In The News

Zagat lists Philadelphia's hottest cocktail trends

Zagat Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Zagat lists the top trends in cocktails, and tells you where in Philly you can find them. One example: "Farm to Glass."

Bartenders all over the city are taking the now-ubiquitous farm-to-table trend to its logical next step. The Unicorn Egg at Le Bar at Le Bec Fin includes rhubarb from star farmer Tom Culton, and fresh herbs are everywhere, often plucked from on-site gardens. Try the basil muddled with Wild Turkey and Carpano Antica in the Vona at In Riva.

Original source: Zagat
Read the complete story here.

Eater names Federal Donuts one of the country's hottest spots

Eater Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Federal Donuts earned a spot on Eater's list of the top 23 hottest donut shops in America.

Mike Solomonov's Federal Donuts has been inspiring doughnut shops across America for years and just this past fall opened up a second location for its magical combination of fried chicken and doughnuts. (There's also a new stall at the Phillies ballpark.) Doughnut options include strawberry-lavender, Turkish coffee, milk chocolate-peanut butter, and blueberry muffin.

Original source: Eater
Read the complete list here.

Jose Garces' Distrito named one of the best Mexican spots in U.S.

Travel & Leisure Tuesday, May 07, 2013

Travel & Leisure names Jose Garces' Distrito, the West Philly taco-and-margarita mecca, one of the best Mexican restaurants in the country.

Television celebrity chefs and quality Mexican food aren’t necessarily a match made en el cielo, but in the case of Food Network’s Chicago-born Ecuadorian Iron Chef Jose Garces’ Distrito, the connection pays off. The somewhat gaudy, pink, loud, huge restaurant is dedicated to the cuisine of Mexico City and serves nachos, ceviches,huaraches, tamales, enchiladas, and moles that Philadelphians recognize as not necessarily authentic, but some of the most satisfying versions on the East Coast regardless.

Original source: Travel & Leisure
Read the complete list here.

AP hypes Reading Terminal's Festival of Forgotten Foods

Associated Press Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The Reading Terminal Market's third Festival of Forgotten Foods draws praise for its unusual delights.

"Some of the foods are old-fashioned kinds of foods that are part of Philadelphia’s culinary history," Levitsky said Friday, "and some we sell every day in the market ... like snapper soup and raw milk."

Pepper pot soup — a thick stew of tripe, vegetables, lots of black pepper and other spices — is sometimes called "the soup that won the Revolutionary War." According to legend, it’s credited with restoring the strength and fighting spirit to Gen. George Washington’s troops during the harsh 1777-1778 winter at Valley Forge.

Original source: Associated Press
Read the complete story here at the Washington Post.

Two Philly bars make national "Bucket List"

Bucket List Bars Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A compilation of the bars you gotta visit before you die features two local legends: City Tavern and McGillin's Olde Ale House:

Their motto--and we'll admit it's a good one--is that they opened their doors the year Lincoln was elected. If you're not sure of the date it's 1860.

Opened by Irish immigrant William McGillin and originally called the Bell in Hand, this place has a legacy all unto itself. Not only has it survived 150 years, it is still one of the most popular watering holes in Philly.

Original source: Bucket List Bars
Read the complete list here; read the McGillin's entry here.

East Passyunk named one of nation's best foodie streets

Food & Wine Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Food & Wine magazine has named East Passyunk Avenue one of the country's best streets for foodies. Local writer Joy Manning has praise for Fond, Marra's and Will, among others. We'd add Cantina, Le Virtu and Stateside.

Original source: Food & Wine
Read the full list here.

Momofuku hosts Zahav for pop-up dinner

Zagat Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Middle East meets East as Philly chef Michael Solomonov takes Zahav's modern Israeli cuisine to Momofuku Ssam bar for a late-night dinner.

After teasing us earlier this week, we now have confirmation: Momofuku Ssäm Bar will be hosting Zahav for the first in a quarterly late night dinner series at the East Village hot spot. Tickets are $85 per person for the 11 PM dinner, inclusive of food, drink and gratuity. No word on menu yet, but looks like at least some of the drinks will come from Singapore brewery Tiger Beer. Reservations are available via e-mail only, and the likelihood is they’ll sell out quickly (if they haven’t already).

Eater Philly had more details:

Solomonov said that David Chang & Co. requested an all-Zahav menu, so they're going all out with the "Mesibah" option that includes his legendary lamb shoulder (which is almost as famous as Solomonov himself). As for dessert, the Federal Donuts crew is whipping up a special fancy doughnut created specifically for the event, as well.

Original source: Zagat
Read the complete post here.

AP showcases Vetri's 'Eatiquette' school lunch program

The Associated Press Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Chef Marc Vetri is bringing his 'Eatiquette' school lunch program to the People For People Charter School.

It sounds more like a restaurant order than a school lunch menu: baked ziti with a side of roasted fennel salad and, for dessert, cinnamon apple rice pudding.

But that's one of the meals offered in the cafeteria at People For People Charter School in Philadelphia. And it's served family-style. Students pass serving dishes around circular tables, where they eat off plates, not cafeteria trays, and use silverware instead of plastic utensils.

People For People is one of four schools participating in the "Eatiquette" program, which was designed by local chef Marc Vetri to provide nutritious, low-cost lunches in a setting that reinforces social niceties and communication skills.

Original source: The Associated Press
Read the full story here.

Mark Bittman looks to Reading Terminal Market for inspiration

The New York Times Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The New York Times' Mark Bittman wishes his city could cultivate a large indoor market modeled after Philly landmark Reading Terminal. He's eyeing the former Fulton Fish Market.

There is nothing like a grand urban food market, which can anchor a neighborhood and even a city. Think of the 120-year-old Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia; the Ferry Building in San Francisco, which 10 years ago helped revitalize the Embarcadero; and the ever-popular Pike Place Market in Seattle. Even much-maligned Los Angeles has a permanent mid-city market, in business since 1934.

New York … well, the grandest market “we” have is 80 miles away, in Philadelphia.

Original source: The New York Times
Read the full story here.

Philly cracks Saveur's 50 Best Donuts list

Saveur Tuesday, March 19, 2013

These days, if there's a donut list, local favorite Federal Donuts will earn a spot. This Saveur run-down of the country's 50 Best Donuts is no exception.

The donuts at this ambitious newcomer include the Appollonia, served hot and rolled in cocoa and orange blossom powder. The other specialty? Fried chicken.

Original source: Saveur
Read the complete list here.

Philly nabs spot in Travel & Leisure's list of best pizza cities

Travel & Leisure Tuesday, March 05, 2013

The City of Brotherly Love (and pie!) claimed the number four spot on Travel & Leisure's list of "America's Best Cities for Pizza." Personally, I think Santucci's and Gennaro's Tomato Pie also deserved a mention.

Pizza may not have been part of the founding fathers’ diet, but it is the voters’ favorite food in present-day Philly, which ranked in the top 5 for its great museumsand cultural attractions. History meets pie at Pizza Brain, the “pizza museum” in Fishtown that serves thin-crust pies and houses more than 500 pizza-related artifacts. Meanwhile, at purist favorite Nomad Pizza, they slice your pie at the table, to prevent sogginess, and show a movie every Sunday night.

Original source: Travel & Leisure
Read the full list here.

Fond named one of the country's most underrated restaurants

Eater Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Eater put together a list of the country's most underrated dining spots, and Passyunk Square favorite Fond (fresh of its move to a new corner location) made the cut at number 22.

You hear about Marc Vetri's places, you probably hear about Zahav and about Sbraga, but you should give what Lee Styer has been doing at Fond for the past three years a look. It's "sophisticated French-influenced seasonal cooking" and is less expensive than most places in its category. Just last year, local critic Craig LaBan upgraded the restaurant from two to three bells, ranking it among some of the city's best.

Original source: Eater
Check out the full list here.

Granola (with foie gras!) shines at Talula's Table

The New York Times Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Granola is having its moment in the sun. Local oats maven Aimee Olexy (of Talula's Garden and Talula's Table) earns special mention in this New York Times trend piece tackling the erstwhile hippy fare.

Granola has traded in the bulky sweater for a little black dress. All over the country, small-batch entrepreneurs see granola as a booming growth sector, while chefs view it as an elegant and wide-open canvas for culinary experimentation... [Aimee] Olexy runs a restaurant in Philadelphia, Talula’s Garden, and Talula’s Table, a country store in Kennett Square, Pa., that morphs into a showcase for an expertly wrought tasting menu in the evenings. At both spots you’ll find "lots of granola," she said. She might make it with coarse black pepper or chunks of bittersweet chocolate; she might marry it with goat cheese or a torchon of foie gras.

Original source: The New York Times
Read the full story here.

Peter Serpico and Bon Appetit stir up controversy in interview

Zagat Tuesday, February 26, 2013

A Bon Appetit interview conducted in conjunction with a collab dinner between Philly transplant Peter Serpico and Chris Painter managed to ruffle some feathers. Local blogs and Twitter hummed with complaints about Serpico's characterization of his new city -- he is preparing to open a restaurant on South Street with Stephen Starr. Zagat tackled the controversy, which involved comments about Philadelphians' knowledge of Asian cuisine and the city's dining landscape.

"In Philly, there are those huge, big-box restaurants," one question began. Um, what big-box restaurants? We don't even have a Cheesecake Factory yet (though one is planned). The writer later clarified on Twitter he was referring to Stephen Starr restaurants. He also noted in his article that he'd never eaten in Philadelphia - or even visited Philadelphia - until the one-night collaboration dinner Serpico put on recently at Il Pittore (which happens to be a decidedly non-big-box Starr restaurant, one designed around a chef with seating for just 80).

Original source: Zagat.com
Read the original story here.

Eater's Top 25 Burgers list features Philly favorites

Eater Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The national food blog Eater -- which also has a local chapter, Eater Philly -- recently released a list of the "25 Hottest Burgers in America Right Now." Hickory Lane and Spot Gourmet (a food truck!) made the cut. This description of Hickory Lane's entry has us drooling.

Former Rouge chef Matt Zagorski is cooking really nice food at this Fairmount Avenue restaurant. But the burger, as critic Craig Laban will tell you, is the way to go: "10 ounces of custom-ground brisket, filet, and deckle, seared to a cast-iron crisp and then snugged in the embrace of a brioche bun between delicate folds of bibb lettuce and a molten lid of tangy Cabot cheddar. It’s hard to imagine a burger this tasty as a burden. Then again, it’s so good that it’s also become clear: No change of scenery or molecular tricks will ever let Zagorski truly escape. The power of his patty is simply the best reason to visit Hickory Lane."

Original source: Eater
Read the full list here.

Food : In The News