Archive for the ‘Happenings’ Category
Meritage goes cheap[er], Supper goes BYO (kinda)
t says: g and I enjoy Meritage – we can walk to it and the entrees are reasonably priced and have some novelty (see review here). Also, Chef Anne Coll’s really cool. Well, Philadelphia magazine reports that they are having a new fixed price deal on Tuesdays. It’s a dinner for two featuring a whole roasted chicken, parsnip puree, Brussels sprouts, and Chinese sausage for $30 per couple. I think that’s a pretty good deal (I suppose it depends on the size of the chicken)! I’d try it.
Another weeknight special: While this is old news (and maybe I already mentioned it), but g and I have still not had the chance to go to Supper for their new BYO nights (Sundays and Wednesdays). I wonder what wine would go well with their awesome burger? (see review here)
Alcoholics and Rosarians Unite!
t says: The flower show’s in town! For the small fee of $23 (for advanced tix online), you get to see a lot of flowers and plants (some of them are quite spectacular – and I know nothing about flowers, gardening, horticulture, etc.). Additionally, there are tons of seminars on how to care for your rooted loved ones – they were way over my head. BUT – there’s also a complimentary wine and spirits tasting! g and I spent about an hour looking at flowers and an hour and a half tasting wine. It was fun! (Although we were carded twice … they card people at “random” …) If you do go – there are TWO tasting areas – and they’re different – so make sure you check out both. While the vast majority of the wine was “ok”, there were some diamonds in the rough: an Italian Barolo, a Portugese Vinho Verde, a Mumm Brut Rose (g loves bubbles – pink bubbles especially), and a Spanish red from Bierzo. This Saturday’s the last day – so get there soon! (They also had a DiBruno outpost, but that cost additional money, so we avoided it).
Food Fantasy: Is This Normal?
g says: It’s been more than a week since we visited Sampan (search our blog for “sampan”) and I am still thinking about their pork banh mi. That expertly-crafted bundle of unpretentious perfection was wrapped in kraft paper with LOVE… and my belly wants more! It is rare for me to have this kind of experience at a fine dining establishment (i.e. to find something crave-able), but here I am.
t has a surprise dinner planned for my birthday the week after next, but we could change plans if I have a special request that night. So the question is, do I hold out for the surprise and eat someplace new (which I love to do), or do I celebrate my big 2-6 satisfying my new sandwich obsession?
Let’s take a vote – I am torn and need your input!
EDIT: The poll ended in a tie!! I guess we’ll just have to flip a coin!
Big Brother vs. Creepy Neighbor
A crazy local news story broke recently about the ability of school authorities to remotely activate cameras of district-issued laptops for high school students when the laptops were off-site (e.g. in the homes of the students). I’m assuming that the students were unaware of this feature and the potential for its abuse. Furthermore, there are allegations of its abuse and a lawsuit filed. Check out more:
Bold Flay-vors Coming to Philly
t says: Some people love Bobby Flay. Some people love to hate Bobby Flay (often referencing the epic Morimoto vs. Flay battle on the original Iron Chef). Regardless of which you are, surely you’d be interested in the spring opening of Bobby’s Burger Palace in West Philly. As a Flay-hater, I know that I’ll definitely go and try one of these burgers in the hopes that it will single-handedly change my mind about him. Additionally, surely my patronage will make up for all of those hurtful, sarcastic comments I’ve made about him over the years (e.g. I’m sure that “what these burgers lack in appearance, they’ll make up for in flavor”). But, if/when the flavor doesn’t make up for it, I’ll just have to comfort myself by writing a scathing review (and visiting Capogiro that’s right around the corner … you know … the one that serves gelato and alcohol – why aren’t there more of these?) …
P.S. Yes, I do love that Tony Luke beat him in the cheesesteak throwdown and that Morimoto beat him in the recent Iron Chef America battle.
Zavino Now Charging for EtOH
Although this is old news – for those who are “out of the loop” (i.e. us) Zavino finally attained their liquor license. Why would you care? Well, prior to this they didn’t go to “we’re-BYO-until-the-license-comes-through” route, rather, they simply offered two free glasses of wine to diners. g and I never got in past the hours of waiting time (as I’m sure every Philadelphian and his/her mother also wanted free wine), and now the promotion’s over. Fortunately, I read they have delicious food (the menu sounds good!) for reasonable prices, so we’ll check it out … eventually.
after dinner sneeze 