Restaurant Week Stop #2

(Outside Capital Grille)

During restaurant week they have a great deal at participating restaurants since lunch is only 20 dollars for 3 courses. My friends and I decided to check out The Capital Grille. The menu online looked like a good deal for the price you pay. The Capital Grille is portrayed as a steak house with seafood included.

(Caesar Salad)

(Lobster & Crab Burger)

When you order for restaurant week you have to order all 3 courses when you first place your order. The first course I ordered was a Caesar Salad. The second course I ordered was the lobster & crab burger with homemade tartar sauce and French fries. The third course I ordered was the Chocolate Espresso Cake.  The portions for the restaurant were so big for lunch time but they were so filling and good.  The Caesar salad was a classically made Caesar with hearts of romaine lettuce, house-made Caesar dressing, baked croutons, and a lot of parmesan reggiano cheese. They offer fresh cracked black pepper on top of your salad.  The second course I got was a lobster & crab burger which was packed with fresh lobster and crab meat just gently toasted in mayonnaise. It was served on a nicely toasted Brioche bun. The buttery bun helped the taste of the lobster and crab salad. The sandwich was packed high with the lobster and crab salad.

(Chocolate Espresso Cake)

The third course I got was the Chocolate Espresso Cake. The cake was a flourless cake that tasted like fudge when you were eating it. It was sooo smooth and tasted just like espresso. They served a very generous size portion for lunch.  It was served fresh raspberries, raspberry sauce, and whipped cream.  They had a good deal for a cocktail that was just only 8 dollars. The cocktail I got was Baked Apple Pie Martini with a cinnamon sugar rim. It was a huge sized martini. The cinnamon sugar added a nice sweetness and crunch to the drink. It was made with Apple pucker. I liked it a lot because it definitely tasted like a baked apple pie. It went down nice and smooth. The service was great and it felt like we were dining a 4 star restaurant. They even used a crumber on the table in between courses.

                                              ( Baked Apple Martini with Cinnamon & Sugar Rim )

Restaurant Week Stop Number 1

My friends and I decided to check out 10 Arts by Eric Ripert in the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia, PA. One friend has been to Le Bernardin in NYC which is Eric Ripert’s other restaurant. She loved Le Bernardin and I also had some high expectations it is an Eric Ripert restaurant.  I think I was a little disappointed

(Salmon Ceviche)

(Pennsylvania Brook Trout)

                                                                     ( Carrot Hazelnut Cake)

I ordered the Salmon Ceviche as my first course. For the second course I ordered the Pennsylvania Brook Trout and for the third course I ordered the Carrot Hazelnut Cake.  The food was ok. The salmon ceviche and the Pennsylvania Brook Trout were sooo under seasoned with even some salt and pepper.  We had to ask the server for some salt and pepper because they didn’t even have it on the table.  I mean the Brook Trout was cooked perfectly but just majorly under seasoned. On their menu they even offered a Brown Sugar Buttermilk Panna Cotta which I originally wanted. All 4 of us wanted to order it at the table. The waiter tells us that wasn’t available today because whoever prepped it didn’t make it properly so it didn’t set up. I mean 10 Arts has two of the highest titles with it for being a Eric Ripert restaurant and in the Ritz Carlton you would expect someone to know how to make a panna cotta there.

                                                                              (Berries & Bubbles)

There cocktail drinks were very creative but creative drinks cost 15 dollars and are made with top shelf alcohol. The first one I ordered was Berries and Bubbles. The Berries & Bubbles was made from Chambord and champagne with fresh raspberries in it. It was nice and sweet. The one problem we did have with 10 Arts was all their menus were old and the server said some menu items were not offered anymore.  We first saw this when my friend ordered a cocktail and the server said it wasn’t offered anymore. We also asked for a dessert menu and the server said to us that most of those items are not offered because it’s an old menu. I mean how hard is it to print a menu?

(Inside 10 Arts)

10 Arts Bistro & Lounge by Eric Ripert

Broad & Chestnut

Philadelphia, PA 19012

215-523-8273

www.10arts.com

Heartburn Pizza

(Outisde Picas )

I love some good pizza but the best pizza out there is Pica’s Pizza. It’s been around since 1941 in Upper Darby. Their pizza isn’t a typical kind of pizza that you find in other pizzerias. The pizza pie’s shape is a rectangle and it is layered in a different way. The pizza is layered first with cheese, next tomato sauce, and lastly the topping.  I always end up with the pepperoni pizza from there. The pepperoni slices are huge which will give you heartburn for days. But it is sooooo good. The tomato sauce is sweet and it makes the pizza amazing.

(Pepperoni Pizza)

But the fun part of this place is the owner definitely invested in how the pizza dough is made and how they present their company. There is big restaurant equipment in a small restaurant. There is a big sheeter. A big Hobart mixer along with a special box maker for their rectangle boxes which is in the area where you pick up your pizza. The owner definitely has invested a lot into how the pizza is made since they have been around since 1941 and you have to live up to your name.

Pica's Restaurant

7803  West Chester Pike

Upper Darby, PA 19082

610-789-7770

www.picas-restaurant.com

Inside the Hotel

Last year I went to Le Bec Fin and I thought the food was incomparable. I think I found a place that is coming close to it which is M Restaurant at the Morris House Hotel. The place has a very small dining room which at most seats about twenty-four people. It is a very inmate setting for a restaurant. The good part was there weren’t many people there and the atmosphere was nice and quiet.  They have a nice little bar in the front. It is a little difficult to find the restaurant and it is easy to walk by it and not know it.

                                                                             (Characuterie Plate)

(Cheese Plate 1)

(Cheese Plate #2)

My boyfriend loves cheeses and charcuterie so he was happy when he saw the menu with the pairings. We ordered the charcuterie board which was prosciutto, Soppressata Lomo, Coppa and served with Brioche and grain mustard. The brioche was nicely toasted and tasted sooo buttery. The meats just melted in your mouth and had such flavor. They had a mixture of about 8 different cheeses on their menu. We tried there aged goat Gouda, Bucheron, Brie de Nangis, Munchego, Taleggio, and Edwins Munster. My favorite cheese was aged goat Gouda and pairing it with Miso Garlic Butterscotch.  The cheese with the butterscotch was amazing. I would definitely take a jar of the Miso Garlic Butterscotch home with me. It was not at all spicy and did not have a strong garlic taste to it. The taste was salty and sweet which is my personal favorite taste bud combination.

(Sunchoke Veloute)

(Smoked Oysters)

We both ordered soup which is served tableside. The main parts of the soup are in the bowl already and the liquid is poured into the bowl. I ordered a Sunchoke Veloute which was served with pumpernickel, dill, cured salmon, and cucumber. The soup was so velvety and smooth. I loved the idea of the crumbled pumpernickel bread in the soup. It added some crunch to the soup. The cured salmon added some saltiness to the soup.  I ordered the Smoked Oysters. The were served creatively in shot glasses. The smoke was incorporated into the air of the shot glass. You smelled the smokiness in the class when you removed the bread from the top and then you tasted in the oyster. I loved the oysters since they were raw. I love sometimes when you get to play with your food. My boyfriend ordered the Rib-Eyed Steak which was perfectly cooked. The steak was encrusted in cheese which added crunchiness in your mouth which added a different texture to the steak. The steak was served with Blue Foot Mushrooms which were tangy and buttery. The colored in the plate came from the purple, orange, and white cauliflower which was fun to see. For dessert I ordered the lemon ricotta crepes. I thought it was going to be a simple presentation but it was stepped up a level. It was crepes layered on top of each other and then cut out to form a perfect circle. It was served wtih lemon curd on top. What made the dishes soo good was serving them soooo warm that the lemon curd started to melt. The crepes with the lemon curd just melted in your mouth.

(Rib Eyed Steak)

 (Lemon Ricotta Crepes)

It was also fun in between courses since we were served amuse bouches. The first one we were served was a chocolate crumble with grapefruit pulp. The texture of the chocolate served as crumbles was different to see. My boyfriend was definitely wondering how to get that texture out of chocolate. The other amuse bouche we were served was a margarita sorbet. The flavors were definitely a bold punch with a good flavor. For such a simple place it brought a lot of flavor and a lot of class with it’s French-American food.

(Chocolate Crumble)

(Margarita Sorbet )

M Restaurant

231 South 18^th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

www.mrestaurantphilly.com

215-625-6666

Thai Place

My friend loves Thai food. We love going to Pho Thai Nam in East Norriton, PA. We really wanted Thai food but we didn’t want the half hour drive to go get it. There is this small Thai restaurant that I always pass on my way to work and we decided to go and try it. The place was Sukhothai in Havertown, PA.

                                                                    (Inside Sukhothai)

The menu looked really good with a wide range of variety. We love having Tom Kha which is a coconut soup with mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, lemongrass, and galanga root with a choice of chicken or shrimp.  At Sukhothai they offered a coconut soup with the same ingredients. I feel the Sukhothai soup was so flavorful and packed with a lot of flavor. It had a little heat to it but it bought out the flavors it had.

                                                                  (Coconut Soup)

When we started to eat our soup I saw a gnat flaying around which we thought just came in the door. Then more started coming after a minute and we turned to the wall and there were like twenty on the wall. Once we saw them more started to fly around us. We asked the waitress to just pack up the rest of the food we ordered to go. I ordered the Drunken Noodles and ate them when I got home. They were thick rice noodles with fresh basil, onion, and bell pepper in their own chili garlic sauce with shrimp. They were spicy and packed with heat. I love it. The idea of thick noodles with heat from the chili garlic sauce added a personal touch.

My recommendations for Sukhothai is to order take out don’t dine in there.

Sukhothai

20 East Eagles Road

Havertown, PA 19083

610-449-4414

The Great Debate!

I was super excited to go to Supper for brunch on a Sunday morning. While looking at the menu on the website before I left there was a great debate between choosing pancakes, waffles, or French toast. You’re probably questioning why is there a great debate between them? The flavors for each one are different and unusual.

They offer are red velvet waffles, shoo fly pie French toast, and gingerbread pancakes.  I definitely debated before going there for Sunday brunch. I had to choose red velvet waffles. Anything that is red velvet I’m a sucker for so I had to order the red velvet waffles. The waffles definitely red velvet waffles and had a sweet cream cheese mousse, toasted pecans, and molasses bourbon cherries. It tasted like I was eating a dessert for breakfast. It was so good but I personally could have used was a little bit more of the cream cheese mousse. I really don’t like syrup on pancakes, waffles, or French toast. I feel if they have good flavor they don’t need syrup. That’s why I would of like a little bit more cream cheese mousse on top of them.

I feel that if you can’t produce a good donut then your restaurant can’t succeed. The simple composition of a donut is so easy to make if it has good flavor it will tell a lot about the restaurant. It will also show how much a restaurant cares about their side options if they are put on the menu for flavor or if they are put on there to fill a side. I ordered the house made apple cider donuts with cinnamon sugar. A good donut should be light and airy not heavy. These donuts were light and airy. They were warm and made fresh to order. They melt in your mouth. Definitely worth trying at Supper are their donuts.

The service was good really no complaints there. The awesome part of the restaurant is their kitchen. I love seeing chefs hard at work making your food. It’s fun to walk buy the kitchen because right in front they’re plating up your food. The kitchen was very organized and clean.  I will definitely check back later in the year with another debate between waffles, pancakes, or French toast.

Supper Restaurant

926 South Street

Philadelphia, PA

2155928180

www.supperphilly.com

Cooking Skillet-Baked Eggs with Spinach, yogurt, and chili oil

I love reading blogs and food magazines. Whenever you flip through magazines you see these colorful pictures of recipes executed by at the magazine. I love trying new recipes and decided to try one out of Bon Appetit in the January 2012 edition on pages 52 and 53. The recipe was Skillet Baked Eggs with spinach, yogurt, and chili oil.

(Inside Bon Appetit)

Recipe:

2/3 cup plain Greek- style yogurt

1 garlic cloved, halved

Kosher salt

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Tbsp chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)

2 Tbsp chopped scallion (white and pale green parts only

10 cups fresh spinach (not baby; 10 oz)

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

4 large eggs

¼ tsp. kirmizi biber ( Turkish chili powder), or  ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of paprika

1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano

Directions:

Mix yogurt, garlic, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Melt 1 Tbsp. butter with oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add leek and scallion; reduce heat to low. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add spinach and lemon juice; season with salt. Increase heat to medium- high; cook, turning frequently, until wilted,  4 to 5 minutes.

Transfer spinach mixture to 10” skillet, leaving any excess liquid behind. If using 2 smaller skillets, divide spinach mixture equally between skillets. Make 4 deep indentations in center of spinach in larger skillet or 2 indentations in each small skillet. Carefully break 1 egg into each hollow., taking care to keep yolks intact. Bake until egg whites are set, 10 to 15 minutes.

Melt remaining 1 Tbsp butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add kirmizi biber and a pinch of salt and cook until butter starts to foam and browned bits form at bottom of pan, 1-2 minutes. Add oregano and cook for 30 seconds longer. Remove garlic halves from yogurt; discard. Spoon yogurt over spinach and eggs. Drizzle with spiced butter.

                                                               ( My Skillet Baked Eggs)

I wish the recipe included how to wash leeks. I think that is really important to know because they are full of dirt. But I guess if you read Bon Appetit magazine you know how to wash leeks.

(Leeks)

I love the recipe about how the eggs were cooked over the spinach, leek, and scallion mixture.  With recipes and plates in restaurants I am so over yogurt on top of stuff with flavor. The people I made the dish for they do not like spicy food so that was totally off the dish. I think when I made the dish it could have used a little bit more color. A cooked egg is the most beautiful thing to see with the contrast of colors. I think it could use something like a tomato coulis drizzled on top to replace the yogurt mixture. In the picture the yogurt mixture just blends into the egg whites so it’s hard to see that it’s there.

(Portion of Skillet Baked Eggs)

First Food Trend of the Year: Canelés

(Display of Canelés)

When you read in articles that the canelé is replacing the cupcake, you would expect it be would be sweet. It is not sweet at all. Canelés originate from Bordeaux, France. It is made from egg yolk enriched like a crepe batter. They are baked in copper molds lined with caramel and beeswax. They are baked until the crust is caramelized and crisp. This allows it to have a custardy inside like a crème brulee.

                                   ( Market Day Canelés at Home)

Canelés have been around for 300 years, so how can they be a food trend? I think it’s an item that should be considered a legend for being around so long. These flavors of caramel and crème brulee have been preserved for 300 years.

(Market Day Canelés @ Rittenhouse Farmers Market)

When purchasing canelés I knew where to go to get them which was Market Day Canelés. They can be found at Bryn Mawr Farmers Market, Rittenhouse Farmers Market, Headhouse Farmers Market, and East Goshen Farmers Market. I would definitely check them out because a local company is producing them. Also, they are producing them in smaller scale compared to major companies. The sizes that they offer in canelés are small and big ones. I got a variety of both.  I preferred the big canelés I think you get more flavor in them then the smaller ones. The flavor is captivating and it something that you have never tasted before.  The center is like a crème brulee but it has a crispy outside. They are not sweet like a cupcake. I have seen a couple of places where they offer savory canelés. The inside of a canelé is very light and airy. The shape is consistent since there are specific molds they use for them. They are definitely worth checking out for their flavor. I can bet you that they will be around for another 300 years.

(Inside a  Canelés)

Market Day Canelés  

www.marketdaycanele.com

Barbuzzo the place to eat at .

Last night was my first trip to Barbuzzo in Philadelphia, PA. I went with a friend who works in the food industry too. We were forty five minutes late for our reservation due to the traffic on 76 which is no big shocker there. The host was very helpful and said it would just another 10 to 15 minutes for a table so we walked back to the restroom from the long car ride. When walking through the restaurant we noticed that their kitchen line was almost like a bar setup in front but you can watch them cook food in front of you. All the food they produce in front of you is served to customers. It was really awesome to watch them working and to see such a fine craft in front of you performed.

(Kitchen )

We waited for our seats at the bar with a round of drinks. I first started with a Sanguinello which is made with ketel orange, blood orange puree, chambord, and lime.  The drink was sweet with a slight tartness to it but I love blood oranges.  Their drink list is very unique. The drinks are worth trying there because you won’t find it at any other restaurant in this area. Later in the night I enjoyed a glass of sangria. I am a common drinker of sangria when I go out. I feel to produce great sangria the fruit needs to be soaked for a while in the wine for the flavors to be absorbed into it. The fruit used in the sangria was green apple and the apples flesh were completely purple from the red wine.  The tartness in the apple was enhanced in the sangria. The sangria they make there is made from Spanish wine.

                                                  (Sanguinello)

Whenever I go out with this friend we always try different food items. When we sat down the server told us they recommend sharing the plates with people. We were already planning on doing that. We first started off with the Barbuzzo pig popcorn and the chicken liver and foie gras mousse. I loved the Barbuzzo pig popcorn because it was so crispy. As it sat on the counter in front of us it was still popping sound wise. It was fun to hear it. The horseradish aioli that went with the pig popcorn went perfectly with the pig popcorn. The Barbuzzo pig popcorn was so light and airy. The taste of pig was there. The chicken liver and foie gras was burned on top like crème brulee. It was fun when you took the spoon and broke the top of it. The mousse was very light and tasty and the almonds on top reinforced the flavor of the duck. The crostinis that came with it were a little too crispy and had too many holes in them. It was hard to spread the mousse on them.

                               (Pig Popcorn & Chicken liver and Foie Gras Mousse)

The next round of food we tried was the roasted marrow bone and the caciocavallo stuffed meatballs. The caciocavallo meatballs are made in their brick oven. The meatballs are huge and are packed with flavor. The meatballs are not smothered in sauce.  I personally hate when pasta or meatballs are completely covered and soaking in sauce. The meatballs came with some toasted bread which was good on soaking up the sauce. The meatball was stuffed with cheese which I loved. The cheese was properly melted and oozy. When I cut into the meatball with my fork it just was stringy and you had to wrap the cheese around your fork. The meatballs were moist and not dried out like you would think because they were not covered in sauce.  The roasted marrow bone was presented very elegantly. The roasted marrow bone was presented in the bone. The marrow bone just melted in your mouth like pure fat. It was so light and elegant. The marrow bone is truly special there and worth trying.

(Caciocavallo Stuffed Meatballs)

(Roasted Marrow Bone)

The next round of food we tried was the uovo pizza. Before I left I did a research of what to try there. Foobooz Philadelphia did a menu article of what readers recommend to eat. (http://philadelphia.foobooz.com/2012/01/04/2011-%e2%80%93-the-menu/ )The two that were recommended from Barbuzzo was the Uovo pizza and the Salted Caramel Budino. The uovo pizza was presently with a fried truffled farm egg, I love this personally a fried egg because is so pretty and simple at the same time. The secret white sauce they put in it is salty and sweet. That recipe is definitely worth getting if ever possible. I have personally always been afraid to try brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts on top where a little tart but they added balance to the white sauce sweetness.  

(Uovo Pizza)

The desserts we ordered were the la colombe espresso tiramisu and salted caramel budino which was also recommended by Foobooz menu to try too. The tiramisu was presented differently than any other tiramisu I have seen before.  It was scooped out in a bowl. It seems that the tiramisu must have been made in a big container and then distributed out per order. The tiramisu was very moist and had a strong expresso taste to it. The food taste I love together is salty and sweet which perfectly describes the salty caramel budino. I was curious to see what a budino was. A budino is the Italian word for pudding. The salty caramel budino is served in a mason jar in an individual serving. The salty caramel budino is served in layers. On the bottom there is a chocolate cookie crust, next the rum pudding topped with the salted caramel. It’s fun when dipping your spoon into the mason jar and it’s fun pulling out each layer onto your spoon.  I found a recipe for the Salted Caramel Budino from Barbuzzo and am excited to try making it later in the year.

(Salted Caramel Budion on left & La Colombe Espresso Tiramisu on right)

                Barbuzzo is a place to be seen in this month Philadelphia magazine since it was named the number one restaurant in the area of 13^th Street to eat out. It is a restaurant not to be messed with. The flavors are bold and rewarding there.

(Inside the Restaurant)

 

Barbuzzo

110 South 13^th Street

Philadelphia, PA

www.barbuzzo.com

Federal Donuts …. How can you go wrong with donuts and chicken?

The first attempt of going down to Federal Donuts at 12:30 pm on Monday was a little problem. They were sold out of Fancy Donuts and Chicken on a Monday!  The place was packed with people waiting for their chicken. This was the place to be at on Monday. Waking up late for your chicken and donuts is no option here. So going back the next day at 7:30 am was the only option to get fancy donuts and their hot donuts. With a second trip back later to get there by 12pm because that is when the chickens start being fried.  Once we walked in the door we were asked if we’re here for the chicken. Then we were given a number … then you wait until your number is called to order your chicken.

For such a simple place that serves donuts and chicken, you feel like you’re getting three star restaurant food but in a quick service restaurant. Their fresh hot donuts are fried to order. It’s fun watching the donuts fry and then come down the belt to be then dipped in your choice of spice. The choices today were Indian Cinnamon, Vanilla Lavender, and Appollonia. You’rr probably thinking what is Appollonia? It is a donut with a mixture of cocoa powder, orange blossom, and a touch of pepper.  Their staff is excellently trained on what their product is, what is in their product, and where their product ingredients come from.  Just today some guests were asking questions and the cashier behind the counter told them everything about their product without even hesitating …… except probably the recipe.                       

                                       (Fancy Donuts and Hot Donuts )

The other donuts they offer are fancy donuts. The fancy donuts are the extreme flavors but the hot donuts do pack a punch of flavor. The fancy donuts do change because in 2011 when I went there they offered different flavors. I think flavors change based on the season.  For 2012, the past two days they have offered a Passionfruit & Poppy, Grapefruit & Brown Sugar, Pina Colada, Apple Walnut, Banana Caramel, and Chocolate Spicy Peanut. For their fancy donuts they take a base donut which is glazed and then add a topping.  I loved the Grapefruit and Brown Sugar because it’s dipped on top with a brown sugar glaze and a secret under dipping of grapefruit glaze.  The Pina Colada donut has a coconut glaze and is covered with shredded coconut. The Chocolate Spicy Peanut is completely covered with chocolate and topped with spicy peanuts. The donut isn’t too spicy it’s a subtle heat and it’s recognized after you take your bite.  The Apple Walnut was too pretty to eat but it did get eaten. The Apple Walnut had a drizzle of cinnamon sugar glaze stripped across it with apple glaze topped with crumb topping of streusel and walnut crumble on top. When you’re given your box of fancy donuts or your hot donuts it’s always fun peeking in the box at them to see the glaze and to see if there is a filling in them. Last year when I went with a friend we ordered a dozen hots and a dozen fancy donuts. On the way home in the car my friend was breaking down the donuts with flavors and what each one was.

               

                                                                     (Buttermilk Ranch Chicken)

Going back in the afternoon for the chicken was a fun experience. Getting the ticket today was a sign of hope of getting chicken. Yesterday we were turned down by being told they were sold out of fancy donuts and chicken for the day but we do they did ave hots. The chicken is definitely worth the wait for and showing up at 11:45 AM to get the golden ticket of getting a chicken is your best option if you really want it. They offer chicken prepared in two ways either glazed or dry.  You can get the whole chicken or half of a chicken. The half of a chicken is 4 pieces and the whole chicken is 8 pieces. I tried the dry and glazed. The one I got today for dry was Buttermilk Ranch and the glaze kind I got was the Honey Ginger.  The dry chicken has the flavor incorporated into the batter that the chicken is coated in and the glazed chicken has the flavor in the glaze that the chicken is coated in. Both were fabulous. The buttermilk ranch is so tasty and really crispy and the flavor is there with the creaminess in the Ranch. The honey ginger glazed chicken is sweet and tangy. The chicken is so moist and crispy. Federal Donuts brings fried chicken to a new level of awesome and refinement.

                                           (Honey Ginger Chicken)

I want to check up with Federal Donuts later in the year to see if they offer different flavors for the fancy donuts. Another thing to check out is their website. When you open the website it’s chickens and donuts flying through space.  Who can go wrong there?  (www.federaldonuts.com)

The address of Federal Donuts:
1219 S. 2nd Street
Philadelphia, PA