Happy Hour c/o Lemon Hill

Last Thursday I decided to check out Lemon Hill's happy hour after work. The weather seems to have turned for the better in the last two weeks (not that it was ever really bad this winter), and I enjoyed seeing red buds and cherry blossoms on my walk over. Once there I grabbed a stool at the bar and ordered the happy hour cocktail of the evening: Rye Buck, wild turkey rye whiskey, fresh lemon juice, house ginger syrup and soda. This was nice and refreshing, and had the right idea for such a nice Spring day. The ginger was subtle.
I also decided to try their special fried chicken livers. These were cornmeal breaded, if I recall directly, and came with a bacon ailoi for dipping. Good, but not entirely as expected. The taste and texture of the liver wasn't as rich or smooth as I usually associate with chicken liver. This is both a good and a bad thing in my book. A too liver-y chicken liver is not really my bag, but I did find it weird that at times I forgot what I was eating and almost thought I was eating fried oysters. Scale of one to ten, I'd give them a seven. I did, however, finish them.
Later on LW met up with me and we proceeded on to a night of darts and debauchery. Minus any real debauchery past drinking Miller Lights with lemon.

Cocktails, Tomatoes and Burger c/o Village Whiskey

The same weekend as Bar Ferdinand found me getting a hair cut in Center City. I knew this in advance, of course, and thought it might be nice to meet up with some peeps and have a burger at Village Whiskey. BC and LW were in it to win it and so a plan was born. I had thought that around 3 would be a good time to go, and that there wouldn't be quite as much of a wait on a Sunday afternoon. This didn't turn out to be entirely true; we ended up having to wait about 45 minutes. This wasn't so terrible because the weather was amazing and the establishment is kind enough to have a bench outside for those waiting to enter their magical beef wonderland. When we were seated we first ordered drinks. The cocktail menu is different that in times past, and for a minute I was confused about how to proceed. I was not deterred for long, finally deciding on the Chinook, a cocktail consisting of rye whiskey, cynar, punt e mes, maraschino and muddled grapefruit. Delicious and oh-so-pretty. LW and I split the pickled cherry tomatoes, which remained revelatory in their simplicity.
How a skinned tomato in a light pickling concoction can be so mouthwateringly awesome is beyond me. Or perhaps not. I think this may be the summer I FINALLY get around to fiddling with pickling.
BC ordered a side of duck fat fries with beer cheese dipping sauce. I hadn't tried their fries or the sauce before, and must say that I was not surprised to find them both to my satisfaction. I love melty cheese in pretty much any form, but this was definitely a step above the wiz. LW and I both ordered burgers with medium rare while BC went with medium. BC's burger was perfectly cooked from the look of it, but LW and I were a little disappointed with our own burgers, as they didn't have that oozy pink juice center that one expects with medium rare. We quickly debated the pros and cons of sending them back. I worried that the kitchen would judge us, even though I knew that the burgers really weren't cooked to our specifications. LW pointed out the disappointment she (and I) would inevitably feel if we ate burgers that weren't exactly what we had been looking for. So we sucked it up and asked our server if we could have a re-do. She warned us that it would take extra time, and we relayed our willingness to wait. Meanwhile, BC ate her burger and the server gave us a complimentary second set of fries to tide us over. The wait, which wasn't too long, was 100% worth it. Our new burgers were nice and pink and juicy and wonderful.
A fine afternoon meal with friendly faces.

Dinner Extravaganza c/o Bar Ferdinand

Two Fridays back L. texted me and asked if I might like to join her and BC for dinner at Bar Ferdinand. I wasted very little time and replied in the affirmative, which then gave me something to look forward to while I tried to tidy my generally cluttered bedroom existence. I cabbed it on over to Northern Liberties and within moments of getting to the door, met up with L. We went inside to claim our reservation and to wait for BC at the table. As the hostess was looking up the reservation we stood peaceably. Another member of the staff came up to the hosting table (podium? what is the word for that dang thing), and it turns out that this individual and I recognized each other; we were both graduates of Bard College. Bard is a funny place, and I can't rightly tell you that I actually ever spoke to B. So while I recognized him I couldn't be like 'oh remember that time we had a class together/had that conversation/had mutual friends!?' That said, we are friends on Facebook, so I know he likes to make a good stock from time to time. Turns out he's the sommelier at Bar Ferdinand, so soon after BC arrived, he came out and offered us complimentary glasses of sherry, as well as olives and salted marcona almonds. The sherry was Guiterrez Colosia's Oloroso 'Sangre y Trabajadero.' While I think we can all attest to my love of many different forms of alcohol, sherry hasn't been quite on my radar at the same level as, say, bourbon or gin, which makes anything I would say about the sherry pretty basic. And now I will go ahead and say something. What struck me most about it was that it didn't have that cloyingly sweet thing going on that I associate with the fortified wine. A little more mellow, though not without that kick that such beverages generally deliver to their imbiber. It was a really nice gesture and a great start to the meal. The olives and nuts were also tasty little treats to munch on while we got down to the business of cocktails and larger food decisions.
Our server told us the specials and I immediately found interest in the flatbread of the night, which was a mix of chorizo, shrimp, arugula and a few other ingredients I can't quite recall. The solution to this, as I know, is to actually write the stuff down as opposed to expecteing myself to remember things two weeks later...but that just means that the whole 'actually getting to eat the food' part of the meal will take longer...between my subpar photography and lapsed memory, I often wonder what I'm doing in the first place.
For my opening cocktail I was drawn to the Barcelona: Bulleit bourbon, Licor 43, bitters, and brandied cherries. This I liked very much. Nicely balanced. Smooth. Also, I am a sucker for the relatively new (to me in my limited circles) trend of fancy cherries in drinks, and these cherries were nice and fancy. A nice sweet note to go with the bourbon and bitters.
We chose to try two kinds of empanadas, the chicken and mushroom variety as well as the bacon, date, cream cheese variety. The chicken was nice and tender, and there was quite a lot of it. I wasn't really blown away by the resulting dish, but I wouldn't complain about it either.
And how can you really go wrong if you're including cream cheese in a pastry? You really can't. But I did really like how the sweetness of the dates melted with the creamy ridiculousness of the cream cheese, and the bacon did a great job of rounding out and uniting the two.
L. said that the calamari was good here, so we went ahead and ordered that as well. Definitely nice and tender, very crispy. I actually got a bigger kick out of the little fried peppers that mingled in with the calamari.
At some point we asked our server to tell us which of two of the less expensive sparkling wines would be a winning choice. He went and consulted with Bardian B., who then came out with a third option...which we a) enjoyed very much and b) were inspired to drop diamonds into. Well, L. is the only one with a diamond, but I think BC and I both got a thrill. Heh.
This was a nice Cava. B. gave us a little description of its qualities, which, again, I should have written down. What I can say with confidence is that it was bubbly and didn't have that weird thing that some sparkling wines can have. Some strange back throat lingering in a negative way. Wow, and I wonder why no one will hire me as a critic.
And finally, the cheese plate. The running theme of the evening continues here, as I cannot tell you anything about any of the cheeses, their paired accoutrements, or anything else. Failure alert. All I can say is that I liked the manchego and the creamy mess of a cheese that L. and BC weren't quite as enamored with.
By this point we were certainly giggly messes. Switching seats to have different combinations of us photographed...fixing each other's hair...knocking over chairs in our excitement over said photo combinations. But I don't think we were too out of control. Also, apropos of nothing, as I was walking to the washroom at some point, a man was walking in the opposite direction...and as he walked by me he slapped my ass and kept on going. I was both very offended and flattered at the same time. This is not a good sign for me: when what truly is sexual harassment makes you feel flattered, then you have not been getting enough ass slaps in your life. Let's move on from that thought, shall we?

Fun with photos! L. has some more good ones with BC.
A lovely and unexpected evening. A great thanks goes out to Bardian B. for the extra treats!

Banchan, Wings, Short Ribs and Soup c/o Sammy Chon's

I have long wanted to become better acquainted with Korean food. That's a fact that cannot be disputed. When I live in Chicago I always meant to check out one of its bbq places, but had always been told that it was best to go to such places with a Korean person, or at least someone who could speak Korean. While I'm not afraid of new things or experiences, the fact that this was the repeated suggestion made me hesitant to try without such an interpreter. Lame, I know. This means that I have yet to actually grill my own meat, but in the last year or two I have been making slight progress with at least getting to know a little more about Korean cuisine. So when I read about Sammy Chon's K-Town opening a location in Chinatown, I figured that I could at least get a little bbq on, even if I didn't do it with my own two hands. I asked J. if she'd like to join me, which she did, so we met up on a Thursday. I arrived first and was quickly seated at one of the booth-tables along the restaurant's right side. At the time there were perhaps two other tables, so not busy at all. J. arrived and the banchan came out. I do love banchan! Tiny treats!
Included in the banchan were little black beans in a kind of sweet sauce, steamed broccoli with a sriracha kind of sauce, green beans, macaroni salad, spicy but still also sweet cucumbers, funny ham cubes, and it wouldn't be a Korean meal if it didn't feature kim chi.
There were some tough decisions to make about my meal...soup? Noodles? Meat? All? I struggled not to just order the entire menu. In the end I ordered four of their Korean fried chicken wings with the soy garlic sauce. The outsides of the chicken were nice and crispy, but the sauce wasn't particularly memorable. I ended up only eating one of these and letting J. take the rest.
I decided to have the best of both worlds when it came to my main course and chose a combination meal - the kalbi with soon dubu. Kalbi = marinated and then grilled short ribs. Soon dubu = tofu soup. You can specialize your soup by adding everything from meat to mushrooms. I chose to stick with tofu and kim chi, and then was reminded to crack an egg into it once it arrived at the table. The soup came out so hot and bubbling, that the broth did the work of cooking the egg. This soup was so great. Rich and spicy. It also came with rice but I used it sparingly, wanting to make sure I had room in my belly for the beef as well.

The beef didn't look like much, but it tasted leaps and bounds beyond ordinary. Between the slight char and marinade, it was pretty much totally addictive. I didn't finish either dish, which was a boon for my lunches for a few days afterwards.
While it had seemed like the space was too big for the number of customers, by the time we left the entire place had filled up. Servers were pushing their carts bearing banchan and sizzling meats and soups all over the place. J. had the chicken bulgogi dulsot (or I think that's right), which she was helpfully instructed to stir up a bit so that the rice at the bottom of the hot hot hot bowl didn't get overly crispy. She said it was spicy but also very, very good. I had heard mixed reviews about the place, and that had almost pushed it off of my resolution list...but in the end I figured I should determine for myself whether it was lacking. And I'm glad, because it certainly satiated my hunger and pleased my palate. Can I say that it is the most authentic and best Korean restaurant in Philadelphia? No, I can't. But that's because as of right now, I'm not an expert...but I'll definitely be coming back for more.

And Then There Were Darts

I departed from Farmer's Cabinet aglow with good food, libations and company and met up with the dart team at Druid's Keep. While you might think we lost if you looked at LW in this photograph, you would be wrong...we won! Which is actually quite something since we were bumped up into a tougher division and were playing the same team that beat us rather consistently in the previous season. LW, however, looks defeated because she lost the 50/50 raffle.



A very long, multi-faceted evening that I enjoyed very much.

Dishcrawl Philly: Stop Three, Farmer's Cabinet

The last stop on the crawl was Farmer's Cabinet. We sidled up to the side bar to grab cocktails before sitting down for the last set of tastes of the night. I went with a rum daisy and was quite pleased with this choice.
I was a bit surprised that the first plate out was a small individual sized charcuterie plate. Tasty, but not quite exciting given the fact that we had just had access to a bigger spread of meat at Fish. I guess the two restaurants didn't collaborate or talk to one another.
Next up was a butternut squash soup in a darling little glass.

And then finally a soft pretzel.
This was a nice final stop. Nothing was really awe inspiring about any of the three dishes, but the company remained top notch and the Farmer's Cabinet does ambiance quite well.

Dishcrawl Philly: Stop 2, Fish

After enjoying Graffiti Bar's happy hour wine prices and complimentary appetizers, the group - which was probably at least 60 or so folks - was split in two. Half of us were led in one direction, the other half in another. Our half went to Fish. For as long I have lived in Philadelphia, I have heard nothing but positive things about Fish and its short-lived friend Little Fish, so I was very excited to get a little sampling of what they're about. Our group of 30-ish fanned out across the bar, which was slightly awkward because it hadn't been reserved. This meant that we were flowing in and around existing customers in one mass of human excitement, which, had I been a pre-existing guest, I would have found off putting. While the staff was nothing but nice and the treats satisfying, I will say it seems as if they hadn't really thought out where they might put us. Nonetheless, BC, BA and I found three seats at the bar and made that our official perch. We were in a great position to talk to the bartender and to snag samples of the charcuterie plates that soon came out of the kitchen. I love cornichons. And I love a good chorizo. And whole grain mustard. And even the prosciutto, a cured meat I'm working to better understand and appreciate, had some flavor to go with its fatty lovely texture.
These right here are fried skate. I don't understand the science of this dish. If science is even a part of it. This reminded me a bit of fried pork rinds, or those fried shrimp chips you can find in pretty much any Chinatown in the world (which strangely enough I tried for the first time in Paris when I was 16). Delicate and airy, but crispy too. I just don't get it! Is it actually skate sliced so thin that it turns into this airy fried wonder treat? Or is it really some sort of rice base that is then sprinkled with the essence of skate, which helps it transmogrify? For something that looked so simple, the taste was big. And now all I want to know is how it was done.
Then out came the oysters.
This photograph was taken by a man who was not part of the group. After he took ithe asked whether my camera could mail the photo to him...then he tried to take photographs of us with his iPhone. Just in case you don't pick up on it, this man's behavior was c-r-e-e-p-y. Note to all men who are not in fact skeeves or creepsters: don't do that unless you actually are that weird, then do it, as that is actually a great way to announce your unsuitability to the women folk.
There was a bit of a lag between when all the food tastes came out and when we were finally instructed to put our jackets on in order to go to our third, and final, location. The little tease tastings at Fish certainly made me want to go back and try something more substantial.

Dishcrawl Philly: Midtown Village, Stop Numero Uno

At some point before my Bahamian vacation I stumbled across an article about the upcoming Dishcrawl Philly event. It sounded like fun, so I ran to the roof of the highest building and flipped the switch on the 'CC Signal,' which in this poorly thought out comparison notified the eating public that I was need of fellow eaters. Sigh. See, what I was trying to do there was have you imagine that, like Batman, I am so popular that there's a light specifically designed with my initials, which is used not to call me to others, but to draw others to me. Ok it really didn't work, so we should move on. BC, intrepid socialite that she is, quickly got back in touch with me and soon tickets were purchased and then it was just a matter of the days and weeks passing. The premise of Dishcrawl is that one or two organizers plot out a few different restaurant stops in a specific neighborhood, then collaborate and work with the management of said locations to do little servings of some of their fare. When we bought the tickets, the restaurants that we would frequent were entirely unknown. So BC and I both laughed a bit when the first stop on the tour was, of course, Sampan and its Graffiti Bar. With the exception of McCrossens, it's rare to see me go to the same place three times in two weeks, but after dinner with M., then drinks with BC, AS and BA, it was clearly fated in the stars that Sampan and I will eventually get married and spawn some strange half restaurant half person. I digress. Again.

The bar area, which isn't overly spacious to begin with, was definitely packed by the time we arrived. We ended up in a bit of a dead zone, near the bar but more in a corner by a door. This was good in some ways; we were jostled and bumped less. But there were drawbacks; when the complimentary appetizers started coming out of the kitchen, none of them were really making it to our little corner of the world. But with some effort and collaboration with other Dish Crawlers, we managed to snag tastes of each of the dishes that came out. First up, the chicken satay with wasabi aioli. BA and I had a discussion about how chicken can be tricky to cook. I have great confidence in my ability to roast a chicken and keep it moist, but - paradoxically - when it comes to individual pieces of the chicken, I still struggle not to overcook or dry out the meat. Sampan did not have this problem. I loved the marinade of the chicken, which was succulent and not dried out a bit. And the wasabi aioli had just enough of a creamy kick to push this skewer from good to great. It was a great first taste of the night.
There were also edamame dumplings. Dainty things, these were. With just a little broth to accompany the pocket of edamame puree. BC was particularly a fan of this, if I recall correctly. There was a third treat, something that loosely resembled a bruschetta...but I never got a clear read on what it actually was. My fave of Sampan was the skewers, but I think others were raving far more about the unphotographed dish.

Afternoon Slumber Party Lasagna

On Saturday LB and I had plan for an afternoon slumber party. I decided I'd add to the splendor of the occasion by baking a lasagna. I didn't quite manage to get all (or any) of the prep work accomplished before LB arrived, so a good amount of the slumber party was in the kitchen. This dish, which I've done versions of in the past, consisted of sauteed mushrooms (in bacon grease and a touch of salt), a parsley/parmesan/lemon/garlic pesto (with ricotta), bechamel sauce and, of course, copious amounts of mozzarella cheese. I liked the new lemon element of the pesto, something I tried out the week before with a salmon dish I entirely forgot to document. I sent a good helping home with LB after we concluded our slumber times by half watching Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell shine in the underrated motion picture, Overboard.

Museum and Scorpions

Once our meal - and the bottle of tequila - had come to an end, we hoofed it over to the Museum. It certainly was a pretty hip and happening spot. I had been excited about seeing the West Philadelphia Orchestra and maybe doing a little shimmying in the corner, but they had been the first musical act of the night, which we missed while chomping down on our variety of Isabel treats. The second act, which we did catch, was a little more experimental...not really danceable...so after a brief time standing and watching them make sounds, we made our way to the Strauss exhibit.
Once we had our share of art, we went outside to see it was raining and to plot our next step. Now, earlier in the day I was checking in on Twitter when I saw that Sampan had tweeted that the first ten people to use a specific hashtag would then win a free Scorpion Bowl. Now, I love winning things and I love large bowls of alcohol (I didn't actually know this was true until that night), so of course I threw my hat into the ring. And I am glad I did, because I was a winner! So it was decided that we would make our way to Sampan and claim our bowl of booze. We ended up going to the Graffiti Bar, which is Sampan's tucked away outdoor/indoor bar. To get to it, you have to walk down quite a narrow alley way. Sampan seems to like to create a scene. But the thing is the scene ain't so bad when you're there.
And so I went up to the bartender and asked about redeeming the twitter deal. He seemed unsure and went to check with his manager, and I was afraid I had somehow misunderstood and we would be laughed out of the place for our naivete...but instead it was confirmed, and a Scorpion Bowl we did enjoy.
BEHOLD! So I have no idea what's in this sucker, other than pineapple juice and alcohol. We took up a corner spot at the bar and got to work.
Romantical moments were captured. Not really. Men, both these ladies are looking for love...in all the wrong places. That's not true, they're looking in the right places too. It's me who's looking in the wrong places. Moving on.
I like this series of BC and me.
I have no idea what AS or BA said, but clearly it was hilarious.
It's amazing how much effort it takes to drink a fish bowl of a cocktail. It took determination and fortitude, and reinforcements of water.
But we got the job done.
This is AS making sure every last drop has been properly done away with.
We didn't stay much longer after the bowl was spent. This was due, in part, to our desire to dance our little feet off somewhere and the fact that Graffiti Bar is not the spot for dancing. Also, as you may have noticed on your own, we had already consumed a bottle of tequila between the four of us and after the Scorpion Bowl we were pretty well set for alcohol. So off we went...but to where??? I know the answer to this question. Do not worry.