he brings you CHEEZ!

So, if you are a big food follower (read: food twitter nerd), you may have heard about the GRILLED CHEESE guy, "Ronnie" in NYC. He has been featured all over the NY food blogosphere for delivering his hot, delicious grilled cheese concoctions to various street corners all over the city.

Well, Philly - we have our very own "Ronnie" (is it sad that Ronnie always makes me think of the Jersey Shore? I feel I should be ashamed of this association, but alas, I'm not), and  today marks the first day of deliveries.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, here is what "i bring you cheez" is all about.

1. Dude updates his twitter feed with his daily grilled cheese sandwich menu availability. 
2. You tweet, email or text your desired sandwich and quantity to Dude. 
3. Dude tweets, emails or texts you back to confirm.
4. Dude makes fancy pants grilled cheese sandwiches.
5. Dude delivers them to you - as long as you're in Center City, Old City, U-city, Nolibs (yea, so all of Philadelphia, basically).   

On the DL and delivered to your door. Prices apparently change based on the ingredients used. 

For example, today's menu included a) Roasted Plum and Gouda/Fontina blend and b) Chorizo and Oaxacan (Mexican mozzarella) - both $5 a piece. Interesting, no? 

I ate the roasted plum version today. YUM, buttery crispy sourdough (I think) bread with tart plum slices and creamy flavorful gouda and fontina cheeses.... 

I'm not sure if this will be a daily delivery system, but you can always find out by checking Dude's twitter feed, apparently. 

How to order from Dude: 

Twitter: @ibringyoucheez

Email: ibringyoucheez[at]gmail.com

Gotta have that chorizo and oaxacan next time. God I love me some chorizo... hear it was delicioussssssss.

BTW, the fact that we have our own GRILLED CHEESE guy totally supports the fact that Philly is a LEGIT food town. But we all know that already, right?  

Royal's Brunch, Burgers and Beverages

SATURDAY
Obviously, we brunched. I mean, it was SATURDAY, after all. Our brunch must-try list is still ridiculously long, but we are really chipping away at it week by week. This past brunch brought us to Royal Tavern. Man, that place is good. We had already been a few times because we love the beer selection and the staff, but we finally made it down there to have their brunch fill our bellies and dayummmmm was it good.

:: Royal Tavern ::
address: 937 East Passyunk Ave, Philly
what we ate: bloody mary, mimosa, burger, cuban omelet, curry chicken sandwich, sloppy joe 
Oh. Does that look like a lot of food to you? Did you think maybe a large group of us attended brunch together? HA! Oh, no no - that was a list of all the things that Soopah and I had the pleasure of eating on Saturday - JUST THE TWO OF US. Impossible, you say?? Well, it wasn't in one sitting, so it was very possible. We just found that brunch was so enjoyable, and we saw soooooo many things on the menu that we just HAD to try, that we made a return visit. THAT EVENING. You  may think we're sad, but I'd say we're geniuses.

Anyway, during BRUNCH, of course we had a bloody mary and a mimosa. PERFECT. They use siracha in their bloody marys instead of tabasco, and it results in a thicker tomato-y, spicy beverage. The mimosas were also heavenly, with just a splash of orange juice with a healthy pour of champagne.

Angus Burger: bacon + caramelized onions + smoked gouda + pickled longhots + chile mayonnaise + seeded brioche bun
The issue of who makes the best burger is widely discussed and debated in Philly foodie discussions. Amongst the frontrunners is always the Royal Tavern burger. And hell yes, it should be. I was a bit worried that it wouldn't live up to the hype (because hell yeah there is a lot of it), but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it totally does!

The burger meat was perfectly seasoned! I really dislike when places don't use enough salt, or use too MUCH salt, for that matter (I'm looking at YOU, PYT), but this burger was fantastic. Even more exciting, is the bacon was ever so present (that's because my burger pet peeves are as follows: bland meat, minimal bacon presence, mushy bread), which is something I'm always happy to find. The pickled longshots provided a nice kick without being overwhelming and the large, thick slice of smoked gouda really held up within the mix of those flavors. YUM. I don't know that either I or Soopah loved the bun, but we didn't hate it. So I mention our ambivalence for that component - you know... just to be fair and pretend we're objective or something.  

Cuban Omelet: with ham + pulled pork + pickled veggies + mustard + vinegared sliced potatoes + flour tortillas
My recall is currently terrible, so I may not have included all of the ingredients that were included in this dish. But, I'm sure you get the picture. Cuban sandwich, omelet-style! This dish came out of nowhere and we foudn it to be AWESOME. We folded in pieces of the omelet into the tortillas and stuffed with the veggies and potatoes to make little wraps. Added a bit of siracha and BAM, deliciousness.  

Right-O. Then, when we came back for Dinner (hehehe)............... we came right back to try the other items that had been taunting us earlier during the day.

Sloppy Joe: beef in a spicy tomato sauce + hand-cut fries
The vegan sloppy joe was the sandwich I had really wanted to try, but this past weekend, the beef sloppy joe was one of the specials. At the behest of our adorable bartender, I went with the beef version. It was definitely excellent - tart, tangy, spicy and tender. I think the bun they used was the same as the burger, so again, I was ambivalent about that part, but the meat was great. Brought me back to the olden days of high school cafeteria dining - but properly gourmet'ed up, of course. * ah, nostalgia *  OH yeah, and there was cheese! C'mon. CHEESE! <3

I do need to note that the hand-cut fries at Royal Tavern are freaking unbelievable. Crispy, flavorful and addicting. It took everything in me to not gobble up this entire plate of them.

Chicken Frankie: indian curry chicken + indian slaw + warm lovash + hand-cut fries
Our very interesting bartender told us that they make a huuuuuuuuuuge pan of curry chicken and just let it simmer (simma simma) for super long periods of time. He also said, if you pay attention, you can taste the TLC in each bite. Yes, we tasted it... YUM.

Frankly, this frankie (HAHA, sorry, had to), is delicious, but if I had to choose where to eat a curry meat in a wrap, I think I'd prefer the japanese style beef curry burrito at Maru Global, but at least we have OPTIONS!

I really love that Royal Tavern has such a wide variety of interesting dishes, like the tempeh sandwiches, tofu banh mis, shepard's pie etc. I mean, c'mon... basically there is something for everything. Plus, it's so cozy, quaint, casual - really lets you focus on the food and BEER.

FOND philly food phun

YES, yet another month of non-blogging. Bad, TrifectaBAM bloggers. BAD.

HOWEVER, blogging returns, starting with a review/recap of one of the most satisfying dining experiences one can have in Philly: Fond BYOB in South Philly. Woooo! Just a warning, this is a comprehensive review and will be long (a DOOZY). Don't say I didn't warn you.

Anyway, I'm ashamed to say that I've actually been to Fond several times now and still have not blogged it. (tsk tsk tsk) My only defense is that for Fond, I always wanted to give the review proper thought, weight and accolades the restaurant so deserves... and with this very admirable thought in mind, kept pushing it off until I had more time. Well... FAIL. clearly. The good news is, I can say, without a doubt, that Fond is consistently AMAZING. So, at least we have that.

:: Fond ::
address: 1617 East Passyunk Ave, Philly
what we ate: everything on the menu (basically)
So, last week we managed to make our way down East Passyunk for a lovely Chef's Table dinner in the new garden at FOND. This charming table can seat up to 8 guests (maybe 10?) in your party and is in the private garden, which is tucked away at the back of the restaurant. You make your way through the main dining room, and stealthily slink through the kitchen and suddenly you're in a Foodie's EDEN.

Guess what? The only caveat about the Chef's Table dining experience requires that all guests in the party participate in the chef's tasting, but that is awesome. It's a really GREAT deal and a wonderful way to try the lion's share of the menu and I'll tell ya, everything is worth it on there. There are 5 or 8 course options. Of course, if you don't want to eat a 5-course meal (c'mon, weak. just do it), you can always take recommendations from Tory Keomanivong, who runs the front of the house, and will happily steer you to the right choice.

What is SO COOL is that Fond is a joint venture by 3 young, ambitious and undeniably talented people with  impressive pedigree: Le Bec-Fin and Lacroix... really?! Both Exec Chef Lee Styer and Exec Pastry Chef Jessie Prawlucki worked at Le Bec-Fin as sous chef and exec pastry chef, respectively. Plus, Tory had worked as captain at Lacroix for 4 years and had met Lee during his stint there.

What is very clear from this operation, is that Lee, Jessie and Tory are three friends who all care very deeply about their work and for each other, and it's apparent on every level of their execution. Doubly shocking is that they're so young (Lee is in his mid-20s!) and handling this business with the maturity and drive that is unparalleled.

And HELLO, it's a BYOB. You know we always love that.

Now, the FOOD!!


APPETIZERS
Crispy Veal Sweetbreads: creamy ricotta, caramelized onions, augula pesto
This is definitely a must try menu option. Even if you're not very adventurous and have no idea what sweetbreads (don't look it up!) are, these are very approachable for new foodie and simply put, taste INCREDIBLE. Not to sound totally cliche, but they really do taste quite like fried chicken...

I really love when you can trust the chef to pair flavors together that truly complement each other for the best possible taste/experience, and executive chef Lee Styer does this perfectly. With this dish, definitely make sure you get each component layered into each bite because it really does make such a difference. The creamy ricotta, sweetness from the onions, fresh bite from the pesto and of course the salty crunchy sweetbreads all combine to bring you flavor bursts of awesomeness with each forkful.  

Yellowtail Crudo: dried Mexican chili, jicama, cilantro
This yellowtail appetizer is a really refreshing and bright option on the menu. The crunch from the jicama helps to balance the spiciness from the chili and you can't help but think... ah yes... raw fish yummm melt in my mouth.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad: baby greens, smoked paprika yogurt, white anchovy
One of the best apps, for sure. You'll want to smother the roasted cauliflowers until they are coated with the smoked paprika yogurt. Do it. Don't be afraid. We won't judge you.

Seared Foie Gras: rhubarb-tonka bean jam, almond cookie
How much more decadent can you get than foie gras, right? Of course, right. But this seared foie gras is worth every calorie/dollar/mean look from friends you refuse to share with...

Since foie gras tends to be such a heavy flavor, it's really nice to have that sweet, fruity jam which really helps to cut into the richness... which, in turn, helps to keep you coming back for more. Waistbands beware.

Special Appetizers: Foie Gras Pate and Foie Gras soup
Fond also does daily specials, both for apps and entrees, and they consistently deliver in creativity and execution. So when we heard the specials included a foie gras pate and soup, we knew we had to try them. Besides, Foie Gras Pate - need I say anything else, really? It was served with a dijon mustard and toasted bread. Not too rich or overwhelmingly salty in any way. Put it this way, we had 2 plates of this and ate every last morsel of pate and had to get more bread!

The Foie Gras Soup was similar in creaminess to the mushroom soup that is on the regular menu, but of course you could taste the distinctive flavor of the foie gras, that was almost buttery, with a hint of sweetness and a whole lot of yumminess.

We found that there was actually a sweet, nutty, jam type coating on one side of the bowl. Going back to perfect complementary flavors, I was so surprised by how much scooping a bit of this jam with each spoonful of the soup made such a difference.

MAIN COURSES
Seared Skate Wing: meyer lemon risotto, edamame, soy brown butter
I love love love skate. It's amazing that it has so much flavor, is properly salty, and rarely has a fishy scent or flavor, or at least I've only had the good fortune of having well prepared skate. This is a dish I have tried a few times now, and it never fails to impress me. I'm a big fan of risotto and I love when chefs make a lemon risotto that is so tart and bright because it goes so well with fish - especially skate, which is usually a saltier fish. And brown butter really helps to temper the tartness of the lemon in a way that makes you really want to lick the plate clean. Don't do that, though. I mean, we're not really judgmental foodies, but ... too far!

Berkshire Pork Loin: white beans, pancetta, sun-dried tomatoes, pork jus
This was our first time trying the Pork Loin and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan was it good. Soopah ventured to say that it was an unbeatable pork loin... I don't know if I've had enough Pork Loin to make such a BOLD STATEMENT such as that, but really... it is GOOOOOOOOOOD. The pork is tender and flavorful, while the soft beans and tart tomatoes all meld together in that delicious thing known as pork jus!

All Natural Chicken Breast: house-made pasta, summer vegetables, buffalo mozzarella, chicken jus
I generally shy away from ordering chicken when I go out to restaurants because ... well... I mean, you can imagine why, yes? Chicken is boring. Chicken is so often dry and bland. Chicken is for the non-foodies to order while their foodie friends scoff at their unadventurous spirits. BUT BUT BUT  (what what, in the ...heh) this chicken was none of those things.

THIS chicken was juicy and flavorful and tender.... mmmmmm. The house-made pasta on this evening was a pappardelle, which was wonderful with the mozzarella and veggies, and I remember it (vaguely), but yeah.. the chicken.. it was droolworthy chicken.
    
New Zealand Lamb Rack: eggplant caponata, pinenuts, spiced cracker, lamb jus
Rack of lamb is generally a fancier entree option, or at least it sounds like it to me, but often a risky choice as well. IMO, it's a meat that must be perfectly cooked in order to be enjoyable; there is so little room for error. In addition, putting together an original combination of flavors, that still makes the lamb the centerpiece, is quite difficult to do. Well, as usual, Fond delivers.

Each piece was super flavorful and didn't have a hit of gamey-ness at all. I actually think this is my new favorite regular entree item at Fond. I do acknowledge that this may be because I am just so impressed with good lamb.

Seared Yellowfin Tuna: Greek-style farro salad, feta cream
The tuna was a very solid dish. Good tuna, well-executed and nicely balanced flavors. I will say this is probably the only dish I can't feel myself getting super excited about. This may be influenced by my recent discovery that I don't really care for seared tuna, but I would generally say this was the least exciting item on the menu. Don't get me wrong - still excellent, but essentially, I would give everything else a try before ordering this one.

Heh, it is also a bit unfair because this picture doesn't quite do it justice... but... still, good stuff. YAY tuna.

DESSERTS
Somehow, some way, we always make room for dessert when we dine at Fond. I think there are very few places in the city where the starters, entrees and desserts are on a similar plane of excellence. There are tons of places that have extraordinary appetizers and/or stellar entrees, but totally forgettable desserts. Not so, here - the desserts at  Fond are unbelievable. GOOD WORK, Jessie!

Tahitian Vanilla "Cannolis": whipped mascarpone, red plum sorbet,hazelnut praline
Fond's innovative interpretation of the South Philly Italian favorite is so good even I like it (I don't usually enjoy cannolis much). The thin shell is made of hazelnut praline and it's so delicate, but is sweet and crispy enough that it holds the light whipped mascarpone perfectly. The plum sorbet adds another layer of tartness that keeps everything fresh.

Pistachio Tart: saffron ice cream, rose water honey, vanilla sour cherries 
Okay, this is where I go off and use superlatives and rave and drool and whine until I can have another bite. The pistachio tart is, BY FAR, my favorite dessert... of ALL TIME. Was that clear enough?

The tart is covered with pistachios and honey and is just heavenly salty sweet buttery in each bite. It's slightly chewy, but that's from the gooey honey coating the entire tart. The saffron ice cream has a really subtle saffron flavor, and really gives the tart great contrast. I could eat this all day long. AND I'm superduper excited to say that I've had it more than once and it hasn't failed me yet.

Sorbet Sampler: waffle cookies, peach, watermelon, passionfruit
Simple, delicious, refreshing, satisfying! The flavors are super fierce and distinctive. Eating the watermelon sorbet seriously felt like I was having mouthfuls of cold watermelon slices, which is amazing. I honestly can't remember if the first sorbet was peach, or something else, but it was delicious nonetheless. That much I do recall!

Mocha Mousse Cake: dark chocolate, coffee Chantilly, pecan crunch  
The mousse cake is everything that a chocolate lover would want: decadent, semi-sweet, crunchy with a hint of coffee... omg... and because it's largely mousse, it feels light (HA).  

I think it's truly incredible that each course at Fond makes everyone gasp and wipe their drool and keep coming back for more. It's really not surprising at all, though, when you think about who is running this place.

SHOWING PHILLY SOME LOVE 
If you know me, you're aware of how much I love supporting the awesome local businesses in Philadelphia. Philly locals have really been vocal about how great the dining options are in our fair city, and these days, I really appreciate that Philly is also getting sooooooooooo much love and national recognition. Fond was even recognized by the food critic Tom Sietsema of the Washington Post in this great article about Philadelphia dining. Check it out for a full backstory of the partners and Fond opened its doors.

Man, it's really a good time to be a Philadelphian - eating and boozing it up.


To sum up, go to Fond because:

• the food makes you want to lick your plate/silverware/table clean
• parking is relatively easy to find in the area
• BYOB
• the take reservations (!) (215) 551-5000
• these young, local Philly restaurateurs represent the next generation of food genius  

Seriously, Fond is my current fave South Philly spot, and definitely my fave BYOB of the moment. Go and I'm sure you'll experience the same.

only the Kitchen Sink

Thank our lucky stars - we have been brunching more regularly again. There really are few things better than a relaxing Saturday afternoon that begins with a leisurely brunch of egg-y and meaty things with generous helpings of carby things like potatoes and bread!

Though the reliable standby has always been Sabrina's Cafe in South Philly, we have been making an effort to venture to other places since there are so many talked about Brunch offerings all over the city and we want to try them all. Sometimes, these adventures help us find true gems, like Day by Day (omg, I still need to write that review up) in Center City, but sometimes, we are left feeling somewhat unsatisfied - which is exactly what happened this past Saturday at Green Eggs Cafe. 

I had been wanting to go back to Green Eggs for brunch since I had stopped by a few months ago. Based on the croissant I had tried that day, I was concerned the food would just be MEH, and after our brunch visit, I'm not convinced it wasn't. Was that too many double negatives? Heh, I guess you could say, I'm undecided about this place, and I most definitely wasn't blown away.  

:: Green Eggs Cafe :: 

address: 1306 Dickinson St, Philly

what we ate: cheddar grits, breakfast burritos, "the kitchen sink" 

Trifecta made a big mistake on Saturday. Two of us ordered the same dish. Disast. Why would we do this?! I blame hunger, the unbearable heat/weather, and just plain short sightedness. Honestly, the lunch menu here has always sounded much more interesting to me, but for some reason, I felt like since we were brunching, I must have eggs. As a result, Soopah and I both ended up getting the breakfast burrito. 

Breakfast Burrito: flour tortilla + eggs + olives + corn + chorizo sausage + signature potato + tex mex cheese + topped with Pico de Gallo + sour cream + avocado slice + fire roasted red pepper black bean sauce

Looks like a long description, right? On the menu, they actually list all of these ingredients that are in the burrito and I was very excited about this. The burrito sounded hearty and I thought the olives and corn would be nice additions. What they don't tell you is that the "signature potato" includes huge pieces of red and green bell peppers. Which, in my hatred of that wretched vegetable, immediately makes me go EWWWWWW. 

Okay okay okay, I know that not many people agree with the EWWW assessment of bell peppers, but whatever your take on it is, it's undeniably a strong and very distinctive flavor. So, I'm sure for those folks that LIKE them, they add great flavor dimensions to dishes, but for those of us that really have a strong aversion to them, it taints the entire dish. ESPECIALLY, when they sneak up on you, like they did in the breakfast burritos. And, btw, the signature potatoes are in other dishes as well (like the kitchen sink, but I'll get to that later), so diner beware. 

I ordered mine without the black bean sauce and I think that is preferable. Otherwise, with the way it's poured onto the dish, you can't really avoid it if you find that you don't care for the flavors of the sauce.     

I want to say that if it hadn't been for the bell pepper sneak attack, I would have enjoyed this more. But then again, Soopah didn't really love it either and he digs bell peppers. 

I really wish I had stuck to my guns and ordered the Kobe Slider Trio off of the lunch menu, which sounded very tasty and interesting since it comes with 3 different styles of sliders. OR, the crunchy peanut butter stuffed french toast, which I'll be honest, I have been thinking about since my first glance at the menu. What stopped me from ordering them, you ask? Well, it's my goshdarn pickiness rearing its ugly (anti-Foodie) head. The description says that the stuffed french toast comes with a layer of cream cheese and I kept getting stuck on the idea that I'd hate it. It's ridiculous really. I have tried veal tongue and frog legs, but gave up on this dish before I even tried it because of cream cheese. I MAKE ME SAD. 

The kitchen sink: two eggs + cheese + our signature potato (!!!) + sausage + topped + homemade jumbo biscuits + sausage gravy 

If I had to break this down, I'd say the presentation definitely rocks, but the food itself was okay. The eggs and cheese part were pretty yummy - well cooked, but once again, the bell pepper factor in the potato mixture came into play here. J. Giggles hates bell peppers as much as I do, so again, too much sneak attack pepper taste. The sausage pieces were great. If anything, I wished there were a bit more of them throughout - but hey, isn't that always true? More meat, please! 

The biscuits (pretty sure there were 2 of them in there) were decent. They weren't buttery at all, so my guess is they bake these on-site just for this particular dish. I couldn't tell definitively, but I suspect if we had eaten them plain, they would have been on the dry side (like the croissant I had before!). As part of this particular dish, they were really really good. 

The REASON they were really good, however, is because of the decadent, creamy, savory sausage gravy..... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. The three of us were scooping this gravy up like it was soup. Wow, I realize that sounds gross, but it was really so good. Super rich, but not overly salty or overwhelmingly heavy. Without a doubt, this gravy makes/saves this dish. Again, mmmmmmMMMmmmm. 

Stone Ground Grits: Southern style + aged cheddar + scrapple chips

I had high hopes for this - especially after we had delicious grits at Tap House last week. I was crushed to find that the Green Eggs version were nowhere close to the tastebud jackpot we discovered in U-city. The scrapple was forgettable, at best. Even now, hard as I try, I can't conjure up enough of the flavor experience to make something up about how I felt about it. The grits were cooked well enough, but was too cheese heavy. It is surprising that I say that, but I would guess they used shredded cheddar mixed into the grits, and the result was that it thickened the grits too much. The grits, while they tasted okay, were too dense and thick and piece-y - almost lumpy - and that's not what you want. At least, that's not what I want. 

Sigh. So sad. Cheddar Grits... you could have been so good. Ah well. 

Maybe it was the choice of items, maybe not, but Green Eggs Cafe is not a place I'll be rushing to return to - especially while there is the rest of the South Philly Brunch Belt to try. Or, in Soopah's case, Sabrina's to return to. Or in my case, Day by Day. 

Los Gallos Philadelphia, mi amor

My Memorial Day weekend started off SO RIGHT with a late lunch at Los Gallos in South Philly. Over the past few months, we have been on somewhat of an unofficial quest to find great tacos. We did manage to find some awesome ones during our NYC Fat Tour, but New York is probably just a bit too far to trek on a whim. CLEARLY, I have also been slacking in the blogging dept since we also tried Jose's Tacos and Distrito's Tacos and I have yet to write about them (coming soon, I swear). 


At any rate, at the behest of my friend Geo, last Friday afternoon we journeyed over to South Philly for a new taco adventure. 


:: Los Gallos Mexican Taqueria :: 
address: 951 Wolf St, Philly 
what we ate: tacos, of the beef, pork belly, chicken and chorizo varieties
The first thing you see when you walk into Los Gallos is a few aisles of food, snacks and sauces - at first glance, this seems to be merely a Mexican grocery store. As you walk further into the store, you realize it is certainly more than that; there are a few tables set up for diners, the tantalizing aromas authentic Mexican cuisine, and a counter at the very back where you can place your order. The second thing you notice is that the place is PRISTINE. I have rarely encountered a small proprietorship in Philly, be it restaurant or grocery store, that seemed as clean and bright. 

Geo and I ordered 3 tacos each. The menu had a selection of 6 different kinds you could select for the price of $5.50 (each taco is $2).


All tacos are topped with cheese + raw onions + cilantro and served with a spicy creamy green sauce and a spicier red sauce with more heat.

I ordered (starting from the left above) the chorizo, grilled chicken, and spicy pork with pineapple tacos. The chorizo was surprisingly spicy, and definitely had the strongest flavor of the three tacos. Of the three, I think my favorite was the spicy pork, because of the way the pineapple refreshingly added sweetness and citrusy-ness to complement the heat of the pork belly. It only won by a small margin since the chorizo really was stellar. Anyway, my only criticism of the spicy pork is that I wish the pineapple had been cut up into smaller chunks, rather than one large piece, but still, I'm really nitpicking here.

Geo had the chorizo, spicy pork and beef tacos.

The beef taco was also excellent, but we definitely enjoyed the flavors of the pork and chorizo tacos more.

We had a chance to speak with Luz (sp?), the owner of Los Gallos, for a few minutes after our meal and found him to be extremely likeable.He explained to us that he had started in on the Philly restaurant scene by working as a line chef for the popular dessert and cafe chain, Bonte's Waffles. Once he realized he wanted to really start something of his own, he decided the critical factors of his success would be authenticity of flavors and cooking styles, and the use of quality ingredients. You can see from the service, preparation of the dishes, the presentation and even from the store inventory, that these ideas dominate every aspect of food at Los Gallos.

Interestingly, Luz mentioned that he was starting to get noticed by the locals and other Philly media. Apparently, someone from Philly Weekly had been in a few weeks ago to review the shop. MORE interestingly, it turns out Marc Vetri, [EDIT: oops, apparently it was Amis' Brad Spence, not Marc himself!] culinary genius, is a fan! He had been in a few times to gobble up the tacos and had enjoyed them so much that he had recently put in a catering order of 80 tacos for a private event he was hosting.

EASTER, GREASTER, and a weekend recap

FRIDAY
the friday day of fat (i mean food fun) continued on with a brief stop at green eggs cafe. i was hanging with geo and we had an hour or so before we had to meet up with the rest of trifecta + 2 for bebe'a bbq dinner, so we discussed getting a coffee and perhaps a fried potato snack. thankfully, the kitchen had closed by the time geo and i arrived around 4pm, so we spared our bodies the starchy goodness for the moment. we did order a croissant to share with our drinks though. i really liked the decor here - lots of dark and black wood, with steel finishes, green walls and interesting art. the space felt very airy and open throughout the restaurant and the coffee lounge area. the barstool type seating along the dickinson side of the street is perfect for people watching while sipping on your coffee.


:: green eggs cafe ::
address: 1306 dickinson street, phila
what: croissant, coffee, tea

the menu looks awesome here, for brunch or lunch, so definitely want to head back to eat a full meal. the croissant, though, was a bit on the dry side. i hope that the reason was just because it was late in the day and it had been sitting out, with the light breeze coming through all day, but we'll see. coffee = heavenly.

:: bebe's bbq ::
address: 1017 south 9th street, phila
what: pulled pork, beef ribs, pork ribs, coleslaw, mac'n cheese, scalloped potatoes, collard greens oh myyyy.
for dinner we had bebe's bbq, but our group of fatties were so excited to dive into our food that we ravaged every container of food before we could even think about taking a picture. so, though there is no proof, we ate a feast of meats and sides. arguably the best pulled pork i have had, in philly or elsewhere. the coleslaw was a bit too finely chopped and maybe a touch too sweet, but i welcomed the cold crunchiness as a contrast to the sweet and smoky meats. the pork ribs were just meh and a little tough, but the beef ribs were divine. these were part of the daily special, so may not be available all the time. definitely definitely get the collard greens, but the scalloped potatoes and the mac and cheese tied for my favorite side. as a bonus, bebe's delivers to washington square, graduate hospital, bella visty, center city east areas. we did wait excessively long for the food to arrive, though. we were some grumpy people.

SATURDAY
:: maru global takoyaki ::
address: 255 south 10th street, phila
what: octopus takoyaki, crabcake ball with fries, beef curry burrito, almond and chocolate takoyaki  
i found the octopus takoyaki to be a bit too mushy and really found myself wishing that they had used larger pieces of octopus, but still - a pretty good option. the crabcake balls i could have done without. they weren't anything special at all, just standard crabcakes, but the fries that accompanied them were pretty stellar.

the beef curry burrito was definitely the best of the dinner items we had. the curry was smoky and beef was tender and it had just enough rice to be filling and balance out the saltiness of the meat/sauce. soopah claims he would get this at least once every three weeks if it were closer to him. i don't know about that frequency, but i'd definitely order this again.

 we knew the dessert takoyaki were supposed to be great, but i was surprised by how much i enjoyed these almond chocolate ones. they come with fresh whipped cream on the side, which i abstained from (bleh) but soopah spooned up enough to more than make up for it. we need to go back for the chocolate chip dessert takoyaki. honestly, i couldn't really taste the chocolate in them, but they were still pretty awesome.

SUNDAY

:: harris family greaster ::

location: invite only, so this is undisclosed

what: grilled lamb, lasagna, string beans, roasted potatoes, asparagus, baklava, cookies, brownies etc.    

i LOVE greaster. [edit: greaster is also known as GREEK EASTER, as in Easter of the greek orthodox church. it is their most holy of days and deserving of the most fanfare. for non-greeks, it is amazing because it, without a doubt, guarantees the availability of the most amazing foods all brought together under one roof and all-day feasting]. love love love it. in my memory, it has always been loud, fun, full of delicious smells, and exotic looking delicacies - like a LAMB or a PIG on a spit! apparently, though my memory is terrible because the last time there was actually meat on a spit, we were just children. sigh. also, this year because greaster was competing with regular easter, it was a low-key affair - which meant the harris' yard was not teeming with greeks of all ages and there was no meat on a spit. anyway, despite the lack of spinning meat, and even without the grilling of the lamb's head (they apparently gave it away for soup for the church's celebration WHY WHY WHY), greaster was still a wonderful time. plus i got to actually sit and chat with julie! 

i am always surprised by how juicy and non-game-y the lamb turns out. it's one of the few rare places where i can actually enjoy lamb and helped myself to several pieces. the lasagna was so tasty that i helped myself to a quarter of the pan. it was embarrassing, but not enough to put back some of the portion. i wish i had gotten a picture of j. giggles' plate because hers had quite a few more veggies as well. special shoutout for julie's baklava- i though it was very flavorful - with good crunch, good sweetness and plenty of DEPTH!

:: varga bar ::

location: 941 spruce st. phila

what: roasted brussel sprouts, pot 'o pickles, kobe beef sliders, drinks!

because we are fatties, newly self-identified foodies, and probably alcoholics, we decided to head over to varga bar after our day of greaster delights. soopah and i can proudly claim that varga bar is our new favorite. we will probably bicker over who claimed it first. of course, i will win. i always win.


anyway, the bar itself is so great. located on the corner of 10th and spruce, it has wide windows along both the street side walls, so the space feels very airy and spacious. when i first read about this place, i thought the "pinup girl" theme would be a bit kitschy, but actually it's quite well done. the only real place you see the pinup girl art is on the ceiling and occasionally on the menus.


the number and quality of beers they have on tap is outrageous. i was won over by the availability of 4 or 5 IPAs/pale ales on tap, then absolutely in love once i saw the "flying dog raging bitch belgian style pale ale."

though trifecta only tried a few menu items, it is very very very very clear we need to go back. the kobe beef sliders were one of the best burgers i have eaten. they were topped with applewood-smoked bacon, caramelized shallots, boursin cheese and accompanied by house-made onion rings with smoked paprika aioli. aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-mazing.

we also tried the pickled vegetables (can you pick the pickled peppers out of the pot 'o pickled vegetables? yes, i said this out loud. hahahaah hate pickled peppers!) and the brussel sprouts with aged balsamic vinegar, lemon, parmesan, olive oil. the balsamic vinegar was a bit extreme on some of the sprouts, but overall still a really great dish.

NEW FAVORITE BAR. 
this was a fabulous (yes, i said fabulous) weekend. more fun to come this week.

ZAHAV on wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!