everything, you vote! Just my kind of event. They are hosted and originated by the non-profit Street Vendor Project in New York city, and their success has spread nationwide. This was Philadelphia's third awards, and I finally got to be apart of it! This year, it took place in scenic Penn Treaty Park.

Even though lines were long, it was all worth the wait!

I got a delicious braised meatball from Foo, but it was their truck art that impressed me most.

Deep fried cheese curds from The Cow and the Curd were outstanding gooey crunchy morsels.

Nothing like a cold ale to pair with all this food on a hot day.

Left: KAMI noodles and Korean style cheesesteak were my personal favorite of the day // Right: Macarons from Sugar Philly

Cupcakes from Cupcake Carnival, Falafel from the Falafel King and Garlic Parmesan Tots from the Tot truck

Here's a list of all the Finalist Trucks in Attendance, follow the link to find out where they're located!

Chewy’s

Chez Yasmine

Christis’ Falafel Truck

Foo Truck

KAMI

King of Falafel

Lil’ Dans Gourmet

Poi Dog

The Cow & the Curd

Tot Cart

Cupcake Carnivale

Gozen

Jimmies

Lil Pop Shop

Sugar Philly

Sweet Box Cupcakes

The sun finally came out!

A view of the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Delaware River.

UPDATE: The King of Falafel took home the Vendy Award this year, congrats!

Las Cazuelas and The Fire: Girard Street, Philadelphia

"It's okay, I'm with the band". My husband, Chris, is a stellar bassist (I can brag because he's so modest). I love watching him play, but it's rough for me staying out late and then being a functioning human at work the next day. All the same, it was a nice Thursday night. We started off at the nearby Las Cazuelas for dinner, a corner Mexican BYOB. We got beef and chicken tacos to share. It was standard fare, but I wasn't blown away by anything. Although, I will say, that our server was awesome. Very friendly and attentive.

The Fire is close by on Girard near Northern Liberties. It's a small bar and venue, with cheap drinks and good music. Chris currently plays with Preston Hull. Give 'em a listen. My favorites are Little Sparks, So This Is The City, and Mariska Hargitay.

Chris, on the right, slappin' da bass.

After Preston Hull, a Boston-based 5 piece played, Dan & The Wildfire. They have a folksy, Lumineers/Mumford & Sons sound, with a trumpet. Lot's of harmonies and great vocals. Check them out!

This was hanging in the bar. It just may be inspiration for my next embroidery project. 

Words to live by.

Pizzeria DiMeo's: 8500 Henry Ave, Philadelphia

Pizza. Glorious Pizza. Can I call myself a pizza connoisseur? Sure, I just did. About a year ago, Thrillist recommended this place, Pizzeria DiMeo's. They claim to use ingredients and water shipped from Naples, Italy, the birthplace of pizza as we know it. This is big. I've been there. I have eaten Neapolitan pizza. I had to find out if the pizza even compared. And talk about coincidence, the place is in the very same shopping center that I go for kick-boxing, how convenient? Burn the calories and just pile them back on... I've now dined here a handful of times, and it's a hell of a lot cheaper than flying to Naples for your pizza.

Last night fellow kick-boxer and friend, Julia, and I went for a meal. Using a wood fired oven, the dough is cooked in 90 seconds and prepared by Antimo DiMeo, Pizzaioulo. Yeah, that. Maybe I'll quit my job and try to be Antimo's apprentice...

There are a lot of styles of pizza, different methods, different tastes. But in all honesty, this is my favorite. Look at that crust!

Three pizzas for two ladies?! We ordered with delicious leftovers in mind, and it's also hard to choose between the sumptuous selections. If you go as a first timer, I recommend starting with the classic Margherita, but we wanted to try new flavors...

Capricciosa- San Marzano tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala, prosciutto di parma, mushrooms, artichokes, and Gaeta olives

La Regina - pesto, burrata, cherry tomatoes

Fica - fig spread, burrata, prosciutto di parma, arugula, truffle oil (we dubbed this "dessert pizza" because it's  sweetness)

We decided next time we visit, it'll be a nice sit down meal with some wine (it's a BYOB), not a sweaty post kick-boxing feast. There were some mighty fine looking pasta dishes that I'd love to try. We also learned that they're coming up on their one year anniversary. Congrats, DiMeo's, and keep it the good work!

The Dandelion: 124 S. 18th St, Philadelphia

Get it? Dandy...Lion? How clever.

I have yet to have a meal at a Stephen Starr restaurant that has left me wanting. And yesterday was no exception. We took Chris' mom to The Dandelion near Rittenhouse Square for a Birthday Brunch. The Dandelion is styled as a British pub, and probably a lot nicer than a regular old British pub too, serving their takes on traditional British pub food, Bangers and Mash, Cottage Pie, Sunday Roasts... As luck would have it, this past weekend was the first taste of spring Philly has seen this winter; a gorgeous time to be out enjoying good food and drink with good company. This wasn't my first experience with The Dandelion, but it was the first sit-down meal I've had.

If the rooms of the restaurant had names, we were in the Dog Room. Stately grey wainscoting with rich emerald walls covered in framed paintings and artwork of dogs. Daschund print curtains, and "Mans Best Friend" lighting. We started off with some drinks, a Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout for me, and my mother in law got a flight of cask drawn ales. The waitress recommended the scones to start off, and how glad we were to take her advice. Best scone I've had since, since well... England! Warm scones arrived with raspberry jam and yes, clotted cream. The scones were so delicious they incited discussion of  Chris's grandmother's Irish recipe for scones, as well as, Googling how to make clotted cream. Perhaps a post for another day...

With each bite I replaced both jam and clotted cream.

After we had savored them to the last bite, we ordered two Full English Breakfasts and an Eggs Benedict. I went with the Full English because it just seemed like the right thing to do. When I lived and studied in London, as a student I had very little funds, so my Full English's at the local cafe were not as expertly prepared as this.  

Gotta get a little of everything in each bite

Heinz Baked Beans, check. Cumberland Sausage, check. Fried Tomato, check. Mushroom, check. Additionally there was a phenomenal piece of blood pudding. It was so fresh and seasoned to perfection that it made me forget what's it made of. My only complaint, if I were pressed to complain, is that the bacon was American "streaky bacon" and not traditional back bacon. What's the difference? And that certainly did not detract from the deliciousness of the meal. As I greedily wiped my plate clean and took my last bit of Stout, I sat back in my squashy cushioned bench and thought about when I could nap. Spot on, Dandelion. Cheers!

Manayunk Brewing Company: 4120 Main Street, Philadelphia

I've been to the Manayunk Brewing Company before for their own beers and other tasty drinks, but this was my first dining experience. I genuinely enjoy all of their brews from the Bohemian Blonde to the Schuylkill Punch (it doesn't actually include any river water). I had a Kennett Square Pizza cause I like eating local things when I can, and more importantly I love me some mushrooms. Nearby Kennett Square bears the title of “mushroom capital of the world”, and if you don’t believe me, Wikipedia will set you straight.

The pizza was described as “mushrooms, goat cheese, caramelized onions and mozzarella”. What was delivered was only slightly disappointing. I was hoping for 2x the mushrooms, and the onions weren't caramelized, just cooked. So maybe the chef forgot to do that part, or the menu writer doesn't really know what caramelized means. I gripe because that would really have made it awesome. The crust was nice and thin, and well done. And the mushrooms that were present were tender and meaty. And yes, I ate it all. I’ll be be back, it’s fun to eat outside by the river, but perhaps I’ll opt for the burger next time, they looked really good…

Tico: 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA

Photo Credit: Melissa Ostrow.

This past Saturday we dined at Tico, whilst in the Boston Area for a bridal shower. We ended up here through a suggestion from Chef’s Feed. An awesome app that crowdsources where local chefs eat. Because who better to tell you where to eat, right? Download it now! But I digress. Tico specializes in Tex-Mex style tapas. An array of different flavors and styles all presented in small plates. Typically I don’t like sharing my food, but in places like this I hang up my only-child hat and embrace the experience.

The place has a very up-beat vibe, there was a good crowd for a Saturday, but not so loud you couldn’t hear your own conversation. I began my meal with a house margarita made to perfection with salt on the rocks. We started off with Mixed beef tacos, Chorizo in Chimichurri, and Roasted Cauliflower. The tacos had melt in your mouth shredded beef, then a sprinkling of crunchy beef, topped off with fresh cilantro and radishes on soft corn tortillas. Texture won me over on these. Chorizo came skewered “ala plancha” in a Chimichurri marinade. The marinade soon also marinated hunks of bread after the Chorizo was devoured. My favorite of the evening was the Cauliflower. It came roasted topped with a mild shredded cheese, a creamy chipotle sauce and toasted fava beans. Again the textures were amazing, and the creamy chipotle complimented the mild cauliflower quite nicely. It’s something that I may try to replicate in the future (especially since we just got fava beans in our CSA box last week). After that we had some room in a our bellies for one more plate. Mushroom quesadillas with a truffle oil and olive tapenade. Another favorite, these mushrooms were divine, housed in a crispy, chewy, flaky quesadilla. Oh Hello, truffle oil and olives, did you want to hang out too? It was a delicious ending to the meal. So delicious we opted out of dessert. If I lived in the area, I would certainly be back to bring more friends.

*My only teeny criticism is that they need to fine tune their playlist. It almost sounded like it was a staff members iTunes library on shuffle. Control the ambiance with music, it’s very important!

Dettera: 129 E. Butler Ave., Ambler

This weekend we went out for a birthday dinner for my mother dearest. Of the Italian persuasion, Dettera is relatively new addition to the growing restaurant scene in teeny weeny Ambler. We arrived a little before our reservation to enjoy the Happy Hour at the swanky bar. The bar top curves and reflects the shape of the cut out ceiling that exposes it’s large wine selection. There were a number of tasty cocktails offered, as well as $2 Yard’s Love Stout draft. I enjoyed an expertly muddled Raspberry Coconut Mojito while others took advantage of the $2 drafts.

We were seated in a spacious booth with a good view on the goings-on of Main street and the nearby Ambler Theater. All of the staff were all well-informed about specials and the menu, suggesting wine pairings and favorite dishes. I shared the Homemade Ricotta Cavatelli with Fava beans as a starter. The Cavatelli had a great texture, and included some salty pancetta in the creamy goat cheese sauce. My only complaint would be the beans were slightly under cooked, no tragedy. I tend to get beef when I go out because it’s something that we rarely make at home. So for my main course, I ordered the Sliced Wagyu Sirlion, with swiss chard, herbed spatzle and trumpet mushrooms. The sirlion was divine, prepared to medium rare perfection. The swiss chard was paired nicely with the mushrooms and spatzle, different textures all coated in sirlion au jus.

 (I was so excited to tuck in, I forgot to take a photo of it right away. 
Which explains the poor presentation below.)

Other members of our party got the Bouilliabaisse, Mahi Mahi and Braised Short Ribs. It seemed as thought the Bouilliabasse was the only disappointment because the flavor of the broth over took that natural seafood flavor, however all the seafood were prepared well. Overall there were smiling faces and happy bellies.

After dinner, we stayed at the bar to help them finish their keg of Love Stout to make way for a fresh keg. (Mission accomplished!). I would recommend Dettera for any sort of special occasion or for pre or post theater drinks and nibbles.

The Farmer’s Cabinet: 1113 Walnut Street, Philadelphia

Last night we went out for our first Center City Sips Happy Hour this summer at The Farmer’s Cabinet. All I knew of the place was that it has a huge European draft selection, something I can get behind. My first impression, when I entered, it was ridiculously dark. Not just eye adjusting dark, but nothing but candles dark. When I could actually see, the decor was fabulous. It had a rustic Victorianesque look with bottles and deer heads covering the walls. Candles were the primary illumination (hence the darkness) coming from a number of hanging mason jars, and tall pillars stacked and piled on tables. The place was a buzz, a large crowd, fitting the roaring 20’s motif.

Sitting at my farm style dinning table I located the Sips menu, which should be drinks less than $5 and half price appetizers. Their menu consisted of a tiny 3X3 square, with a Bavarian Pretzel and Moroccan Chicken option for $4 each. We ordered a few of each for the table. And I got a glass of Pinot Noir for $4, not too shabby. We were disappointed to say the least with the food, but only in it’s quantity and not quality. The pretzels were smaller than my tiny hand and the chicken was one petite drumstick on a plate. So, it would seem that normally that this drumstick is $8? While it was delicious, it was certainly not 8 dollars delicious, or even 4. I had a feeling from the look of the regular menu, it would be more of the same. So I just stuck to wine for the evening.

The service was not the most hospitable either. I got the overwhelming feeling of inferiority ordering from their tiny Sips menu, despite the fact that everyone in my line of sight was doing the same. At one point, we were actually scolded for ordering one more drink a minute past the Happy Hour. Please, sir, may I have another?!

This makes me out to be a cheap miserly diner, but the fact is, when dining out, I’m looking at the experience on the whole. Food, service, ambiance. Which is why I love specials like Center City Sips and restaurant week. I go to places outside the realm of my wallet, to see if they’re worth the hype. I’d love to love this place, but between the service that’s too high on it’s hipster horse, and the overly priced menu, I just can’t. At this point, the only reason I’d go back is to tell them they spelled “Bavarian” wrong on their chalkboard.