AlwaysInvestigating: Philly’s Eternal Food Questions
GutterGourmet — August 04, 2010
A Philadelphia sandwich trio: a Cheesesteak from Pat’s Steaks, DiNic’s Roast Pork Sandwich, and an Italian Hoagie from Sarcone’s Bakery.
In ancient times travelers would seek answers to the eternal questions from the Oracle at Delphi. Recently, we sought food wisdom on an Odyssey in Phila-Delphi-a, but these questions were of far greater import than the Riddle of the Sphinx at Thebes:
1. Which cheesesteak is better— Pat’s or Geno’s?
2. What the hell is an Italian “hoagie” and is it better than a New York hero?
3. Is the Philly Roast Pork sandwich truly the greatest sandwich in the universe?
AlwaysTraveling: Dilly’s Corner (Bucks County, PA)
GutterGourmet — April 12, 2010
The Dilly Dog: a 1/4b Hot Dog with Fried Peppers, Onions, and Potatoes on a Toasted Torpedo Roll.
Restaurant: Dilly’s Corner
Address: 2998 River Road, New Hope, PA
Hours: Tue-Sun, 11:00am-6:00pm.
Contact: (215) 862-5333
Grade: B+
Recommended Dishes: Dilly Dog, Curly Cheese Fries, Chocolate Malted.
Dilly’s Corner is on River Road in the heart of Bucks County, not too far from where the father of our country crossed the Delaware River on Christmas Eve, and surprised some partying Hessians in what was a turning point in the Revolutionary War. The Dilly’s Corner sign may not have the same historic significance as Washington’s Crossing, but once you try a Dilly Dog, all other hot dogs will be history.
AlwaysTraveling: Steve’s Prince of Steaks (Langhorne, PA)
GutterGourmet — April 06, 2010
Double Meat Cheesesteak “wit” Onions, Cheese Whiz, White American, Cherry Peppers, and Red Pepperoncini at Steve’s Prince of Steaks.
Restaurant: Steve’s Prince of Steaks
Address: 1617 East Lincoln Highway, Langhorne, PA
Hours: Mon-Wed, 10am-11pm; Tues, Wed, Sun, 11:00am-12:00am; Thur-Fri, 11:00am-3:00am.
Contact: (215) 943-4640
Grade: A-
Recommended Dishes: Double Meat Cheesesteak “wit” Onions, Cheese Whiz, and White American.
If you find yourself driving in northeastern Philly, there’s an oasis in the desert of strip malls on East Lincoln Highway near Levittown, the 50’s suburban development dreamtown. It’s one of three locations of Steve’s Prince of Steaks, which was founded in 1980 by Steve Iliescu, who called himself a “Prince” in deference to Pat’s King of Steaks. It took just 12 short years for Steve’s to supplant Pat’s according to Philadelphia Magazine. They voted Steve’s #1 Cheesesteak in 1992, and as recently as 2007.
So how is this cheesesteak different from all others? Unlike Pat’s, and, for that matter, Carl’s (a go-to spot in Manhattan), the Prince slices the steak rather than chopping it. In that regard, Steve’s takes after Geno’s, Pat’s lifelong deadly rival in South Philly. But Steve’s slices the steak thicker than most any other cheesesteak you’ve seen.
AlwaysInformed: World Series of Food
Arthur Bovino — October 28, 2009
Garlic Fries at Yankee Stadium ($5/small).
Yankees vs. Phillies. Call it the Amtrak Series, the I-95 Series, the Liberty Series or Cheesecake versus Cheesesteak. As long as the Yanks are back in the Fall Classic, you can call it what you like.
Even haters must admit, it’s cool that Yankee Stadium is hosting the series in its inaugural season. While Shake Shack and the Acela Club have garnered CitiField more praise for its food (we mourn the loss of the pastrami dog), you could argue the Bronx has a better signature dish: Lobel’s Steak Sandwich.
Pie-by-Pie: Osteria (Philadelphia, PA)
The Gluttoness — October 28, 2009
Chef Marc Vetri, who had been the 2005 recipient of the James Beard Award for ‘Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic’ with his eponymous restaurant Vetri in Philadelphia, followed his success by partnering with Jeff Benjamin and Jeff Michaud to open Osteria (view), which quickly received its own recognition: 2008 nomination for the James Beard Award for ‘Best New Restaurant.’
We sampled the menu’s breadth, from a bountiful Antipasti with beets and Brussels sprouts, to a phenomenal Stewed Rabbit Casalinga with pancetta-speckled polenta. But it was ‘Le Pizze’ that stood out, and not just to me, Alan Richman’s roundup of America’s 25 Best Pizzas for GQ Magazine put Osteria at #22. The variety of pies dictated the following Pie-by-Pie, and forced us to forgo a Margherita for more complex creations. All pizzas were served piping hot with crisp bottoms, charcoaled edges and aptly seasoned crusts that were exceptional whether topped with tomato sauce or octopus.
AlwaysTraveling: Le Bec-Fin (Philadelphia, PA)
The Gluttoness — October 08, 2009
Exterior and interior of Le Bec-Fin on Walnut Street across from “Georges Perrier Place.”
Restaurant: Le Bec-Fin (view)
Address: 1523 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA (map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: B+
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Spanish Octopus, Chilled Maine Lobster Salad, Escargots, Veal Chop, Diver Sea Scallops, Chocolate Banana Tart, Grand Marnier Soufflé
It was a long twenty-five years before I got to enjoy my first meal at Georges Perrier’s famed five-star eatery. Growing up in Philadelphia, there was no finer dining destination. Yet the aura of stuffiness and pretension shrouded behind the wrought iron awning turned out to be merely a figment of fanciful imagination. Of course Le Bec-Fin is impeccably high class, but along with the dramatic chandeliers and gilded crown molding awaits a truly comfortable, effortless, dare-I-say, “fun” dining experience.
Japanese Black Bass with Baby Vegetables “a la Grecque,” Kohlrabi and Yellow Tomato Consommé.
I expected fancy French food, like you’d find at Per Se or Daniel, where the chef de cuisine, Nicholas Elmi honed his craft before moving to Philadelphia, but the plating was as relaxed as the warm, ambient environment. Decorative adornments, like a messy stroke of red onion aigre-doux aside Spanish Octopus, weren’t exemplary of French finesse. Yet the dish, with its chorizo and charred melon accompaniments was one of the meal’s standouts. The surprising departure from that which is inherently French was balanced by the “Le Bec-Fin Classics” portion of the menu, which features traditional items like Escargots poached in hazelnut garlic butter, Sautéed Foie Gras and the Gallette de Crabe, one of the dishes you could have eaten at Le Bec-Fin during its early heyday.
AlwaysInvestigating: Burger Square-Off (Philly vs. New York)
The Gluttoness — October 06, 2009
SquareBurger’s Classic Hamburger.
Restaurant: SquareBurger
Address: 200 N 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106 (map)
Hours: Through October 31st, Mon-Fri, 11am-2pm; Sat-Sun 11am-7pm.
AlwaysHungry Grade: A
AlwaysHungry Recommends: SquareBurger, The Cake Shake, Classic French Fries
The proliferation of Philadelphia’s restaurant scene can be partly attributed to Stephen Starr. After tackling New York City and Atlantic City, he seems to have found himself back in the City of Brotherly Love. As his empire grows to encompass everything from soul food to steakhouses, he unabashedly draws inspiration from his most revered peers. His recent venture, Parc, a French bistro on Rittenhouse Square, is an obvious interpretation of Keith McNally’s Pastis or Balthazar. Starr openly toured the top pizzerias in New York and New Haven for his own Neapolitan pizza joint, Stella. This summer, in an obvious replication of Danny Meyer’s celebrated Shake Shack, he opened SquareBurger (view), a burger stand in Philadelphia’s Franklin Square just off I-95.
The small SquareBurger shack is nearby the Franklin Square Fountain.
SquareBurger is next to a beautiful fountain, but it’s in an area devoid of local foot traffic, which may explain why there were only five people there on a sunny Saturday. While there are differences between Shake Shack and SquareBurger, both pay their due to burgers and frozen sweets. Ultimately, it comes down to a direct comparison between Starr’s Classic Cheeseburger and Meyer’s ShackBurger, between a SquareBurger’s Classic Shake and Shake Shack’s Hand-Spun Shakes and Concretes. The question is, can Starr top Meyer?
AlwaysTraveling: White House Sub Shop
The Gluttoness — August 03, 2009
The White House Special (Extra Salami, Provolone, Ham and Cappicola).
When it comes to submarine sandwiches, the White House Sub Shop in Atlantic City, NJ is boss. Sure, you can go to Sack O’Subs in Ventnor City or Dino’s Subs and Pizza Shop in Margate City, NJ, but when you’re craving a Chicken CheeseSteak, nothing beats the White House. In fact, no trip to Atlantic City is really complete without pre- or postgaming it at this institution. The small corner shop is on Arctic Ave., within walking distance of the Tropicana, and is marked by the giant neon sign with a 6-foot long sub between the words, “White House,” and “Home of Submarines.”
Restaurant: White House Sub Shop
Address: 2301 Arctic Ave, Atlantic City, NJ (view map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: A-
AlwaysHungry Recommends: “White House Special,” Capicola & Provolone Sub, Chicken Cheese Steak, Tuna Sub
By your turn, know what you want. Guys behind the counter, though friendly, don’t suffer fools lightly.
As everyone knows, bread is the foundation of any good sandwich. The folks at the White House have been doing this since 1946— they know good bread. Their high quality rolls are made by the Formica Brothers Italian Bakery— it’s no small reason for the shop’s success. The owners have proudly displayed “Bread Facts” around the restaurant (all natural, no fat, no sugar).
Dish by Dish: L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Jeff Zalaznick — May 18, 2009
Les Burgers
Beef & Foie Gras Burgers with Caramelized Bell Peppers
It seemed as if I had missed the work of Chef Joël Robuchon when he closed, Jamin, his small, three Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris. I had never been. The food became something that I dreamed about, his famous mashed potatoes, purée de pommes de terre, haunted me in my sleep. Lucky enough, my prayers were answered, and six years after retiring, Robuchon’s L’Ateliers began popping up. First in Tokyo, then Paris, Las Vegas, and finally at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City.
They could not have found a better home for L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon. The bar at the Four Seasons has always been a power drinking scene, but it had never really had the food to go with it. A Michelin-rated restaurant where one can order Asian and French influenced cuisine from one of the world’s most renowned French chefs seemed to fit the bill. As the location will reinforce though, this restaurant blurs the distinction between bar and restaurant, just as it does between bar food and fancy french. Over half of the menu is offered as small plates, including a game-changing rendition of sliders topped with seared foie gras (pictured above). This dish could be interpreted as a symbol for the restaurant as a whole.
The remarkable presentations, ingredients and flavors of Chef Joël Robuchon’s cuisine consistently impress, and since they opened in 2006, there is no question that L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is one of New York’s best restaurants. It is what it’s supposed to be—excellent— and it does what it’s supposed to do: fine dining with out the fancy. It could be that you can sit at one of the twenty bar seats and watch Robuchon-protegé and genius in his own right, Yosuke Suga at work, or it might be that you can order an entire meal as tapas, but either way it is incredibly successful at making you feel comfortable eating foie gras in your jeans. And everyone is served a dish of mashed potatoes alongside the meal.
The world has gained more Ateliers (London and Hong Kong) since, and there is another one planned to open in Philadelphia in 2010. If you have one in your city, and enough money in your wallet, go there now.
Signature Small Plates: Les Burgers (Sliders), L’Anguille (Caramelized Eel Layered with Smoked Foie Gras), Le Calamar (Sautéed Squid with Violet Artichokes & Chorizo in Tomato Water)
AlwaysInvestigating: Philly vs. NY Soft Pretzels
The Gluttoness — May 14, 2009
I’ve never had the physical evidence to back up an assertion I’ve made many times: New York City’s street vendor soft pretzels don’t hold a candle to Philadelphia’s soft pretzels. During a recent trip to Philly I made a point of going to the Philly Pretzel Factory to bring back proof.
The Philly Pretzel Factory’s slogan is, “Real Pretzels Travel in Packs.” Stumped? Philadelphia soft pretzels come in sheets, usually rows of ten. They’re long and narrow, like squashed New York City pretzels with thicker ropes. During baking, the sides adhere to each other as they expand, creating the sheet effect (right). Enough about aesthetics— let’s focus on taste.
from left: Philly Soft Pretzel, New York Street Vendor Pretzel
Since I grew up in Philadelphia, I turned to two impartial members of the CORE:
CORE Member, The Hungry Goat:
“Philadelphia Soft Pretzels are much denser, the salt MAKES this pretzel. It’s tough and very chewy, especially the outer layer, and I wish it was softer. As far as New York pretzels go, bigger is not better. While I prefer the texture of the NY pretzel, the dough is totally bland, and there is not enough salt to make up for the lack of seasoning. It’s like eating something that has the flavor of a water cracker but in doughier form.”
CORE Member, Arthur Bovino:
“I’ve got New York pride so I’m loathe to cede ANYTHING to Philadelphia and I mean anything (I’m not even a Mets fan). So it really makes me mad that even with the significant advantage of being just bought from a vendor before I ate it, New York soft pretzels lost out to day-old Philly ones that sat overnight in a fridge. The charcoal smokiness I enjoy smelling as it wafts from the New York pretzel street carts during the winter isn’t enjoyable to taste and not only were the exteriors undersalted but they were somehow dry on the inside too. The Philly pretzel was properly salted, still moist and tasted like I remember enjoying soft pretzels as a kid. In the name of all things NY-pretzel-holy, somebody do something, please.”
Philadelphia pretzels are also a better deal wallet-wise. At the Philly Pretzel Factory, ten pretzels cost $3.00. Two pretzels from a New York City vendor cost $4.00. No contest—Philly wins.
AlwaysTraveling: Zahav (Philadephia, PA)
The Gluttoness — May 12, 2009
Zahav has been garnering considerable attention lately. This month, Travel & Leisure named it one of their 50 Best New US Restaurants for 2009 and the Sunday of my Mother’s Day visit, The New York Times included it in 36 Hours in Philadelphia. The good press is justified— each small plate features grand, international flavors and the chef even ably turns typically mundane street food into impressively gourmet dishes. The Israeli-born chef, Michael Solomonov, has created a menu based on Israeli cuisine with North African and Middle Eastern riffs.
Stone walls, draped ceilings and blown-up photographs of crowds evoke the atmosphere of a shuk (marketplace) in Jerusalem. Meals begin with “Salatim,” a selection of eight salads, served with za’atar-seasoned, house-made laffa bread. Zahav serves some of the best hummus I’ve ever eaten. You can opt for traditional “Hummus-Tehina” or investigate more complicated variations like the “Hummus-Masbacha” (with warm chickpeas), “Hummus-Foul” (with warm fava beans) or Turkish Hummus (served warm with butter and grilled garlic). Halavi (dairy) selections include outstanding Borekas, Baked Kashkaval (one of Zahav’s best dishes) and an exemplary Fried Cauliflower with Labaneh. Meats (Basari) range from Fried Kibbe to Moroccan Pastilla, and the Shipudim offerings (grilled over coals), include Lamb Tenderloin, Merguez and Ground Beef Sausage. The best way to end your meal is with an out-of-this-world Pistachio Baklava and some Turkish Coffee. Individual dishes max out at $12, making Zahav an affordable opportunity to explore the flavors of the Middle East.
Restaurant: Zahav
Address: 237 St. James Place, Philadelphia, PA (view map)
AlwaysHungry Grade: A
AlwaysHungry Recommends: Salatim & Hummus with Laffa, Crispy Haloumi, Baked Kashkaval, Fried Cauliflower, Kibbe Naya, Moroccan Pastilla, Monsieur Merguez, Konafi, Pistachio Baklava
AlwaysTraveling: Dalessandro’s (Philadelphia, PA)
The Gluttoness — March 24, 2009
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Restaurant: Dalessandro’s Steaks
Location: Outskirts of Philadelphia, PA
AlwaysHungry Grade: A-
Signature Dishes: Cheesesteak (American with Onions)
AlwaysHungry Additions: Chicken Steak, Pepper Steak, Italian Hoagie
Everyone’s heard the debate between Pat’s and Geno’s, and those better versed in the Philly Cheesesteak probably know about Tony Luke’s and Jim’s. But, if you’re AlwaysHungry, there is a sleeper favorite on Henry Avenue that’s at the top for many locals: Dalessandro’s. A tiny cheesesteak-centric diner on the outskirts of Philadelphia, where the bar seating is constantly packed, and, if you’re lucky, there will be a short line of people out the door. Dalessandro’s hasn’t changed much since its inception—their slogan is “Simply the best since 1960”. There’s still a 12” TV complete with bunny ears that is always tuned into something Eagles’, and the atmosphere is consistently chaotic.
Like most Cheesesteak joints in Philly, if you are not aggressive when placing your order, you will quickly be surpassed by the unfazed regulars, but a few things set Dalessandro’s apart. First, the preference of melted American cheese (or even Provolone) over the customary coating of wiz. Second, while some establishments rough chop their steak (Pat’s), and other’s go for flat slices (Steve’s), Dalessandro’s aggressively minces their meat. Also, thick cut onions (or mushrooms) are sauteed and adorn the tops of the steaks rather than being dispersed throughout.
Dalessandro’s sandwiches are truly gargantuan, as they stuff mounds of meat into the ever standard Amoroso roll. Those who know best always keep a fork nearby for overflow, and some even opt for a shmear of mayonnaise to moisten the blow of the dry and densely packed meat. Hot peppers (whole and chopped) and banana peppers are always in high demand, and I was beyond surprised to see their newest option for heat lovers: a bottle of Sriracha. While they also serve Italian Hoagies and creamy White Tuna subs, nothing beats a hot, overflowing Dalessandro’s Cheesesteak—aka, “I’ll have an American Wit”.
AlwaysTraveling: Barclay Prime
The Gluttoness — February 08, 2009
Considering his tremendous success reinventing Buddakan and Morimoto in the Big Apple, there’s been buzz that Steven Starr has plans to bring a steakhouse to Wall Street. If he continues the trend of duplicating his Philadelphia stalwarts, then the steak-centric Starr venture may be a carbon copy of Barclay Prime on Rittenhouse Square. What separates Barclay Prime is their extensive selection of steak knives from Shun to Wusthof, offered in a seductive library setting that’s both manly and modern—oh, and their famed $100 Cheesesteak composed of Kobe beef, sauteéd foie gras, melted Taleggio cheese and truffles (pictured). I hopped back to my hometown for a carnivorous feast and felt it was only fitting to share the acclaimed Starr-standard for steakhouses, as it may soon be coming to a neighborhood near you.
AlwaysTraveling: Tinto
The Gluttoness — August 20, 2008
Chef Jose Garces follows up the success of his first Spanish tapas restaurant in Philadelphia, Amada, with this smaller yet equally commendable venture. Tinto offers a seductive, lounge-like environment with distinct, new tastes from Garces’ rapidly expanding repertoire of satiating small plates.
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