Aired May 22nd, 2013
on Al Fresco, Events and Food Trucks.
Y’all know the saying, “more bang for your buck”? Well this upcoming event on Baltimore Avenue will help you put that to test with the return of the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, happening on June 13th and September 12th from 5:30 – 8 PM.
University City will be alive with the sounds of quarters, single dollar bills, and pocket change you can come up with, all for $1 deals at Philly spots like Milk & Honey, Firehouse Bikes, Dock Street Brewery, Little Baby’s Ice Cream, food trucks by the likes of Jimmies Cupcake Co and Lil Dan’s, and other vendors will be selling everything from records, bites, brews, and even kazoos, all for one greenback.
And to make it even more of a jumpin’ event, The Fleeting Ends will be playing a live set at 46th and Baltimore along with other Philly artists.
Gather up your silver dollars and mosey on there, we know we have a few singles to spare.
It seems that East Passyunk Avenue remains to be one of the hot spots for early summer shenanigans, since we here at Phoodie have two upcoming events to sink your teeth into. On June 2nd, starting at 11 AM, EPA will be hosting two festivals, Craft Beer Day to kick of Philly Beer Week, and right at noon, the Italian National Day Festival, or La Festa Della Republica, will follow with some pretty enticing activities.
Along with booths featuring EPA mainstays like Le Virtu, Belle Cakery, Mamma Maria’s, P.O.P.E., and Stogie Joe’s, there will be plenty of brew and bruschetta to fulfill your summery Sunday, including new featured craft beers, beer inspired fare, and even a Spaghetti Eating contest. Where do we sign up?
For more info, hit up the East Passyunk official site here.
There’s not a whole lot going on when it comes to dining in the Parkway/ Logan Square area. Ok, there is Whole Foods but who really wants to scarf down possibly mislabeled take-out in a grocery store?
Restauranteur Jeff Katz recognized the need for more options and siezed the opportunity by recently opening Lox, Stock & Barrel. (Some of y’all might recognize it as Philly Pub n’ Grub.) Drawing from his deli-centric childhood, Katz has created an old school style menu featuring Nova Scotia Lox, brisket, roast beef, blintzes and potato pancakes. The menu also features diner classics such as a variety of sandwiches and milkshakes. The bar is a work in progress but there’s plans for craft beers and home made speciality cocktails.
Best part? Lox, Stock & Barrel is open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late night.
Lox, Stock & Barrel, 2001 Hamilton Street, Philadelphia, (215) 563-2424
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Aired May 22nd, 2013
on Farming.
The Greensgrow Philadelphia Project will be putting its efforts in its annual initiative, Local Initiative for Food Eduaction (LIFE), to provide low income Philadelphians with access to locally grown fruits and vegetables and to prove that regardless of a family’s financial means, anyone should have access to fresh veggies and fruits.
Starting July 18th, the new “SNAP Box” program, now SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) beneficiaries will be able to use their benefits to pay for 5-8 produce items each week, and pickups for the SNAP boxes will run in three four-week sessions throughout the summer, with the other two start dates being August
Here’s some good news for y’all who choose to cut out all human interaction when it comes to dining: GrubHub and Seamless, two players in the whole online/mobile food order game, have merged together to create one mega take out order service. According to GrubHub CEO, Matt Maloney:
“This has nothing to do with cost savings; it has everything to do with increasing growth. We’re totally focused on the top line and how we continue to drive more orders for our restaurants.”
Hmm. Is this shaping up to be The Avengers of food delivery? No word on the new name of this new take-out super power.
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Cedar Point Bar and Kitchen, the newish Fishtown spot specializing in old school American classics, is starting a new tradition. Every Thursday, they’ll be preparing a “Louisiana Boil.” While a traditional boil in South Lousiana mainly features crawfish, the folks at Cedar Point are throwing in shrimp, crab and mussels into the pot alongside the mudbugs. (We’re confused on the mussels. There ain’t no Cajuns in LA throwing those in their boils. But oh well, there’s nothing wrong with something new.) While seafood is all fine and dandy, it’s the corn on the cob, andouille sausage, and new potatoes that make a boil a boil. And for only 15 bucks, it’s a hell of a deal. The fais do-do starts at 5PM every Thursday.
Cedar Point Bar and Kitchen, 2370 E Norris St, (215) 423-5400
We’re sure that you have heard that Le Bec Fin, Philadelphia’s tarnished crown jewel of fine dining, has finally shut its doors for good. It’s been a slow demise with founder Georges Perrier’s retirement and the rehabbing and re-opening by new management. Michael Klein of Philly.com gathered a few choice soundbites from Philly’s top chefs that say it better than anyone could. Especially former Inquirer columnist Rick Nichols:
And sadly, instead of going out on top — where it deservedly reigned for decades — it suffered that most ignominious of endings: It threw a party and nobody came. It had worn out its welcome. The emperor, once so resplendent, no longer had clothes.”
Hype about the “new” Le Bec Fin is already building. Roxoborough bred and Michelin starred chef Justin Bogle has been recruited by new Director of Operations Chris Scarduzio to reinvent the space. The pair’s concept include a New American style menu focusing on micro-seasonal fare and speak easy style cocktails. Anyone who is familiar with the food scene knows that this is what is “in” right now — hyper local cuisine, seasonal, and old fashioned drinks. It will be interesting to see if Bogle and Scarduzio can carry a culinary trend beyond its due date and establish another classic at 1523 Walnut. We’ll certainly be keeping an eye on it.
Aired May 15th, 2013
on Chinese and Free.
Han Chiang is a busy man. He already runs a few successful (and delicious) Han Dynasty outposts in the City, one of those is moving, and he’s expanding to NYC. So it’s understandable that the dude just needs some rest. But as the saying goes, “Ain’t no rest for the people trying to avoid the PPA,” or something like that.
Han’s car was ticketed while he was napping in it, which is the PPA-iest thing we’ve ever heard. And if something similair happens to you, you can bring your ticket in and get some free (and believe us, very delicious) Dan Dan Noodle. Almost makes you wanna park illegally. Almost.
Hometown hero Questlove is throwing his afro pick into the ring of the restaurant circus, but not at home. He’s partnered up with Stephen Starr to open a ” fried chicken and dumpling stand.”
“Questlove said his food stand was inspired by Philadelphia’s ever-growing food truck culture. ‘I always wanted to have my own soul food version of a Mister Softee truck,’ he explained to audiences at Google headquarters in May 2012.”
Okay. So the idea was to take two Philly mover and shakers and a Philly inspired ideal and open it in New York? Yup. But all confusion aside, we know he’s always got Philadelphia’s back.
Despite the fact that American grocery stores seem to have forgotten that fruit and vegetables run on a seasonal basis, the beginning of summer means that its a new season for a whole boatload of fresh produce. One of those new arrivals is the strawberry. (Well technically, the season started in January, but this is peak harvest time.) The folks over at Greensgrow Farms are marking strawberry season with two fruit themed workshops.
First up is the Strawberry Mint Jam Workshop with Marisa McClellan.
We’re all familiar with traditional strawberry jam, but have you ever tried it with the addition of mint? It adds a bright, herbal note that is perfect for modern palates. We’ll make this batch with Pomona’s Pectin, which allows canners to get a spreadable set without a ton of sugar. This class will also detail the steps of boiling water bath canning and safe food preservation. Students will go home with small jars of the jam made in class. The class is taught by local blogger (foodinjars.com), canning teacher, and cookbook author Marisa McClellan.
May 18th, 2013 • 12-2pm • $35 Registration Required
If cooking isn’t your thing, check out the DIY Vertical Hydro Strawberry Garden Workshop.
It’s strawberry season. Why not grow your own?! You have a small space in the city? No problem – this PVC strawberry tower is an innovative way to grow lots of strawberry plants in a small space. The planter works great on a patio or deck. We’ll walk you through how to build your very own, step by step.
You’ve heard about all of the chemicals used on conventionally grown strawberries? Bad stuff! Learn the advantages to this clean-growing hydroponic. Conventional growing challenges can be minimized with the off-the-ground approach. We will also cover the issues you may face with the hydroponic tower methods.
You’ve seen our vertical hydroponic strawberry tower on the farm. Now, learn how to make one yourself. Everyone will get a $10 Greensgrow Gift Card or 10 bare root strawberries after the workshop.
May 18 • 12-2pm • $25 Register here.
Greensgrow Farms, 2503 E Firth St, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Y’all know the saying, “more bang for your buck”? Well this upcoming event on Baltimore Avenue will help you put that to test with the return of the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll, happening on June 13th and September 12th from 5:30 – 8 PM.
