This post on Philebrity today about Harrisburg’s fiscal woes has led us down an Internet wormhole into all things Dutch Pantry. We are frightened, yet curious. Anybody ever been to one of these? Surely, you must have stories.

If you’ve been following our big bro site Philebrity the last few days, you’ll already know that we’ve moved lock, stock and barrel to Old City, where an embarrassment of lunch options is already making us giddy with glee. However, a more pressing question looms: Which Old City bar should be our default meeting space/bonding zone/therapist’s couch? Asshat weekender joints like 32˚and their progeny having already been elimated (though how funny would it be if we claimed, like, Marmont?), real contenders surround us. Our buds over at National Mechanics, of course, already have a strong footing in the local tech scene; the City Paper gang long held court at The Khyber, though we’re not sure what will happen when it re-emerges as an izakaya; Rotten Ralph’s and Society Hill Hotel seem like very real dark horse contenders; and Paddy’s (pictured) has already won us over with its salty vibe and the fact that you can smoke there. (Plus, we’re pretty sure we spotted a wireless router in there, which seems to go against everything that Paddy’s is, but there you go.) In any case, let’s put it to you: Where to go when we are having more than one? Because we’re pretty much always having more than one.

Here at Phileb/Phoodie HQ, suffice it to say that OUR HEADS ARE IN THE GAME. Having had a wonderful and delicious Black Taco Buffet for the Phils Vs. Dodgers playoffs games last week, tonight, we’re preparing a more down-home favorite: Crab Fries made in the grand old Chickie’s & Pete’s style. And we must admit, we’re a bit stumped. The fries themselves are easy enough: Crinkle-cuts doused with Old Bay seasoning. But what of that sauce? That amazing, cheesey, salty dipping sauce? It’s always been a bit of a mystery to us. We dug around a little bit, and found this recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/8 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Combine the cream cheese, milk, mayonnaise, horseradish, and Old Bay Seasoning ™. Mix until creamy. Spread mixture into an 8×12 inch baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 to 40 minutes.
3. Remove mixture from oven and spoon into bowl. Cover the top with the shredded cheese and more seasoning. Serve after cheese melts.

But we don’t know if it’s as complicated as all that. Our gut says it might just be white cheddar, butter and heavy cream, slowly simmered into a gooey mess. What do you think? Surely, some of you out there must have attempted your own Chickie’s & Pete’s Crab Fries at home. What did you learn? What worked? What didn’t? Philadelphia, we await your answers.

Hats off to Phoodie reader Lisa Fernandez, who responded to our call yesterday for a little Summer Bounty Show-N-Tell with this concoction, which, we’re guessing used everything she grew. Quoth Lisa: “My ‘summer pie‘ with arugula… A mash up of summer deliciousness in unmeasured form… Layer yellow and green zukes, Russian banana fingerlings, yellow and red tomatoes, corn cut from the cob, with gruyere and reggiano in a pie crust. Throw some pesto in/on it all and top with other crust. Rub pesto on outside of pie and bake at 400 for 45 minutes.” Well, hot damn! Thanks for sharing, Lisa! Everybody else: Show us what you got.

Calling all area gardeners: If you live in the Philadelphia and have an edible garden, we want to hear from you. Growing bunches of scallions to save on money? Have an assortment of herbs or tomatoes exploding in your backyard? Or maybe you have a crop of kale and pumpkins in a community garden? Whatever you’ve got, Phoodie would like to hear from you.

As fall approaches, we’d like to see what you’ve been growing and eating all summer. Email us a description of what you grow in your garden, a few photographs, how long you have been gardening and your favorite dishes with which you’ve been serving your homegrown ingredients. (Above, some amazing tomatoes from our friend Sydney’s garden; we used them for the gazpacho recipe from Cook’s Illustrated’s The New Best Recipe, which by the way, if you don’t have this, get it. And then use it for years.) We’ll share your submission here at Phoodie. We’d like to inspire newcomers to the DIY life and save some tips and ideas for next year’s harvest, as well as get to know you! Email your submissions to: phoodieinfo[at]gmail[dot]com.

Thursday, July 30 is National Cheesecake Day. And in honor of this momentous occasion, Phoodie.info will be running our first-ever All-Philly Cheesecake Roundup. While we’ve already got a few suspects we’ll be profiling, we want to be thorough. So tell us in the comments: What are the standout cheesecakes of the 215 area? If you listen closely, you can hear us getting fatter already. Above, Louis Armstrong makes his feelings about this most iconic of desserts known.

To keep it uber-local, try DiNardo’s Famous Crabs. This Philly legend might be a bit tourist-y — although we kinda like it for its high camp, and they do serve up a wide selection of fresh seafood dishes, including its renowned snapper soup.

On the other side of the Delaware is The Pub in Pennsauken. This could be just the dimly-lit ambience that Max is looking for, right down to the olde English font on the menu. And that yen for snapper soup could quickly turn into a giant steak throwdown.

A bit further afield, in Feasterville to be exact, is the Kopper Kettle Tavern, which might rank low for ambience, but whose snapper soup is well-known.

For another fine snapper soup experience, it might be necessary to take a bit of a drive out into Pennsylvania Dutch country. Cab Frye’s Tavern, located due west of Quakertown in the town of Palm, is admittedly out of the way, but serves a snapper soup that’s worth the drive.

Readers, what have we missed? Whose snapper soup is helping you get through your Bookbinder’s withdrawal? Let us know in the comments.

“So you guys know food, and I love food. Any idea where to get some fried okra in this city?! I’d assume a bbq spot… if you have any idea, I’d LOVE to know. Thanks!”

We feel your pain, lady. But we’ve got good news: Philly is getting a lot better in the soul food and real-deal BBQ departments than it has been in the last few years. For instance, off the top of our heads, we do know that Miss Tootsie’s RBL has an Okra with corn tomatoes side for $4, but that may not be what you are looking for. We’ve also encountered this problem in seeking out good collard greens, but Miss Tootsie’s rocks them as well. But outside of that, who else, we ask you, does soul food sides the right way? Give your faves a shout-out in the comments.