Phoodie.info’s Collin Flatt talks with Jonathan McDonald from Snackbar about molecular gastronomy.
[Director: Steve Mohimani]
Molecular Gastronana-what? Chef Jonathan McDonald Drops The Science
Aired May 15th, 2008 on video and Superfoods. 0 CommentsPhoodie.info’s Collin Flatt talks with Jonathan McDonald from Snackbar about molecular gastronomy.
[Director: Steve Mohimani]
· Inquiring minds wanna know: What was up with the fire earlier today at Dock Street in West Philly? Backed-up chimney? Anarchist-gentrifier schadenfreude? Either way, we hope all is well, and a speedy recovery. We really must get out there and try the pizza sometime. [DockStreet]
· More bad news: Food prices climbed 1.5 percent in April alone. Stay with Phoodie as we start cooking up some “recession diet” tips and tricks. You think we’re kidding? Obviously, you have not seen my bank statement this week. You know why? BECAUSE I ATE IT! [Inky/KYW]
· Elsewhere, Adam Erace hits up Swallow in Northern Liberties and wonders, “Hey! Where’d everybody go?” [PW]
This is the one that got me. Like the Loch Ness Monster and Sasquatch rolled into one, the whispers about the existence of a sandwich that rivals the artery-clogging power of the Cheesesteak are legit. For veggies and ‘vores alike, this one will kill us all. When my dining partner and I looked at the beast, a wry chuckle was soon replaced with a feeling of obviousness. French fries with melted cheese on a roll. Why wasn’t this on the menu of EVERY DAMN BAR in the city? I’d call it cutting edge, but it’s just a Common Sense Sandwich.
The sandwich has origins in the UK, but they use white bread. Not Philly enough. Put that on a hoagie roll and now you’ve got something. They provide you with apple cider malt vinegar as a topper and it was the perfect complimenting acidity The Monster needed. My only complaint was that maybe a few dashes of Old Bay would have made it a tad more regional. But it’s minor when you look at The Chip Butty Experience.
The crew at O’Neals is gonna make this bitch FAMOUS. They even sing you a song when they bring it out. I wish I could remember the words or even the tune, but they’re gone because I blacked out when I took the first bite. It was my mission to eat the whole thing. I never had a choice.
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When I first read the menu for The Ugly American, I was beyond ecstatic that The Garbage Plate was on there. Over the past year and a half, this dish has mystified me. You see, I’ve never visited Rochester, New York — birthplace of The Garbage Plate — but of the two Rochester folks I know, one simply refuse to talk about it; the other won’t discuss anything but The Garbage Plate. The dish, of course, started in Rochester at Nick Tahou Hots’ fast-food restaurant when late night college kids started asking for a dish with “all the garbage” on it, and has since grown into something of a phenom. Some consider it “disgusting,” others consider it a “rite of passage,” but The Ugly American considers it a “sandwich” on their menu. Just like the original, The Ugly American Garbage Plate has two beef patties, macaroni salad, fries and raw onions, but with a mustard pan sauce as a substitution for ketchup and hot sauce. Take that, Rochester!
Hey Mikey, We Like It! Metropolitan Granola Converts Even The Most Devout Of Scrapple Eaters
Aired May 13th, 2008 on Superfoods, HealthCheck, Brunch and Retail. 1 Comment
I think I can say with some degree of confidence that Metropolitan Bakery’s All-Natural Granola is the healthiest thing to pass through my body at least in this century. And it is here that I gently whisper in your ear with the fervor of a new convert, I really, really liked it! From their unassuming bakery by the river, the Metropolitan granola is the handiwork of master baker James Barrett, who bakes over 200 pounds of the stuff each week with his staff. What’s in it? Oats, honey, maple syrup, canola oil, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, wheat germ, milk powder, almonds, pecans, sesame seeds, coconut, dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries and strawberries, spices, and flavorings. Between those mysterious “flavorings” and Barrett’s well-documented baking prowess — Metropolitan has been a fave of ours since the mid-90s — this is not nasty old by-the-pound granola that’s been sitting in a jar somewhere for God only knows how long. Best of all, it’s now available nationwide, so you can send it to whichever far-flung loved one whose current MySpace picture makes them look like they could use a healthy breakfast right about now.
Metropolitan Bakery: All-Natural Granola
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· Perhaps the biggest Food Blob in the entire city, the Food Distribution Center in South Philly, is slated for a move to a $200m new facility that will carry the only slightly less generic name Philadelphia Regional Produce Market. Confession: We’re kind of obsessed with this place and would love to do a video segment on it before it’s sent to the dustbin of history. If you’ve got an in, please email us at phoodie[at]gmail[dot]com. [Inky]
· After our Bloody Mary blowout post a few weeks back, we thought we’d seen it all, but no: Check out Alfa’s flight of Bloody Mary variations (pictured). Oh. My. God. [Rachel’sGuide]
· And ever the studious inspector of restaurant fetuses, City Paper’s Drew Lazor gets the deets on new South Philly BYO Nicholas, helmed by chefs Nicholas Matteo and Nicholas Sweeney, both of whom have done time at Morimoto and Striped Bass. The long and the short of it: New American bistro style, lots of seafood, menu changing almost daily, and yes, they’ll have fresh mixers for your booze. [CP]
WSJ Charticle Illustrates That The Seat Of Philly Power Is A) Geriatric; B) Still In Rittenhouse; C) Apparently Not Weirded Out By Joan Collins
Aired May 12th, 2008 on Uncategorized. 0 Comments
There’s a great feature in the Wall Street Journal called Power Tables, which takes a look at the spots where movers and shakers makes deals, woo each other, and generally rig the system to their end in the hyper-paranoid way you always suspected they did. (Sorry, but the rain is really bringing out my inner Unabomber today.) Anyhoo, this week, they took a gander at Lacroix in Rittenhouse and while those seated unquestionably have power, you have to wonder: For how much longer? You know, geologically speaking. (We’re looking at you, Ralph Roberts.) The piece is a great look, however, at how each city has a few spots where there richest of rich congregate. But I’ll be damned if that Joan Rivers over at table 8 isn’t trying to cougar me with her eyes!
WSJ: I’ll Have What She’s Having; After All, She IS 138 Years Old
From The Dept. Of Sci-Fi Cakes: Battlestar Galactica, Devil’s Food Edition
Aired May 12th, 2008 on Sweets. 1 Comment
The folks at Geekadelphia quite appropriately held a Battlestar Galactica on Saturday night — hey, but who are we to judge; after all, we were a block away dancing like white people at the all-Belle & Sebastian dance party — and while all the usual BSG party stuff applied (XBox, dranqs, hi-res projections) it was this cake that, erm, took the cake. Created by Zoe Lukas, it was a chocolate devil’s food cake with raspberry jam and ganache filling, with every last starship and quasar being edible. View more pics of Lukas’ cake on her Sweets By Zoe Flickr page, and if that name sounds familar, you’ve been paying close attention: Zoe, of course, is the same young lady that brought you the Darth Vader Cookie.
National Mechanics Launches Brunch; Team Phoodie To Partner For Shenanigans
Aired May 9th, 2008 on Exclusive, Events and Brunch. 0 Comments
In the interest of full disclosure and transparency, we must tell you: At any given time, there’s a good chance that something you’ve read on the site has been written by someone who’s been drunk or fed at National Mechanics in the previous 24 hours. The Mechanics folks are our friends, co-conspirators and very often, hosts: For instance, we’re doing the 4th Annual Philebrity Belle & Sebastian Dance Party there on Satuday night. So we’re happy to announce that National Mechanics quietly launched their new brunch last weekend, and yea, it is Good.
Highlights include: Bloody Mary Seafood Cocktail with Plantain Chips — we really, really loved this one for the obvious reasons — Steel Cut Oats, and the lightest, fluffiest Blueberry Pancakes we’ve seen in quite some time. The menu’s after the jump, but watch this space next week for some very fun upcoming brunch stuff Phoodie.info will be presenting at National Mechanics. Now more than ever, it really will be the safest place in Old City.
Continue reading ‘National Mechanics Launches Brunch; Team Phoodie To Partner For Shenanigans’
